Over the last few years NPR has moved pretty confidently into online music journalism, so not surprisingly they have a Best Albums of 2012 list to post. You can check out the pretty diverse, unranked list below then click here for blurbs and samples.
Ab-Soul – Control System
Alabama Shakes – Boys And Girls
Alisa Weilerstein & Daniel Barenboim – Elgar & Carter Cello Concertos
Alt-J – An Awesome Wave
Andy Stott – Luxury Problems
Astro – Astro
Simon Rattle & The Berlin Philharmonic – Bach: St. Matthew Passion
Bobby Womack – The Bravest Man In The Universe
Bomba Estereo – Elegancia Tropical
Brooklyn Rider – Seven Steps
Cafe Tacvba – El Objeto Antes Llamado Disco
Carla Morrison – Dejenme Llorar
Cat Power – Sun
Cody ChesnuTT – Landing On A Hundred
Dan Deacon – America
Death Grips – NO LOVE DEEP WEB
Debo Band – Debo Band
Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan
Dwight Yoakam – 3 Pears
Exitmusic – Passage
Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel…
Flying Lotus – Until The Quiet Comes
Frank Ocean – Channel Orange
Fun. – Some Nights
Homeboy Sandman – First Of A Living Breed
Iris DeMent – Sing The Delta
Janka Nabay & The Bubu Gang – En Yay Sah
Japandroids – Celebration Rock
Karriem Riggins – Alone Together
Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City
Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music
Leila Josefowicz – Salonen: Violin Concerto
Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas
Matt Ulery – By A Little Light
Meek Mill – Dreamchasers 2
Miguel – Kaleidoscope Dream
Neneh Cherry & The Thing – The Cherry Thing
Now, Now – Threads
Pallbearer – Sorrow And Extinction
Patrick Watson – Adventures In Your Own Backyard
Pink – The Truth About Love
Regina Spektor – What We Saw From The Cheap Seats
San Francisco Symphony/Michael Tilson Thomas – Adams: Harmonielehre/Short Ride In A Fast Machine
Sharon Van Etten – Tramp
Swans – The Seer
Ty Segall – Twins
The Very Best – MTMTMK
Vijay Iyer Trio – Accelerando
Wadada Leo Smith – Ten Freedom Summers
The 2 Bears – Be Strong