best of (T thru Z) Ewan Chaos's Best of 2017

[Tom Vercetti]

not sure how i missed this m section

majid  and miguel  

agree on the can and can'ts for mount eerie.

[Lazuli]

14 minutes ago, Ewan Chaos said:

k i just wrote replies to everyone but ATRL is being **** lemme just spam a bit until we're on page 5

 

omg wottice this queen natalie tran gif nnnnnnnnn

[Ewan Chaos]

4 minutes ago, Lazuli said:

omg wottice this queen natalie tran gif nnnnnnnnn

I think people made that gif at the time of - without realizing - a bunch of Chinese users/guests creating a huge influx of traffic onto ATRL so when people realized the unintentional implications of the gif...  Takes me back... haven't watched a communitychannel vid in ages

[Wicked]

Now that you lost the giphy sponsership, I can keep up!

 

Agreed all the way on Mount Eerie, I had to exclude them from my songs list because it seems dickish to 'rank' them.

[Ewan Chaos]

N:

N.E.R.D. - 1000 (feat. Future)

(Was debating between a few songs, but I think in the end this one's my favorite. Especially the added spacey synths halfway thru. Love that. Dece album, but Pharrell can be so annoying on some of the songs.)

• Also Love: Don't Don't Do It, Lemon, Kites, Voila
• Don't Like: The last two songs and that long ass 8 minute song

The National - The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness

(I wish I listened to this record more. I definitely recall being drawn to this song immediately.)

• Also Love: I'll Still Destroy You, Day I Die
• Don't Like: I guess none

The New Pórnographers - Second Sleep

(This is a good record! I mean... Twin Cinema will prob still always be my favorite, but this song makes me think of that record a lot which is prob why I like it so much. I love the opening.)

• Also Love: High Ticket Attractions, Darling Shade, We've Been Here Before
• Don't Like: None!

Nick Murphy - Your Time (feat. KAYTRANADA)

(It's weird how this song opens like a Kelela record... Then I think it's Erik Hassle when he starts singing lol, but then it gets pretty Chet-Kay in the chorus. It's good! I just checked this song out like a week ago lol)

• Also Love: None
• Don't Like: None

Nicole Atkins - A Little Crazy

(Whew. WHEW. Nicole ****ing did THAT yes she did! The whole album is ****ing amazing and so underrated. This song in particular is so emotional & her voice sounds great, the instrumentation is great too, the lyrics are pretty releatable... god it's good. Check her out.)

• Also Love: Sleepwalking (which sounds to me just like Valerie lolololol), If I Could, Darkness Falls so Quiet, I Love Living Here (Even When I Don't)
• Don't Like: None!

Niki & the Dove - Sushi King

(I was (and still am) beyond obsessed with their album from last year. I guess they released this random single which is a bit more experimental & vocally distorting for them than normal, but it's a jam. Not big on the discordant bit after the chorus though.)

• Also Love: The whole album from last year
• Don't Like: None

NoMBe - Wait

(Random song on a Spotify Weekly I really dug early in the year. Actually it's still a lovely mellow track - the dude's voice is smooth.)

• Also Love: None
• Don't Like: None

O:

Oscar and the Wolf - Breathing

(I never listened to this guy before, but this album was good! The main single (this one) was my favorite.)

• Also Love: Exotic, Pretty Infiniti, Honey, Last Night, So Real
• Don't Like: None

P:

Paramore - Rose-Colored Boy

(It was almost impossible to pick a top track from After Laughter. Forgiveness was the first song I heard that got me to listen to the full record & it's still pretty much my #1/#2 hybrid. Caught In the Middle is an underrated track that is easily the best-produced track (& I can relate to the damn lyrics). Hard Times took a little bit to grow on me but once it did it DID. Told You So was my immediate favorite upbeat track. Pool is also underrated. Fake Happy's entire bridge/"Don't make me, PLAY PRETEEEEND" which makes me wanna cry. 26 being so beautiful. Grudges being that "The Sims" bop. The message & oddity of Idle Worship & into No Friend.)

 

(Finally committed to Rose-Colored Boy half because it was that song with my friend group & half because I'm a bit surprised to not see it much on lists so far. The "LOWKEY! NO PRESSHA!" part is ****ing iconic & deserves to be huge with the song, The guitar in the pre-chorus is great, the chorus has the "just Hayley but with some back up" to it feel that's different from Hard Times. "My, Rose-Colored Boooiooiiiii" is so good. The "PISSED OFF" line. The "they say you gotta look on the brightside, I say well maybe if you wanna go blind" line. Oof.)

 

(If I did RATINGS, After Laughter would have probably been my #1 pick. I mean clearly, look how much I wrote.)

• Also Love: Forgiveness, Caught in the Middle, Hard Times, Told You So, Pool, Fake Happy
• Don't Like: IMO the album starts to drag in the last 3 tracks, but Tell Me How is the only track I'm kinda "eh" on... but even then the message is good.

Passion Pit - Hey K

(This was a better album than Kindred, which made me happy. And was a bit more back-to-basics. This song is my favorite because it keeps the typical "Passion Pit loud vocal singing" in the chorus, but is softer in the verses & just production in general, then the twinkly switch up at the end. Love the lyrical content here too. "Love is the answer & the one design" has been a bit of a motto for me for a while now. I'm seeing him live next month... maybe I should ask him out?  jk jk. Maybe.)

• Also Love: I'm Perfect, The Undertow, You Have the Right, Somewhere Up There, Inner Dialogue
• Don't Like: Eh the title track

Peking Duk - Fake Magic (feat. AlunaGeorge)

(The best thing AlunaGeorge released this year! Love the funk.)

• Also Love: None
• Don't Like: None

Perfume Genius - Otherside

(WHY isn't this on as many best ofs as it should be? It's incredible. The "beat drop" ascends me to heaven every time. I was happy to like this much more than his other record, which I found really overrated.)

• Also Love: Slip Away, Valley, Wreath, Die 4 You
• Don't Like: That featured song

Phoebe Bridgers - Funeral

(This album is a tough listen, not necessarily in the Mount Eerie/Nick Cage way. It's a lot of uncomfortables about I suppose depression and other problems young folk like us tackle. This song really hits home for me for a lot of personal reasons I won't get into, but I want to start crying when I hear the "feeling sorry for myself, when I remembered, someone's kid is dead." Even typing it... damn. The song's so pretty too)

• Also Love: Demi Moore (I don't wanna be stoned anymore...), Smoke Signals, Killer 
• Don't Like: I suppose Would You Rather

Phoenix - Telefono

(YEAH this record ROCKED. When I wasn't jamming to Paramore, this album was my other album of the summer. Had a tough time choosing between this & Fior di Latte, but went with this cuz I kinda hate the smoke detector noise in the background of it. Telefono is awesome with the switching in & out of Italian and English & the lyrical content. The production is my favorite in the whole record & I love how it fades into the song.)

• Also Love: Fior di Latte (We're meant to get it onnnnn), J-Boy, Tuttifrutti, Role Model (I appreciate that this one kinda goes back to the old sound for a song), Ti Amo, Goodbye Soleil
• Don't Like: None

Pixx - Waterslides

(A good electronic record - really gave me the vibes of those other people like Olga Bell almost. This one was my favorite, definitely!)

• Also Love: I Bow Down, Baboo, The Girls, some of the tracks in the beginning but I haven't listened to this in a while
• Don't Like: Your Delight

PVRIS - Same Soul

(I liked this record. I like the chorus of this one, but I think I like the opening/verses a bit more overall.)

• Also Love: Winter, Walk Alone, No Mercy, Anyone Else
• Don't Like: Wasn't big on the first 2 tracks

Q:

None!

[Eeveelution]

Rose-Coloured Boy is a bop! I think funeral was one of my favs the one time I listened to that album. Otherside is cool though not necessarily my fave. I didn't know Niki and the dove released anything this year.  

[TayRianaPH]

7 hours ago, Ewan Chaos said:

Don't Like: IMO the album starts to drag in the last 3 tracks, but Tell Me How is the only track I'm kinda "eh" on... but even then the message is good.

Definitely agree!

Rose-Colored Boy is a 10/10 too 

Curious to see if Taylor can make it to the T's

comment on mine too  

[madonnas]

I haven't heard any of your N picks

 

I'm very happy with your Paramore pick and def agree with most of your assessment of the album , the last 3 tracks are definitely the weakest.  

The Passion Pit album kinda reminded me of the DP album but not as good, but that was only after one listen...

Glad you enjoyed Phoenix's album as much as me, but justice for J Boy!!!

[TheWayWeWere]

NERD album was pretty good

I'm in love with Niki & the Dove, but Sushi King was a mess

Paramore I liked AL Rose-Colored Boy praise

[World Eater]

The National, Perfume Genius, Phoenix and Pixx  Love your picks for all of these

Phoebe Bridgers' album was basically Turn Out the Lights 2.0 which basically means I didn't enjoy it

[Lazuli]

The National  

YAS stan for Paramore and Rose-Colored Boy aka the best song on the album! Lowkey no pressure just hang with me in my weather deserves to be iconic! Do not come for Tell Me How tho, that's a CLOSER.

Perfume Genius  

[Ewan Chaos]

I just realized I forgot Paloma - OOPS. I'd prob put Till I'm Done since it's a ****ing bop and a half but Crybaby is good too.

 

Update in next post!

 

Spoiler

19 hours ago, Eeveelution said:

Rose-Coloured Boy is a bop! I think funeral was one of my favs the one time I listened to that album. Otherside is cool though not necessarily my fave. I didn't know Niki and the dove released anything this year.  

That Niki song isn't really a must-listen but I enjoyed it enough to include it! lol

 

18 hours ago, TayRianaPH said:

Definitely agree!

Rose-Colored Boy is a 10/10 too 

Curious to see if Taylor can make it to the T's

comment on mine too  

All I will say is 

 

13 hours ago, madonnas said:

I haven't heard any of your N picks

 

I'm very happy with your Paramore pick and def agree with most of your assessment of the album , the last 3 tracks are definitely the weakest.  

The Passion Pit album kinda reminded me of the DP album but not as good, but that was only after one listen...

Glad you enjoyed Phoenix's album as much as me, but justice for J Boy!!!

DEFINITELY check out Nicole Atkins of the list, I really think you'd like it. The others I'm not 100% sure!

 

Hmm interesting comparison but I kinda get it. Passion Pit's record is more up while DP's is more low, which I guess is why PP > DP in that sense. I LIKE J-BOY! .... just I prefer Telefono & Fior over it  

 

11 hours ago, TheWayWeWere said:

NERD album was pretty good

I'm in love with Niki & the Dove, but Sushi King was a mess

Paramore I liked AL Rose-Colored Boy praise

LOL yes it was a mess, I did like it enough. It doesn't hold a CANDLE to anything on Everyone's Heart... though

 

9 hours ago, AlexisNeiers said:

The National, Perfume Genius, Phoenix and Pixx  Love your picks for all of these

Phoebe Bridgers' album was basically Turn Out the Lights 2.0 which basically means I didn't enjoy it

Thanks sis but mess at that note - I liked Phoebe's record more than Julien's  

 

31 minutes ago, Lazuli said:

The National  

YAS stan for Paramore and Rose-Colored Boy aka the best song on the album! Lowkey no pressure just hang with me in my weather deserves to be iconic! Do not come for Tell Me How tho, that's a CLOSER.

Perfume Genius  

Sorry sis! It's not like I hate Tell Me How though I promise  Glad to get an OG Paramore stan seal of approval on my Rose-Colored Boy pick.

 

[Tom Vercetti]

The National and Perfume Genius, winners of this set for me.

I still haven't gotten around to the new N.E.R.D album yet.

[TayRianaPH]

Come thru with the update sis! 

Excited to see Taylor slaying the T's! 

Of course, along with Tove Lo

comment on mine too  

[Ewan Chaos]

Happy New Year! Sorry for vanishing - I will be trying to wrap this up soon & catch up on other Best Ofs. These next 2 letters are bulky!

 

R:

R3hab - Trouble (feat. Verite)

(Cute song & I was kinda drawn in from the Verite feature. The little chorus beat-drop can be a bit much but it's a short song so eh. The "you've been nothing but trouble" bit I love.)

• Also Love: None
• Don't Like: None

RAC - Unusual (feat. MNDR)

(I liked this album better than the debut overall, but Hollywood & Let Go are sitll my faves from RAC. I think RAC's best songs are the non-stereotypical electronic tracks like this & Hollywood. MNDR sounds great on this too.)

• Also Love: The Beautiful Game (could easily just be a St. Lucia track tbh), I Still Wanna Know, It's a Shame, No One Has to Know
• Don't Like: Heartbreak Summer, Find a Way

RagnBone Man - Skin

(Did not enjoy this record & never went back to it - outside of this song. I think it's pretty good lol)

• Also Love: None
• Don't Like: The rest lol

Real Estate - Darling

(I need to listen to this album more because I enjoyed it on first listen but never went back to it outside of this song. It really reminds me of another song but idk which...)

• Also Love: idk SORRY
• Don't Like: SAME

Rhye - Taste

(Excited for the new record is all I'll say for now!)

• Also Love: All the other tracks, a bit bummed Summer Love wasn't included so I'll be just tacking it to the end of the album
• Don't Like: None

Rina Sawayama - Cyber Stockholm Syndrome

(I still need to process this EP since I only recently gave it a listen, but I love the 90's vibes. This one was def my highlight.)

• Also Love: Ordinary Superstar, the duet with Shamir
• Don't Like: None

Rostam - Thatch Snow

(Well if we truly can be honest, I haven't been a huge fan of any solo member VW records yet, but this was okay/still better than Baio's records. I like the violin on this one and his voice.)

• Also Love: Hold You, When, Half-Light
• Don't Like: Ehhh wasn't really big on any other tracks

Royal Blood - Lights Out

(Pretty okay album, but nothing too exciting. I legit don't remember any songs outside of this one tho)

• Also Love: None
• Don't Like: None

Royce Wood Junior - Well Ran Dry

(Underrated KING! He betta release an album this year since "The Ashen Tang" is still one of my faves of 2015. While I kinda preferred the live version on YT, the studio is a banger.)

• Also Love: None
• Don't Like: None

Run the Jewels - Legend Has It

(Obligatory inclusion since they released this on like Dec 30 or whatever last year, buuuut I haven't listened to it in ages oops.)

• Also Love: None
• Don't Like: None

S:

Saint Etienne - Dive

(My dad was talking this band up saying I'd like them cuz they are like Moloko & I agree. Apparently they haven't released a new album in ages so guess this is a big deal. This song is retro disco PERFECTION - her voice is like a cool breeze.)

• Also Love: Something New, Out of My Mind, After Hebden, Heather
• Don't Like: None but overall the album can drag a bit towards the end

Sam Smith - Pray

(An alright record, I'd say. It gets real good towards the end.)

• Also Love: Burning, Nothing Left for You
• Don't Like: I guess everything between HIM & Pray lol

Sampha - Take Me Inside

(I guess we all kinda felt the same about this record - loved it at the time since January is slow but it's kinda just alright now. It's a pretty emotional album that's for sure, and this one is definitely my favorite piano song & he sounds nice on it.)

• Also Love: Reverse Faults (so trippy), Timmy's Prayer, Incomplete Kisses, Kora Sings
• Don't Like: idk why but I've never liked that No One Knows me Like the Piano song lol

Selena Gomez - Bad Liar

(I have to say, I've never really cared for Selena. Songs like "Love you Like a Love Song" and that "Hands to Myself" are good but I never LOVED anything from her. This track is a ****ing bop, from the whispery vocals (aka her singing in a pitch she can handle), the Talking Heads sample, the bass line, the "AND OH BABY LET'S MAKE..." bit. Yas.)

• Also Love: None
• Don't Like: None

Shakira - Perro Fiel (feat. Nicky Jam)

(I mean yeah it's not like I walk into new Shakira records with a lot of hope but meh. El Diablo or whatever was more of a compilation record. This new track is pretty great though I must admit.)

• Also Love: Me Enamore (the ****ing single cover tho LOL), and Amarillo's okay
• Don't Like: Meh

Shania Twain - Let's Kiss and Make Up

(Good for her making a comeback record I guess but it was kinda forgettable. I like this one though, it's really breezy & the subdued trumpet is a nice touch.)

• Also Love: None
• Don't Like: None

The Shins - Name for You

(A good album! I think this is a bit of typical pick, but the chorus is awesome, as are the verses, and I'm really into the guitar work. WOMP WOMP WOMP WOMP)

• Also Love: Mildenhall (a super close #2 actually), Half a Million, Cherry Heart, Fantasy Island
• Don't Like: None!

Shy Girls - You Like the Pain Too

(He released his best stuff in 2016 before the album came out, but it's still a pretty great "beginning of the year" record that is quick to listen too. As a debut record, it's quite impressive.)

• Also Love: Trivial Motion/I Am Only a Man (from last year), Say You Will, What if I Can
• Don't Like: None!

Slow Dancer - In a Mood

(Homeboy lowkey sounds like a frog at times, but honestly I really enjoyed this record! I love relaxing on the beach at sunset guitar & the drums are really noticeable (in a good way) on the track. I like the lyrics too. Just a great track!)

• Also Love: Don't Believe, Bitter, I've Been Thinking, I'm Done Waiting
• Don't Like: None!

Snoh Aalegra - Time

(Idk how I listened to this chick. I think I just got curious and checked a thread here on ATRL & checked her out. It's an alright record with a lot of rappers on it, but I liked the slower track like this one. I actually really like this one.)

• Also Love: Out of Your Way, You Keep Me Waiting, Fool For You
• Don't Like: None I suppose

SOHN - Hard Liquor

(Basically the tracks he released before the album were the best ones, but oh well. This works crazy as an opener and is pretty different for SOHN. It's really dark and I like the lyrical content. The little build up starting at like 2 mins in is awesome.)

• Also Love: Conrad/Signal (from last year), Rennen, Dead Wrong (my boy Royce Wood Junior on this one), Falling
• Don't Like: I guess everything else

Spoon - Do I Have to Talk You Into It

(I compare this a lot to the Shins record, but I liked that more.)

• Also Love: Can I Sit Next to You
• Don't Like: None I suppose

St, Vincent - Savior

(Yeah yeah I know that Los Ageless is the obvious pick here, but we all already know how good that song is. Savior deserves a bit more praise, I mean who expected Annie to pull of sex so well? The modern day Prince. The "pleeeeeeaaasse", "dress me in leather..." and "they call me a strange girl..." are my favorite bits. I loved the whole album too! Strange Mercy is still my top pick, but this is such a good record.)

• Also Love: Los Ageless, Hang on Me (grew on me HARD), Slow Disco (same), Masseduction, Sugarboy
• Don't Like: Fear the Future

Steve James - Warrior (feat. Lights)

(A jam! It could have fit on Skin and Earth too probs.)

• Also Love: None
• Don't Like: None

Susanne Sundfor - Good Luck Bad Luck

(I love the entirety of this song. The sing-song beginning part and then the jazzy outro. NICE. Overall this was a really good record, and I'm kinda in the minority who was happy when she decided not to do an electro-pop banger album again.)

• Also Love: Reincarnation (a close close close #2), No One Believes in Love Anymore, Mountaineers, Mantra
• Don't Like: Just the title track

Syd - Drown in It

(A cute solo record, but honestly I was more into the interlude, minute and a half tracks on this record. I feel this should have been a full track since she sounds great on a more mellow track like this.)

• Also Love: Know, All About Me, No Complaints, Nothing to Something
• Don't Like: I never really listen to much of the last few songs

Sylvan Esso - Song

(You know what, even if there wasn't anything as good as Radio on the album, I quite enjoyed this record. Song is my favorite... song, mainly because of the cute indie-pop girl beginning part of the song with the little acoustic guitar, and then the electro-switch up. Kind of a mix of their two general sounds which is cool.)

• Also Love: Radio (from 2016), Just Dancing, The Glow, Die Young
• Don't Like: Not into the first song or the Slack Jaw song.

[Tom Vercetti]

Real Estate, Rhye, Rina and St Vincent's highlights are spot on for me.

I never gave Snoh her time even after praising her EP last year. 

[Ewan Chaos]

Who else jamming to the Finesse remix?! Anyway. Let me end this today.

 

T:

Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do

(I haven't listened to the album and I wasn't going to put anything, however I have ****-talked this song way too much to not include it. There's something about me where "annoying songs" (kinda like Store) are kind of my love. Maybe because other people hate them? I mean the "the old Taylor..." part is SOOO stupid but somehow works? And the almost off-beat "look at that which you have happened to make me do" in the chorus. Wild.)

• Also Love: None
• Don't Like: None... I feel like I won't like anything else lol

Tei Shi - How Far

(I used to listen to this album a lot! I think I like it a lil less than I used to, but it's still great. How Far is perfect with the soaring vocals in the chorus & slowly-rising voice in the verses. Love the guitar-led production which transitions into that dirty synth/bass combo. The best of the song is unleashed in the final chorus where the drums really add to it and she's practically yelling at whoever she's singing to. Damn.)

• Also Love: Say You Do (pop excellence), Keep Running, Crawl, Creep, Baby, Lift Me, Como Si, Sleepy
• Don't Like: This is such an unpopular opinion but Justify lol. And the Year 3k song.

Ten Fé - Twist Your Arm

(I love that whining guitar riff in between the lyrics. His voice is really expressive without being too overpowering either, especially the "my daaarling" parts. Very much a song about "playing the game" which is cool. My fave bit is the bridge's slow build with the clapping & chanting, until it gets to the triumphant "until you give me love!")

• Also Love: Follow, Another Way, In the Air, Burst
• Don't Like: None

Tennis - In the Morning I'll Be Better

(I used to never like Tennis's music because it was always too... boring I guess? I heard this song in Iceland at our hostel and was SHOOK to find it was Tennis - the band I always said no to. I've only loved the song more with each listen & the album's cool.)

• Also Love: Ladies Don't Play Guitar, Baby Don't Believe, 
• Don't Like: None

Thundercat - Show You the Way (feat. Kenny Loggins & Michael McDonald)

(What a weird but perfect group to make a song like this. The "in the back MC" introductions, Thundercat's usual sultry singing, Kenny's slight nasal singing, Michael's deep & sweet-like-honey voice all combined, the production, the deep meaning behind the last part of the song to stay hydrated before drinking... it really all comes together in a great way. Drunk is a great album too - I have yet to listen to it while Drunk, unfortunately!)

• Also Love: Tokyo (this is the ****ing funniest song of 2017, namely the DBZ references & "blow all my cash on anime - YES!"), Them Changes, Drink Dat, A Fan's Mail, Friend Zone
• Don't Like: None!

Tom Rosenthal - The Only Good Thing About Bad Bob

(A good low-fi album! His voice can sometimes be a bit much, but I love the humor of his lyrics. My fave part of this song is the "he's baaaaad in a MYRIAD of ways!" Bad Bob seems like a mother****er.)

• Also Love: Throw the Fear, P.A.S.T.A, Fenn, What's Getting You Down James?
• Don't Like: None

Tove Lo - Disco Títs

(Best chorus of the year? Dare I say Tove's best song ever? It's just the perfect mix of sexy, silly, weird, energetic, and laidback vibes that I can't NOT love it. I mean that moan in the beginning/end of the bridge, the "I say hi..." pause-of-the-song before the banger of the chorus, the "NO I DON'T!!!!!" yelling right after the chorus. "I'm fully charged, nipples are hard, ready to go" is truly incredible, and I love her. The album was okay! I appreciate that it was more all-over-the-place compared to Lady Wood.)

• Also Love: Bitches (another ****ing banger & so intense), Cycles, Struggle, shedontknowbutsheknows, Shivering Gold, Stranger
• Don't Like: Romantics (really bad), Bad Days

Tuxedo - 2nd Time Around

(My boy Mayer Hawthorne is back already with this collabo with some other producer, and also my lil bae Gavin Turek singing on backup! This is a bop and outside of the chorus, my favorite part is the verse "then the late night call mixed with alcohol....")

• Also Love: Shine (queen Gavin SHINES on this one), Take a Picture, U Like It, Rotational, Livin for Your Lovin, Fux with the Tux
• Don't Like: Special

U:

None?! That's surprising to me. OH that US Girls song

 

V:

Vérité - Somewhere In Between

(Homegirl with 2 accents... Who does she think she is, Róísín Múrphý??? Anyway I liked this album. This one wasn't originally my favorite, but I love the quiet verses and the song slowly getting louder as it progresses (even the first chorus is kinda subdued). The "hoo hoo" parts in the end ROCK.)

• Also Love: Floor, Nothing, When You're Gone, Phase Me Out, Death of Me
• Don't Like: Ummmm I think none. Idk why she has "Need Nothing" and "Nothing" as two songs on the damn album tho  

Vice - Obsession (feat. Jon Bellion)

(Another random single I found & enjoyed. I'm not even a huge Jon fan, but his falsetto-kinda in the chorus is great - as is the breakdown.)

• Also Love: None
• Don't Like: None

Vince Staples - Yeah Right

(I actually never listened to Vince before this record. It's really good. I appreciate his electronic beats that he decided to go for here & even some house music on a few. I didn't realize Yeah Right was produced by Sophie & Flume but of course! The ****ing call & response chorus, the banging borderline PC bass, the "lady?" in the... bridge? which is also pretty PC, Kenny Kenny Ken Ken's part... all so good.)

• Also Love: Love Can Be..., 745, BagBak, SAMO, Homage
• Don't Like: None

W:

Walk the Moon - All I Want

(So I enjoyed Shut Up and Dance back in the day, but never gave the albums a chance. After enjoying One Foot, I figured I'd listen to this record in full, and I love it! This one immediately captivated me with the "keep going" drum beat and the switch up of singing & quickly spoken-word parts. The "maybe if I had..." bits are my fave, particularly the "Maybe if I was straight" lyric, and then towards the end with the "maybe if I had a little more... SEX!")

• Also Love: One Foot, Kamikaze, Headphones, Surrender, All Night, In My Mind
• Don't Like: Sound of Awakening (I can appreciate it for what it is, but it wasn't reaaaaally necessary)

The War on Drugs - Holding On

(Dad-rock EXCELLENCE. I love how breezy this one is)

• Also Love: Up All Night, Strangest Thing, Nothing to Find, Thinking of a Place
• Don't Like: None!

Washed Out - Hard to Say Goodbye

(Cute album for a few listens.)

• Also Love: Million Miles Away
• Don't Like: None

Will Joseph Cook - Treat Me Like A Lover

(This guy was a great discovery last year. I listened to his EPs like... 2 years ago, but he finally released a full record and it's great! This ode to be treated as more than just a friend is my fave pick from the album.)

• Also Love: Biggest Fan, Sweet Dreamer, Beach, Girls Like Me, Alive
• Don't Like: None

X:

The xx - Dangerous

(I get a bit surprised people are so into something like "Say Something Loving" when this duet bop is being ignored? It's a little different for them too - it's got horns in the chorus & Romy's belting at the end are both great.)

• Also Love: Lips, Performance, Replica, I Dare You, On Hold (from last year, prob still my fave)
• Don't Like: Say Something Loving

Y:

yaeji - raingurl

(It was raining today and guess what song I blasted on my break walking around? This ****ing booty-shaking jam is excellent. The misty production, the very... casual singing, the ****ing super clever lyrics (mother Russia in my cup is my new vodka drinking motto), the absolute deadpan bliss of the chorus, it's all great.)

• Also Love: The whole EP
• Don't Like: NONE

Z:

Zedd - Stay (feat. Alessia Cara)

(This is the best thing Alessia has ever done/been a part of so far and you KNOW I'm not lying. The songwriters are pretty genius too with the chorus "all you had to do is take..." is soooo catchy. I love the clock ticking in the second chorus.)

• Also Love: None
• Don't Like: None

Zola Jesus - Witness

(What an intense album & subject matter - especially this song. Her voice sorrowfully soaring over the violins is so beautiful.)

• Also Love: Exhumed (actually idk why I didn't put this as my pick I've listened to it more...), Ash to Bone, Siphon
• Don't Like: None

[TRF.]

Zola AND Vince  also love to see The xx and Yaeji. Still don't really get Disco Boob.

[TayRianaPH]

On 1/6/2018 at 0:08 PM, Ewan Chaos said:

Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do

(I haven't listened to the album and I wasn't going to put anything, however I have ****-talked this song way too much to not include it. There's something about me where "annoying songs" (kinda like Store) are kind of my love. Maybe because other people hate them? I mean the "the old Taylor..." part is SOOO stupid but somehow works? And the almost off-beat "look at that which you have happened to make me do" in the chorus. Wild.)

• Also Love: None
• Don't Like: None... I feel like I won't like anything else lol

Yey! At the Taylor mention 

Just give it a quick listen,it'sgot somethingfor everyone,I assure you

Zedd was good until that Liam collab

Feel free to comment on my best of too hun 

[Lazuli]

That Taylor commentary  I... just, at least stan a biT for LWYMMD tho! 

The xx and The War On Drugs  

[Tom Vercetti]

Agree on a number of these (like Dangerous being the best xx track from I See You.)

Thnx for another countdown and some artist discoveries~ 

[World Eater]

This is...a lot to comment on  But I gave your write ups a quick read and agree with most of them 

[TayRianaPH]

Thank you sweetie! 

I have some message for you in my chart! 

Congrats on your successful best of & see you next December!