ILM's Top 77 Tracks of 2017

The only St. Vincent song I've heard is 'New York', which probably explains why I can't bring myself to try out her other stuff.

I am definitely hoping to see "New Rules" ahead

That song is veeeeerrrrry atypical, but also each album is kinda different? If one album isn't yr thing, another one might be. xp

xp hardly, i have been disliking drake for a long time. i am just always annoyed when he's on an otherwise enjoyable song.

New Rules >>Be the One >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Lost In Your Light, imo

:O

xxp - Agreed. St. Vincent isn't generally my thing but I would give other albums/songs a change.

lost in your light inspiring more divisive reactions than i thought possible

every time i listened to it i inevitably listened to it five times in a row

Same

*doing exactly that right now, as it happens

Lost in Your Light would be an excellent song if the shitty bridge were replaced by a Hammond organ solo

XXp no, of course, just making a joke about Drake always being rubbish but sometimes having reasonably nice production behind him

The correct order for me is

Be The One > New Rules > Hotter Than Hell > Lost In Your Light > Blow Your Mind

but I like all of the above. Her only misstep is her latest single, IDGAF, imo.

Lost in Your Light would be an excellent song if the shitty bridge were replaced by a Hammond organ solo

88.9% of all songs would benefit

The only St. Vincent song I've heard is 'New York', which probably explains why I can't bring myself to try out her other stuff.

Actor wasn't bad and was pretty different from this stuff. I was startled by how unable I was to connect to this last album at all. That said, the way people write about her always makes me want/expect more guitar virtuosity than I usually end up hearing on the albums. Probably more a live thing.

She can shred any ol' time, but tbh she's more of a textural guitarist.

none of my votes placed on Monday but I had two and a half show up today:

"Deadly Valentine" - I haven't heard the Soulwax remix, but voted for the original version which is sublime breathy disco;
"Baby Luv" - a heady subject is tackled with very plain ingredients, but sometimes a simple thing done well yields glorious results;
"Don't Delete The Kisses" - most of the joy in this for me is the contrast between hurried whispered verse and shouted cathartic chorus; that and its circular form, as though the longing is neverending.

A mixed bag of a list so far for me! Pleased to see "Volumes", "LMK" and "Lost In Your Light", pleased to learn about L'Rain and Yemi Alade, perplexed to see "Redbone" and "LWYMMD".

Also Miguel's original demo for Lost In Your Light has a different bridge! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHdH-7EL3cU

I just don't need to hear indie musicians doing heartfelt paeans to NYC with lots of references to street names and parks as a thinly-veiled tribute to their very personal inner ennui. I've never been to New York and I don't care about your ex or whatever. sorry. I liked the last album and Actor and the song Cruel

the bridge in “lost in your light” is great

i love it when jams get abruptly whispery

I should clarify that I wouldn't change anything about "Lost In Your Light" at all, especially the tiptoeing interaction between Miguel and Dua in the bridge, which to me is a perfect preface for the final chorus.

especially not*

"The Truth" does a pretty good job of summing up Washington's thing.

I should clarify that I wouldn't change anything about "Lost In Your Light" at all, especially the tiptoeing interaction between Miguel and Dua in the bridge, which to me is a perfect preface for the final chorus.

― monotony

Completely agree with this. The bridge is great and what Dua does with her voice as it goes back into the last chorus was my favourite moment in music last year. It's a perfect song.

A day late but yes, I did arrange the backing vocals on “Rain In Soho”

Also I had my ballots ready to go and then life/work/birthday got in the way and I never submitted them

RIP Drab Majesty ;_;

44 LOOΠΔ/ODD EYE CIRCLE "Girl Front"
my #2, overflowing with hooks and I love the fizzy syncopated synths. the whole LOOΠΔ project was the pop highlight of 2017. I guess there's a small chance New could still place as well but I'm the only one who loved the perfect Emotion-esque sugar rush of Everyday I Love You that much I think

43 ATELJE "50/50"
haven't paid much attention to what Lissvik has been up to but I guess I really should have, really ike this

42 LITTLE BIG TOWN "Lost In California"
pleasantly dreamy but I don't feel strongly about it

41 WOLF ALICE "Don't Delete The Kisses"
this took a few listens, somehow missed the way it builds at first, but now I love it. voted for the album though. hadn't thought about life without buildings wrt the vocals but good call

Taking bets how many Kendrick songs in the top 40

2.

really doubt anything other than DNA and Humble will show up at this point

Favorite discoveries so far from today: Childish Gambino (who I think I've avoided because of the name but doesn't sound like what I expected) and Dua Lipo.

Starting to think I should have voted for the L'Rain album. I did vote for the track that placed.

Baby Luv is kind of nice too. Lost in California probably the most nondescript song I've heard this year. Congratulations. Destroyer: annoying vocals.

Childish Gambino vocals are more annoying than Dan Bejar’s vocals :(

xp Holding out hope for LOVE

really doubt anything other than DNA and Humble will show up at this point

― ufo

I think this will be right. At this stage I can't really think of anyone who will have more than two songs in the list. I can imagine it's been a year of major split voting.

Childish Gambino vocals are more annoying than Dan Bejar’s vocals :(
that's because Dan Bejar's vocals are not annoying :)

Speaking of annoying vocals. I've somehow never heard Passionfruit before today and I really enjoyed it. Probably the first Drake song I've had that feeling about.

Biggest discovery today is the Wolf Alice song. I'm sure I listened to a couple of their songs on the playlist, but they didn't make much of an impression on me at all. Don't Delete The Kisses is fantastic. I'll have to give the album a listen. I didn't really rate their debut that much.

Visions of a Life is a big step up from their debut

I'm listening now and it is indeed great. People on their thread are right, this is one varied record.

Glad "Lost In California" made it; <3 the band's description of it as "hillbilly Sade" & Tim F's writeup.

"Which Fork / I'll Be" was a discovery from the campaigning thread - thanks, uh, LJ. Big fan of Sui Zhen's output from a year or two back, so glad she's getting wider exposure via Tornado Wallace - the video reminds me of her solo stuff, to boot.

I get a headache trying to figure out the LOOΠΔ empire/hive/organisation.

No problem! BTW how do you rate the chances of Beijing's own kosmische funsters making it today, or have we votesplit it to oblivion? :P

also Blackpink has emerged as my favourite of the Kpops this year; its chorus leapt into my head unbidden this morning

what else

the Childish Gambino song is kind of not great but then the outro is kind of great *shrug*

Is this the first time you've heard Drake?
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Tuesday, 23 January 2018 22:50 (yesterday) Permalink

no! I heard all the ones in the poll of last year too. I don't remember anything about them but they were surely there!

I don't usually pay that much attention to the names of artists though as it interrupts reverie so sometimes I get them mixed up with footballers

xps glad u enjoyed blackpink
cool list so far! the rest of yesterday wasn't too much my thing but 40 to 21 is normally a pretty rad run

The music to Passionfruit is totally generic and unexceptional, there are like a million watery house tunes in that vein.

sounds like a step up

i don't think drake even placed last year thankfully but hotline bling placed pretty high in 2015 and passionfruit is much better than that

Saer - sorry, it was just supposed to be a lame joke about how bad Drake is.

Btw, enjoy reading your very different takes on these tracks, but can't help wondering why you put yourself through listening to them if you find the experience so unpleasant.

Great records hide in many unexpected places, you just never know where something good might be hiding!

and there are only 20 a day to listen to, my next door neighbour drinks 20 pints a day and it hasn't done him any harm!