Top 40 Tracks of 2012: Part Two

(from “Write Me Back” on RCA)

 

You’re the mastermind behind “hip-hopera” Trapped In The Closet, you’ve made a number of hit songs and you’ve got a pretty damn good voice. So what do you do? Well, you slip on a pair of leather gloves, go all ‘70s and sing, “Populate! Yeah!”, in a semi-serious way. So you’ve made a song that fits into the pantheon of great Motown and disco tracks, a song that makes even the most reluctant dancer click their fingers and sway their shoulders. The result? You barely trouble the charts which means you have a song that most indie music sites will admit is unbelievably good. R Kelly is a genius. James McKenna

 

(from “R.A.P. Music” on Williams Street)

 

You might not agree with bits of Reagan. You might not agree with any of Reagan. But you’ve got to agree that Reagan is electrifying. No other song this year is as scathing or as bold, and I’d put money on those final four words being the most memorable. And if any song best captures the political zeitgeist of 2012, it’s Reagan. The absolute disillusion with all things political: Reagan, the Bushes, Clinton and Obama – they all get a telling off. On top of that, it slams populist rappers, and has the most ominous, terrifying chords ever. I saw an article at the start of the year stating that rap was dying. Then I heard Reagan. How wrong were they? James McKenna

 

(from “The Idler Wheel…” on Clean Slate / Epic)

 

For all the plaudits, the most surprising thing about The Idler Wheel… was the fact that it existed at all. Anybody who had been following Apple’s career over the years would have been familiar with the album’s various components – the elegant yet uncomfortably confessional songwriting, the stretching the concept of titles to breaking point, the protracted wait for its release. The exception being its closing track, a jazz-inflected round performed with her cabaret artiste sister Maude Maggart, which not only stood out from the rest of Apple’s oeuvre thanks to its celebratory sexiness but, in its nodding towards the showtune’s golden age, everything else that was released in 2012. Mark Davison

 

“110%” (now re-titled "If You're Never Gonna Move")

(from “Devotion” on PMR / Island)

 

The definition of a quiet storm – and one of the year's most promising new artists – Londoner Jessie Ware sauntered onto the pop scene with Devotion, her Mercury-nominated debut album of languid cocktail soul stitched together with subtle grooves and shimmering synths. Its most dance laden track, 110%, slinks and quivers over skittering drum n' bass beats and gently undulating bass. This effortless record is buoyed by a controlled sophistication that's more engaging than any of the showboating female vocalists who favour melisma over genuine emotion. With beautiful poise and artful restraint, this is probably the year's most elegant pop single. Gary McGinley

 

(from “Clear Moon” on P.W. Elverum & Sun, Ltd.)

 

Phil Elverum might be considered a singer-songwriter by most, but for much of his career, he’s focused less on the person holding the guitar and more on the space surrounding him, using atmosphere and vivid lyrics to capture the significance and power of nature. However, from the first few delicate chords of Through The Trees, Pt. 2, the opening track from Clear Moon, things begin to seem much more grounded, as the track proves to be one of Elverum’s tightest, introspective, and dare-I-say most personal tracks without losing sight of the vastness of the world. “I meant all my songs not as a picture of the world, but to remind myself that I briefly lived,” he says just as the clouds begin to break. Elverum might still be having trouble figuring out where we all stand, but in this moment, it feels like we’re right beside him in his contemplation. Peter Quinton

 

(from “Django Django” on Because Music)

 

About a month ago, I heard Default on a local radio station’s Discovery segment, where the listeners are given two choices. The one that gets the most votes continues to be played. It lost to Best Coast’s The Only Place, and I still can’t figure out why the hell that happened. It upset me then and it upsets me now, because no song this year caught my ear right away like Default did. The stomping, chanting and chopped up vocals are more of an earworm than they should be, and I’ve never quite managed to get it out of my head. Insistently clever lyrics are just an added bonus. I have to hear catchy songs that I hate on the radio all the time, why can’t I hear ones I love? Andrew Baer

 

(from “Coexist” on Young Turks)

 

The content of an artist's second album is rarely reviewed in isolation; fans and critics also judge the distance the artist is placing themselves from their previous release, often with a view to predicting the longevity of their career. Of course, when your debut album was widely regarded as one of the most original albums in recent years (not to mention the winner of a Mercury award), the pressure surrounding the follow-up is all the greater still. And just as the album itself has to deliver, the lead single needs to be something equally as special. Luckily, Angels, the first single from The xx's Coexist, is one of the band's strongest tracks to date. With echoing guitars, sparse drums and a haunting melody, Angels confirms the group's unrivalled ability to create beautiful minimalist music; music that sounds as fresh and unique as anything from their first record. Craig Stevens

 

(from “Kiss” on 604 / Schoolboy / Interscope)

 

Every year, there’s a radio-friendly pop über-hit that even the most hipsterish of the indie cognoscenti have to admit a grudging admiration for. This year, that was Call Me Maybe, but anyone denouncing it as a novelty tune or, even worse, a guilty pleasure (yeuch) is denying themselves one of the most life-affirming and joyous songs of recent years. Its sugar-coated melodies and sing-song vocals are irresistibly catchy and it speaks of experiences we can all relate to – the first flush of lust combined with an almost overwhelming nervousness. Remarkably, given its blanket radio play throughout 2012, Call Me Maybe remains perky and fresh, and to hear it coming from the speakers today is still a ray of sunshine. Who’d have thought pop perfection could come from someone who came third in Season Five of Canadian Idol? Joe Rivers

 

(from “Shields” on Warp Records)

 

No, Yet Again is not your typical Grizzly Bear single. Itʼs sparsely arranged and lacks the dense wall-of-harmony that the band has become synonymous with. However, by eliminating various aspects of their production, the band has successfully found equilibrium. Thereʼs a really keen sense of spacing between each individual instrument in the mix that provides the song with an endearing sense of honesty. For a while, the listener is led to believe that the track hides no secrets—that what is on the surface is exactly what lies beneath. Then, just as you begin to get comfortable in the dreamy, melancholic shell that the band has meticulously woven around you, Yet Again lets out a horrifying gasp and dissolves into a mere whisper of its former self, obliging the listener to immediately hit the Repeat button. Andrew Ciraulo

 

(from “Channel ORANGE” on Def Jam”)

 

Frank Ocean’s impromptu confessional is short on words—two verses and a chorus—but dense with meaning. More than lament his own situation, Ocean highlights genuine dangers of unrequited love and depression by comparing the object of his love to a suicide-inducing “one-man cult,” then calls it “bad religion,” accepted simply because, “I guess it couldn’t hurt me,” only to ultimately reject it. It captures the utter hopelessness that accompanies loneliness and unrequited love, but because the lyrics refer to making “him love me,” also calls for religions to accept the LGBT community. But it’s the sheer honesty in Ocean’s voice, the contrast between the nervous, spoken words and the desperate, antithetical cries that make Bad Religion so moving, capturing both the confusion and hopelessness that accompany such overwhelming loneliness. Throw in beautiful string arrangements and sparse keys and Ocean is daring you to reflect without reaching for a handkerchief. Forrest Cardamenis

 

(from “The Idler Wheel…” on Clean Slate / Epic)

 

Fiona Apple does the opposite of what pop songwriters are supposed to do; her emotional apex is supposed to be the crescendo, the song’s most overwhelming, cathartic moment. But the emotional peak of Every Single Night the quietest part, where her voice is at its most vulnerable: “I just want to feel everything”. Apple’s vocals project an intimacy that stretches the limits of how personal a studio recording can feel. She doesn’t just want to feel everything – she wants you, the listener, to feel everything too. There are subtle cadences and tremolos in every syllable, twisting and turning the emotional force of the song. It’s so much more demanding than most pop songs, and that’s why it’s one of the most powerful songs of the year. Stephen Wragg

 

(from “Fear Fun” on Sub Pop)

 

I would say that I was never much of fan of Fleet Foxes, but Joshua Tillman's spin-off, Father John Misty, really caught my attention this year. The stellar single, Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings, from Fear Fun, was stuck on repeat for about a week straight. The track has all the makings of a melancholy country ballad, but Tillman’s haunting vocals during the chorus will explain why it was seemingly unable to be removed from my stereo. The track is pretty straightforward, relying on heavy reverb and a simple guitar strum over a steady back beat, but Tillman’s croon is what makes it work.  He has a knack for making a tale of despair sound appealing. Carlos Villarreal

 

(from “Channel ORANGE” on Def Jam)

 

“Show; don’t tell.” That’s advice normally reserved for novelists, but Pyramids abides, utilising time-traveling metaphor, entrancing similes, and cross-sensory images to equate an Egyptian queen with a stripper and prostitute with such ambition that it leaves even Purple Rain in the dust. Ocean mixes psych-jazz guitar with jagged synth lines and space-age electro-dance breakdowns that most won’t discover until 2020 in a way that shouldn’t make sense, but instead they let Pyramids achieve the level of abstraction that lets it shine. It’s a song that breaks down expectations of what a song can or should be and succeeds so admirably that tags like “genre-defying” fail to do justice to its multi-artistry genius. Yet, Ocean’s effortlessly affecting croon is the key ingredient, lending such power that you feel Pyramids as much as you think about it. You won’t want these ten minutes back. In fact, you’ll opt to repeat them. Forrest Cardamenis

 

(from “The Haunted Man” on Parlophone)

 

The first single from Natasha Khan’s The Haunted Man feels like beauty personified. Laura is the simplest song from the album and it is also the most effective. The stripped-down, piano only performance lends even more strength to Khan’s gorgeous vocals. The lyrics are nostalgic, melancholy and hopeful at the same time. Lines like, “You’ll be famous for longer than them / Your name is tattooed on every boy’s skin” are defiant and uplifting, with her delivery edging between heartbreak and hope. It’s one of those songs that makes you stop and just listen, so you can experience every exquisite moment. Joe Marvilli

 

(from “Tramp” on Jagjaguwar)

 

I never really listened to Sharon Van Etten before this year. I picked up Tramp because No Ripcord Editor-in-Chief, David Coleman, kept tweeting about it. I didn’t care for it at first, but I kept going back to it. Dave was right; it was excellent. Etten is a wonderful songwriter, and Give Out is an excellent showcase for her talent. It’s about a first encounter with love: she knows she’s going to fall for the man across the room, but she also knows that it will inevitably fall apart. She captures the feeling perfectly, and it makes for a beautiful, bittersweet song. Everyone should listen to Dave, and everyone should hear Give Out. Andrew Baer

 

(from “True EP” on Terrible)

 

A rare phenomenon I experience with exceptional pop music is an overwhelming sense of nostalgia connected to a song – not memory triggers or association with a particular event, but the pure romantic feeling of nostalgia, and I’m blown away by it every time I hear Losing You. The effect is brought to life partly by producer Dev Hynes (aka Lightspeed Champion), emerging from his chillwave forays as Blood Orange with a more emotive, subtle intuition for pop, and his hazy synths and sampled crowd yelps on Losing You make me yearn achingly for something implacable – especially when paired with the song’s gorgeous video. The melody could not be simpler, and the lyrics are a doe-eyed throwback to pop’s heyday – but shimmering beneath it is the evocation of atmosphere, time and place more emotionally ensnaring than a whole book of Polaroids. Stephen Wragg

 

(from “good kid, m.A.A.d city” on Top Dawg / Aftermath / Interscope)

 

Kendrick Lamar's good kid, m.A.A.d city is widely regarded as the finest hip-hop album of 2012. Great hip-hop LPs don't always produce stellar singles, but Swimming Pools (Drank) works just as well in isolation as it does in the context of its cohesive and focused parent album. Alcohol consumption is the theme, as Lamar wrestles with his conscience and elects to "turn it up a notch". The production cleverly evokes aspects of the narrator's intoxication at the 3:40 mark, with woozy sounds and distant, echoing voices, but Lamar's impressive versatility and effortless flow remain the star attraction. A powerful advertisement for one of 2012's finest records. David Coleman

 

(stand-alone single on Universal-Island Records Ltd.)

 

When it came to naming their act, Aluna Francis and George Reid might have been lacking in imagination somewhat. Fortunately though, they were saving their inspiration for the songwriting. Following on from an excellent debut EP, and a whole load of hype, the duo still managed to more than exceed expectations with their second single; a sad yet sinuous bit of sophisticated R&B that sounded like Katy B tackling something more avant-garde, and came with both an exquisitely melancholic earworm of a chorus and a video that was practically perfect in its simplicity. All that, and it was the only track this year to receive the prestigious honour of a perfect score in the No Ripcord Singles Bar column, and if that’s not recommendation enough, I don’t know what is. Mark Davison

 

(from “Swing Lo Magellan” on Domino Records)

 

Taking their unique approach to songwriting, Dirty Projectors have crafted yet another little gem with Gun Has No Trigger, from Swing Lo Magellan. The track has a great soulful, jazzy vibe to it, which builds up to a brilliant chorus that is guaranteed to get lodged between your eardrums. I think I was just a sucker for catchy choruses this year. Like the rest of the album, Gun Has No Trigger takes an unconventional approach to melody. The track makes use of vocals patterns and tempo changes that no other band is really exploring in indie rock, giving the track a fresh and innovated take on pop music. Carlos Villarreal

 

(from “1991 EP” on Polydor/Interscope)

We know what you’re thinking. Get with the program, No Ripcord, 212 was doing the rounds in mid-2011! Be that as it may, but it didn’t see an official release until this year, and it’s testament to its exceptional quality that No Ripcord writers have seen fit to vote it their favourite track of this year. Chances are you remember where you were the first time you heard 212 and although the buzz surrounding Azealia Banks could potentially sully lesser tracks, it remains an exhilarating listen. Built upon Lazy Jay’s Float My Boat, it’s a track in three parts where each section is more intoxicating than the last. First we’re introduced to Banks effortless flow and hilarious, foul-mouthed lyricism, before the middle sector which seems to be constantly ascending and climaxes in a riot of frenetic spitting and threats to anyone who dares to take her on. Rarely has one track announced the arrival of a star so succinctly and expertly. You may be getting sick of seeing Banks on countless magazine covers while her debut album gets steadily more delayed, but whenever you hear it, you remember that 212 is a truly astonishing piece of work. Joe Rivers

 

And that is very much that. Let’s hope 2013 brings such a stellar array of tunes. Feel free to leave your feedback in the Disqus form below.