Albums of the year 2012, part II

Without further ado, here comes the final part of my list.

#10 Django Django
Django Django

Having received rave reviews from just about everyone, this album became increasingly harder to avoid. Needless to say, when I finally gave in, I didn't regret it one bit. There's always something fascinating and refreshing about debuting indie bands, and Django Django certainly made quite an entrance.

#9 Born and Raised
John Mayer

When you rate Born and Raised, it all comes down to whether you like folk music or not. Thus, it's gonna be either your most favourite Mayer's album or the least. Considering it's in my top ten, it must be clear where I stand on this. (My review)

#8 Blunderbuss
Jack White

After an admirable 22-year-long career in music, dozens of projects and collaborations, everyone's favourite guitarist finally set off to release his solo debut. And its outstanding moments by far outweigh the few flaws. One of the bussiest and most prolific men in the bussiness hardly ever lets his fans down, even though it may have taken some time for people like me to appreciate the record. I'm only wondering if Jack White will ever run out of the tricks up his sleeve.

#7 Come of Age
The Vaccines

The Vaccines delivered again. Come of Age is arguably and quite surprisingly an even better album than their massively hyped debut. (My review)

#6 Handwritten
The Gaslight Anthem

Despite the lack of progress, this is still a rather fantastic output. It's been always very exciting for me to witness the band's continual rise to fame, and frankly, I hope it won't stop anytime soon. (My review)

#5 Lonerism
Tame Impala

A fantastic psychedelic album, that grabs you and doesn't let go. Expect no stoner music, though, this is a very focused and elaborate set of songs. It was yet another big surprise for me and will be an important entry in every respectable magazine's guide to 2012's essential albums. (My Review)

#4 Celebration Rock
Japandroids

It's hard to resist the raw energy of this album. I may be overly enthusiastic, but it is thanks to bands like Japandroids, that rock'n'roll will never die. (My review)

#3 Given to the Wild
The Maccabees

Compelling third studio album from the UK indie rockers, that clearly shows their musical maturity and a great deal of ambition, which don't go unfulfilled. (My review)

#2 Some Nights
fun.

It's increasingly difficult to avoid cheap puns, but the band's name really says it all. For me, this has been the feel-good album of 2012. I would always come back to it and be amazed by the sheer talent on display. Despite a few missteps along the way, it's simply a great record and I'm glad fun.'s singles dominated the airwaves this year. (My review)

#1 Battle Born
The Killers

Ever since the release, there was little doubt this mammoth of an album would eventually end up seizing the top spot of my list. Considering the long break, we might have doubted whether The Killers still got what it takes to dominate the world. Thankfully, the answer to that is a resounding "yes". Great hooks, grand statements, perfect execution... An instant classic. (My review)

Battle Born

By the end of 2008, The Killers had released three albums, each one great in its own way. Personally, I've always prefered their sophomore effort to the unbalanced debut. With the excessive amount of massive hooks and infectious choruses, the springsteenesque Sam's Town still remains to be a shining example of a near perfect album to me. Where Hot Fuss loses its breath, Sam's Town shifts  to the second gear and continues to serve one gem after another.

Day & Age, on the other hand, felt at first like a complete misstep. The Killers tossed the guitar-band image away and became a full-time pop act. Many fans were repulsed by the new electronic sound as well as the famously ridiculous "Are we dancer?" line in the lead single, Human. Against all odds, however, Day & Age proved to be a relentless grower of an album and even went on to receive its fair share of well-deserved rehabilitation. Or at least from some people. And with Battle Born, it might be a similar case.

This is a serious contender for the artwork of the year.

Preceding the release, The Killers had promised no small things. They announced a return of rock'n'roll to their music along with the Sam's Town era sound. If that alone hadn't set the expectations incredibly high among their fans, the lead single, Runaways, certainly did. But the band never rests in one place and never makes the same album twice. Thus, anyone expecting Sam's Town Part II will be vastly disappointed. Rather, this is a logical follow-up to Brandon Flowers' solo stuff. The songs might just as well have been taken out of Flamingo and given a full-band treatment. The result sounds bigger and better than ever before.

Every guitar riff, every breakdown, every sound effect, every echo just falls into the right place. As a whole, the record might be the most cohesive work The Killers have ever created. Which is a rather surprising fact, considering how many producers participated in the final product. Furthermore, if it's somehow possible for Brandon Flowers' voice to get even better with time, then it certainly hits its all time high on Battle Born.

Without a doubt, The Killers had a clear vision of what they wanted to say and how they wanted to say it, and released one of the best albums of the year. Battle Born carries a sufficient amount of huge choruses for big stadiums and is still subtle enough for long winter evenings. It's no easy task to pick just a few best songs out of the whole bunch, because every single one of them is captivating in its own distinctive way. With that being said, Battle Born is easily one of the best closing tracks you'll hear this year.

I've spun the album approximately thirty times by now, and still can't get enough of it. That speaks for something.

Best tracks: Runaways, Deadlines and Commitments, Battle Born

Runaways

Yes, yes and thousand times yes. The Killers' new single sounds just like it fell out from Sam's Town. Great news considering it's arguably their best album to date. Now, I really can't wait for Battle Born to come out.



There hasn't been a bigger chorus this year. Your thoughts?

Older albums revisited: Flamingo

Later this year, The Killers will realease their first album since 2008. Since the news emerged, I've been revisiting their older catalogue, from Hot Fuss to Sawdust. Then suddenly, Brandon Flowers' solo album came to my mind.

...and I have to admit, I like it much better now than I did when it came out. Back then, it was too poppy. It had everything I didn't like about Day & Age. Too many synths, piano and no guitars. Well, listening to it now, I actually enjoy it for the same reasons I love all the Killers' albums. Even on his own, Brandon Flowers can still write big melodies. Besides, the lead single Crossfire hasn't aged a day and is still absolutely fantastic.



Nevertheless, here's to hoping that the new album's gonna be a lot more like Sam's Town. I can't wait...

My first post in a month or so...

For the past few weeks, I've been listening to The Killers immensely. But they are currently on hiatus and their frontman Brandon Flowers is releasing his own solo material. The new album is due out September 14. You can watch the first music video below. The song is great but the video takes it into a whole new level, because Charlize Theron and Ninjas are in it!


It quite surprises me, that it doesn't sound like The Killers at all.




On a related topic, Linkin Park announced, that they'll be releasing new album A Thousand Suns on September 14 too.


Edit: You can listen to new Anberlin's song here.