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My Top 10 Albums and Songs of 2012

It’s that time of year, my friends! Countdowns galore have already been found all over the internet for peoples’ favorite stuff of the year, and typically I contribute a top 10 list of my own of some sort. This year’s list of favorite albums was actually much harder to put in order than last year’s (hence the week long delay). Last year my order of favorites was pretty clear-cut; this year the top 4 were actually really hard to rank in relation to each other because they’re all just SO dang good! So to keep myself from continuing to overthink it I just decided to post it and tell you to take the actual rankings with a grain of salt for #1-4; these are all records that I would highly recommend you listen to. I added my top 10 songs now as well, if nothing else at least go listen to some of those, they’ve all gotten a lot of plays from me this year and resonated with me on a very deep level. Enjoy!

#10: Tenth Avenue North, The Struggle

#9: Enfield, Rock of Ages (Live At Resolved 2012)

#8: Mike Mains & the Branches: Home

#7: Paper Route, The Peace of Wild Things

#6: Anberlin, Vital

#5: House of Heroes, Cold Hard Want

#4: David Crowder*Band, Give Us Rest

#3: The Classic Crime, Phoenix

#2: Andrew Peterson, Light For the Lost Boy

#1: Audrey Assad, Heart

I kept it off the top 10 since it’s technically not a full length album but my favorite EP of the year was also absolutely amazing and deserves a mention on this post:

The Digital Age: Rehearsals

Top 10 Songs of 2012:
#1. “Don’t You Want To Thank Someone” by Andrew Peterson
#2. “Oh Great God, Give Us Rest” by David Crowder*Band
#3. “Blessed Are the Ones” by Audrey Assad
#4. “Dead Rose” by The Classic Crime
#5. “All the Poor and Powerless” (All Sons & Daughters cover) by The Digital Age
#6. “Other Side” by Anberlin
#7. “Lament” by Audrey Assad
#8. “Worn” by Tenth Avenue North
#9. “Out My Way” by House of Heroes
#10. “Glass Heart Hymn” by Paper Route

2013
01/07
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Mike Mains & The Branches – “Home” Review


(Re)Released June 5, 2012

Any band that’s friends with House of Heroes and Abandon Kansas has to be good, right? The first I ever heard of Mike Mains & The Branches (MMTB) was actually from news bits I kept seeing about the three bands playing a show together recently, then a friend of mine who had recently looked them up showed them to me, and almost immediately afterwards, the rerelease of their album Home came out. Buying it was pretty much a no-brainer, and it’s a purchase I haven’t regretted in the slightest. MMTB boast a unique and instantly likable indie rock sound that permeates every track- it’s fun, catchy, and meatier than what I’m used to hearing from indie rock bands. Mike Mains’ vocals are especially distinct, but that’s not to say that the whole band doesn’t also offer up a rock solid performance. “Miracle” and “Stereo” are instantly likable with their big hooks and thoughtful lyrics, while “Drifter” and especially the beautiful “Emma Ruth” display a slower and more contemplative side to the band. Most of the album is just a blast though with more catchy tracks like “Stop the Car” and the fantastic closer, “Matches.” If you’re into indie rock music even a little bit, I seriously can’t recommend this album to you highly enough.

Top Highlights: “Matches,” “Stereo,” “Miracle”

2012
09/07
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7 Great Albums You Might Have Missed This Year

As in any other year, far too much great music has been released only to be largely overlooked by the masses, so with that in mind I just had to share some of those albums I’ve so enjoyed but have gotten so little attention. So here are 7 of those fantastic and underappreciated 2012-released albums you might have missed. Click on the album covers to listen to them on Spotify, unless the album isn’t on Spotify, in which case I linked it to a place you can listen to samples at least. If you’re interested in reading my review of the album, click on the album title. Please give some of these records a listen. Seriously, I doubt you’ll regret it. 🙂


Phoenix by The Classic Crime
Possibly my favorite album to come out this year, although a few have given it some tough competition. Every song on this fan-funded record is just so good! I’ve had it for over a month and I’m still thrilled every time I listen to it. If you like rock music, you have to go listen to this album. Favorite song: “Glass Houses”


Heart by Audrey Assad
This album is beautiful. There really isn’t a better word to describe it, at least from my experience of the music. Audrey’s songwriting is stunning, as are her compelling vocals and piano playing. Please, for the love of good music, give Heart a listen! Favorite song: “Blessed Are the Ones”


Cold Hard Want by House of Heroes
My most anticipated album of the year for sure. I have to say it didn’t disappoint- House of Heroes delivered more of the insanely tight and catchy rock music they’ve always excelled in, and the performance is absolutely top-notch. A deeply passionate and completely enjoyable rock record for sure. Favorite song: “Out My Way”


Light for the Lost Boy by Andrew Peterson
This album is a true work of art. I’ve only been able to listen to it a couple times (it was taken off of Spotify! So I quickly ordered a CD and it’s on the way) but I can already tell it’s going to be on my top 10 list at the end of the year. Favorite song: “Rest Easy”


Home by Mike Mains & the Branches
This one caught my by surprise this summer. I don’t normally listen to a lot of true indie rock, but wow, Mike Mains & the Branches know how to deliver some fun indie tunes. Mike’s vocals are distinctly unique, the the album as a whole is just such a pleasure to listen to. Favorite song: “Matches”


Rock of Ages: Live at Resolved 2012 by Enfield
Recorded live at the Resolved conference in Palm Springs, CA this past June (which I attended), this album does what Enfield’s studio recordings have sometimes failed to do in terms of capturing solid full band performances of their songs that aren’t overpowered by strings. Their fresh arrangements of classic hymns are fantastic, and their incredible God-given talents shine through brilliantly on this recording. Favorite Song: “The Church’s One Foundation”


Homemade Worship by Handmade People by Rend Collective Experiment
This fine group of talented Northern Irish musicians released their second album this year, and I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered it. Their brand of worship music is rock solid and musically creative and full. If you’re looking for some great worship music that has great lyrics without sacrificing musical integrity, definitely give this album a shot. Favorite song: “Desert Soul”

2012
09/05
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Enfield – “Rock of Ages” Review

Released August 14, 2012

Attending the Resolved conference in Palm Springs, CA this past June and hearing Enfield lead worship for a few days was more than enough to get me excited for the release of a live album from them. They just so happened to record the worship times live at Resolved this year, and the brand new live album Rock of Ages is the resulting release. Their intricate and fresh renditions of classic hymns, especially the ones from their first Hymn Sessions album, are simply excellent, so to have some of those songs in live recorded form is a real treat. Rock of Ages captures their live worship vibe quite well, with arrangements that aren’t so heavy on strings (like some of their studio recordings) and feature the whole band much more evenly in the mixes. The members of Enfield are all dynamic and skilled musicians, and that comes through about as strongly as do the fantastic Scripture-inspired lyrics. The new recordings of “Lead On, O King Eternal,” “Jesus Shall Reign,” and “And Can It Be?” are much better than the band’s studio recordings of the songs, giving them a fresher and more dynamic feel. Some of the album’s brightest tracks are definitely “The Church’s One Foundation,” “No Other Savior,” and the title track, all of which haven’t been recorded by the band before. Every song features a sound that hints at a modern worship style but is nonetheless true to Enfield’s indie rock sensibilities, and the result is a much more inspired sound than you typically hear in modern worship music. Whether you’re new to Enfield or you already have all of their albums, Rock of Ages is definitely worth purchasing.

Song Highlights: “The Church’s One Foundation,” “Rock of Ages,” “Lead On, O King Eternal”

Buy It: Enfieldband.com

2012
09/03
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Free To Struggle


“Hallelujah! We are free to struggle.”

This lyric from the title track of Tenth Avenue North’s new album The Struggle has been relentlessly ringing through my head for the past few days. The struggle with sin wears me out and disheartens me to the core at times. Sometimes it feels like a losing battle, and what a battle it is! I’ve been struck, though, by the awesome message of this song: our struggle with sin is a freedom as well as yet another expression of God’s grace in our lives. Here’s 3 reasons why:

1) We become more like Christ. Through our struggles, God sanctifies us to make us more like Christ, and what a joy that is for us to see in our lives!

2) We learn to be ever more dependent on God. The more I experience my weakness and frailty, the more I seem to cry out to God and trust in Him. “‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus” indeed!

3) We are affirmed in our salvation. This is the part that’s been encouraging me the most lately. If I wasn’t a child of God, I would still be caught up in my sin and I wouldn’t even care. The fact that there is a struggle at all is a reminder to me that I am indeed God’s child, that I belong to Him, and that there is ever more grace for me when I fall.

Thanks Tenth Avenue North for the encouragement!

“Hallelujah! We are free to struggle; we’re not struggling to be free. Your blood bought and makes us children. Children drop your chains and sing!”

2012
08/21
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