It’s not been an easy task narrowing the Scottish albums of 2012 down to a mere 40 – though don’t I always say that? To be honest, going up to 50 would be pushing it… there are a few what might be deemed ‘obvious’ omissions, but I can only go on what I’ve heard (i.e. been sent) and unless something seems really special I’ll tend not to hunt it out – life’s too short, money’s too tight to mention, and as you can see from the list below there’s plenty of other stuff to hear around!

So, without further ado, in the humble opinion of the staff writers (ahem) at jockrock.org, these are the top 40 albums recorded by Scottish artists (or on Scots labels) in 2012… the precise order is quite arbitrary in places, but there’s no doubt that the number 1 was always a dead cert pretty much as soon as it was announced…

1. The Unwinding Hours – Afterlives (Chemikal Underground)

2. Flutes – Flutes (self-released – www.uptheflutes.com)
3. Lonely Tourist – I Live Where You Are (Tourist Info)
4. Trapped Mice – Winter Sun (Armellodie)
5. We Are The Physics – Your Friend, The Atom (Fake DIY)
6. The Grand Gestures  – The Grand Gestures (Chute)
7. The Plimptons  – Are Cynical and Bloated (16 Ohm)
8. Meursault – Something For The Weakened – Song, By Toad
9. RM Hubbert – 13 Lost and Found (Chemikal Underground)
10. Frog Pocket – Frog and The Volcano (Mouth Moth)

11. The Twilight Sad – No-one Can Ever Know (FatCat)
12. Human Don’t Be Angry – Human Don’t Be Angry (Full Time Hobby)
13. Calamateur = The Quiet In The Land (Autoclave)
14. Admiral Fallow – Tree Bursts In Snow (Nettwerk)
15. The Douglas Firs – The Furious Sound (Armellodie)

16. The Magnetic North – Orkney: Symphony of the Magnetic North (Domino)
17. Arran Arctic – Like Lovers (arranartic.co.uk)
18. Remember Remember – The Mixening (Rock Action)
19. Yusuf Azak – Go Native (Song, By Toad)
20. Errors – New Relics (Rock Action)

21. Jesus H Foxx – Endless Knocking (Song, By Toad)
22. Chris Devotion & The Expectations – Amalgamation & Capital (Armelodie)
23. Jo Mango – Murmurnation (Olive Grove)
24. Sunbutler – Sunbutler (American Patchwork)
25. St Deluxe – Born Into Flame (Poppydisc)

26. Owen Mcaulay – Time (sans-culottes)
27. Lucky Luke – Travelling For a Living (Chaffinch)
28. Various Artists – Some Songs Side-By-Side – Stereo/Watts of Goodwill/ RE:PEATER
29. Warren McIntyre & The Starry Skies – Ask The Animals (Mecca Holding Co)
30. Sacre Noir – Sinking Into Darkness (Savage)
31. Just Joans – Buckfast Bottles In the Rand (WeePop)
32. Iglomat – Super Complication (KFM)
33. Roy Moller & Sporting Hero – The Singing’s Getting Better (Mecca Holding Co)
34. Battery Face – Addams Family Values (Electropapknit / Dirty Beard Monthly)
35. A Band Called Quinn – Red Light Means Go (Tromolo)
36. Stanley Odd – Reject (Handsome Tramp)
37. Snide Rhythms – Snide Rhythms (The Bonjour Branch)
38. Paul Vickers and Friends – Nest of Knickers (SL)
39. Adrian Crowley – I See Three Birds Flying (Chemikal Underground)
40. Francois and the Atlas Mountains – E Volo Love – (Domino)

I assume you’re in total agreement with these? If not then comment below, or drop us an emailwith your choice – not saying we’ll do anything about it mind…

And here’s a Spotify playlist for selected tues from most of the top 20…