Hello again.

I hope you all had an awesome holiday break and got plenty of rest/drank heaps NYE/fucked a complete stranger/embarrassed yourself in front of your family at Christmas dinner by turning up on acid… well, maybe I speak for myself with those last few.

So it’s 2012. Yay? Not much has happened yet. Jay Z and Beyoncé had a baby girl. That’s pretty cool I suppose. But Blue Ivy Carter is a fairly ridiculous name. It’s only going to encourage bogans to name their kids equally ridiculous things like Apple, Jazmyne, Peebee and Chance. I suppose their baby can put up with a shitty name for a while as she can easily change it when she’s offered a multi-million dollar record contract in a matter of years.

So before we push forward with 2012 I think it’s time to reflect on the year that was 2011 and the music it offered us. Here’s a few of my favourite albums from last year. Some of them you may know, some you may not. I’m interested to hear what your highlights were too.

 Cheers,

 JP

Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

Instrumental music is not for everyone. It often requires patience and an attention span that eludes your average half-witted commercial radio fan. This being said, Mogwai are not a band for everyone. Nevertheless, those of us who have approached the band with open arms and open ears have continually been rewarded with their output of albums over the past decade or so – and 2011’s Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will was no exception.

With songs that rise up from a whisper of ambient guitar dwindling into colossal walls of distortion fuelled fuzz, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will is an album that deals in dynamics. There’s loud and soft. There’s light and dark. There’s moments of serenity that are pierced by crescendos of layered guitars, bass and drums. It’s music that elicits an emotional response. It’s not just there to make you tap your feet – it’s there to make you feel and think. And that’s why Mogwai are so important.

 SBTRKT – SBTRKT

Dubstep is crap. C’mon, just admit it. It’s a passing fad. A trend. It won’t be long and it will be replaced by the next hip genre. I bet you’re never going to hear a genuine music critic utter, “Oh yes, that was a classic dubstep album”. Some people say that SBTRKT is post-dubstep. I’m not really sure what they mean by that, but, for me personally, SBTRKT’s music and the gurgling vacuum noises of contemporary dubstep are worlds apart. SBTRKT’s debut LP encapsulates something far more powerful and emotive. The UK producer’s richly layered bass music fluctuates between chilled soundscapes and glossy upbeat pop, narrated by hand-picked guest vocalists that fit the mood of the album like a glove (including Sampha and Little Dragon’s Yukimi Nagano). There’s elements of R&B, drum’n’bass, electro and glitch-pop in there but it’s always contorted and twisted in such a manner that it’s not instantly recognisable and familiar. It’s exciting. It’s fresh. And that’s why it’s so damn good.

The Horrors – Skying

 Skying is the album that vanquished any lingering notions that the Horrors were simply gloomy looking goths worshipping at the alter of 60s garage rock. This, their third album, was a game changer. Like the brightly lit Polaroid overlooking an ocean that graces the album’s cover, Skying is an expansive listen. It takes you on a kaleidoscopic journey that dips and weaves between moments of giddy psychedelia (`I Can See Through You’), romantic new wave (`Still Life’) and My Bloody Valentine-esque shoegaze (`Changing the Rain’). There’s an unshakeable feeling of tranquility and freedom too, that was perhaps influenced by The Horrors’ decision to produce it themselves at their own self-built studio in London (whoever said you need a top-shelf producer to get the best results?). They set the bar high with Primary Colours but went above and beyond on Skying, and for that fans of innovative rock should be thankful.

 M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

It must be a gamble being a musician and making a double-album. I imagine it would be a huge feat stretching your ideas out over two discs. And then there are the costs inherent in organising studio time and producers, not to mention the mounting pressure from record labels breathing down necks and looking over shoulders. It sounds like a nightmare, but one that M83’s Anthony Gonzalez must have avoided to create the wistful and uplifting Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.

Never delving into boring or overly self-indulgent territory, M83’s sixth studio album is a monolithic slab of sickly sweet synthpop stretched out over the course of two discs. There’s so much on offer here that it takes a few spins of the album to properly soak up all the aural goodness, from the weeping ballad of `Wait’ through to the buzzing pop hooks of `OK Pal’ and `Midnight City’ (the latter being complete with a smokin’ saxophone solo, making it one of my favourite songs of last year). If you haven’t already picked up a copy of Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming do it right away, throw on a pair of headphones and prepare to be swept away in a sea of synthpop delight.

 Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

This one was a late entry in my favourite albums of last year. I didn’t even really know who Unknown Mortal Orchestra (UMO) were until the Meredith Music Festival last December. It was here that I was coaxed along by a few friends to go see them perform on a balmy summer evening. It was hot and the sun was steadily dropping in the sky. I clutched a beer and made small talk with friends while the band set up onstage. I wasn’t expecting too much. Then, as UMO launched into a set of hazy and nostalgic retro rock, I stopped talking to my friends. My full attention was drawn to the stage. I realised I knew almost every song, having heard them in the office and on the radio but having never stopped to ask who it was. UMO’s performance reeled me in hook, line and sinker. It was a great start to the camping festival for me, and when it was all done and dusted, I raced out and brought a copy of their debut self-titled album. I was not disappointed. It’s full of lo-fi rock `n’ roll that’s riddled with an underlying pop sensibility. It’s honest, stripped-back and full of carefully placed hooks. Just have a listen to `Ffunny Ffriends’ and get back to me when you realise you’ve been humming it for days.

 King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Willoughby’s Beach EP

Here’s another late addition to my favourite albums of last year.  Okay, yeah, I know, this one is not technically an album - it’s an EP. But before you go grilling me over the technicalities of my own blog entry, I’d like to ask you if you’ve even listened to the ridiculously titled King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard before? No? Well, then I get the last laugh because you’re missing out. These guys are all kinds of awesome and so is this EP. Willoughby’s Beach is proof that sometimes keeping it simple is best. This is scuzzy, warts-and-all garage rock that’s doused in psychedelia and wrapped up in surfy, summery goodtime vibes. You don’t have to overthink the Gizzard’s music – you just have to throw your hands up in the air and have a good time.

* bonus points for naming a song `Dustbin Fletcher’ after the Essendon great.