What's your AOTY 2018?

~~MicShazam~~ · 12-16-2018, 01:37 PM

I just want to listen to music until I go to bed, so I'm taking some time to revisit various 2018 albums. Maybe I can move closer to having any idea what I think is the best album of the year if I give all of the ones I've liked so far another listen.

Daughters - You Won't Get What You Want

I think I'm over the initial "wow effect" with this album. The songs feel mostly underdeveloped and the vocalist is mostly not very interesting to listen to. I like him most in the songs where he puts in some more energy, like The Reason They Hate Me. When he's sticking more to his flat, moany style like in Daughter, he's just dragging the song down.

Some tracks feel very underdeveloped. The Reason They Hate Me is a pretty fleshed out progression compared to most tracks here. I guess I'm kinda over this album already. It's not bad, but I don't care that much either.

Halo Maud - Je Suis Une Ile

Definitely being reminded how good this album is. It's modern French electronic indie pop with a vocalist that has a bit of that Francoise Hardy vibe. The whole album is rich with fully fleshed out compositions, full of memorable melodies and progressions, catchy beats and plenty of interesting feels and sounds. Plenty of surprises throughout the album. Pretty much does a whole bunch of things that I like an album to do.

Very likely a top 10 album of the year for me.

Proof that it's got some very good songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-fgAmQ3niA

Alela Diane - Cusp

Definitely has the songs and the delivery down. Sounds great too in terms of sound/recording quality. So that leaves... Not a lot to complain about. One of the top hitters of the year for me. Simply gorgeous. Top 10 material for sure!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEX6xp8yREo

Barbara Morgenstern - Unschuld und Verwüstung

Barbara always brings a good album to the table, so this one is not surprisingly in the top 10 running for me as well. Might even end up number 1. I really love what she's doing with chord progressions on this album. Some of them are kind of unusual. Her voice sounds like it always did and her approach is pretty no frills, but it hits something in me somehow. I just love to listen to her voice. Lots of interesting electronic sounds and a fair bit of piano on this album. Her songs are very memorable, but relatively low key, so give them a moment to breathe.

I think it's weird that there aren't more fans of Morgenstern on MB, but oh well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUr2Rq3moKI

Beth Rowley - Gota Fría

Simply. Gorgeous. I'm dying.

Top 10 album for sure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6TrffGM-uo

~~MicShazam~~ · 12-16-2018, 01:55 PM

Coming back to it, it kinda bothers me how forced the vocals sound. Like he's trying super hard to sound as depressed/detached as possible. I'm somehow not buying into him having any emotional connection with what he's singing. Not saying that he doesn't have, just that it doesn't register for me as I'm listening.

Mostly I just think the songs are often simplistic to a fault. The album lacks meat.

~~MicShazam~~ · 12-16-2018, 02:35 PM

Stam1na, Arkona and Dir En Grey brings their A game this year as well. The 3 best metal albums of the year for me. I've posted several times about all three before and nobody in here cares about any of them. All of them have been well received elsewhere on the interwebz at least.

Listening to Stam1na right now. Last album before bedtime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxCU7EzQ5Nw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdTprUIOz8w

Soooooooooo ****ing good!

**Frownland** · 12-16-2018, 05:42 PM

Eh it is overrated but I still think that it's a great album with a damning atmosphere.

windsock · 12-16-2018, 08:59 PM

The Daughters' record doesn't really jive with me either, cause I'm not a huge industrial noise rock fan, but that doesn't mean I don't recognize it's quality. I think it's a solid 4 star album, even if it's not something I come back to again and again.

I don't think anything gonna be able to beat Crumbling by the year's end.

Key · 12-16-2018, 10:56 PM

The Daughters album for me has been sitting between 4/5 and 5/5. I listened to it again yesterday and loved it more.

~~MicShazam~~ · 12-16-2018, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elphenor

I like how Shazam worked his way into deciding nah nevermind this sucks in real time

lol @ 3 posts about it

I remembered liking it but hadn't heard it since it came out, then decided to come back to it since I was looking for something to listen to.
Didn't quite say it sucks. There's some things about it that I think are a bit weak, but it's still mostly enjoyable overall. Just not an album I care too much about.

Anteater · 12-17-2018, 08:40 AM

I liked it a lot, but there's an album near the top of my list with industrial qualities that won out for me in the long-term.

**Frownland** · 12-17-2018, 08:50 AM

Is it by The Body?

~~MicShazam~~ · 12-17-2018, 10:00 AM

Ihsahn - Ámr

I also thought the album Ihsahn (of Emperor fame) released this year was very good. It's really only by the strength of the 3 metal albums I mentioned a few posts back that I feel like it isn't obvious top 10 material. It's left in the dust by those 3, but on it's own, it is very strong. I'd have liked a slightly rawer sound and having the guitars higher in the mix, but the songs are very well done at the end of the day. Ámr certainly beats Ihsahn's previous album, Arktis by quite a distance.

Basically, it's very good but it didn't blow my mind like Stam1na, Dir En Grey and especially Arkona's new albums did.

Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen anyone in here talk about Ihsahn either. So I guess no one was anticipating this one earlier this year like I was.

For those who don't know, it's basically black metal infused prog metal of some kind.

12-16-2018, 05:42 PM	#4 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	Eh it is overrated but I still think that it's a great album with a damning atmosphere. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

12-17-2018, 08:50 AM	#9 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	Is it by The Body? __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

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12-16-2018, 01:37 PM	#1 (permalink)
~~MicShazam~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Aalborg Posts: 7,634	I just want to listen to music until I go to bed, so I'm taking some time to revisit various 2018 albums. Maybe I can move closer to having any idea what I think is the best album of the year if I give all of the ones I've liked so far another listen. Daughters - You Won't Get What You Want I think I'm over the initial "wow effect" with this album. The songs feel mostly underdeveloped and the vocalist is mostly not very interesting to listen to. I like him most in the songs where he puts in some more energy, like The Reason They Hate Me. When he's sticking more to his flat, moany style like in Daughter, he's just dragging the song down. Some tracks feel very underdeveloped. The Reason They Hate Me is a pretty fleshed out progression compared to most tracks here. I guess I'm kinda over this album already. It's not bad, but I don't care that much either. Halo Maud - Je Suis Une Ile Definitely being reminded how good this album is. It's modern French electronic indie pop with a vocalist that has a bit of that Francoise Hardy vibe. The whole album is rich with fully fleshed out compositions, full of memorable melodies and progressions, catchy beats and plenty of interesting feels and sounds. Plenty of surprises throughout the album. Pretty much does a whole bunch of things that I like an album to do. Very likely a top 10 album of the year for me. Proof that it's got some very good songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-fgAmQ3niA Alela Diane - Cusp Definitely has the songs and the delivery down. Sounds great too in terms of sound/recording quality. So that leaves... Not a lot to complain about. One of the top hitters of the year for me. Simply gorgeous. Top 10 material for sure! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEX6xp8yREo Barbara Morgenstern - Unschuld und Verwüstung Barbara always brings a good album to the table, so this one is not surprisingly in the top 10 running for me as well. Might even end up number 1. I really love what she's doing with chord progressions on this album. Some of them are kind of unusual. Her voice sounds like it always did and her approach is pretty no frills, but it hits something in me somehow. I just love to listen to her voice. Lots of interesting electronic sounds and a fair bit of piano on this album. Her songs are very memorable, but relatively low key, so give them a moment to breathe. I think it's weird that there aren't more fans of Morgenstern on MB, but oh well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUr2Rq3moKI Beth Rowley - Gota Fría Simply. Gorgeous. I'm dying. Top 10 album for sure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6TrffGM-uo

12-16-2018, 01:55 PM	#2 (permalink)
~~MicShazam~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Aalborg Posts: 7,634	Coming back to it, it kinda bothers me how forced the vocals sound. Like he's trying super hard to sound as depressed/detached as possible. I'm somehow not buying into him having any emotional connection with what he's singing. Not saying that he doesn't have, just that it doesn't register for me as I'm listening. Mostly I just think the songs are often simplistic to a fault. The album lacks meat.

12-16-2018, 02:35 PM	#3 (permalink)
~~MicShazam~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Aalborg Posts: 7,634	Stam1na, Arkona and Dir En Grey brings their A game this year as well. The 3 best metal albums of the year for me. I've posted several times about all three before and nobody in here cares about any of them. All of them have been well received elsewhere on the interwebz at least. Listening to Stam1na right now. Last album before bedtime. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxCU7EzQ5Nw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdTprUIOz8w Soooooooooo ****ing good!

12-16-2018, 10:56 PM	#6 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	The Daughters album for me has been sitting between 4/5 and 5/5. I listened to it again yesterday and loved it more.

12-17-2018, 10:00 AM	#10 (permalink)
~~MicShazam~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Aalborg Posts: 7,634	Ihsahn - Ámr I also thought the album Ihsahn (of Emperor fame) released this year was very good. It's really only by the strength of the 3 metal albums I mentioned a few posts back that I feel like it isn't obvious top 10 material. It's left in the dust by those 3, but on it's own, it is very strong. I'd have liked a slightly rawer sound and having the guitars higher in the mix, but the songs are very well done at the end of the day. Ámr certainly beats Ihsahn's previous album, Arktis by quite a distance. Basically, it's very good but it didn't blow my mind like Stam1na, Dir En Grey and especially Arkona's new albums did. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen anyone in here talk about Ihsahn either. So I guess no one was anticipating this one earlier this year like I was. For those who don't know, it's basically black metal infused prog metal of some kind.