My take on 2012
1.
Menomena- Moms (15)
A great album reminiscent of Friend and Foe but I feel with a much greater consistency of songwriting. Probably doesn't reach that albums highs, but every song this time round is excellent without losing any of their angular experimentalism. Plus it's a heartfelt exploration of family, mums and absences of dads especially. See Heavy Is As She Does, Tantalus, Pique, One Horse
2.
Polica- Give You the Ghost (10)
I think this is the most beautiful sounding album on my list, I feel like i'm in some indie film where the drama is unfolding in some club where all the cool kids hang, like an alternate soundtrack to Blue Valentine. A mix of R'n'B and Goth rock is what spotify says, I wouldn't disagree, there is an elegiac quality to the music in the vein of How to Dress Well but less minimal. See Dark Star, Leading to Death, Lay Your Cards Out
3.
Jessie Ware- Devotion (10)
Best pop album of last year and the main striking thing how it avoids the black hole that is 'The Guetta', with velveteen vocals and at times sparse but beautifully electronically instrumented, creating interesting sounds behind what are just great pop songs. See Wildest Moments, Sweet Talk, Still Love Me, Strangest Feeling
4.
Liars- WIXIW (10)
More synth, more ambience and some propulsive rythyms make this a great record resembling a fairly arty dance party, I like being a hipster though. See Brats, Who is the Hunter, Octagon
5.
Mount Eerie- Clear Moon/ Ocean Roar (9)
A bit of a cheat but both released this year and it was the artists intention they were a continuation of each other. It has a post rock span to it, with an anxious undertow to the music and a muscular intensity to the rhythm and guitars when in use. As the band name suggests it is also veritably eerie. I can't help but think it would soundtrack a game like Dark Souls well. See Engel Der Luft, Pale Lights, The Place I Live, Over Dark Water
6.
Delicate Steve - Positive force (8)
African beats (I know generic like saying it sounds 'European' but I don't have a clue what type of African music especially infuses it at a guess Malian or South African) infused guitar music similar in vein to Paul Simon's Graceland, minimal amount of vocals and just wonderfully constructed wee tunes. See Ramona Reborn, Love, Redeemer.
7.
Laurel Halo- Quarantine (7)
Avant garde electronic music with a dollop of pop, like Jessie Ware but just pushed over into more experimental territory. Chillout club music of the future. What they should be listening to in Mass Effect/ Firefly/ Star Trek. See Airsick, Carcass, Light + Space
8.
DIIV- Oshin (5)
More dream pop but carried by the guitar, the vocals coming in and out of the songs and they are wonderfully constructed. It's as blissful a record you will hear from last year or the next. See How Long Have You Known, Follow, Sometime.
9.
Jon Talabot- Fin (5)
Fabulous tension releasing dance music. There is a party down in Barcelona and I want to be there. It's an ecstatic record featuring a myriad of voices and beats combining restlessly into a groovetacular whole (groovetacular is intended without irony, my inner hipster may disagree). See Destiny, Oro y Sangre, Estiu
10.
Choir of Young Believers- Rhine Gold (4)
Well constructed synth-pop done widescreen. The scale of the songs is magnificent (for pop), the synths are glatial then spry dressing some great melodies. See Patricia's Thirst, Paint New Horrors, Sedated
11.
Mountain Goats- Transcendental Youth (4)
Darnielle can not just stop putting out great records. This is quite a tight record considering there isn't an overarching concept like some of his more recent ones I can think of. Nothing beats excellent songwriting at the end of the day. Nothing particularly new here but when your songwriting is uniformly brilliant then there is very little to complain about. See Cry for Judas, White Cedar, The Diaz Brothers
12.
Sebastien Tellier- My God is Blue (4)
One of the most dramatic sounding singer/songwriter records I can recall hearing. There is a real swell behind much of the music with dalliances into some disco beats. It's suitably grand so much so, it's laid back about how ridiculously extravagant it is. It is superbly French. See Pepito Bleu, Russian Attractions, My Poseidon
13.
Killer Mike- R.A.P. Music (3)
I'm generally not the biggest hip hop guy, but in recent times I have become more drawn to the music. I think primarily because no indie act or electronic artist I have come across yet deal with things affecting the real world now. Hip hop at least the good stuff is based in the now and faces the music of real life, abuse of power by police and politicians and how those affect ordinary people trying to get by. The anger in this record is amazing as are the beats. See Untitled, Reagan, Ghetto Gospel.
14.
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (3)
Hummable, melodic dance music, with one of the best group names in existence. To continue the party once Fin's more palatial tunes are done, this is more of a throw back but an expertly done one, which just keeps the fun coming. See Your Love, Trouble, Tapes & Money.
15.
Toy- Toy (3)
Cure's majestic sweep meet My Bloody Valentine's drive, distortion and etheralness. See Colours Running Out, Dead and Gone, Kopter
The link at the bottom should hopefully take you to a spotify playlist with all these albums if there are any you want to check out, plus a few that didn't quite make my list.
[Best of 2012]