Hello and Welcome to the 1st Annual Bread & Butter Awards! I know you were expecting The Weekly Spread #12, but I (Britnee) have been really sick this week and haven’t had much time for music discovery. Seeing as we’re smack-dab in the middle of awards season, I thought it would be fun to present to you our favorite albums of last year, split into fun little awards categories.
Disagree, or have suggestions for other albums that you think deserve to be here? Let us know in the comments! And as always, thanks for reading.
~Britnee and Eddie
BEST AMBIENT ALBUM - Moon Mullins, Water Your Flowers
The ideal soundtrack for working, taking a walk through nature, or tripping on shrooms (probably), Water Your Flowers is everything I want in an ambient album. It’s lush and atmospheric, laid-back and serene, unique enough to keep you interested but not so out there as to be distracting… just perfect mood music.
Notable tracks: Starlight, Toni, Drops
BEST LYRICS - Julia Jacklin, PRE PLEASURE
I wrote an entire article about the power of Julia’s lyricism on this album, but to reiterate my main point: PRE PLEASURE is a poetic exploration of the rapture and confusion of growing up.
On masturbation: “Beneath the sheets, you're just a cave / A plastic bucket, or a grave / Who said you're not what you get / You are what you gave away?”
On religious ambivalence: “Seated in rows / Knees and eyes closed I felt pretty / In the shoes and the dress / Confused by the rest could he hear me?”
On losing a friend: “All my love is spinning ‘round the room / If only it would land on something soon”
Notable tracks: Lydia Wears A Cross, Ignore Tenderness, End of a Friendship
BEST DEBUT - TOLEDO, How it Ends
TOLEDO has released a few great EPs, but their debut record, How It Ends, is pure magic. It feels like staring at sparkly lake water at sunset on one of the last days of summer - like you’re experiencing something beautiful and fleeting, something you know is going to become a cherished memory even though you’re still in the midst of it. Thanks, TOLEDO!
Notable tracks: Soda Can, Boxcutter, L-Train
BEST RAINY DAY ALBUM - Nick Hakim, COMETA
The moody melodies, the warm, crackling production, Nick Hakim’s haunting vocal… need I say more? COMETA is the perfect album for gray days when you just want to be cozy and wrapped up in your feels.
Notable tracks: Happen, Only One, Slid Under
BEST ROAD TRIP ALBUM - Babe Rainbow, The Organic Band
It doesn’t matter where you are or what time of year you’re listening - The Organic Band will transport you to an empty highway by a warm beach. You’re driving your convertible with the top down, the wind is blowing salty air through your hair, and you don’t have a care in the world. It’s also the year 1968, approximately.
Notable tracks: Open Up Your Heart, Flashback, Sunshine and Shadow
BEST KITCHEN ALBUM - Toro y Moi, MAHAL
I’m not sure this album is actually the best album of 2022 to put on while you’re cooking, but it was Eddie’s favorite album to play in the kitchen (also one of his favorites of the year in general), so it gets the top spot. Toro y Moi is great at writing groovy and interesting hooks that keep things fresh, and MAHAL is no exception!
Notable tracks: Magazine, Postman, Millenium
BEST ALBUM TO SHOW TO YOUR GRANDMA - Drugdealer, Hiding in Plain Sight
Lol - this category is for an album that feels timeless and wide-reaching, which is ironic considering Hiding in Plain Sight is somewhat of a concept album. All the songs sound like they came straight out of the 70s, but they have so much originality and joie de vivre that they transcend time and genre. In true Drugdealer fashion, the album has got some really excellent horn solos. It’s also got the song “Madison,” which is probably our favorite single of 2022.
Notable tracks: Madison, Pictures of You, To Live and Drive in LA
MOST CAPTIVATING MOOD - Widowspeak, The Jacket
If you’ve listened to The Jacket, you’ll know exactly why it gets this award. Everything about it feels fully realized, from the title, to the album art, to the general cool-weather vibes the songs all give off - jangly, grungy guitars, sultry vocals, breezy synths, etc. I’m not surprised Widowspeak is from Brooklyn, because this is a very don-your-leather-jacket-and-walk-the-streets-of-Bushwick-in-October album. In the best way, of course!
Notable tracks: While You Wait, Everything is Simple, The Drive
MOST UNIQUE ARRANGEMENTS - DOMi & JD BECK, NOT TiGHT
NOT TiGHT is in a league of its own. A blend of jazz, R&B, and hip-hop from teen piano and drum prodigies Domi & JD Beck, this album has some really original and heady songwriting that will appeal to casual listeners and production nerds alike. They released their debut on Anderson Paak’s label and it’s easy to see why - great recognizes great.
Notable tracks: WHATUP, SMiLE, TAKE A CHANCE
BEST EP - The Zenmenn & John Moods, Hidden Gem
So many great EPs were released in 2022, but we’ve got to shout out Hidden Gem. Perfect for date nights and slow mornings, this under-the-radar EP is full of laid-back ballads and grooves meant to be savored (the shortest song is five minutes and forty-four seconds long).
Notable tracks: Out of My Mind, Into the Heart of the Matter
A few more albums we liked that deserve recognition:
Alex G, God Save the Animals
Alvvays, Blue Rev
MJ Lenderman, Boat Songs
SAULT, 11
The Smile, A Light for Attracting Attention