The one thing 2012 didn’t have was a lack of fantastic albums. Whether it was a hyped debut to an emerging band finally releasing it’s finest work, this year had it all. There were so many great albums to choose from, but only five could be nominated.

The 2012 nominees for Best New Album: Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls, Gary Clark, Jr. – Black And Blu, Divine Fits – A Thing Called Divine Fits, The Gaslight Anthem – Handwritten and The Lumineers – The Lumineers.

Things that stand out:  The no-nonsense vocals of Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard.  The inevitable Hendrix comparisons for Gary Clark, Jr.  The clever lyrics throughout A Thing Called Divine Fits. The gritty vocals of Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon on Handwritten. The anthemic quality of The Lumineers’ rootsy breakout hit “Ho Hey.”

You can vote by commenting on BestNewBands.com’s Newbie Awards Facebook posts or responding to BestNewBands.com’s Newbie Awards Tweets on Twitter.  BestNewBands.com will announce the 2012 winners during the week of December 17.

You can check them out below:

Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls

 

Gary Clark Jr. – Blak And Blu

 

Divine Fits – A Thing Called Divine Fits

 

The Gaslight Anthem – Handwritten

 

The Lumineers – The Lumineers

Frank Ocean – Channel Orange