Voice Poll

HOW DEEP IS THE OCEAN? To the surprise of absolutely no one who’s been paying attention to the musical conversation in recent months, Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange has run away with the 2012 Village Voice Pazz & Jop Critics Poll, topping his homie Kendrick Lamar. Other critical darlings including Fiona Apple, Tame Impala, Grimes, Beach House, #11 Jack White and #20 Alabama Shakes also racked up the expected votes—and Taylor Swift finally got some acknowledgment, as Red finished #17. The P&J Top 10 is immediately below; you can check out the Top 40 albums here.

1. Frank Ocean, Channel Orange (Def Jam/IDJ)
2. Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d city (Top Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope)
3. Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel… (Epic)
4. Japandroids, Celebration Rock (Polyvinyl)
5. Miguel, Kaleidoscope Dream (RCA)
6. Tame Impala, Lonerism (Modular)
7. Swans, The Seer (Young God)
8. Killer Mike, R.A.P. Music (Williams Street)
9. Grimes, Visions (4AD)
10. Beach House Bloom (Sub Pop)

Miguel double-dipped as Kaleidoscope Dream came in at #5, while “Adorn” was the #2 single, behind only—you guessed it—Carly Rae’s “Call Me Maybe.” Take a gander at the Top 40 singles here. The Voice poll may be a shadow of its former self, but it’s still as close to a definitive snapshot of critical tastes as you can find these days. (1/17a)