T’is the season for Top 10 lists for many bloggers, and not wanting to disappoint, here we go!
I’ll admit – I’m an album guy. Kind of always been. In a world where you can purchase single songs for under $1, I still purchase whole albums. I love hearing what an artist’s overall theme is in writing from beginning to end. So without further ado, here are the new albums that I listened to more than any other in 2012:
10. ALREADY NOT YET by The Citizens + GRACE ALONE by The Modern Post
I know that these are two separate albums, but they both were born from worship bands at Mars Hill in Seattle. Each album is an EP consisting of 4 and 5 songs respectively, and so I’ve put them together in one playlist. Both albums boast many new arrangements on classic hymns as well as a few original tunes. It also doesn’t hurt that the voice you hear on The Modern Post is none other than the former Thrice frontman Dustin Kensrue.
9. EXCELLENT by Propaganda
Propaganda stormed into the hip-hop world in 2012 with this debut album, getting rave reviews from both ‘Christian’ and ‘Non-Christian’ rappers alike. With a mix of homegrown beats and acoustic rhythms, Propaganda found his way onto many computers and iPods this past year by giving away Excellent for free on his website. There are plenty of good hooks, as well as lyrics that are relevant to the church and the communities in which they reside.
8. THE 2ND LAW by Muse
A follow-up album to their 2009 mulit-platinum hit The Resistance, Muse kills it again with The 2nd Law. There are so many layers in these songs that it often blends sweeping synthesizer chords with great guitar riffs. There are plenty of Prince-esque solos on The 2nd Law to satisfy even the most dedicated Purple Rain fans, and the harmonies that Muse comes up with take the listener band to an older band that also hailed from Great Britain. Overall, there are many reasons to check out the newest album from Muse.
7. NO MAN’S LAND by Charlie Peacock
This was an album that I first discovered at NoiseTrade.com. I downloaded the 9 song sampler for free off the site and fell in love with Charlie’s guitar style mixed with his unaltered vocals. Most songs on No Man’s Land make you want to snap your fingers, but perhaps the song that stands out most is his acoustic cover of DC Talk’s ‘In The Light.’ For those of you who remember DC Talk, this song alone is worth spending 99 cents, even if you don’t like the style of his album.
6. ADVENT by Young Oceans
With so much music during the Christmas season focused on the birth of Jesus and jingling bells, it was refreshing when a friend showed me this great advent album. Through themes of longing and hope for the Messiah, Young Oceans struck a cord this particular advent season with their simple, almost hymn-like melodies. The song ‘To Thee We Run’ was introduced at Faith only a few days after the album was released, and became an advent anthem for us as we journeyed toward Bethlehem together.
5. BLUNDERBUSS by Jack White
Mr. White is at it again with an amazing album full of guitar riffs to make any guitar player envious of his style. From beginning to end, there is not a song on this album that doesn’t make me want to sing along. A mix of folk, rock, southern blues, soul, and much more proves that Jack continues to be at the top of his game even after his split from The White Stripes.
4. CTRL by Derek Webb + THE NEXUS by Sola Mi
It is impossible to talk about Derek Webb’s newest album Ctrl without also mentioning his Sola Mi project from earlier in the year. If you insert The Nexus album in its entirety (minus the opening Keynote address) between track 7 and 8 from Ctrl in a playlist, the songs flow seamlessly into one another in a brilliant take on technology and the future as it pertains to us humans. As the ultimate ‘concept album’ this playlist brings together many styles of music from the newer electronica that Derek has been experimenting with, to the older acoustic style from previous albums. For more info on these 2 projects and how they co-relate to each other, visit Derek Webb’s website. It’ll make for an interesting afternoon of reading!
3. SEASON ONE by All Sons & Daughters
Once a husband/wife worship duo from down south, All Sons & Daughters broke out HUGE in 2012 with Season One, as well an EP titled The Longing. This album is truly an album that I can listen to anytime, and can worship to every song. Not very common with most worship albums. A very simple blend of acoustic, piano, light percussion, and sensational male/female harmonies makes Season One a great album for people from all different walks of life.
2. HOMEMADE WORSHIP BY HANDMADE PEOPLE by Rend Collective Experiment
Hands down my favorite worship album of the year! A friend of mine introduced me to this band by showing me the YouTube video of their single ‘Come On (My Soul)’ from a previous album, and I was hooked. If you want a true, foot stompin’, earth shakin’, banjo pluckin’ stumpf fiddle bangin’ style of worship, then you’ve got to get this whole album. ‘Build Your Kingdom Here’ quickly became a huge favorite here at Faith. With Homemade Worship, you get exactly what the title suggests, worship music homemade. It’s organic, it’s rich in music and lyrics, and it was the number one most played worship album for me in the year 2012.
1. TEMPEST by Bob Dylan
Tempest is Bob Dylan’s 35th studio album to date, and my number one pick for most listened to new album in 2012. Traditional folk influences, along with Dylan’s gritty and dark lyrics make this an album for the ages. Much like Johnny Cash’s cover of ‘Hurt’ you can hear the pain and the age and the triumph in his voice from first track to last. I discovered this gem back in September while reading a review in Relevant magazine, and have had a hard time putting it away during the Christmas season four months later. I promise, you won’t be disapointed!
So there you have it, the top new albums I listened to most in 2012. What are some of yours?
Happy New Year!
Pastor Chris.
With ONE Voice 