Top40: The Best of 2012

30. MercyMe - Hurt & The Healer
The Hurt & The Healer is a celebration of that moment when these two worlds collide... the deep need for healing and the God who provides it.
Produced by Brown Bannister and Dan Muckula,The Hurt & The Healer features signature MercyMe anthems, engaging pop songs and worshipful and intimate moments.
The title track radio single is sure to find it's place at the top of Christian radio to continue the band's uninterrupted stiring of number 1 hits.
This album is, without a doubt, the best Christian pop album of the year by far, and the best of MercyMe's career. I know my consensus seems like a democracy considering that "Almost There" has achieved the most sales and positive recognition out of any Mercyme album to date, but over time, I feel that this album will match that album's tremendous sales. "The Hurt and the Healer", brings back something that was missing in Christian music, and it does so without trying to force obvious messages down one's throat, and also succeeds to be creative lyrically. This all being said, I can only imagine what Mercyme's next album will be like, pardon the pun.

29. Bob Dylan - Tempest
Tempest is Bob Dylan's highly-anticipated 35th studio album and coincides with the 50th anniversary of his 1962 eponymous debut album. Produced by Jack Frost and recorded with the members of Dylan's touring band and Los Lobos' David Hidalgo, Tempest has received worldwide critical acclaim and has been firmly anchored at the top of Amazon's Best Sellers in Music chart since it became available for pre-orders in July 2012.
Bob Dylan's four previous studio albums have been universally hailed as among the best of his storied career, achieving new levels of commercial success and critical acclaim for the artist. This year, Bob Dylan was also the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honor.
I won't go down the road of comparison with other Bob Dylan albums. All are different, and in my view he never yet made a bad one (Yes, really!). Tempest stands on its own, and it most certainly does stand, not fall. Some may be easier to get in to, but, as I have written, there is much here that will be attractive to those who have not previously been touched by Dylan. There is also an absolute feast for those of us who have already travelled a very long way with him.

28. Tame Impala - Lonerism
Kevin Parker (vocals/guitar) and Dominic Simper (bass) formed Tame Impala as 13-year-olds in Perth in 1999, sticking to bedroom recordings until 2007, when Jay Watson joined them on drums and backing vocals. Their sound was pure late '60s, but wasn't the sound of any specific band from the era. They were as likely to be channeling the Nazz as the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Cocooned away inside walls of psychedelic fuzz in Western Australia they re-created their preferred period one song at a time with the aid of gear and production techniques that sounded like they hadn't been dusted off since 1968.
'Lonerism' is about as close to flawless as there is in modern rock music, imo, and should be a sure-fire contender for album of the year with most hard-core music aficionados, much like 'Innerspeaker' was two years ago. Though, unbelievably, this makes that album seem like a mere warm-up-an early, black and white predecessor to this high-definition, 3-D masterpiece. I have no idea where Kevin Parker (and co.) will go from here, but I can now guarantee you that I'll follow, no matter where the road takes him. Right now it's hard for me to imagine him topping this anytime soon, but after witnessing the creative leap made with 'Lonerism,' it certainly wouldn't surprise me.

27. Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
From our master singer-songwriter, Leonard Cohen, here are ten new songs that mine the heart, shake the body and break the boundaries as everybody knows only Leonard can do. A signature of our time, Leonard's baritone holds us like the voices of Hank, Frank and Ray. These are songs that nobody knows and everyone will treasure.
Fans were given a hint of what to expect when Cohen made remarks as the recipient of the Principe de Asturias Prize for literature in Spain in October 2011.
"As I grew older, I understood that instructions came with this voice. And the instructions were these...Never to lament casually. And if one is to express the great inevitable defeat that awaits us all, it must be done within the strict confines of dignity & beauty."
The album was produced with Patrick Leonard, Anjani Thomas, Ed Sanders and Dino Soldo. Complementing Cohen's signature baritone on Old Ideas are the exceptional vocalists Dana Glover, Sharon Robinson, The Webb Sisters (Hattie and Charley Webb) and Jennifer Warnes. The album's cover design and drawings are Cohen's own.

26. Jimmy Cliff - Rebirth
The legendary Jimmy Cliff is back with his first all new album in over 7 years! REBIRTH pairs the reggae superstar with the award-winning producer and punk legend Tim Armstrong, who produced this 13 track album. Armstrong also produced Cliff's Sacred Fire EP which was released late in 2011, and Rolling Stone magazine hailed the music as Cliff s best music in decades. REBIRTH includes compelling Cliff originals including the single One More and a few pointedly chosen covers such as a version of the Clash s The Guns of Brixton and a version of Rancid's Ruby Soho.
For the past couple of decades, Jimmy Cliff hasn't made a full album that has been salient to me... As one of the Kings of Reggae's heyday he is one of the last standing. Bob Marley and Peter Tosh are long gone... and nothing truly compared to the dancehall/rocksteady music that Jimmy Cliff had done when he starred in 1972's The Harder They Come (The Criterion Collection). Happily, this attempt by Rancid's Tim Armstrong (as producer) to rekindle the feel of Jimmy's origins is a stellar success.
Every cut has a nod to what Jimmy had done best in the past. The vintage feel of this recording is enhanced by the simple lead-ins of Keyboard or Drums at the front of the tunes-as happened in early Reggae. That said the production values and backing musicians are wonderful- they are called called Engine Room. Just a sampling of the backing crew? The gents playing with Jimmy Cliff are musicians such as Scott Abels from Hepcat (he plays with amazing authenticity-but adds current riffs,) Tim Armstrong from Rancid (his guitar is a wonder on this album), and Dan Boer of Cypress Hill fame does the keyboards proud. None of the band upstages Cliff. They are so tight and so well mixed that the album itself could become one of your test records if you are buying equipment and listening to various great productions to audiophile standards. Audiophile or not-this is an album that has impressive sonic quality.
Buy it. Tell people about it. Play it for them. It is a heck of a CD.

25. Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Psychedelic Pill
The first album of original music from Neil Young and Crazy Horse in almost a decade, including over 85 minutes of music. Psychedelic Pill pokes down pathways that have been hinted at before in this teaming, but never fully explored. New textures emerge in the music, new landscapes in the lyrics. In many ways, Psychedelic Pill rounds out an array of probing works with prominent autobiographical threads.
Neil Young-despite being, inarguably, one of the greatest and most influential artists in rock's long history-has been pretty hit or miss over the past couple decades, choosing to follow his every crazy whim while still periodically demonstrating, even after all these years, both his undeniable gift for songwriting and storytelling, and the potential to one day create yet one more timeless classic.
Now that potential has come to full fruition, possibly triggered by the penning of his recent autobiography, 'Waging Heavy Peace,' with memories of the glory days reinvigorating him and, through osmosis, Crazy Horse as well. It's probably a bit too early to say definitively, but I think it could be argued that 'Psychedelic Pill' is Neil's best studio effort since 1990's near-perfect 'Ragged Glory,' also with Crazy Horse. It definitely helps here to be a fan of the band's patented sloppy-yet-sublime noodling jams, as they're in such abundance throughout these two discs I could picture even The Grateful Dead going, "guys, that's a bit much don't you think?" But for anyone who's into their more drawn-out songs (like yours truly), this album proves, in case anyone forgot, just who the world's greatest garage band is. Still.
This is an album that I believe stands above anything he's done in over 20 years, and one that can even sit comfortably next to (or just below in a couple cases) his 60's and 70's classics, with or without Crazy Horse, a remarkable feat for an artist in the midst of his sixth decade making music. Through all the peaks and valleys of his illustrious career, Neil Young has proven he's still capable of surprising the listener with a powerful, moving batch of songs about loss, broken dreams, and redemption, and with some insanely prodigious jamming to boot, thanks to the near-psychic connection between he and the band. Here's hoping there's more where that came from. But I'm just glad he's still out there, plugging away as usual.

24. Japandroids - Celebration Rock
Japandroids' second full-length album CELEBRATION ROCK finds the band picking up exactly where they left off in 2009 with POST-NOTHING. The band's stripped down, raw arrangements continue here, as do the plain black-and-white album covers. I'm sure many people will point this out, but the best way to describe this album is by the title; this album is 8 tracks of joy, fun, and celebration. With that admission, this album is fun, but it never comes across as stupid or empty; this album is populist but never pandering. Who says happy music can't seriously rock?
These tracks are life-affirming, and they feel together like a love-letter for the bygone 20-something ages. Accordingly, this album is propulsive, full of energy and glee, evoking memories of super-early mornings, slightly-buzzed conversations, and fist-pumping celebrations. CELEBRATION ROCK doesn't wear out its welcome, clocking in at a little over half an hour playing time; it's short and sweet.
The album begins with the popping of distant fireworks which then melt into the band's percussion. This introductory track, "The Night of Wine and Roses," showcases fantastic hooks and noise-rock-propulsive rhythms that continue well until the closer, "Continuous Thunder." "Evil's Sway" showcases a nice guitar riff before launching into one of the album's best songs. "For the Love of Ivy" features tinges of rockabilly vibes. "Younger Us" is a love-letter to bygone days of late-night friendships. "The House That Heaven Built" is the lead single from the album, and for good reason: it's a seriously strong melody that will keep with listeners after the song is over. "Continuous Thunder" is a bit different from the rest of the tracks - it's not as immediate or percussive. The song is different from the rest of the album - it's more midtempo and patient, but the contrast works to wonderful effect. The final moments of the song gradually give way to the same popping of distant fireworks that started the album. It's a beautiful way to end CELEBRATION ROCK.
Fans of the Gaslight Anthem, the Hold Steady, the Replacements, or F***ed Up will probably really love CELEBRATION ROCK. Standout tracks to sample: "The Nights of Wine and Roses," "Continuous Thunder," "The House That Heaven Built," and "Evil's Sway." For previous listeners of Japandroids, you will know exactly what you've getting with this album. For newcomers, this album proves to be a great place to start; this album is just as good as their first full-length album.

23. Jessie Ware - Devotion
British newcomer Jessie Ware's debut "Devotion" is a spectacular Soul/Pop/Trip Hop/Hip hop affair, with her smooth strong vocals floating above it all. She previously lent her voice to SBTRKT's eponymous 2011 Dance/Dubstep album on the upbeat tracks "Sanctuary" and "Right Thing To Do".
Produced by Dave Okunu of The Invisible (the UK's answer to TV On The Radio), "Devotion" is sublime and atmospheric, opening with the soothing title track sprinkled with twinkling keys. "Still Love Me" features semi-chanted lyrics which Ware tosses off in a cool affecting manner. Hip Hop influences show up in the groovy "No To Love" with scant lyrics, a guest rap, and Ware questioning "Who says no to love?". "Night Light" is a haunting mid-tempo track redolent of the eighties.
Everything stands out; the piano sprinkled power ballad "Wildest Moments" ("I've been looking at you too much"), the quivery "Swan Song", the dreamy "Sweet Talk" (with gently upbeat percussion), "110%" (her sultry vocals juxtaposed with bubbly synths, haunting synths, and snippets of Big Punisher's "Dream Shatterer"), the soulful ballad "Talking In Water", and the glitchy acoustic "Something Inside" (with cascading harmonies).
My favourite though is "Running" with stabbing synths, fleeting horns, stomping beats, stunning guitar squalls, and Ware singing as smooth as ice until she belts the line "I want to know is it mutual? Am I ready to run? Am I ready to fall? I think I'm ready just to lose it all." Honest and heartfelt, as is everything else on this album. Nothing out of place, and everything in its right place, this should make everyone devoted to Jessie Ware.

22. Muse - The 2nd Law
Muse didn't set out to make the most gloriously ambitious album of their career. How could they have? The band who dreamt up "Supermassive Black Hole," Knights Of Cydonia and the three-part "Exogenesis" symphony were already well-versed in going One Louder. Any wilder, any further out there, and Muse would risk incineration by a dwarf star of their own making. But you don't become one of the biggest bands on this planet by sitting on your hands.
So when Muse approached the making of their sixth studio album, they wouldn't stint on the choirs, strings and horn sections. And be reassured: guitar-shredding, piano-thumping, orchestra-arranging, book-chewing, big-thinking Matt Bellamy, as the band's chief songwriter, didn't lower his sights from The Big Picture nor ignore The Precious Details. And nor were the trio afraid of giving space to a brilliant new element to their sound - songs written and sung by bass player Chris Wolstenholme.
But what the Devon-born band of schoolfriends did do different was this: they made things easy for themselves. For the first time since the dawn of their career in smalltown England 18 years ago, all three members were living in the same place during the making of an album. And this time, Muse had the experience born of self-producing The Resistance to apply their studio knowledge to creating the album they really wanted to make.
It was about saving aggro, and conserving energy. And, appropriately, it was about The 2nd Law: an album titled after and thematically influenced by the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which concerns the inevitable wasting of energy within a closed system.
It was about letting themselves go and enjoying themselves. Muse, after all, had earned it.

21. Third Day - Miracle
There comes a time in every artist's career where they need to re-imagine, re-invigorate, and dream it all over again. For Third Day, that time was in the fall of 2011. Their touring was never better, their album Move was successful, the fans were super-engaged, yet they felt it was time to shake things up. As they prepared to write and record their next album, Miracle, the band hired legendary producer Brendan O'Brien (Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, The Fray, Train) to help them forge a new sound. From the opening track, "Hit Me Like A Bomb", it is clear that Third Day means business when they say they want to bring something new to the table.
Musically, there are sounds that have never been on a Third Day album including layered guitars, layered harmonies, and sing-a-long gang vocals. Music styles range from pulsating rock to acoustic pop-rock, yet the classic Third Day sound everyone loves is still there but refreshed and rejuvenated. If you are a long-time fan of Third Day, be very excited about Miracle. Here's your chance to learn what has made Third Day the premier rock band in all of Christian music. Every song is on this album is a guaranteed hit, especially "Hit Me Like A Bomb," "Kicking And Screaming," "For The Rest of Your Life," "The Victory" and one of my selections for Song of the Year,"I Need A Miracle." The music is catchy, every song rocks, and in my opinion this is the best overall album of Third Day's distinguished career.

The best of the best for 2012:
40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1