best of ? uvie’s BEST OF 2017 | NOW: Top 10 Songs!

[Pink Matter]

Jessie released some great singles pre-album release but unfortunately the whole thing didn't really grab my attention. Not sure if I'd call it a snoozefest but it sounded so... generic? I think that's the best way for me to describe. While the singles were great, nothing else really stood out.

Haven't heard that London Grammar album but I remember thinking the first single was pretty cute  

[ultraviolence.xx]

3. SLOWDIVE - 'SLOWDIVE'

 

 

slowdive's self-titled album is a work of art. it gives me, more than anything, a hot sense of nostalgia, a wish to have been able to experience slowdive in their youth. though slowdive isn't their first material, it has come at the perfect time for me: it has introduced me to shoegaze, what feels like a new genre, though it's simply a rebirth.

listening to this record is like floating in a dream: the gorgeous opener, "slomo," hovers in atmosphere for its near-seven-minute run time, its tambourine a fraction of a beat behind the rest, the highest guitar part a fraction of a beat ahead. the song seems to exist irrespective of time, at its own indefinable tempo. stunning lead single "star roving" is driven by the nastiest guitar in existence. but second single "sugar for the pill" was my first taste of slowdive. with a beautiful guitar progression that reminded me of daughter's "fossa" the first time i heard it, i was intrigued. this song bloomed, though, in a way daughter's songs seldom have, allowed itself to escape into a dreamy atmosphere only hinted at in daughter's "how."

"don't know why" is propelled by a quick-moving beat and quick-spoken female vocals; "everyone knows" opens with a synthesizer and soon dissolves into reverb-and-delayed-guitar heaven. "take me to america," rachel sings. it's the first time i've felt patriotic since birth. #MAGA

"no longer making time" contains the best fake-out ending i've ever heard: you think the song's over, and then before you can process, the intro riff kicks in once again. the penultimate song, "go get it," used to be my least favorite song on the album, but that has changed in the time since i've started this review. "i want to see it," neil sings; "i want to feel it!" and i do. i feel it.

the eight-minute closer, though, "falling ashes," is where real f***ing magic happens. over a twinkling upper-piano riff which somehow doesn't become cumbersome in any way after literally repeating for the entire song, neil and rachel harmonize about "thinking about love." it sounds a lot like a radiohead song on their last album, but i don't even care anymore, radiohead can go f*** themselves.

 

dreamy, atmospheric, and unbelievably beautiful, slowdive is my third favorite album of the year.

 

favorites: slomo, falling ashes, everyone knows, don't know why

Edited December 27, 2017 by ultraviolence.xx

[ultraviolence.xx]

2. THE NATIONAL - 'SLEEP WELL BEAST'

 

this is my second experience with an album by the national. the first, high violet, is one of my favorite late discoveries, though this album has eclipsed high violet, for me, in an undeniable way. this album feels, when i listen to it, as if it was made for me: the lyrics are beautiful and somewhat nihilistic; the music floats through tempos and intensities, with quiet electronic flourishes and drum-pad beats. the first track, "nobody else will be there," one of my favorites on the album, opens with a fade-in beat, some pizzicato strings and woodwinds, and a dark, gorgeous piano chord progression that, without fail, fills me with emotion, reminds me of the early-in-love longing to be alone together. "goodbyes always take us half an hour," matt sings; "why can't we just go home?" st. vincent spoke similarly true words this year, but matt delivers them in a way that feels more true, more raw. the second track, "day i die," is a rare bright, upbeat moment, at least sonically; the song reminds me of tears for fears's "everybody wants to rule the world," in which the sonics of what sounds like a bouncy, carefree tune disguise quite dark lyrics. the third track, "walk it back," is a wash of dark electronics, from the synth blips that open the song to the central refrain ("nothing i change changes anything"; "i'd better cut this off / don't wanna f*** it up") to the spoken-word bridge that signals a key change.

piano drives a lot of songs here: the aforementioned opener; the quasi-romantic "born to beg"; the stunning centerpiece, "guilty party"; the remorseful "carin at the liquor store"; the beautiful, affectionate "dark side of the gym"; and the dark closer, "sleep well beast."

 

with subtle electronic textures and beautifully gloomy moods, sleep well beast is my second favorite album of the year.

 

favorites: guilty party, nobody else will be there, dark side of the gym, i'll still destroy you, born to beg, carin at the liquor store, walk it back

[ultraviolence.xx]

1. BIG THIEF - 'CAPACITY'

 

 

 

no album this year did it for me quite like big thief's capacity. the lyrics here sound less like lyrics and more like stunning, precisely crafted poems delivered through top lines. adrienne's sung words surpass normal vocals; they captivate like spoken stories, sometimes quiet, sometimes forceful, but always engaging. accompaniments, in the best way, understand their non-pivotal placements: they rarely burst from their positions at the side of adrienne's vocals. when they do, it's only to tell stories that cannot be told in words, like the hauntingly forceful rustles toward the end of "pretty things" or the explosive guitar licks and freestyled drums at the beginning of "shark smile." (my vinyl copy of capacity is full of pops at the end of "pretty things," which only adds to the frenetic atmosphere.)

 

adrienne tells many stories across this album, of car-crash fatalities and sexual assaults and gender dissolutions and comas and the love that accompanies friendships. every word counts. "shark smile" tells a beautiful, tragic love story across not even four minutes long. "watering" describes a horrifying assault: "i knew it was poison / as he filled me to the brim / and my blood was dripping / like a lamb"; her repetition of "screaming" forms some horrifying, unforgettable type of chorus. when she sings, "you can wake up now, momma," on the chills-inducing "coma," her voice quivers on the last word of the phrase, as if she, too, cannot hold her tears. the song, at this point, shifts tempos, ushers in a new guitar line and vocal progression, with a chorus of voices accompanying: "you won't recognize your house / will you recognize the / iris of the body?"

 

"mythological beauty" delves into adrienne's youth, her time being raised: "there is a child inside you who's trying to raise a child in me," she sings of her young mother. in the third verse, she recounts an accident wherein a railroad spike fell from a treehouse and almost killed her: "you held me in the backseat with a dishrag, soaking up blood with your eyes / i was just five and you were twenty-seven / praying "don't let my baby die." "mary," over deep piano notes and a beautifully simplistic organ that swells to a powerful bridge, tells of a beautiful lifelong friendship: "high and smiling / cheap drink / dark and violent / full of butterflies / the violent tenderness / the sweet asylum"; "here we go round, mary," she sings, "in your famous storybook."

 

the closer, "black diamonds," tells of a fear of intimacy, of completely revealing oneself; "in your eyes / black diamonds / i could die," adrienne sings. "sometimes you will find / things i do not know how to leave behind / i've been grappling with my mind." 

 

stunningly told, beautifully captured, wonderfully spare, capacity is my favorite album of the year.

 

favorites: shark smile, watering, coma, black diamonds, mythological beauty, mary, objects

[Pink Matter]

Some nice choices here! I haven't felt the need to go back and listen to either Slowdive or The National's albums but they were good from what I remember. Haven't heard the Big Thief album so I'm going to save that for later.

[Unoriginal]

10 hours ago, ultraviolence.xx said:

the lyrics here sound less like lyrics and more like stunning, precisely crafted poems delivered through top lines. 

Stealing this for my Susanne writeup

 

Surprised at Capacity over SWB but congrats to the top three

[Uncatena]

Slowdive

Capacity snatched two top spots here already, really need to check it out 

[ultraviolence.xx]

1 hour ago, Pink Matter said:

Some nice choices here! I haven't felt the need to go back and listen to either Slowdive or The National's albums but they were good from what I remember. Haven't heard the Big Thief album so I'm going to save that for later.

whew, thanks! capacity is great so please listen. also i am SO behind on your BO  i need to catch up fat!!

 

1 hour ago, Unoriginal said:

Stealing this for my Susanne writeup

 

Surprised at Capacity over SWB but congrats to the top three

just credit me and that’s fine x

i stan capacity more than SWB but i tried to be lowkey so as not to overhype you x

 

22 minutes ago, ChapelHooker said:

Slowdive

Capacity snatched two top spots here already, really need to check it out 

slowdive YAS. pls listen to capacity you’ll love it!!

[Eeveelution]

Great top 3 - Capacity is the best of them so talent won. You better stan for Mary, the greatest song of all time.

[theblackestday]

 pleasantly surprised to see Capacity at #1, I was already surprised at them being what I thought was #2 after seeing Slowdive at #3 cause I was so sure The National have secured their top spot  You obviously made the right choice

 

I'm glad you've (mostly) seen the light with Go Get God, and yes for the Falling Down the Charts praise, an underrated and beautiful closer

Quote

radiohead can go f*** themselves.

oh wow.

 

 

[ultraviolence.xx]

9 minutes ago, Eeveelution said:

Great top 3 - Capacity is the best of them so talent won. You better stan for Mary, the greatest song of all time.

 

22 hours ago, Eeveelution said:

Songs done finally, here's a rihcap:

 

  Hide contents

13.   Big Thief – Mary

 

[Eeveelution]

Just now, ultraviolence.xx said:

 

 

[Pink Matter]

24 minutes ago, ultraviolence.xx said:

whew, thanks! capacity is great so please listen. also i am SO behind on your BO  i need to catch up fat!!

Gonna try to get to the Big Thief abloom tonight. And you betta. Just made it to the top 30  

[Dom]

i love capacity, snap a bit honey.

[Tsareena]

I got into the national thanks to your recommendation uvie. love their album. I have to listen to capacity

[World Eater]

The whole top 3

[Lazuli]

THIS TOP 3 IS SNATCHED  

Slowdive is SO good  

Sleep Well Beast snatched me bald unexpectedly  

And Capacity is so insanely beautiful  

 

[madonnas]

I'm listening to the Big Thief rn for the first time and.... IDGI!

Like the Slowdive album though! 

[ultraviolence.xx]

Spoiler

On 12/27/2017 at 10:19 AM, Eeveelution said:

 

 

 

On 12/27/2017 at 10:24 AM, Pink Matter said:

Gonna try to get to the Big Thief abloom tonight. And you betta. Just made it to the top 30  

did you listen yet bb?

 

On 12/27/2017 at 10:32 AM, Dom said:

i love capacity, snap a bit honey.

yas!!!

 

On 12/27/2017 at 11:16 AM, Tsareena said:

I got into the national thanks to your recommendation uvie. love their album. I have to listen to capacity

awww good to hear!  hopefully you like capacity too!

 

On 12/27/2017 at 1:35 PM, AlexisNeiers said:

The whole top 3

god i know right? my immaculate taste  

 

On 12/27/2017 at 8:32 PM, Lazuli said:

THIS TOP 3 IS SNATCHED  

Slowdive is SO good  

Sleep Well Beast snatched me bald unexpectedly  

And Capacity is so insanely beautiful  

 

god, my taste is amazing  

exactly the same with SWB. i liked HV quite a bit but was NOT expecting the follicle-emptying experience i received

 

On 12/28/2017 at 9:41 AM, madonnas said:

I'm listening to the Big Thief rn for the first time and.... IDGI!

Like the Slowdive album though! 

maybe it’ll click later! who knows. be sure to find the lyrics and read them! or just listen attentively with that in mind. 

 

 

[ultraviolence.xx]

maybe i’ll do songs someday 

[Vxspertine]

On 27.12.2017 at 8:21 AM, ultraviolence.xx said:

stunningly told, beautifully captured, wonderfully spare, capacity is my favorite album of the year.

TALENT ****ING WON

 

[Ewan Chaos]

I keep seeing that Big Thief record on Best Ofs recently...... lemme add to my list cuz I've never seen it before  

[Pink Matter]

12 hours ago, ultraviolence.xx said:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

did you listen yet bb?

 

yas!!!

 

awww good to hear!  hopefully you like capacity too!

 

god i know right? my immaculate taste  

 

god, my taste is amazing  

exactly the same with SWB. i liked HV quite a bit but was NOT expecting the follicle-emptying experience i received

 

maybe it’ll click later! who knows. be sure to find the lyrics and read them! or just listen attentively with that in mind. 

 

 

I checked out Big Thief and it was an okay listen  

Sounded like most indie-rock records so I may have to delve into the lyrics to see what the hype was about.

 

12 hours ago, ultraviolence.xx said:

maybe i’ll do songs someday 

Wait is this the end of you're best of?  

[ultraviolence.xx]

15 hours ago, Vxspertine said:

TALENT ****ING WON

 

ok this is me listening to capacity

 

14 hours ago, Ewan Chaos said:

I keep seeing that Big Thief record on Best Ofs recently...... lemme add to my list cuz I've never seen it before  

dooo it!.m4a

 

2 hours ago, Pink Matter said:

I checked out Big Thief and it was an okay listen  

Sounded like most indie-rock records so I may have to delve into the lyrics to see what the hype was about.

 

Wait is this the end of you're best of?  

WHEW get into those lyrics sis!

and no lmao i’m going to do songs i’m just incorrigibly lazy 

[Unoriginal]

uvie stop replying to comments and start your ****ing songs list pls xoxo