Albums
of the year
2012
So it’s come to this has it? A year of music so good that for the first time I came close to wishing albums would stop being made, as anything new coming out will surely distract and take away time from enjoying the fantastic albums that came out already. I feel bombarded with so much good music, yet time to listen slowly dissolving away (as evidenced by my balding head). Granted, it’s very true that I may not branch out as much as one could, and the most frustrating part is half of what I am into based on this post (and my runners-up post next week) may look like I do nothing but wait for Pitchfork’s daily reviews to guide me on my way musically. Rest assured, that is not the case, and just merely a coincidence. Most of the times I’ve done these posts I’ve just said “HERE! This is where’s it’s at – and listen to this other person tell you why!”. Last year, I took the time to write up my own reviews (who’d a thunk it?), but after looking at my blog stats I saw that it really didn’t reach many people. Your loss! So instead of making this feel like a chore left unnoticed this year by writing relatively long reviews that would fall on deaf ears, I would simplify. In the end, let the music speak for itself, eh? Well, for the most part. So, here you go, my favorite albums of the year. I guess technically they are what I consider to be “the best”, but by saying that it means these then have to be put in some sort of order, and quantified some way. But I really can’t do that. Depending on the mood of the day, each one of these albums is “the best” at one time or another, so really out of all the albums I’ve listened to over the past year, these are my go to albums – my favorites – my “desert island discs” of sorts. I’ve shared one track from each album as well, songs that I think not only represent what is great about the entire album, but what may spark an interest in you to checking out the whole thing, because to me they are all worth your time and quite rewarding indeed. Enjoy with aloha, and as always, turn it WAY the hell up, and for crying out loud use headphones. Laptop speakers = death.
8
Jessie Ware
Devotion
The debut album from South London’s Jessie Ware came across my radar during the summer via the great music site The Line of Best Fit. Within weeks it was being hailed by Pitchfork and getting nominated in her home country for the prestigious 2012 Mercury Prize, and with good reason. I suppose Ware could be described as a bit of a modern day Sade, but a slightly grittier, even harder edged and more beat oriented Sade, comparatively. When it comes to R&B, there’s not a lot that speaks to me. So much of it is good without question, but for whatever reason I’ve never been able to connect with a lot of it. The moment I heard this woman’s voice however, I was converted, and then I heard the full album and it just hit all my soft spots. It’s cinematic, it’s smoky, it’s quietly sophisticated, repetitious, down-tempo, and utterly gorgeous from beginning to end, with her soulful voice matching the sheer etherealness of the music with such ease and grace. This is the kind of music I envision artists like Beyonce and Rhianna making if they focused less on reaching the top of the charts and hitting their sales targets, and more on the music itself. Deep down those artists can do it, but seem to aim more for quantity over quality. Ware on the other hand oozes class and artistic integrity with the most gorgeous of voices from the first note to the last beat. One moment elegantly riding a bass heavy beat on ‘No To Love’ (the song I’ve shared here), the next belting it out like only the greatest sirens of our past could on ‘Night Light’, and all the while keeping it forward thinking, futuristic and interesting in very turn. Even if R&B and hip-hop isn’t your thing, there’s something here for everyone to appreciate. This album is not to be missed, a real bewitching piece of work.