Best of 2012
It’s been a fairly eventful year for me, so quite late.
That said, of 144 albums I bought last year, 89 were released in 2012, and it took a while to parse them all. I’ll say that it was a really strong year overall. There’s so much music being put out that it’s hard to keep up, but that’s a good problem to have.
My top 10 albums of 2012:
Japandroids (Celebration Rock) – Never any doubt about this. Simply the strongest pop punk album in many years. Starts and ends with (literal) fireworks because it’s a celebration.
Cloud Nothings (Attack on Memory) – A close second. Way more angsty, but no less driving.
Perfume Genius (Put Your Back N 2 It) – It’s rare that I find myself thinking that a song could be longer, but that’s exactly the case with a lot of these. I want more, but they’re just quick explorations of a melody or concept and then on to the next.
Allo, Darlin’ (Europe) – I admit I fought this a little. So… twee. But also so catchy, there’s no escaping it.
The Men (Open Your Heart) – Part of a trend of trainwreck noise that I cannot encourage enough.
Place to Bury Strangers (Worship) – Signed to a pedal company, you do the math.
Dinosaur Jr. (I Bet on Sky) – A good Dinosaur Jr. record. That’s enough for me.
Purity Ring (Shrines) – I know it was inescapable all summer, but there’s something about the fresh (to me) sound that I really enjoy.
Two Gallants (The Bloom and the Blight) – two piece cowpunk, nothing of a departure from their earlier stuff, because if there’s nothing broken…
Diiv (Oshin) – dreamy with a frantic Galaxie 500 feel to it. Argue with that.