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 | Album: 1 of 48 Artist: Ed Sheeran Title: Songs of Life and Hope Released: 2006-02-28 Tracks: 10 Duration: 35:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2017 | 1 Dice Hits the Ground (03:09) 2 Too Hot to Handle (02:50) 3 On This Side of the Dream (03:43) 4 Party to the Son / Sun (02:22) 5 Roots and Wings (02:56) 6 Stand for You (04:30) 7 Your Hand in Mine (03:27) 8 Back to Stay (04:43) 9 I Turn to You (04:42) 10 Why Cant It Be (02:59) |
 | Album: 2 of 48 Artist: Aphex Twin Title: Syro Released: 2014-09-19 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:04:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2015 | 1 minipops 67 (source field mix) (04:47) 2 XMAS_EVET10 (thanaton3 mix) (10:31) 3 produk 29 (05:03) 4 4 bit 9d api+e+6 (04:28) 5 180db_ (03:11) 6 CIRCLONT6A (syrobonkus mix) (06:00) 7 fz pseudotimestretch+e+3 (00:58) 8 CIRCLONT14 (shrymoming mix) (07:21) 9 syro u473t8+e (piezoluminescence mix) (06:32) 10 PAPAT4 (pineal mix) (04:18) 11 s950tx16wasr10 (earth portal mix) (06:01) 12 aisatsana (05:21) |
 | Album: 3 of 48 Artist: C Duncan Title: Architect Released: 2015-06-21 Tracks: 12 Duration: 48:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2015 | 1 Say (04:01) 2 Architect (03:44) 3 Silence and Air (03:41) 4 For (03:51) 5 He Believes in Miracles (03:06) 6 Garden (04:18) 7 Here to Here (03:49) 8 By (03:37) 9 New Water (04:21) 10 Novices (05:25) 11 As Sleeping Stones (04:23) 12 Ill Be Gone by Winter (04:00) |
 | Album: 4 of 48 Artist: Slaves Title: Are You Satisfied? Released: 2015-06-01 Tracks: 13 Duration: 37:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2015 | 1 The Hunter (03:00) 2 Cheer Up London (02:33) 3 Sockets (03:26) 4 Despair and Traffic (02:18) 5 Do Something (02:27) 6 Are You Satisfied? (01:30) 7 Wow!!! 7AM (03:42) 8 Hey (02:25) 9 Live Like an Animal (03:35) 10 Ninety Nine (03:15) 11 She Wants Me Now (02:31) 12 Feed the Mantaray (02:54) 13 Sugar Coated Bitter Truth (04:01) |
 | Album: 5 of 48 Artist: Benjamin Clementine Title: At Least for Now Released: 2015-01-12 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:08:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize *** WINNER *** 2015 | 1 Winston Churchill’s Boy (05:37) 2 Then I Heard a Bachelor’s Cry (05:08) 3 London (04:01) 4 Adios (04:17) 5 St-Clementine-On-Tea-and-Croissants (full length version) (02:32) 6 Nemesis (05:04) 7 The People and I (05:16) 8 Condolence (06:30) 9 Cornerstone (04:31) 10 Quiver a Little (04:42) 11 Gone (04:32) 12 The Movies Never Lie (demo version) (03:57) 13 Pound Sterling (04:33) 14 Riverman (live BBC Radio 2) (03:38) 15 London (live France Inter) (04:08) |
 | Album: 6 of 48 Artist: SOAK Title: Before We Forgot How to Dream Released: 2015-05-29 Tracks: 13 Duration: 42:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2015 | 1 "My Brain" (01:05) 2 B a Nobody (04:50) 3 Blud (02:46) 4 Wait (04:00) 5 Sea Creatures (03:12) 6 "A Dream to Fly" (00:58) 7 24 Windowed House (04:00) 8 Garden (03:12) 9 Shuvels (03:27) 10 Hailstones Dont Hurt (03:11) 11 Reckless Behaviour (03:16) 12 "If Everyone Is Someone - No One Is Everyone" (01:04) 13 Oh Brother (07:21) |
 | Album: 7 of 48 Artist: ESKA Title: ESKA Released: 2015-04-12 Tracks: 10 Duration: 35:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2015 | 1 This Is How a Garden Grows (03:52) 2 Gatekeeper (04:59) 3 Rock of Ages (04:29) 4 Boundaries (03:54) 5 Shes in the Flowers (03:10) 6 Shades of Blue (04:04) 7 Heroes & Villains (03:03) 8 To Be Remembered (03:04) 9 Dear Evelyn (02:01) 10 So Long Eddy (02:41) |
 | Album: 8 of 48 Artist: Róisín Murphy Title: Hairless Toys Released: 2015-05-08 Tracks: 8 Duration: 50:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2015 | 1 Gone Fishing (05:57) 2 Evil Eyes (06:42) 3 Exploitation (09:23) 4 Uninvited Guest (05:58) 5 Exile (04:01) 6 House of Glass (06:52) 7 Hairless Toys (Gotta Hurt) (06:19) 8 Unputdownable (05:10) |
 | Album: 9 of 48 Artist: Florence + the Machine Title: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful Released: 2015-05-29 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:09:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2015 | 1 Ship to Wreck (03:54) 2 What Kind of Man (03:36) 3 How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (05:35) 4 Queen of Peace (05:07) 5 Various Storms & Saints (04:09) 6 Delilah (04:53) 7 Long & Lost (03:15) 8 Caught (04:24) 9 Third Eye (04:20) 10 St. Jude (03:45) 11 Mother (05:50) 12 Hiding (03:53) 13 Make Up Your Mind (04:01) 14 Which Witch (demo) (04:19) 15 Third Eye (demo) (04:16) 16 How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (demo) (04:33) |
| How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful : Allmusic album Review : The much-anticipated third studio long-player from Florence Welch and her mechanically inclined companions, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful arrives after a period of recalibration for the spirited English songtress. Arriving three-and-a-half years after 2011s well-received Ceremonials, the 11-track set, the first Florence + the Machine album to be produced by Markus Dravs (Arcade Fire, Coldplay), eschews some of the bombast and water- and death-fixated metaphors of Lungs and Ceremonials in favor of a more restrained sonic scope and an honest reckoning with the dark follies of your late twenties. This change is most notable on the workmanlike opener "Ship to Wreck," a shimmering, open road-ready folk-rock rumination on the ambiguity/inevitability of post-fame self-destruction that, unlike prior first cuts like "Dog Days Are Over" and "Only If for a Night," feels firmly rooted in the now. Whether it be simple maturity or Dravs calculated production style, theres no denying that an effort has been made to dial back a bit on some of the pageantry of Welchs earlier works, and for the most part, her penchant for pairing mystic Bronte-esque pondering with similarly windswept pagan/gothic gospel rock is left bubbling beneath the surface. This attempt to reign in Welchs more histrionic tendencies yields mixed results, with some songs finding the sweet spot between bluster and nuance and others (most of them in the albums sleepy latter half) disappearing altogether. Of the former, the bluesy (and ballsy) "What a Man," the propulsive and purposeful "Delilah," and the gorgeous title track impress the most. Instead of building to a fevered crescendo, as is the Flo-Machine way, the latter cut, a transcendent, slow-burning, chamber pop gem, dissolves into a simple and elegant, yet still goose-bump-inducing round of horns, and is breathtaking without knocking the wind out of you. Whether How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful ends up being a transitional album remains to be seen, as there is enough of each side of Welch (the pastoral and the feral) represented to tip the scale either way. That said, her Brit-pop soul treacle is still miles better than some of her contemporaries top-tier offerings, and when the album connects it moves right in and starts to redecorate, but when it falters, its akin to a chatty party guest failing to realize that everyone else has gone home. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 48 Artist: Jamie xx Title: In Colour Released: 2015-05-29 Tracks: 11 Duration: 42:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2015 | 1 Gosh (04:51) 2 Sleep Sound (03:52) 3 SeeSaw (04:28) 4 Obvs (03:51) 5 Just Saying (01:23) 6 Stranger in a Room (02:57) 7 Hold Tight (04:03) 8 Loud Places (04:43) 9 I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times) (03:33) 10 The Rest Is Noise (04:58) 11 Girl (04:05) |
| In Colour : Allmusic album Review : Compared to Jamie xxs impact on music, its easy to forget that he hasnt released much on his own. The distinctive yet surprisingly versatile blend of indie, R&B, and dance in his work with the xx, Gil Scott-Heron, and his remixes helped shape the sound of the late 2000s and 2010s, but his solo discography was limited to a handful of singles, many of which appear on his first full-length, In Colour. While one of his best singles, "All Under One Roof Raving," doesnt appear on the album, its balance of the kinetic and the atmospheric -- as well as its reverence for classic U.K. dance music -- is reflected on some of In Colours brightest highlights. "Gosh" is hard-edged yet radiant, its juddering drumnbass rhythms and shouted samples adding heft and movement before swelling synths overtake the track like a sunrise after a long night out. Indeed, for most of the album, Jamie xx uses his considerable gifts for atmosphere to make listeners remember the euphoria of dance music rather than immerse them in it. Despite its brassy flourishes, "Girl"s filtered house is haunting and aloof instead of driving, while its former B-side "Sleep Sound" fades in and out like a dream. Given his skills as a collaborator, its not surprising that some of In Colours best moments occur when he shares the spotlight. While his reunion with xx bandmate Oliver Sim on the implosive "Stranger in a Room" is almost too reminiscent of their previous work, Romy Madley Croft remains one of his most inspiring muses. She gives In Colours nostalgia more humanity on the beautifully blurred "Seesaw" and "Loud Places," where a sample of Idris Muhammads joyous "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This" makes the contrast between then and now, and alone and together, all the more poignant. However, the albums most immediate moment belongs to Young Thug and Popcaan. Inspired by a drive from Manhattan to Brooklyn while listening to Hot 97, the summery "I Know Theres Gonna Be (Good Times)" embraces pop, hip-hop, and dancehall in a way that feels evocative and forward-looking. As it moves from reflective to engaging and back again, In Colour covers the entire spectrum of Jamie xxs music, delivering flashes of brilliance along the way. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 48 Artist: Jamie Woon Title: Making Time Released: 2015-10-30 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2016 | 1 Message (04:29) 2 Movement (05:12) 3 Sharpness (03:27) 4 Celebration (04:50) 5 Lament (03:37) 6 Forgiven (03:21) 7 Little Wonder (03:07) 8 Thunder (03:13) 9 Skin (03:01) 10 Dedication (06:52) |
 | Album: 12 of 48 Artist: Gaz Coombes Title: Matador Released: 2015-01-26 Tracks: 11 Duration: 38:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2015 | 1 Buffalo (03:19) 2 20/20 (04:13) 3 The English Ruse (04:42) 4 The Girl Who Fell to Earth (03:34) 5 Detroit (05:40) 6 Needle’s Eye (04:02) 7 Seven Walls (03:48) 8 Oscillate (03:11) 9 To the Wire (04:06) 10 Is It On? (00:33) 11 Matador (01:24) |
 | Album: 13 of 48 Artist: Wolf Alice Title: My Love Is Cool Released: 2015-06-22 Tracks: 25 Duration: 1:30:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2015 | 1 Turn to Dust (03:08) 2 Bros (03:45) 3 Your Loves Whore (04:57) 4 You’re a Germ (02:53) 5 Lisbon (03:26) 6 Silk (04:04) 7 Freazy (03:14) 8 Giant Peach (04:35) 9 Swallowtail (05:41) 10 Soapy Water (03:42) 11 Fluffy (02:44) 12 The Wonderwhy (06:47) 13 Moaning Lisa Smile (02:40) 14 Storms (03:24) 15 Heavenly Creatures (03:18) 16 We’re Not the Same (03:05) 17 Blush (04:19) 18 She (03:12) 19 Nosedive (02:47) 20 90 Mile Beach (03:45) 21 Baby Ain’t Made of China (03:37) 22 I Saw You (In a Corridor) (02:42) 23 Every Cloud (02:54) 24 White Leather (02:36) 25 Leaving You (03:18) |
| My Love Is Cool : Allmusic album Review : Some bands take their time coming into their own. Such is the case with Wolf Alice, who formed in 2010 but didnt release their debut album until 2015. During those five years, Ellie Rowsell and Joff Oddie -- who were joined by drummer Joel Amey and bassist Theo Ellis in 2012 -- explored styles ranging from folk-rock to gritty post-punk on their singles and EPs. My Love Is Cool reflects this growth and finds them sounding more eclectic than ever. The handful of singles that ended up on the album shows how Wolf Alice have refined their sound: "Fluffy" and "Giant Peach" offer the kind of searing, snarling rock that proves PJ Harvey and Silverfish are still their forebears, while "Moaning Lisa Smile" is both brash and ethereal, providing a bridge for the softer sounds they explore on My Love Is Cool. 4ADs classic roster provides plenty of inspiration for a good chunk of the album, with "Freazy" recalling not only Cocteau Twins glassy sensuality but their penchant for impressionistic song titles. Meanwhile, Rowsells wild-eyed glee as she sings "Im taking you down to hell!" over loud-quiet-loud dynamics on "Youre a Germ" evokes the Pixies, and the delicate opening track "Turn to Dust" has more in common with Blonde Redhead than any of Wolf Alices previous music. Despite these enduringly hip reference points, the band also pulls off some moves on My Love Is Cool that are anything but typically cool. Theyre unafraid of power ballads and grand gestures, and songs like the mini-anthem "Silk" and the sweeping "Bros" -- which sounds like the missing link between Cocteau Twins and the Cranberries -- hint at stadium-sized potential. Later, "Swallowtail" (which features Amey on vocals) suggests the ability Gish-era Smashing Pumpkins had to be intimate and massive at the same time. Despite My Love Is Cools many stylistic shifts, Wolf Alice dont sound like theyre having an identity crisis. This is partly because songs like "Lisbon"s barbed-wire pop tie the albums more disparate elements together, and partly because the band seems self-assured no matter what. Even if My Love Is Cool sacrifices some of Wolf Alices earlier fury, the album is all the stronger for it. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 48 Artist: Ghostpoet Title: Shedding Skin Released: 2015-03-02 Tracks: 10 Duration: 43:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2015 | 1 Off Peak Dreams (03:18) 2 X Marks the Spot (03:50) 3 Be Right Back, Moving House (06:06) 4 Shedding Skin (04:24) 5 Yes, I Helped You Pack (03:51) 6 That Ring Down the Drain Kind of Feeling (03:50) 7 Sorry My Love, Its You Not Me (04:11) 8 Better Not Butter (04:13) 9 The Pleasure in Pleather (03:27) 10 Nothing in the Way (06:11) |
 | Album: 15 of 48 Artist: David Bowie Title: ★ Released: 2015-11-20 Tracks: 1 Duration: 09:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2016 | 1 ★ (09:57) |
 | Album: 16 of 48 Artist: Radiohead Title: A Moon Shaped Pool Released: 2016-05-08 Tracks: 11 Duration: 52:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2016 | 1 Burn the Witch (03:40) 2 Daydreaming (06:24) 3 Decks Dark (04:41) 4 Desert Island Disk (03:44) 5 Ful Stop (06:07) 6 Glass Eyes (02:52) 7 Identikit (04:26) 8 The Numbers (05:45) 9 Present Tense (05:06) 10 Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief (05:03) 11 True Love Waits (04:43) |
| A Moon Shaped Pool : Allmusic album Review : A cursory glance at A Moon Shaped Pool may suggest a certain measure of indifference on the part of Radiohead. Its 11 songs are sequenced in alphabetical order -- a stunt befitting a Pixies concert or perhaps a Frank Black box set, not a proper album -- and many of these tunes are of an older vintage: the group began work on the opening "Burn the Witch" at the turn of the century, while the closing "True Love Waits" first appeared in concerts way back in 1995. These are the elements of a clearinghouse, but with Radiohead appearances are always deceiving. A Moon Shaped Pool doesnt play like an ill-considered collection of leftovers; it unfurls with understated ease, each silvery song shimmering into the next. The pulse rarely quickens and the arrangements seldom agitate, yet the album never quite feels monochromatic. Sly, dissonant strings grace some cuts, acoustic guitars provide a pastoral counterpoint to an electronic pulse, Thom Yorkes voice floats through the music, often functioning as nothing more than an element of a mix; what hes saying matters not as much as how he murmurs. Such subtle, shifting textures emphasize Radioheads musicianship, a point underscored when this version of "True Love Waits" is compared to its 2001 incarnation. There, Yorke accompanied himself with a simple acoustic guitar and he seemed earnest and yearning, but here, supported by piano and strings, he sounds weary and weathered, a man who has lost his innocence. What he and Radiohead have gained, however, is some measure of maturity, and with this, their music has deepened. Certainly, sections of A Moon Shaped Pool contain an eerie, disconcerting glimmer, usually attained through power kept in reserve -- nothing stabs as hard as the sawing fanfare of "Burn the Witch," while the winding, intersecting guitars that conclude "Identikit" provide the noisiest element -- yet the album as a whole doesnt feel unsettling. Instead, theres a melancholic comfort to its ebb and flow, a gentle rocking motion that feels comforting; its a tonic to the cloistered, scattered King of Limbs and even the sleek alienation of Kid A. Radiohead are recognizably the same band that made that pioneering piece of electronica-rock but theyre older and wiser on A Moon Shaped Pool, deciding not to push at the borders of their sound but rather settle into the territory theyve marked as their own. This may not result in a radical shift in sound but rather a welcome change in tone: for the first time Radiohead feel comfortable in their own skin. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 48 Artist: Savages Title: Adore Life Released: 2016-01-22 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2016 | 1 The Answer (03:30) 2 Evil (03:36) 3 Sad Person (03:48) 4 Adore (05:03) 5 Slowing Down the World (04:00) 6 I Need Something New (04:38) 7 When in Love (03:10) 8 Surrender (03:24) 9 T.I.W.Y.G. (03:08) 10 Mechanics (05:08) |
| Adore Life : Allmusic album Review : On Silence Yourself, Savages passion burned so brightly it seemed like it might consume itself before they could record a second album. Fortunately, Adore Life proves that the band not only has the endurance to return, but the finesse to come back better than ever. Jehnny Beth and company sound as bold as they did on their debut, but with a newfound precision that only makes their impact more powerful. Adore Life depicts loves most fearsome and joyous sides with a hunger that feels like these songs are really about devouring and being devoured. The churning opener "The Answer" boils relationships down to the plainest ultimatum possible: "If you dont love me/Dont love anybody." Yet its "Adore" that provides the albums stunning heart. Equal parts torch song and manifesto, it channels impatient desire via a low-slung, swaggering tempo and only explodes in its final moments in an expression of just how instinctual, and undeniable the need for love is. Silence Yourselfs "Marshall Dear" explored similar territory, but on this song and throughout Adore Life, Savages sound more masterful and more natural. They effortlessly demand or seduce attention from their listeners as they see fit, opting for the former approach on the seething "I Need Something New," the latter on the meditative "Slowing Down the World," and skillfully combining the two on "TIWYG," where tough, lean verses and wildfire guitars give way to a psychedelic bridge. Similarly, where Silence Yourselfs ferocity sometimes felt like a barrier, their emotional range is far greater on Adore Life. Savages show they have a sense of humor, and can use it just as formidably as their more expected moods: "Im not gonna hurt you/Cuz Im flirting with you," Beth sneers on "Sad Person," a moment of mischief that doesnt detract from the feeling that flirting with her might be a little like being hunted. Similarly, when she mutters "I hate your taste in music" on "When in Love," it humanizes the beauty and terror of succumbing to powerful feelings, if only briefly. A striking second album, the different perspectives Adore Life bring to Savages music make them sound more vital than ever. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 48 Artist: Blossoms Title: Blossoms Released: 2016-08-05 Tracks: 12 Duration: 40:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2017 | 1 Charlemagne (02:47) 2 At Most a Kiss (02:58) 3 Getaway (02:59) 4 Honey Sweet (03:35) 5 Onto Her Bed (02:35) 6 Texia (03:27) 7 Blown Rose (03:10) 8 Smashed Pianos (03:18) 9 Cut Me and I’ll Bleed (03:20) 10 My Favourite Room (03:30) 11 Blow (03:38) 12 Deep Grass (04:45) |
 | Album: 19 of 48 Artist: The Comet Is Coming Title: Channel the Spirits Released: 2016-04-01 Tracks: 12 Duration: 41:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2016 | 1 The Prophecy (01:48) 2 Space Carnival (03:35) 3 Journey Through the Asteroid Belt (05:33) 4 Nano (01:16) 5 New Age (05:27) 6 Slam Dunk in a Black Hole (02:25) 7 Cosmic Dust (03:26) 8 Star Furnace (05:35) 9 Channel the Spirits (04:04) 10 Deep Within the Engine Deck (01:23) 11 Lightyears (04:46) 12 End of Earth (02:15) |
 | Album: 20 of 48 Artist: ANOHNI Title: HOPELESSNESS Released: 2016-05-06 Tracks: 11 Duration: 41:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2016 | 1 Drone Bomb Me (04:11) 2 4 Degrees (03:52) 3 Watch Me (03:27) 4 Execution (03:38) 5 I Don’t Love You Anymore (05:00) 6 Obama (04:11) 7 Violent Men (02:10) 8 Why Did You Separate Me From the Earth? (03:36) 9 Crisis (04:42) 10 Hopelessness (03:55) 11 Marrow (03:01) |
 | Album: 21 of 48 Artist: Glass Animals Title: How to Be a Human Being Released: 2016-08-26 Tracks: 11 Duration: 43:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2017 | 1 Life Itself (04:41) 2 Youth (03:50) 3 Season 2 Episode 3 (04:03) 4 Pork Soda (04:13) 5 Mama’s Gun (04:26) 6 Cane Shuga (03:16) 7 [Premade Sandwiches] (00:36) 8 The Other Side of Paradise (05:20) 9 Take a Slice (03:49) 10 Poplar St. (04:22) 11 Agnes (04:31) |
| How to Be a Human Being : Allmusic album Review : After releasing their debut album ZABA, Glass Animals spent the better part of two years on tour, an experience that had a significant impact on their music. Not only did they translate ZABAs aloof ambient pop for ever-bigger audiences, the stories they heard from people they met on the road inspired How to Be a Human Being, a more ambitious, more engaged, and more engaging follow-up that makes a strong case for interacting with the world instead of hiding in a bedroom making beats. Written within weeks of finishing the tour, How to Be a Human Being sprung from an intensive creative process that involved imagining its characters, down to their favorite foods and hobbies, and recruiting photographer Neil Krug to bring its visuals to life. Despite this attention to detail, these character studies arent especially literal. Only a handful of songs, like the wannabe-populated "The Other Side of Paradise," offer much in the way of narrative or world-building. Instead, Glass Animals focus on a very human mix of emotions, particularly on the albums bookends: "Life Itself"s protagonist describes himself as "Northern Camdens own Flash Gordon," capturing the innocent swagger of starting out in a way that feels equally endearing and ridiculous, while "Agnes" records someones final moments with bittersweet majesty. Though How to Be a Human Being lyrics are more straightforward than ZABAs abstracts musings, Glass Animals vivid music does more to convey their characters. They use their animated arrangements more purposefully than they did before, even though the rippling "Cane Shuga" feels like the bridge between this album and their debut. The different guises allow the band new nuances: "Take a Slice" and "Poplar St" are two of their sexiest songs, but the former exudes seductive femininity, the latter a masculine strut. Elsewhere, the R&B and hip-hop influences that percolated through ZABA finally bubble to the surface. "Pork Soda" plays like a distant cousin of Blackstreets "No Diggity," while "Season 2, Episode 3," a love song to someone whiling her life away in front of the tube, is a mashup of R&B and chiptune that makes it one of the albums most adorably bittersweet moments. Indeed, despite its high-concept origins, the album doesnt take itself too seriously, and its vignettes are more cheerful than gritty: "Youth"s tale of motherly nostalgia and loss is one of the albums most joyous-sounding songs. How to Be a Human Beings sense of wonder and joie de vivre feels as instructive to Glass Animals as their listeners, and their willingness to try anything results in some truly great moments. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 48 Artist: The 1975 Title: I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it Released: 2016-02-26 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:13:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2016 | 1 The 1975 (01:23) 2 Love Me (03:42) 3 UGH! (03:00) 4 A Change of Heart (04:43) 5 She’s American (04:30) 6 If I Believe You (06:20) 7 Please Be Naked (04:25) 8 Lostmyhead (05:19) 9 The Ballad of Me and My Brain (02:51) 10 Somebody Else (05:47) 11 Loving Someone (04:20) 12 I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it (06:26) 13 The Sound (04:08) 14 This Must Be My Dream (04:12) 15 Paris (04:53) 16 Nana (03:58) 17 She Lays Down (03:58) |
| I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it : Allmusic album Review : As well as having a mouthful of a title, the 1975s sophomore album, 2016s I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It, is the kind of ambitious, self-indulgent album that either marks a grand misstep by a fledgling band, or the start of something big. Produced by Mike Crossey, I Like It When You Sleep finds the 1975 picking up on many of the stylistic threads running through their Crossey-helmed, self-titled 2013 debut: synthy new wave, kinetic dance-rock, and atmospheric balladry. The difference this time around is Crossey, and the bands pristine studio execution, marked by a distinctive 80s adult contemporary aesthetic. While bands like MGMT and Vampire Weekend have long mined the VH-1 vaults for stylistic inspiration, theres nothing mannered about the 1975s retro-leanings. Despite their name and their ear for 80s synthesizers, the British outfit sound much more flamboyant than their contemporaries. This is primarily due to the contributions of lead singer Matthew Healy, whose overly wordy lyrics and weird, playfully dark persona -- sort of like a sexual Fraggle -- can sometimes put listeners off the pop scent. As he sings on "The Sound," "Its not about reciprocation, its just all about me/A sycophantic, prophetic, Socratic, junkie wannabe." In that sense, the 1975 are more in line with the swagger of artists like INXS, U2, or even Madonna for that matter, whose early hits clearly had an impact on the groups approach here. Cuts like "UGH!," and the cheeky, plastic funk single "Love Me," sound delightfully like something Madonna might have made in collaboration with Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers and art-pop duo Yello. Similarly, "The Sound" and the sparkling anthem "Shes American," feature brightly infectious hooks that wouldnt be out of place on a Prince album. In fact, theres a palpable R&B inclination running through much of I Like It When You Sleep. Its a vibe that reaches an apex on the yearning, mid-album slow-jam, "If I Believe You," which also happens to feature a gorgeously rendered flügelhorn solo from jazz star and longtime DAngelo collaborator Roy Hargrove. Elsewhere, in keeping with the overall 80s adult contemporary sound, tracks like the shimmeringly moody "Somebody Else" and the sweetly romantic "Paris," bring to mind Tango in the Night-era Fleetwood Mac. Admittedly, at 17 tracks, I Like It When You Sleep is long. And given the poetic, atmospheric nature of many of the songs, its somewhat unwieldy in one sitting. Ultimately, however, its that uncompromising mix of POP (in capitalize letters) and inventive, exploratory musicianship that help make it such a rewarding listen. As the title implies, it may take the 1975 a while to get to the point on I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It, but when they do, the results are revelatory. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 48 Artist: Skepta Title: Konnichiwa Released: 2016-05-06 Tracks: 12 Duration: 44:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize *** WINNER *** 2016 | 1 Konnichiwa (03:17) 2 Lyrics (02:35) 3 Corn on the Curb (05:00) 4 Crime Riddim (04:35) 5 It Ain’t Safe (03:41) 6 Ladies Hit Squad (04:38) 7 Numbers (03:18) 8 Man (Gang) (03:34) 9 Shutdown (03:08) 10 That’s Not Me (03:04) 11 Detox (02:48) 12 Text Me Back (04:25) |
 | Album: 24 of 48 Artist: Kate Tempest Title: Let Them Eat Chaos Released: 2016-10-07 Tracks: 13 Duration: 47:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2017 | 1 Picture a Vacuum (02:47) 2 Lionmouth Door Knocker (02:44) 3 Ketamine For Breakfast (03:10) 4 Europe Is Lost (05:31) 5 We Die (03:24) 6 Whoops (03:38) 7 Brews (00:47) 8 Dont Fall In (02:51) 9 Pictures on a Screen (05:05) 10 Perfect Coffee (05:31) 11 Grubby (04:07) 12 Breaks (02:42) 13 Tunnel Vision (05:15) |
 | Album: 25 of 48 Artist: Michael Kiwanuka Title: Love & Hate Released: 2016-07-15 Tracks: 10 Duration: 54:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2016 | 1 Cold Little Heart (09:57) 2 Black Man in a White World (04:18) 3 Falling (04:16) 4 Place I Belong (04:47) 5 Love & Hate (07:07) 6 One More Night (03:53) 7 I’ll Never Love (02:45) 8 Rule the World (05:42) 9 Father’s Child (07:05) 10 The Final Frame (04:59) |
 | Album: 26 of 48 Artist: Kano Title: Made in the Manor Released: 2016-03-04 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:02:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2016 | 1 Hail (03:31) 2 T-Shirt Weather in the Manor (05:16) 3 New Banger (04:50) 4 3 Wheel-Ups (04:38) 5 This Is England (03:38) 6 Little Sis (03:25) 7 A Roadmans Hymn (04:30) 8 Drinking in the West End (03:48) 9 Deep Blues (03:07) 10 Endz (03:58) 11 Strangers (03:36) 12 Seashells in the East (03:27) 13 My Sound (06:17) 14 GarageSkankFreestyle (04:43) 15 Flow of the Year (03:34) |
 | Album: 27 of 48 Artist: Bat for Lashes Title: The Bride Released: 2016-07-01 Tracks: 12 Duration: 47:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2016 | 1 I Do (02:16) 2 Joe’s Dream (05:25) 3 In God’s House (03:31) 4 Honeymooning Alone (03:30) 5 Sunday Love (04:13) 6 Never Forgive the Angels (04:24) 7 Close Encounters (04:09) 8 Widow’s Peak (03:46) 9 Land’s End (03:09) 10 If I Knew (04:16) 11 I Will Love Again (05:13) 12 In Your Bed (03:31) |
| The Bride : Allmusic album Review : Exploring femininity in all its personas is a major part of Bat for Lashes music, and never more so than on The Bride. On Natasha Khans fourth album, the titular character undergoes a more dramatic transformation than most brides do at their weddings: After her fiance is killed in a car accident en route to the wedding, she flees the church and goes on her honeymoon alone. Its a more single-minded concept than some of Bat for Lashes other albums, and since Khans music is as theatrical as it is vulnerable, it should be a perfect fit. However, The Brides journey through romance, horror, grief, and healing is more subdued than might be expected. The album begins vividly: Bedecked in fluttering harps and some of Khans loveliest vocals yet, "I Do" has all the showy nuptial romance of a petal-strewn aisle. Its so incredibly sweet that it feels like its tempting fate, offering the perfect setup for the brewing terror on "In Gods House," as well as the slow-building drama of "Joes Dream" and the hallucinatory panic of "Honeymooning Alone," both of which give the death-obsessed pop of the 50s and 60s a highbrow update. Depending on listeners patience, however, The Brides slower second half may be hypnotic or dreary. To trace the arc from mourning to recovery, Khan relies on ballads that range from bitter ("Never Forgive the Angels") to empowering ("I Will Love Again," which sounds more like the kind of fare Adele or Christina Aguilera would sing). And though she gives the bride a surprisingly happy ending with "In Your Bed" -- which finds the character wanting to stay in her lovers arms rather than go out on the town -- it feels like her story is missing several chapters. Similarly, The Bride often feels like a missed opportunity to revisit the drama Bat for Lashes delivered so ably on Two Suns. Khan rectifies this somewhat on more mystical songs like the witchy invocation of "Widows Peak" and "Close Encounters," an eldritch lovers meeting that recalls Wuthering Heights (both the book and the Kate Bush song). Still, its hard not to want Bat for Lashes to go further down this path; while Khan used restraint eloquently on The Haunted Man, The Bride is beautifully crafted, but not always thrilling. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 48 Artist: Laura Mvula Title: The Dreaming Room Released: 2016-06-17 Tracks: 18 Duration: 58:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2016 | 1 Who I Am (01:19) 2 Overcome (03:12) 3 Bread (03:22) 4 Lucky Man (02:53) 5 Let Me Fall (03:40) 6 Kiss My Feet (03:44) 7 Show Me Love (06:03) 8 Renaissance Moon (00:46) 9 Angel (03:41) 10 People (03:48) 11 Nan (01:12) 12 Phenomenal Woman (02:44) 13 Ready or Not (02:32) 14 You Work for Me (02:45) 15 Magic (BBC live version) (05:06) 16 Silence Is the Way (05:17) 17 Same Ol Mistakes (BBC live version) (03:37) 18 Mellow Man (02:31) |
 | Album: 29 of 48 Artist: Dinosaur Title: Together, as One Released: 2016-09-16 Tracks: 8 Duration: 46:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2017 | 1 Awakening (08:33) 2 Robin (06:50) 3 Living, Breathing (06:37) 4 Underdog (02:50) 5 Steadily Sinking (01:49) 6 Extinct (09:29) 7 Primordial (07:46) 8 Interlude (02:56) |
 | Album: 30 of 48 Artist: Everything Everything Title: A Fever Dream Released: 2017-08-18 Tracks: 11 Duration: 46:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2018 | 1 Night of the Long Knives (04:38) 2 Cant Do (03:31) 3 Desire (03:25) 4 Big Game (03:48) 5 Good Shot, Good Soldier (04:51) 6 Run the Numbers (03:39) 7 Put Me Together (05:33) 8 A Fever Dream (05:59) 9 Ivory Tower (03:54) 10 New Deep (02:27) 11 White Whale (04:50) |
 | Album: 31 of 48 Artist: J Hus Title: Common Sense Released: 2017-05-12 Tracks: 17 Duration: 55:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2017 | 1 Common Sense (03:44) 2 Bouff Daddy (03:24) 3 Clartin (03:14) 4 Leave Me (03:23) 5 Closed Doors (03:49) 6 Did You See (03:01) 7 Like Your Style (02:56) 8 Plottin (02:31) 9 Sweet Cheeks (03:01) 10 Fisherman (02:57) 11 Good Time (03:05) 12 Spirit (03:34) 13 Mash Up (03:38) 14 Goodies (02:52) 15 Good Luck Chale (03:12) 16 Who You Are (03:32) 17 Friendly (03:55) |
 | Album: 32 of 48 Artist: Stormzy Title: Gang Signs & Prayer Released: 2017-02-24 Tracks: 16 Duration: 58:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2017 | 1 First Things First (03:28) 2 Cold (02:37) 3 Bad Boys (04:07) 4 Blinded by Your Grace, Pt. 1 (02:41) 5 Big for Your Boots (03:58) 6 Velvet / Jenny Francis (interlude) (05:40) 7 Mr Skeng (03:17) 8 Cigarettes & Cush (05:50) 9 21 Gun Salute (interlude) (02:26) 10 Blinded by Your Grace, Pt. 2 (03:51) 11 Return of the Rucksack (03:04) 12 100 Bags (03:38) 13 Don’t Cry for Me (03:34) 14 Crazy Titch (interlude) (02:42) 15 Shut Up (03:00) 16 Lay Me Bare (05:05) |
 | Album: 33 of 48 Artist: Nadine Shah Title: Holiday Destination Released: 2017-08-25 Tracks: 10 Duration: 50:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2018 | 1 Place Like This (05:52) 2 Holiday Destination (05:39) 3 2016 (04:47) 4 Out the Way (03:47) 5 Yes Men (05:39) 6 Evil (05:00) 7 Ordinary (03:28) 8 Relief (04:54) 9 Mother Fighter (04:28) 10 Jolly Sailor (06:33) |
 | Album: 34 of 48 Artist: The xx Title: I See You Released: 2017-01-13 Tracks: 12 Duration: 47:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2017 | 1 Dangerous (04:10) 2 Say Something Loving (03:58) 3 Lips (03:20) 4 A Violent Noise (03:47) 5 Performance (04:06) 6 Replica (04:09) 7 Brave for You (04:13) 8 On Hold (03:44) 9 I Dare You (03:53) 10 Test Me (03:55) 11 Naive (03:35) 12 Seasons Run (04:22) |
| I See You : Allmusic album Review : In music and love, routine can be deadly. The exquisite stillness of the xxs music was so distinctive and influential that, by the time of Coexist, it felt dangerously close to confining them instead of defining them. Given the half decade between that album and I See You, change wasnt just necessary, it was inevitable. Jamie xxs solo work signaled that something different was on the way, and in retrospect, Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sims cameos on In Colour feel like previews for these songs about being musically and romantically bold. I See You unleashes the xxs passion with swifter tempos, fuller arrangements, and a newfound heat in Sim and Crofts vocals on songs like "On Hold," which also showcases Jamie xxs audacious production skills as he turns a snippet of Hall & Oates "I Cant Go for That (No Can Do)" into an irresistibly jittery hook. The bands commitment to taking chances reaps rewards elsewhere: "Dangerous" kicks off I See You with a brass fanfare thats about as far as the xx can get from the plaintive seduction of their early work. Indeed, the albums happiest songs are among the best, whether Sim and Croft are falling in love all over again over contrail guitars on "Say Something Loving" or letting a relentless beat give their flirtation momentum on "I Dare You." When the xx pare back, they do it with purpose, and still find subtle ways to push themselves. In another acts hands, the propulsive self-doubt of "A Violent Noise" would be a club banger, but they opt for simmering tension instead of drops and peaks. Croft shows off her seldom-heard upper register on "Lips" and "Performance," one of several moments on I See You where the bands self-awareness borders on meta. Sometimes, this becomes too literal and repetitive; as enjoyable as the sultry swagger of "Replica" and heartfelt balladry of "Brave for You" are, its hard to shake the feeling that the xx are retracing their steps. Nitpicking aside, the risks they take on this album pay off: I See You is some of their most captivating music since their debut. | ||
 | Album: 35 of 48 Artist: The Big Moon Title: Love in the 4th Dimension Released: 2017-04-07 Tracks: 11 Duration: 40:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2017 | 1 Sucker (03:41) 2 Pull the Other One (03:31) 3 Cupid (03:43) 4 Formidable (02:55) 5 Bonfire (03:47) 6 The Road (04:00) 7 Happy New Year (03:22) 8 Silent Movie Susie (03:23) 9 Love in the 4th Dimension (03:42) 10 Zeds (04:03) 11 The End (04:12) |
 | Album: 36 of 48 Artist: Sampha Title: Process Released: 2017-02-03 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:04:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize *** WINNER *** 2017 | 1 Plastic 100°C (05:16) 2 Blood on Me (04:06) 3 Kora Sings (04:17) 4 (No One Knows Me) Like the Piano (03:38) 5 Take Me Inside (02:18) 6 Reverse Faults (04:13) 7 Under (04:41) 8 Timmy’s Prayer (04:23) 9 Incomplete Kisses (03:53) 10 What Shouldn’t I Be? (03:32) 11 In-Between and Overseas (03:27) 12 Answer (04:27) 13 Too Much (03:01) 14 Happens (05:07) 15 Without (03:47) 16 Indecision (04:24) |
| Process : Allmusic album Review : The categorically elusive Sampha arrived in 2010 with a co-headlined SBTRKT collaboration and a solo EP, then became known more for supporting roles as a songwriter, producer, vocalist, and keyboardist. After he recorded with fellow Brits Lil Silva and Jessie Ware, his commercial presence was magnified by Drake, whose Nothing Was the Same featured him on a couple tracks. Within a few years, Sampha had collected credits on works by a slew of mainstream artists, including Beyoncé, Kanye West, Frank Ocean, and Solange, as he assisted comparatively marginal but significant figures like FKA Twigs and Bullion. He also inched toward the completion of Process, an artful and accessible debut full-length. Admirably, the album is without opportunistic reciprocal collaborations, unless one inconspicuous Kanye West co-composition counts. Its largely a solitary and intensely personal effort, co-produced by Rodaidh McDonald, ranging from placid piano ballads to urgent electro-soul. All the narratives, expressed in anguished, repentant, and haunted terms, befit a voice that always sounds as if its on the brink of choking back tears. Samphas vocals can be an acquired taste, but theyre instantly identifiable and heartfelt. Theyre all the more compelling when detailing interpersonal ruptures, drawing imagery like "I took the shape of a letter, slipped myself underneath your door," or in a state of agitation, "gasping for air." The album reaches its most stirring point in "Kora Sings," built on an alternately serene and jittery production, over which Sampha sings to his dying mother, trailing off after "You dont know how strong you are." None of it is particularly light. Samphas exquisite melodies and detailed productions nonetheless make all the references to longing, disturbed sleep, injurious heat, and shattered glass go down easy. "Reverse Faults," sparkling low-profile trap with a dizzying combination of smeared glints and jutting background vocals, might be the best display of Samphas skill set. Another marvel is the hurtling, breakbeat-propelled "Blood on Me," its last 40 seconds juiced with some of the nastiest synthesized bass since Alexander ONeals "Fake." In a way, this all makes the previous output seem merely preliminary. | ||
 | Album: 37 of 48 Artist: alt-J Title: Relaxer Released: 2017-06-02 Tracks: 8 Duration: 38:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2017 | 1 3WW (05:00) 2 In Cold Blood (03:26) 3 House of the Rising Sun (05:20) 4 Hit Me Like That Snare (03:37) 5 Deadcrush (03:52) 6 Adeline (05:50) 7 Last Year (06:06) 8 Pleader (05:48) |
| Relaxer : Allmusic album Review : A heady and sometimes capricious piece of work that vacillates between pastoral folk, classical crossover, proto-punk, and progressive rock, the Mercury Prize-winning trios third LP is never clear about its overall intentions. The same could be said about Alt-Js two previous albums as well, but Relaxer is a thornier beast than either of them, carefully concealing its myriad barbs beneath bucolic washes of meticulously forged comeliness. Bookended by what are for all intents and purposes a pair of augmented English folk ballads, the first ("3WW") a patient, swoon-worthy pagan love song, and the second ("Pleader") an impossibly lush, choir-led anthem/hymn inspired by mining in 19th century Wales, Relaxer is aptly named, as between those two cuts lies a swath of idyllic sonic farmland that yields fruits both honeyed and acrid. Only the nervy "In Cold Blood" and the cringe-worthy, Velvet Underground-aping misfire "Hit Me Like That Snare" hint at the flashy, decisive indie rock posturing of past pleasures like "Left Hand Free" and "Dissolve Me." As per usual, Alt-Js lyrics remain elliptical, with frontman Joe Newman espousing a narrative persona thats both arthouse Dickensian villain and boarding school poet -- that lines like "Well that smell of sex, good like burning wood" and "I just want to love you in my own language" manage to elucidate their contrasting amorous perspectives within the same song is notable. Clocking in at just under 40 minutes, the albums dizzying stylistic shifts and offbeat arrangements are rendered refreshingly palatable, and even when the bands artistic hubris is drawn front and center, as it is on the aforementioned "Hit Me Like That Snare" and a spectral, almost completely rewritten version of "House of the Rising Sun," theres usually enough craftsmanship on hand to offset the overall air of importance. | ||
 | Album: 38 of 48 Artist: King Krule Title: The Ooz Released: 2017-10-13 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:06:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2018 | 1 Biscuit Town (03:42) 2 The Locomotive (02:52) 3 Dum Surfer (04:23) 4 Slush Puppy (02:43) 5 Bermondsey Bosom (Left) (01:15) 6 Logos (03:50) 7 Sublunary (02:10) 8 Lonely Blue (04:45) 9 Cadet Limbo (04:53) 10 Emergency Blimp (02:54) 11 Czech One (04:15) 12 (A Slide In) New Drugs (03:06) 13 Vidual (02:20) 14 Bermondsey Bosom (Right) (01:06) 15 Half Man Half Shark (05:02) 16 The Cadet Leaps (04:21) 17 The Ooz (04:36) 18 Midnight 01 (Deep Sea Diver) (03:54) 19 La Lune (04:17) |
| The Ooz : Allmusic album Review : Archy Marshall debuted as Zoo Kid when he was an actual kid and released his acclaimed first album -- under the presumably self-bestowed title King Krule -- before he turned 20. Marshall continued work on new material for years but was displeased with it, save for a set of mumbling-in-a-bucket hip-hop blues, A New Place 2 Drown, credited to his off-stage name. The Ooz, the artists second King Krule album, surfaced -- or is that seeped out? -- five years after the first one. Compared to the debut, the songwriting is more refined and the sounds are more disparate, resulting in a sort of controlled chaos, a scuzzy mix of nervy neo-rockabilly projectiles, howling dirges, and noodling dive-lounge tunes. Its further distinguished with saxophonist Ignacio Salvadores writhing bleats, continually in support of Marshalls scraggly guitar work and variety of voices, as liable to sound like his slumped natural self as an exaggeration of growling punks like the Clashs Paul Simonon or the Ruts Malcolm Owen. Clear references are made to Marshalls previous full-lengths, and repeated allusions to water -- as in sinking -- as well as blue as a color and feeling, are likewise threaded throughout. Damp, suffocating city streets are never distant. When Marshall retreats to physical solitude, he cant leave his head -- not even with a prescription, a situation related in a whirling frenzy of insomniac agitation titled, naturally, "Emergency Blimp." Marshall is just as expressive and evocative when he keeps it guttural; "She smoked me whole and blows out Os," over decayed, dispirited bossa nova, passes like a wisp but could be the albums emotional center. Details that seem to provide levity -- "Man this band thats playin, is playing fucking trash" among them -- have a way of heightening the sense of inescapable dread. No matter that feeling, illustrated with one distressed scene after another, filtered through a multitude of inspirations and a few bodily fluids, The Ooz is a completely engrossing work from a one-off. | ||
 | Album: 39 of 48 Artist: Wolf Alice Title: Visions of a Life Released: 2017-09-29 Tracks: 14 Duration: 49:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize *** WINNER *** 2018 | 1 Heavenward (04:55) 2 Yuk Foo (02:13) 3 Beautifully Unconventional (02:13) 4 Don’t Delete the Kisses (04:35) 5 Planet Hunter (03:52) 6 Sky Musings (02:58) 1 Formidable Cool (03:33) 2 Space + Time (02:27) 3 Sadboy (04:11) 4 St. Purple & Green (04:21) 5 After the Zero Hour (03:24) 6 Visions of a Life (07:57) 1 Yuk Foo (demo) (01:49) 2 Bad Things (demo) (01:10) |
| Visions of a Life : Allmusic album Review : Wolf Alice mastered the glossy and grungy sides of alt-rock on My Love Is Cool, with songs like "Bros" and "Moaning Lisa Smile" earning them accolades that included a Grammy nomination. On Visions of a Life, they explore the wider -- and sometimes wilder -- facets of their music. To that end, they recruited producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen, who toured with the famously chameleonic Beck as his musical director and bassist, and also produced albums for acts as disparate as M83, Paramore, and the Raveonettes. With his help, Wolf Alice both narrow and widen their focus, isolating their bratty, fizzy guitar-pop on "Yuk Foo," "Space & Time," and "Beautifully Unconventional," and delving into the trippier side of their music on "Formidable Cool," "Sadboy," and the title track, which flirts with prog and metal in its ambitious sweep. While these songs reaffirm that Wolf Alice can pull off almost any style of music, Visions of a Lifes most convincing moments build on My Love Is Cools forays into dream pop. Inspired by a late friend of the band, the aptly named opener "Heavenward" is so gorgeous that its tempting to want Wolf Alice to concentrate on this side of their music in the future. Similarly, "Planet Hunter" and "St. Purple & Green" are potent reminders of just how well the band does huge moments, while Ellie Roswells whispers bring intimacy to loves euphoric beginnings on "Dont Delete the Kisses" and its rocky end on "Sky Musings." A reflection of a young band trying out all its possibilities, Visions of a Life is more scattered than My Love Is Cool, but its best songs hint at even more potential. | ||
 | Album: 40 of 48 Artist: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Title: Who Built the Moon? Released: 2017-11-22 Tracks: 12 Duration: 48:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2018 | 1 Fort Knox (03:57) 2 Holy Mountain (03:54) 3 Keep on Reaching (03:24) 4 It’s a Beautiful World (05:17) 5 She Taught Me How to Fly (05:02) 6 Be Careful What You Wish For (05:40) 7 Black & White Sunshine (03:41) 8 Interlude (Wednesday Part 1) (02:10) 9 If Love Is the Law (03:25) 10 The Man Who Built the Moon (04:28) 11 End Credits (Wednesday Part 2) (02:27) 12 Dead in the Water (live at RTÉ 2FM Studios, Dublin) (05:21) |
| Who Built the Moon? : Allmusic album Review : Its hard to blame Noel Gallagher for opting for stability over adventure once he disbanded Oasis. After spending nearly 20 years battling his brother Liam, he needed to take things easy, and if his solo records -- Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds (2011) and Chasing Yesterday (2015) -- were a little too calm, consider it a consequence of navigating himself out of chaos. Despite achieving solo success, Gallagher seemed to have a nagging voice in the back of his head that hed ceded the psychedelic ground he claimed at the height of Brit-pop. That voice began to beckon when he first launched his solo career, leading him to cut an album with trippy production team Amorphous Androgynous in 2011 but, unsatisfied with the results, he scrapped the project. Gallagher finally figured out how to reconnect with the part of him that sang with Chemical Brothers in 2017, when he teamed up with fellow 90s survivor producer/composer David Holmes for Who Built the Moon? Opening with the Technicolor pulse of "Fort Knox" -- a swirling near-instrumental that deliberately recalls "F***** in the Bushes" -- Who Built the Moon? announces itself as a noisier, busier record than either of its predecessors but by the time the stomping "Holy Mountain" kicks in, its clear that Gallagher and Holmes are engaging in a decidedly retro notion of the future, one that looks back to the 90s looking back at the 60s. This has been Noels stock in trade since the start, but during Oasis heyday, hed undercut his conservatism by making a great, bloody racket and writing melodies that sliced into the subconscious -- calling cards he neglected in his bid from maturation. Who Built the Moon? happily restores these elements to the equation, marrying it to his refined sense of songcraft. Gallagher may not precisely serve up surprises here -- Holmes adds some attractive, quirky flair on the margin, but hes working with sounds Noel endorsed in the first act of his career -- but there is a certain rush hearing him opt for glam, psychedelia, and candied pop instead of respectable strumming. Once that initial rush fades, the album is still satisfying due to its impeccable execution. Noel knows how to construct a sturdy song and Holmes knows how to dress them up in flashy clothes, and the combination results in Gallaghers best album since splitting up Oasis. | ||
 | Album: 41 of 48 Artist: Loyle Carner Title: Yesterday’s Gone Released: 2017-01-20 Tracks: 14 Duration: 40:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% TrackSamples AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2017 | 1 The Isle of Arran (03:34) 2 Mean It in the Morning (02:39) 3 +44 (00:48) 4 Damselfly (02:52) 5 Ain’t Nothing Changed (03:14) 6 Swear (00:34) 7 Florence (03:04) 8 The Seamstress (Tooting Masala) (02:31) 9 Stars & Shards (03:07) 10 No Worries (04:30) 11 Rebel 101 (00:28) 12 NO CD (04:17) 13 Mrs C (03:22) 14 Sun of Jean (feat. Mum & Dad) (05:14) |
 | Album: 42 of 48 Artist: Everything Is Recorded Title: Everything Is Recorded Released: 2018 Tracks: 15 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2018 | 1 Intro (?) 2 Close But Not Quite (?) 3 She Said (?) 4 Wet Looking Road (?) 5 Mountains Of Gold (?) 6 Show Love (?) 7 Echoes In The Bone (Interlude) (?) 8 Bloodshot Red Eyes (?) 9 Cane (?) 10 Purify (Interlude) (?) 11 Be My Friend (?) 12 Everything Is Recorded (?) 13 Early This Morning [Explicit] (?) 14 Washed Up On The Shore (?) 15 Delusion (?) |
 | Album: 43 of 48 Artist: Florence + the Machine Title: High as Hope Released: 2018-06-09 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2018 | 1 June (03:41) 2 Hunger (03:34) 3 South London Forever (04:22) 4 Big God (04:01) 5 Sky Full of Song (03:45) 6 Grace (04:48) 7 Patricia (03:37) 8 100 Years (04:58) 9 The End of Love (04:41) 10 No Choir (02:29) |
| High as Hope : Allmusic album Review : For Florence + the Machines fourth full-length, High as Hope, Florence Welch digs deep, meditating on the highs used to fill the holes in our souls, be it drugs, alcohol, reckless love, or spirituality. Over the course of this concise and cohesive journey, she discovers life is about learning to live in the space between the extremes, embracing the normalcy of that middle ground between passionate highs and empty lows. Gone is the sun-splashed grandeur of How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful and the anthemic bombast of Lungs and Ceremonials. The Patti Smith ode "Patricia" and the stomping "100 Years" come the closest to past heights, but otherwise, High as Hope sticks close to the heart of a newly sober and reflective Welch. Arranged as a clean linear narrative, the album opens with "June," wherein Welch faces the loneliness of fame and her coping mechanisms. She reveals a teenage eating disorder and drug and alcohol addictions on "Hunger" and returns home to revisit where they all started on "South London Forever." On the string- and horn-drenched "Big God" -- featuring Kamasi Washington, among others -- Welch even considers a higher power to fill the void. In the moments where her former vices are not the focal point, emotions swell on the tender apology/ode to her younger sister, "Grace," and the bittersweet "The End of Love," which features Welchs purest vocal performance on High as Hope. On the closing "No Choir," she confesses "its hard to write about being happy cause the older I get/I find that happiness is an extremely uneventful subject." Yet, by the end of the song, she realizes that, in those "uneventful" moments of stillness and mundanity, happiness can be found in the simplicity. Straightforward and relatably human, High as Hope may not be the rousing version of Welch from previous albums, but as a document of her personal growth, its an endearing and heartfelt study of truth and self-reflection. | ||
 | Album: 44 of 48 Artist: Jorja Smith Title: Lost & Found Released: 2018-06-08 Tracks: 12 Duration: 46:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2018 | 1 Lost & Found (05:15) 2 Teenage Fantasy (03:46) 3 Where Did I Go? (03:11) 4 February 3rd (04:01) 5 On Your Own (04:02) 6 The One (03:17) 7 Wandering Romance (04:35) 8 Blue Lights (04:10) 9 Lifeboats (Freestyle) (02:52) 10 Goodbyes (03:50) 11 Tomorrow (03:52) 12 Don’t Watch Me Cry (03:12) |
 | Album: 45 of 48 Artist: Lily Allen Title: No Shame Released: 2018-06-08 Tracks: 14 Duration: 51:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2018 | 1 Come on Then (03:11) 2 Trigger Bang (03:32) 3 What You Waiting For? (03:06) 4 Your Choice (03:42) 5 Lost My Mind (03:47) 6 Higher (04:08) 7 Family Man (03:38) 8 Apples (03:39) 9 Three (03:38) 10 Everything to Feel Something (04:57) 11 Waste (03:30) 12 My One (02:58) 13 Pushing Up Daisies (03:44) 14 Cake (03:28) |
 | Album: 46 of 48 Artist: Novelist Title: Novelist Guy Released: 2018-04-13 Tracks: 15 Duration: 48:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2018 | 1 Start (03:40) 2 Dot Dot Dot (04:00) 3 Gangster (03:33) 4 Clocking the Game (01:47) 5 Afro Pick (04:03) 6 Stop Killing the Mandem (03:39) 7 Happiness in the Cold (00:55) 8 Smiles (04:49) 9 Wait Wait Wait (03:29) 10 Whole 9 Yards (03:05) 11 Man Better Jump (03:15) 12 Nov Wait Stop Wait (03:16) 13 Nov B2B DeeCee (Radio Skit) (00:53) 14 Better Way (04:14) 15 The End (Dont Lose Faith Riddim) (03:39) |
 | Album: 47 of 48 Artist: Arctic Monkeys Title: Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino Released: 2018-05-11 Tracks: 11 Duration: 40:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2018 | 1 Star Treatment (05:54) 2 One Point Perspective (03:28) 3 American Sports (02:38) 4 Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino (03:31) 5 Golden Trunks (02:53) 6 Four Out of Five (05:12) 7 The World’s First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip (03:00) 8 Science Fiction (03:05) 9 She Looks Like Fun (03:02) 10 Batphone (04:31) 11 The Ultracheese (03:37) |
| Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino : Allmusic album Review : It was inevitable that Alex Turner would incorporate the loungey swagger of his busmans holiday the Last Shadow Puppets into his main gig of the Arctic Monkeys, yet the soft louche touch of Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino comes as something of a shock. Chalk it up, perhaps, to the fact that Turner was a mere 32 years old when he unleashed Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino onto the world, a young age that seems older because Arctic Monkeys released their debut when he was just 19. Throughout Tranquility Base, Turner comes across as if he were much, much older than his actual age, cocking an eyebrow to a potential paramour who has the audacity to have never seen Blade Runner, and reminiscing about the 70s -- a decade he never saw. He may have been born at the height of Brothers in Arms, but Turner fetishes the swinging sci-fi 60s, winking at futurism while acknowledging that its starry potential has curdled in the digital age. Tranquility Base hints at these dashed dreams in its stylish soft contours, which are neither retro nor modern: theyre hung suspended between these two extremes, sounding precisely like Alex Turner while never touching upon the frenzied, heavy roar of the Monkeys. Perhaps its easy to miss that youthful punchiness, but the expansive aural horizons of Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino suggest there are plenty of avenues for Turner to steer Arctic Monkeys into a fruitful middle age. So, its an accomplished, slyly snappy, and admirable affair, and yet there still seems to be something lacking -- namely, songs that stick. Turner nails the concept, wallowing in warped dreams and painting widescreen soundscapes, but the foundation is wobbly; at a glance, its impressive, but the slipshod details reveal themselves upon close inspection. | ||
 | Album: 48 of 48 Artist: Sons of Kemet Title: Your Queen Is a Reptile Released: 2018-03-30 Tracks: 9 Duration: 55:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover Mercury Prize Nominee 2018 | 1 My Queen Is Ada Eastman (06:41) 2 My Queen Is Mamie Phipps Clark (05:31) 3 My Queen Is Harriet Tubman (05:40) 4 My Queen Is Anna Julia Cooper (05:06) 5 My Queen Is Angela Davis (06:35) 6 My Queen Is Nanny of the Maroons (06:43) 7 My Queen Is Yaa Asantewaa (07:04) 8 My Queen Is Albertina Sisulu (05:19) 9 My Queen Is Doreen Lawrence (06:48) |