Top 10 Albums of 2012
10. Gossamer – Passion Pit
The “Sophomore Slump” is something
very difficult for bands to overcome. The
success of a debut album is in large part because the band’s sound is fresh and
interesting. The stress from proving to
the world that you aren’t a one-hit wonder can be daunting. Furthermore, going from a college band
recording mixed tape for your girlfriend to becoming the voice of your
generation can take quite the toll on the psyche. And taken its toll it has on the mind behind
Passion Pit: Michael Angelakos. In fact,
it was because of his challenges with depression and mental illness that forced
the band to cancel several shows including one last summer scheduled for Salt
Lake. Although no Manners, Gossamer is a
dark and troubled record. And sometimes
this album that is focused on struggle feels as such. Angelakos puts so much of himself into this
autobiographical album that it is no surprise that it contains human
imperfections. But there are enough
catchy choruses and spazzy electronic flourishes to leave the casual listener
happy. For all of the artificial sounds,
there is clearly a human voice behind Gossamer
which tackles the human condition in regards to alcoholism, domestic
violence, illegal immigration, suicide, substance abuse, and emotional and
economic depression. Thus the aptly
named Gossamer provides sugar-coated
songs to a darker center and it is this juxtaposition that makes it one of the
best albums of the year. Angelakos
screeching falsetto may not be as soothing as say Bruno Mars, but it is his
real voice that makes him so relatable. Luckily
for me, they are coming to the complex March 2nd. And if their Manners tour is any indication
of how this show will be, it is definitely worth the purchase.
Notable
Tracks
- Take a Walk
- I’ll Be Alright
- Carried Away
- Constant Conversations
- Cry Like a Ghost
9. Mixed Emotions – Tanlines
I was introduced to Tanlines
while listening to an interview they gave on NPR. At first they seemed more like comedians than
musicians, but after listening to their debut album Mixed Emotions, it became clear that there is nothing these guys
care more about than their music. They
delve deep into their inner emotions with cutting jams and aren’t afraid to
look vulnerable lyrically. Their
incomprehensible stream of consciousness writing is akin to Wolfgang Amadeaus Phoenix, but as far as
a consistent emotion prevailing in the album, their approach resembles more of
a shotgun. While Mixed Emotions truly has outstanding stand-alone singles, a
comprehensive message is hard to find.
But I guess an album named Mixed
Emotions would be characteristic of such grab bag approach.
Notable
Tracks
- Brothers
- Brothers
- All of Me
- Green Grass
- Not the Same
- Nonesuch
8. Battle Born – The Killers
Seeing a band perform their album
live probably unfairly increases their chances in making it onto my year end
list. Likewise, having three previous
masterpiece records in their repertoire can only help. That being said, Battle Born takes the electronic dance tunes of Hot Fuss, hard rock anthems of Sam’s Town, and Radio-friendly singles
of Day & Age and turns this album
into one of their best. Named after the
motto embroidered on Nevada’s state flag.,
Battle Born truly embodies the spirit of the desert state. While it isn’t Nevada-native Flowers first
state-themed album, It is only in Battle Born where we get sense of Nevada’s
desert isolation as opposed to the more glitzy Vegas centered Sam’s Town and Flamingo. This makes Battle
Born the perfect album for long road trips.
Tried and true.
Notable
Tracks
- Runaways
- The Way it Was
- Miss Atomic Bomb
- From Here on Out
- Battle Born
7. Art History – California Wives
Anyone who has been on Facebook and
has seen what I am listening to on Spotify can tell you that it’s usually this
album on repeat. It’s not that I only
listen to this album. It’s just that I
couldn’t find anywhere to download it illegally... However, it only took me a few listens to realize
that this was an album I needed in my collection. I know I know, their band and album name
alone scream hipster (even right down to their major) but I swear these guys
are legit. Lead vocalist Jayson Kramer’s
hushed disparity resembles Brian Aubert of Silversun Pickups at times, but
there is enough catchy riffs to keep this band original and interesting. One thing I value in an album is that it is a
complete comprehensive work; one that you can listen to in its entirety without
ever realizing you’ve been listening to 11 different tracks. Art
History provides that as it takes the listener on an aurally pleasing
journey of lights, sights, colors, and sound.
Notable
Tracks
- Blood Red Youth
- Tokyo
- Los Angelos
- Purple
- Twenty Three
6. Former Lives – Benjamin Gibbard
My partiality to comprehensive
albums as stated above is the same reason why I usually don’t like solo or
b-side albums that are usually just filed with songs that the main band didn’t
think was good enough or didn’t fit anywhere else. That’s why I am just as shocked as you to
find Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie’s solo album as one of the best albums
of the year. By naming his album Former Lives he preempts the generic
criticism that that this album is a collection of songs with no common theme
and instead sets the listener up for journey to listen to essentially 11
different lives. This gives one a very Paris je t’aime orientation where each
part together renders something greater than listening to each song
individually. Moreover, the entire album
sounds like a quality Death Cab album right down to the obligatory songs named
about girls who you really want to get to know.
Notable
tracks
- Dream Song
- Teardrop Windows
- Bigger Than Love
- Lily
- I’m Building a Fire
5. Threads – Now, Now
Another thing I am a sucker for in
albums is when they include intros, exitludes, and the same lyric weaved
throughout the record. Just as Arcade
Fire’s The Suburbs begs the listener
to “grab your mother’s keys” and “leave tonight,” Now, Now’s debut album Threads asks “Can you still feel the pull?” of the relationship you
find yourself in. While lead singer
Cacie Dalager’s voice is said to be quite derivative of sounds found in Paramore,
Metric, Tegan and Sara, and the Joy formidable (yes, all female singers sound
the same to me), it is the bands musicianship and talent that equates to their
success. What makes the band all the more impressive
is their young age. I listened to this
album when I found out they would be opening for The Naked and Famous at the
Depot. Unfortunately, because the lead
singer and bassist were like 19, they were unable to play. Bad planning on their part but stinks that
Utah has such stringent laws. I got home
and listened to the album anyway and I’m glad I did. Now if I can only see them live.
Notable
Tracks
- Lucie, Too
- Dead Oaks
- Thread
- School Friends
- Magnet
Look
how awesome the bassist looks
4. The North – Stars
Stars have been one of my favorite
bands of all time and I don’t think it’s possible for them to make a bad
record. Granted, the band gets a lot of
mileage solely on the fact that they have both a female and male singer. It’s hard to hate duets. But Stars utilize their make-up in a unique
way, carefully balancing an album’s feel and emotion with the appropriate
voice. Furthermore, the way Amy Milan and Torque Campbell lyrically playoff
each other is something everyone needs to experience. This album has many fine examples of this
including the sadistically sweet “Do You Want to Die Together” and the closing
“The Walls”. Plus the album has its own
Transatlantacism found in “The 400”.
Notable
Tracks
- Theory of Relativity
- Hold on When You Get Love and Let
Go When You Give It
- Through the Mines
- Do You Want to Die Together?
- The 400
3. The Morning Parade – The Morning Parade
Morning Parade’s self-entitled debut
album is one that I feel either not enough people know about or is highly underrated. I may be biased when it comes to this album
because it was the record I listened to most when in DC this past summer (literally
every day to work on the metro to the Department of Justice). But this album makes me feel the way I did
when I first listened to The Fray’s How
to Save a Life. It has both the
characteristics being a stadium-filler album but at the same time feeling
intimate as if it was written for you alone.
There isn’t a bad song on this record.
But
Notable
Tracks include
- Blue Winter
- Headlights
- Us & Ourselves
- Close To Your Heart
- Monday Morning
2. Shrines – Purity Ring
Pitchfork stated that listening to Shrines is like looking at a sculpture
in a museum and each song offers a different vantage point of the same
masterpiece and I couldn’t agree more with this statement. Each track provides a new take to the emotion
you were feeling just three and a half minutes ago and yet feels familiar as if
you are experiencing déjà vu. While a
relatively short album (38 min), putting the album on repeat, as I did daily at
the DoJ, provides for a very satisfying experience.
Notable
tracks
- Fineshrine
- Ungirthed
- Belispeak
- Obedear
- Shuck
1. Coexist – The xx
While I’ve said that seeing a band
live improves their chances of making onto my Top Ten list, it’s ironic to note
that seeing The xx perform only hurt the value of Coexist. As a London-based
band, I was psyched that they’d be performing at the Complex in Salt Lake City. While the show was great, their low-key
minimalist approach to music isn’t conducive for a large venue. Plus, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the male
lead singer is probably a douchebag. The
xx are best understood in the general vicinity of a bed. Their “less is more” style makes the complex
subject matter of sex and relationships seem so simple. Coexist provides an achingly intimate
exchange with each simple chord change wrought with emotion. Thus, songs unfold like a ripple and provide
an overall experience that is both worldly and natural yet psychedelic and mystical. The xx add through subtraction and thus there
is no extraneous parts found in Coexist. Their debut was unquestionably a masterpiece
but their “sophomore slump” was more of a sophomore soar.
Notable
Tracks
- Angels
- Chained
- Fiction
- Try
- Sunset
Top 20 Songs of 2012
20. Always Summer – Yellowcard
Yes, that’s right: the punk-rock
violin tunes of Yellowcard are back and better than ever. When the group disbanded in 2007, I thought
one of my favorite childhood bands was gone forever. Even when last year I heard they were
reuniting, I was a bit hesitant as I didn’t want to ruin a good thing. However, Southern Air brings back sun-filled beach tunes fun of Ocean Avenue. This song is apparently an apology letter to
the fans of old about their hiatus (I now I’ve let you down / but I am ready
now). But this song has a bit of a
deeper meaning for me as I listened to it a lot over the summer in DC in which
I wish never ended. All I can say to
Yellowcard is “I love you still/I always will”.
19. I’ll Be Alright – Passion Pit
While their lead single “Take a
Walk” was crowned song of the year by Sirius’ Alt Nation, I’ll Be Alright is
definitely the tour de force of Gossamer,
if not at least the most biographical.
You don’t believe Angelakos when he screams “I’ll be Alright”, and its
jarring progression makes you feel just as uncomfortable as the singer himself. It’s a song about not feeling worthy of being
loved, and lyrically, it raises the bar of anything Passion Pit has done to
date. Plus the voice from “Sleepyhead”
makes its return.
18. We Are Young (Feat. Janelle Monae) – Fun.
I’ve seen the Fun. and Nate Ruess’
previous band The Format live enough times to know I don’t much care for
them. But after an entire year listening
to this song and a Shackelford Christmas music video to “Some Nights,” they may
finally be growing on me. Their recent commercial
and Grammy nominated success is hard to ignore.
Without a doubt, this was one of the songs of year and is the perfect of
anthem for any night.
17. The Way it Was – The Killers
I knew from first listen that this
song was going to be my favorite off of Battle
Born. Despite their popular singles “Runaways”
and “Miss Atomic Bomb”, this song spoke to me on a personal level. It’s about getting to a point in your
relationship where you are unsure if you should continue and wonder if it will
ever be “the way it was”. And you can’t
beat the way Flowers belts “Darling” after the bridge.
16. School Friends – Now, Now
It’s weird how such a short song can
speak volumes. This song is a heartbreaker
about a relationship in which one person is hopelessly in love with someone who
chases other people. The slow-build up
is perfect and the synth is unbeatable
15. Ho Hey – The Lumineers
Here is a short and sweet song that
has gotten far too much radio play. Of
course you want to hate the song for appealing to cheeky emotions and having a
simple chord progression, but you can’t help but love the song when watching
the music video. Who doesn’t like a good
ol fashion hoedown smashing light bulbs? But in fact their entire debut album is pretty
good. These guys can in fact “write a
song”.
14. Blood Red Youth – California Wives
Too be honest I have no idea what
this song is about. It’s just really
catchy. Listen to that guitar riff. Unfortunately I have probably ruined this
song for most of you as I usually sing the chorus over and over again.
13. It’s Time – Imagine Dragons
“It’s Time” is another song that you
can’t help but like despite its excessive radio play. Thus, it is another “popular” song that made
it onto my list. Its weird putting this
song on the 2012 list as the first time I heard this song was two years ago as
a sophomore in college. But after years
of touring with bands such as fellow Nevada-natives The Killers, they finally
released their studio debut album and its quite enjoyable. Here is a cool acoustic/live version of the
song.
12. Anastasia – A Silent Film
I came across these guys far too
late in the year. After a couple more
listens to their Sand and Snow album,
I may just regret not putting it into the top ten. But what is for certain is that this song is
a keeper. While they have other songs
from this album that are featured on the radio (see “Danny, Dakota, and the
Wishing Well” and “Harbor Lights”) U guarantee this song will be their next
single and even more popular. It sounds
a lot like Gotye.
11. Thinkin Bout You – Frank Ocean
This song is one of the two song’s
on my list that have been nominated for Song/Record of the year in the
Grammy’s. When Channel Orange “came out” over the summer, it was quick to receive
universal acclaim. I was hesitant at
first to give into the hysteria mostly because I thought a large part of the
buzz was due to the fact Frank Ocean “came out” stating that this single was
written for his first love – a man. As
someone who usually doesn’t listen to R&B/rap and doesn’t believe a person
can be bisexual, I didn’t listen to the album.
It wasn’t until I watched Frank Ocean perform this song on Saturday
Night Live that I realized I couldn’t be more wrong and that there isn’t a disingenuous
thing that comes out of Ocean’s mouth.
While still not necessarily partial to the R&B/rap stylings of Channel Orange, this song definitely is one
of the best of the year. SNL link below
10. Angels – The xx
This song was the first teaser of The
xx’s second album and boy is it a good one.
As an opener to the album, it embodies everything The xx are good at –
overflowing emotion from minimalist simple chord progression. As I get into the top ten, I’m gonna let most
of the songs speak for themselves. Take a listen.
9. Bigger Than Love (feat. Aimee Mann) – Benjamin Gibbard
I’m not going to get into too much
what this song means. While many musicians
would beg to differ, Gibbard and Mann argue that there may be something “bigger
than love”. I’ll let you figure out what
that is do the interpreting. While some
people think that because Mann and Gibbard have such unique and distinctive
voices that harmony is impossible, but I disagree. And listen to that guitar when Gibbard comes
in.
8. All of Me – Tanlines
Alright, enough of the sappy
songs. All of Me was another song of the
summer and is relentlessly catchy. And has
Pet Shop Boys-esque synth
7. Monday Morning – The Morning Parade
Whenever I was going through a tough
time in DC, this song got me through.
6. Fineshrine – Purity Ring
Fineshrine embodies the grotesquely
cute sympathies that Shrines is known
for. Singer Megan James even makes “cut
open my sternum and pull my little ribs around you” sound sweet.
5. All the Rowboats – Regina Spektor
Regina Spektor at her best singing
about the captivity of affluence and the isolation of the bourgeois.
4. Where the Kids Are – Blondfire
- Love this fricken song
3. Pyotr – Bad Books
Alright, I have a lot to say about
these guys, and it all begins with this year’s Redfest. While they couldn’t
possibly match the awesomeness of headliner Brand New, opener Manchester Orchestra
was actually quite good. When I heard
that they, along with singer/songwriter Kevin Devine have a side project Bad
Books, I was intrigued. The album is
incredible. While their single “Forrest
Whittaker” is getting a lot of play on Alt Nation, this song takes the
cake. It’s an account of the real-life
love-triangle of Peter the Great, Katherine, and her lover. Upon finding Katherine having an affair, he
cuts off the lover’s head and forces her to visit it every day. The song is constructed with the each male “singing”
alternate versus. Crazy good.
2. Trojans – Atlas Genius
I hated this song for the longest
time. Then it hit me. Hard
Here’s an acoustic version
1. Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It – Stars
“The world won’t listen to this song
/ and the radio won’t play it / but if you like it, sing along / sing cuz you
don’t know how to say it.”
Honorable Mention: C’mon – Ke$ha.
"Because she gets to say: 'feeling
like a sabertooth tiger / sipping on a warm Budweiser'"
