Patchouli Cyanide writesCHIRP Radio’s Best of 2022: Juniper Balbus-Holmquist

Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2022. Our next list is from volunteer Juniper Balbus-Holmquist.

2022 was a really solid year for music across a bunch of genres so deciding on just ten is really difficult. However, there are some that I love enough to make this list easy enough.

I’ll probably change my opinions ten minutes after I publish but that’s music for you. Disagree, be mad but all opinions ARE my own.

#1 Ants from up there by Black Country, New Road (Ninja Tune)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

Okay if this doesn’t win the CHIRP overall poll I’m gonna riot. This is without a doubt one of the top 100 albums ever released and probably my third favorite post-rock style post-punk album ever behind F#A#8 and soundtracks for the blind. It’s just that good.

If you somehow have never heard it, check it out. I think it’s a perfect mix of chamber, post-punk and and post-rock. My mom likes it, my dad likes it, I like it, RateYourMusic likes it. You’ll probably like it too. End rant.

#2 Skinty Fia by Fontaines D.C. (Partisan)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

This is my moody little Disintegration and Pornography worshiping fave of the year and boy oh boy does make me miss a time (that I wasn’t even alive for— by 30 years no less) where goth meant this.

I really think these guys are the next U2 in the sense of '80s-'90s U2, not in the sense that these guys are gonna be miserable sell-outs anytime soon.

We’ll see if their upcoming (as of 2022) Arctic Monkeys tour cements them more solidly overseas. No one ever said this album was bad but it’s underrated still in my opinion. I can’t wait to hear what they’ll do next

#3 Pain Remains by Lorna Shore (Century Media)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

Crying to Deathcore is a new experience for the metal world but if you’re a core kid like me in the year 2022, you know this album’s final act made you bawl like nothing else.

The whole album is frickin solid, but what becomes a three act deathcore ballad rocks, slaps, bops. Whatever word ( or frankly string of expletives) you want to use to describe this album, it’s brilliant.

I also briefly ran into Will Ramos at Lollapalooza from the back of his golf cart and he’s really nice. Way to transform a band dude, and be an omnipresent Guinea pig for YouTubers as well.

These guys are part of Periphery-Meshuggah-fication of core music along with Loathe, Spiritbox, and Vildhjarta. Symphonic Melodic Technical Progressive Deathcore! Get hip to it 😊

#4 Midnights by Taylor Swift (Republic)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

Yes core kids and Swifties do cross over more than you’d expect. This album is good okay. I like it it’s good. I enjoy it. It’s no skips. I overall just love the atmosphere and Taylor’s villain energy.

Check it out! I think it’s my favorite work from her and I’m proud of my ticket to see her this summer!

#5 Unison life by Brutus (Sargent House)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

Really dark and fun. Garbage, Spiritbox, Chelsea Wolfe, Deftones all at once. This is just so cool. It’s Deftones-type hot girl music and I just love it so much.

#6 Hiss by Wormrot (Earache)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

Heavy as crap. So awesome. So heavy. So fast. I love it. Go Singaporean Grindcore!!! I wish they would come to the US again!!

#7 Diaspora Problems by Soul Glo (Epitaph)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

Black People making Hardcore better than anyone ever to make hardcore. I said it. This is bringing old Epitaph back. It’s so good. I love the rap influences it’s so good!

#8 Melt My Eyez see your future by Denzel Curry (Loma Vista)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

Rap AOTY nuff said

#9 God’s Country by Chat Pile (The flenser)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

So heavy! Grimace smoking weed is deranged.

#10 Bleached Cross by Bleached Cross (Protagonist Music)

BUY: Reckless / Amazon

Darkwave AOTY, underrated as hell. These guys should be Horsegirl, Lifeguard, Friko level appreciated. Proud owner of this vinyl. Check them out!

They’ve played with KEN mode and others and they like everything from Converge and Full of Hell to behemoth and Gojira to senses fail and alexisonfire to American football. Nice guys too who have helped me with music!

Honorable Mentions

Darkthone-Astral Fortress, Horsegirl- Versions of Modern Performance [know personally], Lifeguard- Crowd can Talk [EP and know personally], Post office Winter- Music Box [know personally], Friko- Whenever Forever [know personally]. I hope you like and it was a good list 😊