5. Passion Pit – Gossamer

I really didn’t expect much from Passion Pit on this release. I really only cared for a song or two on 2009’s Manners, so I was indifferent to a new album from them. However, even on the first listen, I heard a definite progression in sound for the band. The sound feels a lot denser and more potent than on the previous album.

Some key tracks like “Carried Away”, “Constant Conversations” and “Hideaway” string together a bunch of generally solid songs. They flow together very well, and make the album feel really natural and overall pretty great.

So, although it’s all starting to sound like a soundtrack to Taco Bell commercials, I really like Gossamer. It’s just well executed and I think it’s just plain easy to put on this list.

4. Odd Future – The Odd Future Tape Vol. 2

Even though the group and album didn’t really sustain their hype through the year, I can’t say much that’s negative about this album. It’s got solid tracks from just about every member of the gang, and I think it’s up there with the the Radical mixtape as just an overall great hip-hop album that’s not trying to be anything more than just that. A hip-hop album. I respect that.

It’s also just a strong core album for the group. It’s got great production value, which, although is not what their teenage audience cares about, is a big advantage to those who want to get into their music. So I see this album as a good introduction to them, and if even if you don’t care about the rest of their catalog, this is still a great hip-hop album.

3. Frank Ocean – channel ORANGE

This album was definitely a grower for me. At first, I might’ve even just been telling myself not to like it. It was reviewed too well, and  it came with a shameless publicity stunt. The whole “I feel like a free man” post, which just so happened to come out a few weeks before his album.

However, I listened to this album enough times to stop telling myself that. It’s got some gorgeous stuff on it, and plenty of variation. “Super Rich Kids” is fantastic in it’s writing and unique hip-hop-ness that is only emphasized by that gravelly verse from Earl. “Lost” has heavenly choruses accompanied by awesome string sections. “Forrest Gump” has a more minimal feel than the rest of album, with mostly just a beat and some nice guitar doodles.

Don’t forget “Pyramids”, though. A ten minute odyssey that begins with an exceptional dance arrangement, with a funky bassline and a hands up lead. Had this song been split in two, I could’ve definitely seen this song on the top 40. But, thankfully, that wasn’t the case. The second half is a slow R&B ballad with some nice writing. When you put it all together, it’s quite the composition. I got to give him props on this one.

Plus, through the whole album, Frank’s voice is just absolutely killer. It just makes the album. It completes this whole recipe he has of great production, great writing, and great singing. It’s not a flawless album, but I really like a lot of the stuff on here and it’s certainly a landmark of 2012.

2. Muse – The 2nd Law

2010’s The Resistance brought a sort of evolution in Muse’s music. It had big, bombastic, symphonic pieces like “The United States of Eurasia” and synthesizer-heavy, arena rock songs like “Uprising” and “Resistance”. It’s like they had made an entire album based on “Knights of Cydonia”.

I love The Resistance, so that’s exactly what I was hoping to get out of The 2nd Law. After laughing aloud at the music video for “The 2nd Law: Unsustainable”, and being mellowed out by the U2-esque “Madness”, I wasn’t sure what was coming on this album. But, I ended up getting what I wanted.

The 2nd Law is a lot like The Resistance. It’s a big, symphonic, arena rock gem that has some political undertones. There are big symphonic pieces like “Supremacy”, arena rock stuff like “Madness” and “Survival”, and some other new awesome material like “Panic Station” and the Nero-produced track “Follow Me”. There’s plenty of variation, and every single track is just solid in it’s own way.

1. Stepdad – Wildlife Pop

There was no matter of debate or serious deliberation on what my choice would be for number one. All year, there really hasn’t been anything even comparable to this album. No album this year has songs as well written and put-together as what’s on this album.

The production and mixing is absolutely masterful. The synths, the mammoth drum sound, and the soaring voice of vocalist Ultramark are all just wonderful. Every single song is great. Especially “Must Land Running”, “Jungles”, “Will I Ever Dance Again”, and my ultimate summer anthem “Pick & Choose”.

What else can I say? This album is phenomenal. The band is phenomenal. I can’t wait for new material, or the next time they come to town for a show. The best I can do for right now is rightfully give them the number one spot in the best albums of 2012.

Check out Dan’s top five albums playlist on spotify!

5. Crystal Castles – (III)

This is a tough thing for me to do, as Crystal Castles is one of my favourite bands, but I was severely let down by this album. I love Crystal Castle’s gritty, dark sound and their always different approach to their albums, but (III)’s approach to things were not what I was expecting. Back in July, when they first released their single “Plague” I was pretty excited for this album. The hype slowly began to build up, as release dates were pushed back for months at a time and singles leaked here and there, but I started to notice something. All the songs sounded the same, save for a few here and there, but they also sounded like they were trying to imitate other artist sound, which isn’t that bad, but when it’s coming from Crystal Castles, it is. I still love the album,and I think it’s one of the greater forces in 2012, but I personally believe that it’s the worst in the Crystal Castles catalogue. The album is a good album, but it just wasn’t as original as I hoped it to be.

4. Flying Lotus – Until The Quiet Comes

Coming from a great family of jazz musicians, such as Alice Coltrane and the great John Coltrane, producer Flying Lotus, also know as Steven Ellison, it should be no surprise that Until The Quiet Comes is a great album. This album was definitely an eye opener, while not Flying Lotus’ best, it was definitely a hit. Everything just felt so organic and fluid that it’s just hard to describe or pinpoint a sound.

My favourite thing about the album has to be FlyLo’s ability to blend mechanical and organic sounds together as heard on “Putty Boy Strut” and “Tiny Tortures.” Another thing that really put the album  together was the feature spots here and there. With features from the always lovely Neo-Soul/R&B singer Erykah Badu and another from Radiohead’s lead singer Thom Yorke. I really enjoyed this album. As I stated before, it’s not FlyLo’s best album, but it’s easily accessible and just a good all around album.

3. BADBADNOTGOOD – BBNG2

At the beginning of the year, I had no clue about jazz whatsoever, but the little Toronto jazz trio BADBADNOTGOOD completely changed my entire perception of the genre. With their latest release, BBNG2, they blend so many styles into one song such as, hip-hop, EDM, and hardcore. I just fell in love with this album after the first few songs.

The thing that made the album awesome to me were the piano solos and the drums. Every instrument just felt so alive, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything like this previous to listening to the album.

My major gripe about this album is that there are so many covers. Six out of the eleven songs are covers, albeit good covers, but covers nonetheless. I would definitely like to see some more original work from this band, but other than that, this album was a solid early 2012 release.

2. TNGHT – TNGHT

While technically an EP, this Trap EDM (hip-hop sounds without the rapping) album combines the insane forces of producers Lunice and Hudson Mohawke. Each producer brings something different to the table, such as Lunice’s brash hip-hop sound and HudMo’s light sounding synths.

This collaboration just brings so much to the table. HudMo and Lunice pretty much topped off the Trap explosion of 2012, and I feel like other producers just can’t top it.

The EP was short, yet sweet. It was just banger after banger after banger, with quirky samples here and there. I think the thing that made me fall in love with this EP has to be the brash horns and the heavy bass, which were prevalent on nearly every song. This EP was definitely one of the biggest hitters of 2012, and I can’t wait to see what else these two producers release.

1.Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid m.a.a.d City

While not Kendrick’s best work, this album was easily one of the best hip-hop albums of 2012. The idea of telling a story with music is an age old idea, but Kendrick just tells the story of his adolescence, and growing up in Compton so well. From the intro to the finish, I was captivated, not only by his rapping ability, but his ability to paint a vivid image in my head. Another thing that appealed to me was the album’s featuring spots, big names such as Dr. Dre, Mary J Blige, and Drake, to smaller ones such as other members from his hip-hop collective Black Hippy. All around, Good Kid, m.a.a.d City, is definitely my favourite release of 2012.

Listen to Nick’s Top Albums of 2012 on Spotify!