Baltimore’s Beach House continue to impress with each and every release. This year’s Bloom might be their best yet. It’s definitely my personal favorite from the duo and one my top 10 favorite albums of 2012, which makes it incredibly difficult to pick one favorite. Bloom is one of those records you can listen to start to finish, over and over again. “Myth” was my first taste of Bloom and it’s an incredible leadoff track. “Lazulli” is simply magical…or what I like to describe as “Legend of Zelda” meets dream pop. Ultimately, I have to go with “On the Sea”. Now this is just me, but this song makes me happy and nostalgic. Whenever I listen, I can’t help but take trips down memory lane. I also really love the “Rainbow Connection”-esque piano in the beginning, and how it delicately builds and builds, but never really bursts.
♩ Beach House – On the Sea [from Bloom]
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I’ve been a fan of Brooklyn’s Yellow Ostrich for a couple of years now and I love what these guys are doing. They have such a cool and authentic sound, simply calling them indie rock doesn’t do them justice. The band had a big year. The band’s biggest highlight this year was the release of Strange Land — an impressive, and surprisingly sophisticated, guitar-heavy pop record. And along with touring extensively all year, the band also found time to release a great EP — Ghost. If you haven’t given Yellow Ostrich a proper listen, you’re missing out.
♩ Yellow Ostrich – Marathon Runner [from Strange Land]
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It comes as no surprise to those that know me, or read this here blog, that I am a big fan of The Antlers. They released a full-length, Burst Apart, and an EP, (together), last year. I figured they’d take this year off, God knows they deserve it. Lucky for me, and the rest of the fans, the band surprised us with a fantastic new EP, Undersea.
♩ The Antlers – Drift Drive [from Undersea]
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