Entry posted by Legolover-361
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I listened to so many good albums in 2012, I couldn’t stand pruning my list to only the top ten. Thus, below are listed my top ten favorite albums of 2012 and ten honorable mentions, making the list an even twenty albums in total.
A disclaimer: I made few attempts at being objective in my rankings. I chose my favorite albums on the basis of how much I enjoy them, not how technically proficient their musicians are or how unique they sound. Feel free to leave feedback on my choices, but I won’t change them except on my own terms.
The honorable mentions and top ten are enclosed in spoiler tags not only for convenience but also for those who don’t want the list to be spoiled while they’re scrolling through my blog. Asterisks denote albums with any curses (albums with more than a few profanities aren’t counted in this list).
The sum of applicable 2012 albums I’ve heard (forty-four total), listed in alphabetical order of artist:
- A Method of Symmetry by Agent Whiskers
- Awake in the City by The American Dollar
- Weather Systems * by Anathema
- Vital by Anberlin
- Hide and Seek by The Birthday Massacre
- Wrecking Ball by Bruce Springsteen
- Violent Waves by Circa Survive
- The Afterman: Ascension * by Coheed and Cambria
- (III) by Crystal Castles
- Away from the World by Dave Matthews Band
- In Currents by The Early November
- The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw... by Fiona Apple
- New Horizons by Flyleaf
- Some Nights * by fun.
- Scars & Stories by The Fray
- Ground Dweller by Hands Like Houses
- Thrift Store Jesus by Heath McNease
- Cold Hard Want by House of Heroes
- Night Visions by Imagine Dragons
- Blunderbuss * by Jack White
- Dead End Kings by Katatonia
- Strangeland by Keane
- Battle Born by The Killers
- Les Friction by Les Friction
- Almería by Lifehouse
- Living Things by Linkin Park
- The Lumineers by The Lumineers
- Soundtrack for a Great Adventure by Maximalism
- Ten Stories by mewithoutYou
- Portal 2: Songs to Test By by Mike Morasky
- Babel * by Mumford & Sons
- The 2nd Law * by Muse
- Summer Cycle by My Shadow and I
- The Midsummer Station by Owl City
- Gossamer * by Passion Pit
- ThePianoGuys by ThePianoGuys
- What We Saw from the Cheap Seats * by Regina Spektor
- Clockwork Angels by Rush
- III by Shiny Toy Guns
- Neck of the Woods by Silversun Pickups
- Oceania by The Smashing Pumpkins
- King Animal by Soundgarden
- Beacon by Two Door Cinema Club
- Southern Air by Yellowcard
Honorable Mentions:
Strangeland by Keane (alternative rock / pop rock)
Almería by Lifehouse (pop rock)
The Afterman: Ascension * by Coheed and Cambria (alternative rock / progressive rock)
Living Things by Linkin Park (electronic rock / rap rock)
Cold Hard Want by House of Heroes (pop rock / rock)
The 2nd Law * by Muse (progressive rock / electronic rock)
Blunderbuss * by Jack White (rock / alternative rock)
Weather Systems * by Anathema (progressive rock)
Neck of the Woods by Silversun Pickups (indie rock / alternative rock)
Some Nights * by fun. (indie pop / rock)
Top Ten of 2012:
10. ThePianoGuys by ThePianoGuys
(neoclassical / pop / instrumental)
Thanks to the internet, ThePianoGuys have garnered a large amount of attention — rightfully so in my opinion, for their relaxing orchestrations of popular songs are, if not original, enjoyable. The covers on their eponymous album include such songs as Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”, OneRepublic’s “Secrets” with a dash of Beethoven added, and even a medley of several themes from Star Wars. The one original track on the album, “Arwen’s Vigil”, matches in quality to the rest of the songs.
* * *
9. Les Friction by Les Friction
(symphonic rock)
Some time after one of the brothers behind music production company E.S. Posthumus died, the surviving brother joined with a composer friend, both of them found a singer, and Les Friction came into being. To say the least, their debut album is ambitious: Powerful strings, electric guitar, and digital flourishes make Les Friction a study in melodrama. There are softer moments, though, like the first half of “String Theory” and beautiful closer “Come Back to Me” that balance out the louder parts. While there are a few points when the album seems ready to collapse under its own aspirations (“Save Your Life” being the closest the album comes to a misstep), I can’t help loving the whole thing.
* * *
8. Oceania by The Smashing Pumpkins
(alternative rock)
Listening to Oceania was my first time listening closely to The Smashing Pumpkins; I had heard a few isolated songs from the band on Pandora Radio, but the songs had never caught my interest. The introduction song, “Quasar”, was more or less what I expected from The Smashing Pumpkins based on what little I knew of them: average alternative rock. The rest of Oceania was not. The slower songs were poignant; the more aggressive ones kept my attention; even the title song, over nine minutes long, I found enjoyable. I really don’t know why I’ve never bothered listening to The Smashing Pumpkins before — at any rate, Oceania has me interested.
* * *
7. Dead End Kings by Katatonia
(alternative metal / symphonic rock)
Dead End Kings is not a very unique record; symphonic rock / metal has been made many times before. What makes Dead End Kings different are two things: its restraint and its fantastic consistency. A mixture of growling metal-esque guitars with orchestral elements may sound like a recipe for bombast, but the strings and piano only appear when they’re needed, and the lead singer’s subdued voice helps keep everything in check. From the first track to the last, every song delivers.
* * *
6. Away from the World by Dave Matthews Band
(rock / jazz rock)
My first experience with a Dave Matthews Band album came this year when I found my dad had Under the Table and Dreaming. Away from the World is not another Under the Table and Dreaming, but it is just as good. The first song, “Broken Things”, starts the album with a bang as guitar, violin, saxophone, and trumpet mix in a catchy, upbeat tune; henceforth, the album never loses steam as it jumps from jazz to acoustic rock to probably several other genres I forget. I have trouble assigning a specific genre or genres to Dave Matthews Band’s music, but I don’t care. Just call it “good music”.
* * *
5. Clockwork Angels by Rush
(progressive rock / rock)
The fact that Rush is still playing music when its members are all sixty is great by itself; the fact that Rush was still able to make an album like Clockwork Angels is even better. Rush certainly doesn’t sound old on this album; the first four songs are hard-hitting rock numbers, and the rest of the album, while not so aggressive altogether, doesn’t sound lethargic (except in the chorus to “Seven Cities of Gold”). While this album isn’t much different than Rush’s other work, its overarching plot and the inclusion of orchestral elements in a few songs are the only touches needed to make this album run like clockwork.
* * *
4. What We Saw from the Cheap Seats * by Regina Spektor
(indie pop)
I love piano, and I’m a sucker for a catchy tune, so it follows I would like Regina Spektor’s work. Before listening to this album, I had only heard isolated Regina Spektor songs; I didn’t quite realize how fun her music could be. Granted, this isn’t an entirely happy album — it’s more or less as bittersweet as the other albums on this list — but the piano melodies and other little nuances in her music can certainly give that illusion.
* * *
3. Gossamer * by Passion Pit
(electronic / indie pop)
I’ll be honest: I wasn’t too taken by “Take a Walk” when I first heard it. Thanks to “Take a Walk”, I began listening to Gossamer not expecting much more than decently enjoyable pop with electronic influences. The rest of Gossamer’s first half was better than expected, but after “Mirrored Sea” finished, I was still unprepared for the album’s second half. Many albums get weaker during the final stretch — Gossamer, in direct opposition to my expectations, got stronger. I like the album as a whole, of course, but having such a consistent back half keeps the album from sounding weak and gives it a strong push to the finish.
* * *
2. Awake in the City by The American Dollar
(post rock / electronic rock / instrumental)
An airy, piano-driven venture through bustling streets and back alleys dimmed by evening, Awake in the City is simultaneously relaxing and affecting. Ethereal guitar, drums, piano, and other assorted ambient electronics are incorporated precisely into melodies and ever-present crescendos I can’t help enjoying. It’s deliberate; it’s dreamy; it’s beautiful.
* * *
1. Southern Air by Yellowcard
(pop rock / pop punk)
If I had to use one word to describe Southern Air, it would be nostalgic. Yellowcard’s energetic, violin-tinged brand of pop punk conjures images of summer, and while the lyrics aren’t quite as happy as the music, the album as a whole left me with an optimistic aftertaste. Of course, the album isn’t all about emotions: The violin and drums add the technical proficiency necessary for a good album; the rest of the instruments and lead singer Ryan Key’s vocals fill in the gaps satisfyingly. From perfect opening song “Awakening” to the 5/4 verses of “Sleep in the Snow” to the soft guitar and violin of “Ten” to the final guitar strum in the title track, Southern Air is three things to me: consistent, fun, and, at the moment, my favorite album of 2012.
(P.S. My apologies for the delay in posting this list: I was sick for all of last week.)
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