Best Of 2012: #7

#7 - Hitchcock - Running From The Sane

If there was a list of my top debut albums this year, this one would be the winner. The other six albums in my oh-so-exciting countdown are all from well-established bands. So this one must have done well! Released right at the start of January, it's been a long time coming (think I first found the band around 2009). Luckily for my lazy self, I've already written a full review of this album, and this is what I concluded: "This album was definitely worth the wait. It is packed full of electronic pop masterpieces with massive choruses designed to get you going and feel like singing along. However, as I've also mentioned, the album is way, way too long - it can start to feel like a chore listening to it - Blind Side and Ghosts are the weak points in my opinion, the former ruining the flow of the album and the other one not really playing to their strengths, at least not for long as the song quickly gets a little boring and repetitive. I admit that on their own, they can stand up well for themselves, but this is the album I'm reviewing, and I feel that they've slipped past the cutting board when they shouldn't have. I also feel that the album's order isn't quite right, what with some of their greater, more energetic tracks turning up towards the end, when some maybe should have been put near the start but it's not gone horribly wrong and doesn't detract from the enjoying of the album. Although all that sounds negative, this album is genuinely great. The eleven tracks that would remain if I was let loose on cutting the album together are all huge songs that are very impressive for a band that remain complete unknowns to the general public. Try it if you like this sort of music, I'll be amazed if you don't find at least one track that gets into your head. Hitchcock really have potential to be massive, as they've already proven their skills with the music." I maintain that the length and order of the album are an issue, but it is the only issue. The music is genuinely faultless. Unfortunately, I've considered all aspects of the album. Oh well, #7 ain't bad! And almost a full twelve months after its release, it still gets regular plays.

RECOMMEND: Don't Give Up, Cuban Heels, Never Said A Word
LOW POINTS: Blind Side, Ghosts