Dom Posted December 30, 2018 Posted December 30, 2018 yasss at robyn and honey, such a good piece of work, whew. we stan.
theblackestday Posted December 30, 2018 Posted December 30, 2018 Best Of is dying, maybe I won when I dump posted everything before its doomsday The ATRL heauxs are paying harutoshura dust, this is rock musica at its finest "but when Missy Elliot delivers her Borderline guest verse as though threatened at gunpoint" the accuracy though, her verse sounds like it was recorded and mixed via potato, but otherwise the song is a cute bop Stan Pharrellegend. The title track is really SOTY huh and Kids See Ghosts Gowns for the other two
Sbbmsve Posted December 30, 2018 Posted December 30, 2018 SOPHIE and Yves at top 20 Quote as well as the “Come on a Cone” songstress are serviceable enough, but when Missy Elliot delivers her Borderline guest verse as though threatened at gunpoint you realise that Ari is really just best on her own. Scream Lil’ arianators were threatened by Sweetener but it is a great pop album. Your track picks are the T. The thing with No Shame is I forgot to put it on my list I loved that album, it is like her most personal material. When you read about her stalker and what went down in her life you get that why she made No Shame. Quote ridiculous group-chat turned house bop Beach2K20 (that was an EXPERIMENTAL record). SPEAK ON IT. Ever Again is a 4th wall breaking BOP. Honey is worth the 8 year wait
ATRL Moderator madonnas Posted December 30, 2018 ATRL Moderator Posted December 30, 2018 I like the part on Borderline where Missy Elliott says "wish you would chew on me like fresh grapes" but thats the only part of her feature I like. It's only 8 bars and super auto-pilot. Beach 2k20 is in Robyn's top 20 songs ever. I really wish I enjoyed No Shame more but I only liked 3 and Trigger Bang. It's just too chill for me.
Vilppu Posted December 30, 2018 Posted December 30, 2018 you rec'd me the haru album ages ago but i only listened a week or two ago, i should trust you more sweetener grew old v quickly for me but it's def a good direction for her, pls no more imagine or whatever that garbaj was called love lily's lyrics, they're clever AND emotive, i feel like barely anyone can rly do both well at the same time but musically, i miss her old material a lot. i agree it had a lot of filler but the high points were way more satisfying than anything on no shape robyn... i just don't get her n but all the songs listed as points are v strong KSG i love ofc and you summed it up nicely also i can't argue with the hope in suffering's lyrics x
Remmy Posted December 30, 2018 Posted December 30, 2018 #14-11 are all fine, I'm not in love with them as a whole but they have some solid material I can pick out from the tracklist - moreso from Sweetener and Honey, which I'd consider half killer half filler, while No Shame and Kids See Ghosts have less standouts. God is a woman, no tears left to cry, Higher, Pushing Up Daisies, Honey and Feel the Love in your standouts But oh you're on #TeamPharrell? Can't relate
Jorge Posted December 31, 2018 Posted December 31, 2018 Sweetener (Check out my countdown in Best Of 2018 ? )
volition Posted December 31, 2018 Posted December 31, 2018 I agree that No Shame is underrated (tho it does have a feww awful tracks), but you forgot Three in your highlights x
-mUsIcLoVeR- Posted December 31, 2018 Posted December 31, 2018 YAS at Lily and Ariana (especially Lily. Love to see you love Trigger Bang. One of the album's best, definitely) 15 hours ago, Eeveelution said: Hide contents Sophie Allison is Nashville's finest MC. Now, I'm educated
World Eater Posted December 31, 2018 Posted December 31, 2018 Snoozy Mommy? No Pulse? Kids Hear Nuthn? Love the rest tho! Miss Nemuri really snapped, it was indeed a pleasant surprise.
Eeveelution Posted December 31, 2018 Author Posted December 31, 2018 10 // haley heynderickx - i need to start a garden indie folk, singer/songwriter Unfortunately, you all paid Haley dust in the songs countdown. It was expected, such is the life of the Only Folk Fan on ATRL, but I hope at least someone will give this album a try. Haley is a deft songwriter, with lyrics that are well thought-out and detailed, while never being too self-serious; the deity she imagines in Untitled God Song has knockoff coach bags and a penchant for retro Nintendo games. The album’s instrumentation is no less impressive, Haley’s fingerstyle guitar crafts shuffling melodies that dance around her lyrics like the critters that plague her in The Bug Collector. Meanwhile, percussion and piano that conjures rustling leaves interrupts the slowcore’d guitar riffs of Show You a Body to excellent effect. Much like any great debut, I Need to Start a Garden cements Haley as a unique talent, but there is still a lot of room for growth. I don’t think that 2018 was her year but who knows, maybe in 2021 we’ll all be little bug chasers. points: no face, the bug collector, Jo, show you a body, untitled God song 09 // kimbra - primal heart art pop, electropop, synthpop After a series of consistently strong singles, I went in expecting Primal Heart to be Kimbra’s best album and I was not disappointed. Kimbra reins things in here so that she channels three genres per song instead of five, and it results in her most cohesive and streamlined record yet. There’s still lots of fun experimentation here though, like last year’s Top of the world which works far better than a white girl channeling Yeezus has any right to. More subtle moments, like the ambient-pop-soul ballad Version of Me and the reflective Past Love are equally successful and further showcase Ms. Lee Johnson’s newfound restraint. The lukewarm Pitchfork review essentially damned her to be ignored by the music press, but at least this album helped get her fanbase of pretentious art gays just a little bit bigger. points: top of the world, past love, lightyears, like they do on the tv 08 // kero kero bonito - time 'n' place twee pop, synthpop Time 'n’ Place, the sophomore album by Kero Kero Bonito, capped off what was a banner year for the band. Honestly, while I enjoyed Bonito Generation, they always felt like aldi-brand PC music offshoots to me so this drastic switch in sound was much appreciated. The band take all the classic sounds used by self-serious indie bands, but bring a sense of levity with lyricism that is fun and doesn’t try to act any deeper than it is. That said, the sonic shift comes with lyrical subjects that are more mature and at times more sombre than their debut, albeit with that kooky KKB charm. I like the way that Sarah and co have pretty obvious lyrical themes, but not necessarily ones often covered by pop music. I mean, you could write another song about how some ****boy broke your heart, but why not make a bop about the wonders of the town dump? points: outside, time today, only acting, rest stop 07 // u.s. girls - in a poem unlimited psychedelic pop, art pop In a Poem Unlimited was an album that I never really considered as one of the best of 2018. But throughout the year, as albums grew off me, I found myself drawn back to this. There are so many things to love here: the mechanical groove of Incidental Boogie, the hypnogogic bop M.A.H., the acidic funk kiss-off L-over, the Kylie Minogue remixed in year 3,000 expedition of the title track. Though In a Poem Unlimited is obviously a political album, Ms. Girls is a creative enough songwriter so that her themes are unique and never too heavy-handed. The bleak message of Pearly Gates, in which men’s abuse of their power extends even up to heaven’s gates, has completely escaped some apparently. Most of all, In a Poem Unlimited succeeds in that it blends Remy’s many disparate influences to create something that sounds completely unique, and yes, one of the best albums of the year. points: rosebud, incidental boogie, l-over 06 // let's eat grandma - i'm all ears electropop, synthpop, art pop The sophomore effort from Let’s Eat Grandma was a glow-up if I ever heard one. Who knew that two middle class white girls from Norwich could snap this hard? The experimentation of their twisted, often unpredictable pop songs is balanced with some nonsensical, abstract lyrics about orchid minds and misplaced receipts, as well as vocals that are almost like a parody of the “indie girl voice”. This all means that the album sounds like some friends who are just having a good time making music they love, rather than consciously trying to make something progressive. In spite or all the experimentation, the album plays seamlessly as a cohesive project: A a gorgeous little piano ballad like Ava slots in perfectly in between two 10-minute post-rock epics. I’m All Ears is a wild ride, and a reminder that left-field music can still be a lot of fun. points: donnie darko, falling into me, cool & collected, ava
Eeveelution Posted December 31, 2018 Author Posted December 31, 2018 OK so I'm gonna reveal all the top 10 real quick before 2019. Get ready ladies xxx On 12/30/2018 at 3:57 PM, Superpower said: Honey, best female album of the year, did that. Hopefully her next album doesn’t come in 2026. I cackled at “come on a cone songstress” No one says that, but yes, I hope she releases sooner next time On 12/30/2018 at 4:20 PM, Dom said: yasss at robyn and honey, such a good piece of work, whew. we stan. We do! On 12/30/2018 at 4:28 PM, theblackestday said: Best Of is dying, maybe I won when I dump posted everything before its doomsday The ATRL heauxs are paying harutoshura dust, this is rock musica at its finest "but when Missy Elliot delivers her Borderline guest verse as though threatened at gunpoint" the accuracy though, her verse sounds like it was recorded and mixed via potato, but otherwise the song is a cute bop Stan Pharrellegend. The title track is really SOTY huh and Kids See Ghosts Gowns for the other two Maybe your best of was too ahead of its time... Ikr, the shameless xenophobia... I love borderline production, but great gowns for missy... On 12/30/2018 at 5:05 PM, Sbbmsve said: SOPHIE and Yves at top 20 Scream Lil’ arianators were threatened by Sweetener but it is a great pop album. Your track picks are the T. The thing with No Shame is I forgot to put it on my list I loved that album, it is like her most personal material. When you read about her stalker and what went down in her life you get that why she made No Shame. SPEAK ON IT. Ever Again is a 4th wall breaking BOP. Honey is worth the 8 year wait Poor Lily, everyone forgot her it seems. Ever Again has been punching me lately On 12/30/2018 at 5:31 PM, madonnas said: I like the part on Borderline where Missy Elliott says "wish you would chew on me like fresh grapes" but thats the only part of her feature I like. It's only 8 bars and super auto-pilot. Beach 2k20 is in Robyn's top 20 songs ever. I really wish I enjoyed No Shame more but I only liked 3 and Trigger Bang. It's just too chill for me. That line is hilarious dd, wish the rest of the verse was that good. I can't think of 20 better Robyn songs so maybe you're right. 23 hours ago, Vilppu said: you rec'd me the haru album ages ago but i only listened a week or two ago, i should trust you more sweetener grew old v quickly for me but it's def a good direction for her, pls no more imagine or whatever that garbaj was called love lily's lyrics, they're clever AND emotive, i feel like barely anyone can rly do both well at the same time but musically, i miss her old material a lot. i agree it had a lot of filler but the high points were way more satisfying than anything on no shape robyn... i just don't get her n but all the songs listed as points are v strong KSG i love ofc and you summed it up nicely also i can't argue with the hope in suffering's lyrics x You should trust me xx With an album like Alright, Still, you have six songs better than anything on NS and then the other six are worse dd. Her second album has her best song Everyone's At It but there are some duds too. 18 hours ago, Remmy said: #14-11 are all fine, I'm not in love with them as a whole but they have some solid material I can pick out from the tracklist - moreso from Sweetener and Honey, which I'd consider half killer half filler, while No Shame and Kids See Ghosts have less standouts. God is a woman, no tears left to cry, Higher, Pushing Up Daisies, Honey and Feel the Love in your standouts But oh you're on #TeamPharrell? Can't relate Yes, I'm on the winning team 17 hours ago, Jorge said: Sweetener (Check out my countdown in Best Of 2018 ? ) Will so x 14 hours ago, volition said: I agree that No Shame is underrated (tho it does have a feww awful tracks), but you forgot Three in your highlights x where where are they Three is a cute girl. 10 hours ago, -mUsIcLoVeR- said: YAS at Lily and Ariana (especially Lily. Love to see you love Trigger Bang. One of the album's best, definitely) Now, I'm educated She snapped on trigger bang 3 hours ago, World Eater said: Snoozy Mommy? No Pulse? Kids Hear Nuthn? Love the rest tho! Miss Nemuri really snapped, it was indeed a pleasant surprise. The mixed reviews
ATRL Moderator madonnas Posted December 31, 2018 ATRL Moderator Posted December 31, 2018 I'm surprised you included Primal Heart this high. Your highlights are pretty good on it, besides Past Love. I wanted to like the album more tbh, but I still love Kimbra and think she's unappreciated. Time n Place and LEG are also higher than I expected!! Still don't get how TT is your fave from it though, that's a choice. I'm glad there are more Donnie Darko stans here, I thought I was alone
Blue Rose Posted December 31, 2018 Posted December 31, 2018 12 minutes ago, Eeveelution said: the Only Folk Fan on ATRL, The lies The lies The lies OT: Lets Eat Godma
Eeveelution Posted December 31, 2018 Author Posted December 31, 2018 (edited) 05 // tirzah - devotion alternative r&b, experimental On Devotion, avant-garde artist Tirzah and childhood friend Micachu strip back the pop and r&b song to their most basic elements; Gladly is a lo-fi daydream of a love song, Holding On is garageband house, while Say When is the skeleton of a singer-songwriter ballad. These songs sometimes sound unfinished, like scratch takes collecting dust in a hard drive of some more famous and successful artist, but honestly for me that’s part of the album’s charm. There’s something enchanting about hearing Tirzah’s imperfect, estuary-tinged voice and her basic lyrics about love and heartbreak. I get the feeling that there was more care and effort put into this album though, there’s no way a melody as flawless as that of Reach Hi could have been an accident. Tirzah is clearly someone with a lot of talent (don’t), and someone who understands that you don’t always need high concepts or glossy production to make a great album: you just need some damn good songs. points: gladly, fine again, holding on, say when, reach hi 04 // kacey musgraves - golden hour singer-songwriter, country pop I’ve said this before, but people often call Kacey’s music “country for people who hate country”. It’s easy to see why, she writes pop songs about her acid trips and guest judges on Drag Race in her spare time. These things make her somewhat controversial to staunch country music fans and gatekeepers of the genre. Crucially though, it also provides her with the mass appeal that helped make Golden Hour such a success. Kacey is very comfortable with the full on yee haw rodeo country of Velvet Elvis and Lonely Weekend. However, she is also willing to step outside of her comfort zone on songs like the vocodered dream pop of Oh What a World, and even goes full on Nashville drag bar on the infectious glittery bop to end all infectious glittery bops, High Horse. The glue that ties this all together is Kacey’s masterful songwriting, which is obviously very personal but still covers themes universal enough for us all to relate to, fomos and yee haw fans alike. points: slow burn, high horse, golden hour, velvet elvis 03 // kali uchis - isolation contemporary r&b, neo-soul I saw potential in Kali with last summer’s Tyrant, but honestly I expected her to be a flash in the pan. She proved me wrong obviously, and Isolation is everything I could have wanted from her. Kali’s influences run the gamut across various eras of soul and R&B so that the 14 songs here don’t quite seem of their time. There’s really something here for everyone: Opener Body Language entrances the listener with delicate bossa nova, Kali contemplates the drawbacks of a capitalist society on the delectable banger Your Teeth In My Neck, we going to Español on the Reykon assisted Nuestra Planeta, while she channels the spirit of Amy Winehouse on the doo-wop bop Feel Like a Fool. Despite what some may say, she serves vocals throughout, and her personal, often blunt lyrics keep the star-studded roster of producers from stealing the show. There were many exceptional debuts in 2018, but there’s no doubt that Isolation was the best of ‘em. points: flight 22, your teeth in my neck, in my dreams, feel like a fool 02 // beach house - 7 dream pop, neo-psychedelia Somehow, Beach House keep finding new ways to revitalize their signature dream pop sound. 7 is at once a massive leap for the band and the exact same as all their other records. Victoria still exhales her verses effortlessly, the tempos are sluggish as ever, everything here is suitably “dreamy”. However, the band are now more willing to tiptoe out of their confort zone, fully embracing elements of psychedelia and shoegaze that previous albums had always hinted at. There are these weird little things you wouldn’t expect to hear on a beach house album, like a riff lifted straight from a 90s indie song, or a synth-line that you could almost imagine hearing on the radio. This all manages to come together as something that will satisfy longtime fans like myself, as well as possibly convincing some skeptics. In conclusion: Victoria and Alex have done it again and stomped on the indieheauxs necks. Am I putting it here because they have solidified themselves as one of the most consistently excellent bands of the 10s? is it because I’m a delusional stan? Maybe it’s a little bit of both. points: lemon glow, pay no mind, last ride, drunk in LA, girl of the year 01 // mitski - be the cowboy art pop, indie rock On Be the Cowboy, Mitski wisely sidesteps a lot of the things that Puberty 2 did so well, choosing to venture slightly from her signature indie rock. Notably, she switched up her songwriting style. Wary of being typecast as a “confessional” singer-songwriter she chose instead to write a series of vignettes detailing various characters: on the stunning, ahead-of-its-time A Horse Named Cold Air she’s an aged racehorse that can no longer run “like the wind”, on the less stunning but no less excellently written Me and My Husband she’s a devoted housewife tied to her man for eternity. I don’t think I could name a better-written album this year, or in the past couple years honestly. Highlights like Nobody and Why Didn’t You Stop Me? capture feelings that we all have had in a way that is so dead-on and so brilliantly put that it’s just like… professional ****. Obviously, the songs here are short, so short that I was sceptical about this before release. However, Mitski puts more ideas into a single song than many artists can come up with for their entire albums; she makes it seem like everyone else has been doing it wrong this whole time. Would Geyser’s sudden burst of noise have as much impact if the song were stretched to 4 minutes? Would a line like “nobody ****s me like me” catch you off-guard if it was a part of some protracted verse? Not 40 seconds into Blue Light, the jangly guitars that introduced the song have dissolved into a sea of dreamy ambiance and it feels right. It feels like Mitski knows exactly what she’s doing. points: geyser, why didn’t you stop me, a pearl, pink in the night, a horse named cold air, washing machine heart, blue light Edited December 31, 2018 by Eeveelution
ATRL Moderator Tsareena Posted December 31, 2018 ATRL Moderator Posted December 31, 2018 kimbra in top 10 we stan... past love/ light years are my faves time n place was just alright for me iapu AN ALBUM I'm all ears... whew falling into me is such a highlight... love it ahhh tirzah , golden hour, isolation... be the cowboy being your aoty... we stan!!!
Eeveelution Posted December 31, 2018 Author Posted December 31, 2018 (edited) Well it's over. Thanks to everyone who followed this and kept commenting even during what seems to be the best of section's ARTOP era. You can find a recap in the OP if you're interested. It's getting late here so let me find some alcohol. Hope everyone has a happy new year. Will comment back on the brave soldiers still doing their best of in 2019 xx @theblackestday @Vilppu @Tom Vercetti @Superpower @madonnas @World Eater @Sbbmsve @TheWayWeWere @Body Electrician @Wicked @Dom @volition @Unoriginal @Vxspertine @Remmy @TRF. @Lazuli @MP2K @ChapelHooker @Navyofbadgals @potent @ultraviolence.xx @Ewan Chaos Edited December 31, 2018 by Eeveelution
MP2K Posted January 1, 2019 Posted January 1, 2019 Solid albums list and it's always good to see Kimbra appreciated.
Remmy Posted January 1, 2019 Posted January 1, 2019 Primal Heart is great, Kimbra finally caught my attention with this one. Just listened to Golden Hour recently for the first time because I'm a late hoe, miss Kacey really did what she had to do! Top of the World, Lightyears and Velvet Elvis in your faves
Vilppu Posted January 1, 2019 Posted January 1, 2019 (edited) 10 - yeah idc for folk but maybe i'll listen for you 9 - did not expect this so high but i ain't mad 8 - wanted to like it but not my thing unfortunately 7 - it was the opposite for me, i liked it a lot more when it was released but it's definitely good 6 - the songs here are mostly really good but it's kind of tiring for me to listen as an album? 5 - wow yves tumor all the way up to top 5, i'm so glad! 4 - i don't understand the polar opposite stances on this album with half of atrl putting it so high up their best and the other one treating it as a huge disappointment, to me it's like ok? and country for ppl who hate country is a compliment, country sucks ass 3 - wigged the whole tea 2 - served the entire weave 1 - my edges are spilled ngl surprised mitski was your #1 but certainly not mad. i think you weren't doing an albums countdown in 2016 but if you were to, where do you think puberty 2 would place to compare? also this is like the 4th time beach house are top 2 and 2... truly the new carters Edited January 1, 2019 by Vilppu
Tom Vercetti Posted January 1, 2019 Posted January 1, 2019 I see now why you've thrown a stone at me I get the appeal for why BTC is #1 for multiple people so I can't fault it. #2 for Beach House yet again on multiple CDs. I wonder if switches will occur in their favor next year. A few of these albums aren't for me but overall an acceptable top 10.
TRF. Posted January 1, 2019 Posted January 1, 2019 Be the Cowboy number one... okay the queen of rock did that. Also Kacey, Beach House, Kimbra, KKB, Tirzah, LEG and U.S. Girlies all in the top 10
Sbbmsve Posted January 1, 2019 Posted January 1, 2019 Sis lemme not give spoilers but our top 10 is practically the same Oof the mutual taste we shared so far. Loved your best of, great write ups and taste. I will post my top 10 in 2 days or so... See you there
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