ATRL Moderator madonnas Posted December 18, 2019 Author ATRL Moderator Posted December 18, 2019 20. Kim Gordon - No Home Record Genre: Industrial Rock, Noise Rock Thoughts: This album was really impressive to me, it's super raw and intense but there are super hooky moments every once in a while and there's not even one moment that could be classified as "boring." There's yelling, screaming, whispering, talking, singing, etc. All of it she does well. Standouts: Paprika Pony, Murdered Out, Cookie Butter 19. Matmos - Plastic Anniversary Genre: IDM Thoughts: This sounds like squeaky plastic carnival IDM music. It sounds like pretty much all the sounds were made of squeaky plastic noises and it immerses you in a creepy sounding clown-world. Don't we just love that? Standouts: The Crying Pill, Silicone Gel Implant, Breaking Bread 18. Boy Careful - Harsher Genre: Darkwave, Synth-Pop Thoughts: I really love the vocalist in Boy Harsher because all of her singing is almost unintelligible but theres a lot of detached singing that works for the darkwave sound. Standouts: Face the Fire, Come Closer, Lost 17. Slayyyter - Slayyyter Genres: Bubblegum Bass, Dance-Pop Thoughts: I honestly thought Slayyyter did a really good job at sampling all the trashy 2000s pop trends into one album - late 2000s club music, electroclash, y2k bubblegum pop, myspace-core, etc. At times she's Britney, at times she's Gwen, at times she's The Millionaires but she sells all of it equally well. She really did the damn thing better than Liz but probably because her super autotuned vocals have more personality. Standouts: Motorcycle, Alone, Cha Ching 16. Chemical Brothers - No Geography Genres: House, Big Beat Thoughts: The Chemical Brothers go 100% in the upbeat party direction and it pays with dividends. This is probably their best album in a decade and with 10 tracks there is absolutely no fat to trim. I'm always a fan of older acts knowing what they do best, perfecting it, and adding just a little bit of a modern touch so it sounds fresh but not forced. Standouts: Eve of Destruction, We've Got to Try, Bango 15. Charli XCX - Charli Genres: Bubblegum Bass, Dance-Pop Thoughts: I had no idea that you *****s here thought this was a huge letdown. Well, I'm here to tell you that YOU ARE WRONG. I expected worse with the singles rollout but it's an extremely consistent album and even though it's one of her weakest, that really just speaks to the strength of her body of work. There are colorful and touching ballads, conventional pop songs with your typical Charli-isms, and then the industrial club bangers she loves so much. It's a little something for everybody but she does go down roads she hasn't before especially with the synth-wave Cross You Out or the bubblegum Official. Standouts: Shake It, Cross You Out, 2099 14. Tyler, The Creator - Igor Genres: Psychedelic Soul, Hip-Hop Thoughts: This is the first Tyler album I've really emotionally connected with. The last album hinted at a soft side but i mostly thought it was boring. He now blends his soft side with a more psychedelic approach that pays off. The album is trippy but intimate and personal love it. Standouts: What's Good, Earfquake, Gone, Gone / Thank You 13. Madonna - Madame X Genres: Dance-Pop, Latin Pop Thoughts: This album is amazing and I won't hear any hate for it. It's finally Madonna giving no ****s at all and just doing whatever the hell she wants, autotune up the ass, random Tchaikovsky samples, self-seving faux woke lyrics, yes I love it. GIVE ME MORE. Only reason it's not top 10 is really because there are a few midtempos that bore me and that I find to be lackluster. The Mirwais songs and the uptmpo songs are all very good and this will go down as a classic you heard it from me first. Standouts: I Don't Search I Find, Dark Ballet, Come Alive 12. Shiina Ringo - Sandokushi Genres: Indie rock, Art Pop Thoughts: This album is a victory lap for Shiina Ringo. It's basically all the styles she's done in the past on one album. It's super exhilarating and in usual fashion I prefer the artsy fartsy weird songs the most. Standouts: Gate of Living, Tokyo, 獣ゆく細道 11. Hatchie - Keepsake Genres: Dream-Pop Thoughts: This was a contender for #1 at one point in the year, but I kinda realized that I only stan half of the album, but I stan that half HARD. It's dreamy shoegaze type music and I love her ability to feel current while really just recreating old styles. Standouts: Secret, Stay with Me, Obsessed
Remmy Posted December 18, 2019 Posted December 18, 2019 Whoops, I'm one of the hoes that thought Charli was a letdown But I do agree it definitely has something for everyone. Cross You Out is not only a standout but a career highlight. Keepsake Only stanning half the album??? Uhhh let me ignore that part. That's a solid trinity right there yup yup
Pink Matter Posted December 18, 2019 Posted December 18, 2019 NFR! is too low but you better stan! [2] Glad you enjoyed it! I too felt everything from the songwriting to the production came together very nicely. I've got Caroline queued and you're Shura writeup has me interested in checking it out. I thought Igor was cute but Flower Boy> I don't think I'm much of a Hatchie fan. Her EP last year didn't do much for me and this album didn't do much for me either (though I think my issues stem from Dream Pop as a whole )
Ewan Chaos Posted December 18, 2019 Posted December 18, 2019 More talent. Kim Gordon I really like, however I only listened to it like 4 days ago so I really need more time to enjoy it. Why did I think the dude was singing in Boy Harsher Ah well. Tears was my favorite from them. Pleasantly surprised to see the Chemical Brothers here! I have the exact same faves and I think it's such a fun, great album. I lowkey imagine it's Basement Jaxx whose released it instead to make me feel better about my probably-forever-on-hiatus faves. YES okay agreed on Charli! Here's the thing about the ATRL stans - they just find it trendy to trash things that aren't what they perceive to be "masterpieces". Igor is great. Madame X, of course you'd include it. Hatchie, a cute girl!
K$Ellie Posted December 18, 2019 Posted December 18, 2019 I agree on Pang, it's a really good album but I would have had it higher on my list too if it weren't for the few fillers forevher was cute, it grew on me quite a bit but the second half isn't as strong imo NFR quite low Venice Bitch tho Slayyyter and Charli had their standouts but overall I didn't use the albums, especially Charli's where only liked about 3 songs Igor was pretty good but I didn't love it Madame X had potential, half of it is really good but overall it's v inconsistent Dark Ballet is one of my standouts too On 12/14/2019 at 7:30 PM, Madame X said: Listen to Intuition from the LIZ album. It's a different vibe but it's the best song. It was cute but very early 00s Britney which I'm sure was intentional but that made it sound dated
Eeveelution Posted December 18, 2019 Posted December 18, 2019 I kinda liked Madame X at first but... Good spot for Keepsake. it definitely lost some of its impact for me too it's still really great.
BlackoutZone Posted December 18, 2019 Posted December 18, 2019 I guess I mainly agree on Madame X, but there was still something off about it as a whole. I Don't Search I Find is the best song, but I replaced it on my list with Medellin as it made more impact on me throughout the year.
TheWayWeWere Posted December 18, 2019 Posted December 18, 2019 Charli actually pretty good album, but I think everyone expected it to be even better Madame X so high it's a bit messy, but I love it mostly Keepsake
ATRL Moderator kelly-clarkson Posted December 18, 2019 ATRL Moderator Posted December 18, 2019 I still didn't listen to Slayyyter's album but I saw her name in one of her threads on ATRL and I was curious about her so I checked some of her songs! I need to check her album
Sunderland 4ever Posted December 18, 2019 Posted December 18, 2019 I gave Matmos a couple of listens but nope... didn't like it. However, I did like Keepsake and No Geography. The Chemical Brothers just can't stop releasing top-notch electronic tracks.
Mark Rih Posted December 18, 2019 Posted December 18, 2019 IGOR he did what he had to do. Sad to not see I THINK among the standouts tho
geodancefreak Posted December 18, 2019 Posted December 18, 2019 I expected Madame X to be higher on the list of someone called Madame X, but I love surprises and objectivity.
ATRL Moderator madonnas Posted December 18, 2019 Author ATRL Moderator Posted December 18, 2019 10. 100 gecs - 1000 gecs Genre: Bubblegum Bass, Art Pop Thoughts: Oh yes, I love meme music. It's equal parts influenced from PC Music, mid 2000s emo, mumble rap, and whatever else you could find recently. I think people in general have a fatigue of post-post-post ironic things because of how much of that we've had to deal with this decade but honestly this is the perfect sendoff to that sound. Regardless of how many levels of irony you think 100 gecs have, you have to admit that the album is kinda fun regardless. Standouts: xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx, ringtone, hand crushed by a mallet 9. Charly Bliss - Young Enough Genre: New Wave, Indie Rock Thoughts: Charly Bliss emerged in 2017 being basically CRJ vocals to Weezer instrumentals with sad lyrics and upbeat tunes. This is their "grown up" album then with more somber sounding tunes to match the sad lyrics. Of course there are still moments of bubblegum bliss but this more synth influenced album is definitely a more self-aware (on purpose) album that tackles abuse, loneliness, and self-worth. Standouts: Blown to Bits, Capacity, Hurt Me 8. TR/ST - The Destroyer - Part 1 Genre: Darkwave, Minimal Wave Thoughts: This is basically TR/ST doing what he does best - darkwave BOPS and bangers. It's only 8 tracks and there's really no room for filler so luckily there is none. I do like this a lot more than side 2 but I appreciate that both sides gave us something new for him. There are a lot of effects and synths that we have not heard from him before because he usually sticks to the same sonic environment. I would say this is less clubby than his previous albums and more power-poppy. Standouts: Poorly Coward, Grouch, Unbleached 7. Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated Genre: Dance-Pop, Synth-Pop Thoughts: A LOT of ****ting their pants was done by us CRJ stans before Dedicated dropped. We worried it would just be Emotion 3.0 and we would all have to pretend to like it. Luckily, it was not Emotion 3.0 and there are a good amount of songs that give us NEW Carly sounds. We got more alt rock influenced songs, more new wave songs, and more of the amazing choruses and emotional singing that makes Carly's music so good. Standouts: Want You In My Room, Julien, Everything He Needs 6. Tamaryn - Dreaming the Dark Genre: Dream Pop Thoughts: Tamaryn were a band that kinda just aped Heaven or Las Vegas era Cocteau Twins like a good chunk of Dream Pop acts did, but this album takes them into Ethereal Wave territory and it pays dividends. The songs are depressing and dark and we get lots of yummy synths and lots of belting. Standouts: Paranoia IV, Victim Complex, Angels of Sweat 5. Solange - When I Get Home Genre: R&B, Psychedelic Soul Thoughts: THIS IS IT SOLANGE, THIS IS IT. I was famously contrarian with A Seat at the Table, where I thought most of the songs sounded like elevator music with a few standouts. This album takes the core of A Seat at the Table, and then adds more psychedelic influences, memphis soul influences, and well, you have a winner. The social commentary is not as strong or at the forefront, but the music itself is gorgeous. Standouts: Things I Imagined, Sound of Rain, Binz 4. Shinichiro Yokota - I Know You Like it Genre: Deep House Thoughts: I'm not sure if all of this was recorded in 2019? Some of the songs were definitely recorded in the 90s it seems? Or maybe I'm reading too much into it. This is straight forward deep house that sounds like the kind of music they'd plan in some lobby in a 90s video game. It's super chic and easy to consume but it also has staying power. Standouts: Tokyo 018, Bass Man, Night Drive 2.0 3. FKA Twigs - Magdalene Genre: Art Pop Thoughts: AH, we all thought Twigs would disappoint didn't we? Well, she might have released her best album. This album is cohesive, emotional, and has moments where you realize her songwriting has improved tenfold. The production is less busy than LP1 and that is simply to focus on Twigs vocals and songwriting more and like I said before it's improved enough for this to be an effective artistic strategy. Standouts: Mary Magdelane, Sad Day, Fallen Alien 2. Rico Nasty & Kenny Beats - Anger Management Genre: Hip-Hop Thoughts: This concept album/mixtape/whatever is really straightforward, first half is anger management, second half is "after." I actually LIKE her midtempo-y songs at the end because I feel like they still capture her energetic persona without sounding like boring copouts. But you know, Rico does what she does best on the super charged first half full of anger and energy. It's extremely extremely short, and why shouldn't it be? Give us the best you got, don't waste our time. I'd rather listen to this twice than any album with lots of filler. Standouts: Cheat Codes, Cold, Hatin 1. Spellling - Mazy Fly Genre: Art Pop, Space Disco Thoughts: You know, I came to this being my AOTY pretty late but when I put it at #1 it just felt right. I was always listening to it and being amazed at the amount of sounds it combined and I felt like it was specifically pandering to my own taste. Weird pop, disco synths, eerie noises. It kinda sounds like a goth disco party. Yeah, PLEASE check this album out if you haven't already, it's an extremely rewarding listen that stays with you, and deserves more respect. Standouts: Haunted Water, Under the Sun, Secret Thread
geodancefreak Posted December 18, 2019 Posted December 18, 2019 omg I need to listen to your AOTY. your desciption sounds amazing!
ATRL Moderator madonnas Posted December 18, 2019 Author ATRL Moderator Posted December 18, 2019 Spoiler On 12/14/2019 at 11:32 AM, Ewan Chaos said: So glad we have the same general thoughts about miss Lana. Can't wait to keep listening to the Hannah Diamond album and loving it even more (never listened to the older songs). Jenny was cute and yes as we discussion Dorian had a great album too! Just wish I'd listened to it more Whew Shura & Caroline TALENT! Totally agreed with your write-ups. However, everyone is so obsessed with HMWIH and I still really don't care for it... You would like Hannah Diamond, or at least a handful of songs from it!! HMWIH was my immediate second favorite, can't tell you what my #1 was. There are growers on the album though like the title track, new normal, and hey big eyes! On 12/14/2019 at 11:34 AM, Katamari said: Omg sakansction :eek and you cite match to Godnut as a highlight Yes omg their best song, I still need to discover their old stuff what should I go for first, or just backwards? On 12/14/2019 at 12:08 PM, Elite said: Flume and Lana On 12/14/2019 at 12:18 PM, Eeveelution said: NFR! is too low but you better stan! 3776 was... interesting. I still need to give it a second listen to be honest. Reflections I wanted to like more but it has some amazing songs. That's tea actually. She put so much work into the campaign . I wish it had been less drawn-out though. Give it more listens! It's a super fun project. I like that she gave a lot of energy into the project. I honestly like it when people give 100% into something because she obviously really pushed herself with this album and you can see that. On 12/14/2019 at 12:45 PM, minho said: You're right about NFR being her best, its her most realized I think. I haven't given Pang a proper chance, I got kind of bored partway and abandoned it, but I'll try to listen to it again Shura is interesting - i've seen her pop up on a few lists but I always kind of wrote her off so I'll try to listen to that album! Sakanaction sounds super interesting, i'll give that a try first I think you'll enjoy Sakanaction!!!! Listen to Pang all the way through, and yeah there are skips but the good stuff makes it worth it. I don' t,now if you'd love Shura but you sure wouldn't hate it. On 12/14/2019 at 1:41 PM, World Eater said: never noticed the username change and it took me embarrassingly long to figure out that you're you fdjnfdmfdk, ANYWAY, let me catch up re: HMs: Sneaks and Selena's-Kidney worthless fads, Battles and Holly deserved more considering you're doing a top 50, not to even mention the biggest snub of all aka Titanic Rising as for the main list, really enjoying it so far Octo Octa, Anna Meredith, Erika De Casier, Tinashe, Chai, Lana , Jenny Hval , Dorian Electra and Caroline Polachek are said f*ck men rights you're right about Closer to Grey, also a kii that they didn't perform anything from it on their recent tour JPEGMAFIA already a fad need to get around to listen to that 3776 album OMG it's literally in my sig you hoe! Glad you enjoyed so many albums, and Battles did deserve more but I didn't give it my time! On 12/14/2019 at 1:54 PM, kelly-clarkson said: I need to listen Pang. I've seen a lot of people praising Caroline so I need to check her music!! Listen to the singles!! Then the full album if you liked them. On 12/14/2019 at 1:57 PM, ARTPØP said: NFR was the first Lana album I actually liked since the Born To Die/Paradise era n, I actually think Honeymoon is her second best after NFR On 12/14/2019 at 2:11 PM, theblackestday said: now wait just a goddamn second. I just now realized you're madonnas. can you revert your name change this is a great set, nfr in particular is too low but I'll take it from an OLDRH <3 ITS IN MY SIG [2] no I will not change it back, my new name is legendary I'm not an obsessed hater, I'm just objective! On 12/14/2019 at 2:45 PM, Tom Vercetti said: Hello. Wanna catch up on some things here. I'm glad I like hannah diamond now so I enjoyed her debut. There's some releases here that I just straight up either ignored or just didn't notice ( forevher, flamboyant). I did go through Lust For Youth, Caroline, Lana & Jenny Hval releases tho and liked some things from each. Blanck Mass is hit & miss for me. Nothing on Animated reaches the heights of Please or Rhesus Negative. Hey miss you, surprised you didn't like BM's album as much as I did but you probably know more of their discog. On 12/14/2019 at 5:44 PM, Remmy said: NFR has some good moments but I wasn't really loving it overall. forevher & Pang back-to-back Love those 2. We have the same Caroline trinity YUP. Lana's albums are never the most consistent but sometimes its about the great moments not the whole thing and thats ok. On 12/14/2019 at 6:47 PM, Navyofbadgals said: it's on SIGHT now ma'am also yeah chile, the St. Vincent Print was strong on this one and saved it a bit but it was still not that great also NFR! St Vincent saved Taylors album though, you win some you lose some. On 12/17/2019 at 5:49 AM, Mark Rih said: NFR out already but hey it made the list so better than nothing First LDR album on my lists! On 12/17/2019 at 6:34 AM, Green said: Norman ****ing Rockwell is a masterpiece. It deserves to be higher though n, the controversy, thought Weyes would cause more of it. On 12/17/2019 at 8:47 AM, jose168 said: The Center Wont Hold was shockingly boring Good job picking the best titanic rising tracks Why wouldnt taylor steal from pop excellence The BIBO highs are bops. I like lost girls alot! Meh at megan. Sex talk though S4U was also a little overrated imo, but a nice album. Need to check out the destroyer! NFR is indeed her best album. She found her sweet spot, and its finally not a bore past the halfway mark. I missed out on alot of albums this year Megan's album was technically good but yeah we already discussed the same song for 14 songs can get exhausting. You'd like the destroyer 1 more than 2. I feel like EYE missed out on a lot tbh... 21 hours ago, potent said: Lana making it I haven't heard her full discography, but NFR is definitely better than LFL. Shura making it too, she really surprised me this year in a good way and Religion slays LFL is her worst so iI mean that's not hard 19 hours ago, bluth said: miss kyta and vendredi sur mer luvs it titanic rising was that classic early year release/first big acclaimed album that people latch onto because they don’t want it to be a bad year but then they leave it by the wayside when other better albums are released later in the year or maybe i just dont have the attention span for indie gurls i agree about weyes, once the heavy hitters came it was over for her, poor girl. 15 hours ago, Remmy said: Whoops, I'm one of the hoes that thought Charli was a letdown But I do agree it definitely has something for everyone. Cross You Out is not only a standout but a career highlight. Keepsake Only stanning half the album??? Uhhh let me ignore that part. That's a solid trinity right there yup yup i like all the album but half of it i STAN, but its ok beacause if you have 4-5 classics then its gonna be a good album regardless. 14 hours ago, Pink Matter said: NFR! is too low but you better stan! [2] Glad you enjoyed it! I too felt everything from the songwriting to the production came together very nicely. I've got Caroline queued and you're Shura writeup has me interested in checking it out. I thought Igor was cute but Flower Boy> I don't think I'm much of a Hatchie fan. Her EP last year didn't do much for me and this album didn't do much for me either (though I think my issues stem from Dream Pop as a whole ) I think you would like caroline's album! 11 hours ago, Ewan Chaos said: More talent. Kim Gordon I really like, however I only listened to it like 4 days ago so I really need more time to enjoy it. Why did I think the dude was singing in Boy Harsher Ah well. Tears was my favorite from them. Pleasantly surprised to see the Chemical Brothers here! I have the exact same faves and I think it's such a fun, great album. I lowkey imagine it's Basement Jaxx whose released it instead to make me feel better about my probably-forever-on-hiatus faves. YES okay agreed on Charli! Here's the thing about the ATRL stans - they just find it trendy to trash things that aren't what they perceive to be "masterpieces". Igor is great. Madame X, of course you'd include it. Hatchie, a cute girl! Wait it might be the guy??? honestly no idea, just assumed it was the girl. !! you're right about CB's album sounding like basement jaxx that might be why I like it so much lol 5 hours ago, K$Ellie said: I agree on Pang, it's a really good album but I would have had it higher on my list too if it weren't for the few fillers forevher was cute, it grew on me quite a bit but the second half isn't as strong imo NFR quite low Venice Bitch tho Slayyyter and Charli had their standouts but overall I didn't use the albums, especially Charli's where only liked about 3 songs Igor was pretty good but I didn't love it Madame X had potential, half of it is really good but overall it's v inconsistent Dark Ballet is one of my standouts too It was cute but very early 00s Britney which I'm sure was intentional but that made it sound dated only THREE from Charli? You're crazy! MX is a bit inconsistent but I think I liked more songs than most people did and plus I'm a bit biased lol. It actually was a 1994 Kylie Minogue demo if the rumors were true.... isn't that weird. 5 hours ago, Eeveelution said: I kinda liked Madame X at first but... Good spot for Keepsake. it definitely lost some of its impact for me too it's still really great. at first but.... now you KINDA LOVE IT? 1 hour ago, BlackoutZone said: I guess I mainly agree on Madame X, but there was still something off about it as a whole. I Don't Search I Find is the best song, but I replaced it on my list with Medellin as it made more impact on me throughout the year. I kinda liked the 'off' part of madame x and I think that's why I stan it. 1 hour ago, TheWayWeWere said: Charli actually pretty good album, but I think everyone expected it to be even better Madame X so high it's a bit messy, but I love it mostly Keepsake I expected it to be worse tbh... was worried it would be full of BIOYLs and Warms 47 minutes ago, kelly-clarkson said: I still didn't listen to Slayyyter's album but I saw her name in one of her threads on ATRL and I was curious about her so I checked some of her songs! I need to check her album Yay! Which songs did you check out? 44 minutes ago, Sunderland 4ever said: I gave Matmos a couple of listens but nope... didn't like it. However, I did like Keepsake and No Geography. The Chemical Brothers just can't stop releasing top-notch electronic tracks. Yeah for a veteran 90s act they manage to still put out worthwhile material. 32 minutes ago, Mark Rih said: IGOR he did what he had to do. Sad to not see I THINK among the standouts tho I don't remember that one, the album is more of a ALBUM than a standouts thing anyway though. 19 minutes ago, geodancefreak said: I expected Madame X to be higher on the list of someone called Madame X, but I love surprises and objectivity.
Sunderland 4ever Posted December 18, 2019 Posted December 18, 2019 (edited) What a nice surprise. Your AOTY happened to be one of those albums I wondered why I hadn't listened to more as I was in the process of rating all albums from the first half of the year give or take two weeks ago. I remember I downloaded it soon after its release date and just left it unlistened for more than 6 months after just giving it a single listen. Hell it hadn't even reached 20 scrobbles by December. When I Get Home was nice too. Albeit more recent, it is an album I would have liked to listen to more. Really cohesive stuff, no track stands out yet all works really well as a whole. Edited December 18, 2019 by Sunderland 4ever
Eeveelution Posted December 18, 2019 Posted December 18, 2019 A surprising aoty i only listened to it once ngl but maybe I'll revisit. Magdalene is obviously excellent and WIGH is great too. Dedicated had it's moments and the songs you listed are some of my favourites.
Katamari Posted December 18, 2019 Posted December 18, 2019 23 minutes ago, Madame X said: Reveal hidden contents You would like Hannah Diamond, or at least a handful of songs from it!! HMWIH was my immediate second favorite, can't tell you what my #1 was. There are growers on the album though like the title track, new normal, and hey big eyes! Yes omg their best song, I still need to discover their old stuff what should I go for first, or just backwards? Give it more listens! It's a super fun project. I like that she gave a lot of energy into the project. I honestly like it when people give 100% into something because she obviously really pushed herself with this album and you can see that. I think you'll enjoy Sakanaction!!!! Listen to Pang all the way through, and yeah there are skips but the good stuff makes it worth it. I don' t,now if you'd love Shura but you sure wouldn't hate it. OMG it's literally in my sig you hoe! Glad you enjoyed so many albums, and Battles did deserve more but I didn't give it my time! Listen to the singles!! Then the full album if you liked them. n, I actually think Honeymoon is her second best after NFR ITS IN MY SIG [2] no I will not change it back, my new name is legendary I'm not an obsessed hater, I'm just objective! Hey miss you, surprised you didn't like BM's album as much as I did but you probably know more of their discog. Lana's albums are never the most consistent but sometimes its about the great moments not the whole thing and thats ok. St Vincent saved Taylors album though, you win some you lose some. First LDR album on my lists! n, the controversy, thought Weyes would cause more of it. Megan's album was technically good but yeah we already discussed the same song for 14 songs can get exhausting. You'd like the destroyer 1 more than 2. I feel like EYE missed out on a lot tbh... LFL is her worst so iI mean that's not hard i agree about weyes, once the heavy hitters came it was over for her, poor girl. i like all the album but half of it i STAN, but its ok beacause if you have 4-5 classics then its gonna be a good album regardless. I think you would like caroline's album! Wait it might be the guy??? honestly no idea, just assumed it was the girl. !! you're right about CB's album sounding like basement jaxx that might be why I like it so much lol only THREE from Charli? You're crazy! MX is a bit inconsistent but I think I liked more songs than most people did and plus I'm a bit biased lol. It actually was a 1994 Kylie Minogue demo if the rumors were true.... isn't that weird. at first but.... now you KINDA LOVE IT? I kinda liked the 'off' part of madame x and I think that's why I stan it. I expected it to be worse tbh... was worried it would be full of BIOYLs and Warms Yay! Which songs did you check out? Yeah for a veteran 90s act they manage to still put out worthwhile material. I don't remember that one, the album is more of a ALBUM than a standouts thing anyway though. you would have to ask @Hongbin since he turned me on to them Spelling album's snippets are giving me dark italo disco vibes
ATRL Moderator kelly-clarkson Posted December 18, 2019 ATRL Moderator Posted December 18, 2019 Dedicated has some bops, even though I prefer Emotion 1 hour ago, Madame X said: Yay! Which songs did you check out? These 3:
SLIME Posted December 18, 2019 Posted December 18, 2019 yes definitely not the #1 I anticipated but very cool choice, proud of you son. In my mind I had been slotting it as HM material, but when it came down to it I realized it was main list material. pretty unique stuff. I need to listen more too doe. i haven't heard a few of these and i might rearrange some of these positions but I'm cool with everything that I know. I didn't think u'd be into Shinichiro this much but I get a great vibe from his stuff too. WIGH t5 gang Can't wait to see ur fav songs. And I need to figure out what Darkwave and Ethereal Wave mean, stat.
Remmy Posted December 18, 2019 Posted December 18, 2019 Dedicated Carly served once again, it's to be expected at this point. I guess I was one of those stans that wasn't worried at all. Your trinity is nice - feels a bit empty without No Drug Like Me though!
jose168 Posted December 19, 2019 Posted December 19, 2019 Oomf you move so fast. 23 hours ago, Madame X said: 20. Kim Gordon - No Home Record Genre: Industrial Rock, Noise Rock Thoughts: This album was really impressive to me, it's super raw and intense but there are super hooky moments every once in a while and there's not even one moment that could be classified as "boring." There's yelling, screaming, whispering, talking, singing, etc. All of it she does well. Standouts: Paprika Pony, Murdered Out, Cookie Butter 19. Matmos - Plastic Anniversary Genre: IDM Thoughts: This sounds like squeaky plastic carnival IDM music. It sounds like pretty much all the sounds were made of squeaky plastic noises and it immerses you in a creepy sounding clown-world. Don't we just love that? Standouts: The Crying Pill, Silicone Gel Implant, Breaking Bread 18. Boy Careful - Harsher Genre: Darkwave, Synth-Pop Thoughts: I really love the vocalist in Boy Harsher because all of her singing is almost unintelligible but theres a lot of detached singing that works for the darkwave sound. Standouts: Face the Fire, Come Closer, Lost 17. Slayyyter - Slayyyter Genres: Bubblegum Bass, Dance-Pop Thoughts: I honestly thought Slayyyter did a really good job at sampling all the trashy 2000s pop trends into one album - late 2000s club music, electroclash, y2k bubblegum pop, myspace-core, etc. At times she's Britney, at times she's Gwen, at times she's The Millionaires but she sells all of it equally well. She really did the damn thing better than Liz but probably because her super autotuned vocals have more personality. Standouts: Motorcycle, Alone, Cha Ching 16. Chemical Brothers - No Geography Genres: House, Big Beat Thoughts: The Chemical Brothers go 100% in the upbeat party direction and it pays with dividends. This is probably their best album in a decade and with 10 tracks there is absolutely no fat to trim. I'm always a fan of older acts knowing what they do best, perfecting it, and adding just a little bit of a modern touch so it sounds fresh but not forced. Standouts: Eve of Destruction, We've Got to Try, Bango 15. Charli XCX - Charli Genres: Bubblegum Bass, Dance-Pop Thoughts: I had no idea that you *****s here thought this was a huge letdown. Well, I'm here to tell you that YOU ARE WRONG. I expected worse with the singles rollout but it's an extremely consistent album and even though it's one of her weakest, that really just speaks to the strength of her body of work. There are colorful and touching ballads, conventional pop songs with your typical Charli-isms, and then the industrial club bangers she loves so much. It's a little something for everybody but she does go down roads she hasn't before especially with the synth-wave Cross You Out or the bubblegum Official. Standouts: Shake It, Cross You Out, 2099 14. Tyler, The Creator - Igor Genres: Psychedelic Soul, Hip-Hop Thoughts: This is the first Tyler album I've really emotionally connected with. The last album hinted at a soft side but i mostly thought it was boring. He now blends his soft side with a more psychedelic approach that pays off. The album is trippy but intimate and personal love it. Standouts: What's Good, Earfquake, Gone, Gone / Thank You 13. Madonna - Madame X Genres: Dance-Pop, Latin Pop Thoughts: This album is amazing and I won't hear any hate for it. It's finally Madonna giving no ****s at all and just doing whatever the hell she wants, autotune up the ass, random Tchaikovsky samples, self-seving faux woke lyrics, yes I love it. GIVE ME MORE. Only reason it's not top 10 is really because there are a few midtempos that bore me and that I find to be lackluster. The Mirwais songs and the uptmpo songs are all very good and this will go down as a classic you heard it from me first. Standouts: I Don't Search I Find, Dark Ballet, Come Alive 12. Shiina Ringo - Sandokushi Genres: Indie rock, Art Pop Thoughts: This album is a victory lap for Shiina Ringo. It's basically all the styles she's done in the past on one album. It's super exhilarating and in usual fashion I prefer the artsy fartsy weird songs the most. Standouts: Gate of Living, Tokyo, 獣ゆく細道 11. Hatchie - Keepsake Genres: Dream-Pop Thoughts: This was a contender for #1 at one point in the year, but I kinda realized that I only stan half of the album, but I stan that half HARD. It's dreamy shoegaze type music and I love her ability to feel current while really just recreating old styles. Standouts: Secret, Stay with Me, Obsessed Igor and Charli are awesome. Need to listen to the others 7 hours ago, Madame X said: 10. 100 gecs - 1000 gecs Genre: Bubblegum Bass, Art Pop Thoughts: Oh yes, I love meme music. It's equal parts influenced from PC Music, mid 2000s emo, mumble rap, and whatever else you could find recently. I think people in general have a fatigue of post-post-post ironic things because of how much of that we've had to deal with this decade but honestly this is the perfect sendoff to that sound. Regardless of how many levels of irony you think 100 gecs have, you have to admit that the album is kinda fun regardless. Standouts: xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx, ringtone, hand crushed by a mallet 9. Charly Bliss - Young Enough Genre: New Wave, Indie Rock Thoughts: Charly Bliss emerged in 2017 being basically CRJ vocals to Weezer instrumentals with sad lyrics and upbeat tunes. This is their "grown up" album then with more somber sounding tunes to match the sad lyrics. Of course there are still moments of bubblegum bliss but this more synth influenced album is definitely a more self-aware (on purpose) album that tackles abuse, loneliness, and self-worth. Standouts: Blown to Bits, Capacity, Hurt Me 8. TR/ST - The Destroyer - Part 1 Genre: Darkwave, Minimal Wave Thoughts: This is basically TR/ST doing what he does best - darkwave BOPS and bangers. It's only 8 tracks and there's really no room for filler so luckily there is none. I do like this a lot more than side 2 but I appreciate that both sides gave us something new for him. There are a lot of effects and synths that we have not heard from him before because he usually sticks to the same sonic environment. I would say this is less clubby than his previous albums and more power-poppy. Standouts: Poorly Coward, Grouch, Unbleached 7. Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated Genre: Dance-Pop, Synth-Pop Thoughts: A LOT of ****ting their pants was done by us CRJ stans before Dedicated dropped. We worried it would just be Emotion 3.0 and we would all have to pretend to like it. Luckily, it was not Emotion 3.0 and there are a good amount of songs that give us NEW Carly sounds. We got more alt rock influenced songs, more new wave songs, and more of the amazing choruses and emotional singing that makes Carly's music so good. Standouts: Want You In My Room, Julien, Everything He Needs 6. Tamaryn - Dreaming the Dark Genre: Dream Pop Thoughts: Tamaryn were a band that kinda just aped Heaven or Las Vegas era Cocteau Twins like a good chunk of Dream Pop acts did, but this album takes them into Ethereal Wave territory and it pays dividends. The songs are depressing and dark and we get lots of yummy synths and lots of belting. Standouts: Paranoia IV, Victim Complex, Angels of Sweat 5. Solange - When I Get Home Genre: R&B, Psychedelic Soul Thoughts: THIS IS IT SOLANGE, THIS IS IT. I was famously contrarian with A Seat at the Table, where I thought most of the songs sounded like elevator music with a few standouts. This album takes the core of A Seat at the Table, and then adds more psychedelic influences, memphis soul influences, and well, you have a winner. The social commentary is not as strong or at the forefront, but the music itself is gorgeous. Standouts: Things I Imagined, Sound of Rain, Binz 4. Shinichiro Yokota - I Know You Like it Genre: Deep House Thoughts: I'm not sure if all of this was recorded in 2019? Some of the songs were definitely recorded in the 90s it seems? Or maybe I'm reading too much into it. This is straight forward deep house that sounds like the kind of music they'd plan in some lobby in a 90s video game. It's super chic and easy to consume but it also has staying power. Standouts: Tokyo 018, Bass Man, Night Drive 2.0 3. FKA Twigs - Magdalene Genre: Art Pop Thoughts: AH, we all thought Twigs would disappoint didn't we? Well, she might have released her best album. This album is cohesive, emotional, and has moments where you realize her songwriting has improved tenfold. The production is less busy than LP1 and that is simply to focus on Twigs vocals and songwriting more and like I said before it's improved enough for this to be an effective artistic strategy. Standouts: Mary Magdelane, Sad Day, Fallen Alien 2. Rico Nasty & Kenny Beats - Anger Management Genre: Hip-Hop Thoughts: This concept album/mixtape/whatever is really straightforward, first half is anger management, second half is "after." I actually LIKE her midtempo-y songs at the end because I feel like they still capture her energetic persona without sounding like boring copouts. But you know, Rico does what she does best on the super charged first half full of anger and energy. It's extremely extremely short, and why shouldn't it be? Give us the best you got, don't waste our time. I'd rather listen to this twice than any album with lots of filler. Standouts: Cheat Codes, Cold, Hatin 1. Spellling - Mazy Fly Genre: Art Pop, Space Disco Thoughts: You know, I came to this being my AOTY pretty late but when I put it at #1 it just felt right. I was always listening to it and being amazed at the amount of sounds it combined and I felt like it was specifically pandering to my own taste. Weird pop, disco synths, eerie noises. It kinda sounds like a goth disco party. Yeah, PLEASE check this album out if you haven't already, it's an extremely rewarding listen that stays with you, and deserves more respect. Standouts: Haunted Water, Under the Sun, Secret Thread Absolutely agree with your when i get home snip, a BODY OF WORK henny. I thought you'd rank MaGODelene lower tbh. I forgot about spellling.. its been a long year. good thing I havent started my albums list yet. Great #1 choice that deserves to be highlighted. I didnt super connect with anger management aside from some highlights. And ofcourse, Dedicated is awesome. The gays are trying it with their "Emotion 3.0" critiqes.
Tom Vercetti Posted December 19, 2019 Posted December 19, 2019 I tried to like 100 gecs but their music just isn't for me. I am prepared tho for more music of that sort to be the norm in the 20s. I think dedicated & emotion are pretty equal. Each have strong/weak points. When I Get Home is solange's best album tbh but I feel it's lowkey compared to the hype her previous album received. Love I Know You Like It I like Magdalene but I wish there were more melodic tracks like Holy Terrain on it (possibly a minority opinion). I didn't expect mazy fly to be your #1 honestly, but happy you enjoyed it that much.
Recommended Posts