ILM's Top 77 Albums of 2014

Mark Knopfler was pretty macho

(also whoooooo this album is great & i might not've discovered it if not for ILX)

Man I thought '2 on' was nice when it was on the radio but had no idea it and the album were such ILX faves

Tinashe - Aquarius (out October 7 2014)

This thread has like 3 posts in it

aquarius is one of my favourite album arts of recent memory

That's one of the few albums I've heard that makes floaty vaguely psychedelic sad submarine Ecco the Dolphin R&B actually seem like a good idea.

i was really out of the loops wrt to albums r&b especially toward the end of the year, had no idea that tinashe's album was this loved ("2 on" is incredible obv), will have to check it out

That's one of the few albums I've heard that makes floaty vaguely psychedelic sad submarine Ecco the Dolphin R&B actually seem like a good idea.

― Matt DC, Thursday, January 29, 2015 3:28 PM (10 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yup. even lex likes it

This album is so good. I was surprised. Prob my most-listened to album of the year. I've been burnt by pleasant, dreamy rnb hypes with no songs to back it up enough times. This album's got songs and grit and really great vocal performances. Gets physical. So many ideas and she's seemingly only scratching surface. Almost more surprisingly the mixtapes are pretty great as well, but the album tops it.

gorgeous album, tons of really awesome production details. "2 on" and "all hands on deck" made me crave more mustardwave bangerz but the rest of the album was so quality that it didn't matter. "indigo child" and "far side of the moon" >>>>>>>>

tinashe's vocals are on point throughout too, she's PRESENT in a way that many indie-r&b singers aren't

I seriously underestimated ILX's Tinashe love.

it goes back to what i said about charli xcx's songs sketching the outline of a character but not filling it in - so much indie-r&b does that. tinashe fills it in beyond the positioning and beyond the predictable aesthetic package

This album showed up with perfect timing by the way, like dropping a serene waterfall scene full of unicorns in the middle of a war zone.

mmmm waterfalls

If I'm reading Matt DC right this album is #seapunk&B? Nice, will listen to in full

Nobody fucking voted for this terrific album in P&J except Chris Randle

Except that probably wouldn't be very productive because both sides would probably just end up inadvertently gunning down all the unicorns but what the hell it's working here.

need 2 listen 2 this

Oh weird that is actually not true. Why have I been frustratedly walking around with that non-fact in my head.

yeah this rules.

a unicorn playing echo the dolphin whilst getting 2 on

feeling pretty on point here

er, here:

D'Angelo
fka Twigs
Aphex Twin
Taylor Swift
Tinashe
Owen Pallett
YG
The War on Drugs

― Sounds like a forks display name (forksclovetofu), Thursday, January 29, 2015 6:39 PM (1 hour ago)

as others have said, this album can take a while to grow on you, which is why the thread isn't that lively. it's brilliant though. "Cold Sweat" has become my favorite lately. usually not that interested in songs about being famous/the struggle to become a star, but that one has an element of lived-in realism to it that makes it shine. prob helps to know she was on a tv show with charlie sheen a few times.

That's one of the few albums I've heard that makes floaty vaguely psychedelic sad submarine Ecco the Dolphin R&B actually seem like a good idea.

― Matt DC, Thursday, January 29, 2015 3:28 PM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

otm. didn't expect to like it beyond "2 On" given how people talked about her mixtapes but the whole thing holds together really well.

I knew nothing of Tinashe before trax poll so my initial impression of her is "widely acclaimed critical darling", like Ciara-level; I guess this is not the reality of it?

forks wld like to point out he has been otm itt

Nobody fucking voted for this terrific album in P&J except Chris Randle

― sonny and sber (fgti), Thursday, January 29, 2015 3:35 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

well, 19 people did, including me and several others on this board

If I'm reading Matt DC right this album is #seapunk&B? Nice, will listen to in full

― 龜, Thursday, January 29, 2015 3:34 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yup

oh shit, this is great

ppl who voted for aquarius in p&j: http://furia.com/pjs/artist_8975.html

i think it fell outside my ballot but it's top level. very much a slow burner.

oh man i am liking this

If I'm reading Matt DC right this album is #seapunk&B? Nice, will listen to in full

― 龜, Thursday, January 29, 2015 3:34 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yup

― flopson, Thursday, January 29, 2015 3:40 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

can't wait for you to hear All Hands on Deck

I would forward "Bet" as the secret best song on Aquarius

That's my non 2 On fav.

xp that, far side of the moon and thug cry are so great

gonna reiterate my "this is like 'what if Ciara was actually any good'" comment from the tracks poll

I liked "2 On" but thought I wouldn't be able to sit through an entire album; clearly I was wrong

ciara is actually good

Far Side of the Moon has consistently been the one that turns me into jelly.

disliking ciara is the mark of a scoundrel

what omg how do you hear "Body Party" and think "this isn't good"

I think my non-"2 On" fave is "Feels Like Vegas."

well, 19 people did, including me and several others on this board

Yeah, curious about how this bit of misinformation has been haunting me (and it's been haunting me, I love this album)

"thug cry" was co-written by kalenna!

Actually embarrassed I missed the Tinashe album last year.

what omg how do you hear "Body Party" and think "this isn't good"

Because it's an ill-conceived, poorly-arranged mess sung by a wispy-voiced tone-deaf chipmunk

'Thug Cry' is my favourite, it suddenly made total sense when I discovered the Kalenna connection. I like 'Bet' as well, finally a non-terrible use for Dev Hynes.

I think ~you're~ the tone-deaf chipmunk, mister

iirc i voted for this higher than i did in my p&j ballot bc it is an exceedingly charming and rich album