Sound Influx Albums of 2012: Numbers 50-21

It's that time of year again, where we at Sound Influx ask our writers the daunting question: "What are your favourite albums of the year?". Well, the writers answered in force, and their suggestions have been meticulously tallied up into a rather fine list of this year best and boldest. Here are the albums we loved this year, that didn't quite make our top 20 (which is coming soon,) and links to the ones we did original reviews of. Enjoy!

50. Delicate Steve - Positive Force
49. The 2 Bears - Be Strong
48. Actress - RIP

47. ScHoolboy Q - Habits And Contradictions
46. David Byrne and St. Vincent - Love This Giant
45. METZ - METZ  
"The only danger they’re in is that with one record built primarily of tracks under the 3:30 mark, there’s simply not enough to satisfy the ravenous demand." Read Braden Fletcher's review. 
44. Jessie Ware - Devotion 
43. Best Coast - The Only Place 
"The return of Best Coast on the music scene is a welcome one indeed." Read Bella Roach's review.
42. Plan B - Ill Manors
41. Yeasayer - Fragrant World
40. William Boney - Good Vibes

39. How To Dress Well - Total Loss 

"‘Total Loss’ is a haunting and intelligent album that will play well with a particular type of intellectual pop fan" Read Max Sefton's review.

38. Deerhoof - Breakup Song

"Breakup Song is a great party record from a band unafraid to reclaim pop for their own ends."

Read Max Sefton's review. 

37. Bat For Lashes - The Haunted Man

36. Lone - Galaxy Garden

35. Peggy Sue - Play the Songs of Scorpio Rising

34. Dan Deacon - America

33. Lucy Rose - Like I Used To

32. Of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks

31. Sharon Van Etten - Tramp

30. The Men - Open Your Heart

29. Ty Segall Band - Slaughterhouse

"A songwriter playing with the same freedom and love of noise, melody and self-expression that his heroes did all those years before." Read Max Sefton's review

28. The Cribs - In The Belly of the Brazen Bull

"In The Belly of the Brazen Bull is by far the darkest and heaviest Cribs record to date, but also the most important. The Cribs have come to reclaim indie rock." Read Aaron Lewins' review.

27. Sigur Rós - Valtari

26. Tall Ships - Everything Touching

"Time spent with this record is indeed precious, but definitely not forgettable." Read Braden Fletcher's review.

25. Porcelain Raft -  Strange Weekend

"Strange Weekend does however manage to come away feeling like a good pop record, and whilst it may not last a life time, it is at least an enjoyable and interesting listen." Read Will Hall's review.

24. Kindness - World, You Need A Change Of Mind

"World, You Need A Change Of Mind is exactly what you would expect from this Peterborough-based pioneer who seems to be capable of reviving any genre that’s thrown his way and make it relevant." Read Aurora Mitchell's review.

23. Swans - The Seer

  

"The listen is definitely a very long and full experience, but ultimately rewarding and rich, with vast swathes of colour and atmosphere." Read Eliot Humphreys' review.

22. Killer Mike - RAP Music

21. Hot Chip - In Our Heads 

"Accomplished, dreamy and jubilant throughout." Read Holly Read-Challen's review.

That's your lot for now, stay reading for 20-1 of the list coming soon!

Compiled by Toby McCarron

Deerhoof - Breakup Song

“Pop has always marked the spot on the Deerhoof treasure map” reads the manifesto that accompanies ‘Breakup Song’, “Pop = Catchy. Pop = New, Pop = No Rules”. Pop is also, in the world of Deerhoof, a relative term. You’re pretty unlikely to hear any of these tracks alongside Katy Perry or Lady Gaga on your usual Saturday night crawl but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of sonic delights within.

Building on 2011’s more accessible ‘Deerhoof Vs. Evil’, a few rough edges have been smoothed away but it feels like a natural progression rather than a shameless bid for a more mainstream audience. On their journey they’ve made admirers of Beck, Radiohead and the Flaming Lips, all musical magpies who’ve successfully managed to both infiltrate the mainstream and yet remain aloof from it. More recently, disciples like Sleigh Bells have made a promising career off the kind of dirty loud-louder dynamics that power ‘Breakup Song’ title track to its cut-up conclusion.

Throughout the record Greg Saunier’s drumming stands out as accomplished and varied; militaristic and precise on ‘Mothball the Fleet’, controlled yet propulsive on ‘We Do Parties’ whilst the whole group deserves plaudits for the production, which is upbeat and colourful. ‘Bad Kids to the Front’ batters the listener with demented beats and bleeps whilst Satomi Matsuzaki’s vocals add a distinctive element that’s childish and inquisitive yet strident and powerful. The brilliant ‘Zero Seconds Pause’ is as good as its word, taking in Suuns dense, collapsing black hole riffage, a bright two-finger synth riff and a funky Groove Armada outro in under three minutes of electro-pop glory.

Oddball brass breaks play off against funky, crunchy riffs on ‘There’s That Grin’ and the winding conga of ‘Trouble With Candyhands’ but they both feature sugary melodies as radio friendly as anything the group have ever done.

At the end of the record ‘Mario’s Flaming Whiskers III’ could almost pass for the soundtrack to everyone’s favourite Italian stereotype, although I’d expect something slightly more frenetic if his moustache really was in danger of incineration. Electronic bleeps and whirrs entice the group into a groove that plays like Crystal Castles upgraded their Gameboys for something a bit more 21st century before closer ‘Fete D’Adieu’ tosses out a classic melody so effortlessly you just want to start the whole bizarre journey over again. ‘Breakup Song’ is a great party record from a band unafraid to reclaim pop for their own ends.

8.0


Max Sefton