ILM’s Top 77 Tracks of 2018

Given how irritating the apparently bottomless 80s-pop fetishism has become here, I liked Donnie Darko a lot more than I expected to. I'd prefer a different vocal approach though--they're sooo declarative and only work for me during the climax when they're not front and center

Tried to like the Let's Eat Grandma album but "Donnie Darko" was the only track that ever did anything for me. Length felt key to that.

Speaking of length, thanks for the Talaboman remix! - loved "The Night Land" but slept on the remix EP and missed this on the nom list.

"Air" is so good.

― Your sweetie-pie-coo-coo I love ya (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn)

Love the Shura cameo on that one.

feel a bit saer-ish about Queen, though I'm not sure which depressing modern social experience to namecheck

on second thought, this would make good hold music

>:(

Just barely.

good hold music would be good

It's cool we got some middlebrow synthpop to wash the taste of weird elongated synthpop out of our mouths

to be less of a dick about it: obviously this song isn't bad, it just doesn't move me

"hold music" was just a joke about the final refrain

http://i.imgur.com/7o0cyy8.jpg

33: Khalid featuring 6lak and Ty Dolla $ign – “OTW” – 236 points – 7 votes
video

boo’d up • i like it • OTW

Listening to "OTW" for the first time and, gosh, that is a sumptuous four minutes of music. The beat is holographic in the way that old Jam & Lewis productions used to sound compared to their contemporaries. Like you know how they had an improbably long career where they just kept successfully updating their sound to the times for several decades? This is what I imagine they'd be up to if that streak were still going. A travesty that this never made it to top 40 radio, especially when Khalid is such a hot property right now off the back of comparatively beige material like "Eastside" and "Love Lies". – Champiness

http://www.thesinglesjukebox.com/?p=25530

I’m a sucker for singers that have a bit of ache in their voice no matter what they’re singing about, and from the “nah, I can be your booty call” chorus on down, this is so much less gross than a lot of its contemporaries — actually being happy in a relationship is presented as a good outcome, leaving the decision of whether to proceed up to the woman happens more than once, that kind of thing. It’s nothing major, and it shouldn’t be significant, but in 2018 just being relatively respectfully horny does make it stand out. – Ian Mathers

Where American Teen sounded like a lazy, carefree, day-drinking-filled afternoon, “OTW” is the sound of the creeping complexities of the evening. Khalid is still concerned with the potential of The Date, but there’s a clear shift — the cute, shyly teenage come-ons of “Location” (“I got a lot of cool spots that we can go”) have developed into suggestive adult R&B imagery: coastal highways, lingerie, sports cars. The result is a little darker and a little less distinct; but it’s a credit to Khalid that his inherent endearing goofiness still shines through the flexes — when he assures the girl riding beside him in his Porsche that he “kept the slip so you know it’s not rented”. – Claire Biddles

i can't believe this wasn't a proper hit when khalid has had so many other much worse hits

too low

beautiful song

continue to be baffled by this one's appeal tbh

ridiculous

sounds nice but dying for some personality

"sumptuous" otm champiness

I respect ty's effort as always

production on this is so gorgeous

Beautiful song, missed it in '18 somehow

http://i.imgur.com/rwUmYCx.jpg

32: Tirzah – “Holding On” – 236 points – 7 votes – 1 number one vote
video

Tirzah

This one will raise the heart-rate!

good album this

did not get this album at all which was a shame because "I'm Not Dancing" was pretty cool

This was my number one vote and I love her so if any of you dare badmouth her I’ll delete all the poll’s images

sounds like it was produced by john shuttleworth

Sometimes it reminds me of Arthur Russell too

sounds like it was produced by john shuttleworth

― my name is leee john, for we are many (NickB)

Is this a compliment because I like him too.

http://i.imgur.com/6C7WZQU.jpg

31: Donato Dozzy – “Cleo” – 246 points – 8 votes
video

Donato Dozzy

as I noted here, "Cleo" is fucking dope

aw, nice!

ok this is gorgeous

holding on is a little wispy nothing of a track, like overhearing someone singing to themselves as they walk past. love the album and think it sounds better in that context, I picked a different track

<3 the b side "mindless fullness" too

another one for 2 Chainz here

couldn't wrap my mind around the tirzah record but "holding on" is p good in isolation

never heard of this but it's very cool, continuing to enjoy this year's bobbins placements a surprising amount

Didn’t vote for Cleo but I’m on board with this one too.

cleo gives me the hard fidgets

He does this sound better than almost anyone, right up there with Plays Bee Mask

hyperactive stillness

SURELY a saer must like this

Bobbins killed the poll

yeah we need another "moo"

Catching up slowly, the Die Wilde Jagd track is def interesting and reminds me of a krautrock compilation I have. I'll probably listen to it again.

I had high expectations for a song called "Donnie Darko" but, based on the first half of it, it sounded exactly like what I imagine most of the tracks I skip sound like.

There was some slight badmouths at the Tirzah track so I deleted the upcoming images and ulysses cant find them.

Cleo is fucking awesome, the 2nd of my votes to place. Such simple and evocative techno, like Dozzy does best.

Tirzah is the best! All hail! She hangs out with Micachu!

my take on Tirzah: the images have been amazing and I would spend money on real postcards of some of them