Best of 2012


Albums, singles, rarities, reissues, mixes, remixes: we’ve listened a lot of them over the past 12 months, and have unearthed a fair few gems in the process. We suggest you clear your schedule, put on your headphones and get stuck in to our comprehensive run-down of the year’s finest records…

The top 10

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    Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE (Explicit Version)
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    channel ORANGE
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    (2012)
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    by Frank Ocean
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    Tyler, The Creator might have hogged the limelight in 2011, but it was his Odd Future-compandre Frank Ocean who made the biggest, er, splash in 2012. From the Stevie Wonder-esque swing of ‘Sweet Life’ to the string-laden, tear-stained R&B of ‘Bad Religion’, via an almighty, nine-minute-plus, digital-funk opus named ‘Pyramids’, Channel Orange confirmed what mixtape Ultra/Nostalgia implied: Frank Ocean is one of the finest songwriting talents of our times.

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    Grimes - Visions
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    Visions
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    (2012)
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    by Grimes
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    Having sailed live chickens, 20 pounds of potatoes, a sewing machine and her boyfriend down the Mississippi on a homemade houseboat, we’re not surprised that Claire Boucher wasn’t fazed by the challenge of topping her acclaimed last long-player, Halfaxa. Visions showcased Grimes’ pioneering spirit, and subsequently helped the 22-year-old subvert the mainstream with a feast of compelling, avant garde, electronic treats, rooted in K-pop, IDM and R&B.

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    Django Django - Django Django
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    Django Django
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    (2012)
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    by Django Django
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    When we asked Django Django to sum up their sound, the best they could muster was, “Tramp-rock mixed with booze, broads and barbershop.” Honestly lads, what about the 8-bit synth-shuffle of ‘Zumm Zumm’? Or the electro-tinged souk-rock of ‘Skies Over Cairo’? And what about ‘Life’s A Beach’, which sounds like some wonderful, jangle-laden hybrid of The Beta Band and Franz Ferdinand?! Still, with songs this strong who needs shameless self-promotion?

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    Julia Holter - Ekstasis
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    Ekstasis
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    (2012)
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    by Julia Holter
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    In an industry dominated by attention seekers, an unassuming artist like Julia Holter could have been easy to overlook. Were it not for her sophomore album, that is. Combining twinkling harpsichord, gently pulsating keyboards, sparse drum machines, and layer upon layer of echo-laden vocals, there was a quietly ethereal quality to Ekstasis, redolent of Tender Buttons-era Broadcast, or vintage Laurie Anderson. Utterly bewitching stuff.

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    John Talabot - Fin
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    Fin
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    (2012)
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    by John Talabot
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    Barcelona-based, publicity-shy, dance producer John Talabot stepped out of the shadows in January and delivered 11-tracks of, what was ostensibly, hands-aloft house music, but actually concealed a brilliantly brooding heart. The subsequent comparisons that he received to Caribou and Pantha Du Prince have probably blown his cover for good, but in our books that’s no bad thing. Because on the strength of this debut, we’re hoping Fin is just the beginning.

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    Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city
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    good kid, m.A.A.d city
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    (2012)
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    by Kendrick Lamar
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    Following in the footsteps of forbearers Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Rick Ross, this year Kendrick Lamar became the latest of Dr Dre’s protégés to deliver the goods. Thematically, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City plundered the light and shade of his upbringing on the streets of Compton, and those extremes were mirrored in the music. From the laid-back swing of ‘Money Trees’, to the murky, T-Minus-produced ‘Swimming Pools (Drank)’ – where the 25 year old’s rapid-fire flow was redolent of vintage André 3000 – it was astonishing listening.

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    alt-J - An Awesome Wave
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    An Awesome Wave
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    (2012)
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    by alt-J
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    With the Mercury Prize-winning An Awesome Wave, Leeds-formed four-piece alt-J transported us to a world where key shortcuts seemed cool, geometry was just a metaphor for filth and mid-song Bhangra breakdowns sounded implausibly well-judged (and really quite thrilling). Alt-rock? Math-pop? Folk-step?! Hell, even we’re not sure how to define the ambitious sonic smorgasbord here. But we do know that, thanks to ‘Tessellate’, we’ll probably never look at triangles in quite the same way again…

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    Grizzly Bear - Shields
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    Shields
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    (2012)
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    by Grizzly Bear
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    On paper, even attempting to match the genius of Veckatimest looked like an unsurmountable task. Happily, Grizzly Bear made light work of it on their magnificent fourth album. Whether they were showcasing those trademark tricksy time-signatures on ‘Sleeping Ute’, their tumbling guitar licks on ‘Half Gate’ or an aptitude for beatific piano-pop on ‘A Simple Answer’, on Shields the Brooklyn boys delivered melody in spades.

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    Tame Impala - Lonerism
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    Lonerism
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    (2012)
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    by Tame Impala
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    Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker was an exceedingly busy boy in 2012, playing on Pond’s latest album, producing the debut of Melody’s Echo Chamber and unveiling the follow up to the universally-adored Innerspeaker. Sonically, Lonerism found Perth’s finest improving upon their unique brand of outsider rock n roll, with a hallucinogenic, synth-heavy set pitched somewhere between the sun-warped aesthetics of Animal Collective and the Beatles at their most psychedelic.

The rest of the best...