Jeff's Best of 2022 - #6: Tomberlin - i don't know who needs to hear this...

Sarah Beth Tomberlin's debut album nearly sneaked past me in 2018, but the absolutely haunting vocals and instrumentation turned it into not only one of my favorite albums of that year, but perhaps a favorite of the last few. i don't know who needs to hear this... is the long-awaited follow-up, and it shows a singer-songwriter who appears more confident in their own abilities with an album that is positioned to best highlight those strengths.

Tomberlin set herself apart with At Weddings with the looping instrumentals and ethereal vocals, but idkwntht trades mystery for what resembles more like surety; whether it be the brutal and honest self-assessment of "tap" or the relatable frustration and feelings of "happy accident," the album gives the impression that a listener is peeking through a curtain or eavesdropping from the next table over. It's a difficult mood to create, but Tomberlin does it seemingly with ease.

Few albums hit me as hard as Tomberlin's do, and this is no exception. I can only imagine that I will be listening to this regularly four years from now as well.

Songs of note: "happy accident," "tap," "born again runner," "idkwntht"