With concerts and artists gaining traction again as pandemic restrictions have gradually loosened, 2022 promises great things for musicians and listeners alike. Already, bands and artists have begun announcing and gaining traction for their upcoming albums which will become available in the new year.

Mitski’s “Laurel Hell”

With eight million monthly listeners and counting, Mitski’s unique brand of indie music resonates with listeners who come for her vulnerable lyricism and crunchy, melodic pop-rock. Sad girls everywhere lifted their heads with the release of her first work in three years, the single “Working for the Knife” and news of a tour that quickly began selling out. Closely followed by this single, Mitski announced the release of a new album along with her single “The Only Heartbreaker,” closely followed by “Heat Lightning.”

“I think I like that [the singles are] still in the same lane as her usual music. She’s always amazing. I think her lyricism is just out of this world because she has a way of storytelling. And she has subtle messages within each song where you can interpret it so many different ways even though there’s like, the fourth thing, that she’s talking about,” senior Arden Jaramillo said.

The new album, “Laurel Hell,” promises much of what Mitski fans love: her steady and expressive vocals, a subdued collage of textured instrumentation, and lyrics made to bend to the listener. Record label Dead Oceans will release the complete album on February 4.

Beach House’s “Once Twice Melody”

Two-piece band Beach House has reliably created quality dream pop since the release of their debut album in 2006, helping to define the genre, and their newest album seems to deliver the same. Scheduled into four EP releases, the eighteen-track double album will appear on streaming services in its completed form on February 18, with a tour beginning the same night.

The first EP, released on November 10, echoes the sentiments of vocalist Victoria Legrand in an interview with Fader Magazine as it showcases Beach House’s ability to create cinematic spaces within their heavily layered instrumentation.

“We’d love to do a soundtrack. Where is this myth coming from, that we don’t want to do this stuff? Bring us the projects that would be awesome to do, and we’ll f***ing do them,” Legrand said.

Mom Jeans’ “Sweet Tooth”

Wrapping up their 2021 tour in the first week of December, punk-pop band Mom Jeans plans to return to the touring circuit in 2022 to promote their upcoming album, “Sweet Tooth.” So far, the band has released three singles, “What’s Up?”, “Crybaby on the Phone,” and “Circus Clown,” which hold the same solid, infectious quality as their other music. Already, the band has proven this by playing the singles and other unreleased songs in their 2021 tour to eager fans.

“For someone who hasn’t listened to Mom Jeans much until then, I was excited! The [unreleased] song especially had a little kick that their other stuff didn’t, which took me by surprise,” junior Rei Denton said.

Marking their third full album, “Sweet Tooth” promises to show another step in Mom Jean’s progression through their fusion of pop-punk and rock. The band’s accessible and laid-back approach to the genres promises to continue through their new album, which will become available to listeners on February 25.

“I’m just excited for new music from them. I thought their second album was a bit weak compared to the debut, but hopefully, their new album is a step back into form,” Kell senior Presley Knudsen said.