I think it is!
What have been your favourite albums this year so far? What has disappointed you? What has pleasantly surprised you?
I think my top 5 for the year so far is
• press club (yeah I know it’s technically 2018, but it wasn’t released here/Spotify until 2019)
• little Simz
• Tyler, The Creator
• Weyes Blood
• Petrels
Have also hugely enjoyed: Carly Rae Jepsen, Dawn Richard, slowthai, Dave, Self Esteem, The Japanese House
Biggest disappointment for me was The National. It’s too long and I can’t really distinguish a lot of the songs from each other.
Biggest surprise was probably Billie Elilish. Really wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I do.
What else is coming out this year that you’re excited for? I’m beyond hyped for Blanck Mass
TALK ABOUT MUSIC!
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Top 5 rn
Le Butcherettes - Bi/MENTAL
Nivhek - Towards Its Own Death
Vaura - Sables
William Basinski - On Time Out of Time
Zvi - Deer Pink
slightly worried the new TFS will be rubbish. Pretty standard that kayo dot’s album will be no. 1 by year’s end.
Probs enjoyed Julia jacklin, big thief and weyes blood the most so far this year.
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It’s been a good year for music so far! Spielbergs, Charly Bliss, Vampire Weekend. Broken Social Scene, Big Theif, Westkust,The National have all released good albums.
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I don’t feel like it has the variation that Emotion had and I think it suffers a little bit for it, and it is definitely more subdued too
tyler
bloodspell
.paak
flatworms
westkust
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Yeah it hasn’t got the bombast of emotion (or the b sides which are pound for pound better imo). But it’s filled with little earworms and nice little production touches, great low key bangers for cleaning the house or driving to.
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Always worried about declaring a bands return to form ahead of time but the new hold steady stuff has all sounded very promising
Slightly arbitrary order…
- Madonnatron - Musica Alla Puttanesca
- Holly Herndon - Proto
- International Teachers Of Pop - International Teachers Of Pop
- Stealing Sheep - Big Wows
- Self Esteem - Compliments Please
Good year so far 
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Great:
Billie Elish
Slowthai
Ariana Grande
Pup
Good:
Denzel Curry
Chai
American football
Why have you made a double album:
Vampire weekend
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Big Thief
Weyes Blood
Nivhek
Flatworms
Tyler The Creator
Probably enjoyed that Flatworms EP the most of my listening’s so far this year. Honorary mention to the Beirut LP I was not expecting to enjoy this much
Some favourites:
Holly Herndon
Mary Lattimore & Mac McCaughan
Nivhek
Aldous Harding
Cate Le Bon
Surprises:
Little Simz - my fave hiphop album for an age
Billie Eilish - my fave BigPop for an age
Disappointments:
International Teachers of POP - ticks the right boxes but just didn’t quite work for me
Excited For:
I never have any idea what’s coming out until the weekly new music threads here!
These are the ones that are definitely going to stick for me.
Biggest surprises: Pedro the Lion, Pile, and SASAMI. I thought Pedro the Lion was going to be an ok reunion album but instead it’s a band operating at its peak. Pile I’d never listened to before but the new album might be the most interesting album of the year - definitely an AOTY contender at this point. It’s a must for anyone who likes Tropical Fuck Storm, QOTSA, Hot Snakes, and even Mars Volta. I have no idea why the SASAMI album isn’t getting more attention, the whole thing is fantastic - catchy, melodic, and atmospheric with a light shoegaze touch. There aren’t any filler moments, it’s great start to finish.
Biggest disappointments: Silversun Pickups and Titus Andronicus. I actually like the Silversun Pickups album, but at the same time it’s not what I was hoping from them at all and some of the lyrics are a bit jarring. It’s well written alt-rock but it’s missing the urgency of their early stuff. I need more time with Titus Andronicus - so far it seems as if there are a couple good songs (Tumult Around the World is the standout), a couple bad ones (My Body and Me is excruciating), and a bunch that isn’t sticking. It doesn’t feel anywhere close to the level of TMLT, The Monitor, or TAoG, or even Local Business.
Excited for: Billy Corgan solo album, the new Pumpkins album if it comes out this year, the new Strange Ranger, and Tropical Fuck Storm. I guess Sleater-Kinney too but I’ve tempered my expectations after hearing they’re singing about phones.
Overall it feels kind of like a disappointing year so far, at least on the heavy side.
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Aldous Harding, Weyes Blood, Carly Rae Jepsen, Twilight Sad, Sharon Van Etten, Ariana Grande, Big Thief and I’m really loving the new Bill Callahan.
Yet to really really like a rap album from this year unfortunately. Enjoyed slowthai and Tyler’s but both have been relatively forgettable imho.
I very strongly disagree with this
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Really want something that’s gonna knock my bollocks off this year like Rolo Tomassi did
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Favourites:
Fontaines D.C.
Petrels
(these 2 are streets ahead of everything else for me, at the moment. Petrels is gorgeous)
Helado Negro
Weval
Kőlsch fabric
Surprises:
Billie Eilish - 6 or 7 songs are great.
Slowthai and Little Simz - quality British rap
Disappointments:
Aldous Harding - loved Party, but just dont yet this album. It leaves me completely cold.
Holly Herndon - the concept was better than the listening experience for me, although it seemed loved on here.