Eeveelution Posted December 28, 2017 Author Posted December 28, 2017 (edited) 25. Ibeyi - Ash Genre(s): NOT "world music" French-Cuban twin duo Ibeyi have taken issue with the label “world music” – feeling it doesn’t adequately describe their sound. Sure, they aren’t always singing in English, but there are a lot of different musical elements and genre influences which make Ash one of the most unique albums of 2017. Compared to their debut, which was raw in the way it dealt with the twins’ grief, the album is more ambitious thematically with some songs that are outright political. It is a testament to the twins’ talent that it all feels very cohesive: I Wanna Be Like You, a song written by Lisa-Kaindé in admiration of her sister, slots in seamlessly in between Deathless (written about racial profiling) and the Michelle Obama-sampling No Man is Big Enough for My Arms. Perhaps some tracks in the second half begin to blur together, and l remember I said of their debut in my 2015 best of: I feel like Ibeyi nave a lot of unreached potential. But, Ash is a strong album in it’s own right nonetheless. Preview: "Deathless" 24. Bedouine - Bedouine Genre(s): Chamber-folk, singer-songwriter This is one I definitely wish I spent more time with. I first listened in the summer, where many accessible and instantly captivating albums kept my attention. When I came back to it more recently and really sat down and listened a couple of times, it didn’t take long for the lovelorn swoon of tracks like You Kill Me and Dusty Eyes (real wedding dance song right there) to melt me. “I do with little / I don’t do a lot / I get with what I got”, sung on Back to You is pretty much a statement of purpose for the entire record and aside from some orchestral flourishes from Spacebomb Studios (remember this icon?), Bedouine needs little more than her guitar to leave an impact. I’m sorry – this is such a cliched thing said about anything recorded with a guitar – but this record feels so timeless to me and I feel like this will age well in a time when so much music feels timestamped by current references and slang. Preview: "You Kill Me" 23. Tyler, the Creator - Flower Boy Genre(s): Alternative hip-hop I kinda paid Flower Boy dust when it was released – obviously gotta support my fave and not give the competition these streams. But I came back to this more recently and it’s a really good album. This is my first Tyler record but as far as I know this is like his “redemption” album in that it stomps over his previous work? I love the production here, much like the cover-art it feels very warm and summery, though at the same time there’s an air of sadness which is amplified further by some of the lyrics. I enjoy the use of guests, particularly Anna of the North and my girl Corinne, who really elevate and provide texture to the album centrepiece Boredom. It’s Tyler and his lyrics that captivate me throughout, however, and it’s hard not to root for him on melancholy bops like the penultimate Glitter – it gets better, sis. Preview: "Boredom" 22. The National - Sleep Well Beast Genre(s): Indie-rock, post-dad rock The National are consistently reliable in crafting solid and well-polished albums, and Sleep Well Beast is no exception. Almost every song here feels essential to the album, and their discography as a whole, while Matt’s weary baritone sounds better than ever. The record is cohesive, perhaps to a fault, but I enjoy how some songs connect to each other (title track / closer Sleep Well Beast’s coda is “I’ll still destroy you someday / sleep well beast”). It’s not always the most engaging listen, and some of the songs seem to breeze by without leaving much of an impression, but you can’t knock the craftsmanship at work here. I do want something different next album, though. They’re definitely at risk of falling into that indie band lull, where you kinda know what you’re getting with each release, and not in a Beach House kinda way if you know what I mean. Preview: "Sleep Well Beast" 21. Everything Everything - A Fever Dream Genre(s): Art pop The little everything everythings have said that this is a disappointment but as I have not listened to their previous albums, I think this is really good honestly. The production is fairly stripped back which highlights the often-thoughtful and interesting lyrics, songs like the title track and Good Shot, Good Soldier have surprisingly catchy melodies too. The lead singer has an elastic, flamboyant voice that lowkey reminds me of Wild Beasts (</3), which works well on most tracks but can be grating at times (Desire’s hook). He sounds gorgeous on White Whale, however, which is a lovely spin on the classic closing ballad. Preview: "A Fever Dream" Edited December 28, 2017 by Eeveelution
ATRL Moderator madonnas Posted December 29, 2017 ATRL Moderator Posted December 29, 2017 Getting tthrough the National album was dreadful IDK why so man people like it no offense. I'm gonna listen to the EE album I liked their 2015 one.
Tom Vercetti Posted December 29, 2017 Posted December 29, 2017 Flower & SWB A Fever Dream is def a stepdown compared to Get To Heaven.
Playa Playa Posted December 29, 2017 Posted December 29, 2017 Aye Bedouine is one of my fave newcomers of 2017! And lol I knew I'd be clicking on a Natalie Prass video because her music reminds me of hers too. Natalie needs to return in 2018!
ATRL Moderator Unoriginal Posted December 29, 2017 ATRL Moderator Posted December 29, 2017 I only heard one song from the Ibeyi album but it was good
Pink Matter Posted December 29, 2017 Posted December 29, 2017 Interesting list so far. Ash and Flower Boy are fantastic! Gave Ash another listen on my subway ride this afternoon and everything about the sounds on the album are incredibly captivating. No Man Is Big Enough For My Arms is the feminist anthem I didn't know I needed. Also: Quote 26. Lana Del Rey - Lust for Life wottice?
Ewan Chaos Posted December 29, 2017 Posted December 29, 2017 You should listen to Get to Heaven from EE if you liked A Fever Dream! GtH is basically a longer & more... upbeat version of AFD if you wanna explain in simplistic terms. Dying at little everything everythings what a long fanbase name that would be The National record was aight! I didn't like the Ibeyi record tho
Zay Posted December 29, 2017 Posted December 29, 2017 Ash is really.... a letdown from their ST imo The only songs I took away from it are Deathless and Waves, which were phenomenal Flower Boy was cute but need to listen to it more tho
TRF. Posted December 29, 2017 Posted December 29, 2017 I like Ash! Def an upgrade from their s/t album. They're still yet to do *that* for me but it has some of their best songs by far. Also, yes, "world music" is an Eurocentric term that sucks ass and should be erased from language altogether! But yay for Tyler and Everything Everything too!
Lucas32 Posted December 29, 2017 Posted December 29, 2017 The National Quote 6. Lana Del Rey - Lust for Life Fixed
theblackestday Posted December 29, 2017 Posted December 29, 2017 Sleep Well Beast, Flower Boy Been meaning to listen to Ash but I'll get to it
World Eater Posted December 29, 2017 Posted December 29, 2017 Get to Heaven>A Fever Dream>Arc>Man Alive tbh Listen to GTH asap because you're missing out a lot Loved Flower Boy and Sleep Well Beast
Eeveelution Posted December 29, 2017 Author Posted December 29, 2017 (edited) 20. Mura Masa - Mura Masa Genre(s): Electronic, hip-house, wonky I was surprised to see the mixed reception for this one... and then I wasn't. Further proof of a deep generational chasm that divides ATRL into two camps; the twentysomething pop sophisticates with 15 to 20 years of top-shelf pop consumption to their name, and an unruly kid crew with ANOHNI avatars and tributes to Arca in their signatures. It's not that the latter generation is a lost cause entirely, but they've clearly never heard a "Mura Masa" — that is, they've never encountered production quite as distinctive as Mura Masa's. "But I know Mura Masa! Firefly was the first single I bought!" First off, ask for a refund. And no, you don't know Mura Masa, you know a very stilted and subdued version of the iconic performer. The Mura Masa of "Mura Masa" is Mura Masa as Mura Masa is intended to sound. He very skillfully vacillates between a range of tones; there are bleeps, then bloops, then blips, then bleeps again. (And yes, that's how he's supposed to do it.) He's sultry. he's goofy. He sounds slightly absurd. He's fully engaged. He's expressive in ways that "technically superior" producers just aren't. He is brilliant. You have no idea how brilliant he is. Preview: "What if I go?" 19. Charli XCX - Number 1 Angel / POP 2 Genre(s): Bubblegum Bass, The Future of Pop In 2017, the concept of an ‘album’ is more blurred than ever, and it’s almost ironic that in being unable to release her own album Charli has delivered so-called mixtapes that put many of this year’s LPs to shame. Number 1 Angel is a delicious slice of pop perfection that cemented Charli as one of the most interesting pop artists we have (if you weren’t sure already). She smooths out some of PC music’s more annoying tendencies on sugary bops like Roll With Me and Lipgloss, while Charli herself feels more present than on Vroom Vroom. ILY2 (the greatest song of all time, imagine not stanning) takes Sucker’s guitars and douses them in a generous amount of PC music glitter, meanwhile White Roses acts as the spiritual successor to True Romance’s, wait for it, Black Roses. Preview: "ILY2" On Pop 2, Charli continues to push the boundaries of what exactly we consider a ‘pop song’ (and having a damn good time doing so), delving deeper into the PC music sound that suits her so well. More difficult than Number 1 Angel, songs like I Got It are jarring and abrasive on first listen, and initially it can be difficult to pick up on the sheer lyrical depth and nuance of a track like Porsche. But no one right now understands how to write pop music better than Charli and the tracks here are as compactly written as the rest of her discography, with hooks that root themselves into your brain in no time at all. Preview: "I Got It" 18. Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory Genre(s): West coast hip-hop, electronic Not one to repeat himself, as opposed to the bleak, minimalist beats which shaped Summertime ’06, Big Fish Theory instead employs cutting-edge electronic production. The result works excellently and makes this one of the most singular and unique hip-hop albums of the decade. It’s also full of bops! I enjoy Vince’s use of guests in subtle and unexpected ways. Again, Kilo Kish acts as his secret weapon, coming along whenever I’m feeling fomo’d and want to hear a female vocal. The album is a brisk 36 minutes, and, like some of the tracks on his debut, there are a few here which breeze by without much of an impact. I’d like to see him tackle an epic 6+ minute type song cause I think he has the talent to pull it off. Of course, it’s still early days in his courier so obvs he has plenty of time to develop and evolve musically Preview: "BagBak" 17. Moses Sumney - Aromanticism Genre(s): It isn't R&B Aromanticism is an intriguing and somewhat difficult to classify debut from Moses Sumney – a cursory scroll through his twitter will tell you it definitely is NOT R&B, however. I was initially underwhelmed with this after having loved his Lamentations EP from last year but it did not take long for the 11 intricate, painstakingly crafted tracks to endear to me. The instrumentation is lush and full while still allowing plenty of space for Moses to serve some vocals, and the concept of exploring relationships lacking in romantic love is very interesting. Much like Vince, the album is a tad lightweight (he really tried it with 3 interludes on an 11 track album), especially when one track is simply a 3-minute proposition to make out in his car. Of course, more than most any other artist on this list, I very much doubt this album will be his peak musically. Preview: "Lonely World" 16. Big Thief - Capacity Genre(s): Indie-rock, dream pop Capacity is an interesting and surprisingly versatile record, the band conjure a dreamy atmosphere on songs like Coma with delicate guitar and tumbling melodies, while others like Shark Smile have a foot-tapping rhythm which softens their heartbreaking lyrics. Speaking of lyrics, the songs on Capacity are all excellently written; Adrianne knows exactly when bluntness will be most effective (“17, you took his c*m”), or when a vivid metaphor will do the job (“Evelyn’s kiss was oxygen”). There are some absolutely cracking standouts here, which means that some some other tracks can feel slightly underwhelming in comparison – Black Diamonds is a noticeable comedown after the superb Mary. Even so, everything here is well-written and arranged enough to justify a high placing on my list. Preview: "Coma" Edited December 30, 2017 by Eeveelution
Eeveelution Posted December 29, 2017 Author Posted December 29, 2017 19 hours ago, madonnas said: Getting tthrough the National album was dreadful IDK why so man people like it no offense. It's definitely something you have to be in the right mood for, I was really obsessed with it for like a week in October, but I haven't connected with it as much since then. Do you like any of their other albums? 19 hours ago, Playa Playa said: Aye Bedouine is one of my fave newcomers of 2017! And lol I knew I'd be clicking on a Natalie Prass video because her music reminds me of hers too. Natalie needs to return in 2018! I read she's realising next year, I'm not ready for AOTY. 19 hours ago, Pink Matter said: Interesting list so far. Ash and Flower Boy are fantastic! Gave Ash another listen on my subway ride this afternoon and everything about the sounds on the album are incredibly captivating. No Man Is Big Enough For My Arms is the feminist anthem I didn't know I needed. Also: wottice? I know it's an interlude but NMIBEFMA really is one of their best, whew. I had to make room for Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. The student has surpassed the teacher. 15 hours ago, Zay said: Ash is really.... a letdown from their ST imo The only songs I took away from it are Deathless and Waves, which were phenomenal Flower Boy was cute but need to listen to it more tho I thought it was about equal to their debut, although I guess River is still their best song. 19 hours ago, Tom Vercetti said: Flower & SWB A Fever Dream is def a stepdown compared to Get To Heaven. 15 hours ago, Ewan Chaos said: You should listen to Get to Heaven from EE if you liked A Fever Dream! GtH is basically a longer & more... upbeat version of AFD if you wanna explain in simplistic terms. Dying at little everything everythings what a long fanbase name that would be The National record was aight! I didn't like the Ibeyi record tho 32 minutes ago, AlexisNeiers said: Get to Heaven>A Fever Dream>Arc>Man Alive tbh Listen to GTH asap because you're missing out a lot Loved Flower Boy and Sleep Well Beast I'll get to listening ASAP then.
Maddox Posted December 29, 2017 Posted December 29, 2017 6 minutes ago, Eeveelution said: 20. Mura Masa - Mura Masa Genre(s): Electronic, hip-house, wonky I was surprised to see the mixed reception for this one... and then I wasn't. Further proof of a deep generational chasm that divides ATRL into two camps; the twentysomething pop sophisticates with 15 to 20 years of top-shelf pop consumption to their name, and an unruly kid crew with ANOHNI avatars and tributes to Arca in their signatures. It's not that the latter generation is a lost cause entirely, but they've clearly never heard a "Mura Masa" — that is, they've never encountered production quite as distinctive as Mura Masa's. "But I know Mura Masa! Firefly was the first single I bought!" First off, ask for a refund. And no, you don't know Mura Masa, you know a very stilted and subdued version of the iconic performer. The Mura Masa of "Mura Masa" is Mura Masa as Mura Masa is intended to sound. He very skillfully vacillates between a range of tones; there are bleeps, then bloops, then blips, then bleeps again. (And yes, that's how he's supposed to do it.) He's sultry. he's goofy. He sounds slightly absurd. He's fully engaged. He's expressive in ways that "technically superior" producers just aren't. He is brilliant. You have no idea how brilliant he is. Preview: "What if I go?" Anyway his album was still a little underwhelming... Charli, Vince, Ibeyi and Bedouine
Dom Posted December 29, 2017 Posted December 29, 2017 charli xcx is so good! she really delivered a lot of great music this year, it's so hard to keep up with her. a gift that keeps on giving.
Vilppu Posted December 29, 2017 Posted December 29, 2017 "the future of pop" n Number 1 Angel is obviously a great choice and while I'm not sure how I feel about Pop 2 yet, I do know Femmebot is a damn bop. I never came back for the second listen of Aromanticism, will have to catch up on that, and I LOVE Vince's album.
ATRL Moderator Unoriginal Posted December 29, 2017 ATRL Moderator Posted December 29, 2017 Capacity was good wasn't too into Charli's mixtapes this year but Pop > Angel
jose168 Posted December 30, 2017 Posted December 30, 2017 oh girl get into Get To Heaven and Arc, EE are TALENT bundling N1A and POP2 was a great call, both are sheer excellence Capacity and Big Fish theory
Vxspertine Posted December 30, 2017 Posted December 30, 2017 Oh wow how did I miss this top 10? Anymore is... cute Bon Apetit is Katy's most boring song and I hope it chokes Century Drag ha STTP was alright. Dreams Tonite was really cute On 26.12.2017 at 10:00 PM, Eeveelution said: She knows she ended careers with that pre-chorus. Lipgloss is literally holy Homemade Dynamite grew on me a little but I still don't love it
Vxspertine Posted December 30, 2017 Posted December 30, 2017 Sleep Well Beast I really think it's one of their best works yet A Fever Dream was a pretty big disappointment for me since their last album was really good. Big Fish Legend I agree that the album feels a little short and that he could pull off longer tracks really well Aromanticism I agree that this is definitely not his peak, he needs to release a more focused album next for sure. Capacity
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