As the year draws to a close, I reflect upon the vast amount of music released this year.  While 2012 won’t go down as a landmark year by anyone’s standards, it did see a number of incredibly solid releases.  We saw heartbreaking hiatuses and joy inducing reunions.  Not much truly left an incredible impact on me, but the sheer volume of interesting and worthwhile releases was wonderful, to say the least.  Given only 25 albums to play with, choosing selections for this list was difficult.  Describing them was an even greater endeavor (chore).  So I decided to forgo the use of words, and project my feelings through an internet-folk’s most fluent language: cats.

25. Father John Misty-Fear Fun

Psychedelic folk:

24. Evening Hymns-Spectral Dusk

Indie/folk/country:

23. Lost in the Trees-A Church That Fits Our Needs

Indie:

22. Dweller on the Threshold-Dweller on the Threshold

Lo-fi/folk:

21. Gaza-No Absolutes In Human Suffering

Hardcore/Grind:

20. Abyssal-Denouenment

Death/Black Metal:

19. State Faults-Desolate Peaks

Hardcore/Emo:

18. Narrows- Painted

Hardcore/Metalcore:

17. OM-Advaitic Songs

Psychedelic/Metal:

16. Bosse-de-Nage-III

Black Metal:

15. Fiona Apple-The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do

Indie-pop:

14. Converge-All We Love We Leave Behind

Hardcore/Metalcore:

13. Kayo Dot-Gamma Knife

Progressive Metal:

12. IDYLLS-Farewell All Joy

Hardcore/Grind:

11. mewithoutYou-Ten Stories

Alternative-rock:

10. BATS-The Sleep of Reason

Post-hardcore:

9. Mount Eerie-Ocean Roar

Indie/Experimental:

8. Pile-Dripping

Post-hardcore:

7. The Tallest Man on Earth-There’s No Leaving Now

Indie/Folk:

6. Leech-if we get there one day will you please open the gate

Post-rock:

5. Hop Along-Get Disowned

Indie-rock:

4. Godspeed You! Black Emperor-Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!

Post-rock:

3. Right Away, Great Captain!-Church of the Good Thief

Indie/Folk:

2. Mount Eerie-Clear Moon

Indie/Experimental:

1. Dirty Three-Toward the Low Sun

Instrumental/Post-rock: