Reviewing the Year's Best Songs and Albums (Albums 5-1 up)

[keysersoze3421]

I am going to put together my fourth annual list of my favorite songs and albums of the year. I'll start with songs and then move to albums.

I also plan to rebirth my once-annual best films of the year list for those of you who have any interest. That will come after this list when I see a few more movies.


So, without further ado, I'm going to start this off with songs 40-31 in the following post.
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This guy wants to tell me we're living in a community? Don't make me laugh. I'm living in America, and in America you're on your own. America's not a country. It's just a business.

[keysersoze3421]

Songs

40. Future, "Straight Up"

Chock full of Autotune, cheap snares, and high hats, Future Hendrix's Pluto shows that you can make a pretty fun hip-hop album without using refined production techniques or lyrical composition skills so long as you know how to get people to move to your music when it comes on. To me, this was the best track off the Atlanta rapper's debut.



39. Big K.R.I.T., "Red Eye"

"Red Eye" was one of the best composed songs of 2012 in terms of lyrical flow and narrative. Krizzle tells the story of a relationship he's watching deconstruct before his eyes, but there is no way for him to fully embrace a relationship and entertain notions of love and serious commitments. It's such a potent, vulnerable display of his inner workings that makes K.R.I.T. sound no different than any other person.



38. Chromatics, "Into the Black"

The song begins with a Lynyrd Skynyrd-style introduction, but slowly evolves into a more foreboding tune about everything dusk-related. Make no bones about it, this song (and the album) fully invest in the idea that the world comes alive at night. The vocals feel ethereal and add a sonorous complement to the gently humming guitar.



37. Shearwater, "You as You Were"

Lead singer Jonathan Meiburg, who started Shearwater with fellow Okkervil River compatriot Will Sheff years ago, has a voice made for alternative rock. It's gravelly and majestic -- certainly unique. To me, this song best showcases it.



36. Tennis, "Petition"

Husband and wife duo Tennis released their sophomore album Young & Old earlier this year; while the album left much to be desired, this song relies on a hook just catchy enough to push it on to the list.



35. The Shins, "40 Mark Strasse"

Possibly one of the more intriguing narrative songs of the year, "40 Mark Strasse" tells the story of an American solider stationed in Germany watching a girl he undeniably cares for slip into a life of prostitution servicing his fellow military men. He doesn't want her perspective of him, Americans generally, and the world at large jaded by her life choices, but he knows that he can exhibit little control over the situation and is resigned to giving up.



34. How to Dress Well, "& It Was U"

Tom Krell's released his first studio album this year, a pseudo-R&B project combining elements of multiple genres. Krell's voice and production skills are on full display in the album's lead single.



33. Our Lady Peace, "Heavyweight"

OLP's most recent album suggests a return to form to the earlier 90s projects that incorporated more rock elements and fewer adult contemporary/soft rock BS. "Heavyweight" is about to trying to find one's path and stand strong through life's obstacles ("we fight not to be, not to be weightless") -- cliche but crafted in such a way to make it perpetually catchy.



32. Cat Power, "Manhattan"

Chan Marshall fell on some hard times in 2012, but the release of Sun pushed her back into the limelight. "Manhattan" is the album's piece de resistance, and fans of Adele, Feist, and Florence Welch will surely find appeal in this track.



31. The Gaslight Anthem, "45"

Very few songs, albums for that matter, meant more to me this year on a personal level than this one. I have another song on here by this group and wanted to make sure that there was some space between the two. It's a basic song about moving past a girl you love, which was an issue for me this year, but it's not done through sad-sack mourning - there's more energy than you'd expect from a breakup song.
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This guy wants to tell me we're living in a community? Don't make me laugh. I'm living in America, and in America you're on your own. America's not a country. It's just a business.

[PackerFanDan]

+Rep for liking Pluto.

[keysersoze3421]

30. Ab-Soul featuring Danny Brown and Jhene Aiko, "Terrorist Threats"

I don't think this is a particularly great song overall, and I thought Control System was easily the worst TDE release of the year, but Danny Brown's verse is probably my favorite rap verse of the year, and so this gets a fairly high placement because of it. I also really enjoy the eerily dark music video (linked above) but it doesn't really give enough context to the intensity with which DB raps.



29. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, "Only in My Dreams"

Whether you're watching an APHG music video or just listening to their albums, it's clear that the band would exist more comfortably in the 1970s. Whether it's the androgynous-strip-club feel of Before Today or Pink's efforts at making avant-garde parody pop on Mature Themes, it's best to just sit back and enjoy their unique niche in the music world.



28. Niki & The Dove, "Somebody"

The perfect song to belt out while driving at night with the windows down. Honestly, I don't think there's anything more satisfying.



27. Death Grips, "Hustle Bones"

2012 was the year of Death Grips. With two free albums released during the year, the duo brought a new intensity to a semi-preexisting hybrid metal/rock/rap genre. There's nothing really comparable. They also mastered the low-budget video, often using simple images of Stefan Burnett rapping on some kind of cheap recording.



26. A$AP Rocky featuring 2Chainz, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar, "F*****' Problems"

Although the PMF's second album has not yet been released, the first collaborative single off the album was the party anthem for drunken misogynists everywhere in 2012. The verses are beyond terrible and the chorus is typical inept 2Chainz drivel, but damn, the finished product actually sounds great.



25. Bloc Party, "V.A.L.I.S."

Let's face it - Silent Alarm is not coming back. We have been resigned to lukewarm albums with a few throwback-style BP bangers. "V.A.L.I.S." was my favorite track off this year's "Four" and allows Kele's yearning British croon to shine.



24. Purity Ring, "Fineshrine"

Purity Ring makes beats better than most hip-hop producers. If you don't believe me, listen to the beginning of "Fineshrine." Even Danny Brown rapped over one of their songs this year. The ethereal female vocals add a nice contrast to the heavy electronic beats.



23. Kid Cudi, "Creepers"

I'm one of Scott Mescudi's few fans, and I absolutely loved this and one other song off Cruel Summer (higher on the list). The rest I hated. I'm not really sure why I like this song. I suppose it's Cudi's haphazard rhyme schemes ("f*** trying to make it rhyme") and broken flow that everyone writes off that intrigue me.



22. Kendrick Lamar, "B****, Don't Kill My Vibe"

There's something wonderfully lonely about this song. Kendrick wants a nice introspective moment alone to enjoy his music and drink. Is that so much to offer? With a blossoming rap career and ever-increasing exposure, one can understand why that would be important yet elusive.



21. fun., "Out on the Town"

fun. dominated the radio in 2012 with "We Are Young" and "Some Nights," but to me, the bonus track on their second album was the best thing about it. The LP reminds me of Foster the People's Torches in that it gets exposure because of one or two songs but the pop hits run really deep.
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This guy wants to tell me we're living in a community? Don't make me laugh. I'm living in America, and in America you're on your own. America's not a country. It's just a business.

[Phire]

[Sandwiche]

One Direction getting shafted so far. I am disappoint.
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takeonme on the sig

[devils1854]

do you listen to any country or folk/americana music? There are a few deserving artists if thats your thing.

edit-

I thought i added this on but I guess it got deleted.

Anyway, I see you have Out On the Town by Fun as one of your best songs. I know Im known as the country guy on these forums, but I did decide to get Fun's album this year, and I think you are 100% correct about Out on the Town, except its not the best song on the album. I believe that Carry On slightly beats it out. Carry On reminds me of the days of Queen, and Fun is the closest thing to the legendary band that we have ever had.
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Peppers90 on the sig
Evan Gattis is just better than you. Deal with it.

[Vikefan79]

If the point is to list music I have never heard of you are champion of the world!
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[VikesGuy07]

[PackerFanDan]

[Jetsqb101]

I couldn't do a best of songs list, way tougher for me to order those than albums. Definitely going to be following all the lists you post though and looking forward to seeing what gets the top spots!

[UofMfan909]

I love Cudi but I hate Creepers. Shocked it's so high for you.
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[ColumbusCrewzer]

Never heard of any of those songs.
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[mistakebytehlak]

[broncosfan07]

The new OLP soundtrack is so much better than the recent stuff they had put out.
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