Song for song, if not album by album, 2012 has been a pretty good year. Lots of faves were back, Regina, Fiona, Titus, Public Enemy, and some new faves joined in. Killer Mike had a great year, fun., G-Dragon. When I do my monthly recap of the year I tend to not really write about the songs, so here is a preview of Decembers list. In descending order of course.
10. Run Till Its Dark – Public Enemy – Despite miscalling the Presidential Election, this is a masterful piece of statistic bashing agit prop with the family feud reference making it so much more relevant
9. Girl Next Door – Claire's Diary – More agit prop with a killer solo and riot-grrrl redux lyric by two of three Care Bear's all grown up and willing to bring it to another level.
8. Crayon – G-Dragon – Electro-pop swagga's and rap, throws in sound effects on top of synths on top of beats and adds a tag to beat all tags: "Why so serious". Turned me right round on K-Pop. A hugely significant song.
7. If That Ain't Love – Iris Dement – This song is perfection: the rolling church like piano, the down home twangy voice and the deeply felt deeply healing words: "Daddy loved the smell of the hills…"
6. Honolulu Blues – Craig Finn – A Christian song the way Three Days, not to mention Tim McGraw, couldn't dream of. It is a song of faith that converts because it is a wide open nightmare of dream, Craig deserves the "the cross reminds us he died for me and you" line. He takes you on a trip that makes it so much more than a cliche.
5. The Old Grey Hat – Jack Phillips – Absolutely timeless rag time about standing up for yourself and taking pride in yourself and maintaining your integrity at all costs. And yeah, that's the lyric but it is also the song. It sounds like what it is. The solo is… I am running out of superlatives.
4. Still Life With Hot Deuce On A Plate – Titus Andronicus – There are four songs I could chose from the album to place in my top ten, this is just what I am listening to right this minute. The break, which works like another song interrupting and I could listen to for an hour or so, "takes it to another level" which isn't necessary at all.
3. R.A.P. Music – Killer Mike – "I've never really had a religious experience in a religious place, the closest I've ever come to seeing God is listening to rap music". Off the best rap album by the best rap live act of 2012.
2. Bulletproof Pride – K'Naan, Bono – This is the great anthem of 2012, the entire chorus is just a perfect pleasure to sing along and to raise your voice with. The rest of the album is nothing much, but this is the way big songs, stuff like U2's "Please", are. The emotions are very subjective but the emotions are rousing.
1. Am I That Lonely Tonight – Justin Townes Earle – "That I don't know?" From the first line where he is listening to his pop on the radio as he drives aimlessly and aimlessly wonders if he has simply had enough., this is a softly heartbreaking song with winding horns blowing softly and a feather light drum plus a timorous and tender self portrait: "I thought I'd be a better man". From a great, great album