Top 10 EPs of 2022
we now come to the warm-up that has always arrived before the big fat lists I will soon need to wade through. The warm-up in question, of course, being my top EPs of the year.
In the case of this year, however, I have made it clear in many a 2022 review that the selection of EPs that the musical year of 2022 has offered has been a little more scarce than the recent years prior. This makes sense though; with the worries of the COVID pandemic and lockdown beginning to fizzle out for many parts of the world, artists have had more opportunities to work on larger projects, such as albums, which I will be covering very soon.
But for now, it’s time to shine a light on those EPs that I did managed to find and enjoy this year. I initially was anxious that I would have to narrow this list down to just 5 EPs, but looking back on it, I think there were just enough good ones to make a top 10.
So without further ado, let me begin going through those 10 EPs.
10 — LOU — BUBBLEGUM EP
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
Since early 2021, LOU has stood as a bit of an exception to the rule of me not being the biggest fan of the pop-punk genre. There were many a single in 2021 especially, which I really enjoyed. That being said, it was fantastic to see the artist releasing their debut EP, which includes a good range of moods throughout.
9 — Stone Hand — Fear the Ones Who Scream the Loudest
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
While carrying a narrowed-down portion of three tracks, Brighton-based hardcore group Stone Hand re-introduces their sound and aesthetic in brutal fashion with this brand new EP. As short as the experience was, there was not a dull moment to be found throughout. I am very excited to see what thie EP release could lead to.
8 — Blood Orange — Four Songs
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
This is a very similar case to the aforementioned number 9 EP. Whilst being a short re-introduction to Blood Oranges sound, siad sound has been sorely missed by the likes of myself. With that said, it was marvellous to get a little bit more of Blood Oranges masterful and highly atmospheric soundscaping through this 2022 EP.
7 — Sundara Karma — Oblivion!
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
While this EP still doesn’t quite stack up to the one they released in 2020, titled Kill Me, I must say that Oblivion! has grown on me a little bit more since I first reviewed it. I would say that the guitar-work especially serves as the biggest help when it comes down to giving this EP a little more atmospheric and fantastical edge.
6 — BENEE — Lychee
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
Lychee is another case of an EP growing on me slightly more as the year has progressed. But in Benee’s case, I feel that some of the tracks on here give it the edge over Oblivion! I found that it was the more tender moments on this EP that felt the most immersive and enjoyable. That said, I would love to hear that kind of sound more in future projects.
5 — Sevdaliza — Raving Dahlia
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
I would actually go as far to say that Raving Dahlia has probably got to be the most unique-sounding of the EPs on this list (not really like there was much competition or anything, but I digress).
The atmosphere and ambience that this EP presents really succeeded in immersing me into the project. It’s indeed that kind of soft and soothing EP, whose sound really soaks under the skin of the listener.
4 — Softcult — Year Of The Snake
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
Softcult get their gritty sound fully across with this EP, with an aesthetic that feels like some kind of lovechild of YONAKA and Wolf Alice.
And while Year Of the Snake commands our attention, and lets us fully know what kind of band Softcult are, there’s also a lot of musical variety to be found on here too, with tracks that range from engagingly gritty, to bewitchingly atmospheric.
3 — JPEGMAFIA — OFFLINE!
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
When it comes to EPs by well known artists in 2022, JPEGMAFIA’s OFFLINE! is the easy choice for the one to shout about.
Along with finally seeing an official music-streaming release of the 2021 track “HAZARD DUTY PAY” OFFLINE! offers a good range of many other tunes that undoubtedly carry through the alien charm of this incredibly talented artist.
2 — Seeva — Afterthoughts
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
It was of course going to be difficult for Seeva to top their phenomenal 2020 debut album We Need To Talk. However, the Afterthoughts EP stands as a project which is just as gorgeous.
With the live set that I was lucky enough to see this year presenting the tracks found on this EP, I only wound up appreciating the beauty of this EP all the more. Seeva is an undeniable talent, and Afterthoughts stands as a great example of this.
1 — Opus Kink — ’Til The Stream Runs Dry
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
The very moment I stumbled across this EP, I knew that it was destined to be my EP of the year!
’Til The Stream Runs Dry has not only done something that no other EP has done in 2022; the same applies for any album released this year as well. Opus Kink introduce listeners to their signature sound, one that feels very reminiscent of late 70’s post-punk, and they do it a remarkable justice.
Every single one of these songs feel both nostalgic, and catchy as hell. But more importantly, this EP proves that bands today, such as Opus Kink, can absolutely smash this kind of sound!
Apologies for the snappiness of this list. However, I feel that pretty much sums up how short the run of EPs this year has been.
Nevertheless, 2022 has been a quality over quantity case when it comes to EP releases, and the EPs I have covered here are utterly deserving of all their praise.
Stay tunes, as I soon will be covering the big ones; my top 50 albums of the year, and my top 100 tracks of the year.
