Trey Hibbard

Honorable Mention: Make It Fit - Karate Karate returned for the first time in 20 years with Make It Fit. The album was unique to say the least. Over the last 20 years, frontman Geoff Farina has been in multiple bands, jazz groups, solo ventures and duos with other artists. His style has changed over the years because the mainly because of Tinnitus, the main reason Karate broke out. Farina couldn’t play hard rock anymore, but with modern earplugs and amplifiers, Karate was able to return in 2022.

6) Zach Bryan - Zach Bryan This year’s release of Zach Bryan’s self-titled, sophomore album continues the singer-songwriter’s reign as a generational sensation– one that extends far beyond the realm of the country music world. I don’t consider myself a country music “fan” by any means, but I find myself constantly revisiting this album. Though it definitely boasts plenty of Americana classics, the genre of this album can feel oddly ambiguous at times.

This month marks fifteen years since the release of Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion in 2009. When I was only six and practicing addition facts in my first grade classroom, the indie scene was absorbing what has aged to be one of the most iconic psychedelic pop albums of the 21st century. Arguably their most accessible album (besides possibly 2023’s Isn’t It Now?), MPP is a more marketable angle on the sounds they explored in their 2007 album Strawberry Jam.