inching closer...
11. King Princess Cheap Queen:
much of the power of this album lies in King Princess' voice and words – both of which can be sweet and casual and then disarmingly vulnerable within the space of a line. “I like the way that you talk slow / Spelling my name with your tongue so...” she sings softly in “Homegirl” over a pared-back, sugary guitar melody, before she gets you in the gut with the next line: “You don't have to say it / We're friends at the party / I'll give you my body at home.” (VICE.COM)
12. JPEGMafia All My Heroes Are Cornballs:
refuses to be the formal introduction that it could have been; instead, the album is a defining statement because of its turbulence. It’s a mirror that chooses to shatter over and over and over again, all jagged edges and glimpses. The production here is some of the prettiest JPEG’s ever done; either that, or it’s the ugliest or most jarring, and the album vacillates between the two, from wind chimes to scrap metal as Peggy jumps between AutoTuned hooks and anxious, jugular-bursting verses, never quite the same as he was on the last song but always incisive and unignorable. (TREBLE)
13. Ty Segall First Taste:
his first studio set since last year’s sprawling double-LP Freedom’s Goblin, suggests Segall may be warming to the concept of restrictions. He recorded First Taste without a single guitar, seemingly renouncing his allegiance to garage-psych skronk. Relying entirely on keyboards, percussion, and stringed instruments of different persuasions, the album winds up sounding like… well, like a lot of other Ty Segall records, really. (PITCHFORK)
14. Quelle Chris Guns:
despite its blunt title and explosive aesthetic, is less like a noisy shootout and more a silenced sniper shot. “Spray and Pray” features syrupy bass licks and grainy percussion that establish a moody aesthetic behind Chris’s trademark rasp and sharp characterization of gang members’ familiarity with firing guns. Nothing truly sets the record ablaze on the instrumental front, but the moody tone of the jazzy beats juxtapose amazingly with brutal lyrical takedowns here. I love the somber pianowork on “Guns”, almost giving the track a pitch black film over Chris’s bars; the elegant feel of the beats on “Box of Wheaties” plays perfectly to the faux-classiness of the track, and the dramatic tone of the pianos on “Straight Shot” is downright beautiful. Chris Keys and Quelle Chris combine to make some truly wonderful musical moments on the record, especially with some of the more horror-core instrumentals, like on the gothic synths and children choir on “PSA Drugfest 2003” and the maniacal guitar and doughy drums on “Obamacare”. (SOFLOSOUND. COM)
15. Koffee Rapture EP:
it’s been quite the past 12 months for Koffee with a single track alone (“Toast”) but surprise, surprise she has backed it up with an engaging EP that successfully puts her on a map that will survive the mystique around her life at the moment.
16. Sharon van Etten Remind Me Tomorrow:
‘Remind Me Tomorrow’, then, serves not so much as a nudge, but a forceful and playful shove to remind listeners just how special Van Etten’s talent is on both a lyrical and musical level. Don’t call it a comeback, but it may well be her most intoxicating and impressive work to date. (NME)
17. Gallant Sweet Insomnia:
if you follow the press this was the year male R&B disappeared but they’ve all forgotten about Gallant. Sweet Insomnia is the sound of a man quietly growing in confidence and experimenting within the space.
18. Nakhane You Will Not Die:
It’s an album filled with drama, with verve, and a continual sense of the unexpected; ‘Star Red’ is a tale of religious rebellion prompted by the singer’s own grandmother, while the movement from sharply defined techno driven pop to lush arrangements from co-conspirator Ben Christophers is wonderfully well executed. A singular experience, ‘You Will Not Die’ is a theatrical jewel, the sound of a rich, vital talent moving briskly into the limelight. At times reminiscent of Kate Bush in its sense of performance, ANOHNI in its integrity, or even Marvin Gaye in its soulful, sinewy groove, this is an album to be cherished. (CLASH MUSIC)
19. Five Steez & Mordecai Love N Art:
the hip/hop influence is clear—a recurring theme –but it’s the new innovations that shine: little niches of originality and risk that elevate the lyrical flow. Love N Art is growth full thrust and there seems no slowing down in sight.
20. Little Simz Grey Area:
third album by London emcee Little Simz, that half-hour and change feels particularly lean, toned and ready for battle. Now 25, Simz meditates on the doubts and uncertainties of young adulthood over a rich production heavily composed of live instrumentation. So while she’s airing some deep-seated angst, she ends up sounding bulletproof. It’s a fascinating paradox but one that works because the honesty and vulnerability only give Simz strength. When she says, “Man, they shoulda never let me discover the mic” on “Boss,” it’s a summary moment of threatening chest puffery well earned. (TREBLE)
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