ALBUMS: 20-16

 

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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

20. Ke$ha - Warrior

 

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Highlights: Die Young (445), C'Mon (527), Warrior (519), Wherever You Are, Crazy Kids, Past Lives

 

A surprise addition to my EOY chart, I never expected to like a Ke$ha album this much but it is quite excellent pop from a singer I have disliked in the past. I haven't heard her debut but this is so much better than some of the singles from that. Despite all the singles being too late for my EOY chart this time round - some of them may make it in 2013 depending on how they hold up next year, Die Young I've only recently unlocked by playing it loud, it become of glorious like that. Very pleased with Ke-dollarsign-ha this time - her distinctive style sometimes feels forced but rarely does it feel this way on Warrior. Past Lives in particular is a really good way to show she has diversity, it's a very clever record.

 

 

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Highlights: Faster, Get Ready Get Set (538), Notorious, White Lies, I Say OK

 

I decided to put this in 2012 as I only managed to hear it for 6 days of 2011 - although I might have put in my EOY chart last time, can't remember. Anyway, floppy Sats album - contains some excellent pop tunes regardless, and the Sats best for me. There aren't many ways to write this commentary without sounding like one of those deluded Sats loons that hide out in the Saturdays forum all the time masturbating over What About Us remixes, but it's so so solid and contains some real tight harmonies so it's a real shame it got ignored. It's provided me with my all-out dance-pop needs for the year, god knows so much of that genre has been shit this year, it's nice to have some that's still awesome.

 

18. Of Monsters And Men - My Head Is An Animal

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/07/My_Head_Is_An_Animal.jpg/220px-My_Head_Is_An_Animal.jpg

 

Highlights: Little Talks, Dirty Paws, Mountain Sound (255) King And Lionheart (560), Sloom

 

Unlike dance-pop, folk-pop has been really good to me this year - one of the two major examples being the Icelandic band Of Monsters And Men. They have a lovely strong sound flowing through the album - it is an album that feels very well put together and while that would often put me off, contrasting vocals keep things interesting - particularly on King And Lionheart. Very much worth a listen if you liked Little Talks, it is by far and away the best thing there but Of Monsters And Men are a very distinctive band and that's largely what attracted me in the first place.

 

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/19/Keane_Strangeland.jpg/220px-Keane_Strangeland.jpg

 

Highlights: Sovereign Light Cafe, Silenced By The Night, Day Will Come

 

I've always found Keane a little inessential up to now, they're a bit like an inferior Coldplay a lot of the time and I'm not so keen on wanting that, yet their 2012 album is their best yet. Using interesting melodies to create a good, well-flowing album, it surprised me how high up I put this but it deserves it a lot. It's quite long, at 17 (!) tracks, but unusually for an album of this type, it's mostly all rather worth it.

 

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41rSY4uyFbL._SL500_AA240_.jpg

 

Highlights: Heavy Stone, Vampire Smile, Been Better, Lambs, Woke Up Dead, Walk Through Walls

 

First off, that album cover is luscious. One of the most simple, yet effective covers I've seen this year. Second of all, don't listen to the version of Heavy Stone which is on the album. Listen to the video version (which is apparently now called the Chess Club version), and I've linked that above. The album version just sucks all the life out of what was an immense song. Otherwise, this wasn't quite as good as I was hoping for with Heavy Stone and Vampire Smile out there, but it's still one of the best debut albums I've heard this year and has a sound very friendly to my ears. Also, I do wish that the first part of Lambs wasn't connected to a hidden track, it's not really worth it and Lambs itself is one of the best songs on the album. I can live with it though.

 

 

http://www.mtviggy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/of-monsters-and-men-33.jpg

I'm so pleased to have made it to #29 and beaten that awful Gotye thing! I'd like to thank my family, friends, my pet pig etc.

 

:angry:

 

(as much as I love Taylor, Gotye is anything but awful)

 

-x-

 

This is a good chart, Eyes. :D Isn't Warrior a bit too high though seeing as it's just been released? :kink:

Edited December 15, 201212 yr by ★ G R I E F ★

Always nice to see Keane make an appearance!

 

Hopefully a high finish for Little Talks on your Singles chart

 

This is a good chart, Eyes. :D Isn't Warrior a bit too high though seeing as it's just been released? :kink:

 

Not really, Unapologetic is still to come. And even though I haven't listened to it very much compared to everything else up here it's definitely deserving of a place in the top 20.

 

ALBUMS: 15-11

 

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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

 

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Highlights: sever, goods, drops, play

 

Overrated by nearly everyone in that thread and like the only thing the alternative world has been talking about over the past year - at least what I've seen, if it was pop it'd be played to death everywhere. Yet it is a rather jolly good album on the whole - especially given it's full of growers. Sever didn't hit me until halfway through the year and it's by far my favourite. Nothing you could blast out of speakers really but it's a lovely cohesive listen, Jonna's voice is something you get used to over the record and it does buoy it up.

 

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bc/Ellie_halcyon.jpg/220px-Ellie_halcyon.jpg

 

Highlights: Figure 8, My Blood, Atlantis, Halcyon

 

A bit of a grower of an album, Halcyon initially left me feeling very cold - compared to Bright Lights it seemed to have nothing in terms of soul. Fortunately I went back for a few more listens and after those few more I think it's actually the stronger of her albums... subtle melodies throughout and even Anything Can Happen is tolerable now. Deceptively excellent effort from one of the best British singers around right now.

 

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/LIGHTSiberia.jpg/220px-LIGHTSiberia.jpg

 

Highlights: Banner, Peace Sign, Flux And Flow, Where The Fence Is Low

 

The oldest album on the list by quite a few months, I only started listening to Siberia earlier this year so I figured I could get away with sneaking it in here. A lot more dubsteppy than The Listening, this is one place where I don't mind it too much, most of the time it works well with her delicate voice - only misstep is with Day One, not really sure what she is trying to achieve there. Banner is anthemic and the real highlight of this record. Because I didn't enter anything from this into my chart despite loving it all, this is the highest album with no entries in the singles chart.

 

 

http://newmusicreleases.co.uk/covers/885767047730_m.jpg

 

Highlights: Stormande Hav, Tabu, Het, Glod, Bara For En Natt

 

I really wanted both this and the next album in the top 10. It's easily the best foreign-language album this year - and Timoteij MAY even be my favourite foreign-language band. For the most part, it's perfect schlager-pop - with some really epic instrumentals to elevate some excellent girl group songs to truly wonderful status. *.* I'd recommend this HIGHLY to any pop fan - if you are one, you simply HAVE to like this. Stormande Hav and Tabu will be covered later on in the singles chart, but Het and Glod in particular are real highlights of just how epic girl groups can get if they can sing AND play instruments along with it. The Saturdays WHO?

 

 

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Highlights: Emmylou, Wolf, The Lion's Roar, King Of The World

 

Folk-pop again rears its head in my albums chart. The duo of First Aid Kit lend distinctive voices to this wonderful album - giving it all a very emotional quality that is perfect for me. The singles are pretty much the strongest fare on here, but the other songs fill the gaps - and more of their voices is never, ever, ever bad. I shall have New Year's Eve on repeat in 2 weeks. *.* You can expect to see Emmylou and a couple of others from this album very high up in my singles chart. Excellent album, First Aid Kit, more of this please. I shall have to check out their floppy debut sometime soon.

 

Top 10 will start tomorrow, or today. Later today.

 

 

http://www.heytube.de/wp-content/gallery/galerie/firstaidkit.jpg

Hopefully a high finish for Little Talks on your Singles chart

 

You can count on it. ^_^

ALBUM #10

 

LITTLE MIX - DNA

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d6/Little_Mix_DNA_Album_Cover.jpg/220px-Little_Mix_DNA_Album_Cover.jpg

 

Wings: 10/10

DNA: 11/10

Change Your Life: 10/10

Always Be Together: 8/10

Stereo Soldier: 5/10

Pretend It's OK: 9/10

Turn Your Face: 7/10

We Are Who We Are: 9/10

How Ya Doin?: 8/10

Red Planet: 9/10

Going Nowhere: 9/10

Madhouse: 7/10

Love Drunk: 9/10

Make You Believe: 7/10

Case Closed: 8/10

 

Mostly what I wanted from Little Mix when they won this time last year. It's not quite as good as Overcome in terms of X Factor debuts but it slips in at a comfortable second and is a fine pop album. It has a most excellent start with Wings, DNA and Change Your Life, then falters a bit with every other track from then on being rather amazing. Red Planet is far too underrated by people, I'd call it the 4th best on the album - Pretend It's OK is a lovely ballad - and How Ya Doin is nicely quirky. Only misfire is Stereo Soldier for me, a concept that really just doesn't work. Otherwise a great effort from the girls and I look forward to their next album - as long as it isn't their Heartbreak On Hold.

ALBUM #9

 

 

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Dreams And Disasters: 7/10

Shooting Star: 8/10

Gold: 7/10

Dementia (feat. Mark Hoppus of blink-182): 9/10

I'm Coming After You: 10/10

Speed Of Love: 8/10

Good Time (feat. Carly Rae Jepsen): 11/10

Embers: 9/10

Silhouette: 10/10

Metropolis: 6/10

Take It All Away: 8/10

Bombshell Blonde: 10/10

Top Of The World: 8/10

 

After scoring my #2 album last year, Owl City's 4th album (yes, 4), can only just about make #9 here - it's a rather patchy effort. Good Time is of course FLAWLESS but it's not just that with the good parts, Bombshell Blonde is the closest he's come to releasing something truly fabulous, I'm Coming After You struck me early on because of it's catchiness, and Silhouette is the spiritual followup to Vanilla Twilight, beautiful AND emotional. :wub: Aside from Dementia and Embers, the rest is a LITTLE patchy throughout, and it's nowhere near as good as the previous albums, but this is what tends to happen when you release an album every year. Yes, Adam Young's the male, unsuccessful Rihanna.

ALBUM #8

 

RIHANNA - UNAPOLOGETIC

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/68/Rihanna_-_Unapologetic.jpg/220px-Rihanna_-_Unapologetic.jpg

 

Phresh Out The Runway: 8/10

Diamonds: 11/10

Numb (ft. Eminem): 7/10

Pour It Up: 5/10

Loveeeeeee Song (ft. Future): 8/10

Jump: 8/10

Right Now (ft. David Guetta): 7/10

What Now: 9/10

Stay (ft. Mikky Ekko): 10/10

Nobody's Business (ft. Chris Brown): 4/10

Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary: 8/10 (10/10 + 7/10)

Get It Over With: 6/10

No Love Allowed: 7/10

Lost In Paradise: 10/10

Half Of Me: 9/10

 

SPEAKING OF HER, the newest album in the top 10 is naturally Rihanna's latest effort - Unapologetic. Like Talk That Talk it is rather patchy, likely due to Rihanna's prolificness. Pour It Up and Nobody's Business are far too weak and awful for a Rihanna album - and why she's put CB on her album I can't eh..

 

Negatives aside, about half of it is a CRACKING listen as always. Stay will do big in my chart next year, it's a little more stripped back than most RiRi ballads but that doesn't hurt it at all, her voice sounds great on it. Lost In Paradise has excellent production an gets better on repeated listens, while Love Without Tragedy and What Now are reasonable additions to a top 5. All of the rest of the album is great but it feels a lot less cohesive than even Talk That Talk. Even I'm beginning to beg Rihanna for a bit of a break now. Next time her album for Thanksgiving Rihannamas might not even make my top 10! :o

ALBUM #7

 

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/19/Rihanna_-_Talk_That_Talk_-_Cover_-_Deluxe.jpg/220px-Rihanna_-_Talk_That_Talk_-_Cover_-_Deluxe.jpg

 

You Da One: 7/10

Where Have You Been: 11/10

We Found Love (ft. Calvin Harris): 9/10

Talk That Talk (ft. Jay-Z): 9/10

Cockiness (Love It): 5/10

Birthday Cake: 0/10

We All Want Love: 8/10

Drunk On Love: 8/10

Roc Me Out: 8/10

Watch n Learn: 8/10

Farewell: 10/10

Red Lipstick: 8/10

Do Ya Thang: 9/10

Fool In Love: 8/10

 

Top 10 for the second year in a row - not even that, 7th for the second year in a row, Rihanna albums are normally the only ones that get to do this as I appreciate the older one throughout the entirety of the following year and put it higher accordingly. Because I have an extremely strong top 6, this hasn't quite happened for Talk That Talk. An extremely weak mid-section with the worst thing she's ever recorded in Birthday Cake is buoyed up by a fantastic start with the singles and helped by a solid 8/10 latter section. Farewell is a beautiful ballad and Do Ya Thang is a really lovely song that doesn't get enough love around here.

 

We Found Love hasn't held up that well, Where Have You Been has. It's weird because there shouldn't be much difference between them, yet I see a huge difference - for a lot of people it seems to be the other way round but WFL just feels a little basic now. TTT is all very solid and similar, perhaps unlike Unapologetic, Rihanna's most cohesive and well-structured as a whole - shame its not quite the strongest material as that is a CANNY track order.

 

So, that's Rihanna out of the running... who is left?

ALBUM #6

 

LOREEN - HEAL

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c4/Loreen_Heal_Cover.png/220px-Loreen_Heal_Cover.png

 

In My Head: 8/10

My Heart Is Refusing Me: 10/10

Everytime: 9/10

Euphoria: 11/10

Crying Out Your Name: 9/10

Do We Even Matter: 10/10

Sidewalk: 8/10

Sober: 7/10 (old version 9/10)

If She's The One: 8/10

Breaking Robot: 9/10

See You Again: 9/10

Heal: 8/10

 

Potentially the album I was anticipating the most this year, at least once we'd gotten past Loreen's inevitable victory at Eurovision. While nothing on it was quite as good as Euphoria (with extra strings *.*), that would be something quite hard to top and there are 3 or 4 songs that are worthy of standing up to it. My Heart Is Refusing Me obviously, but also Do We Even Matter. It seems to be an unusual choice of standout for many people - yet it is wonderful for me, quite ethereal and haunting - makes use of Loreen's beautiful voice perfectly. Everytime and Breaking Robot are at different ends of the spectrum as far as Loreen goes,

but both great, the production on Breaking Robot + the fragility of Everytime, and See You Again is a lovely pop song - although count me in among those who aren't a fan of the new version of Sober. It's a VERY strong album yet it's probably hurt a bit by Euphoria being so good that there's not much else to focus on.

ALBUM #5

 

 

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Porcupine: 9/10

Smoke & Mirrors: 9/10

Volition: 9/10

Come To Life: 10/10

O That I Had: 8/10

Water To Ice: 11/10

Odyssey: 10/10

Moonlight: 9/10

Bendigo: 8/10

Young: 10/10

Goodnight: 8/10

Hazy: 7/10

 

Only the 3rd best debut album this year, yet she's one of my favourite discoveries of the year. If you've been in the BJSC forum, or just taken a look at my crazy avatar :wub:, then you'll have noticed my obsession over Kiwi singer Ruby Frost, an electro-pop singer with a stunning, stunning album. Porcupine opens the record up (#seyetanrejectvictory) to a rousing chorus, followed a few tracks later by the wonderful Come To Life - which has an excellent live studio recording linked in the title - and my favourite of the album tracks by some distance. Water To Ice is the highlight of the record (#3 smash in New Zealand *.*), but other singles Odyssey and Young (2nd and 5th respectively) hold the album up immensely. It's very consistent all the way through and I'd highly recommend giving this a listen if you like electro-pop of any sort.

Unapologetic isn't very good, compared to what Rihanna can do. I hate how she thinks that she's reached her commercial peak and has to release albums with a certain type of integrity to them, such as Rated R. That's why I don't have much time for her these days because she's not making brilliant pop music any more. Talk That Talk had more of a balance between it (the Calvin Harris productions showed that she could still make big pop anthems), but I feel like she's slipped onto the integrity side for this album (the club songs aren't big enough). Still, I do enjoy Stay and I hope that the song turns into a genuinely big hit for her.

Euphoria is far from my favourite on Heal :o. It's such an incredible album :wub:

TTT still ahead of Unapologetic JUSTICE

kin only 15th? DIE TBH

Unapologetic isn't very good, compared to what Rihanna can do. I hate how she thinks that she's reached her commercial peak and has to release albums with a certain type of integrity to them, such as Rated R. That's why I don't have much time for her these days because she's not making brilliant pop music any more. Talk That Talk had more of a balance between it (the Calvin Harris productions showed that she could still make big pop anthems), but I feel like she's slipped onto the integrity side for this album (the club songs aren't big enough). Still, I do enjoy Stay and I hope that the song turns into a genuinely big hit for her.

 

Well I prefer her albums with thought in them, like Rated R (2nd best album EVER hey) - but then Loud AND that is superior to this because it's just better material. The club songs on Unapologetic are the worst, really. She doesn't need stuff like Right Now to her name at all. And pop anthems from her are great in small doses but if she did an album that sounded ALL like We Found Love I'd go straight off her. I'm here for her vulnerable side too.

 

Euphoria is far from my favourite on Heal :o. It's such an incredible album :wub:

 

It is, but then you hear that glorious uplifting of Euphoria and there is NOTHING else.

 

ALBUM #4

 

COVER DRIVE - BAJAN STYLE

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3e/BajanStyleCoverDrive.jpg/220px-BajanStyleCoverDrive.jpg

 

Twilight: 10/10

Lick Ya Down: 8/10

Headphones: 8/10

That Girl: 7/10

Sparks: 11/10

Explode: 10/10

Wrongside: 9/10

Can't Live In A World: 8/10

Hurricane: 9/10

I Know You Too Well: 10/10

 

#4 is about the highest I can get away with putting Cover Drive's debut album, but I do really enjoy it. There are a few factors that will almost always make me love music - coming from Barbados (and therefore singing with that accent) is one of them. Singles aside, because they'll be covered later on, as an album, it really lives up to it's title by being Bajan, and having a lot of style. Hurricane and Wrongside are two excellent examples of how much they gel as a band - and while their fame may be fleeting, it should really last a bit longer as I think there's a lot of room for them to grow and become 'Rihanna with a band'. I Know You Too Well is a glorious way to finish off the record - and while it's a long way below the top 3, it's been a fantastic experience listening to it.

It is, but then you hear that glorious uplifting of Euphoria and there is NOTHING else.

My Heart is Refusing Me, Everytime, Sidewalk, Heal, Breaking Robot, See You Again say HI! (but yes Euphoria is majestic!)

 

I should give Cover Drive's album a listen because i've loved their singles!

 

You're from Barbados!?!?

No, people coming from Barbados are almost always good with their music. :D

ALBUM #3

 

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/29/BornToDieAlbumCover.png/220px-BornToDieAlbumCover.png

 

Born To Die: 10/10

Off To The Races: 9/10

Blue Jeans: 9/10

Video Games: 7/10

Diet Mountain Dew: 9/10

National Anthem: 10/10

Dark Paradise: 10/10

Radio: 9/10

Carmen: 7/10

Million Dollar Man: 8/10

Summertime Sadness: 9/10

This Is What Makes Us Girls: 9/10

Lolita: 7/10

Without You: 8/10

Ride: 11/10

American: 7/10

Cola (Pussy): 9/10

Body Electric: 8/10

Blue Velvet: 9/10

Gods And Monsters: 8/10

Yayo: 6/10

Bel Air: 7/10

 

Based on only Video Games, Lana Del Rey's album was certainly not one I was really expecting to enjoy this much - blasphemy ahead, but I always found that extremely overrated. However it quickly showed itself to be a false downer, with the premiere of Born To Die, everything Lana touched began to be amazing (Video Games is legitimately one of the weakest on the album). I keep forgetting just how many beautiful tracks the main album has on it, from the slow beauty of Summertime Sadness and Dark Paradise, to the relative highs of National Anthem and This Is What Makes Us Girls, Lana delivers almost perfectly on each of them - and as a result has made the best debut album of the year - what a way to burst onto the scene. The Paradise EP was not one that ESPECIALLY needed to be done but it did bring out her best track in Ride - the rest of it I could really take or leave - or just fit the best other two onto the main album.

Incredible album, it's hard to believe there's something that could beat her - but there are, there are 2. Coming up as soon as I write commentary.

Why is Birthday Cake a 00/10?! It's amazing!

 

DIE.

Edited December 18, 201212 yr by ★ G R I E F ★