Top Albums of 2012 Part 2 (N-Z)

Here is my Top Albums of 2012 list, continued, in alphabetical order (N-Z).

 

No Doubt – Push and Shove: Glad to have them back.

 

Of Monsters and Men – My Head Is An Animal: A startlingly good debut album.

 

One Direction – Up All Night: Sugary, saccharine pop. And good.

 

Paul Banks – Julian Plenti Lives (EP): Banks will never, ever die.

 

Perfume Genius – Put Your Back N 2 It: Such serene, vulnerable, melodic melancholy.

 

Pink – The Truth About Love: The Paul Pierce of pop.

 

Placebo – B3 (EP): Just a taste. More please!

 

Ramona Falls – Prophet: Really solid alternindie record.

 

The Raveonettes – Into The Night (EP) and Observator: They’ve me in a trance.

 

Robbie Williams – Take The Crown: Pop missed you. Needed you.

 

Scissor Sisters – Magic Hour: Dive, turn, work, ma’funker.

 

Shad – Melancholy and The Infinite Shadness: Great sample work. Spits fire.

 

Shearwater – Animal Joy: Shearwater hopped up on hooks.

 

The Shins – Port of Morrow: Mercer is utterly unique, mesmerizing.

 

Silversun Pickups – Neck of The Woods: Down a dark path, interesting.

 

The Smashing Pumpkins – Oceania: Call it a comeback, 2012.

 

Stars – The North: Can always count on them.

 

Taylor Swift – Red: Much better than you’d think.

 

The Tragically Hip – Now For Plan A: Still got it. And how.

 

Trust – Trst: Trust me, them. Vital, fresh.

 

Two Door Cinema Club – Beacon: Rock solid 2nd record. Hooktastic.

 

The Vaccines – Come of Age: Not straightforward, yet hooks galore.

 

Various Artists – AHK-toong BAY-bi (cover album of U2’s Achtung Baby): Amazing source material. Covers fantastic.

 

Wintersleep – Hello Hum: They have become phenomenal musicians.

 

Yeasayer – Fragrant World: Odd blood courses through me.

 

Yellowcard – Southern Air: Beckons nostalgia at every turn.

Top Albums of 2012 Part 1 (A-M)

Brevity is the soul of wit and it’s also the M.O. of this list. Here are my favourite albums of the year, in alphabetical order, described in five words or less:

Alt-j – An Awesome Wave: More like ‘An Awesome Debut’.

 

Bloc Party – Four: Their heart, it shows — always.

 

The Chevin – Borderland: Hot Hot Heat with hooks.

 

Crystal Castles – III: Child, I will hurt you.

 

Death Grips – The Money Store: I’ve seen footage, it grips.

 

Die Antwoord – Ten$ion: Batshit crazy, brilliant, reflective, 2012.

 

Donkeyboy – Caught In A Life: Norway, what a lovely gift.

 

Dragonette – Body Parts: Consistently catchy from Sorbara, company.

 

Dum Dum Girls – End of Daze (EP): Hooks for days. Mightily impressed.

 

Easy Star All-Stars – Thrillah: Such endlessly creative musical imaginations.

 

Ed Sheeran – +: The birth of a star.

 

Ellie Goulding – Halcyon: Most underrated pop record, 2012

 

Fang Island – Major: Torn asunder by energy uncontained.

 

Frank Ocean – Channel Orange: Singing from elsewhere, affecting here.

 

Gossip – A Joyful Noise: Their most consistent LP yet.

 

Green Day – Uno!: Kill the DJ? Dance first.

 

The Helio Sequence – Negotiations: A slow burner. Magnificence incarnate.

 

High Contrast – The Agony & The Ecstasy: High octane, frenetic, energy infused.

 

Hot Chip – In Our Heads: Always unique. Always on point.

 

John Frusciante – Letur-Lefr and PBX Funicular Intaglio Zone: An artist sharing his soul.

 

The Killers – Battle Born: Took a while. Got there.

 

The Maccabees – Given to The Wild: Underrated band. Strong, consistent record.

 

Marina & The Diamonds – Electra Heart: Small step back. Still enjoyable.

 

Maximo Park – The National Health: Front to back, just hits.

 

Metric – Synthetica: Every single time, they’re gold.

 

Mumford and Sons – Babel: Unique gifts enable connection, resonance.

 

Muse – The 2nd Law: Bad, bad, bad, bad men.