It’s time for the monthly post detailing what albums and artist I’ve been listening to called What I’ve Heard: July 2022 Edition.

Top 25 Albums July 2022

As you can see this was quite an eclectic month of listening, and along with some staple favorites there are a fewer new discoveries, a hard rock album or two (gasp!), and more mainstream albums than usual (6) and double gasp!) Here we go!

Here’s June’s Post in case you missed it!

  • My Top 2 of the month came as totally unknown recommendations to me from fellow JFH staffers (Thanks Joel and John U!) who sang their praises on a recent podcast. Wild Earth (80s soaked indie/alt-rock) and The Riverside (Americana/bluegrass/string band with great harmonies) are highly likely to make my Top 10 by years end. Both are independent artists and they scene continues to deliver for me more than the more known radio supported bands/artists. Anyway, I digress…The whole podcast is full of other great recommendations from 2022’s first half of the year, and I highly recommend listening in for some you’ve probably heard of, and many you may not have. Listen to Episode 162
  • Album #3 is an oldie but a goodie I think all fans of jangle pop should known and love. It’s 1995’s Blue Belly Sky album from The Waiting. I’ll make it easy for you and link it Here. Be on the lookout for a review to sneak it’s way into the Jesusfreakhideout.com database soon as I’m going to do my best to review some of the back catalogue of albums without reviews from the 90s and 80s. But your requests in if any in the comments!
  • It’s been a rough year for hip-hop albums in the Christian market but the one I keep coming back to is Trip Lee’s return called The End. Additionally from the rap/hip-hop world I’ve been jamming the 116 Summer twenty-two Mixtape fairly regularly as I drive to and from work. Listen in Here. It’s 48 minutes of head-bobbin, toe-tappin’, minvan-dad drivin’ goodness.
  • A third independent album rounds out the Top 5 with the 25 minute 8 song rollickin’ good time album Pain Split from band Plead the Widow’s Cause. Those who know me know I trend away from harder music typically, but this one and Norma Jean’s Wrongdoers have hit the spot of keeping me awake on long drives. Tune in Here.
  • Two more Bob Dylan albums as I continue my: My 60 Day Summer With the Music of Bob Dylan that is soon to wrap up. In Blood on the Tracks I think I’ve found li favorite album overall…so far anyway.
  • The new Dawes record Misadventures of Doomscroller is predictably great, though in a more lengthy jam band song kind of way. I highly recommend it. Give it time and multiple spins it was a grower for me.
  • The music listening club breezed though the Mumford & Sons four album catalogue this past week and I was reminded of my love of MOST of their stuff. You can probably guess which album (that I won’t mention) doesn’t make the cut. I reviewed Delta four years again Here and stand by my thoughts for the most part.
  • I snuck an 80s album onto the mix late in the month re-visiting the Phil Keaggy classic Phil Keaggy and Sundays Child. It was an intentional lean-in on the mid 60s Beatles sound, and it’s pulled off tremendously well. For all those times Keaggy was told he sounded like McCartney he finally just went for it. You can stream it on Spotify Here.
  • Longtime favorite bands Jars of Clay (2) and Switchfoot (1) make appearances this month as they aren’t usually far from my headphones even as I seek to keep up on what’s current. The Switchfoot album is the Deluxe of last years Interrobang which I reviewed in depth Here. The deluxe has three all-new songs and the title track, which curiously didn’t make the cut the first time around is the biggest highlight utilizing the sounds of the Fading West era.
  • I hear rumors and little birdies talking of a recently recorded third Chase Tremaine album, so I figured I should revisit his 2021 pop/rock . To see what he’s up to music and writing wise go to his site and sign up for his mailing list Here. Support indie musicians ya’ll!
  • Anberlin is back! Five newish songs dropped on the 29th and the EP called Silverline lives up to their high standards of soaring alt/rock. I recommend!
  • Probably my biggest surprise other than my Top 2 most listened was Andy Zipf’s acoustic-based gentle How to Make a Paper Airplane. It’s been a perfect wind-down nighttime record to add to my favorites from Future of Forestry (Union) Falling Up (House Full of Caverns and Midnight on Earthship) and the newly discovered Mythos and Petra by The Riverside.
  • Three albums of note: I gave a fair amount of time and enjoyed these but they didn’t quite make the list…Chagall Guevara’s long-anticipated return Halcyon Days, Wolves at the Gate’s Eulogies, And Maverick City/Kirk Franklin’s collab album Kingdom Book 1 & 2. (It’s long but good background music save the banger “Bless Me.”)
  • And last, but certainly not least is my favorite album by far, so far…John Van Deusen’s I Am Origami Pt. 4: Marathon Daze. Its still pay what you want (even free if you must!) On his bandcamp HERE. The album is still revealing greater and greater layers of goodness with each growing listen. I wrote about my favorite songs from my favorite artist of the last five years Here.

As always, here’s my running 2022 playlist of songs now over 100 tunes and counting that I add to nearly weekly. Follow along with me if you dare!

Hit me with your favorite of the year so far, recommendations, and smart remarks in the comments! Happy listening! – Josh