Scott B. Bomar's 40 Favorite Albums of 2012

It seems 2012 was one of the small handful of years that I compiled a list but never distributed it because I didn't have time to come up with any comments or reviews. I like to explain myself, after all. It's tempting to just come up with comments now to make this more interesting than a simple list, but I think it might be hard to try to replicate my four-years-ago self. Plus, I'd be tempted to reshuffle some of these choices with the benefit of hindsight, so I think it's best to just reveal the list here publicly for the first time and let it stand on its own. First, however, I'm dropping a Spotify playlist (like it's hot) with most of the albums included:






And the winners are...



1. Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls (ATO Records)



2. The Lumineers – The Lumineers (Dualtone)



3. Iris Dement – Sing the Delta (Flariella Records)



4. Carolina Chocolate Drops – Leaving Eden (Nonesuch)



5. Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale – Buddy & Jim (New West)



6. Amadou and Mariam – Folila (Nonesuch)



7. Avett Brothers – The Carpenter (American)



8. Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball (Columbia)



9. JD McPherson – Signs & Signifiers (Rounder)



10. Anais Mitchell – Young Man in America (Wilderland Records)



11. The Little Willies – For the Good Times (Milking Bull / EMI)



12. Corb Lund – Cabin Fever (New West)



13. Punch Brothers – Who’s Feeling Young Now? (Nonesuch)



14. John Fullbright – From the Ground Up (Blue Dirt Records)



15. Miguel – Kaleidoscope Dream (RCA)



16. Bob Dylan – Tempest (Columbia)



17. Malcolm Holcombe – Down the River (Gypsyeyes Music)



18. Old Crow Medicine Show – Carry Me Back (ATO Records)



19. Hiss Golden Messenger – Poor Moon (Tompkins Square)



20. Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas (Columbia)



21. Kelly Hogan – I Like to Keep Myself in Pain (Anti Records)



22. The Stray Birds – The Stray Birds (Self)



23. Frank Ocean – Channel Orange (Def Jam)



24. 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 (Epic)  



25. Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson – Wreck & Ruin (Sugar Hill)



26. Jamey Johnson – Living For a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran (Mercury Nashville)



27. Grizzly Bear – Shields (Warp)



28. Shawn Colvin – All Fall Down (Nonesuch)



29. Justin Townes Earle – Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now (Bloodshot)



30. Ryan Bingham – Tomorrowland (Axster Bingham)



31. Sara Watkins – Sun Midnight Sun (Nonesuch)



32. First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar (Wichita)



33. Ray Wylie Hubbard – The Grifter’s Hymnal (Bordello Records)



34. Dwight Yoakam – 3 Pears (Warner Music Nashville)



35. Ani Difranco – Which Side Are You On? (Righteous Babe)



36. Tift Merritt – Traveling Alone (Yep Roc)



37. Bobby Womack – The Bravest Man in the Universe (XL Recordings)



38. Shovels and Rope – O’ Be Joyful (Dualtone)



39. Gretchen Peters – Hello Cruel World (101 Distribution)



40. Darrell Scott – Long Ride Home (Full Light)