Best EPs (*or Mini Albums) Of 2022
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Best EPs (*or Mini Albums) Of 2022
We hope you’ve been enjoying our year-end coverage. So far we’ve revealed our “Best Cover Art Of 2022,” albums that “Slipped Through The Cracks,” and the “Best Music Videos Of 2022.”
Today we are very excited to share our favourite EPs of 2022. This list comes with an asterisk because we decided to allow mini-albums into the mix. It’s a strange differentiator but some sticklers out there may argue the designation of some of these releases according to a specific set of rules for EPs. (This is a crazy topic on its own as rules have changed over the decades and sometimes different countries will even have different EP guidelines!)
Anyway, if you want to argue one of these releases not being an EP… it’s a mini-album, therefore allowed on this list!
Without further ado… please take the time to read about, and listen to our favourite EPs (and mini-albums) of 2021. Oh! also… It’s Bandcamp Friday! If you like what you’re hearing as you browse these EPs, please consider purchasing them through the embedded link as Bandcamp will be waiving their share on all music sales today (December 2nd).
#25 - Ivy Wye
Hope’s Convenience // Self-Released
Hope’s Convenience is more than a store front, it’s everything within us. It’s an EP with immense textures and depth, which lures listeners in through simplicity, melodic phrasing, and poetic vocals. Ivy Wye’s lyric, “I fear not for death I fear only the process”, provided content to a thought I never grasped.
- Branton Langley
#24 - Little Snake
DRIVING ON ACID // Brainfeeder
Little Snake’s DRIVING ON ACID is doubtlessly one of the most genuinely innovative and unique projects to come out this year. The world of electronic dance clubs have truly never had a force as strong and mysterious as this. I’m confident I shan’t ever chance upon a more insane EP.
- Kaden Peaslee
#23 - Megamall
Escape from Lizard City // Fanta Records
Escape from Lizard City is dynamic, featuring energetic guitar, and multi-dimensional vocals. The songs are intricate, and the lyrics are clever. On their track “The Bug,” the listener hears the amazing lines: “Never trust someone who never lies / I know that I’m bad, some parasite.” The EP is eclectic - featuring gentle sounds just as beautiful as the thrashing guitar and vocal elements. It’s a catchy listen, with so much meaning shining through.
- Kyra MacFarlane
#22 - NOVEMBER
SAD.SLOW.SEXY. // BLOOD MOON RECODS
SAD.SLOW.SEXY., from Montreal based Electronic artist NOVEMBER is exactly as advertised. Their newest EP is an extremely modern collection of melancholic electronic tracks, with every song feeling like the next evolution of the genre. The lyrics are rich, with even richer vocals, with deep, scrumptious beats. Truly masterclass.
- Kaden Peaslee
#21 - La Sécurité
Try Again / Suspens // Mothland
The 80s are back and are as cutting as ever on La Sécurité’s sonic coming out party. Two whippy tracks is all we get but on their debut we fully see what La Sécurité is capable of. Featuring members of Choses Sauvages, Jesuslesfilles and Laurence-Anne, the Montreal post punk outfit slip tight drumming, slinky guitar work, angular bass lines and serpentine synth strikes into one slick ensemble. Maybe most gripping of all is Éliane Viens-Synnott’s vocal delivery, full of Sass and lyrically ridden with tongue in cheek references. “Suspens” favours the more direct and zippy while “Try Again” leans into more of a groove and sits in euphoria during its psychedelic breakdown. It's a tease that'll edge you to wanting more from La Sécurité.
- Kennedy Pawluk
#20 - Niall Mutter
Pass Me By // Lighter Than Air, Nice Guys Records
There are so many interesting facts about this Montreal based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist originally from Ontario but I am tasked to keep it short, and that's not easy. Niall totally hit the mark on this 5 song EP and will leave you wanting more. Blending smooth vocals with funky grooves, these five elegantly composed songs will put you in touch with your own feelings. The 60s feel to the guitar and synthesizer brings out nostalgic feelings of love and friendship. Pass Me By makes a perfect dinner party soundtrack surrounded by family and friends enjoyable for all flavours of music. That's probably why it’s #20 on our Best EPs of 2022.
- Doug Armstrong
#19 - BRASS
Look on the Bright Side // Early Onset Records
A third major release from Vancouver punks BRASS takes the form of a five song EP. I say major because it hits hard and fast. All five tracks showcase both their talent and inventiveness. Recorded two years ago at Raincity by Jesse Gander, you trust the recording is tight. Early Onset Records follows a non-profit revenue sharing model. The relationship makes sense to all parties. I had the pleasure of catching a BRASS set at the most recent Sled Island Music Festival, it was chaotic, tight and right… much like this release. I am also starting to think they should call themselves BRASH.
- Drew Cox
#18 - Tea Fannie
Don’t Box Me // Self-Released
Calgary’s Tea Fannie dropped her three-track EP Don’t Box Me as a thank you to the fans and friends of Sled Island. Tea has flawless flow, bouncing from quick-witted wordplay about her own success to calling out systems of injustice and keeping the listener smiling the whole time. Tea is unabashedly herself, and she is proud that that’s what got her to where she is today–she hasn’t sacrificed herself for success, and she’s celebrating that she has built a world for herself where she can be authentically Tea. You can’t miss track two where Tea’s big bro, K-Riz, joins her for “Sibling Rivalry” and the two show what they’re really made of.
- Lana Winterhalt
#17 - Lushings
Self-Titled // Self-Released
Lushings outstanding debut effort is full of well written 90s throwback psych-shoegaze with phenomenal guitar work and production courtesy of Colin McDonald (Dead Emperor) and absolutely gorgeous vocals from Kendra Lush. Beginning as a bedroom pop pandemic project, Lushings has evolved to become one of the more compelling live acts in Calgary, with bassist Kaitlyn Gibson (All Hands on Jane) and guitarist Sunny Dhak (late of Vancouver metal legends 3 Inches of Blood) who offers up one of the more interesting stereoscopic guitar sounds in the city right now.
Less hazy than most shoegaze records, and replete with surfy riffs and clean, punchy vocal hooks more reminiscent of Veruca Salt than Mazzy Star, Lushings straddles the line between its pop sensibilities and heady trippiness making for a concise, perfect little EP that offers a very enticing promise of things to come.
- Shaun Lee
#16 - The Besnard Lakes
The Besnard Lakes Are The Prayers for the Death of Fame // Flemish Eye
Nearly 20 years into their career, The Besnard Lakes continue to explore and innovate with this latest addition to their already impressive discography. Immersive and enveloping, …Are The Prayers for the Death of Fame is vintage Bezzies, a playful and richly textured psychedelic shoegaze listening experience, weaving a blanket of sound with chugging rhythms, captivating riffs, and phantasmal vocals. If you’re a fan of the band you already know – you don’t just listen to a Besnard Lakes record, you get into it like a warm bath.
- Julie Maier
#15 - Laura Hickli
Both Feet In The World, At Least I Can Stand // Self-Released
Both Feet In The World, At Least I Can Stand is a raw, naked expression of emotion. It is vulnerable, it is terrifyingly beautiful, and it is completely earnest. Each song flows into one another, like one long fever dream. It doesn’t end, it just ravels and unravels into itself again and again as we hear Laura Hickli question her identity and try to understand her ghostly experience of life.
The piano accompaniment, so intricately and dynamically played, is a flawless and powerful display of talent. This along with the chaotic tapestry of additional instruments that crash and collide into one another mirror the eerie and uncomfortable unease and terrifying beauty that comes with living a human life. This entire EP has an overarching feeling of ballet dancing across a bed of nails. Hickli is not afraid to delve into the beautiful fears that come with getting older, growing wiser, and learning from your past.
-Krystle McGrath
#14 - Magi Merlin
Gone Girl // Bonsound
Montreal-based alternative R&B artist Magi Merlin shines brightly on the EP Gone Girl, and grabs your attention within seconds of pressing play – in case you weren’t already deeply intrigued by the EP’s glistening cover art. Following a simmering vocalized intro on opening song “Milkweed”, Merlin assertively launches into full-view: “Fuck you baby, you ain’t entitled to my time, I’m raising hell”. The confidence and energy exhibited by Merlin brings to mind the fiery intensity of Kelis, especially with the later use of effected-vocals reminiscent of “I Hate You So Much Right Now”. Highlights include the synth-shots & rolling disco rhythm of “Pissed Black Girl”, and the wicked whisper tones & techno trance of “Children of Fate”. Merlin ends the EP with its poppiest track “No Ego”, chanting catchy lyrics like: “No, I can’t talk about ya, I’m making all my rules up along the way, along the way”. Combining Merlin’s personality-filled voice & witty lyrics with contemporary production that could easily be found on Billie Eillish or Dua Lipa records makes for a captivating listening experience.
- Gregory Torwalt
#13 - Aladean Kheroufi
LOVE!... (is the answer) - Kimberlite Records
The newest EP from Edmonton based R&B artist Aladean Kheroufi- brings all that you have come to expect from this incredibly talented singer and songwriter. Even with the EP’s two songs, the spectrum of emotion pours out and seeps into your heart and mind with every note and every word. I was first introduced to Kheroufi in the wild when I saw him open for Edmonton indie band Scenic Route To Alaska some time last year; from then on I’d been an avid fan, it’s just such easy listening, the smooth, silky, scrumptious bass lines and upbeat guitar chords, and obviously Kheroufi’s vocals. This EP’s first track sounds like the song you’d look across a crowded room to and find the most gorgeous person you’d ever seen, and Every Girl is the song to you’d turn up the proverbial temperature with. All in all, gorgeous.
- Kaden Peaslee
#12 - Katie Tupper
Towards The End // Arts & Crafts
Neo-Soul is a genre that doesn’t spring to mind when you think of the prairies, but Saskatoon’s Katie Tupper is looking to change that. You might know the 24 year old as a frequent collaborator with The Soulmate Collective but Towards The End marks Tupper’s first solo release. Over the course of five songs, Tupper’s dulcet tones float over smooth neo-soul melodies with wonderful string arrangements. She sings of young relationships; from the innocent vulnerability of shaving a partner’s head on “Live Inside” to how two people can grow apart but still feel rooted to each other on “Cost of Loving You”. Tupper’s voice shines both in quiet moments like the opening of “How Can I Get Your Love” as well as the more indie pop track “Danny” where Tupper shows off some beautiful vocal runs. Wanting to take part in every element of the production process, Towards The End was written and arranged by Tupper and co-produced by Connor Seidel (Charlotte Cardin, Matt Holubowski). Towards The End is a great introduction to Tupper’s alluring voice and the promising beginning of her career as a songwriter.
- Alex Brassard
#11 - The Fledge
Hunter // Self-Released
The Fledge, from the Hammer, Ontario surprised me this fall. They were nowhere near my radar. Even though Hunter was released this spring, the five track EP took a while to percolate through me. I wasn't expecting more angular, angsty, obtuse indie rock to pleasantly jar me out of a fall slumber. Haven't I grown out of this? Apparently not. This is the shit I stayed up late listening to on "Brave New Waves". Purposeful and earnest, the lyrical content doesn't explicitly explain the themes, however, the pain and strife in the voices helps narrow thing down. I am looking forward to a companion release that is forthcoming. The Fledge promises it to be a lighter, more optimistic endeavor. Long live The Hammer.
- Drew Cox
#10 - Nora Kelly Band
Perfect Pig // Sugma Records
Full of grace and truth, this album is a quest of giving into a newfound genre of music. What will you find?… There is always a diamond in the rough.
Everything in life is a gift and giving the times and situations, taking the time to prance around inwards, finding the gift, the gift of music and exploring new genres is exactly what Nora Kelly did during the pandemic. Offering a clear painted scripture of talent and honesty in their debut release, Perfect Pig. The lead-off track, “Hymn For Agnostics,” speaks for itself, here to offer a newfound love. I love the sound, I love the guitar singing to my soul, the ‘speak-to-me’ lyrics that deliver nothing but rawness of truth. The EP offers gifts of finding inner honesty. When you sit within yourself it’s amazing to get to know oneself. “What is left inside my head? when I'm dead, will I be delivered?” Take some time for deep conversations and being honest with oneself.
Time and time again music inspires the soul, to flourish and grow into endless possibilities. Take a listen to Perfect Pig and fill your curiosity. I hope to see more in the future from the Nora Kelly Band.
- Stephanie Harrold
#9 - JP Lancaster
Prowl // Factotum Cassettes & Oddities
In at #9 on the Best EPs of 2022 is the prolific indie pop darling JP Lancaster with his most recent offering, Prowl. Released through his beloved label Factotum Cassettes & Oddities, the Kamloops, BC artist has tirelessly worked to craft one of the most influential indie sounds in British Columbia, and this latest EP is no exception in his ability to push the sound to new territory. Building off of his 2021 album Around Town, this EP takes us in a slightly more vintage direction in regards to production. Immaculate drum tone lays down an incredible foundation for the tight and melodic bass playing being put down. The guitar, synth, keys, and even pedal steel are interwoven through the entire extended play in some of the most creative and satisfying ways. This is all mixed with JP’s signature soft and melancholic voice floating its way around these well crafted tracks. Trust in the words that there is absolutely no shortage of melody in this release. With all of his solo material and his previous work in bands like Mugsy and At Mission Dolores, Prowl is yet another reason why over the last decade, JP Lancaster continues to be one of the premier indie artists of Western Canada.
- Nigel Young
#8 - Thanya Iyer
rest // Topshelf Records
The intriguing follow-up to KIND (named our #6 album of 2020) finds Thanya Iyer exploring a similar sound but placing a greater emphasis on the impact of ease. The striking five-track EP, rest, opens with “slow burn”, and like the title suggests, the song begins with a slow-building piano and string instrumental section before Iyer’s soft, questioning voice enters: “I don’t know what’s for sure, do you have my cure…why can’t happiness be a straight line?” Another beautiful instrumental section follows this lyric, voicing as much tender emotion as the prior words. Iyer closes this orchestral lullaby by reminding the listener that she is “tending to this slow burn”. The second song “leave the room and face the waves” shifts the energy using a rhythmic two-toned water-drip effect teamed with layered vocals, animal sounds, and playful horns. The musical lift matches the encouraging lyrics: “leave the room and face the waves and try and find my way by dancing through the snow, I’ll try and find it, try and face the waves again.” The song’s playfully hypnotic nature brings to mind the catchy, tropical tones of The White Lotus theme. The EP continues with theatrical choices including the delightful ballet-toe-tapping ascending scales sprinkled throughout “new kind of swim” and the contrast between the fast, dramatic start of “float on” and its remaining three minutes. Instead of returning to the catchy opening again later in the song, Iyer floats along in a blissfully realised state of rest and ease: “I just want to float again, give me a sign that will bring me lightness, I just want to be light again, it’s just inside me I guess.” If rest leads to moments like these, let’s all take Iyer’s advice and lean into rest.
- Gregory Torwalt
#7 - Zoon
A Sterling Murmuration EP // Paper Bag Records
2022 was a big year for Zoon’s Daniel Monkman. Not to mention the Polaris Prize short-listed Sewn Back Together from OMBIIGIZI (a collaboration between Zoon and Status/Non-Status), exactly three months after the release of the excellent Big Pharma EP, we were offered another gift in A Sterling Murmuration. On this release, Zoon expands their self-described moccasin-gaze into slightly more sweeping and ethereal territories with expansively layered synths, contemplative guitars, and celestial, reverb-drenched vocals. Dreamlike but grounded, A Sterling Murmuration maintains an inviting musicality even when venturing into noisy territory.
On A Sterling Murmuration, Daniel Monkman provides even more proof of Zoon as one of the most refreshing and dynamic Canadian acts to emerge in recent years. The four song EP carries the listener into distinct sonic landscapes - from the atmospheric heights of opener “Play Ground”, to the haunting, claustrophobic lilt of “In the Woods”, through serene oceanic depths in “Move”, and finally back into the big prairie skies with “Giizhig”. The staggering phenomenon of murmuration (a mystifying dance of hundreds or even thousands of birds transfigured into a seemingly single-minded, single-hearted whole), referenced in the EP’s title, provides a guiding metaphor for the work. A Sterling Murmuration is an invitation into this dance of connection, the possibility that community can transcend the false safety of isolation. Like the swarming of starlings engaged in murmuration, the EP shifts, shimmers, rises, and refracts with the beauty of discovering our interconnectedness.
- Chris Lammiman
#6 - Tina Leon
Push // Ensoul Records
Tina Leon’s debut EP, Push, is full of soul and human emotion. The Montreal based artist combines her talented voice and honest lyrics with elements of jazz, R&B, gospel, and pop; the result is a beautiful musical journey that will captivate you from beginning to end.
Push, can be described as a rainbow of soul music. The five songs on this record deliver a healthy amount of funk and pop influenced rhythms accompanied by mesmerizing melodies. Take a listen to the opening track, “Settlin”, a wonderful song that sets the emotional tone of the EP with Tina’s free-spirited singing alongside the beautifully arranged string and horn sections. The third track, “I Should Be Enough”, has a powerful message of self affirmation and comes accompanied by an equally captivating music video. This song channels the artist’s inner disco vibe with its danceable rhythm and catchy chorus. The last track, “Erase”, is one of the most dynamic songs on this release. It starts with a soft piano, minimalistic drums and an almost ballad-like vocal performance that evolves into a danceable 70s inspired tune that has elements of motown, funk and soul that beg you to get up and groove.
Push by Tina Leon could very well be your next favourite record. It has the energy and flow worth experiencing. Make sure to check it out on all the music platforms.
- Fel Gamarra
#5 - Jared Jackel’s Bad Vibrations
Mal Casual // Factotum Cassettes & Oddities
If there was a house band for an Old West bordello on Jupiter, Jared Jackel’s Bad Vibrations would be it. Jared Jackel is a Penticton-based artist, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and, presumably, troubled cowboy. 2019 saw us introduced to his eclectic and spirited debut album Saw-Horse Pentagrams, an album full to the brim with energy and ideas, each jostling against the other for the spotlight. On his outstanding follow-up EP, Mal Casual, the production is tack-sharp and finely tuned, the songwriting more assured. It is the sound of an artist who has worked hard to perfect an aesthetic, one that is entirely his own.
Firing his unique blend of weird country & western through a haunted hall of mirrors, the songs emerge on the other side bent and deranged, ghosts of the psychedelic saloon. It’s a stirring concoction, and this firm command of tone— right down to the splashy spring reverb and warbled vocal delivery— is why the EP is so gripping. It is a little world unto itself, one that is suffused in a mysterious red light, haunted by spirits. Though echoes of gilded rodeo stars and Nudie-suited rhinestone cowboys shimmer at the periphery, these sundown songs have dug their heels into darker, stranger territory. The result is a collection that offers a brief ride through the looking glass, and the world inside is one I look forward to visiting again.
- Harman Burns
#4 - NOBRO
Live Your Truth, Shred Some Gnar // Dine Alone Records
Fear not, for NOBRO has not lost their tenacity nor polished their edges in 2022. This year’s EP Live Your Truth, Shred Some Gnar was an unapologetic sprint of thrashing, chugging, celebration. They have never been known for nuance nor elegance, and LYTSSG is no exception. Right off the top, after a soulful choir warms us up, NOBRO enters with “Being a bitch is not illegal”, a hard crack of a beer, and guitars fuzzier than the forgotten 7-layer dip at the back of your fridge. From there its 20 minutes of freedom through punk that doesn’t give a shit as long as it’s shredding gnar.
Live Your Truth is pure celebration and joy. There is no love lost nor any attention paid to assholes, and no shits are given in pursuit of gnar. NOBRO finds pure freedom and liberation, and they want you to join the party. 20 minutes of anthemic catharsis that brings the party of their live act to your living room, your car, your study session, this is music to lighten the mood when you need it most.
Tired tropes of the all-female punk band can hardly pin down the sounds of NOBRO. They have unlocked a new brand of hairspray rock for today’s age that nods to Hole but ultimately feels as fresh as it is fun. By virtue of personifying their ethos, NOBRO has landed themselves at #4 on our list of best EPs.
“Eat, Slay, Chardonnay”
- Clay Geddert
#3 - Clairmont The Second
Full Circle // Self-Released
Like an avatar floating and bopping through a VR simulation, Clairmont the Second transports us to a neglected GTA (Greater Toronto Area, gamers) city scape, to visit memories stored in his hard drive: a Pontiac without heat, unpaid bills, dead cousins, bullets whizzing through windows. He observes these memories with cool detachment, synthesizes and sequences them, packs them up and presses on, through the (unpaid for) TTC turnstile, where d’Angelo-esque choral swells and low-key rhythms pulse with life.
Clairmont raps, “People aimless where I’m from, got me hating where I’m from, but they hate me moving up, want me staying where I’m from.”
Protected by a forcefield of groovy glitch, he easily sidesteps the detractors and distractions on his way to a soulful horizon.
- JD Ormond
#2 - TOPS
Empty Seats // Self-Released
Coming out of Montreal over 10 years ago, TOPS is no stranger to putting out good music, but something about their newest EP, Empty Seats really tickles something special in the ears. Evoking nostalgic feelings of listening to your favourite 80s pop legends like Madonna, this fun and light dream pop collection takes you on a soft, bopping ride. There is an airiness and lightheartedness in the structure of the songs, creating a psychedelic effect that does not always match up to the more solemn lyrics. Creating even more distortion in the already waking dreamlike experience. The highlights of synth and catchy keyboard melodies in these tunes are perfectly in line with the expectations and cravings of a good dream pop song, acting as your best friends in this created ethereal world.
This EP is both nostalgic and unique; reminiscent and innovative. Everything is carefully thought out and delivered in pure creative genius. Even the names of the songs take you on a journey, from “Perfected Steps” to “Janet Planet”, all the way to “Future Waits”. There is absolutely no question as to why they have already sold out their limited-edition vinyl on Bandcamp. I’m only sad I didn’t get the chance to buy one myself.
-Krystle McGrath
#1 - Whitney K
Hard To Be A God // Maple Death Records
It’s ironic that Hard To Be A God is so brief given that Whitney K accomplishes as much or more here than they have with their full-length albums that preceded it. Konner Whitney and his collaborators spend 21 minutes unpacking colonialism, loss, memories, friendship, and transformation while understated and masterful arrangements accompany his nuanced and provoking poetry.
Whitney takes a near-spoken word approach through much of the run time that is reminiscent of Prine, Reed, Dylan, Waits, even a bit of Little Feat. The vocal approach lends itself to the conversational nature of HTBAG that Whitney harnesses to grapple with heavy themes that are often soaked in grief – the legacy that Canadians can only move forward from through taking stock and having honest conversations, and HTBAG feels like a critical voice in that conversation.
The gentle yet effective arrangements – dripping in psychedelia - open the door and provide the space for Whitney to broach these topics. Hypnotic and playful performances from collaborators that pull from The Dead as much as they pull from Dylan provide a buoyant and rollicking energy that plunges to places altogether more reflective when called upon to do so. In many ways, Hard to Be a God feels like an awakening and jump forward for Whitney K. The arrangements are understated celebrations of the influences that bore them. Every touch is placed delicately and dripping with feeling. Many of us fell all over ourselves to praise last year's offering Two Years, but if this EP is a taste of where Whitney K is headed, we may have celebrated Whitney’s peak too early.
Hard to Be a God is the result of sitting back, reflecting honestly, taking stock, and understanding the colonial legacy that bore our nation and infects our psyches. There is no sugar coating these topics, and Whitney knew to keep the sugar in the cupboard when crafting this EP. Just as he broaches hard topics with grace, he extends the same grace to the arrangements. In putting together a nuanced conversation alongside delicate arrangements, Whitney K easily landed themselves in our top EP spot this year. The long tradition of storytelling through country music continues in Canada, but Whitney K is determined to turn those stories into conversations – Hard To Be A God does just that.
- Clay Geddert
