NME Magazine
FemaleFirst will cover some of the albums included in the list.
'Blunderbuss', a debut solo album by Jack White was released on April 24. The album was written, recorded and produced entirely by White in 2011. The first single off the album, "Love Interruption" was released on January 30 through White's website and Third Man Records website. The album has done extremely well in various charts, peaking number 1 in Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, UK and in the US. NME says: "His most candid and personal record yet."
NME describes 'Baby' by The Tribes as "Not only an early contender for album of 2012 but a formidable salvo in the guitar rock fightback."
Currently one of the hottest names around, Lana del Rey's 'Born to Die' reached number 1 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Scotland, Switzerland, UK, and has been 2nd in the US charts. Miss del Rey's debut album was released on January 27. So far the album has had three chart-topping singles - 'Video Games', 'Born to Die' and 'Blue Jeans'. 'Summertime Sadness' will be relased as the fourth UK single in June 2012. NME says the album marks "the arrival of a fresh - and refreshingly self-aware sensibility in pop."
Enter Shikari's 'A Flash Flood of Colour' released on January 16, the third studio album by the group has revceived generally positive reviews from music critics. Upon its release, the album was the only other new entry in the UK's top 20 mainstream album chart, the other being from Tribes. In the first week of A Flash Flood of Colour's release in the UK it reached number 1 half-way through the week with over 2,500 copies bought, rivalling Adele, Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran. According to NME, the band responds to the challenge in explosive style to deliver something like their defining statement.
'Visions' by Grimes "drips with instinct, an eerie sixth sense, a stream of consciousness mental state." 'Visions' is the third studio album by Canadian musician Grimes. The album was recorded in Grimes' apartment over a three-week period. The album peaked 8th in UK Indie Albums Chart.
'Given to the Wild', the third studio album by The Maccabees was released on January 6 where it debuted at number six on the UK Albums Chart and number thirty-one on the Irish Album Chart. The album has seen two single releases thus far - 'Pelican' and 'Feel to Follow'. NME gave the long player a score 9/10, adding it's the "band we've loved from start grasp their potential."
The band have said they took inspiration from "disparate musical peers" such as The Stone Roses, Kate Bush and David Bowie during recording of the LP. Singer Orlando Weeks told the NME: "'Given to theWild is the first line on the album was a title idea we had pretty early on."
Check out the Best Albums of 2012 on www.nme.com
Tagged in Enter Shikari The Maccabees Jack White Grimes Lana Del Ray