Best Albums of 2012: #10 - #1

And so we come to the top 10 albums that I listened to last year. Just to get it out of the way, there's no Frank Ocean and no Kendrick Lamar. Their albums were good, but I didn't think they were fantastic.

If you want to see #30 - #21 and #20 - #11, just click those lovely pink links to your left.

And so, without any further delay, may I present to you...my top 10 albums of 2012!

#10

Purity Ring - Shrines

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The instrumentals on Purity Ring's debut album are slightly above average at best, and a couple of tracks fall into "forgettable" territory because of them. So why is this album sitting at #10 on my list? Because Megan James's vocals and lyrics are just that good. Her voice is pleasant to listen to on every song, and the overall production shines. The lyrics are what make this album extra special though, which I consider an impressive feat for a synth-pop album. If this was their debut, I can't want to see what comes next. Recommended tacks: Fineshrine, Ungirthed

#9

Deftones - Koi No Yokan

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Koi No Yokan is easily the best album that Deftones has ever put out. It's an album that is full of chunky riffs, but it still manages to maintain the atmosphere that Deftones has always been known for. Chino Moreno's vocals set up the ambience of the album, while the rest of the band lays down the riffs that carry you through the landscape. What really makes the album shine is the production quality. Never once does the music become muddy, even though it sounds like it really wants to at times. Recommended tracks: Poltergeist, Entombed, Romantic Dreams

#8

Kishi Bashi - 151a

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If Kishi Bashi had released the first four tracks of "151a" as an EP, it would have been the best release of 2012. Those opening tracks are magical. Each one is great of example of how eclectic arrangements and uplifting lyrics can really make a song stand out. That magic soon ends though, and what we're left with is an album that is very good, but relatively forgettable. Still, those opening four tracks are strong enough to push the album into the top 10. Recommended tracks: Manchester, Bright Whites, It All Began With a Burst

#7

Father John Misty - Fear Fun

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"Fear Fun" feels almost like Father John Misty's resume. He covers so many genres and styles in his "debut" album (it's Josh Tillman's first album using the Father John Misty name) that it seems almost too hectic and too hard to follow. It's this fragmented feel that makes the album really shine. So many artists are content to play it safe, and sane, on albums these days, but Father John Misty isn't afraid to reveal the workings of his seemingly drug-addled mind to the public. Simply put, the album is fun, and that's all I want from an album sometimes. Recommended tracks: Funtimes in Babylon, Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings

#6

Cloud Nothings - Attack On Memory

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This album might have been the biggest statement made by a band in 2012. Cloud Nothings was known as a power pop band before, but with the release of "Attack On Memory", that image has been shed. Cloud Nothings have picked up the torch left by bands like Nirvana at the emergence of grunge. They play music fast, loose, loud, and angry. Dylan Baldi's screams are flooded with emotion, and the music is just as intense. Cloud Nothings got their hands dirty with this record, and I hope they don't wash them before their next one. Recommended tracks: Fall In, Separation

#5

Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel...

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I'm going to come clean -- I haven't listened to Fiona Apple since her late-90s single "Criminal", so I'm not really sure what she's done musically between then and now. What I do know, is that "The Idler Wheel..." (no, I'm not putting the entire title here) is a great piece of avant-garde pop music. Strange instrumentation, bizarre arrangements, and a voice that can be creaky at times is the standard here, and yet there's a beautiful melody riding the undercurrent of every song. I can't say I'll return to this album too often, but when I do, I'll enjoy every minute of it. Recommended tracks: Jonathan, Hot Knife

#4

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!

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GY!BE's first studio album in ten years is a remarkable example of what post-rock is all about. I feel that this one album encompasses everything that Godspeed You! is about. Music that oozes its way into your head with slow, driving rhythms and overcomes you with noise. It's not an album that is meant to be listened to while you mindlessly browse the internet, and it's probably not a good album to listen to on a long drive either. What you need to do is sit down, strap on some headphones, and just get lost in it. Recommended tracks: Mladic, We Drift Like Worried Fire

#3

Now, Now - Threads

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Threads was destined to be in my top 10 list from the very start. There's something about how the album is put together that makes it hard not to listen to from start to finish every time I listen to it. It's an album that speaks of many types of love. Love that is sometimes unrequited, sometimes jealous, and sometimes honest. Cacie Dalager's voice is a perfect fit for the themes on display here; her vocals come off as wistful, and they're sung with genuine emotion. Now, Now doesn't try to reach for the stars on "Threads", but somehow they managed to get there anyway. Recommended tracks: Lucie, Too, Wolf

#2

Japandroids - Celebration Rock

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The first thing you hear on this album is the sound of fireworks lighting up the sky. What follows is 35 minutes of music more explosive than any firework. It's loud and it's raucous. "Celebration Rock" conjures images of blasting down the interstate with your friends just after graduating from high-school (or college). Those days where late night bonfire parties led to mid-afternoon hangovers. Quite an apt-title, then, when you see this album as a celebration of living. It's an album that tells you to not take anything for granted, and to live life every single day. I can't think of an album released last year that said, "We're here to play the music we want to play, and fuck you if you're not ok with that" any better than what Japandroids put out in "Celebration Rock". Recommended tracks: Fire's Highway, The House That Heaven Built, Continuous Thunder

#1

Grimes - Visions

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Claire Boucher has, in my opinion, set a new standard for pop music with "Visions". While listening to the album, it's hard not to fall in love with what she's produced. Her voice is light, airy, and incredibly pleasant to listen to. A lot of her lyrics are indecipherable, due to a slight lisp and lack of enunciation, but I really don't care because her vocals are just so damned enjoyable. The instrumentals could be described as minimalist most of the time, but there are some tracks with relatively complex arrangements. The lack of "oomph" in some songs doesn't bother me though; the production level is nearly perfect and that makes this album listenable from start to finish. A lot of critic have said it, but I'm going to repeat it here: Grimes is the future of pop music. Recommended tracks: Genesis, Oblivion, Vowels = Space Time

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So there you have it, my top 30 albums of 2012. If you want to listen to these albums in a Spotify playlist, click this link.  Coming up next: my top 50 songs of 2012