This is an amazing... "electronic jazz" album I found out about recently. Constructed as a musical accompaniment to dreams, it features complex instrumental song structures with influences from a wide array of genres including hip hop and dance. Vocal guest appearances include Thom Yorke and Erykah Badu. It's an interesting and relaxing listen I would recommend to anyone.
As surprised as I was when she came out of nowhere with Losing You, it was equally shocking to see her experiment with so many other styles on the full parent EP (?) with such good results. Very diverse lyrically and sonically and she has a beautiful voice. Producer Dev Hynes does an excellent job piecing it all together. You kill em Lil Yoncé.
Prior to this year I always thought Brandy was a basic bitch, but she proved me wrong with this one. A modern, at times ethereal R&B record that is ahead of its time in many ways. Yes she collaborated with Felon on the lead single, but that is one of the worst and most deviant tracks on the album. And it really is just a pleasure to hear her sing. One of the year's hardest hitters.
Like I said, it's not exciting the way their debut was, but that is expected given that this is a more personal album, devoted to themes such as heartbreak and loneliness. The songs are more intimate and both the production and lyrics from each vocalist highlight this. And the whole visual theme of the era is cöol.
Yeah so usually this style of music isn't my thing, but lil Taylorlene impressed me here. The album is sonically diverse and features excellent songwriting throughout. Her best effort and probably my second favorite country album ever. It should be an easy find if you live in the U.S., check it out.
Everything this album stands for is disgusting and it shouldn't exist at all, but it does and the world is a better place for it, thanks Legend. It is a varied and addictive listen. Although I've made it clear in the past how I feel about its moral implications, I do appreciate the person touch that her and her 43 writers have worked to create for us. They even bring out the absolute best in Chris Brown, which I guess deserves points or something.
#17. Future, Pluto
An amazing & unique album I've fallen in love with recently. JUMPING into our ranks late, it is grounded in hip hop but special in its bubbly production and heavy use of auto-tune. Future is a capable rapper who can hold his own or play off collaborators well, and his boastful, honest, and hilarious (!) rhymes are the highlight here.
Kinda the exact opposite of Elizabeth Grant in that they draw from horrible experiences to make music that is realistic, inspiring, and most of all not garbage. Simultaneously heavy and joyous, which I love. It has an overall different, more organic sound than their previous album, one I think I slightly prefer. Good stuff.
