The publicity-shy Will Bevan and his Burial alter-ego
ADM 2012: The 1st quarter report
We're three months into 2012: it's time for our regular first look back at the most critically-acclaimed music so far this year
A reclusive dubstep producer, a bunch of hardcore punks, a
little-known DJ, an avant-garde sound artist, an experimental doom
drone band, a 71-year-old blues veteran ... and so on. Has there
ever been a more eclectic line-up constituting our regular
check-ups on what's attracting critical acclaim and how the year's
musical output is shaping up? We rather doubt it.
Arguably only one artist could have been regarded as a shoo-in
to figure in the upper reaches of the critical ratings from the
first three months of 2012: Leonard Cohen, whose first studio album
in eight years was always going to be met with rapturous
proclamations of genius.
Of course there are plenty of big-name releases yet to come in
2012, but thus far the heavyweights and mainstream certs such as
Weller, Springsteen, The Shins etc are being outshone by names from
the outer reaches of contemporary music's spectrum.
Why so? Possibly because expectations are that much higher when
you have a pedigree such as that of Weller and co; possibly also
because music reviewers are always keen to praise artists who seem
to trying to forge something new. Either seems a healthy situation
to us.
The notable success from the first quarter is of course Burial's
Kindred, which currently sits at No.10 in our all-time chart. It's
a controversial inclusion in that it's a three-track "short-form"
release, but as has been pointed out by our users, at 30 mins 30
secs it's only a couple of minutes short of the running time of The
Strokes' Room On Fire or Sleigh Bells' Treats. Furthermore it's not
simply a stopgap EP release between albums: Will Bevan hasn't put
out a long-player since 2007's Untrue. It's just a convenient
format for someone who otherwise busies himself with collaborations
and remixes.
You could argue that the appearance in the top 10 of Anais
Mitchell is no great surprise given that her previous album tops
our all-time chart. And yet Hadestown, for all the rave reviews on
its release, was comprehensively ignored by critics when it came to
the Best Albums of 2010 reckoning, so there was no certainty about
the reception for Young Man In America.
Elsewhere, we'd be very surprised if there's another hardcore
punk release in 2012 that receives as widespread acclaim as that
afforded to The Men's Open Your Heart, while the presence of Sharon
Van Etten's 3rd album alongside that of Anais Mitchell is further
evidence of the high regard in which indie folk artists are held
among critics.
So that's how it looks after the first quarter; if, nine months
on, the list of 2012's most acclaimed albums encompasses as
thrillingly wide a range of talents, we'll be quite happy.
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8.4
Burial
Kindred
Does what all great art should do: create a landscape that
wasn't there before, a landscape that invites so much to explore
that it is an exploration onto itself.
No Ripcord
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8.2
John Talabot
fIN
Talabot isn't doing anything particularly fancy, au courant, or
even innovative here, but you can't fake quality - and if there's
one adjective to describe ƒin, it's that.
Rave Magazine
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8.2
The Men
Open Your Heart
The most thrilling and exciting album of the year thus far and
one that demands your immediate attention.
The Quietus
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8.1
Dr. John
Locked Down
It all powers along on tunes from his top drawer, from the
instantly funky title track to the irresistible grooves of Ice Age
and redemptive soul of God's Sure Good. Terrific stuff .
The Guardian
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8.0
Anaïs Mitchell
Young Man In America
Deploys a quiet chamber-indie ensemble behind Mitchell's chirrup
of a voice... Marvellous .
Independent On Sunday
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8.0
Leonard Cohen
Old Ideas
Leonard Cohen has made the best full album of his career (song
for song, sound for sound, lyrical point for point; yes, this is
true) and most certainly the best album of 2012 .
Blurt
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7.9
Earth
Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light II
One of American rock music's greatest ever statements .
No Ripcord
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7.9
Perfume genius
Put Your Back N 2 It
One of the most wonderful records in recent memory... It's a
near perfect album and Perfume Genius has, ever so swiftly, made
the transition from interesting outsider to fully-realised musical
hero.
The Line Of Best Fit
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7.8
Sharon Van Etten
Tramp
A wonderful record, a colossal achievement, and features some of
the most breathtaking, moving and downright beautiful music you'll
hear all year .
Drowned In Sound
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7.8
Julia Holter
Ekstasis
Music that's both haunting and life-affirming, something to make
you dream and think.
Pitchfork
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And the next 40
11. Errors Have Some Faith In Magic
12. The Weeknd Echoes Of Silence
13. Grimes Visions
14. Django Django Django Django
15. Soap&Skin Narrow
16. Andrew Bird Break It Yourself
17. Bruce Springsteen Wrecking Ball
18. Tindersticks The Something Rain
19. Chuck Prophet Temple Beautiful
20. Lost In The Trees Church That Fits
Our...
21. Hanne Hukkelberg Featherbrain
22. Mark Lanegan Band Blues Funeral
23. Damien Jurado Maraqopa
24. Cloud Nothings Attack On Memory
25. Dirty Three Towards The Low Sun
26. Three Trapped Tigers numbers: 1-13
27. Scoolboy Q Habits & Contradictions
28. John Foxx And The Maths The Shape Of...
29. Blondes Blondes
30. Beth Jeans Houghton... Yours Truly...
31. Xiu Xiu Always
32. Chairlift Something
33. Michael Kiwanuka Home Again
34. First Aid Kit The Lion's Roar
35. Cate Le Bon CYRK
36. Frankie Rose Interstellar
37. Bowerbirds The Clearing
38. Graham Coxon A+E
39. Seth Lakeman Tales From The Barrel...
40. Yeti Lane The Echo Snow
41. The Twilight Sad No One Can Ever...
42. The 2 Bears Be Strong
43. Laura Gibson La Grande
44. Shearwater Animal Joy
45. THEESatisfaction Awe Naturale
46. Dry The River Shallow Bed
47. Portico Quarter Portico Quartet
48. Lambchop Mr M
49. Dr. Dog Pretty Ugly
50. DVA UPretty Ugly