TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2012

I'll keep it short and sweet. Here are my favorite albums of 2012. 

10. Passion Pit, Gossamer

                                       

Gossamer is full of energy, but the weight sits just below the surface. The bright synths and fast tempos carry lyrics about depression, anxiety, and personal strain, making the album feel both urgent and exposed. Michael Angelakos wrote and recorded much of it while managing his own mental health struggles, which gives the songs their edge. It is a pop record that carries more than it lets on.

9. Oddisee, People Hear What They See

Born Amir Mohamed el Khalifa, Oddisee has been a key figure in shaping the DMV movement, helping build a strong and focused hip-hop community in and around Washington DC. People Hear What They See is often considered his proper debut, though it feels more like a natural step forward in his steady evolution. The album is self-produced and blends sharp, thoughtful lyricism with a clean mix of soul, jazz, and boom-bap. Oddisee rarely raises his voice, but his words are clear, grounded, and deliberate. The record explores class, race, and personal identity without preaching and marked one of the first moments he began to receive the wider recognition he has long earned.

8. Kat Edmonson, Way Down Low

Kat Edmonson's Way Down Low sounds like it was recorded in a quiet room with the listener sitting a few feet away. Edmonson’s voice is light and unforced, and the arrangements stay soft without losing detail. The album was made independently and funded entirely through her fans, which allowed her full creative control. It is a small record in the best way, focused and personal.

7. Miike Snow, Happy To You

Happy to You takes Miike Snow’s pop instincts and adds more texture and space. The songs feel colder and more mechanical than their debut, but there is still melody at the center. The band leaned more into experimentation here, even bringing in the Swedish Army drum corps on one track. It does not chase the success of earlier singles and is stronger because of that choice.

6. The Vaccines, Coming Of Age

Come of Age leans into a louder and more confident sound than the band’s debut. The guitars are tighter, the hooks land faster, and the songs seem built for live shows. Despite the title, it is more about frustration and uncertainty than clarity. The album became their first UK number one, but it also drew mixed reviews that the band openly welcomed as part of pushing forward.

5. Muse, The 2nd Law

The 2nd Law finds Muse expanding their sound with elements of electronic music, orchestral arrangements, and even funk, while staying grounded in their signature dramatic rock style. The album shifts directions often, moving between styles with confidence rather than hesitation. It leans more toward spectacle than restraint, and Muse seems fully committed to the scale of it all. The track “Survival” was chosen as the official song for the 2012 London Olympics, adding another layer of visibility to an already bold release.

4. Donald Fagen, Sunken Condos

Donald Fagen's Sunken Condos is polished and steady, with clean grooves and Fagen’s familiar dry tone leading the way. His first ablum since 2006, Sunken Condos is full of songs that are built on jazz pop and quiet funk. It plays like an artist working within his strengths without needing to surprise anyone. 

3. Rumor, Season Of My Soul

Seasons of My Soul, the debut album by British singer-songwriter Rumer, is a warm, carefully crafted affair. Her voice draws instant comparisons to Karen Carpenter, but the songwriting stands on its own. The album blends soft soul, classic pop, and light jazz, with arrangements that stay clear and understated. Songs like “Slow” and “Aretha” show her ability to express emotion with calm precision. It is a quiet record that leaves a lasting impression and marks a strong start to Rumer’s career.

  

2. Rufus Wainwright, Out Of The Game 

Rufus Wainwright's, seventh studio album, Out of the Game finds him at his most relaxed and melodic, and leaning into pop and soul more than past albums. The orchestration is still rich, but there's a looseness to it, a sense that Wainwright is less concerned with grandeur and more with groove. His voice remains the centerpiece, full of character and control. 

 

1. Alt J, An Awesome Wave

An Awesome Wave introduced Alt-J with a sound that was hard to pin down but immediately gripping. Built on clipped beats, layered vocals, and sudden shifts in rhythm, the songs never lose their shape or intent. The Guardian called it “rich and quirky enough to match the imagistic literacy of the lyrics,” and that balance of sound and substance is what makes the album stand out. For me, An Awesome Wave hit me like a tidal wave when I first heard it. It’s an intelligent, innovative, frisky, and wildly engrossing album.