So Dance Yrself Clean may have been a tiny bit slower than others with getting out the compulsory end of year round ups, but we’ve never been ones to rush into anything. We asked all our contributors what their favourite albums were last year, and here is what we came up with.
25. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, M.a.a.D city
When people discuss hip hop in 2012, they may as well be talking landfill pop (see Nicki Minaj). Step forward Kendrick Lamar. Lamar’s good kid, M.a.a.D city is the new wave of an ‘old school’. Much like the true rappers of old, Lamar tells a story of a young man with a musical vision beyond his meagre means. TR
24. Niki and the Dove – Instinct
23. The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Aufheben
Notorious frontman Anton Newcombe relocated to Berlin for the making of his band’s thirteenth album. The song titles, as usual, embody Newcombe’s humour (sample titles: ‘Blue Order/New Monday’ and ‘I Want to Hold Your Other Hand’) and the record may be the finest work the band have done since the mid-90s. The tension is never far away from the band and they are volatile, but as the record shows, they can still produce wonderful moments of musical magic. JDR
22. DIIV – Oshin
21. Taken by Trees – Other Worlds
20. Liars – WIXIW
WIXIW, the NY trio’s sixth studio album, was Liars showcasing their ability to adapt to yet another sonic style following the dystopianly weird Sisterworld. It’s a beautiful exploration into how electronic textures can fit into a traditional drums-bass-guitar format and uses similarly unorthodox techniques – subtle glitches, musique concrete, variable tempos – as Radiohead to do so. BH
19. Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory
18. Grizzly Bear – Shields
17. Lana Del Rey – Born To Die
After topping the UK album chart for two weeks in February, it’s fair to say 2012 has been a great year for Lana Del Rey and her debut album Born To Die. Not only that, she’s managed to make the American Dream seem cool again. MT
16. Pond – Beards, Wives, Denim
Tame Impala side-project Pond created an acid-drenched record which MGMT should have made instead of their second record. It sounds like a pot-heads take on Led Zeppelin for the most part, and proves that Tame Impala have some of the most technically gifted musicians in the world. A truly fascinating record that people should definitely dig out. JDR
