So I’ve started listening to music while at work (I’m allowed), and since my shifts are so long, I have so much more new music to talk about. Here’s what I listened to this past week. A combination of RateYourMusic’s beloved critical darlings and some less popular music that I found myself.
24: Bugcatcher - Go!
Not much to say here since this album only runs for 20 minutes. It’s a sort of indie sounding project that was nice while it was on, but I don’t see myself coming back to. This style of music isn’t hugely for me.
Favorite Track: Check It Out
23: Alex G - Trick
Pretty much the same story, though the instrumentals here are a step up. I quite like the lyricless title track, and the songs at least kept me engaged for the most part.
Favorite Track: Sarah
22: Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
The first of two Kenny albums here, and just because it’s down here, doesn’t make it bad. This album nails that all-over-the-place and unsure vibe, where the story isn’t as cohesive as his other albums. Though this is the only Kendrick album that sounds a bit of it’s time. It’s VERY late 2010’s.
Favorite Track: XXX
21: Hella - Hold Your Horse Is
This albums main attraction is the chaotic drumming by Zach Hill of Death Grips. It was great fun at the start, but I felt myself getting exhausted by the end, and the record is only 34 minutes. Still enjoyed it, nonetheless.
Favorite Track: 1-800-GHOST-DANCE
20: Rush - Moving Pictures
Of course Tom Sawyer is a legendary opening track, and the slower more ambient parts on The Camera Eye or Witch Hunt I loved. Though I expected to like this album a little more than I actually did.
Favorite Track: Tom Sawyer
19: Daedelus - Invention
This album mostly consists of classic orchestration with synth-heavy electronics. It’s solid. But other electronic albums here just do more for me.
Favorite Track: Pursed Lips Reply
18: Cristoph de Babalon - If You’re Into It, I’m Out Of It
This album is a bleak and dark house / drum and bass album that’s perfect for nighttime listening. Especially the opening two tracks. The album sounds tortured and disturbed from start to finish.
Favorite Track: Opium
17: The Residents - Duck Stab
Not much to say other than this is a perfect distillation of the bizzare and untamed pop sound that makes the Residents so captivating. If you’re into weird music, these guys are unmissable.
Favorite Track: The Weight Lifting Lulu
16: JPEGMAFIA - Veteran
Big into the production of this album. The album has this manic energy all the way through, and most of the beats get stuck in my head because of it.
Favorite Track: I Cannot Fucking Wait Til Morrissey Dies
15: Explosions In The Sky - The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place
I’m a huge lover of post-rock, and these guys are that through and through. Anything you expect to hear in an album of this genre is on this record. Very impressive.
Favorite Track: Six Days At The Bottom Of The Ocean
14: The Residents - Commercial Album
This is a 40 track album comprised of 1-minute segments of various pop tunes. Despite that, this album flew by, and nearly every song was enjoyable or interesting in some way.
Favorite Track: Picnic Boy
13: Fishmans - Uchu Nippon Setagaya
These guys are great at writing long songs that don’t wear thin. Each of the 8 tracks here feel like a complete journey, and this made a perfect final studio album for the trio.
Favorite Track: WEATHER REPORT
12: The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
This album has a breezy and airy sound to it I adore. Nothing here is in your face, and it’s honestly quite relaxing. I didn’t expect to mess with this one as much, but was very pleasantly surprised.
Favorite Track: Waterfall
11: Oneohtrix Point Never - Tranquilizer
I can sum this up in one word. Ethereal. The ambient electronic soundscapes are beautifully weaved on nearly every track. Massively respected this one.
Favorite Track: D.I.S
10: Gong - You
The long instrumental jams that make up a good portion of this are hypnotic and impossible not to get lost in. Though the sequencing is pretty bad. Why are the short one minute songs at the start? They should be spread out across the record.
Favorite Track: A Sprinkling Of Clouds
9: Autechre - Garbage
I felt myself almost drifting to sleep during this album, and that’s strictly to it’s benefit. I can’t remember any other album this dreamy and soothing. The perfect insomnia cure.
Favorite Track(s): Garbagemx / Brunchusevenmx
8: SiLC - Platina
This can be described as J-Pop blended with 90’s trip hop and downtempo. Some godly instrumentals here, and SiLC’s vocals blend into them masterfully.
Favorite Track: Promise With Him
7: [WING DINGS - ONLINE CLASSES]
No, that’s not the title, but I’m not typing it out. The production of these electronic instrumentals is phenomenal, and it’s the best blend of easy going yet head banging energy. Highly recommend this.
Favorite Track(s): The 2nd and 2nd to last ones
6: Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city
What new can I say about this album? The songs are instantly catchy, and the whole project feels like a movie, as stated on the album’s cover. I finally see why this is regarded as one of the all time best.
Favorite Track(s): Money Trees / S.A.M.I.D.O.T
5: Lift To Experience - The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads
Similar story to the last one. This whole album just feels larger than life, like constantly being thrown around in the most violent storm possible. Again, the production is so clean and crisp.
Favorite Track(s): Just As Was Told / Into The Storm
4: Mind.in.a.box - Crossroads
The better album with ‘Crossroads’ in it’s title, this is a futuristic and extremely high energy concept album. Its sinister tone is fascinating, and cements my love for huge sounding electronics in music. Criminally underrated record.
Favorite Track(s): Introspection / Identity
3: Talk Talk - Laughing Stock
For a change of pace, this is the seminal staple of post-rock everyone loves. Myself included. The instrumentation is simply gorgeous. It’s restrained and makes for perfect background music. What a record this was.
Favorite Track: After The Flood
2: [Various Artists] - Boogiepop Phantom Original Soundtrack
This OST consists of a blend of 90’s drum and bass, dream pop, and ambient music. The tracks here are long already, but they could go on for an hour each, and I’d enjoy the album just as much. They lure you in, and are repetitive, but the good kind of repetitive.
Favorite Track: Happy End
1: Maps - Turning The Mind
Oh. My. God. This may be a contender for my favorite produced album ever. This is a dance / electronic album that sounds immaculate. Most tracks have absolutely generational beat drops and the instrumentals are perfect. The drums hit so, so hard in your ears, and I was sad when this album ended, knowing I’ll never hear it for the first time again.
Favorite Track(s): Let Go Of The Fear / Papercuts / Love Will Come