SOTF Archive/SOTF Classic

title says it all, drop music discussion here

I'll start us off - what songs/artists/albums have you liked from this year so far?

(I'm gonna drop my favourite 2019 albums so far in a future post)

cracks knuckles

CBP'S Top 10 Albums of 2019 So Far

10. MONO — Nowhere Now Here {8/10}
MONO's brand of post-rock has never quite been my cup of tea, but I think they hit something special with this one. Was a nice surprise early in the year, and I recommend this for post-rock fans who are into the heavier side of the genre. This album doesn't do anything particularly new for the band, but instead iterates on old ideas in an interesting and compelling way. Highlights include After You Comes the Flood, Nowhere, Now Here, and Meet Us Where the Night Ends.

9. Little Simz — Grey Area {8/10}
The production on this album is pretty insane. Little Simz has the best flow of any rapper I've heard this year and she puts it to good use all over this album. Definitely wasn't expecting this one to wow me, considering that I usually don't listen to U.K. Hip Hop, but it was another pleasant surprise. I definitely prefer the jazzier tracks over the rest, but that's just me, considering the most popular track from the album Venom has relatively little in the way of jazz influences production-wise. Highlights include Selfish, Wounds, and Flowers.

8. Xiu Xiu — Girl With Basket of Fruit {8/10}
This shit's positively demonic, even though it skews on the more pop-influenced side of Xiu Xiu's discography. I've seen the word 'formless' used to describe this album, and I couldn't disagree more. Each track feels methodically crafted to elicit the greatest amount of shock from the listener possible. I don't listen to nearly as much experimental music as I used to, but this album makes me wish that I did. It's even more impressive considering that this is the band's first release following the departure of longtime band member Shayna Dunkelman. Highlights include Girl With Basket of Fruit, It Comes Out As A Joke, Pumpkin Attack on Mommy and Daddy, and Scisssssssors.

7. Mannequin Pussy — Patience {8/10}
I had the pleasure of seeing this band open for Japanese Breakfast back in 2017. They were the second of two openers, but they brought the energy one would expect from a main act, playing louder than any band I had ever heard at the time. I'm very glad to see them getting more mainstream acclaim with this album, as they earned Pitchfork's Best New Music distinction earlier this month. This album blends their punk-rock roots with more complex songwriting and musical ideas. Highlights include Drunk II, Who You Are, and In Love Again.

6. American Football — American Football (LP3) {8/10}
God, imagine if these guys came back with this instead of their 2017 album, oh my goodness. This blows their previous album out of the water! Maybe it's just because I kept my expectations really low after their disappointing (though still alright) sophomore effort last year, but this album was a highlight of the first quarter of the year for me. The guest vocalists really elevate some of these tracks. Highlights include Silhouettes, Uncomfortably Numb, Doom in Full Bloom, and I Can't Feel You.

5. Kevin Abstract — Arizona Baby {8/10}
Even though this is technically an album released by Kevin to lighten the load on Brockhampton's really quite nutty contract with RCA, it still shines as one of the best releases to come from the Brockhampton Extended Universe of music. Its release was confused by a series of EPs that basically just were the album minus progressively fewer amounts of songs (e.g., ARIZONA baby was the first three tracks, Ghettobaby was the first six) that led me to doubt that this album could stand as one cohesive work, but upon the release of the full project my fears were assuaged. I'm unsure if it's a good entry-point to the works of Kevin Abstract and Brockhampton, but fans of any of the groups' projects will appreciate this album. Highlights include Joyride, Baby Boy, Peach, and Boyer.

4. Weyes Blood — Titanic Rising {8/10}
I really slept on Weyes Blood for the longest time, huh. Prior to this album, the only time I had heard of her was her guest vocals on Father John Misty's 2018 album God's Favorite Customer, but after this album? Holy shit. Guess I gotta check out the rest of her discography! This is a lovingly crafted, ambitious, lush album shows signs of brilliance. I'm convinced that if Weyes Blood keeps up this level of quality and continues to improve, she'll be topping my list whenever she releases her next album. As it stands, this current project has some pacing issues in the second half, but otherwise it's pretty phenomenal. It's timeless. Highlights include A Lot's Gonna Change, Andromeda, Everyday, Movies, and Picture Me Better.

3. Big Thief — U.F.O.F. {9/10}
This album makes me want to move out to Pioneer Valley already and just walk around underneath falling autumn leaves to the sound of this record. It's so natural and mellow and melodic, it really feels like the best kind of dream. I miss good dreams. I guess the running theme of this list is surprises, considering how many of the bands on this list I either didn't know or wasn't expecting something good from, so it sounds kind of lame for me to say this again, but it was such a good and pleasant serendipity to find this album. The drumming on this album is really fantastic, as are the vocals. The best kind of sentimentality owns this album, backwards and forwards. It actually pairs pretty well with the Weyes Blood album—both have pretty strong baroque pop influences. If you like indie rock or indie folk at all you owe it to yourself to listen to this album, it's a real delight the whole way through. Highlights include UFOF, Open Desert, Century, and Jenni.

2. Tyler, The Creator — IGOR {9/10}
A lot grittier than 2017's Flower Boy, but at the same time a lot more lovestruck. This album has a more abstract conceptual throughline than the other Tyler albums I've heard, but honestly doesn't suffer for that loss. Some people complain that Tyler doesn't rap enough on this album, and I definitely agree that there are spots that could do with a verse or two, but even so, based on what is here and how carefully considered it is, I'm sure he must have thought that same thought too and decided against it. Here we see Tyler's versatility as an artist, his diverse array of talents, and his skill as a producer come to the forefront. If this album doesn't get some serious recognition at the Academy Awards I'm going to start a riot, Tyler was robbed last time it's not even funny. Highlights include IGOR'S THEME, NEW MAGIC WAND, A BOY IS A GUN, WHAT'S GOOD and ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?

Honorable Mentions:
- Slauson Malone — A Quiet Farewell, 2016-2018 {8/10}
Sound collage driven hip hop a la Standing On The Corner. An artist to watch out for in the future.
- Jai Paul — Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones) {8/10}
Not technically a 2019 release because this stuff was leaked several years ago, but it's now been officially put out there on streaming services and it's my first time hearing it so it gets a recommendation from me. Catchy as fuck.
- Billy Woods & Kenny Segal — Hiding Places {8/10}
Gotta throw some respect on Billy Woods' name, he really brings the heat to this album and even though it passed just shy of the list I still think it's worthy of a mention for hip-hop fans specifically. I'm absolutely going to check Billy out more in the future and explore his discography further.
- The Caretaker — Everywhere At The End of Time Stage 6 {9/10}
A devastating conclusion to a six part concept piece that really is indescribable and deserves a full listen through. Not included as part of the main list because this is technically the last part to something that started a few years ago.

1. Thom Yorke — Anima {9/10}
So, hey. Guess what? I'm predictable as fuck, but I don't care. Thom Yorke is one of the greatest artists of all time, and Anima is the best thing he has ever done as a solo artist. You owe it to yourself to check this one out. I know it's been a little divisive outside of what I'd consider to be the Radiohead fanbase, with some just not getting it, but Thom Yorke projects are always growers. For most people they take some time to really click. Here we see Thom blend the IDM influences of Tomorrow's Modern Boxes with the songwriting chops he displayed on The Eraser and AMOK mixed with the maturity and attention to detail shown on his soundtrack to Suspiria (2018)—and also, some Boards of Canada? It's danceable, it's groovy, it's emotional and cathartic, and it really should be longer. It's his longest solo album to date, but for me it felt like it was over way, way too soon. Don't be put off by the admittedly kind of slow start, because from Dawn Chorus onwards this album just takes off. Yorke just gets better with age. Highlights include Twist, Dawn Chorus, Not The News, The Axe, Impossible Knots, and Runwayaway.

I love this mostly because I like getting my musical nuggets off and I'll never win a Songtest, so this where my vibes are at. The album of the year for me is Baby on Baby by DaBaby and it’s been getting universal situational rotation from me, I tend to play it when I don't know what to put on and that's a good sign. I find that this era of music is so oversaturated that we don’t really get a lot of time to marinate on songs or try them in different contexts--it’s too soon to really make a list of albums for me and I dunno if I could do it with the right perspective in a year’s time. So, for me, I’m gonna go my favorite tracks of the year so far, meet y’all halfway. Top 5 because I’m lazy!


Honorable Mentions (No particular order)
- Big Gangsta - Kevin Gates
- Legacy - Offset feat. Travis Scott and 21 Savage
- Pressed - Cardi B
- Purple Emoji - Ty Dolla $ign feat. J.Cole
- Money In The Way - 2Chainz


5. Realer - Megan thee Stallion

I’ve had legit discussions and am willing to debate with educated parties the merits of putting Houston’s UGK as the best Hip-Hop duo of all time--yes, even above Outkast. Houston’s Megan Thee Stallion is from their lineage and even proclaims Pimp C as her favorite rapper (going so far as flipping his old alias Tony Snow to Tina Snow). Employing the same provocative lyrics that have lead tons of great female MC’s to the top, I think that I enjoy Megan as a rapper even more than Cardi B. Megan writes her own stuff is the main contrast but I think this track is great in terms of her bounciness and flow. She’s a master of slick talk and I enjoy the hard shit she says, the beat is also hard. I think she’ll be one of those people you get tired of hearing about real real soon.

[+] Notable Bars

“Y'all praisin' bitches that's doin' the minimum
They put that check in my hand, now I'm killin' 'em
Don't wanna link with these bitches, ain't feelin' 'em
I'll knock the shit out that bitch like a enema, ahh”

“Ayy, yo' shit ain't pop 'cause it ain't hot
Keep talkin' trash, I'ma come take you out
Straight to the top, you cannot reach me
Ain't fuckin' these n------, I'm makin' 'em eat me”

4. What’s Free - Meek Mill feat. Rick Ross and Jay-Z

Technically shouldn’t be on the list by virtue of having dropped on November 30th 2018, but it’s still within a year and such an amazing track. The three verses are all A-1 and the beat flip is a classic, interplaying Biggie’s “What’s Beef?” and playing bigger on Meek Mill’s own recent legal struggles. Rick Ross is the best rapper from Miami ever and his decadence and swag are apparent as well as that trademark bassy flow smoother than butter. Meek is aggressive and street with a beguiling intelligence and Jay-Z? He’s Jay-Z. His verse might be the verse of the last 10 years up there with Kendrick’s Control. I think that’s a master class of what the genre can offer.

[+] Notable Bars

Rick Ross

“Been a top dog, that's before the K-Dots
Crackin' in '06, immaculate showmanship
Talkin' like you Mitch, disastrous on the strip
Holdin' on your bitch, coulda never sold you a brick
With them people, you never been on a list”

“We so different, you thought these didn't exist (M-M)
The Megalodon never seen on his wrist
I'm from the South where they never make it this rich
God is the greatest, but Satan been on his shit
Walkin' the pavement, I pray I'm illuminated
Over a decade and never nobody's favorite
Pot and kilo go hand in hand like we Gamble and Huff
My amigo, a million grams and we countin' 'em up”

Meek Mill

“Fed investigations, heard they plottin' like I trap
20 mill' in cash, they know I got that off of rap
Maybe it's the Michael Rubins or the Robert Krafts
Or the billionaire from Marcy, and the way they got my back, uh
See how I prevailed now they try to knock me back, uh
Locked me in a cell for all them nights and I won't snap, uh
Two-fifty a show and they still think I'm sellin' crack, uh
When you bring my name up to the judge, just tell him facts”

“Tryna fix the system and the way that they designed it
I think they want me silenced (Shush)
Oh, say you can see, I don't feel like I'm free
Locked down in my cell, shackled from ankle to feet
Judge bangin' that gavel, turned me to slave from a king
Another day in the bing, I gotta hang from a string”

Jay-Z

The whole thing.

3. MIDDLE CHILD - J. Cole

In this track J.Cole considers laying siege to the title of GOAT in this rap game, a conquest he had begun in earnest in my opinion with 2014’s 2014 Forrest Hill Drive (specifically Fire Squad). What I love about this song is that Cole encapsulates the generational divide between Hip-Hop (specifically the more lyrical old school and the more melodic ‘mumble’ or trap style). Dead in the middle of two generations, little bro and big bro all at once. The production is pretty great and although I wished Cole came more aggressive, his technical command of lyricism and high quality of musicianship is undeniable. There’s a reason Jay-Z and that whole camp have had the lock on critical and commercial success and imo Cole is the heir to that crown.

[+] Notable Bars

“We coming from a long bloodline of trauma
We raised by our mamas
Lord we gotta heal
We hurting our sisters
The babies as well
We killing our brothers
They poisoned the well
Distorted self image
We set up to fail.”

“To the OGs, I'm thankin' you now
Was watchin' you when you was pavin' the ground
I copied your cadence, I mirrored your style
I studied the greats, I'm the greatest right now
Fuck if you feel me, you ain't got a choice
Now I ain't do no promo, still made all that noise
This year gon' be different, I set my intentions
I promise to slap all that hate out your voice”

2. No Guidance - Chris Brown feat. Drake

Probably a big sense of recency bias here but this is one that I think will be the song of the summer. Chris Brown is on his least problematic when he’s in the booth crooning as opposed to abroad snorting and with Drake on the track this thing is a bit too smooth to deny. Drake is adobo, he goes with everything. Let’s also keep in mind that these two men were at one point throwing bottles in a club over a woman who was over both of them--if that shit kept me from a couple tracks like this, I got issues. This is a great tune and probably has me singing “You got it girl” to even girls that don’t got it. A shower singin’ classic. This is gonna be in a few basic bitches IG captions.

[+] Notable Bars

“I can learn a lot from you, gotta come teach me (Woo, woo)
You a lil' hot girl, you a lil' sweet tea (No, sweet)
Sweet like Pearland, sweet like Peachtree (Like that)
I can tell you crazy, but shit kind of intrigue me”

"I seen how you did homeboy, so please take it easy (No, yeah)
Good to have me on your side, I ain't sayin' that you need me (Yeah, yeah)
Six God talk but I ain't tryna get preachy (No, no, no)
I seen how you did homeboy, please take it easier on me
'Cause I don't wanna (No) play no games, play no games
(I don't wanna, I don't wanna)
I don't wanna play no games, play no games
(I don't, I don't)"

1. Goin Baby (Baby on Baby) - DaBaby

My favorite off my album of the year and my track of the year. Hailing from North Carolina, DaBaby straddles the line between street talk, lyricism and melodic rapping and singing as expertly as any. His persona in his videos are reminiscent of a young Ludacris and furthermore his proclivity to comedy as contrast to the aggressiveness of his lyrics fill a needed lane in more mainstream and consumable rap music. Part of DaBaby’s appeal is his authenticity and bravado. This song is a banger and the album it’s off of a great and worthwhile listen. I think this is the hottest rapper in the world right now and I wouldn’t be surprised to see DaBaby nab himself a lot of award show hardware in 2019 and 2020.

[+] Notable Bars

“I'm goin' baby on baby (Uh-huh)
That n----- a bitch, he think he a gangster
He probably still slangin' .380 (Ha)
Probably told you I'm lit, come get you a sniff
I'm pure like cocaine in the '80s
Pull up rockin' all white like I'm Gotti (Ha)
Put 'em up like a kite if he try me (Yuh)”

“Still got shit on my plate from November (Uh-huh)
A few open cases, they pendin' (Damn)
Fuck around, think I’m signed to Cash Money (I)
Pull up with a Drake and a sprinter (I)
Give a fuck how you think, how you feelin' (I)
Could show you how to make a few million (I'm)
So full of myself, say I'm cocky (Yup)
Ask the bitch if she copy, she copy (Okurr)”

“Your bitch on my dick, she a junkie (Uhh)
I don't got no time (No, no)
Every day all I do is get money
They tryna tell me I'm a bad influence
Talkin' bad 'bout everything I do, uh
Dunk on n----- like I'm Patrick Ewing
I can't beat 'em up bet I'ma shoot 'em (Boom)”