Ö÷²¥´óÐã

2012 seemed to be a fractured year for albums, there were no overriding genres or styles that dominated the end of year lists. Likewise few of the big established bands came up with career-defining records. However this did give new styles and artists a chance to flourish and grow through the cracks into popular taste.Ìý And when we compiled the 6 Music Top 15 Albums Of The Year List (Top 10s are so passé and a Top 5 just doesn’t cut it) it became very obvious how diverse people's tastes had been this year.

The presenters and staff put forward their top five albums, the list was compiled, an album was revealed on air each weekday for three weeks, and we chatted to a load of the musicians about how their songs came about.

Ìý

First up the surprises – no Paul Weller and no Richard Hawley. Maybe we’re just over familiar with the names, but both made strong records that didn’t make the 15. Most surprisingly for me, was Joe Goddard’s band The 2 Bears getting to number 14 while his day job Hot Chip didn’t make the cut. Also odd was Tame Impala’s Lonerism just scraping into the list at 15. For such a critically heralded piece of work, I expected a higher placing.

Toy did well, hitting number 10, beating off competition from big hitters Jack White and Lana Del Rey and It was good to see so many new artists in the Top 10 – and so many debuts – whether this means we value the freshness of ‘The New’ when it comes to these lists, but Jessie Ware, ±Ê´Ç±ô¾±Ã§²¹, Frank Ocean, Django Django all got listed for their first musical outings. All great albums, with oddly very little in common.

In the end our winner was Alt-J (who also won a Mercury Prize let’s not forget) with an album that managed to be both original and smart, as well as being easily enjoyable and accessible – for me their single Tessellate alone was enough to warrant their inclusion on any end of year list.

It’ll be interesting to see how so many of these artists can follow up the acclaim of their debuts (The xx managed a placing of 11 for their *ahem* sophomore effort).Ìý There’s a lot of coverage of a lot of bands out there, and the concept of slowly developing over several years before being seized upon is long dead.Ìý But conversely artists are being forced to look further afield for influences and break more rules in order to get noticed - and it fair to say that the potential shown in the 6 Music Top 15 could result in an increasingly multi-faceted and interesting 2013.

Here’s the complete Top 15:

15. Tame Impala - Lonerism
14. The 2 Bears - Be Strong
13. Lana Del Rey - Born To Die
12. Jack White - Blunderbuss
11. The xx - Coexist
10. TOY - TOY
9. Jessie Ware - Devotion
8. Grimes - Visions
7. Beach House - Bloom
6. ±Ê´Ç±ô¾±Ã§²¹ - Give You The Ghost
5. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
4. Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
3. Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
2. Django Django - Django Django
1. Alt J - An Awesome Wave

Positioned between the quick-fix single and the longer-commitment album, the extended play release is often a perfect chance to check out an artist's work in depth, but without taking too much time out of your day. And, every so often, a standout EP makes it to Ö÷²¥´óÐã Music's album reviews pages. Here are six of the best to have been covered in 2012...

- - -

Ìý

Kwes - Meantime
(Warp Records; released 30 April)

"Londoner Kwes is embarking on what can be a hazardous path for any behind-the-scenes sort: out from the studio and into the spotlight as a solo artist. But if these four tracks are an indication of what is to come, his output could well eclipse many a critically adored LP that he's had the pleasure to be associated with. If the name never registered before, note it now: Kwes has the necessary nous to bless the commercial territories of planet pop with great things indeed."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

Lapalux - When You're Gone
(Brainfeeder; released 27 February)

"Pulled along by a solemn undercurrent of swampy beats, When You're Gone is uplifted by a quasi-chaotic mix of comfortingly familiar field recordings and their polemic sparkle of synthetic bleeps. Centrifugal track Gutter Glitter does this expertly, and it's a tone which is achieved throughout, shaping this EP into the most-tender of 21st century lullabies. This is an awesome release."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: no official videos available

- - -

Ìý

Outfit - Another Night's Dreams Reach Earth Again
(Double Denim; released 14 May)

"'I wanna be everything, all the time / But I just can't decide.' These opening lines on Wirral-born quintet Outfit's debut EP set the scene for what follows; and the listener isn't left in any doubt as to the their muddled creative mindset come this four-tracker's close. But rather than exchange identity for a chameleonic charm offensive, Outfit press their own stamp into every one of these cuts. Another Night's Dreams Reach Earth Again is a tremendous introduction."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

Halls - Fragile
(The Sounds of Sweet Nothing; released 21 January)

"Delivering precisely what it says on the sleeve, the second extended-play set from young London producer Samuel Howard is four tracks of exquisite delicacy, the kind of electro-organic sketches that the slightest bass drop would smash into digital splinters. Something this slight of form but rich in potential could well fall short of full-length brilliance - but, right here and right now, Halls is mesmerising stuff in small doses."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

WHY? - Sod in the Seed
(City Slang; released 13 August)

"WHY? frontman Yoni Wolf hasn't totally lightened up here, but this EP does have something of the triumphant about it; 2009's Eskimo Snow felt a little worn out in places, but here the band revels in sunny, addictive instrumentation. Wolf's rhymes are fabulously wordy, elaborate things that he hits with conviction and purpose... It whets the appetite for a new album in a sparkling, confident fashion."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link; contains strong language)

- - -

Ìý

Dels - Black Salad
(Big Dada; released 26 November)

"At all times, Dels is a compelling master of ceremonies. The way he's both laidback and urgent, simultaneously, has been commented on in the past; but this masterfully managed balance is forever at the fulcrum of his delivery. He's not the most technically gifted rapper out there, but his imagery is specked with genius. His second LP is due in early 2013. If it's of a comparable quality to these EP cuts, fans old and new are in for a treat."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

Ìý

Look at the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Music Top 25 Albums of 2012 and the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Sound of 2013 longlist, and it's clear that the hip hop mixtape community is producing artists and albums - as these collections are, often, every bit as much long-players proper as commercially released sets - with real mainstream reach.

Across the two lists, a number of artists with mixtape backgrounds are evident: Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, Death Grips, Miguel, Angel Haze. And this year, several high-profile artists from Rick Ross to Wiz Khalifa, 50 Cent to Gucci Mane, have delivered new material via the free-to-download mixtape. There's never been a better time to brose the digital shelves of this well-stocked source of new beats and rhymes.

And these six selections make for fine starting points when checking out the best that 2012's mixtape scene had to offer...

(Note that video links may contain language and imagery which may offend)

- - -

Ìý

Joey Bada$$ - 1999

This teenage rapper from Brooklyn sounded wise beyond his years on this acclaimed collection, which set his tight rhymes - and those of the Pro Era collective - against a series of arrangements drawing inspiration from the 90s. It's perhaps most reminiscent of the 90s work of Nas; and Joey's certainly making the right moves in order to follow the Queens rapper's ascent to stardom. Although it's a free release, 1999 tickled the fancy of MTV, who put the video for Hardknock into rotation. Revivalism it might be, but few mixtapes of 2012 were as consistently engaging as this one.

In the press: "Joey Bada$$ is doing his best to further the period's legacy of boom-bap production... The young man clearly has an old soul." (Pitchfork; )

On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

Action Bronson / The Alchemist - Rare Chandeliers

A collaboration between NYC-born American-Albanian rapper Action Bronson (aka Arian Asllani) and Beverley Hills-based producer The Alchemist (Alan Maman), Rare Chandeliers is one of the most seriously focused, but seriously laidback, mixtapes of 2012. Bronson, formerly a chef and forever likely to be compared to Ghostface Killah in his delivery, doesn't stick to tried-and-tested rap tropes for his rhymes. And this is evident across these 13 tracks, which fly by in under 40 minutes (a lesson in economy that many other rappers could learn from). Frequently amusing, but never at the expense of a catchy couplet, Bronson's a big character destined for bigger things, and he's rarely sounded as potent as he does against The Alchemist's woozy productions.

In the press: "...the most immediately entertaining rap album that's dropped all year. And it's completely free, because it's 2012 and the rap industry is insane." (PopMatters; )

On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

Supreme Cuts and Haleek Maul - Chrome Lips

This collaboration between Chicago production duo Supreme Cuts - Mike Perry and Austin Keultjes - and teenage Barbados rapper Haleek Maul is one of the most individual-sounding sets of 2012. Chrome Lips is a listen that unsettles as it creeps under the skin and seeps into the blood; it's like the best Odd Future record Odd Future never had the horror-movie mindset to produce. The seeds of this relationship were sown in 2011, when the pair received an email from a young MC with freestyles to spare. Supreme Cuts had intended to work with an array of rappers; but Chrome Lips would eventually mostly feature the tongue-twisting syllables of Maul, seemingly a safe bet for an eventual mainstream breakthrough. His own seven-tracker of 2012, Oxyconteen, is worth downloading too.

In the press: "...a 17-track exploration of the loneliest frontiers of hip hop, both in Supreme Cuts' atmospheric beats and Haleek Maul's teenage intensity." (FACT; )

On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

Angel Haze - Reservation

She's on the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Sound of 2013 for a reason - Michigan-born and NYC-based MC Angel Haze is a head-turning gust of gloriously fresh air about to take her inspired rhymes into the mainstream. Now signed to Island, she's come a long way in a short space of time - and for many, it was with Reservation that she first made a considerable impression. She followed up its standout cuts, like New York and Werkin' Girls, with a second mixtape of 2012, Classick. Its lead track, Cleaning Out My Closet, was a striking account of the sexual abuse she suffered growing up. Clearly unafraid to open up, Haze - real name Raykeea Wilson - is a talent with breathtaking potential.

In the press: "Unshakeable boastfulness may be a rapper's stock in trade, but the conviction with which the 21-year-old MC spits is borderline vitriolic, and she convinces." (The Quietus; )

On YouTube: (external link; contains strobe lighting effects)

- - -

Ìý

Childish Gambino - Royalty

When Donald Glover decided to focus fully on a rap career after breaking through as a comedic actor in Community (he also wrote for 30 Rock), sceptics immediately sharpened their poison pens. But Glover's first commercially released album as Childish Gambino, 2011's Camp, wasn't half bad; and Royalty, a guests-heavy 18-tracker distributed for free in July 2012, offers further evidence that he's a rising rapper still to hit his sweetest spot, but not falling far short of it. With Bun B, Beck, Danny Brown and RZA amongst the contributors, Royalty consistently impresses with its cast; and when the different voices click, as on American Royalty and the Britney-sampling Toxic, there's magic in the air.

In the press: "Gambino's skills and prominence continue to develop, and he's becoming a tried and true success story. (These) 18 tracks are a mighty declaration of newfound confidence." (Consequence of Sound; )

On YouTube: (audio only; external link)

- - -

Ìý

Mick Boogie / Beastie Boys - Grand Royal

Ohio DJ Mick Boogie's Beastie Boys mix was made to mark the New Yorkers' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2012. But it gained inevitable poignancy when the Beasties' Adam Yauch passed away the next month. This great loss to music was felt way beyond rap circles, and for many Boogie's assembling of Beasties rarities, live tracks, outtakes, B sides and remixes became a fitting tribute to the late MC(A). Says Boogie, on his (external link): "It's funny how many people think this mix was made because he passed... but sometimes the irony of life is very special. Enjoy this man's music. Support his charities. Tell a friend or family member you love them. And be grateful for the blessings and health that you have in your everyday lives."

In the press: "...80 minutes of classic cuts, rarities, remixes, live versions, and more. Basically what I'm saying is that this is the best and you need to download it now. I mean, why wouldn't you? It's FREE." (Potholes in my Blog; )

On YouTube: (audio only; external link)

Welcome to the top 25 albums of 2012, as voted for by a wide selection of Ö÷²¥´óÐã Music critics, DJs, and presenters from Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 1Xtra, 6 Music, Ö÷²¥´óÐã Scotland and Ö÷²¥´óÐã Ulster.

How was this list compiled?
Each voter was asked to submit their own top five albums of 2012. These could include DJ mix CDs, downloadable/free mixtapes and, of course, brand-new releases; but could not include reissues and deluxe/expanded editions of older albums. Each position in these top fives was worth a points score: first place was awarded 10 points; second, six; third, four; fourth, two; and fifth, one. Once all the votes were in, scores for every album were added together to create an overall top 25.

When votes were tied, the x/10 score awarded to the albums in question by Metacritic () was used to rank them. When these scores were the same, the tone of each review was assessed by Ö÷²¥´óÐã album reviews editor Mike Diver and rankings were established according to how positive the corresponding review was.

Who voted?
The complete list of voters is as follows: Jude Rogers, Marcus J Moore, Luke Turner, Rory Gibb, Mike Davies, Fraser McAlpine, Martin Aston, John Eyles, Natalie Shaw, Alex Deller, David Katz, Wyndham Wallace, David Quantick, Huw Stephens, Kevin Le Gendre, Garry Mulholland, Camilla Pia, Jude Clarke, Semtex, Tom Hocknell, Al Fox, CJ Beatz, Robin Denselow, Mark Radcliffe, Stevie Chick, Daniel Ross, Ian Roullier, Tom Robinson, Vic Galloway, Ricky Ross, Daryl Easlea, Hari Ashurst, Zane Lowe, Chris Hawkins, Paul Clarke, Edith Bowman, Rob da Bank, Gideon Coe, Mike Diver, Kate Hutchinson, Mike Haydock, Paul Whitelaw, Sean Adams, Angus Taylor, Paul Lester, Chris Parkin, Lloyd Bradley, Chris Roberts, Ian Wade, Jen Long, Charlie Sloth, Martin Longley, James Skinner, Daniel Spicer, Ally McCrae, Adam Kennedy, Skream, Raziq Rauf, Jez Nelson, Daniel P Carter, Ben Hewitt, Nick Levine, Alex Denney, Ian Winwood, Mischa Pearlman, Colin Irwin, Darren Loucaides, Jaime Gill, Jamie Cullum, Ele Beattie, Melissa Bradshaw, Louis Pattison, Gilles Peterson, John Doran, Stuart Bailie, Joseph JP Patterson, Bob Harris, Ralph McLean, Annie Mac, MistaJam, Robbo Ranx, Steve Lamacq, Mike Harding, Marc Riley, Tim Westwood, Alyn Shipton, Chris Power, Ninian Dunnett, Jo Whiley, Jeanette Leech & Matthew Bennett.

DJs are linked to their relevant shows. Links to all critics can be found here. Jo Whiley and Mike Harding submitted unranked top fives, so each album was awarded four points.

Righto, that top 25 then...

- - -

Ìý

25
Grizzly Bear - Shields
(Warp; released 17 September)

Writes reviewer Wyndham Wallace: "Shields pushes and prods at musical boundaries in a similar way to Talk Talk's 1986 masterpiece, The Colour of Spring. It's an aesthetic rather than musical comparison, but - with songs shifting with casual precision, arrangements that are fluid and brave, and an honest, organic production - there's a sense throughout that Grizzly Bear are on the cusp of a genuine breakthrough. Where they go next may prove even more intriguing."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

24
Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream
(RCA; released 12 November)

Writes reviewer Hari Ashurst: "Kaleidoscope Dream continues Miguel's improvement, highlighting an artist in a real purple patch of songwriting. His biggest American hit to date, Adorn, opens, popping with electric melodies and charm. It's one of the most gorgeous pop songs so far this decade, deceptively simple and alluringly confident. Enjoy Kaleidoscope Dream for the rarity that it is: an unerringly consistent, very good pop record."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

23
First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar
(Wichita; released 23 January)

Writes reviewer Natalie Shaw: "Those already familiar with First Aid Kit may be shocked by the portent in the title of their second album, The Lion's Roar. For a duo so built on understatement, it's a statement of its own volition - words which suggest something bigger, bolder, and stronger. And sat neatly between Laura Marling's trauma and Joni Mitchell's spot-lit thoughts, this album lines them up as the band most likely to cross over into the big time."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

22
Emeli Sandé - Our Version of Events
(Virgin; released 13 February)

Writes reviewer Lou Thomas: "Sandé's solo debut single Heaven was arguably the finest British pop song released in 2011. And Our Version of Events is a charming and occasionally moving record full of care and polish, effort and grace. It will be interesting to see whether she embraces a bolder sound, develops her own big ideas or, perhaps, delivers a captivating combination of the two for album two."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

21
Tame Impala - Lonerism
(Modular; released 8 October)

Writes reviewer Martin Aston: "Like their brilliant 2010 debut album Innerspeaker, Lonerism is self-produced and mixed by Flaming Lips/Mercury Rev producer David Fridmann. Yet for all the Oz roots and American connection, the album's soul is so very British. Set the controls for the heart of the sun, matey, we're going on a magical mystery tour. And if Tame Impala only turn out to be the Animal Collective of space rock, that's still a great place to arrive."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

20
Father John Misty - Fear Fun
(Bella Union; released 30 April)

Writes reviewer Martin Aston: "Fear Fun is its own, inspired brew of, indeed, both fear and fun. It's located in a Bermuda Triangle of haunted ballads and wired rockers between Alex Chilton, Neil Young's After the Gold Rush and Fleet Foxes' lonesome-pine beauty, before Tillman stirs in his own twisted DNA, confessing in I'm Writing a Novel, 'I ran down the road, pants down to my knees, screaming.' Whoever Father John Misty is, he's a hell of a find."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link; contains scenes of a sexual nature)

- - -

Ìý

19
Bill Fay - Life Is People
(Dead Oceans; released 20 August)

Writes reviewer Martin Aston: "Arriving 41 years after Fay's last original studio album, Life Is People represents the return of a prodigal son you never knew existed. Its religious symbolism is inspired by Fay's own relationship with faith, the result a stunning, profound, moving and soulful record. It's a miracle that Fay, after so many years, is again making music; another miracle is how brilliant Life Is People is."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

18
Chromatics - Kill for Love
(Italians Do It Better; released 4 June)

Writes reviewer Alex Denney: "Kill for Love is little short of breathtaking. With its lonesome, Auto-Tuned vocals poured longingly over a slow disco beat, These Streets Will Never Look the Same sounds like Gaspar Noé's ghostly skycam that stalks the city rooftops in Enter the Void. A subtle transfiguration of Neil Young's Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) continues their run as a fine covers band. One of the finest records to surface this year."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

17
Django Django - Django Django
(Because Music; released 30 January)

Writes reviewer Mike Diver: "Begone, indie-is-dead doom-mongers! As Django Django prove on this thrilling debut long-play platter, there's life in the old dogged-by-disdain genre yet. Clever but never at the expense of a catchy hook, this is 'indie' par excellence: guitars that ring through the mix like a clarion call from the inspired to take up arms against the legions of lad-rockers; buzzing synths that swirl around like a cloud of friendly wasps; lyrics delivered in mantras..."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

16
Liars - WIXIW
(Mute; released 4 June)

Writes reviewer John Doran: "WIXIW works best when it has its eyes set on the dancefloor or the radio. Brats is a driving electro number that burrows into your head after just one listen, while A Ring on Every Finger is a slower yet no less insistent bleep'n'bass number. WIXIW is an unqualified success and, now that LCD are no longer with us, its makers are truly are in a field of their own."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

15
Swans - The Seer
(Young God Records; released 28 August)

Writes reviewer Chris Power: "The Seer is a masterpiece to be considered alongside Swans' best albums. An often violent experience, its lethal weaponry is intricately patterned. It's this contrast, ultimately, that makes them so potent. The Seer might not be the album you spend most time with this year - it's too emotionally demanding for heavy rotation - but it's one you'll be listening to for years to come."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

14
Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded
(Island; released 2 April)

Writes reviewer Al Fox: "Few artists in Minaj's position would dare to take risks as bold as this, and yet, it doesn't feel as though she even sees it as risky - she's breezily doing her thing. Whatever the supposed role of Nicki Minaj within the hip hop hierarchy, whatever box she's pushed into, she'll have a hard time fitting in. Because, above all else, PF: RR cements her as a truly unique entity."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link; contains language which may offend)

- - -

Ìý

13
Baroness - Yellow & Green
(Relapse; released 16 July)

Writes reviewer Raziq Rauf: "The quality of songwriting and amount of raw passion on show throughout is striking. A shift to what could be perceived as a more commercial sound is a difficult one to achieve; but call a band led by a man as staunch in his artistic rites as frontman John Baizley sell-outs at your peril. This nearly flawless collection is simply the next step in the Baroness saga, and it's a beautiful one."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

12
Carter Tutti Void - Transverse
(Mute; released 26 March)

Writes reviewer Luke Turner: "These four tracks feel entirely alive, a spontaneous weld of anxious beats, the odd squirl of guitar and distortion, corrupted vocals and deep, chasmic bass. The motif that recurs throughout is that of pace, propulsive forward movement, the creative interplay between the three artists almost tangible in the listener's ears. It captures a wonderful sonic conversation between like-minded souls."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

11
Mala - Mala in Cuba
(Brownswood; released 10 September)

Writes reviewer Paul Clarke: "Heavy as the rhythms are, Mala's deftness of touch means the Cuban contributions are never entirely overwhelmed, and when he pulls more elements into the mix the results are often stunning. You can sense the melancholy longing at the core of both much traditional Cuban music and early dubstep. It reverberates through Mala in Cuba as powerfully as the bass."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link; contains strobe effects)

- - -

Ìý

10
Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
(Rough Trade; released 9 April)

Writes reviewer Martin Aston: "Lyrics are route-one effective throughout, as you'd expect from an album called Boys & Girls, but Alabama Shakes are not one-dimensional. Rather, they're a tightly coiled slice of primal southern soul, the sort usually stamped 'Memphis, Tennessee', but the band's hometown of Athens, Alabama - reached via the legendary town of Muscle Shoals - is spitting distance so far as this music is concerned."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

9
Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
(Infectious; released 28 May)

Writes reviewer Jen Long: "It's hard to place Alt-J. Originally from Leeds, they spend their time in a Cambridgeshire basement making their own brand of uniquely dubbed "folk-step". However, the noises that An Awesome Wave emits far escape the dull, dark depths such a creative location suggests. Instead, it's a stunning and encompassing affair of both innovative and electrifying musicianship and exemplary song writing."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

8
David Byrne and St Vincent - Love This Giant
(4AD; released 10 September)

Writes reviewer Jude Clarke: "Despite having no obvious overarching theme or plot-line, this album nevertheless feels like an integrated conceptual piece. Creating alluring word-images, like The Forest Awakes' perpetual motion, circle-of-life pictures or I Am an Ape's mysterious "statue of the man who won the war", the feeling is generally playful yet profound. Byrne and Clark have managed to not only meet but exceed expectations, and have created one of the year's smartest albums in doing so."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

7
Busy Signal - Reggae Music Again
(VP Records; released 23 April)

Writes reviewer Lloyd Bradley: "With Reggae Music Again Busy Signal builds on all the clever musicality of 2010's D.O.B. to produce an album that, appropriately for the 50th anniversary of Jamaica's independence, immerses itself in reggae music heritage. This is far more than what it seems to be billed as, namely 'Busy Signal changes style'. It's an important evolution of dancehall, connecting it to the timeline of Jamaican music, then pushing forwards into the 21st century."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

6
Death Grips - The Money Store
(Epic; released 23 April)

Writes reviewer Paul Lester: "On The Money Store, Death Grips achieve the density and intensity of several Bomb Squads, Public Enemy's famous production wing. This may be their first recording since signing to Sony, but it hardly betrays signs of softening before their new paymasters. If anything, what they lose in sonic impact you gain in range: they seem to invent new rhythms and textures on each track. Bring the noise? It's already here."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link; contains language which may offend)

- - -

Ìý

5
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Trouble
(Polydor; released 11 June)

Writes reviewer Ele Beattie: "A long time in the making, Trouble was brewed slowly due to a fixation with crafting an electronic album that would stand the test of time. Being born to a choir master and raised on his big brother's jungle and DnB, TEED's well-honed approach to rhythms - plus an unexpected twist of including his own fragile, imperfect vocals - has already separated him from the throng. Add to that his costumes and desire to stir the muddy waters of electronic music and he's not just a 21st century entertainer, but also a bit of a radical."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

4
Jessie Ware - Devotion
(Island; released 20 August)

Writes reviewer Mike Diver: "Whilst she passed by several tipsters at the turn of the year, Clapham-raised Jessie Ware has been steadily growing into south London's own Sade-in-waiting ever since her 2010 emergence. And her early successes have been built upon brilliantly: Devotion is the sort of sophisticated, soulful pop record that comes along all too rarely, a collection that never hides the heart on its sleeve. There's nothing 'next' about Ware: she's here, now, and superb."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

3
Dexys - One Day I'm Going to Soar
(BMG; released 4 June)

Writes reviewer Chris Roberts: "Kevin Rowland sought a level of purity and intensity in his earlier music that, while a triumph to those who embraced it, scared the herd mentality of the music press. He lost his path and confidence for a while. Now, more relaxed, showing the sense of humour that was always there but was oft-misunderstood, he's created an album that's equal parts confessional soul and theatrical music hall, and wholly sincere and spectacular. Dexys are back with wisdom and wings. Some of us never doubted."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

2
Frank Ocean - Channel ORANGE
(Mercury; released 23 July)

Writes reviewer Marcus J Moore: "Given its hype, some may be expecting the second coming of Thriller. Instead, channel ORANGE is a meditative voyage through Ocean's innermost thoughts, no matter how intangible the topics. In the end it's a direct reflection of its maker. There are moments of assured clarity, juxtaposed with flashes of childlike shyness. What remains is a solid collection of pop-soul renderings through which Ocean tries to find himself. We get to watch his maturation, growing pains and all."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link; contains scenes of nudity, strobe effects, and language which may offend)

- - -

Ìý

1
Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d. city
(Polydor; released 23 October)

Writes reviewer Marcus J Moore: "Lamar is a proud California native, but this major label debut harbours more Southern ethos than West Coast gloss. As it plays, it's clear that Lamar wants to fill the pondering void once occupied by OutKast rapper André 3000, whose philosophical rhymes made him one of hip hop's most admired MCs. This voluminous album is driven by wandering rumination and layered compositions, resembling OutKast's landmark Aquemini album. Come good kid's conclusion, Lamar's transformation is apparent: he's still growing up and ready to take his place among the hip hop elite."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

So that's the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Music top 25 albums of 2012 - what have been your favourites of the year?

The Best Albums of November 2012

Straight to business... Below you'll find details on 10 standout releases of November 2012. Do click through to the relevant review pages to read more about these great records; and keep them peeled for our very special Top 25 Albums of 2012, which will pop into place on these here Music Blog pages in early December.

- - -

Ìý

Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream

(RCA; released 12 November)
Recommended by: CJ Beatz

This second long-player is actually Miguel's fourth release of 2012, tying together the loose ends of a trilogy of EPs titled Art Dealer Chic Volumes 1-3. Those tracks were rough and sometimes pretty off-the-cuff; but they still ranked as an exciting step up from his 2010 debut. And it's tough to find much at fault with Kaleidoscope Dream. Enjoy it for the rarity that it is: an unerringly consistent, very good pop record."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

Deftones - Koi No Yokan

(Reprise; released 12 November)
Recommended by: Rock Show with Daniel P Carter

"Koi No Yokan, Deftones' seventh album, stands monolithic as a testament to the power and tenacity of human spirit - the hope, love, pain and wonder of life. As such, it transcends the boundaries and expectations of its genre - even those previously set by the very band that made it. Love at first sight has never sounded so good."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

Kidkanevil and Daisuke Tanabe - Kidsuke

(Project: Mooncircle; released 5 November)
Recommended by: Tom Ravenscroft, Rob da Bank

"The duo of Kidkanevil & Daisuke Tanabe is half-Japanese - no prizes for guessing which half; Kidkanevil's real name is Gerard Roberts - and their first collaborative album is held together with complex stitching, but endearingly simple motifs shine through. It feels like a lost late-90s IDM gem, but that's no bad thing. Equally, it high-fives certain runners in Flying Lotus' Californian Brainfeeder crew, who many would say are as 'now' as it gets."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (audio only) (external link)

Ìý

- - -

Ìý

Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (III)

(Fiction Records; released 12 November)
Recommended by: 6 Music Album of the Day

"It's not meant for the riot-bating boltholes or ravey discos of yore; (III)'s rightful home is a colossal stadium in space, starships trading laser-blows overhead, as rogue stars collide in the far distance. Meanwhile, a clock above the stage countdowns from 39 minutes to zero, at which point one of two things will happen: Glass will finally break free of the machines that enslave her; or this, the ultimate cosmic venue, will self-destruct."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

Hello Skinny - Hello Skinny

(Slowfoot; released 5 November)
Recommended by: Gilles Peterson

"Tom Skinner, whose relatively slight build tallies with the title of this work, is no lightweight on the London jazz scene. His voluminous CV, spanning a good 15 years, features stints in the bands of Denys Baptiste, Cleveland Watkiss and Alexander Hawkins among others. Clocking in at 36 minutes, this long-awaited solo debut is an impressive exercise in the integration of an expectedly wide range of aesthetics, revealing first and foremost a thoughtful composer with a skilled producer's ear."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: N/A

- - -

Ìý

Soundgarden - King Animal

(Mercury; released 12 November)
Recommended by: 6 Music Album of the Day

"Soundgarden have always possessed a real ability to combine darkness with immense grooves, as heard clearly on the sinuous Taree; and it's this that lifted them above their more thrashy, punk rock bar band peers. The 13 sturdy tracks of King Animal carry this compositional attitude into the 21st century. The overall theme is that of dark Americana, with Poe-recalling imagery and a sense of the political in Non-State Actor and the negative pop chorus of Bones of Birds."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

The Bryan Ferry Orchestra - The Jazz Age

(BMG; released 26 November)
Recommended by: Jamie Cullum

"The Jazz Age is an instrumental set in which numbers spanning from Roxy Music's Virginia Plain to Reason or Rhyme from Bryan Ferry's most recent solo album Olympia are radically reimagined. These hits and cult items are fashioned as they might have been in the Paris of the Roaring Twenties, or the Gatsby ballrooms of F. Scott Fitzgerald (a poster-boy of doomed romanticism to whom Ferry has never struggled to relate)."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

Food - Mercurial Balm

(ECM; released 5 November)
Recommended by: Jazz on 3, Late Junction

"Wistful drones are used liberally and the fine mesh of Thomas Strønen's brushes and marimba-like pitches on Astral recalls nothing other than the hiss and buzz of a balafon. All these carefully wrought tingles of sound, constantly placed in a wide dynamic range, have a hint of the music of mid-80s Jon Hassell, an artist whose influence on Mac-age jazz is not minor."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: N/A

- - -

Ìý

Vinyl Williams - Lemniscate

(No Pain In Pop; released 12 November)
Recommended by: Huw Stephens

The grandson of famed cinematic composer John Williams, Vinyl is not averse to setting lofty goals for himself. And this debut album certainly goes a long way towards capturing the 'other worlds' he strives to generate, pulsing, surging and meandering along its own path as it pleases. Lemniscate will soothe and transfix, ebbing and surging its way into your consciousness with style and grace to spare."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)

- - -

Ìý

Lindstrøm - Smalhans

(Smalltown Supersound; released 5 November)
Recommended by: Rob da Bank

"Smalhans finds Lindstrøm returning to more familiar, more concise territory, its six tracks totalling only 34 minutes. Full of his trademark crunchy, richly textured synths - the ones that earned him a reputation for 'cosmic' or 'space disco' thanks to their kinship with the likes of Giorgio Moroder - it was mixed by fellow traveller and compatriot 'Todd' Terje Olsen, who allows these multi-layered instrumentals to pulse and surge with an unflagging but never exhausting energy."

Read the full Ö÷²¥´óÐã review
On YouTube: (external link)