Top 20 Albums 2022

Welcome back, all. 2022 was a solid year in many regards, but i’d be lying if I said it was the strongest year of late. Were the good albums great? For sure. The ‘best of the best’ in my book were super strong, but as a whole, the year was kinda meh. Usually it’s a struggle for me to trim down to Top 20 + 5. This year… it was a struggle to get past about 18 without splitting hairs.

With that said, a few reminders. Albums from December 2021 - November 2022 are considered across all genres. EPs are 3-6 songs, and can be considered in the mix for the Top 20 if they’re that strong/impactful. Overall, 1148 (43 more than last year) albums were tracked throughout the year, each one being listened to/sampled, and then tracked with a personal rating system. Of those 1148 albums, 87 (down from 111 last year) made the cut to be considered ‘best of the best’, and then trimmed down to the 20 + 5 you see below. Playlist on spotify is here and at the bottom.


2021 Biggest Miss of the Year: Fuzzy Sun’s Since The Dog Died

EPs of the Year: Son of Leaves 1993 - EP, Corella Today, Tomorrow, Whenever - EP, Low Lying Sun Hymn To Say Goodbye - EP, Fuzzy Sun I’m Insane & Everyone Else is To - EP, girlhouse The Third - EP

Most Anticipated Artists / Artists to Watch 2023: Mosa Wild, Winnetka Bowling League, Fuzzy Sun, The Heavy Heavy


25. Andrew Duhon – Emerald Blue

RIYL: Amos Lee, Joe Purdy, The Wood Brothers

Standout Track(s): “Emerald Blue”, “Promised Land”

The best folk artist you’ve never heard of. Grammy winner Andrew Duhon does it again with Emerald Blue… a lovely follow up to 2018’s False River. This album invokes feelings of majestic mountains, the mossy delta, pinewoods of the Carolinas, and the swamps of New Orleans somehow all wrapped into one. It’s just a beautiful journey for anyone looking to escape. (Label: Independent) 

24. Low Island – Life in Miniature

RIYL: Future Islands, Blossoms, Zola Blood

Standout Track(s): “Kid Gloves”, “Can’t Forget”

The shape-shifting sound of Low Island is mesmerizing. Moments spin more into the indie rock realm, while others voyage somewhere closer to electropop. As you go along through the album, the more mellowdrama you feel and that is a voyage worth exploring in full. (Label: Emotional Interference)

23. Big Thief – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You

RIYL: Soccer Mommy, Faye Webster, Aldous Harding

Standout Track(s): “Certainty”, “Little Things”

The “it” album of 2022 for many, and one you will see on list after list after list. I found ‘19s Two Hands to be a solid listen, and I find Dragon New Warm to be much of the same. It’s a bit “out there” for my normal taste, a fluid and cinematic folk album that leaves you, at times, asking the question of “why”. It’s unlike really anything i’ve heard before, but that is what is so special about it. (Label: 4AD) 

22. Blossoms – Ribbon Around the Bomb

RIYL: Sam Fender, The Wombats, Inhaler

Standout Track(s): “Ode to NYC”, “Visions”

The Manchester quintet continue to release solid effort after solid effort and sell out shows in the UK, but the band just hasn’t gotten the rise in notoriety here in the US. Which, when you listen to Ribbon Around the Bomb, is a true disservice to the indie community. Do yourself the favor and give this a listen. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but it is a truly good (and fun) listen, and “Ode to NYC” was one of my favorite songs of the year. (Label: Universal / Black Box Recordings)

21. Freddie Gibbs – $oul $old $eparately

RIYL: Ab-Soul, Cordae, Pusha T

Standout Track(s): “Feel No Pain”, “Lobster Omelette”

Freddie is a complex man. Look - you should be blackballed from any top list of mine for starting beef with personal favorite Benny the Butcher. Or is it Benny who should be blackballed, because Freddie is a close second or third on my current favorite hip-hop artist list? Either way, $$$ is a great listen but nowhere near the best of Freddie. It fits nicely below Alfredo and Bandana for me, but those are both top tier releases in my eyes. What makes $$$ so great, honestly, are the features. The album wouldn’t have cracked the list without the star-power that Musiq Soulchild, Rick Ross, Anderson Paak, and Pusha T bring. Mainly because those are the true standout tracks. (Label: Warner / ESGN)

20. Companion – Second Day of Spring

RIYL: Angel Olsen, Lucy Dacus, The Japanese House

Standout Track(s): “23rd Street”, “Second Day of Spring”, “Snowbank”

Twin sister duo Companion from Colorado hit the scene running with an americana/folk sound that could please the ear of Angel Olsen and Andrew Bird fans, whom the sisters performed with earlier in the year. The formula is just done really well here, and songs like “23rd Street” showcase the ability the duo brings to the table. It’s a warming album, one that can be put on during a night drive, but also doubles as a background soundtrack for those long, focused work days while still keeping your interest and keeping you going. (Label: Mexican Summer)

19. Lee Fields – Sentimental Fool

RIYL: Charles Bradley, Sharon Jones, Nina Simone

Standout Track(s): “Ordinary Lives”, “Sentimental Fool”, “Two Jobs”

70 year old soul sensation Lee Fields dropped one of the most fun and soulful albums of the year with his eighth solo studio album. Known affectionately as ‘Little JB’ due to his striking resemblance of James Brown (both vocally, at times, and physically), the crooner carries the torch of the late, great Charles Bradley with songs like “Two Jobs”, yet keeping the historical prowess of golden-aged 60s soul at the forefront to pay homage to the pioneers - he himself one with his first release coming in 1979. Fields, over the years, has been sampled by everyone from J Cole to Travis Scott, but in his own right is a superstar for those of us that still thrive and love the classic sound. (Label: Daptone)

18. Tamino – Sahar

RIYL: Balthazar, Oscar and the Wolf, Someone you’d discover on a British NPR segment

Standout Track(s): “Sunflower”, “The Flame”, “You Don’t Own Me”

If you need an album to put on during a dinner party, Tamino is it. Falling somewhere between the guitar tones of Hozier, the orchestra-laid sound of Sam Smith, and some jazzy British bath house shit lays the sound of Sahar. “Sunflower” is the most forward and inviting, but the whole album is just an captured emotion of somber fall, falling leaves, and reading a goddamn fine book next to a fireplace while sipping on some tempranillo before you sit down for that Italian wedding soup meal with loved ones. (Label: Communion)

17. Che Noir – Food for Thought

RIYL: 38 Spesh, Jay Electronica, CHIKA

Standout Track(s): “Split the Bread”, “Table for 3”, “Gold Cutlery”

Of all the artist in the Top 20/25, Che Noir was the one I knew the least about coming into 2022. In fact, I had heard absolutely zero of Che’s work prior to Food For Thought. Which is surprising since she is from Buffalo and connected to the Griselda crew. Regardless of backstory, this album made its way to me via a recommendation a few months after its January release, and it remained firmly in my rotation through the summer and well into the fall. It’s fresh, it’s unique, and the common thread of food throughout is appealing in a non-gimmicky way. Che Noir has the world in front of her and, like CHIKA was a few years back, is poised to take the next step in the next few years. Sample “Split the Bread” and go from there. (Label: DMG)

16. Morning Midnight – Happy Hour

RIYL: Bon Iver, José Gonzalez, Novo Amor

Standout Track(s): “Paradise”, “Talk”, “Berlin”

I first stumbled upon Morning Midnight in 2019 with their single “You & I”, which appeared on one of my many followed folk playlists on Spotify. Since, i’ve kept tabs on the duo who skew somewhere between the TikTok bedroom pop sound that is everywhere and the now-classic folk/acoustic sound of Bon Iver. The Scottish acts second release, Happy Hour, balance the his/her vocals craft-fully on their pandemic songs, with one of the shining moments coming in the form of the song “Talk”. It’s not quite The Civil Wars, but if you are looking for the melancholy void to be filled, this is a great effort and a solid place to wind up. (Label: Faction)

15. The Dip – Sticking With It

RIYL: Durand Jones & the Indications, Curtis Harding, Son Little

Standout Track(s): “Real Contender”, “Paddle to the Stars”, “Apollonia”

Whereas Lee Fields (no. 19) brings the classic soul sound, The Dip brings the more modern soulful sound to the list. While the old soul style is still a major influence for this septet, it’s the more peppy, upbeat and cathartic sound of album opener “Paddle to the Stars” and its follow up “Sleep On It” that help steer the album to new heights and set the tone for what is just a joyous, happy, and soulful album. “Eye To Eye” and “Real Contender” tend to be my favorites, but this is an album I can listen to from start to finish with no skips and be happy and moved. (Label: Dualtone)

14. Jay Worthy & Harry Fraud – You Take the Credit, We’ll Take the Check

RIYL: Novo Amor, Gregory Alan Isakov, Andrew Belle

Standout Track(s): “Believe”, “Helicopter Homicide”, “St. Nick the P”

It’s no secret Harry Fraud is one of my favorite producers in the hip-hop game today. His work with Benny the Butcher has appeared numerous times over the year on this list, but this go around he teamed with Jay Worthy to bring this effort to life. The Canadian-turned-Compton rapper in Worthy isn’t going to go too deep in his writing, but that is part of the easy digestion of the album. It’s not pretentious but pointed, and it’s layered with that old school feel that Fraud is so known for. A lot of the album dives into subjects of West Coast living, from “Believe” to “Pacific Coast Highway” to the 90s soaked “Good Lookin’”. Maybe it just hit at the right time in my life as transition to West Coast life happened, but whatever it was really hit home and the vibes this album gives are just immaculate. (Label: SRFSCHL)

13. Greyson Chance – Palladium

RIYL: Wrabel, Luke Hemmings, Shawn Mendes

Standout Track(s): “My Dying Spirit”, “Aloe Vera”, “Palladium”

Before you do anything, please read this Rolling Stone article to understand Greyson Chance. The Edmond, Oklahoma-born songwriter, who hit fame and viral status back in 2010 with his school recital version of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” and then launched his music career to a new orbit with backing from Ellen. Fast forward many years, many failed attempts at stardom, backstabbing from Ellen (all of this documented in the article), and then a fantastic album in 2019 that made my Top 20 list, we get to where we are now with Palladium. It’s a perfect blend of piano pop, indie chill, and folk. This is an album written by Greyson for Greyson, a boy turned man who has come to grips with who he is, where he is in his career, and an appreciation of sorts of his rocky road to get to where he is now. From “Homerun Hitter” that deals with where to go next in life, to “Aloe Vera” that addresses his current status and feelings of getting burned and living life with a carefree understanding of moving forward. Produced by longtime Colbie Calliat sidekick Jason Reeves, this is Greyson’s coup de grâce towards Ellen and his past, and it’s absolutely stunning to listen to once you know the full backstory. (Label: Lowly) 

12. redveil – learn 2 swim

RIYL: Kota the Friend, Saba, Buddy

Standout Track(s): “pg baby”, “morphine (da way)”, “diving board”

At only 18, redveil is on the verge of multiple life milestones. Becoming a bonafide star in the hip-hop game is on that shortlist for all intents and purposes. The youngster hit the scene a handful of years back, with each release being better than the previous, and with the Maryland products third independent release he steps up to make the name redveil a household name for alt hip-hop. learn 2 swim is garnering accolades from all angles, appearing on Complex’s mid-year list of ‘best albums’, and taking home an impressive “8.0” from sourpuss reviewers Pitchfork, who claimed him as, “…a new star to watch in the process.” Think Earl Sweatshirt meets Kota the Friend with a twist of Saba and influence of Odd Future. It’s a must check for anyone who loves hip-hop. (Label: Independent)

11. The 1975 – Being Funny in a Foreign Language

RIYL: All Time Low, Neck Deep, You Me at Six

Standout Track(s): “Oh Caroline”, “The 1975”, “About You”

For my money, The 1975 is the most consistent pop-rock act making music today. Every album has given us something new. It would be a lie to say this was my favorite work of theirs, but it would also be a lie to say that it is my least favorite. While the newness and the sound of the album is still growing on me, I appreciate the more laid back, chill vibe that Being Funny ushers in. However, it’s not without its standard 1975 sound woven through the fabric of the record. “Oh Caroline” is vintage 1975 and likely to rank up there with “Robbers” and some of the early stuff for my all time favorite song from the English lads. (Label: Dirty Hit)

10. The Backseat Lovers – Waiting to Spill

RIYL: Hippo Campus, COIN, Briston Maroney

Standout Track(s): “Growing/Dying”, “Know Your Name”, “Silhouette”

I will admit… I was late to the game on 2019’s When We Were Friends. Lo and behold, that album became one of my most spun in 2020 and well into 2021. It was the perfect debut full length introduction for the band, and truly an iconic modern indie alternative album. So to say my expectation and excitement for the bands Sophomore album was high is a slight understatement. Waiting to Spill delvers as a wonderful follow up, albeit in a slightly different scope. Where WWWF was pretty upbeat-yet-raw and atmospheric at times, WTS carves its niche on more of the slow burn... with numerous songs on the album topping the five minute mark. It’s a darker sound for the Utah band, dealing with a forgotten youth and stories that are relatable for almost all, but it’s still beautifully crafted and a nice work of art. Will it pass WWWF in my book? Likely not… but the beauty in the album for fans is that it has its own legs to stand on, and with or without context or history is a beautifully done album. (Label: Capitol)

09. Saba – Few Good Things

RIYL: Chance the Rapper, Earl Sweatshirt, Vince Staples

Standout Track(s): “2012”, “Survivor’s Guilt”, “Few Good Things”

Saba continues to spit out fantastic work. 2018 saw Care For Me chart high on my list, and the four year absence by the Chicago rapper left quite a void, but the wait was well worth it. Whereas Care dealt with the death of cousin, Few Good Things sees Saba dealing with change in his own life… the joys and struggles of fame and self discovery. It’s less flow, more mellow, and more borrowing of the R&B genre than we’ve seen on efforts past. However, that isn’t always a bad thing. For Saba, he does, at times, step into the realm for Care, with a Kendrick-like flow on songs like “Survivor’s Guilt”, but in the same breath you get “2012”, which sees Saba calmly rap over guitar with a more singing-like chorus. If you liked Care, there is a good chance you will find comfort in Few. If you haven’t heard of Saba, well then now is the time. As his good friend and Chicago brethren Chance was before him, Saba is on the cusp of mainstream and underground alt - and ready for a big break through. (Label: Pivot Gang) 

08. SPINNOutside of the Blue

RIYL: Catfish and the Bottlemen, ISLAND, Sea Girls

Standout Track(s): “Outside of the Blue”, “People Should Know Better”, “Stargazing”

The Liverpool four-piece brought a wonderful sound to their Sophomore album. The bands debut leaned a bit more brit-pop, whereas Outside of the Blue was a great blend of brit pop and indie pop rock. The production value was also raised, and the album as a whole just played better and was a more collective effort. “Outside of the Blue” could be on any indie rock soundtrack or playlist and hold its own weight… it’s that good of a song. Put these guys on a tour with Catfish and the Bottlemen or Blossoms or Sam Fender and the crowds would eat these young lads up. (Label: Modern Sky)

07. Tyson Motsenbocker – Milk Teeth

RIYL: David Ramirez, Andrew Belle, Motherfolk

Standout Track(s): “Oh No (Regarding a Panic Attack, 2016 - 2021)”, “Carlo Rossi”, “Wendy Darling”

Tyson hit no.3 on my list with 2020s Someday I’ll Make It Up To You, so to say I was excited for his follow up to that album is the understatement of the century. The things I love about Milk Teeth I really love. “Oh No” gave me chills and literally was played about 10 times in a row when I first heard it. The one downfall I had was I wasn’t cohesively gripped by Milk Teeth as I was SIMIUTY. The bright spots are very bright, but the lulls I just kinda put up with and proceed accordingly. All that to say, it’s still a fantastic album, it just doesn’t fall as high on the list for me compared to prior works… but even at that, i’d take this album as my no.2 over the majority number of artists no.2. (Label: Tooth & Nail)

06. Nas – Kings Disease III

RIYL: Rakim, Gang Starr, Black Star

Standout Track(s): “Ghetto Reporter”, “Michael & Quincy”, “Legit”

The king returns. Brooklyn’s own and the king of east coast/New York hip hop dropped Kings Disease III to much fanfare. And rightfully so. The album I pure bliss for anyone who holds Nas as one of the best to ever do it, and this, in my eyes, cements his status even further as one of the GOATs. “Ghetto Reporter” is one of his best leadoffs in some time, taking a look at career, at modern society, and at the current state of hip hop. Escobar does what Escobar does, and when he has Hit-Boy by his side, that usually spells success… and Kings Disease III is some of Nas’ best work from front to back in my eyes. (Label: Mass Appeal)

05. Wunderhorse – Cub

RIYL: The Snuts, Highly Suspect, a modern Silverchair

Standout Track(s): “Teal”, “Leader of the Pack”, “Butterflies”

Wunderhorse, the brainchild of Newquay surfpunk-turned-songwriter Jacob Slater, struck a chord with me the first time I heard “17” and “Poppy”, two of his first singles released that would ultimately become Cub. The second I heard “Poppy” and as it continued on to “Butterflies”, I had to double take at times wondering if I was listening to Silverchair. Not because Slater sounds like Daniel Johns, because there are times he certainly does, but just the whole cadence of the sound gave me severe Silverchair vibes. Which, as a child of Neon Ballroom and Diorama, is a label i do not throw around often for a new artist. After removing himself from the London punk scene, drugs, and his prior punk band Dead Pretties, Slater created what would become one of Sam Fender’s favorite albums of the year. He also spawned the album into opening slots for Fontaines D.C., Foals, and the aforementioned Fender. the 24 year old delivers a mature sound and album that cultivates in a beautifully raw look at the monsters of youth. While, in a way, it draws on his own experience (see: “17”), a lot of the writing and songs come from the focus of someone else. From an ex-girlfriend on “Purple” to an older lady on “Butterflies”. It’s an embodiment of hope, optimism, and a naive take on antics and finding that light in the darkness, both in yourself and in the stories of others. By far one of my favorite albums of the year, and the one on this list that, in 5 years time, I have a feeling will still be an all time favorite. (Label: Communion)

04. Hippo Campus – LP3

RIYL: Colony House, Vampire Weekend, COIN

Standout Track(s): “Ride or Die”, “Boys”, “Understand”

I am an unapologetic fanboy of any and everything Hippo Campus does. Landmark is one of my all time favorite albums E-V-E-R, and since that record I cannot get enough of the indie darlings from The Land of 10,000 Lakes. LP3 dives deeply into self-identity, loneliness in relationships, death, and sexuality, and is a return to form for Hippo Campus who took a detour on their prior album, Bambi, to experiment and “find themselves” some. The feel-good indie vibes are strong, the groove is there, and the traditional sound we’ve grown to love from Hippo is in full go. Critics agree, with the album receiving favorable reviews from AllMusic, The Line of Best Fit, Chorus.fm (formerly known as absolutepunk) and many others. Pump it in those car speakers, for the indie rock fan - it doesn’t get much better! (Label: Grand Jury)

03. Valleyheart – Heal My Head

RIYL: Citizen, Movements, Copeland

Standout Track(s): “The Numbers”, “Heal My Head”, “Back & Forth”

The 2020s have seen the sharp return to the mainstream of what we used to call “emo rock” in the early 2000s. And the band that really helped usher me back into that genre is none other than Valleyheart. The Boston bands debut album in 2018 was one that came to me around 2019/2020 and changed everything for me. Fast forward to ‘21 and the band signs with iconic indie/emo label Tooth & Nail Records and in June of this year dropped Heal My Head, a 12 song banger of an album that skews somewhere between the emo sound of Copeland and Mae and the indie/alt/emo sounds of Plans or Trans-era Death Cab for Cutie with the edge of Manchester Orchestra, Dear and the Headlights, or Balance and Composure. The album, at its core, continues the theme of their prior album in trying to make sense of religion and being a former-church-kid-now-questioning-religion-at-large-but-still-beliving-in-something. It questions the doubts and how one can suffer and how we comprehend this life as is.

And right there on the water it hits me / For every ounce of suffering and mystery /There's a child that's born in a hospital / A flower that blooms in the freezing cold and it's a miracle / of cosmic chance / a goddamn miracle held by the hands of no master plan

In all the highs, and in all the lows / the mystery that consumes us whole / there isn't a single thing we know / it's a fucked up show, it's a miracle

Sonically, it’s very reminiscent to my youth and my personal coming of age story… which obviously draws me in and makes me appreciate. It’s a very accessible album for all, regardless of if you grew up as a scene kid or just love a more rock-forward album, this is an album that delivers on that and, while likely widely unheard, should be on the radar of everyone. (Label: Tooth & Nail)

02. Bartees Strange – Farm to Table

RIYL: Steve Lacy, NNAMDÏ, Omar Apollo

Standout Track(s): “Heavy Heart”, “Mulholland Dr.”, “Black Gold”

Biggest surprise of the year for me. So much so, i’ve had a fun time over the last two months or so really diving into the backstory of one Bartees Strange. If you read on and decide you are interested in more, I suggest starting with Bartees interview on Rick Rubin and Malcolm Gladwell’s Broken Record podcast. Not only is that podcast wonderful, but it’s super eye opening (and inspiring) to hear Bartees journey.

Raised on Mustang, Oklahoma, a suburb of sorts of Oklahoma City, Bartees grew up in a household of an opera singer mother and a military father, forging his own path as a teen in the skate / Christian hardcore and punk scene, thriving on the likes of Norma Jean, Underøath and the outlier post-hardcore acts from the south/midwest like At The Drive-In, Sparta, Cursive, etc. Long/short, Bartees graduates college, moves to D.C. and works for Obama/the labor movement/environmental justice movement, then moves to Brooklyn and gets back to his roots of music, joining a post-hardcore band and making music his “second chance at a career”. One thing leads to another, and Bartees breaks out on his own, releasing his first album in 2021, moving back to D.C., signs with British indie heavyweight 4AD, and releases what has become his cornerstone album, Farm to Table, in June to overwhelming critical fanfare.

Crowned as the new indie darling, becoming friends (and touring with) Phoebe Bridgers, the torch has been passed to Bartees. The album is nothing short of a genre-bending whirlwind of indie rock, emo, synthpop, folk, and rap - and is an an epic journey from start to finish. Drawing on his humble beginnings of growing up as one of the few black kids in his hometown and witnessing racial violence and intolerance, to feeling “survivors guilt” of finding success during a pandemic, Bartees writes from the heart and from what he knows and feels. The most political moment of the album (and arguably one of the biggest highlights) is during “Hold the Line”, a song he wrote as a letter of sorts to Gianna Floyd, the daughter of George Floyd. As Bartees put it to Apple Music, “It’s just a collective feeling of pain and sorrow, but knowing that we have to stick together no matter what. Even if we don’t know what it looks like when it is all better, we do know that we all need to be together for it to get better.” I don’t think I need to say much more, the power is in your hands to turn this masterpiece of an album on and experience it for what its worth. (Label: 4AD)

01. The Heavy Heavy – Life and Life Only

RIYL: Neal Francis, Band of Skulls, a modern The Mamas and The Papas

Standout Track(s): “All My Dreams”, “Miles and Miles”, “Man of the Hills”

A ton of bricks. That is how hard this album (and band) hit me in 2022. New to the scene, the Brighton, England duo reinvented the bluesy California garage psych rock sound of the 60s, blurring the line between modern music and the classic sound that bands like The Mama and The Papas, Tommy James & the Shondells, and The Hollies. It was the music video for “All My Dreams” that I first saw, and from the first chord of the song I was hooked to this new retro americana rock-n-roll sound. In its simplest of forms, Life and Life Only is pretty basic. The lyrics won’t blow you away, but when you hear the sun-soaked, hazy atmospheric buzz and sunshine pop and the nearly two-minute acid rock and sunshine pop guitar solo, you are truly taken back to a simpler time. It’s the layers upon layers of rickenbacker, of fuzz, of reverb that capture and export the soul to the sixties. You then voyage onward through Life and experience a more groovy, less-acidy-more-cali-roots song in “Miles and Miles” and then a more Guess Who-like vibe and female lead vocals in “Man of the Hills”. Chalking in at 7 songs (plus a handful of singles not on the album), The Heavy Heavy are slowly getting noticed. Touring with labelmates The Black Pumas in ‘22 and festival slots on ‘23 festivals like Railbird, Mission Creek, and a high claim as one of Ticketmaster UK’s ‘breakthrough artists of the year’, the duo (and touring members) are poised for a massive 2023 and beyond. My wife and I were lucky enough to catch the band on their first US run earlier this year at LAs famed Troubadour, and the live show was just as good if not better than expected. Georgie Fuller, the female voice in the band, is truly one of the best live voices i’ve ever heard in my life (just listen to '“Sleeping on Grassy Ground” and then tell me different). She is a special, special talent. Get in on the ground floor, friends. This is one you need to know, and need to know now. (Label: ATO)