That's My Dad.

Top 50 Songs of 2012: #20, Young Magic - Sparkly

Take my name plate, it screams for you. 

The first time I listened to “Sparkly”, I felt like I just discovered my best friend was a belly dancer. I can hear my heart thumping as I hear dozens of dancers with bangles on their ankles crash against each other as they pound the floor. Soaring vocal samples and hypnotic lyrics, it’s like a blanket of sound wrapping around you to bring a faded coziness. Brooklyn’s Young Magic bring along a bundle of fresh sonic textures to often conventional psychedelic and electronic music, but there’s a slick payoff to be found here. An element of familiarity dipped in exotic marvel: your best friend, a belly dancer. 

(Source: Spotify)

Real Estate - Days

Like the sonic equivalent of taking a drive on a sunny, inviting morning where serenity bleeds in every corner yet an unshakable tinge of self-loathing, disappointment and sadness constantly combats everything beautiful around you. The result is a topical, realistically delighting and unforgettably charming lo-fi indie surf-pop record intended to gratify listeners in the quiet, intimate sanctity of their psyche. (8/10)

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Liars - WIXIW

In a sense, Liars latest album, “WIXIW”, should be completely forgotten about and scrapped in the dust for being bleak, unrewarding, anti-climatic and the most throughly low-key piece of experimental rock in quite some time. However, that is exactly what these highly-reputed musicians wanted to make: a challenging and dissonant listening experience. So there’s no real meaning in criticizing a technical sonic experimental succeeding to articulate and prove its point, even if it doesn’t remotely amount to pleasurable listening or repeated visits. (7/10)

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DIIV - Oshin

Urban dreams of tropical getaways galore on DIIV’s (formerly known as DIVE) latest LP, “Oshin”: a reverb-doused shoegaze dream-pop record filled with blurry summer audio textures and lush melodies akin to chill-wave darlings like Washed Out or experimental projects like Lotus Plaza. (8/10)

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Japandroids - Celebration Rock

Isn’t there always that album every year that “just simply rocks”? Like as if that double entendre wasn’t irritating enough, many resort to superficial overviews so frequently it undervalues everything in sight. Enter “Celebration Rock”: garage rock duo Japandroids’ sophomore LP, the next successful anthemic rock record to fall under that dreaded pigeon-holing. Sure, “Celebration Rock” will undoubtedly be every college rocker’s go-to party/road trip/feel-good victorious record of the season. And sure, you could close your eyes, pick out any track on “Celebration Rock” and expect it montaged in an intro or credits sequence of the next anticipated coming-of-age indie dramedy, starring Michael Cera and Aubrey Plaza or something. But Japandroids revel in such charisma, hard-edged jams and youthful vigor that blowing “Celebration Rock” off would only result in you missing in the coolest soirée this side of town has to offer. (8/10)

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The Flaming Lips - The Dark Side of the Moon

For many psychedelic rockers, it might be the ultimate no-no for modern artists legitimately covering Pink Floyd on their own account, that too “The Dark Side of the Moon” in its entirety. But The Flaming Lips offer a sincere and deeply interesting contemporary take on the masterpiece, featuring new sonic textures and layers for fans to chew on. (9/10)

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Beach House - Bloom

If the world of independent music were a diner in the ’50s, Beach House would be it’s own ice cream flavor; orange creme, to be exact. Since their adored 2009 LP “Teen Dream” dazzled listeners, both easy-going and nit-picky, this dream pop duo has undoubtedly taken city and seashore dwellers by storm. Already known their profoundly lush sonic textures and eloquent technical abilities, it comes to no surprise that Beach House didn’t want to change a thing on their latest album: “Bloom”. In fact, Beach House revisits the gorgeous sonic sculpture created on “Teen Dream” and chisels out an extra layer of detail, texture and effect. This remodeling ends up making “Bloom” their most thematic album to date, constructed with punctual compositions and a set of flourishing lyrics to match. These details, while bound with comprehensive traits, are intensely subtle, challenging and hard to wrap your head around, especially to those unfamiliar with Beach House’s sound. Unlike the instant click you’d feel on “Teen Dream”, there is a serious trade-off of patience involved with “Bloom”. From the nautical-sounding opener “Myth” with its glistening guitar tones to the equally heartwarming/breaking “Wild” composed of nostalgic teenage memories, “Bloom” proves to be the most rewarding listening experience of 2012. (8/10)

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Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light

With its razor sharp level of emotional control and silky smooth sonic production, Spiritualized’s 7th LP “Sweet Heart Sweet Light” succeeds not only in creating a set of brilliant, catchy tunes, but also as one of the most determined, developed pieces of audio art seen in quite some time. There was no moment of revelation. Nor was there a taint of favoritism. It was a clear cut critical evaluation: “Sweet Heart Sweet Light” is the best indie rock release of 2012. (10/10)

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Deerhunter - Halycon Digest

There is a feeling all too familiar with the sincerest of audiophiles. A brief silence followed by a tune that instantly impresses you fills the air in the local record store. “Who is this?” you ask the jaded yet mildly satisfied record store owner. You’ve fallen in love with a new band and chances are you won’t forget his answer to your question.  

Deerhunter’s “Halycon Digest” is an astounding feat for its ability to bottle that moment up and serve you a set of eleven tracks following that golden thread; each with a character of its own. Deerhunter’s craftsmanship and uncanny level of peerless originality oozes out from every sequence, making for an airtight record without a moment or idea to spare. From the dazzling heart-breaker “Sailing”, the swelling punk/shoe-gaze “Desire Lines” to the masterful neo-psychedelic track “Helicopter”, “Halycon Digest” is an exemplary gem that’ll serve as a mark for the unprecedented level of detail artists could put in their music because they were allowed to. In that respect, “Halycon Digest” goes beyond just being a quality record, but an important one for our generation’s independent music culture. (9/10)

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Frankie Rose - Interstellar

When digging into an album like Frankie Rose’s “Interstellar,” an experimental synth-pop LP doused with endless reverb, one can’t help but get lost. Much like last year’s M83’s “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming,” exploring the layers of sonic elements is almost like finding an exit in a dark forest made of clouds. It’s an exhaustive and self-aware challenge but makes you think, maybe it’s not really the point to analyze or directly interpret. Interstellar is more of a journey, like playing a video game with no set goal (i.e. The Sims) or riding ‘It’s A Small World’ in Disneyland. These are concepts that can certainly prove frustrating and incredibly pointless, but for those who wouldn’t mind artful leisure every now and then: Interstellar makes for an interesting listen. (7/10)

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Panda Bear - Tomboy

Much like the overwhelming myriad of color and musical spectrum in an Animal Collective release, Panda Bear’s Tomboy follows suit but with a more minimal and restrained approach. Nevertheless, Tomboy’s just as intriguing, emotionally in-check and psychedelic as its bigger brother. (8/10)

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The Antlers’ Burst Apart - 

Every once in a while, we’re blessed with an indie rock masterpiece. No excuses, just pure art.

For many that may be The Antlers’ Burst Apart, their 4th album released in 2011. Something The Antlers aren’t entirely unfamiliar with, their previous releases have kept a record for achieving critical acclaim. After declaring on planning to shift gears creatively, The Antlers have gone minimalist: saying more with less. From it, Burst Apart is a dark, profound lyrical experience combined with gorgeous instrumentals and atmosphere. It plays out like listening to a journal of a tormented and beautiful thoughts of a man who constantly wrestles with his own emotions inside his head. Not to say that The Antlers use their music to connect their listeners who may be equally emotionally conflicted, Burst Apart behaves as a standalone work of music, nearly becoming a cinematic experience with its sheer level of color, mood and detail.

While its ideas are great and blemishes minute (only in music compositions), Burst Apart has the staying power of an indie rock hit worth returning to.

This album was my dad. (9/10)

Atlas Sound’s Parallax -

Bradford Cox of Deerhunter is back with his third LP, “Parallax,” under his side-project Atlas Sound. Despite the anticipation in following up their previous critically acclaimed album “Logos,” “Parallax” feels underwhelming, unexciting or enjoyable in every aspect; feeling void of the psychedelic pop elements Deerhunter is known for and the engaging experimental concepts found on “Logos.” “Parallax” may be a quality example of postmodern musicianship, but the results are nothing worth a recommendation. (6/10)