For Brian’s top albums of 2012, I thought it would be fun to mix things up a bit. Instead of having him talk about what he listened to this year, Brian has reviewed five of 2012’s biggest Top 40 albums. Below are the results. -RB

Brian’s 2012 Pop Albums Review

Ke$ha - Warrior

If you’re looking for a broad sampling of what people think ‘pop’ is these days, Warrior will not disappoint.  Is there dubstep on this album?  Yes.  Are there vapid songs about getting freaky on the dance floor?  Yes.  Is there an awkward stab at punk (feat. an awkward duet with Iggy Pop)?  Yes (and yes). Are there songs that I resonate with?  Not really. But aside from the Iggy Pop duet, I feel like the songs succeeded in doing what they set out to do.  The production is decent, and there are a couple songs that I thought stood out (although I don’t remember which songs they were, and I don’t really feel like revisiting the album to jog my memory).

Fun - Some Nights

Okay, unlike SOME people in Picture Atlantic, I actually appreciate Fun.  Maybe it’s because they succeed in channeling Freddie Mercury / Queen…Maybe it’s because I connect with the emotive, anthemic feel of the songs…I don’t know. The songs on the album are a bit hit and miss…I forgive them for the misses, though, because the hits are so spectacular. Now I’m not familiar with The Format, so please don’t kill me for not realizing that what they’re doing now is just a sold-out, autotuned, pop-ified, pale ghost of what was once The Format…I like it for what it is.

Justin Bieber - Believe

Welcome to the best production money can buy. I’m not exactly the target audience, so I can’t really say that I connect with anything on here.  Good songwriting, plentiful hooks, spanning a number of different styles.  Honestly, I’m more interested to see what happens once his label decides they’ve milked as much money as they can out of his youth and his appeal to tween/teen girls.  Can he write good songs without the help of his army of co-writers?  Can he survive without autotune?  Can he break out of the pop prison he’s in?

One Direction - Up All Night

More good production and decent songwriting.  There’s not much else I can say for this that I haven’t already said for Justin Bieber, although this feels even more formulaic and monochromatic than Bieber. To the producers/songwriters: please stop depending on formulas and create something new. To Brian: uh, that’s not what we’ve been paid to do.  Sigh.

Maroon 5 - Overexposed

I don’t know what to say here. They set out to make pop, and they succeeded. Adam Levine is soulful, the songs are high energy, danceable, blah blah production blah etc etc. Their version of pop is (understandably) more mature than, say, Bieber or One Direction. I feel a little more originality/soul in their music, but still it’s framed in this glossy pop sheen.  Maybe I’m just a depressed, elitist music snob. Or maybe it’s 3am and I’m tired of writing. But I’m just not feeling it.

RB’s Top 5 Albums of 2012

Lisa Hannigan - Passenger

Released in late 2011, Lisa Hannigan’s second album sees her solo career’s style expand sonically and her songwriting improve immensely. While 2008’s Sea Sew is a good album with many good songs, Passenger is a great album and stands out as a whole piece.

(Favorite tracks: “Paper House” and “Little Bird”) 

Viva Brother - Famous First Words

Another 2011 album that I didn’t listen to in full until 2012, Viva Brother’s only album (they split this year) is a myriad of Britpop cliches, taking the best and sometimes worst of Blur, Oasis and Supergrass and cramming it all together. What began as a guilty pleasure turned into full blown enjoyment for this album. The key is to interpret the lyrics as you’d prefer, rather than take them for their inane face value, just like you’d do with an Oasis record.

(Favorite tracks: “Electric Daydream” and “Otherside”)

Blur - Modern Life is Rubbish

While I’d obviously heard Blur’s second album before, I’d never truly listened to it or fully grasped it until this year. Reading various Blur biographies gives a level of depth to these songs that you wouldn’t be able to appreciate upon first listen. This album became my biggest influence on our own album, Digital Tension. It’s definitely the best pre-self titled album in Blur’s catalogue.

(Favorite tracks: “Blue Jeans” and “Chemical World”)

Duran Duran - Rio

Another album I never fully delved into until this year. The genres of music each member brought to the table somehow melded perfectly into this incredible example of what an 80s band should be. Check out the documentary on the making of this record on Netflix to fully appreciate what Duran Duran did here.

(Favorite tracks: “Rio” and “Save A Prayer”)

Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE

The only album released in 2012 I received in time or was good enough as a whole to warrant inclusion on this list. The production and arrangements are never too cluttered, yet even the more sparse songs feel layered. This is what modern R&B/Hip Hop should sound like. It’s good to see Frank Ocean on something as pointless as the MTV VMAs because it sets an example to aspiring musicians that you can be a proper musician and artist and still achieve a level of success that most sell their souls for.

(Favorite tracks: “Super Rich Kids” and “Sweet Life”)

Daniel’s Top 5 Albums of 2012

(In no particular order)

Bloc Party - Four

I think on this album Bloc Party really experimented with different sounds and really broke away in certain songs from their usual style of writing, which I liked. The tracks “Truth” and “Team A” are my favorite off of the album. I like how they utilize guitar effects and how the recordings sound live. The melodies on most of the songs are a lot stronger then past records; not everything sounds like the lines “you are the bluest light,” “I still remember” and “this modern love.”

Crafts Spells - Gallery

I’m a huge fan of New Wave and Dream Pop music and I think Justin Vallesteros (singer of Craft Spells) nailed the sound on this EP. He writes and records everything in his bedroom which is also pretty cool, and a surprise how he gets it to sound good on recording. The first two tracks, “Still Left With Me” and “Warmth” are my favorite tracks. I saw them live in San Francisco at the Great American Music Hall, and they are amazing live. They really perfected their live sound. And I even like how some songs sound live as opposed to how they are recorded. If you like this EP you should also check out “Idle Labor” which is their debut album that came out in 2011, which is also incredible.

The Tallest Man on Earth - There’s No Leaving Now

I really enjoy Kristian Matsson’s writing style. I have his entire discography on my phone, which I frequently listen to. I think the recording quality of this album was the best by far.  I like the live sound he gets on a lot of the songs and it’s just a good album in my opinion. My favorite tracks are There’s “No Leaving Now” and “Little Brother.”

In terms of music that came out in 2012, I only liked those three albums, as a whole.  And since I only had three from 2012 I’m also picking three albums from 2011.

Beach Fossils - What A Pleasure

I think when I first heard of Beach Fossils I heard their first self-titled album, which wasn’t bad but it didn’t impress me. I felt it lacked stronger melodies, but when hearing their release of “What A Pleasure” I was blown away by the guitars parts and vocal melodies. I like the vibe of the album; it feels like you’re in a dream with all the instruments drowned in reverb. My favorite tracks off the album are “What A Pleasure” and “Out In The Way” (feat. Jack Tatum.) It’s a very specific sound/genre but I enjoyed the EP a lot.

Blouse - Blouse

I was browsing through videos online when I came across of a live video of a song by Blouse and was really impressed with how good they sounded live. I really like this album, but I think it should have just been tracks 2-10 and taken out the first track because all those songs are really strong on their own. I like the dark tone in the singer’s voice. They have a very “80s” sound, which I can never get tired of.  Also the singer plays guitar which is always neat, considering that she’s the only guitarist in the band.

The Drums - Portamento

I am, and have been obsessed with The Drums since late 2010, when I first heard them. I think this is an album everyone should listen to at least once. I feel like they perfected the true sound of New Wave Pop. I can never get tired of listening to this. I have literally had this on repeat on the way to shows and on tour. I have seen them live twice, and got to meet their live drummer and bassist/guitarist. I think the songs are even better live. My favorite track has to be “Days.” A cool thing about both of their LPs is that they were all recorded in a house, with basic recording equipment; this particular album was recorded in the kitchen of an apartment. This is my favorite band currently (excluding The Beatles, of course.)

PA's Year End Music Playlists

Happy Holidays to everyone out there in the Tumblr world!

We’ll be updating our Tumblr once a day through Friday with each member’s music choices for the year. Below you’ll find Nik’s favorite albums of the year in a Spotify playlist. 

Let us know which albums released in 2012, or any year, were your favorites this year so we can take a listen to what you’ve all been spinning in the last 360 odd days.

-RB