The Best Albums of 2012

The talk of 2012 was Frank Ocean's "coming out" and his associated R&B opus Orange; while old-timey folk and Americana continue to be in the forefront of music listener consciousness (read Mumford and Sons and Avett Brothers). It was a band from Iceland (Of Monsters and Men) that continued the boy/girl duo theme that has become all the rage in the past decade (Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, The Civil Wars). But it was mostly old school stalwarts that led the charge and produced the most satisfying albums of 2012 in my book.

10: Dr. John: Locked Down - Produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, Dr. John's album combines his signature New Orleans swamp-thang with Aurbach's guitar gronk to make an album both timeless and firmly rooted in the sound of today.

9: Craig Finn: Clear Heart Full Eyes - Craig Finn of The Hold Steady goes solo and gets introspective with a set of songs that tell haunting stories of travels and travails.

8: Of Monsters and Men: My Head is an Animal - Icelandic folk-rock that continues the welcome trend of beautiful, soul-touching male/female harmonies.

7: The Walkmen: Heaven - What happens when a previously heartbroken naysayer and cynic falls in love? Heaven...

6: Cat Power: Sun - Chan Marshall comes back strong with an album that shows her going in a much different direction than her last set of original songs (The Greatest in 2006). Adding electronics and producing it herself, it is an adventurous and ambitious return to relevance.

5: Bob Dylan: Tempest - The old curmudgeon's voice may be shot but the guy can still write songs like a boss. Sounding like it came straight out of the 1920's, the sound is old-fashioned, but the genius of his lyrics are timely and cutting.

4: Heartless Bastards: Arrow - Recorded almost entirely live in the studio, this album shows what a true kick-ass garage band can do left to their own devices. A nicely consistent and satisfying set of tunes.

3: Jimmy Cliff: Rebirth - All over the reggae map, Jimmy Cliff takes us on a historical journey through Jamaican music. It's all here; Rock Steady, Ska, Soul, Roots, and even a nod to punky reggae from the U.K.

2: Fiona Apple: The Idler Wheel is Wiser... - Ok, she's a nutter. But that's what makes her so awesome. Her first album since 2005's Extraordinary Machine, this is a potpourri of wacky wonderfulness.

1: Jack White: Blunderbuss - The king of the riff does it again, but this time without Meg and with an assortment of musicians (all-male or all-female apparently depending on his mood) that keep the party rocking. This stuff never gets old.

Honorable Mention:
The Shins: Port of Morrow
Mumford and Sons: Babel
Donald Fagen: Sunken Condos
Miguel: Kaleidoscope Dream
The Coup: Sorry to Bother You
Alabama Shakes: Boys & Girls
Avett Brothers: The Carpenter
Chris Smither: Hundred Dollar Valentine