Fifteen Tracks for 2012 - Part Two

The final part of (some of) my favourite songs of the past year. From tomorrow it's all looking forward as per usual...

Part One can be found here.

7. Woodpecker Wooliams - Sparrow

"It seems someone has really pissed Gemma off, "Sparrow" takes those tired Joanna Newsom comparisons and rips them up with a brutal storm of bleeping electronic drones and god knows what else, pulsating through the oddness and rip-roaring hysteria "Sparrow" is one of the singles of the year". From Sparrow post August 22nd.



6. Wilsen - Dusk

I could spend hours deciding between "Dusk" and "Anahita" and this time I've gone for the former. Dusk" is deliciously sad and unbelievably gorgeous, Tasmin Wilson's ethereal whispers are soft and comforting and remain at the forefront of delicate, stripped back instrumentation throughout where gently picked chord patterns and light brush strokes combine to haunting, heartfelt results.


.
5. Lana Del Rey - Million Dollar Man

A difficult pick to choice just one track from my favourite album of 2012, I've gone with "Million Dollar Man", a song bathed in sleek production which adds a woozy, shimmering ambience along with Grant's siren calls and haunting, immaculate tones. Delicious.



4. Caitlin Rose - Piledriver Waltz

Caitlin Rose covers Alex Turner and turns the indie crooner into an instant country blockbuster, a slow-motion pedal steel groove and Caitlin's effortlessly sophisticated, compelling vocal, as good a cover as you'll hear:



3. Embers - Hollow Cage

Embers mix the epic with the colossal, their best track so far is "Hollow Cage". A ground-breaking seven minute journey beyond comprehension that is truly, truly stunning:



2. The Joy Formidable - Wolf's Law

My personal favourite of the three aperitifs heard from The Joy Formidable's forthcoming second full-length, it's title track (though not on the album) starts with a humble, subtle approach at the outset, with the addition of harp and driving key twinkles it gently, beautifully builds to a rushing crescendo of stadium sized proportions.



1. Young Romance - Follow On Your Own

"One of the main reasons why I still enjoy running a fan-based blog after a couple of years is that you're still capable of finding something new that makes you go "wow"... One such moment happened at the start of last week when I listened to the track "Follow On Your Own" by Young Romance and got that tingling sensation that signals something like 'I've found one'... "Follow On Your Own" is incredible, switching from big and bold choruses with strong drums and fuzzy guitar to pure, sweet pop verses at the flutter on an eyelid, it's instant and incredible." From my Young Romance 'introducing' post on July 13th.