82 TIME June 20/June 27, 2022
TIME OFF RECOMMENDS
The best albums
of 2022 so farof 2022 so farBY MAURA JOHNSTONPEANESS
World Full
of Wof Worryorry
U.K. trio Peaness have U.K. trio Peaness have
a winking approach to a winking approach to
indie pop that energizes indie pop that energizes
their peppier tracks and their peppier tracks and
leavens their more contem-leavens their more contem-
plative cuts. On plative cuts. On World Full World Full
of Worry,of Worry, their fi rst proper their fi rst proper
full-length album, they mas-full-length album, they mas-
ter this balance in hooky, ter this balance in hooky,
terse guitar pop, balancing terse guitar pop, balancing
existential malaise with existential malaise with
an ebullient chorus on an ebullient chorus on
“What’s the Use?”“What’s the Use?”HARRY STYLES
Harry’s House
The third album from boy-The third album from boy-
bander turned grownup bander turned grownup
pop icon Styles, pop icon Styles, Harry’s Harry’s
HouseHouse is a laid-back is a laid-back
affair that showcases affair that showcases
the British singer’s easy the British singer’s easy
charm and unbounded charm and unbounded
curiosity. The glossy curiosity. The glossy
synths of “As It Was” are synths of “As It Was” are
well-paired with Styles’ well-paired with Styles’
breathy voice.breathy voice.KEHLANI
Blue
WWater Roadater Road
Kehlani broke through in Kehlani broke through in
the mthe mid-2010s with deeply id-2010s with deeply
personal soul. Their third personal soul. Their third
albumalbum opens with the opens with the
declaration that they’re declaration that they’re
“workin’ on bein’ softer,” “workin’ on bein’ softer,”
and the albumand the album bears out bears out
that idea both sonically that idea both sonically
and lyrically, with Kehlani and lyrically, with Kehlani
rumruminating on queerness, inating on queerness,
grief, and love over grief, and love over
splendid grooves.splendid grooves.CATE LE BON
Pompeii
WWelsh melsh musician and usician and
producer Le Bon takes producer Le Bon takes
on personal and global on personal and global
apocalypse in her sixth apocalypse in her sixth
albumalbum, and she’s well-, and she’s well-
equipped to do so: her gift equipped to do so: her gift
for mfor making songs sound aking songs sound
as if they’re on the verge of as if they’re on the verge of
falling apart pairs perfectly falling apart pairs perfectly
with the subject mwith the subject matter.atter.REMA
Rave & Roses
The debut albumThe debut album from from
Benin, Nigeria–born Benin, Nigeria–born
vocalist Remvocalist Rema introduces a introduces
Afro Afro Afro rave, which fuses rave, which fuses rave, which fuses
WWWest African rhythmest African rhythmest African rhythms s s
and mand melodies with elodies with
elemelements borrowed ents borrowed
fromfrom genres around genres around
the world, to riveting the world, to riveting
results. See the low-lit results. See the low-lit
synth-pop cut “Addicted” synth-pop cut “Addicted”
and the undulating, and the undulating,
lovestruck “Mlovestruck “Mara.”ara.”JANE INC.
Faster Than
I Can TakeI Can Take
Carlyn Bezic’s Carlyn Bezic’s
mmusicianship and usicianship and
expressive voice mexpressive voice make ake
the second albumthe second album from from
Jane Inc. a gripping trip Jane Inc. a gripping trip
to pop’s frontier. The to pop’s frontier. The
pumpummmeling “2120” is one eling “2120” is one
of the mof the most pleasantly ost pleasantly
overpowering dance-pop overpowering dance-pop
tracks of the year.tracks of the year.MIRANDA LAMBERT
Palomino
For her ninth solo album, For her ninth solo album,
Texas troubadour Texas troubadour
Lambert built on Lambert built on
the promise of her the promise of her
2016 track “Highway 2016 track “Highway
Vagabond” and hit the Vagabond” and hit the
road, spinning tales of road, spinning tales of
hard-living women while hard-living women while
playing with prevailing playing with prevailing
notions of what country notions of what country
music can be. Lambert’s music can be. Lambert’s
forays into blues-forays into blues-
informed new wave informed new wave
and dream pop show and dream pop show
her versatility.her versatility.EARL SWEATSHIRT
SICK!
Enigmatic MC Earl Enigmatic MC Earl
Sweatshirt’s pandemic Sweatshirt’s pandemic
album album SICK!SICK! succinctly succinctly
and cleverly shows and cleverly shows
how he’s shaved down how he’s shaved down
his lyrics to their his lyrics to their
absolute essence, with absolute essence, with
compressed rhymes and compressed rhymes and
idiosyncratic metaphors idiosyncratic metaphors
that mirror the walls-that mirror the walls-
closing-in feeling of the closing-in feeling of the
lockdown era. lockdown era.