My Top Ten Albums of 2012

I think year-end lists are a double edged sword; they are great for sparking discussion between fans of different bands, which sometimes forces people to broaden their horizons in light of a compelling argument, and what better way to be human than to broaden your horizons? Year end lists force people to make themselves transparent, to display their particular tastes for all to see, and invites scrutiny from those who have a different relationship to a particular album or artist.

I think this is a completely healthy thing for the whole “marketplace of ideas” theory, that someone would go to bat for something that they feel very strongly about, and others may be inclined to agree or disagree. On the other hand, these lists could not possibly be any less meaningful or important, because they mean absolutely nothing apart from representing one person or one group’s opinion of what the universe should look like. As a wise man once said, “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture”.

Ultimately, there is no litmus test for art, it is a solely individual experience, and any piece of art means no more and no less than any given person’s highly specialized interpretation of how a particular piece of music feels or what it all means. We all have uniquely programmed brains which read and interpret art and all other external stimuli (i.e music) entirely differently based on the sum of our formative life experiences. That being said, I understand that my opinion isn’t worth it’s weight in used motor oil, except to me, which is the spirit with which I hope anyone will read this.

Disclaimer: There were a ton of albums that I did not hear this year. There are a ton of records made every year that I never get to hear, but this year in particular I did not make my usual voracious rounds of new releases that I have in the past. As such, this is not intended as any type of year end ‘best of’ review of all music, but instead is merely a roundup of the albums that I heard, listened to repeatedly, scrutinized in my own trivial and cynical way, and ended up really enjoying and appreciating after all was said and done.

There were also plenty of solid but personally underwhelming albums released by many of my perennial favorite artists this year, and it pained me a great deal to exclude the likes of Tallest Man on Earth, Deer Tick, Avett Brothers, Delta Spirit, M. Ward, Justin Townes Earle, Dr. Dog and Floating Action, all of whom continued to do great things in 2012 and may have been near the top of my list in other years. I suppose I have unrealistically high expectations for those mentioned above, and I also suppose that other folks will probably feel differently about them than I do. So be it. Here goes nothing.

I didn’t think it was possible, but instrumental funk/soul/acid jazz all-stars Menahan Street Band put together a follow up to 2008’s masterpiece Make The Road By Walking that is arguably even tighter and more intricately not-of-this-world than the last. The Brooklyn based band, comprised of members from instrumental funk/jazz/afro-beat heavyweights the Dap Kings, Antibalas and Budos Band, constructs soundscapes that change direction and pace with staggering clarity. the perfect soundtrack to occupy your conscious brain while you focus on more important things.

After two well received solo albums, Cary Ann Hearst took her powerful vocal chops and clever songwriting talents and teamed up with husband Michael Trent to create the driving Americana duo Shovels and Rope, and they delivered O’ Be Joyful, a big, energetic, rollicking, rocking, classic country flavored album about just how great it is to be alive.

The most recent entry into my top ten, this album defies almost all description, but I will say that it makes me think about what it might sound like if Sly Stone, Lou Reed, and DJ Shadow got together to make an album. Definitely one of the most unique, confusing and intriguing albums I’ve heard this year.

I am a big fan of 1950’s doo-wop, and I feel like this album did with that genre what Wilco’s landmark Yankee Hotel Foxtrot did for folk-rock; De-constructed the songs into their component parts, dusted them off, spray painted them, and put them back together into an avant garde collage of sounds that is as distinctive as it is fun to listen to.

Seriously soulful and unpretentious folk music from one of the most promising of a new generation of old-soul new-spiritual troubadours. For a full Surround Sounds album profile click here.

New Orleans’ own living legend/songwriter/piano-man/resident voodoo doctorate of rock n’ roll gets a glorious, if unnecessary, modern studio makeover with a little production help from The Black Keys. The formula sounds ripe for awkwardness, but the album is a triumph, with Mr. Mac Rebennack sounding as funky, fiery and fresh as ever at 72 years young.

25 year old British folk/soul songwriter makes a seriously impressive debut in the U.S. after winning the prestigious Mercury Prize in his home country. Full Surround Sounds album profile click here.

For me, this album came in like a lamb and left like a lion in 2012. I knew I liked it when I first heard it, but it really was a “grower” of an album for me, and I find myself still more and more impressed with the craft and variety of each song with each additional listen. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Erika Wennerstrom not only creates lyrics and melodies that cut across genre lines with scientific precision, she is as also as commanding a rock vocalist and bandleader as anyone in the business, male or female.

While much ado has been made of his sexual orientation in the media, with some even questioning whether his motive for openly declaring his gender preference(s) ahead of the album release was a grab for publicity, I think it’s much simpler than that; The man wanted to get his hangups out of the way and make sure he was entirely understood before he dropped this totally brilliant and extremely personal sophomore album on the unsuspecting public. I think it might be, front to back, the best R&B album to come out in the last decade or two, and not a moment too soon for a genre that was badly in need of a savior.

Anyone who knows me is probably sick and tired of hearing me sing this album’s praises. Fear Fun, as it’s title suggests, is a study in contrast. It is serious, absurd, heavenly, deviant, playful, menacing and beautiful all at the same time. A no-brainer number one choice for this guy, but then again, what do I know? Not a whole heck of alot. Full Surround Sounds album profile click here.