Some things to keep in mind before we start: I ranked 50 records, but that doesn't mean they were all good. By the time we get into the mid 40s, I don't actually recommend those records anymore. However, they're better than most of the records on this list. I think everything in my top 25 is worth a listen. Every single one of the 100 tracks are good, though. And if there's anything you think I missed, please feel free to let me know in the comments box. 2012 was a great year for music and I surely missed some things.
Here we go:
Top CDs of 2012
1)
Spiritualized – Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
While 2012 was an excellent year for music,
choosing a top CD for the year was a no-brainer. “Sweet Heart, Sweet Light” is
rooted in rock and roll with masterful call-and-response melodies in perfectly
crafted rhythms sung by the charismatic and emotional Jason Pierce. There is an
orchestral gigantism as well, with hooks repeating over and over as instruments
seep in, such as a brass section or a string section or a choir, until songs
last perhaps 9:00 long. This compositional repeating is not repetitive – the
music builds slowly and assuredly until it the sound can’t possibly get bigger,
which it then somehow does anyway.
2)
Girlyman – Supernova
If “Sweet Heart, Sweet Light” is a clear #1,
“Supernova” is a clear #2. It’s a record you won’t see on many end-of-year
lists, and a real shame too, seeing as it is one of the most hauntingly
beautiful and emotional records I’ve heard in a long time. Most CDs don’t have a
single song that has brought me to tears. “Supernova” has two: “Nothing Left”
and “Long Time Gone. This acoustic folk group sings with the purest voices I
want to sing with in the stunning harmonies I wish I had written. Much of “Supernova”
confronts death as the band processes Doris Muramatsu, their female lead, being
diagnosed with leukemia. This record is deep, beautiful, and
underappreciated.
3)
Alt-J – An Awesome Wave
From what I’ve read about this record, you’ll
either hate it or love it. I love it to the point of addiction. This mostly
soft rock group painstakingly arranges their songs, creating unique musical
forms and giving the listener new twists and turns right when they expect to
settle in. For me, this means rhythm. Alt-J takes full advantage of double
time, the entire drum set, and occasionally the other instruments’ percussive
qualities, such as the guitar in “Fitzpleasure” or the upper register of the
piano in “Tessellate.” However, sometimes this painstaking compositional style
hurts the overall flow of the songs, most notably in “Fitzpleasure.” In
addition, “An Awesome Wave” lacks the emotional power that sustains “Sweet
Heart, Sweet Light” and “Supernova.” Still, the innovative rhythms and forms
give Alt-J staying power. P.S. It’s also very difficult to hear what the lyrics
are, and I’ve heard they’re weird. I’ve been able to decode “Do not spray into
eyes, I have sprayed you into my eyes” and “She may contain the urge to run
away, so hold her down with soggy clothes and breezeblocks.”
4)
KiloWatts – Acceptitude
Another record you won’t see on many end-of-year
lists, a record introduced to me by my roommate and thereafter playing on my
computer whenever I worked on law school applications. This electronic record
is soothing and entrancing, perfect background music, although a closer listen
doesn’t hurt either. There are some cool harmonies and tonal subtleties that reward
focused listening.
5)
Debo Band – Debo Band
Debo Band is one of the most exciting groups I
learned about this year. The 11-piece band based out of Boston has a close
relationship with 1960s Ethiopian funk, although that is not what attracts me
most to Debo Band. Nor is it the band’s innovations from the tradition, such as
its inclusion of an accordion and strings that make the first song, “Akale
Wube,” sound almost Irish. Two things set this album apart in my mind: 1) The
lead singer, Bruck Tesfaye, is dynamite. Talk about emotion! I only wish he
were featured on more tracks. 2) At its best, Debo Band sounds a lot like Peter
Apfelbaum’s Hieroglyphics, the best band ever to be assembled. The grooves, while
simpler, come from the same place, as do the harmonies. In fact, I can hear
that both Peter Apfelbaum and Debo Band draw heavily from the same influences.
6)
Chick Corea and Gary Burton – Hot House
Here’s a pair of artists whose work I gobble up
without hesitation. My favorite vibraphonist, Gary Burton, teams up with
pianist Chick Corea again to do what they have done best for decades: play
duets. Now, it’s nearly impossible for a record to measure up to 1972’s
“Crystal Silences,” but “Hot House” does justice to the classic’s tradition.
This CD gives each master jazz artist as much room to stretch as they need, and
at times lets each take an extended solo without backup, taking even fuller
advantage of the stripped down instrumentation. As a treat, the last song,
“Mozart Goes Dancing,” features strings to juice up the arranging.
7)
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – The Heist
I may just have a weakness for white rappers; if
I were more into traditional rap, Homeboy Sandman’s “First of a Living Breed”
would have taken this spot on my list. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis create
exciting pop rap, but they have infused values in their songs that hip hop
would benefit from: a passionate appeal for gay rights, a little more respect
for women, or a glorification of thrift shopping (seriously, I think it’s great
that “Thrift Shop” has over 68 million views on YouTube). As the album
progresses the writing gets deeper and more thought-provoking. And the poppy
beats are good too.
8)
Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music
I find it funny that, of El-P’s two releases of
2012, the one I like the most by far is the one under someone else’s name, with
El-P guest rapping on just one track (a track that sounds a lot like the
mediocre tracks from his own record from this year, “Cancer for Cure”). But
El-P’s production on “R.A.P. Music” is what makes the project excellent, partly
because of El-P’s individual musical genius – the melodic grittiness and grimy
synthesizers banging out funky rhythms – and partly because of how well he fits
in with Killer Mike’s character – defeatist, angry, and often hopelessly
pessimistic. The result is rap that sounds great with depressing lyrics that I
find myself trying to overlook.
9)
Brother Ali – Mourning in America Dreaming in
Color
Brother Ali could put just about anything on a
record and it would place in my top ten. No matter how good the beats behind
him are, everything he says is painfully true. That is certainly true with
“Mourning in America Dreaming in Color,” which features the best writing from
the worlds of my other favorite records of his rolled into one: his anger at
inequality and injustice combined with his endless love and compassion (how
many rappers rap so much about love?). This record deals with his love-hate
relationship with the United States, finding reasons to be either proud or
ashamed of it (or both at the same time) depending on the song. However, unlike
2009’s “Us,” I didn’t fall in love with the sound of this record. While the
title track might be one of Brother Ali’s best yet, the others, such as the
brilliant “Work Everyday,” get by on astounding lyrics and adequate music.
10) Frank
Ocean – Channel Orange
You’ve probably heard a lot about “Channel
Orange,” as it was probably the most successful release of 2012. The R&B
record (If I had to choose a genre) a favorite of critics writing in any genre
and has made just about every note able top 10 CD list for 2012. “Channel
Orange” is considered one of the year’s most groundbreaking records, which is
true for four, maybe five songs. In fact, “Bad Religion” is one of the deepest,
most passionate songs I have ever heard. And the lyrics throughout are well
crafted and thought provoking. But most of the record is just filler for the
superior tracks, and Ocean’s lovely restraint on the best songs loses me on the
others. Then there are songs that include a dog-whistle pitched buzzing that
drives me nuts, and “Pyramids” is an annoyingly corny exploration into trite
pop melodies. And the instruments are too low in the mix throughout the record,
most notably on the celebrated “Thinkin Bout You.” Still, my four favorite
songs are good enough to pull the rest of the record into my top 10 (those are “Bad
Religion,” “Lost,” “Super Rich Kids,” and “Sweet Life”).
11) Brooklyn
Rider – Seven Steps
12) Fiona
Apple – The Idler Wheel…
13) Patrick
Watson – Adventures in Your Own Backyard
14) Martha
Redbone – The Garden of Love: Songs of William Blake
15) Janka
Nabay – En Yay Sah
16) Homeboy
Sandman – First of a Living Breed
17) The
Tallest Man On Earth – There’s No Leaving Now
18) Grizzly
Bear – Shields
19) Hot
Chip – In Our Heads
20) How
to Dress Well – Total Loss
21) Dafnis
Prieto – Proverb Trio
22) Café
Tabuca – El Objecto Antes Llamado Disco
23) Bombas
Estéro – Elegancia Tropical
24) Spoonshine
– Song of the Sockeye
25) Metric
- Synthetica
26) Amadou
and Mariam – Folila
27) Gotye
– Making Mirrors
28) Alisa
Weilerstein – Elgar and Carter Cello Concertos
29) JD
MacPherson – Signs and Signifiers
30) Lionel
Loueke - Heritage
31) Sam
Sparro – Return to Paradise
32) Tame
Impala – Lonerism
33) The
XX – Coexist
34) Bat
for Lashes – The Haunted Man
35) El-P
– Cancer for the Cure
36) Julia
Holter – Ekstasis
37) Sharon
Van Etten – Tramp
38) Perfume
Genius – Put Your Back N 2 It
39) Rick
Springfield – Songs for the End of the World
40) Chilly
Gonzales – Solo Piano II
41) Bonnie
Raitt – Slipstream
42) Jack
White – Blunderbuss
43) Mumford
and Sons – Babel
44) The
Helio Sequence – Negotiations
45) White
Rabbits – Milk Famous
46) Sufjan
Stevens – Silver and Gold: Songs for Christmas Volumes 6-10
47) Alabama
Shakes – Boys and Girls
48) Lana
Del Rey – Born to Die
49) Kendrick
Lamar – Good Kid M.A.A.D City
50) Baroness
– Yellow and Green
Top Tracks of 2012
1)
Frank Ocean – Bad Religion
The line “If it brings me to my knees” is deep,
tormented, and unexpectedly gorgeous enough to make this song my number 1 for
this year. Add to that the curt delivery of the verses, barely sounding like a
melody at all while hanging around the tonal for tension. A masterfully done
track.
2)
Girlyman – Nothing Left
The staggered rhythms between the guitar, drums,
and melody, creating entrapping suspensions, made me think this song was in odd
meter at first. No, just 4/4. And those suspensions plus their harmonies made
the chords seem rich and complex. No, just standard folk/blues chords. And
finally after listening to “Nothing Left” left a good ten times I realized the
band was singing about their female vocalist Doris Muramatsu’s recent leukemia
diagnosis, and the devastating build to the third verse brought me to tears.
3)
Hot Chip – Flutes
This song’s seven minutes passes before you know
it. The hypnotic dotted quarter sub-rhythm that does not line up neatly with
the overall meter, coupled with the lengthy chord structure, makes this dance
track sound at the same time repetitive and new at every second
4)
Debo Band – Tenesh Kelbe Lay
This is Debo Band at its best. A very groovy
triplet feel with a strong backbeat, and a fantastic feature for vocalist Bruck
Tesfaye, who nails the anguish the love song is meant to portray. Plus there’s
a fun jam at the end where a number of the instruments, including Tesfaye, get
to improvise at once.
5)
Brother Ali – Mourning in America
Ironically I can’t distinguish the lyrics very well in my favorite track from “Mourning in America
Dreaming in Color,” even
though Brother Ali’s poetry is my favorite quality of his. It doesn’t matter
so much on this song since Ant’s production is out of this world and Brother
Ali shouts out his rhymes with such intense ferocity I can’t bother to remember
to listen for the words themselves. And then, what’s that? A little vocal
harmony with himself on the chorus? That’s what I think of in music as a magic
moment, something fleeting but is worth listening again and again for.
6)
Alt-J – Tessellate
“Tessellate” is probably Alt-J’s most accessible
song, and also the song that benefits best from their thorough compositional
style and overall emotional restraint. I particularly like the effect of the
breakdowns on the overall form, the use of entire spectrum of tonal sound (from
bass to treble), and the space the band gives the main groove to breathe.
7)
Spiritualized – Mary
“Sweet Heart, Sweet Light” is filled with
delicious hooks, humungous arrangements, and long jams. “Mary” just happens to
be my favorite of those. I appreciate the rhythm plodding forward and I love the
chaos of the main jam, with Jason Pierce screaming “Mary!” in unison with a
dirty tenor sax. And when it winds down, he sounds like he’s sobbing.
This song is my favorite type of beat making
from El-P, where his very electronic keyboards produce funky chord progressions
(plus it does that rare thing where the chords never fully resolve, which
thrills me). Still, the words are weird at first: the chorus repeats, “If you
kill him I won’t tell.” It makes sense with the verses. The first verse is EL-P
rapping to the police that he has no information that will help them solve a
crime. In the second, he is all too aware of the abusive relationship going on
between his neighbors, and once as he passes the woman in the hallway he says,
“Do the thing you have to and I swear I’ll tell them nothing.” Actually, the
song is a testament to the weird way in which New Yorkers look out for each
other.
9)
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – Same Love
I am a fan of patient rap songs with soulful
feels, and for that reason the music as well as the subject matter makes “Same
Love” one of the best tracks of the year in my mind. The piano accompaniment is
melodic and compelling, yet fits in well with the chorus and the fuller band
that comes with it. And, of course, the lyrics are a heartwarming and powerful
statement in support of gay rights.
10) Kilowatts
– Hammerstrings/Meanwhile at the Cerebellum Hotel
Two tracks from “Acceptitude” find their way to
my list because of how seamlessly they flow into each other. If I had to choose
one it would be “Cerebellum Hotel,” because it hits a little harder and has a
bluesier melody, but it feels like a second movement of the subtler
“Hammerstrings,” with same key and tempo. The soft synthesizers jam well over
this electronic take on a triplet swing feel.
11) Julia
Holter – Goddess Eyes II
In general “Ekstasis” was too over-the-top weird
for me to warm up to, but a couple tracks were fantastic, such as “Goddess Eyes
II.” It features unobtrusive electronics to back her largely indistinctive
vocals (I think the choir of Holters sings “I can see you but my eyes are not
allowed to cry” for most of the song). The song makes a nice groove and her
unique sound makes it a worthwhile listen.
12) Killer
Mike – Anywhere But Here
Not “Reagan?” Yes, I did like the most popular
song from “R.A.P. Music” a lot, but “Anywhere But Here” has a couple things
going for it. Once again, it’s my favorite style of beat making from El-P
(whose fingerprints are all over the entire record): very accessible with great
rhythm in the bass and a sweet, dirty overall sound. In addition, Killer Mike
uses an unusual yet tasty rhythmic scheme to express his clever and cynical
rhymes.
13) Fiona
Apple – Hot Knife
14) Girlyman
– Long Time Gone
15) Tame
Impala – It Feels Like We Only Go Backwards
16) Café
Tabuca – De Este Lado Del Camino
17) Killer
Mike – Reagan
18) Brother
Ali – Work Everyday
19) Frank
Ocean – Super Rich Kids
20) Gotye
– Somebody That I Used To Know
21) Sufjan
Stevens – Justice Delivers Its Death (Silver and Gold)
22) Patrick
Watson – Morning Sheets
23) Spoonshine
– Robin
24) White
Rabbits – Hold It To The Fire
25) Bat
for Lashes – All My Gold
26) Alt-J
– Breezeblocks
27) Chick
Corea and Gary Burton – My Ship
28) Spiritualized
– Too Late
29) Gotye
– I Feel Better
30) Jack
White – Love Interruption
31) Macklemore
and Ryan Lewis – Thrift Store
32) Homeboy
Sandman – Illuminati
33) Frank
Ocean – Sweet Life
34) Julia
Holter – Moni Mon Amie
35) Frank
Ocean – Lost
36) Rick
Springfield - Depravity
37) Homeboy
Sandman – Eclipsed
38) Girlyman
– Supernova
39) Killer
Mike – Southern Fried
40) Fiona
Apple – Every Single Night
41) Brooklyn
Rider – Together Into This Unknowable Night
42) Bat
for Lashes – Laura
43) Janka
Nabay – Somebody
44) Spoonshine
– Bound Away
45) Grizzly
Bear – A Simple Answer
46) How
To Dress Well – Cold Nites
47) Spiritualized
– So Long You Pretty Thing
48) Amadou
and Mariam – Metemya
49) Dafnis
Prieto Proverb Trio – Dirty Us
50) Tame
Impala – Elephant
51) Homeboy
Sandman – Mine All Mine
52) Patrick
Watson – Lighthouse
53) Debo
Band – Not Just A Song
54) Spiritualized
– Headed For The Top Now
55) Alt-J
– Taro
56) Lionel
Loueke – Freedom Dance
57) Alt-J
– Blood Flood
58) Debo
Band – And Lay
59) Fiona
Apple – Valentine
60) Sharon
Van Etten – Serpents
61) Bomba
Estero – Bailar Conmigo
62) Alt-J
– Fitzpleasure
63) Homeboy
Sandman – Not Really
64) Bomba
Estero – Caribbean Power
65) Spiritualized
– Hey Jane
66) Patrick
Watson – The Quiet Crowd
67) Martha
Redbone – On Another’s Sorrow
68) Grizzly
Bear – Gun-Shy
69) Debo
Band – DC Flower
70) Macklemore
and Ryan Lewis – Can’t Hold Us
71) Janka
Nabay – Feba
72) Metric
– The Void
73) Macklemore
and Ryan Lewis – A Wake
74) Sharon
Van Etten – We Are Fine
75) Macklemore
and Ryan Lewis – Starting Over
76) Dafnis
Prieto Proverb Trio – Into The Light Love
77) Debo
Band – Akale Wube
78) Café
Tacuba – Pájaros
79) Martha
Redbone – Poison Tree
80) Spiritualized
– Life Is A Problem
81) Jack
White – I’m Shakin’
82) Bomba
Estero – Pájaros
83) Rick
Springfield – I Hate Myself
84) Lana
Del Rey – Blue Jeans
85) Dafnis
Prieto Proverb Trio – In War
86) Sharon
Van Etten – Warsaw
87) Brooklyn
Rider – Seven Steps
88) Killer
Mike – Ghetto Gospel
89) Homeboy
Sandman – For The Kids
90) Killowatts
– Windsong
91) Rick
Springfield – Love Screws Me Up
92) Metric
– Artificial Nocturne
93) Bomba
Estero – El Alma Y El Cuerpo
94) Macklemore
and Ryan Lewis – Wing$
95) Martha
Redbone – The Garden of Love
96) Café
Tabuca – Aprovéchate
97) Spiritualized
– Get What You Deserve
98) Patrick
Watson – Adventures in Your Own Backyard
99) Fiona
Apple – Anything We Want
100) Sam Sparro – Yellow Orange Rays
