Favorite Albums of 2012

--> 2012 was a really good year for music.  I’ve noticed that both Amazon and iTunes have been making “best of lists” with some pretty good discounts on the albums. So for what it’s worth, here are my favorite albums of 2012. I don’t say best, because you could argue in favor of lots of bands/albums left off this list. These are the ten albums though I’ve enjoyed the most and constantly find myself playing again and again even now. So if you’re thinking of buying any music, these are the ones I would recommend picking up. These are also not ranked in any particular order.

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10.  Human Again by Ingrid Michaelson.

This album really divided her fan base. Until now she was known for playing her ukulele and singing fairly upbeat songs. This is an album with hardly any ukulele on it and she decided to tackle some darker themes as well. Sonically it was a huge leap of growth and I love the album from start to finish.  Highlights include “This Is War”, “Do It Now”, and “How We Love”. My favorite song was tacked on as a bonus track though. Here is “In the Sea”.

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9. The Lion’s Roar by First Aid Kit.

I’m from the South. When I first heard this album I thought it had to of come from a band somewhere deep within my homeland. Then I found out they were actually from Sweden. They have beautiful songwriting and music. I could write on and on about this album. Instead here is a clip of my favorite song “Emmylou”. Now listen and fall in love with them.

 

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8. Coexist by The xx.

I was really nervous about this album. Their debut album is still one of my favorites and I wasn’t sure how they could move forward as a band. If they could do another album that wouldn’t just sound the same, but not stray so far that they lost what made them a great band. Turns out I worried for nothing. They have a sound all their own and crafted a stunning sophomore album. The music is beautiful, haunting, and sexy. Check out “Angels”, “Swept Away” and my favorite “Fiction”.

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7. O’ Be Joyful by Shovels and Rope.

Disclaimer, I’ve known these two for a few years and some of my best memories in college are of watching them with the bands they had back in those days. Their best work has come from working together though. They are now husband and wife and live on the road together. Great songwriting with music rooted deep in the South. If you ever get the chance to see this duo live, go. You won’t regret buying this album or seeing them live. My favorite off this one is “Birmingham”.

 

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6. My Head Is An Animal by Of Monsters and Men.

This band from Iceland you’ve probably heard featured in a few commercials. Their song “Little Talks” has been used in a few commercials. Some have compared them to Arcade Fire, but I don’t think that’s fair to either band.  They have their own sound and it shines through the whole album. This is one of the albums this year I can listen all the way though, no skipping around. I recommend the songs “Mountain Sound”, “From Finner”, “Love, Love, Love”, and my favorite “Slow and Steady”.

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5. Babel by Mumford & Sons

Odds are you’ve got this album already. They’ve gotten big in the U.S. and thank God. This is a band of pure talent. I think I best heard them described as the child of Bruce Springsteen and Old Crow Medicine Show. I can agree with that. Like The xx, this is another example of tackling a sophomore album and making it even better than your debut. My favorite song, “Broken Crown”.

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4. Oceania by Smashing Pumpkins

The name Smashing Pumpkins has had several incarnations. Many fans still long for the days of Iha and Darcy in the band. Those days are gone and never coming back. I’ve watched as Billy Corgan has tried to bring the band back to those years of greatness with many different lineups and always came up just a bit short. The band he has now is perfect. This is an album that can sit comfortably on the shelf with the other great albums from the Smashing Pumpkins catalogue. It snarls, it pulls back, and most importantly it stands on its on. Corgan sounds the happiest he’s ever been in interviews and it shows on this album. He truly has his band back with this one. Highlights are “Violet Rays”, “My Love Is Winter”, and my favorite “The Celestials”.

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3. Channel Orange by Frank Ocean

Forget all the controversy over his personal life. This is just a great debut album from a guy who clearly knows what he is doing vocally, lyrically, and sonically. It had a lot of hype and for me at least, it didn’t disappoint. Highlights are “Super Rich Kids”, “Pyramids”, “bad Religion” and my favorite “Pink Matter”.

 

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2. Cloud Atlas by Tom Tykwer.

Okay, I realize this is a film score, but I’m putting it on here anyway. I’m a film score nerd and in a year that had new music from John Williams coming my way, I wasn’t expecting this to be my favorite score of the year. The film has it’s flaws, but this score was perfect for it. Read David Mitchell’s novel and then see the film. Highlights are “Prelude: The Atlas March”, Cloud Atlas Opening Title”, “The Cloud Atlas Sextet” and my favorite “Sonmi-451 Meets Chang”. The last one I mentioned soars at the 1:43 mark. Let it build.

 

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1.     All the Little Lights by Passenger

This album I discovered because his single “Let Her Go” was a free download on iTunes. It is still my favorite track off what is a great album. One of the most enjoyable singer-songwriters to come on the scene this year.

 That’s my list. Yes, I’ve left out The Lumineers, Imagine Dragons, and Ellie Goulding. All of them could easily slide onto the list and you should check them out as well. So again, if you’re looking to buy some new music, these are my picks for this year.