There were a lot of great albums released this year. Some of them could technically be considered "better" than what I have on this list, but that's not what this list is about. Impact. It's all about impact. I like to make lists out of what is hard to quantify. I guess it's a way for me to define what is otherwise vague and unknowable. Each of the albums on this list have made some sort of dent on my outlook on life. Whether it be a relatively deep but narrow dent or a shallow and wide one, I can't always tell. It's hard for me to be definitive, but regarding these albums, I can at least say "I liked it" without a hint of irony or dishonesty, without an overly judgmental conscience, and without any sort of uncertain sense of worth.
These are my 12 favorite albums from 2012. Deal with it.
12. Coexist - The xx
Chill. While not as clear-cut and poignant as their debut album, The xx provided a solid sophomore effort this year. I cannot express my appreciation for this album in few words, but I can say how glad I am that The xx simply exists.
Estimated complete playthroughs: 3.
Favorite tracks: "Fiction" "Swept Away"
11. Gossamer - Passion Pit
Take a walk. Passion Pit's unbelievably catchy sophomore album might have been higher on the list if I didn't first listen to it in fragmented bursts. Not since 2008 has an album lent itself so well to my exercise regime. For a solid two months, I could listen to this album straight-through while I went out jogging before getting relatively tired of any of the tracks. Considering me, that's nothing to laugh at. Under these catchy tunes, there's a theme of frustration and self-motivation.
Estimated complete playthroughs: 15.
Favorite tracks: "Take a Walk" "Cry Like a Ghost" "Hideaway"
10. Something - Chairlift
Oh goodness. Where did you come from, Chairlift? Discovered just in time for Camp Mix, this synth-filled, 80's-influenced, slightly-eclectic moody, pop-tastic album was something of a mini-savior for my tracklisting woes. I strongly urge anyone and everyone to give this fantastic album a listen. 'Cause I'm gonna hunt you dooowwwwwnnn...
Estimated complete playthroughs: 7.
Favorite tracks: "Sidewalk Safari" "I Belong In Your Arms" "Ghost Tonight" "Amanaemonesia"
9. Mutual Friends - BOY
This is the beginning. If the "Smile of the Year" award, which really exists, was applicable to albums and their ability to create pure joy, my vote would go to this little duo who definitely aren't boys. Catchy riffs are can only get you so far in my book, so it's a very good thing there's also some well-written vignettes and smart lyrics to back them up here. "Little Numbers" is the stickiest song I've heard in recent memory. By "stickiest" I mean "gets stuck in your head-iest". After hearing only 8 bars of that piano riff, nothing could get it out of my head. Normally, this is not a good thing, but from the countless times I found myself shamelessly skipping to that song, I'm just going to call it "pure indie-pop bliss."
Estimated complete playthroughs: 7.
"Army" "Little Numbers" "Drive Darling" "Oh Boy"
8. Babel - Mumford and Sons
From hopeless darkness. And banjos! While not my go-to artist, the most popular indie folk band in the world does have a real knack for conveying the emotion of heartache through simple chords and swift plucking. I have to appreciate well-written, raw-emotion-laden songs when I hear them, even if they don't seem immediately applicable to my circumstances. I like to think I'm at least somewhat sympathetic, and I couldn't help but think of a close friend of mine while I listened to this album. In fact, while I highly dislike drama in real life, I couldn't help but be swept up into the moody sincerity of what is quite possibly Mumford's best effort. I was nigh-completely enthralled for 52 minutes.
Estimated complete playthroughs: 4.
"Babel" "I Will Wait" "Lover's Eyes" "Hopeless Wanderer"
7. Threads - Now, Now
I need sleep. How incredibly appropriate that I first listened to this album on a late restless night. I don't really know how to describe my love for this album. There's nothing I dislike about it, every track is sweetly wonderful. There's emotion, hypnosis, great lyrics and a real sense of purpose, all in what is is pretty much my ideal sub-genre. I can't explain the reason it's not placed higher on my list, other than I have a weird sense of loyalty to certain other bands and also the simple fact that at this point in the list the order is becoming less and less important. But seriously, this album is so, so good.
Estimated complete playthroughs: 10.
"Prehistoric" "Lucie, Too" "Dead Oaks" "Thread" "Wolf" "Magnet"
6. Ceremonials - Florence + The Machine
Shake it out. Florence's debut, Lungs, was an outstanding effort, and usually when an artist puts out an album of such caliber, I tend to pull back my hopes for the second album. I think, "there's no way they could top that," and while there are plenty of exceptions to the sophomore-slump "rule", I'm always surprised when my expectations are surpassed. Ceremonials is not a departure in style; Florence does not break away from what made her famous. Instead, this album can largely be seen as a companion, or continuation. It approaches some of the same themes, but from a different angle. Where Lungs sometimes feels vindictive in its mood, Ceremonials seems almost regretful. This is not a rule, both albums cover a range of emotions, it's just a personal observation.
Anyway, I have a difficult time deciding which album of the two is my favorite. If you do not know me, this is actually quite a big deal. When it comes to "ranking" albums of one artist, I'm usually very decisive. I look at two albums from the same artist and I can always deduce which one means more to me. Except with Florence, apparently. Well done, Florence.
Also, I realize that this album was actually released toward the end of 2011. Hmm. Oh well oh well. Technically, there are two other albums on this list that I heard in some form before 2012, so there.
Estimated complete playthroughs: 14-17.
"Only If For a Night" "What the Water Gave Me" "Breaking Down" "Heartlines"
5. What We Saw From the Cheap Seats - Regina Spektor
How can I leave without hurting everyone that made me? While her previous album was Far from being a disappointment (see what I did there?), it didn't quite shape up to be what I would have expected after Begin to Hope. Regina's signature style of "high-quality kitsch" and semi-ironic honesty is back in full force this time around, and she hardly needs more than a piano to get her simple-yet-complex, sweet-but-weird points across. For some, Regina Spektor is easy to hate, but she's even easier to love, and when I listen to this album I can't help but wear my nostalgia-glasses while creating fictional sepia memories in my head. Thank you, Miss Spektor, for the word pictures, the poignancy in outwardly simple lines, and the sweet, smooth delivery of what would otherwise sound stilted and awkward from anybody else.
Estimated complete playthroughs: 8.
"Oh Marcello" "Don't Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas)" "Firewood" "All the Rowboats" "Open"
4. The Lion's Roar - First Aid Kit
Growing up is hard to do. Some people can discriminate against what they're not accustomed to, whether that be foreign food or a song outside their favored genres. For instance, folk music. First Aid Kit's breakout album commands respect, no matter what your tastes are. There is so much majesty, yet innocence in their voices, I couldn't help but melt a little bit. This Swedish inde-folk duo gained fame through a YouTube cover of Fleet Foxes' "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" and have collaborated with artists such as Paul Simon and Bright Eyes. How could I not love them? "Emmylou" was, in my opinion, the highlight of Camp Mix Delta this year.
Estimated complete playthroughs: 11.
"The Lion's Roar" "Emmylou" "In the Hearts of Men" "To a Poet" "King of the World"
3. Odd Soul - Mutemath
Infectious. Impossibly uplifting. Mutemath has always been one of my favorite bands, but I'll admit that their previous effort, Armistice, was not quite what I hoped it would it be. Odd Soul, however, is absolutely brilliant, somehow containing more raw style than their debut album with just as much polish as Armistice. The wonderful, enchanting dance between drums and bass that made me fall in love with this band in the first place is back and better than ever, but now come complete with truly clever, surprisingly fun and impactful lyrics. I've yet to become even slightly tired of this album. In fact, my love and appreciation for it just keeps growing with each new playthrough.
Estimated complete playthroughs: 15.
"Pyrtania" "Blood Pressure" "Heads Up" "Allies" "One More" "Equals"
2. Port of Morrow - The Shins
Timing too perfect to put into words. Every time I start up this album and hear the opening notes of "The Rifle's Spiral", I get this irresistible urge to smile. An incredible album in its own right, but for its place on the list, I have to give a lot of credit to the time and place of my first listen. After a long day of snowboarding, a certain sense of euphoria can overtake one's mind and body. On the way home from Mt. Baker in early April, the sun was out, the sky was clear, and my iPhone was loaded with a brand-spanking new Shins album. It was to be a good day, but no one could have predicted exactly how good it would be.
You know what's great? When an old-time favorite band that you thought you had outgrown comes back and blows you off your feet. That energy. Unbelievable. I was utterly addicted to this album for a full two weeks after my initial listen, and while my listening frequency has tapered off since then, I've yet to really grow tired of this album. The Shins are the kings of wordy indie-pop once again, but this time I'm absolutely okay with that. Almost every song here was a stand-out for me, so picking one favorite is a difficult task. However, in the months since this album's release, I've really come to appreciate the originality of the final track, "Port of Morrow", and I really, really hope that future Shins albums will sound more like this.
Estimated complete playthroughs: If it could be estimated, you wouldn't want to know.
"The Rifle's Spiral" "Simple Song" "September" "No Way Down" "Fall of '82"
"40 Mark Strasse" "Port of Morrow"
"40 Mark Strasse" "Port of Morrow"
1. My Head Is an Animal - Of Monsters and Men
At last. This... This is a masterpiece. And like with so many masterpieces in the past, I have a hard time preventing myself from overlistening to it. "It's just so good," I tell myself, "One more listen won't hurt me..." But is too much of a good thing a bad thing?
In this case, I would like to argue no. No it is not. For me, this is the kind of album that only comes around once a decade, and while I can make all the lists I want, it's impossible for me to imagine how any album that releases in the foreseeable future could even come close. Anything but OMaM's next album, perhaps, but I don't get my hopes up for these things, remember.
It's quite funny, really. I actually thought I had reached an age where my all-time favorite artists were more or less set in stone. I have already lived through adolescence, that most crucial part of growing up where every song has so much potential to feel so meaningful, to attach to your psyche like a loving fungus. So while I knew that I would love new artists as they came, I thought that the ones I knew from my childhood and teenage years would always be the most important. That when it really came down to it, Radiohead, Beck and Thrice would always and forever trump all. How wrong I was.
I've never tried to be a hipster. I don't care how popular or obscure a band is. All I know is this: If Of Monsters and Men can continue to produce music of this caliber, songs so incredibly unforgettable, I will be forced to rethink my inconsequential inner hierarchy of favorite artists and OMaM will surely dethrone all that have come before them.
I have so much life ahead of me. So many experiences yet to experience. To consistently realize my own naiveté, my own inexperience is the definition of growing up, and it's something that will never, ever stop.
Estimated complete playthroughs: Something like 27. It's really hard to keep track after 20.
Favorite tracks: Everything. Every single track. Deal with it.
Honorable mentions:
Synthetica - Metric, The 2nd Law - Muse, In Our Heads - Hot Chip
Synthetica - Metric, The 2nd Law - Muse, In Our Heads - Hot Chip
The Idler Wheel... - Fiona Apple, Blunderbluss - Jack White
Celebration Rock - Japandroids, Valtari - Sigur Ros
Little Broken Hearts - Norah Jones, Girl on Fire - Alicia Keys
Rhythm and Repose - Glen Hansard, Former Lives - Ben Gibbard
Infinity Overhead - Minus the Bear, Song Reader - Beck
Celebration Rock - Japandroids, Valtari - Sigur Ros
Little Broken Hearts - Norah Jones, Girl on Fire - Alicia Keys
Rhythm and Repose - Glen Hansard, Former Lives - Ben Gibbard
Infinity Overhead - Minus the Bear, Song Reader - Beck
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