First of all, thank you Red Electrick for providing me with an appropriate title for this article, which is essentially a concise round-up of local musical goings-on that tickled my fancy during the past 12 months. Indeed, much in the fashion that has now consistently fuelled the local scene, 2012 was brimming with impressive releases; albums, EPs, radio singles and music videos.

Also, one mustn’t forget the live scene, which, despite the lack of appropriate venues (let’s be thankful for V-Gen, Rookies and Coach & Horses), continues to thrive, thanks largely to the inventiveness of our local artists in seeking out innovative locations to stage their live events.

In terms of radio singles recorded this year, the list is quite extensive, with a good number of the usual suspects present as well as some interesting newcomers vying for some of the limelight. Of the latter, I took quite a shine to Cryptic Street’s Indecisive – a debut for this young band that has brought them immediate recognition, and with it for sure, some pressure to live up to expectations.

Fellow newcomers Jane Doe gave us two singles, Shivery and SMO, both rather different to the mainstream and to what the band has in store for us in 2013.

There are, of course, several other significant singles, among them The Sylvan Aaron Massacre’s Love this City and Tear (three singles in, I’m hoping for an EP or more in 2013); KOI’s Away, which marks a new chapter in the band’s history; and Finale from Errormantics, a band that I’m really hoping will record more material soon.

Of all the singles, however, (too many to mention), it is Harriet Cohen’s India – which practically came out of nowhere and, accompanied by a music video, demanded our attention without reserve – that tops my list.

I won’t go into too much detail about music videos, mainly because I’d need at least another page to do so. I will, however, drop a few names for you to check out on You Tube; these are all music videos that are remarkable for their technique or concept or both.

The first has got to be Iswed Tnejn Zokkor by Sempliċement tat-Triq, whose fusion of hip hop and the Maltese language is nothing short of incredible. Another name is Loathe, whose Bucketlove was released just last week. The list goes on – Stolen Creep’s Wolves, Alex Alden’s Dancing Alone, Cable35’s Saturated, Duo Blank’s Stars on Mars; really, one should take a look at Toni Sant’s Mużika Mod Ieħor 2012 polls list for more names.

Like music videos, EP releases in particular seem to be gaining ground locally as an interim step for bands to showcase their product effectively prior to going for a full-length album. After much pondering, I felt that the top 3 EPs were The Shh’s The Burning Love, Stolen Creep’s Throw Your Heart to the Sea and Carrie Haber’s Taurus, with Alex Alden’s The Curious Child and the just-released The Busker by Dario Genovese bubbling under.

A final word about the main releases, namely the albums, of which there were many, and several of them rather brilliant too.

I’ve listed my top 5 below, but here are a few other titles that were most definitely among the best the music scene had to offer this year: Martin McNeil & The Dissidents’ self-titled debut, Duo Blank’s Propulsion, Melchior Sultana’s World is History, Toby’s Travelling Without Moving and My Body Fighting.

Happy New Year!

My top 5 albums

1. Stalko – Grandiloquence

What can I say about this album that I haven’t already said? It’s an accomplished body of work that beautifully blends the band’s folk and classical in­fluences with lush arrangements and vocal harmonies that elevate Stal­ko’s songs to a higher state of eloquence that is frankly absolute bliss to listen to.

Grandiloquence is not only my top pick for 2012 but also one of my favourite local releases of all time.

Favourite track: Two

2. Claire Tonna – The Port

Singer-songwriter Claire Tonna’s strongest assets are undoubtedly her voice and her beaming smile, the latter a consistent source of positivity that seems to be an intrinsic part of her very being. Pair these with her simple but emotive songs – boosted on this record by Mario Sammut’s able arrangements – and the result is the essence of what makes The Port such an effectively emotive and timeless album.

Favourite track: Your Mother Said

3. Brikkuni – Trabokk

Brikkuni’s sophomore release is a far more elaborate endeavour than their debut. Its songs clearly point towards a direction that extends beyond the renegade folk that gave them their notoriety. Here, the band has brought a more intricate and contemplative aspect to its songs, in contrast to the more immediate impact demonstrated on the markedly more boisterous Kuntrabanda. The songs on Trabokk require attentive listening to absorb both the lyrics’ importance and the engaging musical textures lurking at their core.

Favourite track: Nixtieq

4. Monobrow Musical Produce – Carpet Clown

Along with Claire Tonna’s The Port, this is the album I found myself turning to the most this past year. Carpet Clown successfully projects a unique ambience inspired as much by Lukas Grech’s acoustic layers as it is by Jorje Bosios’ particular voice.

The arrangements are effective without overpowering the songs, allowing enough space for the melodies (which are rather unique too) to flow seamlessly in and out of the musical backdrop.

Favourite track: Carmen

5. Tribali – The Traveller

Tribali’s third album unveiled the results of a band switched on to all genres. Its varied spectrum of musical elements, stretching from Latin and Ska to folk, dub reggae and psychedelia merged an interesting melee of sounds.

Despite its di­verse characteristics, The Traveller successfully trans­­lates into one co­hesive record that retains Tribali’s world music timbre but takes it to another level.

Favourite track: Yamasai

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