#21

Really warming to the SZA album. It replays repeated listens - it’s easy to overlook at first how strong the songs are.

1 Like
#22

Another shout for Richard Dawson’s Peasant. It’s quite a remarkable piece of work, it sounds so full of life and vital. Like a time capsule.

2 Likes
#23

Link goes to a song on each.

Midwife - Like Author Like Daughter
As other people have said, this is really so great and definitely worthy of a top ten spot. Fuzzy and ambient but packaged into very focused sad songs.

Nadine Shah - Holiday Destination
I somehow just discovered her last night, I have a bad habit of ignoring people who write under their own names (I think I always just assume I’ll be listening to not-Elliott-Smith). The first half of the album struck me as great immediately and the second is already growing on me. There’s real tension in this, which makes sense given it’s focused on addressing how increasingly horrible everything has been the past two years.

Underground Lovers - Staring at You Staring at Me
Big thanks to @robluvsnic for the recommendation. Very melodic and shoegazey, with some songs that are pure mid-90s Yo La Tengo at their most catchy. I’m very excited to move on to their earlier stuff soon given how good this album nearly 30 years into their career is.

#24

Glad you like.

Over my nearly 10 years on the DiS forums, I’ve managed to introduce a handful of people to Underground Lovers. Happy to hear I’m still snagging the odd new listener.

1 Like
#25

I have the opposite talent and have been turning people off of the Pumpkins and others for a good two decades now. My friend actually boycotted QOTSA for five years because I was raving about the Afghan Whigs and he just remembered the wrong band.

4 Likes
#26

Adding the Big Thief album to my list, mad at myself for missing it so long. It hasn’t fully clicked for me yet, but the parts that have are incredible and indicative of a band that as an AOTY in them. That opening 3 song sequence and “Mary” are especially unbelievable. That twist that makes up the hook in “Capacity” sounds like something Elliott Smith would have dreamed up after listening to “Wishes” by Beach House.

1 Like
#27

Mary is one of the songs of the year.

2 Likes
#28

Meanwhile Mythological Beauty might actually be the best song for the year

#29

I’ll make sure to pay extra attention to that one the next time I listen. The middle of the album hasn’t fully jumped out at me yet, with the exception of “Coma”.

1 Like
#30

the video is pretty great too:

#31

I am listening to this and it is great. Thanks :raised_hands:

#32

Excellent! Let me know if you want to hear their early albums: Leaves Me Blind and Dream It Down, in particular, are exceptional.

1 Like
#33

adding Phoebe Bridger and Brainwaltzera to this list. Solid year.

#34

Grizzly Bear. (Who’d have thought?!)
Ex-Eye

Underwhelmed by most of what I’ve tried so far. Another fairly average (at best) year on the whole.

#35

I was surprised to see this so high on the DIS forums top 50 so I duly gave it a try. It’s terrible.

#36

I’ve seen a few comments like this regarding Grizzly Bear and I don’t understand the apparent flack they get? Why is it a surprise they’re really good?

#37

I’m just surprised how much I like this particular record. Hadn’t listened to them for a few years either.

#38

but that’s what I mean, how come?

#39

Wasn’t overly fond of previous releases. Thought they were kind of OK. Heard something on radio recently without releasing who it was and subsequently checked the album out. Bought it yesterday. Sounds different (better!) from what I remember of earlier stuff.

2 Likes
#40

ok fair, I’d recommend working your way backwards from here then, there’s a lot of great stuff in there :slight_smile:

1 Like