Playa Playa Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 World Eater Jardín has so many great moments too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRF. Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 Loreen's album was nice but LOVE to Blanck Mass tho! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddox Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 I remember you posting abt Jardín in the indieheauxs thread, i'll get around it soon along with Loreen's Tennis' album was cute Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Matter Posted January 9, 2018 Author Share Posted January 9, 2018 3 hours ago, theblackestday said: That Majid Jordan was okay. A Thousand Skies Have you listened to any of their other works? And yes ATS slayed 2 hours ago, Clueless said: Yours Unconditionally is no Ritual in Repeat that's for sure idkher.gif 1 hour ago, Tom Vercetti said: Had a feeling I would see a couple of these albums. Agrih'd on the Majid writeup. Clap! Clap! was distinctive upon first listen. Wish It stayed upon me longer. Wonder if you can guess what's in the next set I can see CC having a bit of staying power for me. The best moments on the album are the ones that are more dissonant and chaotic and I def see myself going back to those tracks in particular. 56 minutes ago, Playa Playa said: World Eater Jardín has so many great moments too. WE really scalped me on first listen And agree with Jardin 39 minutes ago, TRF. said: Loreen's album was nice but LOVE to Blanck Mass tho! This part is lowkey confusing me lmao but I think you mean you love BM in which same 1 minute ago, Maddox said: I remember you posting abt Jardín in the indieheauxs thread, i'll get around it soon along with Loreen's Tennis' album was cute Yass make sure to check them both out. Hopefully you like the rec'd tracks I posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Matter Posted January 9, 2018 Author Share Posted January 9, 2018 4 hours ago, Pink Matter said: Top 50 Best Albums of 2017 Albums 25-21 25) Majid Jordan|The Space Between Genre: Alt. R&B All of these people and all of their names All of this love and all this disdain All of these seasons and all of this change Dreaming of my paradise The sophomore slump is a road that every artist has to cross at some point in there career and if they fail to release a great, well-received project (or at least one that's considered better than their debut album), it can mess up the trajectory there career was going in. In my opinion, MJ managed to top their debut with ease. To many, the sounds on their recent LP and debut have a lot of similarities that make it seem like they haven't taken any steps to evolve their sound. I think that's due to the fact that people think an evolution in an artists music has to be something that's stark and completely distinct when that's not really the case. From the hard, sharp, and edgy moments on their debut, it seems they've been able to smooth out the edges on The Space Between while keeping the ambiance and dance-flavored moments they're known for. Moreover, Jordan Ullman, the producer of the group was also able to add retro and futuristic touches to the album, as shown by the 90's throwback Gave Your Love Away and the Daft Punk-inspired Not Ashamed that helped the give the album some kick too. All the way through, this album is a ride that is perfectly seamless (almost every track leads into the next) with the added bonus of each track being album to stand on its own. Nothing but great vibes Listen to: Not Ashamed, You 24) Tennis|Yours Unconditionally Genre: Indie Pop My emotions, they are blinding This is one night I can't go on surviving Tell me one truth worth confiding Baby, don't you know that my love is binding This album is the definition of cute! And by cute, I don't mean cute in a flippant way like "oh this is a cute song " and then disregarding it entirely. From the vocals offered by Alaina and the '70's pop style production provided by her husband Patrick, this was such a breezy album to listen to. It's sprightly, contains great melodies, and has an essence of being carefree that belies being full of emotions, introspection, and care. On In The Morning I'll Be Better, Alaina sings about giving comfort to her man in his hour of need; on Ladies Don't Play Guitars, she sings about the way her sex has shaped the things she can strive for. Ultimately, this is a rather comforting record because in the process of analyzing herself and her experiences, Alaina feels happy knowing that despite feelings of doubt, she's still choosing to live in the way in which she chooses to define herself. I think that's an important thing everyone should realize because life will throw curveballs at us all the time and it'll be up to us to stand firm in what we believe in. Listen to: Ladies Don't Play Guitar, Baby Don't Believe 23) Gabriel Garzón-Montano|Jardín Genre: R&B, Neo-Soul Sweet mami why thy whisper songs of the good life Sits in a field and sows a quilt down the moonlight The pink sky, the blue of the night and blackberry becomes the rain Sweet mami why thy whisper songs of the good life This is an album that has surprised me a lot. Spanish Zaddy's Gabriel's debut was released at the top of 2017 (1/27 to be exact) and yet I found myself, and still do find myself, coming back to this record, enjoying it the same way I did almost a year ago. And I think a lot of that is due to the personality that's bursting out of this album. It's quite charming! His vocal's and his performance throughout the album is very reminiscent of D'Angelo (and I know that's a rather bold claim to make) mixed with a bit of Anderson Paak, but he has a sound that's all his own. He's calm and playful. He's thoughtful, yearning, and lively. The album is exuberant and it fills me with energy during each listen. There's a sense of funk, that's mixed with elements of R&B and live instrumentation that gives the album a timeless feel. I feel I like I could be watching Gabriel perform this live and get more out of it than if I were to simply listen to it on my phone or computer. Much like Daniel Caesar's Freudian, or Mali Music's The Transition of Mali, it's always refreshing to listen to an R&B artist that doesn't fall into the indiscernible muddy synth category of "alternative R&B" as a way of compensating for a lack of something, whatever that something may be. Listen to: Sour Mango, My Balloon 22) Clap! Clap!|A Thousand Skies Genre: UK Bass, Electronic So basically, take what I said about Mura Masa's s/t, multiply it by about 10, and that's how I feel about this album! In a year where I was disinterested in the electronic music that I listened to prior, A Thousand Skies was a breath of fresh air. Dynamic, creative, dissonant, energetic, there are so many words I can use to describe this album but simply put it's a journey. I think the general use of instruments (many being traditional African instruments too) being blended with the electronic and ambient production is probably my favorite thing about this album because it varies in so many ways. For instance, Elephant Serenade's use of horns works to mimic an elephant's trunk blowing while there are backing synths and drums that help to add to the soundscape on this track in particular. In Oriens.Oriri, the listener is met with claps, chimes, and chants that evoke a sense of wonder and fascination. Every song in particular feels self-contained and has it's own story to tell. Moreover, I feel at home listening to this album. Many of the instruments that are used on this album, and the way they are used remind of the instruments that are/were played every Sunday at the church I used to go to (and still go to from time to time), invoking a sense of nostalgia in me Listen to: Oriens.Oriri, Elephant Serenade 21) Loreen|Ride Genre: Dream Pop And I would die for you Take down the sky I would Rockets would fly you to the moon But I would die for you I would Don't you love it when you happen upon new music by chance and it exceeds your expectations? That's how I feel/felt about Loreen and her most recent effort. Giving '71 Charger a listen for the first time, I was stunned. Throughout the song, and on many of the songs on the album, there are hints of electronic/ambient stylings that work to elevate Loreen's voice instead of subduing it. This causes her voice to sound even more powerful than it actually does and helps to illustrate the things she singing about more vividly. Altogether, this made the album very easy to listen to. At 9-tracks long, it was quite the breeze to get through. I love her voice, I love the production, and I love what she has to say and how she's saying. Nothing more for me to say. Listen to: Fire Blue, Love Me America Quoting this onto the next page so people see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiss It Better Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 I don't know any of these either I should try out to listen to some of these because I think we got similar taste Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Matter Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 35 minutes ago, Kiss It Better said: I don't know any of these either I should try out to listen to some of these because I think we got similar taste You should I think from this past set, Gabriel and Majid Jordan will be right up your alley. Loreen too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TayRianaPH Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Was Majid Jordan that one in the Drake song? Only listened to Loreen so far, and it slayed me, a solid 9/10 Feel free to comment on my best of too hun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Matter Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 1 hour ago, TayRianaPH said: Was Majid Jordan that one in the Drake song? Only listened to Loreen so far, and it slayed me, a solid 9/10 Feel free to comment on my best of too hun Yep, they were on HOWGH! They co-wrote and co-produced it as well You should check out some of their material if you have the time. Glad you liked the Loreen album! And just did OT: If you haven't commented yet please do so Spoiler @Kang. @DangerousSwiftie @theblackestday @ultraviolence.xx @Eeveelution @Same Ol' Mistakes @Pacaveli @Love Drought @Maddox @Tom Vercetti @Mark Rih @Unoriginal @Lucas32 @Vxspertine @jose168 @Zay @Wicked @Phoenixstar @MP2K @Kiss It Better @Lazuli @montrealxo @Reinvention @rvx @madonnas @TRF. @volition @Navyofbadgals @Playa Playa @TayRianaPH @Clueless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wicked Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 I have never heard a Loreen song in my life I need to get on that, I guess. Clap Clap was cute, so was Jardin & Tennis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazuli Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 idk any of these will be waiting for the next set! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Matter Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 56 minutes ago, Wicked said: I have never heard a Loreen song in my life I need to get on that, I guess. Clap Clap was cute, so was Jardin & Tennis. Well she was a Eurovision contest back in 2012, released her debut in 2013 and then went MIA for a lil bit so no one would hold it against you for not hearing any of her songs 32 minutes ago, DangerousSwiftie said: Don’t know many of these tbh 9 minutes ago, Lazuli said: idk any of these will be waiting for the next set! Check out whichever genres pique your interests y'all I posted a few song rec's so people could get acquainted more easily with my choices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Drought Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Majid Jordan and Tennis are pretty good albums. I still haven't listened to Loreen properly but I do like 71 Charger. Jardin is one of my top ten favourite albums of 2017 . It's like D'Angelo meets Genuine meets Anderson Paak but more funk and sort of jazzy influences. I still haven't listened to his work prior to Jardin except for 6 8 but that was more out of curiosity since Drake sampled him in Jungle. I'm really curious about your top 20 cause I really expected Jardin to make it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Matter Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 7 hours ago, Love Drought said: Majid Jordan and Tennis are pretty good albums. I still haven't listened to Loreen properly but I do like 71 Charger. Jardin is one of my top ten favourite albums of 2017 . It's like D'Angelo meets Genuine meets Anderson Paak but more funk and sort of jazzy influences. I still haven't listened to his work prior to Jardin except for 6 8 but that was more out of curiosity since Drake sampled him in Jungle. I'm really curious about your top 20 cause I really expected Jardin to make it I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way Yeah Gabriel's music definitely has some groove to it I haven't listened to Bishoune all that much (I do intend to give it more listens) but 6 8 is probably the best song there. And Gabriel was close but as time passed a lot more good material came out that bumped him out of my top 20 And the next sets coming right up OT: Next set coming in a minute. Stay tuned! Spoiler @Kang. @DangerousSwiftie @theblackestday @ultraviolence.xx @Eeveelution @Same Ol' Mistakes @Pacaveli @Love Drought @Maddox @Tom Vercetti @Mark Rih @Unoriginal @Lucas32 @Vxspertine @jose168 @Zay @Wicked @Phoenixstar @MP2K @Kiss It Better @Lazuli @montrealxo @Reinvention @rvx @madonnas @TRF. @volition @Navyofbadgals @Playa Playa @TayRianaPH @Clueless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Matter Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 Top 50 Best Albums of 2017 Albums 20-16 20) LCD Soundsystem|American Dream Genre: Dance Punk, New Wave I ain't seen anyone for days I still have yet to leave the bedIt's impossible Feeling safe with it nowI'm impossibleGetting used to it now So this has been a recurring theme for me throughout my countdown, but American Dream was my first real taste of LCD Soundsystem. I knew of the slay that was Dance Yrself Clean but I never delved further into This Is Happening or any of their past work. With the release of the dual singles call the police and american dream and with their comeback album on the horizon, I figured now was as good a time as any to try and get into them. And I'm glad I did. I found this to be one of the most rewarding listens of 2017 because at first, the sound was pretty difficult to get into. At first, the use of drums and percussion instruments threw me off, because it along with the synths utilized created this frenzied and manic sound that was pervasive throughout most of the record. Oddly enough, that's what I love most about the album. And I feel the lyrics on the album sort of go along with the style of production used. The lyrics aren't necessarily manic or frenzied themselves but there's a feeling of confusion and distress, which I suppose is normal for a man who's dealing with a mid-life crisis. Taking this album for what is, and not seeking to compare this to their previous albums, this is a great piece of work! Listen to: i used to, change yr mind, tonite 19) Chaz Bundick Meets The Mattson 2|Star Stuff Genre: Psychedelic Pop, Jazz Fusion Everybody goes through it, tooDon't just think its only for youUpset over what has been doneDon't you blame yourself I love it when artists collaborate with other musicians. So long as the artists are able to get along and work together, I find these interactions are conducive for creating great bodies of work. Moreover, I believe there are big perks to collaborating with other artists, one such perk being you're able to get people who know what they're doing to help bring your vision to fruition. If you decide to do everything yourself when your incapable of doing so, you'll wind up with a Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven of sorts (still love you Cudder ). Thankfully, with Star Stuff, that was not the case. Upon seeking the help of the twin brothers known as The Mattson 2, Chaz (aka Toro y Moi) was able to create quite the lucid and chaotic experience. As a matter of fact, not only did this album provide me with great psychedelic vibes (as well as solid solos that remind me of the ones performed in the jam sessions I've been to) to kick back to, there were also moments of introspection, thoughtfulness, and recounts of events that occurred in his life (JBS, Star Stuff, Don't Blame Yourself). With all of the other songs being instrumentals, one was given the choice of either letting their own thoughts run free or take the time to be as pensive as Chaz. A great listen for whatever type of mood you're in. Listen to: JBS, Steve Pink, Disco Kid 18) King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard|Flying Microtonal Banana Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Garage Rock Look into the sky and see the patternReflecting in your eye from a distance Mirroring the stars are the atomsMixing up like a cocktail In regards to the albums I've listened to this year and the ones that made my countdown in particular, I don't think any album has made me feel the same way I feel about this one. No other album in 2017 (that I've listened to at least) has been able to pull off this rough, seedy, and squalid atmosphere or even attempted it. It's dirty, yet calm and breezy, and the fact that there's none like it makes me like this album even more because it adds to the albums charm and uniqueness. Altogether it's just plain bizarre, as the album sways from mellow rock tunes, to full on energetic rock performances, with flute-like (apparently it's called a zurna) playing interspersed throughout the entire album and vocal performances and lyrics to match. A captivating listen, through and through. Listen to: Open Water, Billabong Valley, Doom City 17) Vince Staples|Big Fish Theory Genre: West Coast Hip-Hop, Hip House It's funny I was going crazy not too long ago Women problems every morning like the Maury show Swimming upstream while I'm tryna keep my bread From the sharks make me wanna put the hammer to my head I'm just loving the fact that Vince isn't boxing himself into using one style of production to rap over. Which actually goes along with a theory I've seen for the title of the album, Big Fish Theory, which is basically about how certain fish seem to grow to fit the size of the tank they live in. This can connect to how we grow to the limits our environment allows us to grow to and because of our potential as people, we can grow even more if we're given the tools to do so. Whether this is true or not (Vince himself has not stated what the meaning of the title is), there is some merit to the idea and some tracks (Crabs In A Bucket, Big Fish, Homage) as well as the overall sound corroborate this. So it's not completely unfounded. I like the contrast with the loud, noisy, and energetic beats and his monotone voice and style of rapping. 745 bangs hard af but he raps as if he hasn't a care in the world. Lyrically, he's as great as ever and he makes great use of those collaborating with him on this album (love the use of Kilo Kish on here, Juicy J gave Big Fish some mo' bounce, Kendrick ****ing snapped on Yeah Right, etc.). Overall, it's just great to see young rappers like Vince taking risks and pushing the boundaries of the genres they're a part of. Listen to: Love Can Be..., 745, SAMO 16) BROCKHAMPTON|Saturation II Genre: Hip-Hop, Pop Rap "Why you always rap about bein' gay?" 'Cause not enough n*ggas rap and be gay Where I come from, n*ggas get called "f*ggot" and killed So I'ma get head from a n*gga right here And they can come and cut my hand off and, and my legs off and And I'ma still be a boss 'til my head gone, yeah Man, when I tell y'all this album took me the **** out on my first listen So a bit of backstory: I initially wasn't planning to get on board the hype train for BH because I watched a review from some guys, whose opinion I hold highly, for Saturation that ultimately left me underwhelmed (I know you're supposed to form your own opinions on music and not have others tell you things and blahblahblahblahblah). So come time for Saturation II to be released, I'm seeing a whole bunch of hype for it and I'm like "mhmm okay whatevs ". But seeing as I was on the lookout for some new music to listen to, I decided to give them a shot. Needless to say, they blew me away from the very beginning and the quality of the muisc didn't let up until I got to FIGHT, all whole 10 (not including SCENE/2) tracks later. Almost everything about this project was on point, from the bars, to the flows, to the production, this was certainly a solid and entertaining listen. After getting through the album on my first listen, I could see exactly why they were making waves. The music is great (it's got the right amount of fun sprinkled with serious moments) and the idea of a bunch of random people getting together to create music is wonderful to see and for it to be done in such a successful way makes it all the more special. With great performances from everyone involved that discuss a wide range of topics, as they normally do, as well as amazing highs and consistency not found on either Saturation or Sat. III, this made for one of my favorite rap albums this year, and my favorite BH album so far. Listen to: GUMMY, SWAMP, TOKYO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Matter Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 Album recap (20-16): Spoiler 16) BROCKHAMPTON|Saturation II 17) Vince Staples|Big Fish Theory 18) King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard|Flying Microtonal Banana 19) Chaz Bundick Meets The Mattson 2|Star Stuff 20) LCD Soundsystem|American Dream 21) Loreen|Ride 22) Clap! Clap!|A Thousand Skies 23) Gabriel Garzón-Montano|Jardín 24) Tennis|Yours Unconditionally 25) Majid Jordan|The Space Between 26) Alex Cameron|Forced Witness 27) Ibeyi|Ash 28) Blanck Mass|World Eater 29) Yellow Days|Is Everything Okay In Your World? 30) Cherry Glazerr|Apocalipstick 31) Beck|Colors 32) Priests|Nothing Feels Natural 33) Mali Music|The Transition of Mali 34) Sabrina Claudio|About Time 35) Terrace Martin Presents The Pollyseeds|Sounds of Crenshaw Vol. 1 36) Snoh Aalegra|FEELS 37) Charlotte Gainsbourg|Rest 38) Foxygen|Hang 39) Father John Misty|Pure Comedy 40) Ronika|Lose My Cool 41) Daniel Caesar|Freudian 42) dvsn|Morning After 43) Oxbow|Thin Black Duke 44) Thundercat|Drunk 45) Why?|Moh Lhean 46) Lil' Uzi Vert|Luv Is Rage 2 47) Aminé|Good For You 48) Mura Masa|s/t 49) Susanne Sundfør|Music For People In Trouble 50) Gorillaz|Humanz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glassmouth Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 TENNIS! YAAAAS STAN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Rih Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 (edited) The Space Between I decided to check it out after hearing OG (thanks to Tom countdown) and GYLA (thanks to this countdown!), love it. Edited January 10, 2018 by Mark Rih Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATRL Moderator Unoriginal Posted January 10, 2018 ATRL Moderator Share Posted January 10, 2018 I'm such a flop for not having listened to any of these The song lengths on American Dream scared me away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theblackestday Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Vince is too low but yes for American Dream and King Gizzard's best 2017 release Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Matter Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 23 minutes ago, Glassmouth said: TENNIS! YAAAAS STAN The slayage of their vids, ablooms, and eps this year was tew much 15 minutes ago, Mark Rih said: The Space Between I decided to check it out after hearing OG (thanks to Tom countdown) and GYLA (thanks to this countdown!), love it. Hey king. Glad you liked it 7 minutes ago, Unoriginal said: I'm such a flop for not having listened to any of these The song lengths on American Dream scared me away Check out the rec's when you have the time And I think you'll enjoy American Dream despite the song lengths. Only one track imo feels too long (black screen) and that's the final track too. 4 minutes ago, theblackestday said: Vince is too low but yes for American Dream and King Gizzard's best 2017 release Vince's album had a few duds but overall it was great addition to his discog. And stan for AD and FMB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Matter Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 33 minutes ago, Pink Matter said: Top 50 Best Albums of 2017 Albums 20-16 20) LCD Soundsystem|American Dream Genre: Dance Punk, New Wave I ain't seen anyone for days I still have yet to leave the bedIt's impossible Feeling safe with it nowI'm impossibleGetting used to it now So this has been a recurring theme for me throughout my countdown, but American Dream was my first real taste of LCD Soundsystem. I knew of the slay that was Dance Yrself Clean but I never delved further into This Is Happening or any of their past work. With the release of the dual singles call the police and american dream and with their comeback album on the horizon, I figured now was as good a time as any to try and get into them. And I'm glad I did. I found this to be one of the most rewarding listens of 2017 because at first, the sound was pretty difficult to get into. At first, the use of drums and percussion instruments threw me off, because it along with the synths utilized created this frenzied and manic sound that was pervasive throughout most of the record. Oddly enough, that's what I love most about the album. And I feel the lyrics on the album sort of go along with the style of production used. The lyrics aren't necessarily manic or frenzied themselves but there's a feeling of confusion and distress, which I suppose is normal for a man who's dealing with a mid-life crisis. Taking this album for what is, and not seeking to compare this to their previous albums, this is a great piece of work! Listen to: i used to, change yr mind, tonite 19) Chaz Bundick Meets The Mattson 2|Star Stuff Genre: Psychedelic Pop, Jazz Fusion Everybody goes through it, tooDon't just think its only for youUpset over what has been doneDon't you blame yourself I love it when artists collaborate with other musicians. So long as the artists are able to get along and work together, I find these interactions are conducive for creating great bodies of work. Moreover, I believe there are big perks to collaborating with other artists, one such perk being you're able to get people who know what they're doing to help bring your vision to fruition. If you decide to do everything yourself when your incapable of doing so, you'll wind up with a Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven of sorts (still love you Cudder ). Thankfully, with Star Stuff, that was not the case. Upon seeking the help of the twin brothers known as The Mattson 2, Chaz (aka Toro y Moi) was able to create quite the lucid and chaotic experience. As a matter of fact, not only did this album provide me with great psychedelic vibes (as well as solid solos that remind me of the ones performed in the jam sessions I've been to) to kick back to, there were also moments of introspection, thoughtfulness, and recounts of events that occurred in his life (JBS, Star Stuff, Don't Blame Yourself). With all of the other songs being instrumentals, one was given the choice of either letting their own thoughts run free or take the time to be as pensive as Chaz. A great listen for whatever type of mood you're in. Listen to: JBS, Steve Pink, Disco Kid 18) King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard|Flying Microtonal Banana Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Garage Rock Look into the sky and see the patternReflecting in your eye from a distance Mirroring the stars are the atomsMixing up like a cocktail In regards to the albums I've listened to this year and the ones that made my countdown in particular, I don't think any album has made me feel the same way I feel about this one. No other album in 2017 (that I've listened to at least) has been able to pull off this rough, seedy, and squalid atmosphere or even attempted it. It's dirty, yet calm and breezy, and the fact that there's none like it makes me like this album even more because it adds to the albums charm and uniqueness. Altogether it's just plain bizarre, as the album sways from mellow rock tunes, to full on energetic rock performances, with flute-like (apparently it's called a zurna) playing interspersed throughout the entire album and vocal performances and lyrics to match. A captivating listen, through and through. Listen to: Open Water, Billabong Valley, Doom City 17) Vince Staples|Big Fish Theory Genre: West Coast Hip-Hop, Hip House It's funny I was going crazy not too long ago Women problems every morning like the Maury show Swimming upstream while I'm tryna keep my bread From the sharks make me wanna put the hammer to my head I'm just loving the fact that Vince isn't boxing himself into using one style of production to rap over. Which actually goes along with a theory I've seen for the title of the album, Big Fish Theory, which is basically about how certain fish seem to grow to fit the size of the tank they live in. This can connect to how we grow to the limits our environment allows us to grow to and because of our potential as people, we can grow even more if we're given the tools to do so. Whether this is true or not (Vince himself has not stated what the meaning of the title is), there is some merit to the idea and some tracks (Crabs In A Bucket, Big Fish, Homage) as well as the overall sound corroborate this. So it's not completely unfounded. I like the contrast with the loud, noisy, and energetic beats and his monotone voice and style of rapping. 745 bangs hard af but he raps as if he hasn't a care in the world. Lyrically, he's as great as ever and he makes great use of those collaborating with him on this album (love the use of Kilo Kish on here, Juicy J gave Big Fish some mo' bounce, Kendrick ****ing snapped on Yeah Right, etc.). Overall, it's just great to see young rappers like Vince taking risks and pushing the boundaries of the genres they're a part of. Listen to: Love Can Be..., 745, SAMO 16) BROCKHAMPTON|Saturation II Genre: Hip-Hop, Pop Rap "Why you always rap about bein' gay?" 'Cause not enough n*ggas rap and be gay Where I come from, n*ggas get called "f*ggot" and killed So I'ma get head from a n*gga right here And they can come and cut my hand off and, and my legs off and And I'ma still be a boss 'til my head gone, yeah Man, when I tell y'all this album took me the **** out on my first listen So a bit of backstory: I initially wasn't planning to get on board the hype train for BH because I watched a review from some guys, whose opinion I hold highly, for Saturation that ultimately left me underwhelmed (I know you're supposed to form your own opinions on music and not have others tell you things and blahblahblahblahblah). So come time for Saturation II to be released, I'm seeing a whole bunch of hype for it and I'm like "mhmm okay whatevs ". But seeing as I was on the lookout for some new music to listen to, I decided to give them a shot. Needless to say, they blew me away from the very beginning and the quality of the muisc didn't let up until I got to FIGHT, all whole 10 (not including SCENE/2) tracks later. Almost everything about this project was on point, from the bars, to the flows, to the production, this was certainly a solid and entertaining listen. After getting through the album on my first listen, I could see exactly why they were making waves. The music is great (it's got the right amount of fun sprinkled with serious moments) and the idea of a bunch of random people getting together to create music is wonderful to see and for it to be done in such a successful way makes it all the more special. With great performances from everyone involved that discuss a wide range of topics, as they normally do, as well as amazing highs and consistency not found on either Saturation or Sat. III, this made for one of my favorite rap albums this year, and my favorite BH album so far. Listen to: GUMMY, SWAMP, TOKYO Bumping to the next page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theblackestday Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 1 minute ago, Pink Matter said: Vince's album had a few duds but overall it was great addition to his discog. And stan for AD and FMB I'll let it slide it because you listed 3 of the 4 best songs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vxspertine Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Brocklegends and Vince Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Matter Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 2 minutes ago, theblackestday said: I'll let it slide it because you listed 3 of the 4 best songs The fourth being in my top 15 sings of 2017, yes? 1 minute ago, Vxspertine said: Brocklegends and Vince Both slayed 2017 hard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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