Lunedì 24 Dic 2012, 12:40
This probably the tightest my list have been. So many albums of similar quality have been released that separating them has been quite a task.
In descending order:
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15. Blacklisters - BLKLSTRS
Abrasive, loud and disgusting. Your Nan will love this one, or show her the video for Trickfuck at least.
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14. Shoes and Socks Off - Miles of Mad Water
The final album by one of my favourite singer-songwriters. Still has honestly sad as usual. RIP SASO (Toby is still alive, by the way.)
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13. Suis La Lune - Riala
Soppy and incredibly moist post-rock influenced screamo from Sweden. I have a soft spot for whiny stuff like this when it is done so beautifully.
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12. Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind
A more melodic affair from everyone's favourite hardcore band.
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11. Deftones - Koi No Yokan
Deftones take the riffery of Diamond Eyes and add the experimentation of Saturday Night Wrist to create a very atmospheric yet heavy piece of work. Chino's vocals are a highlight.
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10. Aesop Rock - Skelethon
The man who normally hides behind metaphors, lays bare on the final track and from that moment you realise how great a piece of work the entire album is. Stunning beats and verses all from Aesop.
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9. The Mars Volta - Noctourniquet
An album that I kind of forgot about throughout the year despite absolutely loving the band. A couple of songs just didn't hit me as much as I thought they would, but when this album is on point, the songs are up their with the very best of the band.
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8. Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory
My biggest surprise of the year. I wasn't expecting anything this noisey and unhinged when I gave Attack on Memory a listen. Wasted Days is my songs of the year too. I THOUGHT. I WOULD. BE. MORE. THAN THIS. Banger!
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7. El-P - Cancer 4 Cure
I have been playing this loads all year round. Some of my favourite beats ever are on this album and EL-P is on fire in his verses. All the guest spots on the album really add to the tracks which can't be said about a lot of albums. SO YOU SHOULD PUMP THIS SHIT LIKE THEY DO IN THE FUTURE.
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6. Death Grips - The Money Store
Loud, abrasive, uncompromising, ferocious, dark, deranged. All words that can describe this album. At the end of the day, all it wants to do is punch you in the face and it will do that whether you like it or not. MC Ride will probably do so if not.
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5. Rolo Tomassi - Astraea
Line-up changes haven't harmed the band in the slightest. The quirks, twists and turns you expect from a Rolo Tomassi album are still all there, just this time they meander less and pack more of a punch. Album closer Illuminare is waht would happen if the band covered and M83 song; it is a stunning song from a fantastic album.
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4. Flying Lotus - Until The Quiet Comes
Definitely not Cosmogramma part 2. UTQC takes a much more laid back approach and the beats are much more atmospheric and ambient. A stark contrast to the abrasiveness of his previous album.
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3. Tall Ships - Everything Touching
The long awaited debut from one of my favourite British bands. Less reliant on loop pedals than their EPs, the band create almost an Antlers-esque atmosphere on some of these tracks. Also, dat riff on T=O.
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2. Loma Prieta - I.V.
An absolute cathartic tour-de-force of an album. Brutally heavy, and brutally emotional. Some of the most intense music I have ever listened to.
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1. BATS - The Sleep Of Reason
I actually forgot this was coming out until the day it was released, little did I know then that this would become my album of the year. Much darker and layered than their previous effort. If you want an album about science and scientists, then this is the place to go.
Well that was 2012 for you. I would like to mention both Burial releases this year as they were absolutely mindblowing but they couldn't go in here as it was for albums only. Oh well. Until next year!