Posts tagged Drake
These are my favorite albums of the year. Not my favorite singles, and not “the best” songs of the year since I know my own judgment is suspect.
10. Radiohead - “King of Trees”
Nobody seemed to care about a new Radiohead album this year for the first time ever. It’s more of a consistently somber listen than their other albums, but there are moments of beautiful calm and also drum-led uplifting numbers like my favorite track “Separator”:
9. Low - C’mon
Others would probably disagree, but this seemed to me the album where it all came together for this band. Like they finally reached the sound they’ve been building toward. The songs are as slow as ever, but there’s a new concentration on melody that translates to a fuller sound. The centerpiece here is the 8-minute long “I’m Nothing But Heart,” but for your first listen, maybe just skip the first three minutes and you can still appreciate how the song gains steam as it moves along:
8. Washed Out - Within and Without
A lot of bad things were said about the word chillwave this year, but anyone who’s even heard of that word had good things to say about Washed Out’s debut full-length. The key track is probably “Amor Fati”, but this one is my personal favorite because feelings:
7. Cut Copy - Zonoscope
I saw Cut Copy open for The Rapture in 2004. It was pretty great. Both bands released what were essentially their third albums this year, and Cut Copy has finally eclipsed their former headliners. (“In the Grace of Your Love” is awesome also, though, and worth checking out.) The very first track gives you an idea of how much energy is infused in each song:
6. The Weeknd - House of Balloons
The Weeknd is the first R&B act I’ve ever heard that managed to sound sinister and vulnerable at the same time.:
5. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
I so respect Annie Clark’s decision to go a little weird on this album. The laser-funk breakdown at the end of “Surgeon” must be a thing to behold live. For some reason, the song I keep coming back to is the title track, which I will forever associate with autumn now:
4. Drake - Take Care
I was the most hesitant to get on board with Drake, and I didn’t really give his first album all that much of a chance. I don’t know—the fact that he also sings a lot wasn’t doing it for me. But then this! Take Care has so many great lines, so many great beats, just the right amount and selection of guest spots, and even the sequencing is smart.
3. M83 - Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
Double albums so rarely get it right. This one does. Even the magical frog interlude is listenable. Oh, and if you thought it got John Hughesian on Saturdays = Youth, check this shit out:
2. Neon Indian - Era Extrana
I didn’t like the first Neon Indian that much. I thought it established a sound, but beyond that I was like, “So what?” On album #2, that sound is applied to *actual songs* and the result is a complete album that is rock solid top to bottom, and serves as a good companion piece to the new M83 album and the Drive soundtrack, which all came out around the same time and all share an appreciation for 80’s synths.
1. The Horrors - Skying
This album is just wall-to-wall goodness. It’s amazing how different it is from their sophomore album, which was already a quantum leap beyond their debut. The best songs have layers that require repeat listenings in order to soak them all in. It all sounds so compact and evocative. The last two minutes of this song, for instance, make you feel like you’re drifting along on a cloud:
Below you will find 20 punchlines from Drake songs. Only half of them are real. Can YOU spot which ones are fake?
“Life is sweet like my cereal: Fruity Pebbles”
“This time I’m really goin off: fireworks”
“I want to get up in your business: breakout session”
“Bout to set it off in this bitch: Jada Pinkett”
“I can teach you how to speak my language: Rosetta Stone”
“I’m gettin paper of record: New York Times”
“Girl got so much flavor: Lawry’s Seasoned Salt”
“Two thumbs up: Ebert and Roeper”
“Presidential suite, girl: Barack Hussain”
“You look better than most contemporary paintings: Pre-Raphaelite”
