Bere Teese. qs Bi : SETS ERNE _ 2017's Greatest Hits By Carlos Bilan Not Even Happiness by Julie Byrne Patiently passionate and calm, the folk songbird’s Not Even Happiness is the perfect album to listen to when you just need time to be immersed in soft tunes and some Silence to drown out the stresses of the world. In the peaceful “Follow My Voice,” Byrne comforts listeners who might be feeling worried and serves as a perfect intro to a meditative listening experience. In the majestic standout track “Natural Blue,” a. % Byrne relates an important experience meeting someone with the colour of the sky > ~ : and in this way, Byrne can remind listeners of the power of nature’s beauty—even if ‘*. ' . rFAx9 simple-can calm one’s soul. eg Process by Sampha 7 Sampha has been well-known for his amazing collaborations with many big artists in the R&B and Hip-Hop industry like Drake, Kanye West, Frank Ocean, Solange, and oth- ers. Process is a solid debut that successfully showcases his beautiful voice, ar- tistic vulnerability, and expertise as a producer. The album starts with the potent “Plastic 100°C” and it samples Neil Armstrong’s lines from when he first steps on the moon, which acts as a metaphor for Sampha venturing into an uncertain future. The album seems to be a narrative on how the gentle soul processes grief, death of loved ones, anxiety, and loneliness. Despite these themes, the album is not entirely a downer due to tracks like the urgent “Blood on Me” and upbeat “Kora Sings.” Nev- ertheless, in quiet and sincere moments like “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano” and “Timmy’s Prayer,” Sampha’s soulfulness shines. faz far #5 re 7 - £ “any | See You by The xx It has been almost five years since the English band’s last album and I See You proves itself to be worth the wait and a refreshing take on dream pop and indie electronic genres. In fact, I See You is perhaps the album that contains most of their upbeat work. The opening track “Dangerous” opens with trumpets and has a cho- rus you can dance to, which signals a departure from the softer aesthetic of their previous albums. “On Hold” is another example of a vocal sample being used with- e eae” ‘teh ‘Lae r eee ‘LET in a chorus to great effect. With I See You, the band manages to still evoke their Milnes ; trademark dreamy style without falling into the trap of “sameness,” as these subtle eta changes make a big difference to their overall sound. a Take Me Apart by Kelela facet: > £5 cas “Don’t say you’re in love until you learn to take me apart,” the enchanting Kele- la commands in the title track. Certainly, this would be the case since this album requires repeated listening in order to fully digest and appreciate every layer of each track’s production. However, the album offers some catchy accessible bops like “LMK” which could have the potential to be a hit if it wasn’t for its experimental wonky production. Listening to the album is like being invited into Kelela’s bedroom where we get to indulge in the sensual atmosphere and witness the artist’s vision. ** G24 eres r £% Fae ‘aes I s # '»o.a¥¥ Lyrically, the album can be considered an artistic attempt at expressing empowered ‘a rge sexuality and sincerity. Truthfully, Take Me Apart feels like a spacey futuristic | R&B. a>? ate st Utopia by Bjork = oi 74 The Icelandic songstress’ tenth album is an engaging sensory experience, trans- at 2x, porting the listeners to an auditory Shangri-La where we might hear birds yet. | , ee ral > chirping, angels having picnics, nature spirits playing in the forest, and yey ve . s a4 other ethereal images you can imagine as you listen through the pieces. pores kyeey Sa tle 2, ~~ In the airy and reflective “Blissing Me,” Bjérk sings about lovers Fausia. sh wha? 8 Aw + falling in love through swapping music—in fact, the idea of “fall- me dS ’ re; @ t wy Os ing in love” is a recurring theme in this album. Bjérk said in an \ a ages i » Pam a. =@*,- . . . . . . “qT: ‘De® o4htew J"? ty ee * iy. 8: oy interview with Pitchfork that this new release is her “Tinder |, & B48 D ‘y® ¥ oe LVR FAME 9, record.” Considering that Bjérk’s previous effort, the de- * ‘ us 1 on ‘st. * Par tr ba pressingly dark but absolutely clever Vulnicura, had ed % Ae eee = Byte lly 4410 he 4460 > a dystopian feeling due to its central theme of "6. % ra * Sain ee oF > eee heartbreak, Utopia is a polar opposite with vee” y PMs ee eas: te ae Magi’ its optimism. The positive vibe could TaN e id RUeeawe § Mod Ft easily symbolise Bjork rediscov- 7 oF on * ‘Ce & : « * ering happiness and reaching ‘=e » > my et le ip ig & € wat a => eit O55 A, Pes ba Note JY eh q 22 @ oy ™ a hopeful conclusion in - * 9 hs & ‘ -. Sale aa vp PIPRre > ay? eg eee tig oy the end. Ney a gtl a1e ee eg a & », D9 as ~~ a * ~ = ton > eA as ow Mee cS wed eg 2 Pcs Sree # r as Fs - =) ,. /B3 7 Mies ey di # - a , 5 ll eer . a -