I just did my last buy for 2022 a couple of weeks ago and (as I wrote when starting this thread) only picked up about 35 titles. So that puts me down to about a third of what I’ve usually bought in the past.
Looking over your stuff- I’ve always found Alex G entertaining but could never bring myself to purchase Beach House or Soccer Mommy. Listened to Big Thief but have never purchased.
I do the same thing as you’ve described- get a list and roll through via Spotify. When I’m done with the list I go back and listen to it again just to make sure I’m in. You should try AOTM’s website (Album of the Year) for really comprehensive lists. They update as the titles are released and you can sort by genres. Hopefully 2023 brings more offerings (at least for stuff I’m interested in).