5. Sky Ferreira- Everything Is Embarrassing
4. FLUME- Holdin’ On
3. Bat for Lashes- Laura
2. Grimes- Oblivion
1. Solange- Losing You
Category Archives: Best of 2012
Songs of 2012: No. 10-6
10. Aiden Grimshaw- Curtain Call
9. BOY- Little Numbers
8. Chairlift- I Belong in Your Arms (Japanese Version)
7. Rhye- Open
6. HAIM- Forever
Filed under Best of 2012
Songs of 2012: 15-11
15. Wild Belle- Keep You
14. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti- Baby
13. Jai Paul- BTSTU
12. Tame Impala- Feels Like We Only Go Backwards
11. Ellie Goulding- Figure 8
Filed under Best of 2012
EP’s of 2012
STARRED- Prison to Prison
Alice Jemima- All the Boyfriends
Solange- True
HAIM- Forever EP
Hella Better Dancer- Living Room
Julia Stone- Let’s Forget All the Things That We Say
Lana Del Rey- Paradise
Lisa Mitchell- Spiritus
Matt Corby- Into the Flame
Filed under Best of 2012
Albums of 2012: A Conclusion
Albums of the year is always an incredibly difficult list to compile. A lot of these albums were released early on in the year, and maybe some records which have only just been released or I’ve only just got round to listen to have been neglected from the list.
Also, as a student with little money or time, I do not own every album released this year, and I haven’t got the time to listen to every single one. So in lots and lots of ways, this list is fairly biased. 9 out of 10 of my albums were female fronted or had female singers, and 6 out of 10 were debuts. I am proud of both of these facts.
I hope you enjoyed reading my posts and I hope maybe you discovered an album is new to you. If you missed it, here are my top 10 albums of the year.
1. Hannah Cohen- Child Bride
2. Grimes- Visions
3. Sharon Van Etten- Tramp
4. Keaton Henson- Dear…
5. Lana Del Rey- Born to Die
6. Purity Ring- Shrines
7. The Civil Wars- Barton Hollow
8. Beach House- Bloom
9. Taylor Swift- RED
10. Jessie Ware- Devotion
Some albums narrowly missed out on a place on the list. Here are a couple of those records…
Tame Impala- Lonerism
Melody’s Echo Chamber- Melody’s Echo Chamber
Father John Misty- Fear Fun
First Aid Kit- The Lion’s Roar
Lianne La Havas- Is Your Love Big Enough?
Niki & The Dove- Instinct
Julia Holter- Ekstasis
Ellie Goulding- Halcyon
Tomorrow my Ones to Watch for 2013 will be starting!
Filed under Best of 2012
Albums of 2012 #1: Hannah Cohen- Child Bride
When you first listen to an album, there are several things you think about when assessing the greatness of the record. The songwriting, the innovation, the strength of the vocals and instrumentation are all things which I look out for. In this list we have seen many albums which push the boundaries of all these categories; Grimes’ Visions changed the way I thought about dance music, Sharon Van Etten’s Tramp is a masterpiece in modern folk songwriting and Lana Del Rey’s Born to Die pushes pop music forward into something much more interesting These are all great records, records which will probably be remembered for years to come as high points of music in 2012. However, my number 1 record, Hannah Cohen’s Child Bride, makes this list for an entirely different reason.
This record doesn’t necessarily push boundaries, it’s not new or innovative, the songwriting is simple, as is the instrumentation. Looking at this record from the point of view of a ‘music critic’, this album doesn’t tick all the boxes. But I am not just a music critic, I am a person, and to people that read this blog that sometimes might be difficult to identify with. And as a person, this record strikes an emotion inside me like no other record this year has. This record still makes me cry, it’s beauty is astonishing, and from the very first note, something about it feels like home. I feel like a huge amount of my feelings and thoughts are being said through this record, I relate to every note, every lyric and every last yearning hum.
I don’t expect everyone to find what I have found in this record, but I hope that more people hear it, and even if out of 1000 people that hear it, only 1 person finds what I have found in it, then that power for that one person will make this a record with a great amount of love.
This record is my album of the year because I have fallen in love with it. And I think that really, the greatest records, are those which do something outside tick all the boxes.
Best tracks: Don’t Say, The Crying Game, California, Sorry, Sunrise.
Filed under Best of 2012
Albums of 2012 #2: Grimes- Visions
This year has been the year of Grimes. Not only did she make my #2 album of the year, but she is also my favourite gig (Bestival, 1am) of the year and one of my favourite songs (Oblivion). This album has reshaped the way I think about dance music, with every layer of sound it becomes more interesting, more innovative and the whole record has it’s own Grimes soundscape. This is a record which can be listened to on headphones, but also works incredibly well live.
Grimes is also such an interesting character, I have watched countless interviews of her to attempt to get inside the head of someone who can create something so unique, but she seems to be one of a kind, living on her own planet. You can rarely tell what she’s saying on this record, but it’s not about the lyrics, it’s about the layers of sound she creates so well. Grimes has set the standard for electronic music pretty high, will anyone in 2013 be able to compete?
I highly urge you to buy this album, to see her live and absorb every bit of Grimes you can.
GRIMES GRIMES GRIMES
Best tracks: Oblivion, Genesis, Be A Body
Filed under Best of 2012
Albums of 2012 #3: Sharon Van Etten- Tramp
I have to admit, that even though this record was released back in February, I didn’t actually get round to buying it and listening to it until August. However, since then there has barely been a week where I haven’t played this album. It’s a regular in my ‘albums to listen to in the morning’ CD pile and it has grown to be one of my favourite records of the year.
This is Sharon’s third record, following 2009′s ‘Because I Was In Love’ and 2010′s ‘Epic’. Although I do love the debut, this third record is by far her best effort. Her songwriting is rich and melodious, the instrumentation is interesting, varied and the arrangements are one of the highlights of the whole record. And her voice sounds lush, just gorgeous.
Every track on this record is great, my personal favourites are ‘In Line’, ‘Magic Chords’ and ‘Kevin’s’ but ‘Leonard’ and ‘Serpents’ are also worth mentioning.
I urge you to pick up a copy of this album, you won’t regret it.
Best tracks: Magic Chords, Kevin’s, Leonard, Serpents
Filed under Best of 2012
Albums of 2012 #4: Keaton Henson- Dear
Keaton Henson’s ‘Dear’ is the most heartbreaking record I have heard since Bon Iver’s ‘For Emma Forever Ago’ was released back in 2008. The comparisons between the two records are obvious- they are both about the break out of a relationship, both were recorded in a homemade kind of way. And both are incredibly harrowing to listen to.
However where For Emma sounds like it was recorded to be released, and for people to hear, Dear sounds like it was written as a kind of therapy for Keaton, it is so intrusive into his thoughts and feelings I can’t imagine that when he wrote the songs he thought that anyone would ever hear them.
Still, I’m glad we did hear them, because this is one of the most beautiful debut’s of the year. This really is a concept record, and I urge you to listen to it as one, from start to finish. That’s when the true beauty of the album comes out. The songwriting shines through, his voice feeble throughout and the subtle changes in instrumentation and electronic sounds separate this album from anything you’ve ever heard before.
Best tracks: You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are, Sarah Minor, Charon
Filed under Best of 2012
Albums of 2012 #5: Lana Del Rey- Born to Die
When this album was released there was so much controversy around Lana Del Rey that I think the greatness of this album got lost. Now we are at the end of the year, it has appeared on many end of year lists so it is good to see it getting the attention it deserves.
This record is pop perfection. It’s interesting, catchy, full of hits, and it’s also got depth and darkness. Her voice is esquiaste and the lyrics are the most thought provoking of any pop artist I can remember in my lifetime.
I wrote a review back when the record was released about the lyrical meaning of the record and my interpretation of it, you can still read it here.
Best tracks: Video Games, Born to Die, Diet Mountain Dew, Radio
Filed under Best of 2012
