2012 Favorite Albums: Numbers 10-1

And now, the final albums at the top of list of 2012 Favorite Albums:

10. Jessie Ware - Devotion

Jessie Ware's back story reads like a 50's musical, backup singer plucked out of obscurity on the strength of her voice and pushed into the spotlight. What's different about Ware is how she has taken all of this in stride, seeing it all as a lark, that she is somehow playing a role, and none of this should be taken all that seriously. While her self-deprecating view of being a pop star keeps her grounded, there is nothing in her music that shows her not taking her craft seriously. Devotion is one of the best debut releases in ages, and is quite simply the best pop album of the year so far. Ware was noticed first singing on several EDM and UK bass singles from producers SBTRKT, Sampha, and Joker, her earthy voice the calm center around all the swirling electronics. It was fear at first that her solo material would stay too close to this type of track and that her voice would be lost within too much production overload. Instead, Ware chose to work with producers Dave Okumu (of UK art-rockers The Invisible), Julio Bashmore, and Kid Harpoon (who worked with Florence and the Machine on their sophomore album Ceremonials) and has put together a collection of tracks that put all the focus on Ware's amazingly supple voice, which can veer sharply from a Sade-like coo to a full on Whitney Houston rafter raiser in a split second. Main producer Okumu's touch is felt the most on the album, providing a subtle, and minimal backing but not providing merely aural wallpaper; the music works with Ware rather than overpowering.

09. Burial - Kindred EP

Though we know a little more about 2-step master Burial, aka Will Bevan, since the release of his landmark album Untrue, he has not been quick to capitalize on his fame and influence by releasing a ton of music. We've only gotten a couple of collaborations with Four Tet and Thom Yorke, and last year's stunning Street Halo EP. And those releases have stuck fairly uniformly with the Burial aesthetic, with minor variations that still seem to evoke the typical Burial sound while still advancing his sound. Scheduled to be released last year, but held up by production issues, Kindred is the latest teaser from Burial. While not a full album of material, indeed, Burial seems less than in a hurry to come out with another full length, Kindred's three tracks, which are longer and denser, take up almost 30 minutes of run time, and, in fact, show a new side to his sound, while still retaining the "Burial" trademarks. While pitch-shifted vocal samples still play a role in Burial's world, the are not the focus here, simply becoming another element in the mix. What is most striking about these tracks, aside from their length (two tracks edge the 12 minutes mark while one is almost 8 minutes), is the density and pure weight of what is going on. Burial's previous work was all about atmosphere, while here, the tracks become all about texture.

08. Deftones - Koi No Yokan

Seven albums in, one wouldn't expect a band to be still toying with and expanding their sound, but Deftones still are working subtle changes into their music, making one of their strongest, if not best, albums ever. Coming off the devastating car crash that leaves their original bassist Chi Cheng still recuperating, it was not known how it would effect the band. After shelving the Eros album, Deftones released Diamond Eyes which was amazingly assured and their most direct work yet. Focusing more on sound dynamics and less of their aggressive side, it was an album that many were confused about because it almost hinted at a dormant "pop" side to the band. Honestly, while I love their harder edged material, I do have more of a soft spot for when the band goes off grid into a more alternative/indie/shoegaze direction. Koi No Yokan is probably the best of both worlds for people who like all the sides of the band. There is a nice mix of rougher material and more esoteric numbers, with vocalist Chino Moreno toning down his more annoying screamo qualities. And most striking about the album is how amazing it all sounds; the production work makes each track soar with dramatic touches.

07. The Twilight Sad - No One Can Ever Know

No One Can Ever Know is a complete triumph of a band updating their sound and taking it in a fresh direction, but it still sounding like the band itself. There will be no mistaking that this is not a Twilight Sad album, Graham's voice is still front and center, bearing the emotional weight. Of course the most significant change is that keyboards and drum machines take the lead, with only a few tracks even containing guitars, and when they are in the mix, they are used in a more textural way. The album is brutal in its icy precision; beats are martial and unforgiving, keyboards are bleak and cold, with Graham's voice the only source of humaneness. Even so, the lyrics are still as haunting and disturbing as ever. Where on Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters the lyrics described the effects of physical and emotional abuse while growing up, No One Can Ever Know is all about the damage later on in life. In fact, the album is almost nihilistic in its themes, the protagonists all damaged and bent sinister in their lives, with the music making it seem like all is hopeless.

06. Miike Snow - Happy To You

Miike Snow, the indie-electronic trio comprised of the production team of Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg (also known as Bloodshy & Avant) and singer Andrew Wyatt, released their debut album back in 2009 and it was a surprise success considering how strange the album was. It was thought originally that Karlsson and Winnberg, who had produced for Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, and Madonna, would create a fairly traditional pop album in the mold of those artists, yet confounded everyone with the quirky nature of their tracks. It was an album that, while having several immediate sounding singles, still took a long time to grow on me, having to earn its spot among my most listened to records. Since that album, they have toured extensively and have released some one-off singles here and there, never really giving much indication what direction they would be heading in. Over the past few months, through viral video and ad campaigns they have been teasing the new album Happy To You, most notably through a very bizarre series of videos featuring the "perfect man" named Jean Noel Mustonen. This search for and attempts at perfection are littered through the lyrics of the album, the characters always undone by their faults and imperfections. Despite some of the jauntiest and brightest musical backing, there is an intense sense of loneliness and melancholy throughout the record. It is pop music as soul diving exploration.

05. Gojira - L'Enfant Sauvage

When asked about the meaning of the title of their 5th album, frontman, guitarist and songwriter Joe Duplantier said “When you become a musician, you don’t have a boss telling you what to do so you have to be very responsible.” Then notes that, “With freedom comes responsibility, so I’m asking myself, ‘What is freedom? What does it mean to me?’ L’Enfant Sauvage reflects on that. There’s no answer though. There’s just life and questions.” Through 11 blisteringly precise tracks, Duplantier and company touch on many themes of self-reliance vs. dependence and how ultimately we are all in control of our own lives and how we live it. L'Enfant Sauvage is a brilliant metal album that I highly recommend checking out if you are even remotely interested in the genre at all. Aside from the usual intense guitars, guttural howls, and machine like drumming, there is a focus here on melody, texture, and impact that raises it above mere technical proficiency to something bordering on the sublime.

04. Halls - Ark

London producer/singer Sam Howard, a.k.a. Halls, is likely bored of people comparing to other artists. After floating through his debut Ark, the names that flutter forth include James Blake, Burial, Tim Hecker, Hood, and Talk Talk; all distinct and wondrous acts that could cause the most confident artist in the world to crack under the weight of the pressure of the comparison. To Howard's credit, he seems to understand this pitfall and instead of trying to skirt the comparisons, he chooses to ignore them and adds his distinctive take on more singer-songwriter leaning UK bass music. Ark will always be known for the amazing first single "White Chalk," which pulls its influence directly from James Blake, striking forward on stark piano chords and Howard's wan, plaintive voice, pinged by echoes of electronics and then it all falls silent, the kick drum comes in and the choir of voices. It is a pure moment of beauty that never fails to make the hair on my arm stand on end. "White Chalk" is a stunning track that is one of the most sonically perfect songs you will hear all year. For most young artists, having such a distinctive and brilliant track such as "White Chalk" makes most of their other tracks pale in comparison. Howard doesn't choose to remake this moment over and over again, and certainly, while no other track quite stands out like it, Ark still showcases an artist that knows what he is doing if still searching out what his sound is.

03. Beach House - Bloom

Over four albums Beach House has never made drastic changes in their sound, choosing to add, refine, and polish it subtly and gently. You can basically enter their world at any point and be transfixed and transported into a gauzy realm of drifting keyboards, shimmering guitars and singer Victoria Legrand's amazingly evocative voice. With 2010's Teen Dream, I thought perhaps Beach House had reached the height of their powers and sound, and could take it no further. To me, there is really no other song as perfect as "10 Mile Stereo" from that album; its power to take over my emotions is unparalleled. It is the equivalent of knowing when there is nothing left to say and leaving at just the right moment; keeping your audience sated, but still wanting more. While I always wanted more from them, in my heart I knew I was going to be disappointed. Initially, Bloom sounded too much like Teen Dream, as if the songs could have been recorded during the same sessions. Several listens in I still wasn't really finding anything new that excited me, but something kept pulling me back to Bloom, and wouldn't release its grip. It finally dawned on me that , while Teen Dream was a fantastic record and has some of their best songs ever ("10 Mile Stereo," "Norway," and "Walk In The Park"), the album as a whole falls short of brilliant because of a couple of weaker tracks. Bloom, on the other hand, doesn't have any one or two songs that stand out from the pack; instead, the entire record is uniformly stellar. Each track plays of the next and taking one out would disrupt the entire flow. Their command of melody and strong lyrics propels them into the upper echelons of indie-rock. Bloom is their first masterpiece, and is a singularly haunting experience.

02. Sun Airway - Soft Fall

I saw the Philadelphia-based duo Sun Airway open for White Lies and Asobi Seksu in spring of last year and their brand of heavenly synthpop was refreshing but ultimately seemed lacking in a lot of substance. Upon listening to their debut album Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier, nothing much changed my initial impression of their sound. The album was a very competent collection of dreamy, chillwave inspired laptop/bedroom pop that never seemed to reach out for anything daring or out of the norm. In this day and age, however, I am always willing to give a band that is remotely listenable a second chance, as the racks are littered with bands that have really mediocre debuts that come back with something completely amazing second time around (Radiohead springs to mind). Not that I am throwing Soft Fall in the same pile as The Bends, but in the realm of major leaps in sound and quality, Sun Airway's sophomore album is a complete gem.

Strangely, there is really not much different from their debut. They are still moving in a netherworld between Animal Collective's dense sonic explorations and the softer chillwave vibes of bands like Washed Out and Active Child, but here, instead of sounding wispy and fey, there is more complexity to their music, adding needed weight. it helps that songs all work together cohesively, making a much stronger statement. With that said, I will admit that initially Soft Fall comes across as insubstantial, and only after many listens does the brilliance of these tracks surface. But give it the time in needs, and you will not be able to stop listening to it.

01. Purity Ring - Shrines

Earlier this year I saw Purity Ring open for Neon Indian in a small club and was completely unimpressed by their performance. Granted, the sound was erratic and overpowering, making their setup of sampler and vocals even more limited. Singer Megan James and instrumentalist Corin Roddick relied too heavily on gimmicks rather than letting the power of their music rule the day. Roddick performed behind a table with a strange light installation that also served as a percussive instrument, lighting up when struck. James, wearing hand-sewn clothing, lurked about the stage with a halting presence, seemingly unaware of the audience before her. Based on my initial impressions I was ready to dismiss their debut album outright. When Shrines arrived in my inbox, it was with a heavy sigh that I set out to listen to it, but tried as I might, I couldn't dislike it. In fact, I couldn't stop playing it. What came across as muddled and tinny on the live stage was transformed in the studio; the production a dense, tactile beast of a thing, jumping out of the speakers to wrap you up in its spell.

Shrines is a mix of clattering, slowed down Dirty South beats, atmospheric keyboards, and James' innocent coo, which is manipulated, twisted, and mangled within an inch of its life. To a friend, I likened it to Clams Casino producing for The Knife/Bjork/Liz Fraser. The soundscapes produced by Roddick are never overdone or busy, there is a perfect place for every note, and nothing is squandered. Shrines is simultaneously warm and inviting, dark and foreboding; reveling in the push and pull between the two.