Libs albums of the year

Lib’s albums of the year.

Somehow I blinked in July and suddenly its now December, Christmas is only 5 days away, and I still haven’t brought any presents nor thought about it, nice to know a another year has gone by but I’m still on brand! However I have watched the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special at least five times in the past week, so I mean that’s the only thing that matters.

But alas another year has flown by and I’m writing yet another album of the year review, expect this one will actually make it up before the year finishes with any luck. To say that this year hasn’t been a roller coaster of emotions and realizations would be an understatement, this year has been the most challenging for my mental health in a VERY long time but its also been one of the best years in a very long time, I’ve done and seen some thongs I thought I would never do, and I met some of the most incredible people that I am beyond thankful for putting up with me and my shite because I honestly don’t know how people deal with me on a daily basis, because I can barely deal with myself half the time. This year has also been for me one of the best years for music, but also one of the saddest, basically this is everyone’s warning that I’m going to write a BIG old piece on the wonder that is Mac Miller, because it’s been three months and I’m still not over nor have I accepted that he isn’t here anymore.

So here it is my albums of the year that took me way too long to pick and aren’t in any particular order because that would of taken another two weeks to pick so enjoy my long old ramble about some of the true goats of music.

 BROCKHAMPTON-IRIDESCENCE

Of course this album would be in my list, because who can deny how amazing this album is? We knew it was going to be good when they released the three tracks beforehand, and the performance of Tonya on Jimmy Fallon. Its one of them albums that gets better every time you listen to it, or you find new things that you never notice before. At first I was kind of disappointed by this album it’s nothing like the saturation trilogy, not forgetting that Ameer that was no longer a member, I thought that it would be noticeable that he was no longer a member, because despite how much of a piece of shit he turned out to be, you cant deny his verses were incredible but after maybe the first four listens it was like he never was apart of Brockhampton in the first place. I was worried that it wouldn’t be like past albums, that the ridiculous amount of love them wouldn’t be there anymore but alas it is nothing like past albums but in the most incredible way and I still love them more than anything, how can you not adore this album when you put an Cam’ron interview as a interlude? Not forgetting the surprise Jaden vocals on New Orleans that they never mentioned. I would talk about San Macros but I can’t talk or think about that song without feeling an array of emotions. What surprised me the most on this album was Dom and Joba’s verses especially on Berlin and J’ouvert which let’s face it is hands down one of the best verses I’ve maybe ever heard. Dom has never really stuck out to me on past albums but on this one he really stuck out to me, especially on songs like honey and weight.

PERSONAL FAVOURITES: I mean in a way all of them are my favourites but the top five are Tonya, Honey, Berlin, Tape and Fabric.                

LILY ALLEN NO SHAME

I’m currently writing this the two days after seeing the queen that is Lily Allen at the roundhouse, so I’m going to be massively bias with my opinion about how great of an album this is, but whether I went to see her perform or not, this album would of made the list, just helps that I finally got to see my queen after about eight years. I wasn’t going to say it but I’m gonna go there, this is without a doubt Lily’s best work, I didn’t have high hopes for this album, sure I liked the singles she put out and her new style, but there’s always a couple of songs on past albums that I’ve hated or skipped, but I can say that there’s not one song on this album that doesn’t make me feel at least something. Lily has always been known for speaking her mind and not hiding anything from the media, she’s one of the only remaining artists that isn’t afraid to talk about controversial topics, or afraid to speak her mind. When we hear the term “no shame” it’s always doused in negative connotations but this album really switches that term around, the media have always said that she has no shame, and this album proves that in a positive light, and that’s why she’s always been one of my favourite people, she’s not afraid to be herself in a media driven world that is obsessed with being someone you aren’t.

PERSONAL FAVOURITES: Come on then, Three, What you waiting for? Waste and Apples.

Mac Miller: Swimming: I mean where do even start when it comes to Mac? I say this a lot about artists that I like but this album it truly is a work of art, in fact the past two albums of his were masterpieces, how can you make a masterpiece like The Divine Feminine and then not even two years later come out with this? It’s hard not to talk about Mac and his work without talking about how he’s no sadly longer here. Mac has been an artist that has been in the background of my life since I was fourteen years old and someone played me Frick Park Market I knew he was talented but he wasn’t until I heard The Divine Feminine that I knew he was in fact a big old goat. I mean where do I even start with swimming? It’s everything I love about hip hop and Mac himself within 58 minutes. I’m annoyed at myself for two reasons, number one being that I was lucky enough to see Mac last year at Lovebox and I left his set early to either go see Sampha or Solange so I didn’t appreciate his set or the fact he brought Anderson. Paak on stage with him, and two being that I didn’t really listen or care about Swimming until it was too late. From the moment that I had found out that Mac had passed away I have listened to this album at least once a day, of course this album is a bitter sweet album it makes me appreciates the artist that he was and how talented he was and it breaks my heart that I’m never going to experience this album or any others ever again, if the ups and downs of this album weren’t enough to make me cry, the fact I will never get the chance to see him again, is enough to tip me off the edge. LARRY FISHERMAN FOREVER

PERSONAL FAVOURITES: Again I would say the whole album but top five have to be What’s the use? Jet Fuel, Ladders, Hurt Feelings and Small worlds.

Arctic monkeys: Tranquility Base Hotel And Casino: 2018 finally saw the return of my number one boys, after five years of not releasing anything they returned and reminded me of why they’ve been my favourite band since I was ten, now I’ve typed that I cant help but release just how said that is but ANYWAY. The number ones returned and it wasn’t as great as I thought it was going to be, I knew it wouldn’t be when the track list released and I thought half the songs on there were a joke, but after about six months of listening a lot and seeing them for the fourth time in September, it grew on me a lot and became one of my favourite albums of theirs I mean nothing is ever going to beat suck it and see or favourite worst nightmare, but its  up there, like the majority of the albums that I loved this year it reminded me why I love them so much, and why they waited five years to put out another album, because it sounds like it took five years to make. I would have liked it regardless if I got to see them or not but seeing them play these songs live definitely helped and made me appreciate it more, plus I mean you know it’s a good album when the first song and last song can make you feel about every emotion possible within a nice four minute window.

PERSONAL FAVOURITES: Star Treatment, One Point Perspective, Golden Trunks, BatPhone and The Ultracheese.

The 1975: A brief Inquiry into online relationships: Listen every time I think my thing for this band is over and I’m never going to like any of their new stuff, it happens. I get sucked back in, because annoyingly they just keep making better music that makes me feel like its four years ago, and I spend pretty much the whole year going to every gig of these possible, and you bet your ass I’m going to spend next year doing the same, because this album is just, I actually have no words for it, which is good because you know meant to be reviewing it. Of course there’s songs that stick out more than others, we wont be talking about give yourself a try for any other reason than its just a little bit bad, but the rest of the album really doesn’t reflect that song, because the rest is just like I said I have no words for it, but in the past three weeks that its been out, I’ve gone through every mood whilst listening to it. I knew I would like it when I heard Sincerity is Scary because Jesus h Christ THAT IS A SONG. Just like No Shame, this is album really doesn’t shy away from topics that artists don’t really address anymore, its an album that shocked me but in the best way possible, plus after nearly five years its nice seeing how happy and close of a band they are and making albums that make me cry pretty much every other song.

PERSONAL FAVOUIRTES: Sincerity is Scary, Couldn’t be more in love, Love it if we made it, Inside your mind and Its not living (pretty sure this will change in about a month’s time.)

 Kali Uchis Isolation: I mean where do I ever start with this album or artist even? Kali has been one of my favourite’s since I first heard her sing on perfect with Tyler the creator about three years ago, again she’s one of those artists that have been in the background of my life for a while but it wasn’t until after the release of Tyler’s album Flowerboy that I really got into her, then seven or so months later she came out with this album, cut to me then listening to it obsessively for three months and being shook by her vocals EVERY SINGLE TIME, I'm convinced she’s some sort of angel because she’s definitely not real. We all knew it was going to be a good album when she released the two singles from the album, which both have two of my favourite artists on (Jorja Smith and Tyler.) She also worked with Steve Lacy a lot on the album so again you knew it was going to be good because that boy is some kind of genius. Isolation goes though a wide range of emotions and tells a lot of stories but the main theme always seems to be that it will be okay in the end and that Kali Uchis really is that bitch not that I ever doubted that before.

PERSONAL FAVOURITES: Feel like a fool, Gotta Get up, Tomorrow, Flight 22 and Killer.

 I could honestly so much more about six other albums that came out this year that I really liked or even love but by the time I finished talking about them no one would care and would probably be sick of my opinion, if they aren’t already so my honorable mentions this year go to Ariana Grande for Sweetener, The internet for Hive Mind, Jorja Smith for Lost And Found, Kanye West for Ye, Rejjie Snow for Dear Annie, Earl Sweatshirt for Some Rap Songs and Florence And The Machine for High As Hope.