Top 25 Albums of 2012

Here are my Top 25 albums of 2012. Enjoy.

Other Albums Considered:

These might have made it had I gotten a chance to listen to them a little more (except for Band of Horses, which I just didn't like).

HOSPITALITY - Hospitality

AMANDA PALMER - Theatre Is Evil

KENDRICK LAMAR - good kid, m.A.A.d city

FRANK OCEAN - Channel Orange

CLOUD NOTHINGS - Attack On Memory

BAND OF HORSES - Mirage Rock

MATTHEW E. WHITE - Big Inner

SIGUR ROS - Valtari

BEST COAST - The Only Place

#25

NICK WATERHOUSE

Time’s All Gone

If you loved Fitz and the Tantrums, check out Nick Waterhouse.  I haven’t had much of a chance to get really deep into this album, but I loved it the first listen through, and it immediately conjured up the Fitz and the Tantrums in my mind.  The first track drew me in, with heavy use of saxophones, trumpet, and general R&B sound.  If I didn’t know any better, I’d think this was a new release from Fitz and the Tantrums, but I think this one actually might be better than their debut release.  Check it out.

Check these tracks out:

• Say I Wanna Know
• Some Place
• Is That Clear

#24

THE WELCOME WAGON

Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices

The Welcome Wagon’s debut album, Welcome to the Welcome Wagon, was one of my favorite albums in 2008.  The product of a Presbyterian pastor and his wife, and produced & heavily influenced by Sufjan Stevens, the first album was a unique take on traditional sounding gospel music. It was “Sujfanized,” which I loved.  Their second album is somewhat of a departure from the Sufjan style of music.  His influence is missed (in my opinion), but this is still a great non-traditional gospel album.  This album moves away from the Sufjan style of music to a more rock mixed with country style, which works for the duo (FYI, Sufjan was still involved in this record, it just isn’t dominated by his style of music like the first album was). Lyrically, their songs are better than almost any other gospel music out there, which tends to be dominated by cheesy, substance-less feel-good pop rock (sorry if that’s your style...there are still some songs I like from those artists, but generally, I have a hard time getting on board).  If you are looking for thoughtful, beautifully written gospel music, this is for you.

Check these tracks out:

• I Know That My Redeemer Lives (feat. Sufjan Stevens)
• Remedy
• Would You Come and See Me in New York

#23

FORT ATLANTIC

Fort Atlantic

I probably love this debut album from Fort Atlantic a LITTLE more because they are from Birmingham, and I love to see local Alabama bands succeed and put out quality music. This is a quality album.  I heard it described as “melodic dream pop.” Songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Jon Black, who’s the main guy behind this band, called this first effort a “compelling mixture of heartbeats and hard drives.”  One of my favorite songs of the year came from this album, “Let Your Heart Hold Fast,” and I was pleasantly surprised to hear it played in the mid-season finale of How I Met Your Mother this past week.  A truly excellent song.  Support this band, check them out.

Check these tracks out:

• Let Your Heart Hold Fast
• Up From the Ground
• No One Will Know

#22

THE WALKMEN

Heaven

I’ll admit I haven’t listened to much of The Walkmen’s previous catalog of music—the only of their other 6 albums I’ve listened to is 2010’s Lisbon.  But The Walkmen have a very recognizable sound that I love.  I don’t know how to describe it, just check out some of the tracks below.  This album has gotten me a lot more interested in checking out the rest of their albums.  All in all, a great record that might have been higher on my list had I listened to it more (which can probably be said of a number of the albums I have in the latter half of the list).  Check them out.

Check these tracks out:

• We Can’t Be Beat
• Heaven
• Heartbreaker

#21

M. WARD

A Wasteland Companion

M. Ward’s A Wasteland Companion is the first solo album from Ward I’ve ever listened to, and I liked it a lot.  I’ve loved M. Ward as the other part of She & Him, and I’ve heard his work in various other compilations, but I never got around to checking out his solo work until this album.  Some of the reviews I read of this album criticized it for being too much like his earlier work (considering this is his seventh LP), and I’m sure that’s a valid criticism, but considering I haven’t listened to those previous releases, I really enjoyed it.  “Primitive Girl” is one of the catchiest songs I heard all year, and I loved Zooey Deschanel’s appearance on a couple of the songs in a backup vocal role.  Check it out.

Check these tracks out:

• Primitive Girl
• Me and My Shadow
• Sweetheart

#20

THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH

There’s No Leaving Now

This is a great release from The Tallest Man On Earth that probably would be higher on my list had I listened to it more.  There’s something unique about Kristian Mattson’s voice that makes his music great.  However, this album seemed to kind of blend together more so than his last one did, making it somewhat boring and tedious at times.  But overall, I really enjoyed it, especially the title track, which departs from his usual sound, being entirely piano-based.  I think it’s the best track on the album, and I wish more like it would have appeared this time.  Overall, worth listening to.

Check these tracks out:

• There’s No Leaving Now
• 1904
• Revelation Blues

#19

THE SHINS

Port of Morrow

I love The Shins, they’ve been one of my favorite bands since I really started getting into music.  I was very excited about this LP, especially after their single “Simple Song” came out.  Very catchy, easy to listen to.  It got a ton of listens in my iTunes.  However, the LP wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be.  I was just never able to get into it like I did with their previous releases.  I still think it’s good, thus why it’s appearing on this list (another of my all-time favorite band’s newest LP, Mirage Rock from Band of Horses, didn’t even make my list of 25 best albums this year...).  If you’ve been a fan of the Shins in the past, you’ll like this record.  If you’ve never listened to the Shins before, I’d recommend starting with Chutes Too Narrow before getting into this one.

Check these tracks out:

• Simple Song
• The Rifle’s Spiral
• Fall of ‘82

#18

THE XX

Coexist

I first saw this band live at Bonnaroo a few years ago.  Their music feels very light, very bare, and I like it.  This album takes that concept even further.  This album is very mesmerizing, and if you aren’t careful, it can put you to sleep.  Some might question the legitimacy of an album that can put you to sleep, but I promise it’s not boring.  It’s just...calm.  Nothing wrong with that.  Check it out.

Check these tracks out:

• Angels
• Chained
• Sunset

#17

EDWARD SHARPE AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROS

Here

The band’s second album hits a lot of high points, but is a bit of step down from their first album.  I’m not sure what it is about this album that doesn’t allow it to live up to the first one.  I think it might be that a breakout track like “Home” is lacking from this release.  However, it still has a lot great tracks, and I very much enjoyed this album.  If you liked the first one, check it out.

Check these tracks out:

• Man On Fire
• Dear Believer
• Mayla

#16

REND COLLECTIVE EXPERIMENT

Homemade Worship By Handmade People

It’s rare that I even give listens to bands labeled “Christian & Gospel,” since the quality of that genre overall has just been lacking in my opinion—very cheesy, very Nickelback-like, very little substance.  Even rarer still when such an album makes my top albums list of the year.  Unfortunately, albums like this are the exception rather than the rule in this genre, but I really gravitate to those few that come along (The Welcome Wagon was another).  One might listen to this album and describe it as “the Mumford & Sons of Christian music”—I’d say that’s fairly accurate since that’s how I’ve been describing it to people.  It has the greatest renditions of “Be Thou My Vision” I’ve ever heard, updated with modern words (“You Are My Vision”).  I listen to this album and find myself thinking, “Wow... wish the worship at churches I go to would be this powerful.”  If you find yourself wishing there was a good Christian band out there with some substance, this is it.

Check these tracks out:

• You Are My Vision
• Build Your Kingdom Here
• Christ Has Set Me Free

#15

FIONA APPLE

The Idler Wheel is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do

Fiona Apple wins the longest-ever-album-title award...in fact, I was several listens in before I even read the entire title because it was always cut off in my iTunes.  This album might have been higher on my list if I had given it more listens.  Despite the advice from those who professed to love this album, I only checked it out a few weeks ago.  Oh well, better late than never.  I absolutely LOVE the first track on the album, “Every Single Night,” (probably one of my favorite tracks of the year).  If you listen to no other track on this album, at least listen to this one.

Check these tracks out:

• Every Single Night
• Hot Knife
• Daredevil

#14

FATHER JOHN MISTY

Fear Fun

Father John Misty is J. Tillman, formerly of Fleet Foxes.  You can definitely hear some Fleet Foxes-influence in these tracks, perhaps some John Denver as well.  I don’t have a lot to say about this album except that it’s folk-ing great.  If you loved Fleet Foxes, you’ll love this one too.  Also, the video for Hollywood Forever Cemetery features my favorite Parks & Rec actress (Aubrey Plaza).  It’s weird, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from something she stars in.  Check it out.

Check these tracks out:

• Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings
• Nancy From Now On
• I’m Writing A Novel

#13

THE AVETT BROTHERS

The Carpenter

The Avett Brothers entered a new chapter of the band’s life with their last release, I and Love and You, which was rated #1 by Paste Magazine that year, but left a lot of fans disappointed because of how different it was from previous releases (ironic, since we complain about bands sounding the same album to album [Mumford & Sons], yet complain when they change things up too...).  This album, to me at least, returns a little bit to their previous sound.  It’s a bit more stripped down than I and Love and You, and features a few of their best tracks from any record (“The Once and Future Carpenter” and “Through My Prayers”).  It also features my LEAST favorite Avett Brothers song ever, which is sad to say (“Paul Newman vs. The Demons”).  I don’t know what it is about that song, but I skip it every time.  Despite this, The Avett Brothers still put out a solid release in The Carpenter.

Check these tracks out:

• The Once and Future Carpenter
• Through My Prayers
• Live and Die

#12

ANDREW BIRD

Break It Yourself

I’ll always be a big Andrew Bird fan, so it will take releasing total crap for me to dislike one of his albums, however, this one just doesn’t quite do it for me like some of his earlier works.  Don’t get me wrong though, this album is great, and still features some incredible violin coupled with world-class whistling.  You won’t be disappointed.  I do think this album was a step up from his last LP release, Noble Beast.  He released a companion album (which I didn’t consider for this list), but it might be just as good as the album.  The man is talented, give it a listen.

Check these tracks out:

• Eyoneye
• Give It Away
• Orpheo Looks Back

#11

KATE MILLER-HEIDKE

Nightflight

One of the greatest things about seeing Ben Folds Five live this year was Kate Miller-Heidke.  She opened for him, and I was blown away by her voice.  I immediately went down to the merchandise table and bought this album, and promptly listened to it multiple times on the way back from Atlanta.  This album features some entertaining and detailed narratives, including a song about flying at night and the annoyances that come with it.  She’s a woman after Ben Folds’s heart with song titles like “The Tiger Inside Will Eat the Child” (don’t let the title fool you, this is an excellent and beautiful song).  I would highly recommend Kate Miller-Heidke if you’re looking for a woman with a strong voice.

Check these tracks out:

• Nightflight
• The Tiger Inside Will Eat the Child (live)
• Devil Wears A Suit

#10

FIRST AID KIT

The Lion’s Roar

I confess to only discovering this band after checking out Paste’s top 50 of 2012, but I’ve listened to it probably a dozen times since then, and it cracked my top 10.  This Swedish girl-duo got its start a few years ago and released an incredible cover of Fleet Foxes’ Tiger Mountain Peasant Song.  This album, their sophomore effort, is phenomenal.  These two young girls create an impressive sound, backed by a full band, and write some beautiful lyrics.  Don’t miss this one.

Check these tracks out:

• The Lion’s Roar
• Emmylou
• Wolf

#9

MUMFORD & SONS

Babel

Mumford & Sons sophomore album is...strikingly like the first in many many ways, which led me to have a hate/love relationship with this album.  At first, I really didn’t like this album as a whole very much, purely because of HOW MUCH it sounded like the first album.  And with more and more listens...well, it still sounds like the first one, but I’ve gotten past that because I think the songs are just better than those on their first album (kinda wish this would have been their first album).  There are a couple of songs on the first album I still tend to skip, but I don’t find myself doing that on the second one.  Many will criticize this album (and rightly so) for Mumford’s lack of variety in their songs—they each have the same formula, and you can always pinpoint musically where each song is going.  For me, I’m ok with that—for now.  Eventually, Mumford & Sons is going to have to do something new to keep my attention, but for now, I still love their sound, and this album is worth listening to.

Check these tracks out:

• Broken Crown
• I Will Wait
• Below My Feet

#8

SHOVELS & ROPE

O’ Be Joyful

Coming from South Carolina, this band has a similar kind of history as the (currently-defunct) Civil Wars have.  Shovels & Rope is guy/girl duo that both had solo careers going, with Carry Ann Hearst having a bit of country background, and Michael Trent having a rock background.  And that combination comes out wonderfully in their sound.  I’d say the country part comes out a bit more, and for some reason I love it.  Not to mention, the first and most popular track is entitled “Birmingham”... so that’s pretty neat.  I only recently heard of this band...but the quickly jumped up my list.  It’s a good one.

Check these tracks out:

• Birmingham
• Hail Hail
• O’ Be Joyful

#7

BEACH HOUSE

Bloom

This is Beach House’s fourth LP, coming two years later from their breakout album Teen Dream that was so good, it seems like it would be hard to top.  I’m not sure if this one is as good as Teen Dream, but I’d say it’s almost there if not.  Most of the time I spent listening to this album came with headphones, laid back with eyes closed, falling asleep.  The album almost always seemed to put me in a dream state, having a kind of ethereal quality.  Don’t miss this one.

Check these tracks out:

• Myth
• Other People
• Lazuli

#6

BEN FOLDS FIVE

The Sound of the Life of the Mind

If you know me at all, you’re first thought here is probably, “What!? A Ben Folds album is not in his top 5??”  Alas, friends, it’s true.  As much as I loved this album, it just didn’t quite bring the magic as the Ben Folds Five of old did.  This is the first Ben Folds Five album in 12 years, since The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, which some would argue is Ben Folds’s best LP overall.  Ben Folds has put out a number of solo works since then, some outstanding, some lacking in areas, so I was extremely excited to hear the old trio would be getting back together to write some music and release an album, and while it didn’t quite live up to Ben Folds Five in their prime, it’s still very good, and ranks as one of Ben Folds’s best LPs since the breakup of the Five.  The first track, “Erase Me,” recalls Ben Folds Five in the Whatever and Ever Amen era, and gives promise to the rest of the album.  Some tracks live up; some just don’t quite get there.  However, I was very pleased with this album overall, and look forward to the possibility of the trio making another album in the next couple of years.

Also...they are still incredible live.  This was my second time seeing the Five play, and it was every bit as good as I remembered the first time, perhaps better.

Check these tracks out:

• Erase Me
• Do It Anyway
• Away When You Were Here

#5

THE LUMINEERS

The Lumineers

There’s a trend upcoming for my top 5—all debuted full-length LPs for the first time as a band or solo artist.  I guess 2012 was just a great year for first time bands to release albums.  Starting here with the Lumineers, this band had the same effect for me as Head and the Heart did last year, and Mumford & Sons the year before—instant connection with a couple of songs on the album with it’s lyrics or it’s upbeat melody.  For Mumford & Sons, it was with Little Lion Man, and the incredible harmonies and stringed-instrument craziness.  For the Head and the Heart, it was with Rivers and Roads, and the increasingly sad sentiment of how fast life changes and the pain of leaving friends and family behind.  For the Lumineers, it was Ho Hey, and the incredible joy found within it’s words and music—“I belong with you, you belong with me / You’re my sweetheart.”  The album has a number of happy as well as somber tunes, a good balance of joy and pain, and every bit worth the listen.

Check these tracks out:

• Ho Hey
• Stubborn Love
• Dead Sea

#4

TIMBERWOLF

Timberwolf

Full disclosure—I love this band even more because he’s related to @Michala Moses, and because so, he sent me a personal video via Facebook.  But don’t worry, that didn’t influence my ranking THAT much.  However, I absolutely love this album.  It starts with one of my favorite songs of the year, “My Life In a Cave”... about living out the rest of his life out in cave, to the hilarious song about stalking his ex-girlfriend and playing tricks on her, to the epic 8 minute long “Winchester,” complete with syncopated drum-gunshots, and the repeated promise “When I find you / and, I’m gonna find you / I won’t let you go.” Let’s make this guy a big name so he will come over from California and tour down south, would really love to hear him live (@Michala?).

Check these tracks out:

• My Life in a Cave
• I’m Fine Without You
• Winchester

#3

ALABAMA SHAKES

Boys & Girls

Hailing from good ole’ Athens, Alabama, Alabama Shakes have skyrocketed onto the national stage in a short amount of time, landing themselves critical acclaim from a number of music publications, and deservedly so.  I’ve been fortunate enough to hear the Shakes live three times this year, first in Tuscaloosa for a tornado relief concert, again opening for Jack White at the Ryman, and finally in a jam-packed crowded little bar called Egan’s on the Strip in Tuscaloosa under the pseudonym “Boys Room”.  All three were mystifying rock experiences.  The first time, I only knew one song, but was blown away by lead singer Brittany’s incredible range of voice.  The second time, I was amazed seeing how early the crowd showed up for an opening band, how quietly they sat listening, and the long, loud standing ovation given following the chilling ending to the incredible “I Ain’t the Same.”  The third time, jam-packed inside a tiny bar where I couldn’t even see them—but worth it all the same.

Their debut album was much anticipated, and it lived up.  It was hard to see how the Shakes would match the intensity of their hit single “Hold On,” but I don’t even think that’s the best track on the album.  I love how Brittany can go from screaming to beautiful high range vocals song to song.  The only “complaint” I have, which isn’t much of complaint, is that the intensity of their live performances is lacking on some tracks, but that doesn’t bother me too much—it just gives me something to look forward to when I get to see them live.  GET THIS ALBUM, you won’t regret it.

Check these tracks out:

• I Ain’t the Same
• Be Mine
• Hold On

#2

JACK WHITE

Blunderbuss

Jack White’s first full-length solo debut is one of his best works, in my opinion.  This is now his eleventh (I think) LP, along with his releases with The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather.  This album is best heard live, which I had the chance to hear the majority of at the Ryman this past summer.  White plays with two bands, one all male and the other all female.  I got to hear the all male band, which was incredible.  No offense to Meg White, but his current backup band(s) are way better than Meg could ever hope to be.  They absolutely killed—I’m certain the couple of White Stripes song performances were way better than they ever were in the White Stripes touring days.

As far as Blunderbuss goes, I couldn’t have asked for more in Jack White’s solo debut.  It feels familiar, harkening back to the old White Stripes days, yet it is no reproduction of those albums.  The best way I can describe this album is that is brings the best of all three of Jack White’s previous bands together under one LP.  I had a hard time choosing between Blunderbuss, My Head Is an Animal, and Boys & Girls as to which one would actually be #1, #2, and #3, I honestly think any of them could have been my #1, it merely came down to number of listens from all three.  However, this album is worthy of a #1 ranking.

Check these tracks out:

• Freedom At 21
• Sixteen Saltines
• Weep Themselves To Sleep

#1

OF MONSTERS AND MEN

My Head Is an Animal

This is Of Monsters and Men’s full-length debut, and it is a doozy.  Led by a guy/girl duo (Nanna Bryndís & Ragnar “Raggi” Þórhallsson) from Iceland, this is folk-rock at its finest.  It features alternating vocal leads between Nanna and Raggi and beautifully meshed harmonies, but some of my favorite moments come when they sing in unison (in different octaves), which happens frequently—my favorite moments come in “King and Lionheart”, where the entire song is sung in unison.  It’s also my favorite, because the lyrics scream “zombie” when I read them (check out the lyrics below, maybe it’s just me...) Their voices match so perfectly, and are backed up by excellent ensemble of various instruments, with a number of extremely upbeat, dance-worthy tunes and a number of slow selections as well.

I generally judge my favorite album of the year purely by the number of listens it gets, this one got the most.  There was a period of about two months during the summer where this was the only album I listened to.  If you listen to no other new album this year, make it this one.  I still haven’t seen this band live, but I’m looking forward to catching this show more than any other in the near future, hopefully.  You try blasting this album with your windows rolled down driving down the highway and not feel irrepressible joy.

Check these tracks out:

• King and Lionheart
• Love Love Love
• Little Talks

“King and Lionheart”

Taking over this town, they should worry

But these problems aside I think I taught you well

That we won't run, and we won't run, and we won’t run

That we won't run, and we won't run, and we won't run.

And in the winter night sky ships are sailing

Looking down on these bright blue city lights

And they won't wait, and they won't wait, and they won't wait.

We're here to stay, we're here to stay, we're here to stay.

Howling ghosts they reappear

In mountains that are stacked with fear

But you're a king and I'm a lionheart

A lionheart

His crown lid up the way as we moved slowly

Passed the wondering eyes of the ones that were left behind

Though far away, though far away, though far away

We're still the same, we're still the same, we're still the same

Howling ghost they reappear

In mountains that are stacked with fear

But you're a king and I'm a lionheart.

And in the sea that's painted black

Creatures lurk below the deck

But you're a king and I'm a lionheart

And as the world comes to an end

I'll be here to hold your hand cause

You're my king and I'm your lionheart

A lionheart