SLIME Posted December 27, 2017 Author Posted December 27, 2017 truth is, since a youth kid, thought it was a phase thought it'd be gone like the phrase: "poof," gone but it's still goin' on 15. Tyler, the Creator - Flower Boy We know Yonkers is the best song of all time, but that was pretty much all the edge I ever needed from Tyler so his albums as full-length experiences never did much for me. On Flower Boy, I feel like Tyler is finally getting to the root of that same angst by soul searching like a real person instead of playing an outsized character, and the change of pace (literally) took me aback at first. It reminds me of that feeling of keeping a front up as you go about your day in the world, then coming home and finally getting to kick back and "be yourself" -- with the understanding that that task is going to be more complicated for some people than others. And honestly it's more shocking to hear him rap so straightforwardly about depression, sexuality and so on than the actual ~shock rap OF made their name on. Now I don't know if Tyler is really gay like that, but there was a super long time where I didn't know if I was gay or not, so I get where the angst comes from. And the album was a personal hard hitter at certain points this year because of that. With this kind of music I feel it shouldn't really be about the artist's life story anyway, and I think anyone should be able to relate to that greater feeling of not being sure of yourself. The slow, jazzy atmosphere, while unexpected, lines up perfectly with the reflective vibe and just makes for a chill listening experience. Then a few songs just have that sweet romantic vibe that's like 100x more so coming from him. I haven't returned to the album toooo many times yet, but it's made an impression every time I have, and I think in the future it's going to be a good one to have around for those times when I do need it. top peeps: Garden Shed, 911 / Mr. Lonely Spoiler
SLIME Posted December 27, 2017 Author Posted December 27, 2017 tell me that you felt it tell me it won't go to waste something in the stars tell me it won't be okay 14. Jay Som - Everybody Works Jay makes pop that doesn't need to bludgeon you over the head to get inside it anyway. Don't wanna repeat what's been said too many times, but first off: bonkers that she made this without leaving her room, because it doesn't give a bandcamp vibe at all. What it does give is a comfy, cozy atmosphere that makes me feel good inside, so basically the intimacy of small-scale pop without the limitations. Really, I feel like there's so many instruments in the mix that it being a one-woman effort wouldn't have crossed my mind, but here we are. A few of these songs I had to get accustomed to before they really hit me, while others were instant, but either way I always had a reason to be coming back to the whole, and in the end I got there with all of them. I know it's not her first album but it's where I jumped aboard; can't wait to see where she goes from here with a bigger budget. top peeps: 1 Billion Dogs, One More Time Please Spoiler
Wicked Posted December 27, 2017 Posted December 27, 2017 Didn't really enjoy Flower Boy. It was okay. Slowdive album was a nice listen but nothing made an impression on me just like MBV tbh.
SLIME Posted December 27, 2017 Author Posted December 27, 2017 3 minutes ago, Wicked said: Didn't really enjoy Flower Boy. It was okay. Slowdive album was a nice listen but nothing made an impression on me just like MBV tbh. MBV I like more for their peak stuff but Slowdive won the comeback war for me.
SLIME Posted December 27, 2017 Author Posted December 27, 2017 contemplation killing competition confrontation, reevaluation you don't want to see the revelation straps looking like a lederhosen 13. Denzel Curry - 13 Yes diversity is cool but at the end of the day this EP is everything I want my rap to sound like: deeply experimental, melodic, and bangs hard as ****. Denzel's newest is the Vroom Vroom of the year for me, in that it could easily go for my #1 of the year overall if it kept up for a standard length. But I also won't fault an artist for knowing when to cut it short and leave us wanting more. If he can do accomplish what he sets out to accomplish in 5 songs / 13 minutes then I'll trust him to do so. When something hits the spot this ****ing hard I will accept it in any amount. Denzel, another blessed child of 808s & Heartbreak, was already one to watch based off a solid debut last year, but 13 flips his shtick into an entirely new dimension. I love that he's not afraid to take risks and sing when he feels the need, but on Imperial he sometimes veered a little close into shouty emo ballad territory. He's still half-shouting, but between then and now he's essentially bridged the gap between his singing and rapping styles. This leads to him doing away with things like traditional choruses, now having the freedom to just go absolutely HAM for much longer stretches uninterrupted. His delivery is unconventional and unstoppable, and the beats are futuristic and frantic. They sound like his last album's beats stretched out across a Y2K wasteland. His lyrics are full of nuggets that pop out to me when I'm listening ("Kill it, call it Kenny / Say it came from Diddy"; "Tic tac toe / Leave a XO on the death note I wrote"; "Bitch, I am a megazord / In the streets you do not win awards") but as I'm writing this I realize that quite often, I don't know what the **** Denzel is talking about. That's a feeling I get with a lot of my favorite music. Just overcome by hard, beautiful sound, at which point things like lyrics and also everything become auxiliary. To that extent it was like my yearly dose of Yeezus, Atrocity, etc. – or any GREAT album really – but still with its own unique flavor that didn't exist before. Taken just for what is and not accounting for length, it probably beats every album on this list. Everything I just wrote applies mostly to the first 80% of the EP, then the last song is a fun verse trader that smells like bonus track (still VERY good). But anyway, b a r e l y did I saw this talked about anywhere and it's incredible. Whether it's a quick detour between albums or the sound of rap's future, it was my organic discovery of the year by far and if you've read this far and haven't heard it, I think you should. top peeps: Bloodshed, Hate Government, Equalizer, Zeltron 6 Billion Spoiler
theblackestday Posted December 27, 2017 Posted December 27, 2017 Missed a couple updates World Eater, 4:44, Slowdive, Flower Boy and Everybody Works are all amazing
jose168 Posted December 27, 2017 Posted December 27, 2017 13 is an ALBUM well EP i guess, he gives me hope for trap. Excited for a full length project I wish i had more time to marinate with Tylers album. Love your writeup though, so I'll checkout the highlights you recommended
Pink Matter Posted December 27, 2017 Posted December 27, 2017 Love your write up for Flower Boy. Pretty spot on actually. Didn't really care for Jay Som though she is someone who I have to go back and listen to again. And mess at Denzel's EP snatching an album spot I haven't had my fix of Denzel in years so I'll make sure to check that out.
ATRL Moderator madonnas Posted December 27, 2017 ATRL Moderator Posted December 27, 2017 Flower Boy and Everybody Works are albums I only listened to once
World Eater Posted December 27, 2017 Posted December 27, 2017 Mess @ two albums that grew on me recently (Flower Boy and Everybody Werks) appearing side by side Love your picks for every release from this update
Tom Vercetti Posted December 30, 2017 Posted December 30, 2017 Alright, this 13 hype. Where's the rest
SLIME Posted December 31, 2017 Author Posted December 31, 2017 My bad, been slightly out the loop de loop. But back to the grind On 12/27/2017 at 0:16 PM, madonnas said: Flower Boy and Everybody Works are albums I only listened to once And you listened to 13 0 times? 5 hours ago, Tom Vercetti said: Alright, this 13 hype. Where's the rest Thought you'd like that one. And as a matter of fact, right now
SLIME Posted December 31, 2017 Author Posted December 31, 2017 ? 12. Jlin - Black Origami It could be my own inexperience with the footwork genre (still haven't even heard her debut!), but here's an album that floored me from the jump partly because I'd never heard anything like it before. And as time goes on there's less and less out there that I can say that about. The energy level throughout this whole record is just crazy high, and if you can get past that momentary sensory overload upon starting it up, there's so much going on at all times that it's hard to imagine getting bored. I have a feeling she MIGHT reuse a drum pattern here and there, or if not then maybe some just blend together, but she varies up her percussion enough both between tracks and within them that nothing ever feels repetitive. Love how the vocal samples are woven in too, a nice eerie touch. Just a hella interesting sound that develops in a really nice way over the course of the album. Hopefully I'll be able to find something similar to scratch the itch, and hopefully she starts producing for rappers too. top peeps: Black Origami, Never Created Never Destroyed Spoiler
SLIME Posted December 31, 2017 Author Posted December 31, 2017 we don't argue, we are not calm and impartial some call it work, but it's more like an art we just paint the walls with your heart and we better not catch you 11. Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 3 Not quite the same kind of leap forward as 2 was from 1, but they have their sound carved out and they're good at what they do. Even though most of this album was completed before the Tr*mpening, it still has a darker, more socially-aware tone than their previous two, so the timing of its release felt very relevant in the same way as ATCQ's last. I remember Mike especially catching some heat around release time for some of his comments regarding the election, but luckily on record they mostly stay away from specifics, and when it comes to politics most of their stances boil down to "be a good person." Personally I'm a big big fan of this approach. I think it's important to establish that you can be the toughest, most ****-talking guy in the room while still being respectful in a more worldly sense, help old ladies cross the street and so on. ****-talking game still A1 though. The sequencing helps a lot with this balance, as they open with the bangers then gradually lead into the slower more reflective cuts. It's all equally enjoyable to listen to, in big part thanks to some of El's thiccest beats ever. Kind of their own fault for the Christmas day surprise release, but I think this was unfairly overlooked by a lot of people, and overall hard to complain about more of the same when the product is so damn good. top peeps: 2100, Hey Kids (Bumaye) Spoiler
Sunderland 4ever Posted December 31, 2017 Posted December 31, 2017 (edited) I gave Jay Som's album a listen several months ago but I didn't like it. However, your review made me want to check Tyler's album this upcoming year. Can't believe I missed it. Edited December 31, 2017 by Sunderland 4ever
Tom Vercetti Posted December 31, 2017 Posted December 31, 2017 I didn't give RJT3 enough time. And it kind of did sound more of the same for the couple of listens I gave it so it didn't stand out much to me. Their release strategy did mess some things up tho YE list wise, kinda messy when folks were putting it on both the 2016 and 2017 timelines but hey I'm not that into footwork material but Jlin did her thing and I respect it.
Wicked Posted December 31, 2017 Posted December 31, 2017 I have yet to listen to any RTJ albums... Flower Boy was a one & done for me.
Pink Matter Posted January 1, 2018 Posted January 1, 2018 I didn't get to the RTJ's album until late in 2017 and when I did listen to it, it didn't really hit me the same way RTJ1 did. Honestly, after the second one, they all started sounding the same. I've seen Jlin thrown around on here so I'll look into that. On 12/30/2017 at 11:36 PM, Wicked said: I have yet to listen to any RTJ albums... Flower Boy was a one & done for me. You should definitely listen to RTJ1 though. That one is great
SLIME Posted January 1, 2018 Author Posted January 1, 2018 i got it, i got it, i got it, i got it, i got it, i got it i got it, i got it, i got it, i got it, i got it, i got it i got it, i got it, i got it, i got it, i got it, i got it i got it, i got it, i got it, i g-yeah 10. Charli XCX - Pop 2 A new addition, but based off her track record one I'll stand by, plus I had Number 1 Angel in my top 25 already anyway so no one had to get the boot for Pop to live. We been knew Charli is the best pop songwriter of her generation, but churning out hooks at the speed of light hasn't always left her as the most consistent album artist. Pop 2 definitely plays more like a mixtape than a planned out, cohesive statement, but it's an important step forward that shows she's just as capable of delaying gratification as she is at dishing it out. In some ways this is the mix of the gothic side of True Romance and the PC'd Vroom sound I've always wanted, but she pushes out even further into a space that feels new – not just for her, but for pop as a whole. These aren't the easiest songs to mindlessly bop along to especially on first listen, but more than anything else she's ever put out, they make me hopeful for the future. As always, love her approach to creation and collaboration even if not all the guest features land, and big shouts to A.G.'s production job too. Yes am still kinda going through my honeymoon phase with this project, but I know anything that reminds me this much of both Yeezus AND Blackout must be the truth, and I'm hype to see what other touches I pick up on over time. top peeps: Track 10, Backseat, I Got It Spoiler
Navyofbadgals Posted January 1, 2018 Posted January 1, 2018 RTJ Funny how you mentioned Hey Kids (Bumaye) tho, it's prob my least favorite on the album.
SLIME Posted January 1, 2018 Author Posted January 1, 2018 not that far there's a change in the atmosphere what we are brings the wrong kind of attention out here 9. Fever Ray - Plunge Well she certainly had some redeeming to do after the dumpster fire that was Shaking the Habitual, and ... here we are! Helps that the overall sound of this record feels totally removed from the majority of the Knife-adjacent catalog, especially from the spooky haunted house vibe hanging over the last Fever Ray album. These frantic synths really sell the feeling of panic and anxiety that I think this record is meant to convey. But almost every song still features some touch that throws back to a different moment in her past: An Itch, for example, gives me major One Hit vibes, while To the Moon and Back could almost be mistaken for a Heartbeats-era pop gem, at least until you get to that last line. Speaking of lyrics, this album is sprinkled with a ton of amazing one-liners that underscore the relative simplicity of things like love and sex compared to all the factors that make them so difficult to realize in the world we live in -- but in turn, all the more valuable. Quick story on that note. I won't claim to know the exact meaning behind all these songs, but one pretty reasonable interpretation I read is that the "plunge" here is the decision to commit towards opening yourself up to a relationship -- in this case, it seems, a same-sex one. So I'm bi; this is something I've known for a while and since I realized, have been more or less internally comfortable with. But it can be hard to reconcile what's on the inside with the pressures of the outside: just ask Tyler. I was pretty much always of the mindset that girls are for date / guys are for fukk, and that these worlds didn't really need to mix. This was not something I ever saw myself budging on. This album came out like 2 days before I basically fell in love with a guy for the first time, in the process opening up a side of myself that I never ever ever knew was there. When I started looking closer at Plunge's themes I just had to cackle at the relevance. Not to say that the future of this specific relationship looks as promising 2 months down the road, but a nice reminder of music's power to hit you with the sucker punch when you least expect it. top peeps: This Country, IDK About You, Mama's Hand Spoiler
World Eater Posted January 1, 2018 Posted January 1, 2018 RTJ3 was fine, but didn't really do much for me Pop 2 is still growing on me, love your picks from it And Plunge, whew, Miss Fever Del Ray did that 1 hour ago, Kang. said: i got it, i got it, i got it, i got it, i got it, i got it i got it, i got it, i got it, i got it, i got it, i got it i got it, i got it, i got it, i got it, i got it, i got it i got it, i got it, i got it, i g-yeah
ATRL Moderator madonnas Posted January 1, 2018 ATRL Moderator Posted January 1, 2018 I feel like Plunge does sorta sound inspired by Deep Cuts but I mean it's so different esp. lyrically and it's definitely a 2017 record.
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