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This is truly one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. I understand not a lot of people have heard it because it hasn’t been made available as a solo track and isn’t on YouTube, but this legit might be my #1 song of 2016.

Probably makes more sense to choose Blonde tracks to represent Frank if we can only pick 3, but I’d at least recommend everyone checks it out.

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Was not feeling this album at all but I really loved this song. One of the more infectious songs of the year.

It wouldn’t be a tragedy if it missed the list but I think it should probably be on it?

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Really liked this song. It would probably make my top 100 even without the Kendrick verse, with it it’s in my top 50. It was one of the few song on Birds where the feat. artist improved the track rather than carried it.

Think it should be on the list and that it’s the best song Travis put out this year if we’re picking a song to represent him.

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Coloring Book was a little disappointing, but this is a legit contender for SOTY in my mind. Chance’s verse is one of the best rap verses I’ve heard since… well, since Chance’s verse on “Ultralight Beam”. The gospel elements felt more natural here than they did at other points on the album and the featured artists added a lot.

It’s in my top 10, I’d like to hear what other people feel about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j8frgmdvgc

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The nostalgia dripping all over Light Upon the Lake got a little tiresome over the course of the record, but it works perfectly here.

“I fell right in when you gave me up / these golden days got away from us” is one of my favorite lyrics of the year and the subject matter perfectly aligned with the group’s predisposition to reminiscing.

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This is my favorite song on my favorite album of the year (“Ivy” is a close second). The overall quietness and use of space is so powerful, and moments where Frank lets us in on his inner turmoil in the smallest ways (“I’m not brave”) have way more impact than other artists who just spell out their problems.

My vote for 3 Frank Ocean songs if that’s where we cap it: “Seigfried”, “Ivy”, and “Nikes”.

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I’m surprised this album hasn’t gotten more attention. “1000 Times”, “Sick as a Dog”, “Peaceful Morning”, and “You Ain’t That Young Kid” are all great, and “In A Black Out” should be a SOTY contender (you may recognize it from the iPhone 7 commercial). Even quirkier, concept songs like “The Bride’s Dad” are well-written and interesting.

Leithauser is not a traditional vocalist but he has the perfect voice for this project. Rostam is at the top of his game, blending a lot of influences seamlessly into one unified sound.

It’s rocking an 82 on Metacritic fwiw (not much to me), and is definitely in my top 15, maybe top 10. Should be on the list, I’d argue in the upper half.

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AOTY

sorry my 8th grade self got a hold of the account

it’s pretty strong lyrically but dull musically and gets repetitive

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very much a mixed bag. there are some genuinely dark, weird, cool songs (“aviation” and “pattern” esp.) and hearing AT reflect on his personal life (“sweet dreams, tn” and “the dream synopsis”) was a very pleasant surprise at this point in his career.

however, there were some total clunkers (“bad habits” and “she does the woods” comes to mind) and even enjoyable songs like “dracula teeth”, “miracle aligner”, and the title track felt like a trifle two friends came up with on a lark and didn’t have much of a lasting effect.

I think miles/tlsp is good for alex in the sense that MK is a good guitarist and working outside of AM lets him write more as a singer/songwriter than the frontman of a big rock band, leading to more personal and introspective lyrics. I also think Miles is a bit of a creep who can influence alex to write like a bit of a frat bro which I’m not a fan of.

ultimately, while the album had a few songs that are still in my rotation and the songwriting (“there’s a set of rickety stairs / in between my heart and my head / and there ain’t much that ever bothers going up there”) was sharp, this left me pretty unenthused for another shadow puppet album. i’d be much more interested in a solo AT project in between the next monkeys albums.

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not really a country album, but enough folky/country influences that I realized for the first time I could probably get into country if the country music I was surrounded by wasn’t total shit.

only negative is that seeing Rostam help another artist blend genres so seamlessly has me doubtful VW can make another album like their first 3 without him, though that may not even be a negative if it means they reinvent their selves like I think they might.

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