Top Albums of 2012: Numbers 7, 6, and 5

Another day; another post. I know I’m getting down to the wire with this one – good thing I’m not a professional. Here we have numbers 5-7 of my favorites. Wish me luck on having better timing with the next post.

7. Trespassing by Adam Lambert

            Lambert was boosted into the public eye after appearing on American Idol. Unfortunately, when you’re on Idol, you’re rushed to make your first album so that the public doesn’t have time to forget who you are. Because of this rushing, Lambert’s first album didn’t represent him as well as it could have. For his sophomore album, Lambert took his time, was much more involved in the writing of the album. He also drew from the wealth of experiences he’s had with Idol, recording his first album, and touring; as a result, Trespassing is a much more cohesive body of work. He went for a sound that was more Pop than his first album and added a bit of Funk. My favorite songs include the title track, which is upbeat with tongue in cheek lyrics; a song funny about that one friend who parties too hard, is entitled ‘Kickin’ In’; and last but not least ‘Outlaws Of Love’, a vulnerable song about prejudice against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered individuals.

6. Perfectly Imperfect by Elle Varner

            Originally, the R&B singer’s debut was farther down my list but when I listened to it again I found a new favorite song off the album so I bumped it up. I found Varner’s music when I was trolling the new releases on iTunes. I ended up listening to ‘Only Wanna Give It To You’ and her cover of Miguel’s ‘All I Want Is You’. I liked the song well enough but I was enamored with the cover so I had my eye on Ms. Varner. When ‘Refill’ first came out I was put off by the use of a fiddle in it because I’m pretty biased against Country music. Now I want to commend Varner for stepping outside the box and for mixing two genres that I wouldn’t have thought to put together – especially as a newcomer, that kind of experimentation takes guts. The risk paid off in my opinion. ‘Stop The Clock’ and ‘So Fly’ are my favorite songs that haven’t already been mentioned. In ‘So Fly’, Varner starts out telling us all of her complaints about her body and wishes to be perfect but by the end of the song she’s changed her tune and I think it’s so clever and very powerful.

5. The M.F. Life by Melanie Fiona

            Ms. Fiona has a beautiful voice with so much soul that she can sing a song that someone else wrote with such conviction that you believe that she is singing from experience. Fiona’s debut album was a bit shaky, but it did the job of getting her name out there and showcasing her vocal ability. With her sophomore album you see so much artistic growth; “The M.F. Life” is a cohesive body of work, the songs are well written, and Fiona proves that she can hold her own alongside industry heavyweights such as Nas and Snoop Dogg.  My favorite songs are ‘Bones’, a clever and unique but slightly creepy love song; ‘4AM’, a late night/early morning lament about an unfaithful lover; and ‘Wrong Side Of A Love Song’, a song in which the heartbreaker has a lover who turns the tables on them and leaves them all alone.

Never Close Our Eyes by Adam Lambert

Refill by Elle Varner                                  

4AM by Melanie Fiona

            We’re getting closer and closer to revealing my pick for Top Album of 2012. Do you have any guesses as to what it might be? Are any albums that you think I should have on my list? Don’t be shy!

Comment responsibly,

Nico Black