ILM's Top 77 Tracks of 2012

i have my problems with frank but "thinking bout you" is just a gorgeous song. deserves all the praise it gets

re: terribleness of lyrical content, IMO nothing on the album really can compare in the "omg this is horribly stupid" stakes to "Pink Matter" or "Forrest Gump"

Sometimes when I listen to "Laura," I'm reminded of the Sound Opinions episode in which Mark Crilley -- while claiming to be really into the album otherwise -- rips on the lyric "You're the train that crashed my heart" as bad collegiate poetry. But it's still very pretty.

the lyrics are more opaque than dumb. compared to the rest of the album i think he's knowingly going for sentimentally sincere.

it's all about the moment when he breaks from that flatness into the falsetto tho, the point where he can't tell himself or his lover lies anymore.

"Thinkin' About You" has some really terrible lyrics in the verses, guy is as full of bad ideas as good ones imo

― Doctor No Cassie (some dude), Wednesday, January 23, 2013 2:56 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

naw, similarly i love the verses and their jumble of doublespeak that breaks into the clear honesty of the chorus

you think i don't love you
i just thought you were cute
that's why i kiss you

http://i.imgur.com/5c7ywhp.png

22. SAINT ETIENNE "Tonight" [356 points, 11 votes]

Spotify / Youtube

god i really keep thinking that some dude's posts are by Doctor Casino -_-

'bring in the katz' is fucking amazing. that "YES" is cracking me up, funny as fuck.

naw, similarly i love the verses and their jumble of doublespeak that breaks into the clear honesty of the chorus

― The Reverend, Wednesday, January 23, 2013 6:02 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark

#word

ILM really likes Saint Etienne huh

naw, similarly i love the verses and their jumble of doublespeak that breaks into the clear honesty of the chorus

― The Reverend, Wednesday, January 23, 2013 6:02 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah, it's melancholic sentimentality masquerading as playful doublespeak

the chorus/falsetto makes it clear how he really feels, tho

this song is pretty good i guess... it's a bit too saccharine for me tho

... and i realize I just repeated what the rev said

*punches self*

Catching up post-pub. Ah, so that explains the weird 110% name change; I'd been wondering. Also, fuck yeah Epizootics! Bish Bosch is the first SW I've actually liked, and if I was re-doing my 2012 albums list, it would be the highest climber. Also, I totally agree with Lex re the affectlessness of Frank Ocean's voice.

jordan i just want to let you know how inspired i think "beez itt" is btw, don't think that went unappreciated

like in the part above where he ends the verse with "i'm lying down thinkin bout you" but it's also clear that the "i'm lyin" is meant to double back to the parts about the fighter jets and not loving the other person

I liked the lyrics a lot in that Frank Ocean but was pretty unimpressed by his vocals.

i didn't really go back to the saint etienne album much, relistening to this i probably should have

i kinda expected it'd be "popular" to place!

ha, i hadn't noticed al's classic dn til now

one thing I love about "Thinkin' Bout You" that I didn't notice until pointed out: how the first and last pieces of imagery are derived from Wizard of Oz

hahahaha

was away when Frank was posted, but it was my #1

i mean it's a good song but come on, some of the critical praise that was heaped upon it was just a little much.

Maybe? But I listened to this song a thousand times and it twisted my guts every single one. Love this song. One of my favorites for the past, oh I can't put a number on it. YEARS!

(xp)

ha, i hadn't noticed al's classic dn til now

― The Reverend, Wednesday, January 23, 2013 6:08 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark

word

& thanks kevin

i don't remember where i put 'tonight', probably pretty high. 'last days of disco' was my other vote from the album but it won't be making it. might be the better song though.

I thought that Saint Etienne track was really pretty but it didn't have much going on and I'm honestly surprised it placed so high. An i8nstantly forgettable song, IMO.

An instantly forgettable song, IMO.

Welcome to the world of Saint Etienne.

it sounded generic on first listen but it's a grower for various reasons imo

it's kind of funny that the only Saint Etienne song that ever stuck with me is "Only Love Can Break Your Heart"

I get that St Etienne is "perfect pop" and all that but I don't see why they're trying to pefect the sound of late-90s Radio 1 drivetime.

i heard it once a long time ago and was never compelled to listen again, i guess now is the time

i always found OLCBYH to be less than its reputation

'hobart paving' is the only indispensable one

really at this point all I have to say is "hey Griff... BRING IN THE KATZ!"

yep.

"hobart paving" is amazing, but saint et have a ton of indispensable songs (albeit mostly from the '90s)

this was their best album in 15 yrs or w/e but they had a lot of good singles during that period too.

didn't picture saint etienne to be the track where everyone was all "wtf how did this place here" but there's always one

okay last of the day coming up

generally an indispensable band for those w/refined tastes http://i.somethingawful.com/forumsystem/emoticons/emot-colbert.gif

http://i.imgur.com/r5zAejB.png

21. KENDRICK LAMAR FT. GUNPLAY "Cartoon & Cereal" [361 points, 10 votes]

Youtube

oh this should be so much higher

generally an indispensable band for those w/refined tastes who prefer the sound of wallpaper

actual insanity

one of my votes! can't believe a song as good as this was just randomly tossed out there without an official release. better than any song on the album, which i like fine. surprised it's so low. gunplay's verse is O_O

I think that was another one with sample clearance issues. Def the most epic rap song of the year. :-/

errr my disappointed face is sample-clearance related obv