ILM's Top 77 Albums of 2020

ilm's gonna be the only place on the internet to get the order of the sault records right :D

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Friday, February 5, 2021 10:30 AM (one minute ago) bookmarkflaglink

Quietus, Double J, and Paste all rated Rise higher in their eoy polls!

i was surprised the consensus in most of the eoy lists was black is > rise because it was so obviously the other way around to me, glad ilm is with me there

evermore is surely going to place still, big thief managed two albums in the top 10 last year and taylor has probably the most intense fandom on ilm of any artist and this year was probably her best ever year

oh whoops forgot about those three

if Evermore places i will eat my lunch

I’m still unsure why CS KREME was counted as a single album, but we could have had the double albums by Autechre / sault / taylor swift as one entry probably...

Ok, so much discussion for Evermore and it hasn’t made it yet!

So here you go:

https://i.imgur.com/m1wziRk.jpg
#09: Taylor Swift - Evermore - 682 points - 18 votes - 5 Nº1 votes

Taylor Swift -- Evermore

“No doubt Swift is still the master of writing a spiteful kiss-off, but the songs of Evermore are a welcomed step in a more mature direction, the result of months and months of her getting lost in the woods and questioning her way forward. By the time you’re reading this, she may have already found the answer.”
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/taylor-swift-evermore-folklore-1101778/

“On her second surprise album of the year, Swift pushes the boundaries of her indie reinvention, adding a bit of '1989'-era gloss to produce a beacon of hope.”
https://www.nme.com/reviews/taylor-swift-evermore-review-2835933

I think it's fair to say tacking on a single (or EP?) to the CS + Kreme album wasn't justified, but I also don't think removing it would have changed the vote count at all

didn't know Brad had 4 socks!

[nelson laugh]

xxp I think most everyone who voted for Snoopy were baffled by that as well

her best album!!!! not even close!!!!

Wow five #1s??

add a few x to that...

maybe this is the joke placement

5 number 1s for Evermore and 1 for Black Is? Has to be a ruse

i'm still listening to the wizkid record and i think it's one of the best-sounding records of the last however many years, by a lot. it's like it was mixed in 3d

lol 5 #1 votes ilm is even more ridiculous than i thought

this was fine but still largely in folklore's shadow to me. the last section from "ivy" to the end is great though

I realized after submitting my ballot that I totally forgot to include Evermore, but I had no doubt about it placing high

I don't particularly love Evermore, but I love it more than tired ass joke placements.

oh damn i already started eating

not sure if the other artists Moka mentioned elaborated on any connection between their records, but in CS + Kreme's case they referred to the EP as an epilogue to the album which at least gives some reason for considering them together

Evermore is her best album, I love it

I don't particularly love Evermore, but I love it more than tired ass joke placements.

― Johnny Fever, Friday, 5 February 2021 16:40 (twenty-three seconds ago) bookmarkflaglink

lol...

I agree that evermore had some of the best runs of tracks in her album discography (Tim F pointed out "Ivy" through "Long Story Short" in the evermore thread), but folklore still had the highest highs, imo, and the better flow as an album. I'll come back to that when it places.

ok, real talk, should i listen to this album?

I think it had been released before Folklore, it may have been the one that gets all the attn. Though who knows...

Evermore my #1

one thing that really hurts it for me is it's so backloaded compared to folklore

"tolerate it" is proof of how far her craft has come in... just a few months lol

and hey I like "No Body No Crime"

I agree with Rise > Black Is, even though the latter really captured the moment in an uncanny way. I appreciate how much they have expanded upon the sound over the course of 4 releases. The only thing that maybe caused me to dock these a few points was the fact that they both could've trimmed some tracks and interludes. The 2 2019 albums were much tighter and more consistent.

"No Body No Crime" is my least favorite song on it but I love it still. I think I'm a lifer though.

For me, Folklore is album full of “good songs” that feels labored, a chore to listen to (and I never do anymore); Evermore is a delight, it flows with a light touch, like inspiration just glides it along. I’m always sorry when it’s over!

I guess I feel the opposite to that

“Taylor Swift” was the first phrase I ever muted on Twitter (followed by all her nicknames) and I haven’t looked back yet.

Black Is has 8 tracks to Rise's 7 on my personal album of the year aka a playlist of my favourite tracks from both that flows just wonderfully imho - but to rate those tracks Rise would have the higher average

otm morrisp. regretting choosing folklore already

"she would've made such a lovely bride,
what a shame she's fucked in the head," they said

i'm relistening to evermore and it's like... even the most meager song musically on the record ("champagne problems") kicks ass lyrically

https://i.imgur.com/OBXC0a5.jpg
#08: Róisín Murphy - Róisín Machine - 715 points - 20 votes - 1 Nº1 vote

Roisin Murphy POX

“It’s this emotional core that helps make Róisín Machine such a sweaty celebration of the dancefloor, its redeeming power making it well worth its lengthy gestation.”
https://www.loudandquiet.com/reviews/roisin-murphy-roisin-machine/

“Roísín Machine is among Murphy's best works, a showcase for one of dance music's most endlessly fascinating figures.”
https://exclaim.ca/music/article/roisin_murphy_roisin_machine_album_review

banger

i didn't vote for this even though i do think of it as the ultimate róisín murphy album

good album and definitely too low given what's to come

great album

yeh great tunes

i was ultimately a bit disappointed by roisin machine, despite the great run of singles leading up to it i didn't care much for the new tracks and it ended up feeling less than the some of its parts

This one slipped under my radar, but was listening to it after it won on the tracks poll and the album actually flows really good like a party mix.

xxxps re Sault: Yeah, I secretly craved concision with this one myself. No such problem with with its twin. I inexplicably forgot Sault was still to come earlier. So, Rise is likely my one remaining horse in the race.