best of ChapelHooker's Retrograde 2017 | Finshed

[K$Ellie]

edit: oh it's the next page already

Edited December 26, 2017 by K$Ellie

[ChapelHooker]

 

35. Band line-up changes usually signal some sort of reinvention. In the case of this self-titled Dirty Projectors album, the projects first in five years, it left only one heartbroken member. Although this is definitely that electronic, charged album, that was hinted at the entire discography, DP still comes as a surprise. It's lyrically blunt ("What I want from art is truth, what you want is fame"), complex and maximalist and goes full in. David Longstreth reaches different kind of highs that previous entries didn't manage. If some of the experimentation sometimes feels a bit surface level, the songs still hold a lot of texture and richness to dissect.

 

Highlights: Keep Your Name, Death Spiral, Cool Your Heart

Duds: Ascent Through Clouds

 

 

 

 

34. To not speak of Kesha's past in the context of her reintroduction Rainbow is hard, considering it pretty much shaped the very existence of the album itself, but I won't. Right off the bat, the lack of the dollar sign becomes apparent with the opener, the acousitc Bastards. Gone is the autotune, instead Kesha finally is able to show off her vocal ability and variety. Gone are the overproduced synthlines, replaced with guitars and live drums. But the very essence remains the same, there still is the general theme of empowerment, womanhood and that sense of humour that made Kesha stick out in the first place. Meanwhile Praying, her answer to her own silence, is a stark, powerful ballad that tears on the heartstrings. It feels like we are finally hearing her for the first time and her message is simple: lets party.

 

Highlights: Bastards, Learn To Let Go, Praying

Duds: Hymn

 

 

 

33. Dance music itself is one of the more interesting genres, on one hand you have commercial EDM, music that tries to appeal to everyone but in the end usually comes off as heartless and on the other you have the underground scene, where listeners love to make sure you know that they don't go to dancing to David Guetta. Xinobi's sophomore LP, On The Quiet somehow manages to be a wonderfully balanced dance on the fine line. Both interestingly produced and engineered, but also extremely effortless, full of emotion and easy going. What a nice way to spend your night.

 

Highlights: Far Away Place, Searching For, See Me

Duds: Deriville

 

 

 

32. Identity is fluid and ever-changing seems to be Alejandro Ghersi's motto in life. His third self titled album and XL debut is an exploration of such things. The skin we live in, how it comforts us and how it traps us at the same time. How we try to escape and find home at the same time, how we try to push the boundaries and how the boundaries push us. There is a mix of masculine and feminine elements all over the production, which is Ghersi's most simplistic and stripped back, focusing on emotion rather than overly complicated and experimentation. While it still has his unique sound all over it, it feels nice to finally hear Arca come through the noise.

 

Highlights: Reverie, Desafío, Child

Duds: Whip, Saunter

 

 

 

31. Full disclosure, this is the first time I listened to Xiu Xiu and I have yet to listen to other work from them so i can't say much about it in context. Forget is an album full of suprises and twisty moments. What I loved the most is how the take a simple song concept and pop structures and **** with it until it becomes something really weird and off the walls. While it took some time to get used to the overall flow of the album, I really like it now and it's full of details that you pick up on multiple listens. Sometimes it feels a tiny bit messy, like on the opener The Call, but it's a very rewarding record. Can't wait to discover their discography.

 

Highlights: Wondering, Jenny GoGo, Forget, Petite

Duds: The Call, At Last, At Last

[Delta]

Rainbow 

[Tom Vercetti]

DP will always feel like something is missing due the cast being slightly reduced. 

I think Whip was one of my early favorites from Arca despite its length due to how literal it was  

Xiu Xiu  

[ChapelHooker]

2 hours ago, Delta said:

Rainbow 

such a phenomenal way to come back tbh

 

1 hour ago, Tom Vercetti said:

DP will always feel like something is missing due the cast being slightly reduced. 

I think Whip was one of my early favorites from Arca despite its length due to how literal it was  

Xiu Xiu  

agreed, but honestly it was time for something new for them and I feel like it would've been more electronic one way or another, it just felt a lot more aggressive because of the break-up me thinks

 

Whip is pointless, idgi but stan nnn

 

______________________________________

 

we love a flop best of

 

[World Eater]

FORGET  Fabulous Muscles (!!!) and A Promise are amazing, check those out!

I'd even go further and call some lyrics on DP's s/t petty, especially the line you mentioned  Keep Your Name still goes OFF, haters can choke

[Eeveelution]

Rainbow and Dirty Projectors were pretty good.

 

I can't get into Arca.

 

[Lazuli]

Rainbow yaaaaaaas  

[Danes]

Saunter & Whip duds? Excuse me mister, but NOT when that trash Coraje exist 

Gonna check the other album I don't know out.

[Ewan Chaos]

Not big on the newest Dirty Projectors record honestly. Cool Your Heart is great though. I like Little Bubble a lot too and see it a lot on other Best Ofs, surprised to not see it included.

 

Nice write-up for Rainbow! Yeah honestly even for people who don't like Rainbow (not me, I enjoyed it), it's definitely a cathartic record for her, so go Kesha. 

 

Arca - never been a bit fan honestly :/ The other two I haven't listened to - haven't even heard of Xinobi so lemme add to my list

[Playa Playa]

Yep, the last two are the best! Arca and Xiu Xiu >>> And DP was a good surprise for me too.

 

I haven't listened to Rainbow yet but I'm glad the album has been a success for her (?) Praying is good!

[TheWayWeWere]

Rainbow is brilliant, one of the best comebacks this year

love your picks tho

[MP2K]

DP

[Tropical]

Nice review for Rainbow. It's still very much Kesha, but it's also quite different at the same time. It's a very successful crossover into the rockier realm in which she clearly feels most comfortable in these days. R.I.P. the party bangers, but she's outgrown them well and truly.

[TomTom]

17 hours ago, Playa Playa said:

Yep, the last two are the best! Arca and Xiu Xiu >>> And DP was a good surprise for me too.

 

I haven't listened to Rainbow yet but I'm glad the album has been a success for her (?) Praying is good!

Yes, it has been certified Gold in the US two weeks ago 

 

12 minutes ago, Reinvention said:

Nice review for Rainbow. It's still very much Kesha, but it's also quite different at the same time. It's a very successful crossover into the rockier realm in which she clearly feels most comfortable in these days. R.I.P. the party bangers, but she's outgrown them well and truly.

I'm sure she will bring Dancepopsha back sometime on her next albums. Maybe not as heavily as before, but nevertheless.

[Unoriginal]

Rainbow  

[Playa Playa]

21 minutes ago, TomTom2288 said:

Yes, it has been certified Gold in the US two weeks ago 

 will be listening to it soon. 

[ColdKeane]

Kesha and ARCA  

[Zay]

Xiu Xiu and Arca 

DP is also a v nice album 

[TayRianaPH]

Rainbow is immaculate

Loving how DP is here

comment on mine too  

[theblackestday]

Arca is too low and bye @ you calling the best songs duds.
Forget I agree with the song choices here

[K$Ellie]

Rainbow is amazing  I wouldn't call Hymn a dud but it's not one of my faves and the chorus could have been better

Your highlights  the only one that's missing is Boots

[ChapelHooker]

Spoiler

On 26.12.2017 at 10:03 PM, AlexisNeiers said:

FORGET  Fabulous Muscles (!!!) and A Promise are amazing, check those out!

I'd even go further and call some lyrics on DP's s/t petty, especially the line you mentioned  Keep Your Name still goes OFF, haters can choke

will listen, just need to find the time. i listened to one other record from them and hated it but i dont remember which one lmao

i agree but i like it, its nice to hear really honest lyrics even if they come off as petty or bitter. and yh,KYN is a song

 

On 26.12.2017 at 10:15 PM, Eeveelution said:

Rainbow and Dirty Projectors were pretty good.

 

I can't get into Arca.

have you listened to his way earlier stuff? its more hip-hop influenced and not as experimental, i would give that a try xo

 

On 27.12.2017 at 5:48 AM, Lazuli said:

Rainbow yaaaaaaas  

such a beautiful ablum xo

 

On 27.12.2017 at 5:52 AM, Avariko said:

Saunter & Whip duds? Excuse me mister, but NOT when that trash Coraje exist 

Gonna check the other album I don't know out.

they dont do anything tbh, especially Whip. Its just noise

 

On 27.12.2017 at 6:26 AM, Ewan Chaos said:

Not big on the newest Dirty Projectors record honestly. Cool Your Heart is great though. I like Little Bubble a lot too and see it a lot on other Best Ofs, surprised to not see it included.

 

Nice write-up for Rainbow! Yeah honestly even for people who don't like Rainbow (not me, I enjoyed it), it's definitely a cathartic record for her, so go Kesha. 

 

Arca - never been a bit fan honestly :/ The other two I haven't listened to - haven't even heard of Xinobi so lemme add to my list

CYH is the obvious highlight, but the album took a while to grow on me. Honestly its lowkey a better version of what Justin Vernon tried to do on 22, A Million

 

Xinobi is fun, his first album is not as good but also nice.

 

On 27.12.2017 at 6:48 AM, Playa Playa said:

Yep, the last two are the best! Arca and Xiu Xiu >>> And DP was a good surprise for me too.

 

I haven't listened to Rainbow yet but I'm glad the album has been a success for her (?) Praying is good!

Go listen to Rainbow if you still haven't, such a good pop record. She really does different stuff with her voice etc, its basically her actual debut album

 

On 27.12.2017 at 8:34 PM, TheWayWeWere said:

Rainbow is brilliant, one of the best comebacks this year

love your picks tho

thx sis, it was definitely the best comeback of the year for me because it basically happened just as I was giving up hope on her releasing ever again

 

On 28.12.2017 at 0:15 AM, Reinvention said:

Nice review for Rainbow. It's still very much Kesha, but it's also quite different at the same time. It's a very successful crossover into the rockier realm in which she clearly feels most comfortable in these days. R.I.P. the party bangers, but she's outgrown them well and truly.

agreed,but there are several party bangers on it. LET and BF are basically retro Kesha but in a different sound

 

On 29.12.2017 at 5:55 AM, Zay said:

Xiu Xiu and Arca 

DP is also a v nice album 

talent only

 

On 29.12.2017 at 5:29 PM, theblackestday said:

Arca is too low and bye @ you calling the best songs duds.
Forget I agree with the song choices here

its too weak as an album experience to be higher on the list,you would love Whip lmao

stan for the best songs on Forget

 

On 30.12.2017 at 4:11 PM, K$Ellie said:

Rainbow is amazing  I wouldn't call Hymn a dud but it's not one of my faves and the chorus could have been better

Your highlights  the only one that's missing is Boots

Hymn is the worst song on the album followed by Boots xo

 

so yeah, this is still happening. I hope some of y'all are still here for it.

 

updates coming today xo

[ChapelHooker]

okay I flopped and totally really didn't do this once again lol, but I'm going to post the rest of the lists with small write-ups so its at least finished

 

and imma tag you all

 

xo

 

 

[ChapelHooker]

(filler queen)