Red Swan K-Drama Episode 1 Recap & Review | The Drama Scoop
Red Swan Episode 1 Recap
Episode 1 of ‘Red Swan’ begins with a speech given by NOW’s director Oh Wan-Soo, where she takes a stand against terrorist atrocities. Following that, she gets a warning from ISIS asking her to step down or face severe consequences. Seo Do-Yoon enters a casino while Oh Wan-Soo meets with Crown Prince Mohammed.
Do-Yoon Learns About The Assassin
Seo Do-Yoon spots a group of thugs spying on them and learns about an assassin, Mr. L. He then disguises himself as the janitor and enters the boss thug’s room. Soon, Mr. Park arrives with payment from the ‘flower shop’. Do-Yoon recollects the word was used by his brother’s assassin. After leaving the casino, he gets a call from Mr. Park asking to meet up.
Do-Yoon Rescues Wan-Soo From The Assassin
We see a flashback of the night Do-Yoon saw the assassin kill his brother. The next day Wan-Soo leaves to donate her necklace despite a shortage of bodyguards. Do-Yoon happens to be in the vicinity looking for the assassin. As soon as Wan-Soo leaves the venue, the assassin aims with a sniper and fires at her. Wan-Soo gets saved as a woman escorting her steps in the way and gets shot instead. The sniper continues to fire, and her bodyguard takes a shot for her too.
Locating the sniper, Do-Yoon begins to fire at him and rushes to guide Wan-Soo out of harm’s way. He gets her into a car and drives away. Soon enough, their engine breaks down, and while fixing it, Do-Yoon discovers a tracker which he immediately discards. He takes her to his place to get cleaned up. Initially, she is hesitant, but he reassures her that she will be safe. She helps him tie a bandage around his injury, and he helps her wipe the blood off her face. He then returns her to the embassy where she meets her husband.
Do-Yoon Joins ‘Flower Shop’
Following that, Do-Yoon meets up with Mr. Park, and they catch up after a long time. Do-Yoon recalls the happy memories with his brother and the time his brother donated a kidney to him. Mr. Park offers him an opportunity to work with the ‘Flower Shop’, explaining it’s a confidential way to address the Hwain Group. Do-Yoon agrees to join.
Do-Yoon Becomes Wan-Soo’s Bodyguard
Wan-Soo gets a call from her mother-in-law and goes over to speak with her. Park Mi-Ran orders Wan-Soo to bribe China and cancel the party. Wan-Soo refuses to cancel the party and bribe China. Her mother-in-law throws a fit and later tells her husband to have Wan-Soo killed. Wan-Soo calls for a press conference to broadcast the threats ISIS made. On the night of the party, Mr. Park introduces the new bodyguard and the man who saved her life, Do-Yoon.
Red Swan Episode 1 Review
Delving into episode 1 of “Red Swan,” it’s evident that the drama falls short despite its beautiful aesthetics and ideal plot setting. For various reasons, the interactions fail to ignite the desired feelings we would expect, lacking tension or thrills.
The first interaction between Wan-Soo and Do-Yoon is critical to the drama, but it does not deliver the required intensity. The assassination attempt and subsequent rescue could have been more thrilling and glorious.
The scene at Do-Yoon’s stay was progressing well until the moment he wiped the blood off Wan-Soo’s face, which felt awkward and forced. Building a good relationship takes time, and it would have been much better if the two had shown some restraint before finally giving in to their feelings.
We’ve still got the entire show ahead of us, and the premise is promising. Let’s hope the drama makes good on its potential! If you’re looking for more K-Dramas to watch this July, here are the Top 5 K-Dramas for July 2024.
Thank you for diving into our latest KDrama review at The Drama Scoop! We appreciate your time and passion for Korean dramas. Stay tuned for more exciting reviews, news, and insights. Happy watching, and see you in the next article!
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Hindsight: My thoughts on Loki (2021)
Welcome back folks. Read the innocence dying inside me as I accept that this show eats my expectations for lunch and leaves me like it's going to buy milk.
As a side note from what I said in my first review, here’s an interesting article. Apparently I was clowning because the Gobi desert scene was filmed (probably? idk) with the tech from the Mandalorian. I think the studios were the same. Oh well. https://www.atlasofwonders.com/2021/06/loki-filming-locations.html
Episode 4: THE NEXUS EVENT
Pre-title scene
The new perspective of Asgard is incredible.
Oh baby Sylvie, what did they do to you. Also, RAVONNA??
The TVA through a child’s eyes is heartbreaking. The mixed use of shots that were familiar (the feet walking into the TVA) and new (the TVA logo on the floor) convey how though routine, this is an alien experience for Sylvie.
She too wants to help the man being dragged in. Maybe Sylvie was a better person than Loki, the TVA taking her away was what changed it.
We don’t see Casey, but iIt’s the same ‘sign here’ guy. The changing perspective and music really alters the mood created, contrasting the whimsical procedure we followed in episode one.
She hadn’t even said much in her life. They knew how to influence the audience’s emotions, that's for sure. Props to the actress, I felt genuine concern for her before I remembered that she’s acting.
TVA
Ravonna probably underestimated Sylvie as a Loki, a mistake that cost her greatly.
The golden doors.
Ravonna looks tense and a bit fearful.
Scattered throughout the episode are eyes watching. George Orwell’s 1984, anyone?
Big Brother is watching.
Mobius! He’s a good friend to Ravonna, but there’s a power imbalance.
Ravonna is shaken. Her past failure is haunting her.
Someone edit the “What? How?” into “Wow.” It’ll be a service.
Lamentis - 1
Loki’s apology and Sylvie reflecting on her childhood are the conclusion to the previous episode. Faced with death, Loki realises that her goals were hindered by his actions. His apology is the first time he acknowledges he had something to do with it. Sylvie’s offering her emotional vulnerability in the form of memories. Her mind and experiences are her most prized possession because they’re all she has of the person who she was as Loki, her childhood and what she was supposed to be. Her glorious purpose, what really makes a Loki a ‘Loki’ was her life.
THEY TRUST EACH OTHER. THIS WAS WHAT CAUSED THE NEXUS EVENT.
C H A R A C T E R D E V E L O P M E N T.
Ravonna pointed out that Loki will always be a “lying scourge” but they went against this. In any timeline, this could cause a nexus event. They found a middle ground.
“That should be setting off alarms if someone steps on the wrong leaf.” I had a whole idea about entropy and the timeline being an isolated system but I struggled to define an isolated system, and thus I couldn’t use the whole irreversible process causing entropy to grow causing a br- if you have a clue of what I’m going on about, or want to know more, I’ll explain my thoughts. I can understand why this isn’t scientifically accurate and I’m no physicist.
The unbranched timeline means all the things that were speculated - Wanda’s kids, what happened on Saakar, all of it - is gone.
“Any news on C - 20?”I called it! B-15 is having doubts! Her subtle unease building up throughout the ep is perfect!
Most settlements have a street design that can be from space. Sharru doesn’t.
“No. We may lose... ...you’re amazing!” Damn it literally took the end of a world for Loki to change as a person.
“Their smiles. If that isn’t people accepting their deaths I don’t know what is. Man, I just want both of them to be happy.
Please don’t let that be the love theme, it’s so pretty.
The music fading into the TVA theme as they get separated is so sad.
Time Theater 25
Back to square one in terms of trust with these two, but now they have history and hurt feelings too!
Oh Mobius.
Cycles are a part of who Loki is within Norse mythology (from what I know, correct me if I’m wrong). This scene is conflict.
Loki needs both Mobius and Sylvie to incite change. One can empathise whilst the other believes in him.
Mobius believes in Loki like no one else in the TVA. He treats him like an individual, they developed a bond in episode 2, so his disappointment and anger were genuine. This is reflected in their dialogue.
Even when Loki was going through all the Feels in ep 1, he didn’t shout at Mobius. It makes it more heartbreaking when Mobius laughs and dismisses him after the “TVA is lying to you” thing. His laugh was so bitter, it’s like his belief that Loki would be the variant to prove that variants were individuals had been shattered. What Mobius doesn’t realise is that Loki was genuinely trying to warn him. The trust between them was fragile but Mobius needed to come to his own conclusions before he could see that Loki had broken out of the mold the Time Keepers set for him.
“Just kind of an asshole and a bad friend.” Y’all, Mobius doesn’t rise to Loki’s baits. He’s so hurt.
I can’t be the only one that thought Loki was going to be brainwashed when they saw the red door. Turns out it’s just a time cell.
I love Mobius but he makes me feel so conflicted. Oh shit, he’s my problematic fave.
Watching Loki get his ass handed to him by Lady Sif shouldn’t be this funny.
This particular memory reflects what Mobius will talk about later, Loki being abandon by the people around him.
Putting Loki through a memory that was physically and emotionally painful was nasty. If you hear something horrible, over and over especially from a friend it would take a toll on your self-perception. Mobius was hurt by Loki leaving him, he’s getting revenge whilst doing his job and getting into Loki’s head.
Ravonna’s office
Ravonna has hang ups from failing with Sylvie. Who she is and what she knows is going to be interesting.
Heck I just realised are Mobius’ lapels not real? They look fake.
I wonder whether the “mastermind” thing was foreshadowing the next ep.
Am I the only one who thinks this isn’t the first Loki Mobius has dealt with? Could that mean there’s a reunion next ep?!
“Variant pet.” There’s a culture of dehumanising variants within the TVA.
The cuts showing both B-15 and Mobius’ faces reminds me of ep 1, but now there’s a new angle to things. B-15 certainly sees things differently.
Time Theatre 25
Lady Sif would kill with short hair. Or long hair. It’s Lady Sif, she’s a badass.
Loki’s exhale reminds me of how he tenses before a fight.
Notable things about this scene:
Heavy use of metaphors to trade jabs.
The lights are shifting in a consistent pattern, scanning the room almost.
Shots are constantly moving and cutting.
Loki’s speech pattern changes when he’s lying. Nice touch there.
When they start arguing in earnest, the shots are close ups of their faces, not circling around each other.
Loki was at first willing to talk to Mobius if he was treated with respect, the way they engaged in episode 2. He also wants to trust that Mobius won’t kill him. Mobius dismisses him (rightly so, his trust is gone) and Loki’s pride about ‘not working for anyone’ gets in the way rather than listening to each other. Loki’s behaviour is cyclic and his lying about Sylvie affirms Mobius’s understanding that Loki won’t (or maybe can’t) change. I wouldn’t be too surprised if Mobius is a Loki, the man’s uncannily good at reading him. He deduces that Loki and Sylvie have a bond and unsettles Loki to get answers out of him, because he knows that’s the only way he can force Loki to reveal his cards. He definitely wasn’t expecting Loki’s earlier admission to be the truth. What Mobius did was not right, but it sure was effective.
“No. Not partners.” I believe this. They had an understanding, but their goals differ. Maybe just give Sylvie her own show.
“Guess you don’t do partners.” MOBIUS WHY ARE YOU SO BUTT-HURT? Probably to make Loki feel bad ik, but it’s still funny to think Lightning McQueen is salty.
That memory really hurt Loki. He stuttered.
Loki fixates on Sylvie rather than his own freedom. This was the cue to Mobius to start interrogating.
Bruh, the feeling they were experiencing better be friendship.
This made me uncomfortable because I was so sure we weren’t gonna get a romantic subplot that I related the characters to my actual family relationships. Marvel. Why?
The music combined with Mobius’ subtle shift in demeanor from irritated to mockery was very unsettling to me. I never realised how good an actor Owen Wilson was.
“Our interests are aligned.” Once Mobius tells him the truth, Loki does the same. I really hope this is the extent of their relationship. Just let them recognise one another as equals. Please Marvel.
Mobius’ hands twitching, the slight swallow. Yeesh, he certainly doesn’t think Loki’s lying, but he’s not about to accept it.
Loki’s head shake is sad. He knows he can’t convince Mobius.
“That I can respect. I mean the lies you tell yourself.” This was the best writing imo. Loki doesn’t make any final attempts to connive his way out of the situation because telling the truth to someone he’d trusted had failed. He willingly walks into the Time Cell.
Time Theater 47
B-15 being unable to support herself, having to rely on the structures around her to stay upright. This woman deserves so much y’all.
WE NEED HER NAME MARVEL.
You better appreciate her beyond shipping her with Sylvie or istg.
The music is so mournful. It just emphasises how much everything changing is going to hurt not only the main characters. Lives change because of the TVA and the events of this episode, it’s not overlooked by the writing or music.
The poster and the 1984 parallels. Exquisite!
Sylvie not sitting straight made me snort.
Ravonna Renslayer’s office
More Theremin music! This time I’m pretty sure it’s Carnival of the Animals, XIII. Le Cygne (the Swan) : Le carnaval des animaux: No. 12, Le cygne (arr. For theremin and piano) by Clara Rockmore.
Fun fact! Clara Rockmore influenced theremin music and the instrument and was a virtuoso of the instrument. Give her a google, it’s worth it. Also look up Leon Theremin, he was (among other things) a Soviet spy. There’s a great Wiki spiral for anyone there.
Mobius was probably being lined up for a high position in the TVA. Damn.
TemPads are personal, or have different levels of clearance.
Mobius didn’t stop interrogating Ravonna throughout that scene. He knew that she wasn’t telling him the whole truth.
Sleight of hand wasn’t shown how Loki and Sylvie do it, they didn’t use misdirection.
Ravonna knows something is up with Mobius. Maybe he hasn’t been around for long if this is his ‘career case’.
The pacing becomes really fast like in the end of episode 2 as conflicts get resolved. Buckle up comrades.
2050 Roxxcart Disaster
I don’t have much to add, it’s a powerful scene.
They use close ups whenever a truth bombshell is dropped.
The music varies considerably between these scenes, each one has a different tone.
“We’re the same.” With what she knows of B-15, Sylvie knew not to be smug when delivering the news about B-15’s life.
B-15 crying in the rain hurts.
“I looked happy.”
TVA archives, Time Cell, Time Theater 25
The floor opposite Mobius is FE3, above it is 3FG.
Oh Mobius.
C-20 deserved better, I'd love to see her later in the series.
The music goes from mournful to harsh and we’re left in silence when it cuts to the Time Cell.
“You told me to shut up.” Loki can be salty sometimes.
“Do you really think you deserve to be alone?” Mobius is rattled, he wants to unsettle Loki.
The music starts to build somewhere between “...your connection... “ and Loki saying “‘WE?’”
The faint tinkling reminds me of the Avatar (blue people) score.
“How about the word of a friend?” This is Loki’s olive branch. When he admits Loki was right, their trust is tentatively reinstated.
The music is finally back to that chaotic theme we know. I think it’s the TVA’s theme.
“You can be whoever, whatever you wanna be, even someone good. I mean just in case anyone ever told you different.” Mobius corrects what he says in the first ep.
They are friends y’all I’m so sad.
Mobius can lie through his teeth like it’s nobody’s business.
Pruning hurts, Mobius’ face is in agony.
Loki’s tears. GIVE THEM ALL JETSKIS.
Ravonna takes a moment to compose herself.
Time Keepers (the final smackdown)
Why are the last 10 minutes always so insane?
Loki’s eyes only show hurt. I’ll leave.
Ravonna’s so sharp, she instantly catches Sylvie’s wet hair.
All of our expectations from the trailers always get yeeted out of a window because the scenes are never really what we think they are. I get that that should be expected but it’s refreshing that the writing is never what we think it is.
Did anyone else notice the egg timer/infinity sign murals on one of the hallways to the left of Sylvie?
Ravonna is so cold (and yet I’d simp for her).
The M.C. Escher staircases I see you set designers/CGI folks.
B-15 just gets knocked out. They better not kill her for no reason or I riot.
I’m pretty sure that Sylvie ripped off one of Ravonna’s TVA badges (or buttons) when she fought her.
Sylvie’s the better fighter, she’s had to use it more often though.
The elevator doors stay open.
It would be so funny if we get an elevator scene where Sylvie is just dragging Ravonna somewhere.
They really led us on with the Time Keepers, particularly the middle one. I was somewhat convinced there’d be something more to it. I’m interested to see where it goes.
Ep 4 review
I really don’t have much to add with these last two episodes. I’ve definitely come to appreciate that no matter whether you liked the writing of the show or not, it’s never what you expect. Is that a good thing? I guess that that remains to be seen. Nonetheless, I appreciate how much effort went into this series. It’s been a fun romp, I’ll be back with my reviews of the final episodes. I’ll also stop posting Loki content to my blog because the Gods know that my followers don’t read this lol.
I’m just going to survive until the season is over and then hopefully keep my sanity together until the next Marvel content or at least Dr. Strange.
Here's the link to my episode 3 review.
Thank you all for being here, you're wonderful my loves.
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I have a list of ~900 albums from 2019 that I still want to eventually listen to / review [IMPOSSIBLE PROJECT ALERT]
For this project (already 125+ releases deep), which is just impossibly daunting and makes me head hurt. IDK how to streamline this process or is any “critic” out there really listening to “all” the good music? It’s impossible I guess... BUT needless to say, these have made this list from an even larger pool of music that I either listened to briefly and immediately dismissed or (gasp!) never even came across my radar (radar = many many music blogs I follow via RSS).
Anyway, because I’ll most likely never get to this (whatever this is, an Xgau parody or something)... Here is the list (please ignore some of my notations/typos):
1 matana roberts, coin coin chapter four
2 jeffrey lewis
3 negativland
4 camedor
5 the darkness
6 jai paul [leak]
7 shikoswe
8 anatolian weapons
9 cakedog, doggystyle
10 carly rae jepsen (LP, plus single w Gryffin)
11 parsnip
12 the comet is coming
13 girl in red
14 ezra furman
15 the kvb
16 freddie gibbs & madlib
17 say sue me (single)
18 denzel curry
19 fatamorgana
20 vivian girls
21 wobbly, monitress
22 helado negro
23 anamanaguchi
24 paul demarinis
25 comet gain
26 personal best
27 king princess, LP? big little lies single
28 marble arch
29 mini dresses
30 matt christensen
31 jade bird
32 black mountain
33 body meat
34 pat, Love Will Find A Way Home
35 acid arab
36 the 83rd
37 common holly
38 wicca phase
39 mark ronson
40 spirit in the room, single
41 rebe, “pienso en ti a todas horas” [just a single?]
42 a giant dog, neon bible cover LP
43 hey collosus
44 moon king (meh/ or *)
45 vanity productions
46 velvet negroni
47 g perico
48 budokan boys
49 skryptor
50 oscar scheller
51 the muffs
52 larry gus
53 these new puritans ***
54 angel olsen
55 bleu nuit
56 meatraffle
57 josephine wiggs
58 jennifer vanilla
59 big|brave
60 rico nasty
61 friendship, dreamin'
62 mike, tears of joy
63 bellrope
64 gbv
65 machìna, archipelago
66 toy, songs of consumption
67 ayankoko
68 the intelligence
69 drahla
70 corridor, junior
71 urochromes
72 david hasselhoff
73 aMAZONDOTCOM
74 kehlani
75 ne-hi EP (final)
76 avey tare
77 bonnie "prince" billy
78 battles
79 snapped ankles
80 mannequin pussy
81 toro y moi, soul trash
82 twen
83 self discovery for social survival comp
84 bad heaven ltd
85 eric frye
86 the mattson 2
87 duncan park
88 pure bathing culture
89 arthur russell, iowa dream
90 wild pink
91 flaming lips
92 pan amsterdam
93 flaural
94 knife wife
95 hannah peel & will burns
96 klein
97 meat puppets
98 tnght
99 james ferraro
100 royal trux / ariel pink
101 new rain duets
102 black marble
103 sui zhen
104 liam the younger
105 the mountain goats, welcome to passaic
106 frank hurricane and hurricanes of love
107 sebadoh
108 xylouris white
109 lindstrøm
110 franck vigroux
111 joyero
112 dorian electra
113 ride
114 crumb, jinx
115 nonconnah
116 cup, spinning creature
117 brutus
118 bjarki
119 khotin
120 alexander tucker
121 gunna
122 operator music band
123 tony molina
124 nanami ozone
125 sad planets
126 bemydelay
127 laurie anderson et al, songs from the bardo
128 teebs
129 deerhunter, timebends
130 tr/st (2 LPs)
131 dolores catherino
132 liturgy
133 floating points
134 sasami, LP + xmas EP
135 trikorder23
136 moor mother
137 have a nice life
138 la dispute
139 lingua ignota
140 lina tullgren
141 earl sweatshirt
142 entrail
143 alexander noice
144 shock narcotic
145 rakta
146 munya
147 el drugstore
148 buck gooter
149 caribou, single - more?
150 rosenau & sanborn
151 kevin abstract
152 pile
153 e for echo
154 animal collective, new psycho actives vol. 2 + live album
155 harlem
156 sudan archives
157 lil peep, posthumous ep
158 young guv, i and ii
159 orville peck
160 75 dollar bill
161 institute
162 tove lo
163 the chocolate watchband
164 foie gras, holy hell
165 french vanilla
166 chuck cleaver
167 kollaps
168 spirits having fun
169 game
170 badgirl$
171 medhane
172 alberich
173 show me the body
174 the night watch, an embarrassment of riches
175 inus, western spaghettification
176 pregoblin, singles?
177 ra ra riot
178 de lorians
179 kool keith
180 kaspia & stride
181 glen hansard
182 dpeee
183 berlin taxi
184 foghorn
185 ionnalee
186 american sharks
187 sitcom, dust single
188 pip blom
189 j balvin & bady
190 fenella
191 tanya tagaq
192 sean o'hagan
193 j robbins
194 peter ivers (comp)
195 neon indian, not sure if single is part of larger proj?
196 triad god
197 yeule
198 roland tings
199 schoolboy q
200 ava luna EP
201 fried eggs
202 drugdealer
203 half japanese
204 todd anderson-kunert
205 emily reo
206 christelle bofale
207 brion starr
208 jan jelinek (reissue)
209 peaer
210 devin townsend
211 vik
212 young m.a
213 default genders
214 night lovell
215 rocketship
216 kim gordon
217 ellen arkbro
218 george clanton and nick hexum [single?]
219 the minus 5
220 penguin cage
221 felicia atkinson
222 take offense
223 moon duo
224 chemical brothers
225 nef the pharaoh
226 daniel norgren
227 unkle
228 pup (?)
229 baroness
230 velvet bethany
231 resavoir
232 gruff rhys
233 lana del ray
234 empath
235 burial and the bug, flame 2
236 russian baths
237 quelle chris
238 corpse flower
239 roy montgomery [reissue]
240 clinic
241 a.g. cook, [single]
242 why?
243 beck
244 francis lung
245 thom yorke
246 warmduscher
247 uv-tv
248 aa bondy
249 max richter, ad astra ost
250 younghusband
251 stereo total
252 julie's haircut
253 aa matheson
254 eartheater
255 kelly moran
256 mana (seven steps behind)
257 c.h.e.w.
258 sarah mary chadwick
259 midsommar ost
260 beabadoobee
261 life, a picture of good health
262 dumb, club nites
263 dame dolla
264 endless boogie
265 burna boy
266 lungbutter
267 wand
268 future punx
269 yves jarvis
270 kim petras [LP, halloween EP]
271 bts world
272 pikelet
273 panda bear, single
274 samiyam
275 red river dialect
276 ryan pollie
277 ryuichi sakamot (reissue)
278 jackie mendoza
279 dark blue
280 jay som
281 stephen mallinder
282 neutrals, kebab disco
283 foodman
284 capitol, dream noise
285 new pornographers
286 mark korven, the lighthouse ost
287 gauche
288 the japanese house
289 cave (re-issue)
290 ybn cordae
291 the vacant lots
292 arwen
293 rhucle
294 lil b, @ least 2 releases?
295 tea service
296 chai
297 black pumas
298 program, show me
299 marika hackman
300 sonny and the sunsets
301 lillie mae
302 mean jeans
303 the stroppies
304 poppies
305 twin shadow
306 vanishing twin ***
307 portrayal of guilt [EP + split single]
308 lucki [2 lps]
309 absolutely free
310 girl band
311 black midi
312 torche
313 perfume (best of)
314 white denim
315 clipping
316 the hu
317 big business
318 metro crowd
319 ex-vöid, 7"
320 broken social scene
321 lil pump
322 uranium club
323 doon kanda
324 hesitation wounds
325 sorry girls
326 bibio
327 red mass
328 the shins, single
329 lil keed
330 yeasayer
331 bts / blackpink KPOP
332 galen tipton, fake meat
333 the world, reddish
334 lanark artefax, ep
335 ladytron
336 g.s., schray
337 just mustard [single, more?]
338 mdou moctar
339 rangers, spirited discussion
340 tyson meade
341 dj nate
342 kelly lee owens
343 bambara
344 kilo kish
345 lusine
346 ralph heidel / homo ludens
347 psychic graveyard
348 homeshake
349 wives, so removed
350 proto idiot
351 let’s eat grandma, ost ep
352 foals
353 caroline shaw & attacca quartet
354 juan waters
355 mount eerie with julie doiron
356 mestozi
357 patio
358 oh baby, the art of sleeping alone
359 earth
360 haybaby
361 anna meredith
362 the caretaker (6)
363 rich brian
364 sunn o))), [two LPs]
365 alessandro cortini
366 ty segall
367 injury reserve
368 elucid
369 budos band
370 tim hecker
371 waqwaq kingdom
372 william doyle ***
373 innercity ensemble
374 filthy friends
375 prurient
376 shlohmo
377 bon iver
378 sean henry
379 yeesh
380 faye webster
381 megan thee stallion
382 squid, town centre
383 simulation (hausau mountain)
384 flying lotus
385 horse jumper of love
386 rap, export
387 lansky jones
388 the gonks
389 cate lebon
390 rome fortune
391 chain cult
392 empty set
393 big thief (2 lp's)
394 laura cannell [and polly wright album ?] or is there just a laura c album too ? }}
395 froth
396 thugwidow
397 organ tapes
398 the new pornographers
399 zonal
400 bbg baby joe
401 whitney
402 guards
403 anemone
404 sheer mag
405 nots
406 fujiya & miyag
407 kool aid, family portrait ep
408 frankie cosmos
409 kaputt
410 quelle chris
411 operators
412 marco benevento
413 elvis depressedly
414 school of language, 45
415 rob burger
416 pozi
417 redd kross
418 randy randall
419 yatta
420 hide, hell is here
421 bobby krlic, midsommar ost
422 planet england
423 kev brown
424 robedoor
425 tropical fuck storm
426 haram, 9/11 ep
427 candy, super-stare single
428 sly and the family drone
429 kevin morby
430 porches, rangerover [single]
431 odae
432 pottery
433 saint pepsi
434 slowthai
435 iggy pop
436 swans
437 iLOVEMAKONNEN
438 mukqs
439 feels
440 luke temple
441 oli xl
442 orphan swords
443 post pink
444 deli girls
445 nilüfer yanya
446 idk, is he real?
447 interpol
448 priests
449 galcher lustwerk
450 smokepurpp, various?
451 kindness
452 ex hex
453 sampa the great
454 methyl ethel
455 ellis, the fuzz ep
456 jeanines s/t
457 water from your eyes
458 twin peaks
459 sam cohen
460 fontaines dc
461 spiral stairs
462 the hecks
463 nicola ratti
464 four tet, various (inc. "wingdings" alter ego side proj)
465 holy ghost
466 half stack
467 cherubs
468 juana molina, forfun EP
469 jpegmafia
470 bedouine
471 fury
472 melvins/flipper
473 the curls
474 izambard
475 heart eyes
476 drinking boys and girls choir
477 big search
478 glenn branca
479 rose elinor dougall
480 bat for lashes
481 young knives, [single, more?
482 hot chip
483 alex lahey
484 hemlock ernst & kenny segal
485 dj seinfeld
486 joni void
487 rema rema
488 spencer tweedy
489 trash kit
490 dry cleaning [2 ep's]
491 mega bog ***
492 saudade
493 monster rally
494 wilco
495 chromatics, LP + EP
496 slayyyter
497 maral
498 blarf
499 pernice brothers
500 la neve
501 marie davidson
502 tredici bacci
503 deathprod
504 lowly
505 russian circles
506 angel witch
507 fires were shot
508 amy o
509 q da fool
510 clams casino
511 automelodi
512 paradox
513 dababy (2)
514 david kilgour
515 missy elliot
516 baby smoove
517 boris
518 thanks for coming
519 yves tumor [single w/]
520 ΜΜΜΔ
521 falcon/falkland
522 noel wells
523 ecstatic vision
524 amyl & the sniffers
525 barrie
526 bianca scout
527 katie dey
528 prince rama
529 control top
530 duster, comp + new LP
531 foxes in fiction
532 slowthai x denzel curry [single]
533 the murlocs
534 plaid
535 ela orleans
536 gobby
537 cfm
538 carla del forna
539 pale spring
540 pixx
541 širom
542 lightning bolt
543 cate lebon & deerhunter
544 channel tres
545 sigrid
546 help, s/t
547 shellac, live
548 crack cloud, pain olympics (ongoing) / s/t (2018)
549 notes underground
550 fat white family ***
551 gloop
552 equiknoxx
553 nakhane
554 czarface meets ghostface
555 the rubinoos
556 shannon lay
557 tim heidecker
558 droneflower
559 john vanderslice
560 your old droog
561 bats, alter nature
562 zvi
563 justus proffit
564 lower dens
565 anna of the north
566 yg
567 holly herndon
568 good fuck
569 clark, single
570 charli xcx
571 the nativist
572 low life
573 jonsi & alex somers
574 kazu
575 günter schickert
576 odonis odonis
577 kelsey lu (+ remix EP)
578 young thug
579 thaiboy digital
580 hatchie
581 hiro kone
582 cocorosie
583 sabiwa
584 oh sees
585 rex orange county
586 311
587 erland cooper
588 jtamul
589 the brilliant tabernacle
590 free love, extreme dance anthems
591 jeff lynne's elo
592 dutch courage
593 booji boys
594 giggs
595 ceschi
596 inter arma
597 psychic sounds ensemble
598 eli kezsler EP
599 thelma
600 haiku salut
601 julia jacklin
602 otoboke beaver
603 colin self
604 mark mulcahy
605 rosalia, single "a pale" more?
606 chris lott
607 royal trux
608 weyes blood
609 mikal cronin
610 hissing tiles
611 grace ives
612 vic bang
613 nick cave
614 sugar world [single]
615 herzog
616 offset
617 mike adams at his honest weight
618 real life buildings
619 aldous harding
620 pye corner audio
621 doja cat
622 bleached
623 book of shame
624 kate davis
625 i was a king
626 pendant, through a coil
627 joseph arthur
628 great grandpa, four of arrows
629 modern nature
630 stef chura
631 spaza, s/t great
632 the alchemist
633 pond
634 aiden baker, etc
635 kirin j. Callinan
636 possible humans
637 greys
638 kizuna ai
639 little simz
640 big bend
641 membranes, what nature gives…
642 young nudy
643 car seat headrest (live)
644 seahawks
645 dumbhop's party
646 julien chang
647 pacific yew
648 pharmakon
649 lomelda
650 versing
651 olden yolk
652 mekons
653 the dream syndicate
654 the gotobeds
655 amy klein
656 bABii
657 bill callahan
658 grlwood
659 van dale
660 ziúr
661 delicate steve
662 debby friday
663 dehd
664 south city hardware
665 kesha
666 (sandy) alex g
667 computer slime
668 fka twigs
669 rob halford, celestial
670 dean hurley
671 school of language
672 nicolas godin
673 blue hawaii
674 leggy
675 ceremony
676 his name is alive
677 third eye blind
678 sadgirl
679 ariana grande
680 skepta
681 dylan moon
682 jay mitta
683 the drums
684 kero kero bonito, ep
685 charly bliss
686 lee renaldo etc
687 rina mushonga
688 ulla straus
689 cherushii & maria minerva
690 slaughter beach, dog
691 maps
692 dj shadow
693 tool LOL
694 diiv
695 pixies
696 cuco
697 black peaches
698 subhumans
699 gurr
700 cashmere cat
701 brockhampton
702 fire-toolz
703 lambchop, LP + EP
704 messthetics
705 neuland
706 westkust
707 haelos
708 sturgill simpson
709 maria usbeck
710 king gizzard (2)
711 earthgang
712 paranoid london
713 fet.nat
714 bethlehem steel
715 neil young with crazy horse
716 tengger
717 guerilla toss
718 spelling
719 lizzo
720 wiki
721 dr00p, mkULTRAHD
722 ghost orchard
723 jane weaver
724 usa/mexico
725 carl stone
726 richard dawson ***
727 rafael toral
728 test dept
729 sacred paws
730 big krit
731 mallrat
732 jenn champion
733 moE/Mette Rasmussen, tolerancia picante
734 facs
735 yung lean, single (blue cup) and ep, more?
736 pissgrave
737 moodyman
738 sing sinck, sing
739 tyler the creator
740 sleater-kinney
741 dean blunt, zushi
742 cursive
743 barker, utlity
744 gemma
745 octavian
746 pronoun
747 girl ray
748 julia shapiro
749 nodding god
750 daniel saylor
751 jakob ogawa
752 richard youngs
753 diät
754 w00dy
755 omar souleyman
756 vōx EP
757 topdown dialectic
758 penelope islea
759 gbv
760 glass beach
761 james hoff, hobo ufo
762 euglossine
763 dream ritual
764 terry allen
765 office culture
766 ghostie, devour
767 beat detectives
768 red channel
769 octo octa
770 julien baker [toyko single]
771 shackleton as "tunes of negation"
772 sons of raphael
773 lena raine
774 fitted, first fits
775 velf
776 cvn
777 black country, new road, [2 singles only?]
778 chief keef
779 andrew bird, LP and EP
780 tamaryn
781 vagabon
782 zelooperz
783 brian jonestown massacre
784 angel dust
785 pere ubu
786 vatican shadow, church...
787 spencer radcliffe
788 mr muthafuckin exquire
789 earth to mickey
790 beak>
791 byron westbrook
792 major murphy
793 nicole yun
794 the divine comedy
795 sote, parallel persiao
796 the radio dept.
797 prince daddy & the hyena
798 mudhoney
799 truth club
800 shura
801 underworld, drift
802 lil texas
803 that dog
804 gary wilson / r. stevie moore
805 divino nino
806 spiral heads
807 claire cronin
808 devendra banhart
809 c.y.m. EP
810 dude york
811 sangri
812 vegyn [2 lp's?]
813 brooke candy
814 caroline polachek
815 hurt valley
816 O.L.I.V.I.A, modo avion
817 ziúr
818 pepper mill rondo, it's christmas time
819 ben vida
820 nick hexum/george clanton
821 meara o'reilly
822 tyler holmes, devil
823 blood incantation
824 guenter schlienz
825 gavilán rayna russom
826 loraine james ***
827 lithics, Wendy Kraemer EP
828 navel, ambient 2, in space
829 the proper ornaments
830 jon hopkins & kelly lee owens, single
831 julianna barwick
832 park hye-jin
833 bea1991
834 men i trust
835 erika de casier
836 ducks unlimited
837 lyzza
838 refused
839 jim o'rourke, to magnetize ...
840 analemma, 2 singles on a comp?
841 zack fox, "the bean kicked in"
842 real life rock n roll band
843 prefab sprout
844 daniel lopatin, uncut gems ost
845 kaytranada
846 the voidz, 2 song single + video?
847 grandaddy, single (add scissors icon)
848 dark thoughts, must be nice
849 loose nukes
850 sam mallet
851 very good, adulthood
852 henge, nothing head
853 kaleidobolt
854 nebula, holy shit
855 terminal cheesecake
856 uzeda
857 wet tuna
858 sean mccann
859 black dresses, love and... (2nd LP)
860 nefew
861 taylor swift ???
862 lala lala, the lamb
863 jenny lewis
864 33EMYBW
865 blood orange, angel's pulse
866 caterina barbieri ***
867 yusu
868 white reaper
869 rozi plain
870 bamboo, daughters of the sky
871 seragina steer
872 clear channel, hot fruit
873 patience, dizzy spells
874 mope grooves, desire
875 current affairs, object & subject
875 comfort, not passing
876 bill orcutt
877 bonnie baxter
878 carl stone
879 thurston moore
880 alameda 5
881 john zorn
882 the membranes, what nature gives...
883 meemo comma
884 ana roxannne
885 whistling arrow, s/t
886 dis fantasy
887 giant swan, s/t
888 buck young, buck ii
889 abdu ali
890 ifriqiyya électrique
891 $hit and $hine, doing drugs, selling drugs
892 ghold
893 theon cross
894 yao bobby & simon grab
895 solange *sure whatever ok
896 the comet is coming
897 the utopia strong, s/t
898 karenn, grapefruit regret
899 brìghde chaimbeul
900 nav, bad habits
901 chance, big day
902 nostalgia critic's the wall
903 uboa, the origin of my depression
904 hobo johnson
905 ana frango elétrico
906 dorian electra
2 notes
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SnK S3E1 Poll Results
The poll closed with 1,336 responses. Thank you to everyone who participated!
This is just a general warning for potential manga related spoilers in the comments! Tread carefully!
Rate the Episode
Overall, viewers were excited about the new episode and ranked it well. It seems everyone is fired up and ready for the anime to pick up where it left off. Bonus points for a short one year hiatus this time!
I'm really excited to see this new version of the Uprising arc unfold. This episode did a great job at highlighting the paranoia and "on the run" aspect better than the manga counterpart, with the safety net feeling well and truly gone. The tagline for volume 13 was "No Safe Place Left", but it's the anime that really made me feel that was the case.
Trust WIT studio to surprise even the manga readers with their content. Everything from the OP to the pacing was completely unexpected, but I love it!
GREAT start, a good way to hype both Manga readers and anime only fans into the start of the new season ! (putting it in the ‘was this a good start’ question)
Is it 7/29 yet?
Rate the OP
There have definitely been mixed reviews on the new opening. The majority of voters were happy or content with it, while about 22% of respondents could have thought better on it. Maybe it will grow on people as the anime continues!
For me the opening was a masterpiece. The melancholy and the foreshadowing for those who don’t read the manga is fantastic. As I am current with the manga it made me sad for the kids because I know how things are now and I was also excited to see them again in animated form.
I must admit, on my first listen, I was thoroughly disappointed by red swan and thus hated it with passion. But shockingly I LOVED it just on my very second listen (which was when I actually watched the episode)! I then understood that there was nothing wrong with that beautiful song nor the opening itself. It was all my personal expectations, biases and unwillingness to accept something new.
Something about the animation in the OP was weird and the still shots they included looked like someone else's fanart.
I'm disappointed with the opening. I just feel like it's not on bar with the previous ones. But I guess people are right about it being more suitable for an arc that's focused on character development, so I don't hate it as much now. I just hope that we get a second opening when the action kicks in (since they're covering up to the ocean) that makes the viewers more hyped. My problem with the current opening is that it doesn't feel like Attack on Titan anymore. I'm also not super happy with the drawings in general.
The opening really fits this part of the story because this is the part when shit gets real.
This OP is very different from the previous three. What is your favorite opening so far?
Shinzuo wo Sasageyo took the lead by a huge margin (including votes for our lovely typo version, “Shinzuo no Sasageyo”), managing to outdo the iconic first opening, Guren no Yumiya!
Bring Linked Horizon back.
Regarding Red Swan: While it is a departure from the bombastic hype we've had before, this is such a good OP for this arc. It takes the OP in the complete opposite tone, which is exactly what this arc does with the rest of the series. The visuals are stunning, and the song itself is an absolute tune. #RedSwanDefenceSquad
Also, regarding the OP, the song isn't bad, but it doesn't really fit the AOT style of epic openings. To me, it feels more like an ED, which have always been softer. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a more epic second OP as we move into the RTS arc.
There was no ending theme this time. Will this become a consistent thing?
Respondents were confident that we’ll be getting an OP. Of course, as we’ve learned over the week, this is true! And surprise! It will be Linked Horizon!
Which of the below were your favorite moments?
It was close to a tie between “Kenny’s explosive entrance” and Levi’s “KENNYYYAHHH!” with the former barely taking the lead. Safe to say, the cliffhanger in this episode left us all impatiently awaiting episode 39! Other notable favorite moments were “Moblit ready to throwdown for Hange,” “Hange promising to torture Sannes,” and seeing Eren at the ocean.
Still salty about not seeing Eren build a house in his Titan form
I really enjoyed that they moved certain conversations like Eren and Historia to that particular part of the episode. It just fit so well! My kids. :')
Where is my jeankasa moments???
KEEENNNNYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!1!!11
I am just glad to get to watch SnK again.
hanji hot
I liked the moments between Levi and Mikasa - she asked him about his wounded leg and she was really worrying about him. I'm glad that she shows some interest in other people (not just Eren and Armin).
What do you think of the new episode’s pacing?
The largest denominator are waiting to see how more of the season plays out before making a final judgement call, and many are confident that everything will be okay. Still, there is a small percentage who are concerned that they won’t get to see everything they hoped for.
Uprising is my least favourite arc, mainly due to the pacing issues. So I am very excited that they will be tackling those. I'm going to need a few more eps to correctly judge things, but I am hopeful.
I was kind of disappointed. I know they want to change the pacing and all, but I don't accept them sacrificing some important and necessary scenes for character development. I've yet to see how the rest of the season will unfold before judging it, but yeah, I really hope they won't rush things again, especially when it's my favorite arc!
I watched with an anime only and he was confused by the pacing, and how we got to the cabin from seeing the beast titan at the end of the last season. I hope they don't keep rushing through the manga chapters. I was not enthusiastic about the episode.
The pacing was really fast, but that's the price of having to condense such a complex manga into an anime, that probably had limited time/budget, as they all do. So I am happy to get what I can, and enjoy the hella beautiful animation, instead of complaining about all the scenes they cut out…
A lot of stuff really quickly, but it's understandable. This is my favorite arc and I love political intrigue, so I'm hoping we start to fill in some of the scenes we've already skipped past as we go along and the Anime-onlies are already hooked. I *really* hope we get to see the badass competence of our Vets - they deserve it!
Which main character got the best S3 glow up so far?
Levi is (unsurprisingly) the clear winner in this competition. We think his new bedhead hair is charming, too! In second place came Eren, followed by Mikasa and Historia.
i don't think there was any glow up this season. kenny's great tho, 10/10 would stan
The girls aren’t animated with lipstick anymore. Yay or nay?
The vast majority are either unphased or delighted by WIT moving away from the colored glossy lips of the girls. A small percentage of respondents are going to miss the look.
Don't actually care about the lipstick, it just makes sense that they won't put it during the whole action.
The characters are finally starting to look truer to their manga counterparts this season! How do you feel about it?
76% of respondents are thrilled about the anime starting to match the appearance of the characters’ manga counterparts.
The changes to animation and character styles were kind of weird but I got used to it eventually
How do you feel about Mikasa taking down Reeves and his cronies by herself?
46% are happy with the development and seeing Mikasa get a chance to shine on her own. Meanwhile, 18% are disappointed that Levi didn’t tackle Reeve’s cronies with her, while 14% are simply upset they didn’t get to see Levi do his iconic chokeslam at all. Let’s be hopeful WIT will make up for that in the future!
i proper wanted to see the Ackerman duo but watching Mikasa chokeslam some bitches made me pop a boner and i don’t even have a dick
I would have LOVED the duo action, but I anticipate to see that in the following episodes (or else Wit and I are gonna have some words). At least it's nice that Levi trusted Mikasa to handle this mission without his supervision!
Mikasa was great! A little sad they cut Jean being protective over her safety after Sasha shoots the arrow though.
It was alright but developing her personality and relationship with the other characters is more important than constantly just giving her ~badass~ scenes.
Considering that Levi had to be somewhere else, I'm fine with it since it's such a small scene. But I still want some Levi/Mikasa duo action
i liked it, but it was mikasa AND sasha
too OP
Manga readers, what best describes how you felt about seeing Eren at the ocean?
Nearly half of voters were surprised to see this animated so early, followed by 28% who were moved by the scene. A small percentage weren’t happy that WIT implied about the ocean so early.
I NEED MORE EREN WITH LONG HAIR!!!!!!!!!
It was a great decision to show it in the beginning. It sets the tone for the following episodes.
I'm already finding delight in the sense of dread anime-only watchers will have when things start going off the rails and they have Eren alone in this scene in the back of their minds.
It was the most beautiful "eye close-up" this anime could have ever done! Amazing scene - wonderfully colored, animated, and sad and touching. 10/10
Interesting choice, nice way to bring it all back at the end though
As a TV producer it's understandable. They would want to hook people early on, esp for anime only viewers
stop lowkey spoiling ffs
I watched the season premiere at the movie theatre and when that scene came up I could hear a discrete general gasp coming from the audience. I liked how everyone was shocked but still tried to contain their excitement for anime watchers.
Felt like they’re trying to make it seem like a dream sequence rather than a reality.
I felt it gave more mystery to how the plot will develop for anime-onlies. It was a great decision to show it at the beginning, especially Eren alone.
Anime only fans, what best describes how you felt about seeing Eren at the ocean?
An uncertain number of voters are most definitely certain they read the manga! Meanwhile. 37% of anime only viewers were really pumped by the implication of getting to see the ocean. A smaller percentage are confused but still here for the ride, while 18% don’t really feel anything about it either way.
My sister is anime only, and she said a mix of options - confused and shocked and excited - looking forward for the rest!
Anime Only, don't know how I feel. It was played out well so looking forward to it.
I was shocked yet I was amazed on that scene
shocked and excited - looking forward for the rest!
Your reaction to Kenny?
The overwhelming majority are #readyforkenny and excited to see him! We suspect that the 7.6% of voters who don’t know who he is are anime only viewers. We’re excited to see how you guys think of him in a few weeks!
I'm not sure how I feel about Kenny. I imagined him a bit differently. While reading a manga I saw him as harsh, cold, mysterious man with deep voice and scary looks. In the anime however he looks too young and his face is different.
Looks like WIT was really anxious to introduce Kenny. I didn't mind it overall, but I hope their shuffling scenes around doesn't become overwhelming.
Kenny: Omae wa mou shindeiru Nifa: Nani? *bangbang*
Rate Eren’s abs on a scale of 1-5
The majority of respondents are thirsty for Eren’s animated abs! 105 of voters will take a hard pass, however.
I was so scared they were gonna draw Eren with the body of a 12-year-old like so much of the official art back in the day did. Thank you WiT for keeping him manga-accurately ripped
Do you feel this episode was a strong start to the season?
While a fair number of voters are tentatively waiting for more of the season to make their judgement, the majority of respondents agree that the season started off with a bang and are looking forward to more.
GREAT start, a good way to hype both Manga readers and anime only fans into the start of the new season !
Which group are your favorite characters?
All of the characters are winners in this poll!
Do you read the manga or do you only watch the anime?
The majority of respondents are loyal manga readers. We had 162 anime only respondents this week!
Where do you primarily discuss the series?
Reddit takes the lead!
Additional thoughts on the chapter?
I miss Levi’s speech about how he’s ‘just being an asshole’ when eren can’t harden his titan 😰 it was cute
It really was just an extended trailer, everything included in the trailer was in the episode, it was very good and I enjoyed it nonetheless!
I'm so glad to be seeing my loves in animated action once again
I’m excited for the rest of the season!
The episode was definitely awesome for a first episode. I’m kinda disappointed that they skipped Historia’s explanation about her past, but I hope they will show it in a future episode. Also, the opening was stunning. Seeing my favorite characters as kids made me smile so much. Overall, this episode got me excited for the next episodes.
Amazing! Glad that it was not Eren centric and We'll be seeing Levi alot. I hope they show more of Mikasa and Levi moments. It was awesome. I first watched the episode at the cinema so I couldn't watch it with the opening. But I loved it!
Small Levi in the opening is so beautiful I want to cry !!
Where is abswin?! I have priorities, WIT, where are yours??
This is so good! I was at first worried that they will shove Levi down our throats (as much as I love him), but now I'm surprisingly confident in this new season! I trust Wit to make great changes in the pacing, because the anime version definitely need some improvement. The animation is stunning and Mikasa and Levi were amazing, they can slay me when they want.
Trust WIT studio to surprise even the manga readers with their content.
MANGA SPOILERS: I'm most curious to see how different the plot will be now that they seem to have skipped the whole SC/Reeves company collaboration. The OP was honestly a shock at first watch but now I can't stop listening to it. I think it's perfect, especially for us manga readers, because it really tugs at your heartstrings when you think of what's currently happening in the manga. Especially that scene with kid!Eren bumping into soldier Eren. I'm still crying. :( All in all, brilliant episode, can't wait for next week!
RIP to my bae Nifa
They cut out a shitload of little dialogue that isn't important to the plot between the characters I was hoping to see animated so that was pretty disappointing. I'm expecting that trend to continue. On the opening, I'm a manga reader, I get what they were going for and all the undertones and such but I still didn't like it much. I don't like how some of the characters got the shaft completely and how characters important to this season like Erwin, Levi and Historia and characters related to them barely got any parts in the opening.
Baby Erwin!!!
I can really now feel the connection of the anime and manga! Can't wait for the other episodes, it was spoiling some parts (if you read the manga) but either way if you watched or read or both Attack On Titan you'll still love and appreciate it
Thank you everyone who voted! We’ll see you back with episode 39!
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My Top 10 Albums of 2018
If you know me well, you know I do this every year. It’s not in the hope that people will read it; more a sort of time capsule that I can look back on in the future and fondly remember the music that soundtracked my year. Some years, there’s a clear and obvious number one (Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly in 2015, for example). Others – such as this one – are more of a close-run thing, with the top spots changing sometimes as late as the writing process.
Before I get to my top ten, I would be remiss not to mention a few albums that missed out but have nonetheless been regulars in my rotation this year. Firstly, I should tip my cap to the experimentation shown by Beach House, Ben Howard, and Low, all of whom showed a refreshing intent to break from their norm and make some greatly interesting music. I’m also acutely aware of the lack of representation for R&B and hip-hop in my top ten – I didn’t ignore these genres, it just so happened that they weren’t among my ten favourites. Kids See Ghosts and Earl Sweatshirt in particular came close, and Janelle Monáe was another that I enjoyed greatly. Here’s my honourable mentions list in full:
Beach House – 7; Ben Howard – Noonday Dream; Low – Double Negative; Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer; Brockhampton – Iridescence; Anderson .Paak – Oxnard; Villagers – The Art of Pretending to Swim; Jeff Tweedy – WARM; Matt Maltese – Bad Contestant; Kids See Ghosts – Kids See Ghosts; Pusha T – Daytona; Earl Sweatshirt – Some Rap Songs; Parquet Courts – Wide Awake; Kurt Vile – Bottle It In; The Beths – Future Me Hates Me; Jungle – For Ever; Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel; Mitski – Be The Cowboy; Hop Along – Bark Your Head Off Dog; Lucy Dacus – Historian.
Also, here’s a Spotify playlist of all my favourite tracks from the year.
Now on to the top ten…
10. Blood Orange – Negro Swan
I’ve got a soft spot for a true album – one that’s greater than the sum of its parts, and should be listened to as a whole. There are actually very few tracks on Negro Swan that hit home outside the context of the album. But there’s so much to like here: the way tracks flow into each other, punctuated by regular snippets of dialogue from the likes of transgender activist Janet Mock. The word that defines this album is ‘introspection’ – there are regular references to the desire to be loved and the fear of allowing oneself to be loved completely. At times the tracks feel frustratingly unfinished, and that’s all that keeps this at the back end of my top ten.
Highlights: ‘Saint’, ‘Charcoal Baby’, ‘Nappy Wonder’
9. Snail Mail – Lush
It’s been a hell of a year for young, female indie rockers (more on that later…), and Lindsey Jordan (A.K.A. Snail Mail) is perhaps the most prodigious of them all. The teenager’s debut, Lush, is a highly impressive record that showcases her signature sound: subtle, twinkly guitar melodies and foot-tapping drum beats. It tails off a little towards the back end of the album, as the novelty of her style begins to wear off. You wonder if this was a record she rushed into making, to capitalise on the considerable hype around her. If that’s the case, it’s a shame as a few more songs to the standard of ‘Pristine’ and ‘Heat Wave’ may have pushed this album up into my top five.
Highlights: ‘Pristine’, ‘Heat Wave’, ‘Stick’
8. The 1975 – A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships
This album is getting a lot of love, and I’ll admit that on first listen I didn’t get the hype. The 1975 are a somewhat controversial band – they face lavish praise and upturned noses in seemingly equal measure. There were moments of their absurdly-titled previous record that I liked, but their overly synthetic sound and Matty Healy’s unique vocal style are occasionally grating. ABIIOR has its flaws, but there’s also much to admire. They’ve incorporated a variety of styles, from stripped-back acoustic to arena pop and even jazz. The obvious themes of life and love in a digital age are well-explored and the production is, at times, gorgeous. Stick with it – it might just grow on you.
Highlights: ‘Love It If We Made It’, ‘Inside Your Mind’, ‘I Always Wanna Die (Sometimes)’
7. U.S. Girls – In A Poem Unlimited
In many ways, this record is a better executed version of the 1975’s. Meg Remy looks at similar themes of our problematic modern world, though in her case she explores them through a lens of feminine anger. Songs like ‘Rage of Plastics’ and ‘M.A.H.’ are direct, furious tirades towards American politics in the Obama era. The instrumentation and production is staggeringly brilliant throughout, with each track demonstrating a different string from Remy’s bow. On ‘Rosebud’, she channels her inner Madonna to produce one of the finest, most listenable indie pop tunes of the year.
Highlights: ‘M.A.H.’, ‘Rosebud’, ‘L-Over’
6. Maribou State – Kingdoms In Colour
My favourite electronic album of the year, Kingdoms In Colour improves on Maribou State’s encouraging debut, 2015’s Portraits. The improvements lie in their balance between the dance-pop hits, where they utilise long-time collaborator Holly Walker on vocals, and the more experimental, sample-based pieces that make up the rest of the album. It’s the latter that leave the most lasting impression, no better than on ‘Vale’, with the sample of Melanie de Baliso’s ‘I Feel You’ dovetailing beautifully with the group’s accompanying melody. If you’re looking for an album to put on as a backing track at your next party, look no further.
Highlights: ‘Beginner’s Luck’, ‘Nervous Tics’, ‘Vale’
5. Big Red Machine – Big Red Machine
A collaboration between Bon Iver and the National was never going to be bad, was it? Big Red Machine doesn’t quite hit the heights you might expect from such a high-profile meeting of minds, but there are enough moments of genius here to make it an album worth revisiting repeatedly. For the most part, Justin Vernon leaves his trademark complex song structures at the door in favour of simpler, more lineal compositions. This leads to some tracks feeling repetitive at times, although even these feature a central hook strong enough to keep you interested. And on 'Lyla', with its polyrhythms and meandering structure, there are hints of the exciting fruits this partnership could eventually produce.
Highlights: ‘Lyla’, ‘Hymnostic’, ‘I Won’t Run From It’
4. Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
Perhaps Arctic Monkeys’ most divisive album since Humbug, TBHAC is also their bravest and most ambitious. It’s essentially a concept album – tales of a futuristic hotel on the moon brought to life by Alex Turner’s controversial switch from guitar to piano. It’s no surprise that the album has alienated some of the band’s more fundamentalist fans, as there’s a blatant lack of Turner’s usual indie dancefloor hits as well as a side-lining of outstanding drummer Matt Helders. Instead, we’re treated to songs without clear structures and, aside from ‘Four Out Of Five’, catchy choruses. Turner occasionally strays too far towards self-indulgence (‘Batphone’ is a difficult listen), but he’s still a remarkable lyricist and he’s produced an album that cements their status as the band of their era.
Highlights: ‘Star Treatment’, ‘American Sports’, ‘Four Out Of Five’
3. boygenius – boygenius EP
I may be cheating a tad here by including an EP, but given that there’s as much to enjoy here as on many fine albums released this year, you’ll excuse me. boygenius are a supergroup of sorts, featuring female up-and-comers Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus. Individually, all three are well worth a listen. But their collaborative EP propels them to new heights. Each has their own songwriting moments (two each from the six-track EP), and these intertwine through stunning vocal harmonies to form a completely cohesive collection of songs. The finest moments are Bridgers’, with her soft vocal timbre particularly captivating on ‘Me And My Dog’. We can only hope the success of this experiment results in a full-length album in 2019.
Highlights: ‘Me And My Dog’, ‘Souvenir’, ‘Ketchum, ID’
2. Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour
No album surprised me more in 2018 than this one. After a slew of out-of-this-world reviews, I decided I had to give Golden Hour at least one listen – if only to be able to confirm it as what almost all country pop albums are: ‘not for me’. The thing is, this record transcends genre, and even those who like neither country nor pop will appreciate its beauty and the quality of its songs. Everything on Golden Hour is well-executed: Musgraves sings beautifully; the instrumentation feels minimal yet rounded; the production is absolutely on-point; and the melodies are to die for. There are even psychedelic elements throughout – nods to Musgraves’ use of acid during the album’s production. Give this album a chance, leave your prejudices at the door, and you’ll be treated to a simply perfect collection of pop songs.
Highlights: ‘Slow Burn’, ‘Wonder Woman’, ‘High Horse’
1. Soccer Mommy – Clean
As I mentioned, this wasn’t a runaway number one. But the more I re-listened to my shortlist, the more it became clear that Clean was the strongest candidate for top spot. Snail Mail and boygenius have already taken spots in my top ten, demonstrating what a strong year it has been for female indie vocalists. But Soccer Mommy’s (Sophie Allison’s) album just feels like the finished product that both Snail Mail and boygenius are aiming to eventually produce.
Clean doesn’t just contain great songs with deliciously spiky lyrics (the opening line of ‘Your Dog’ is a belter), it also feels so well balanced. Laid-back, melancholy tunes like ‘Still Clean’ and ‘Blossom’ are countered by catchy indie numbers like ‘Cool’ and ‘Skin’. Allison’s voice seems refined too – perfectly able to handle those two ends of the spectrum. Considering the album centres on a feeling of teenage angst, the sound feels remarkably mature. It’s a worthy album of the year.
Highlights: ‘Cool’, ‘Skin’, ‘Blossom (Wasting All My Time)’
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Monthly Listening: February 2018
2018 in album listening officially kicked off this month with already a list of titles to get through. The goal this year is trying to balance the amount of new with the non-2018 stuff, and it’s going OK so far. The best find all around is Windy & Carl’s Depth -- maybe my favorite listen overall so far from the year. I just feel a lot from the distortion, like an ambient version of Loveless by My Bloody Valentine.
I started reviewing albums this month for Spectrum Culture. Here’s me on ABBA’s ABBA: The Album and Johanna Warren’s Gemini II. I also did some Listening columns. Here are words on my listens from the first half of the month and my overall favorite K-pop stuff.
Here’s a Spotify playlist of this month’s favorites. And below are the rest of my album listens of February.
2018 albums
2 Chainz -- The Play Don’t Care Who Makes It EP
Against All Logic -- 2012-2017
Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto -- Glass
Anna McClellan -- Yes and No
Answer Code Request -- Gens
Ashtar Lavanda -- Unsolved Mysteries
Bat Fangs -- Bat Fangs
BoA -- One Shot, Two Shot
BoA -- Watashi Konomamade Iinokana
Burna Boy -- Outside
Caroline Rose -- Loser
CLC -- Black Dress
CocoSori -- Mi Amor
CY8ER -- Hello New Generation
Gugudan -- Act 04: Cait Sith
Hash Swan -- Alexandrite
Jeong Sewoon -- Part 2: After
Johanna Warren -- Gemini II
Johnny Jewel -- Digital Rain
Kassy -- I Want Love
Lena Raine -- Celeste Original Soundtrack
Ling Tosite Sigure -- #5
Martyn Bootyspoon -- Silk Eternity EP
Megumi Nakajima -- Curiosity
Mija -- How to Measure the Distance Between Lovers EP
Morning Musume -- Hatachi no Morning Musume
Nadine -- Oh My
Nicole Moudaber -- In the Mood 194
Nils Frahm -- All Melody
OMB Peezy & Sherwood Marty -- Young & Reckless
Predia -- Fabulous
Rae Morris -- Someone Out There
Ravyn Lenae -- Crush EP
RIRI -- RIRI
Road Hog -- Spares
Scandal -- Honey
Screaming Females -- All at Once
SF9 -- Mamma Mia
Silvia Kastel -- Air Lows
SOB x RBE -- Gangin’
The Soft Moon -- Criminal
Superchunk -- What a Time to Be Alive
Tale of Us -- Fabric 97
U.S. Girls -- In a Poem Unlimited
Weki Meki -- Lucky
WJSN -- Dream Your Dream
Yabai T-Shirts Yasan -- Galaxy of the Tank Top
Yasutaka Nakata -- Digital Native
Young Dolph -- Niggas Get Shot Everyday EP
Yuuka Aisaka -- Okujo no Mannakade Kimino Kokorowa Aoku Kaorumama
Non-2018 albums
Aceyalone -- A Book of Human Language
Alice Coltrane -- Journey in Satchidananda
Brent Faiyaz -- Sonder Son
Chaka Khan -- Chaka Khan
Culture Club -- Colour by Numbers
Dempagumi.Inc -- World Wide Dempa
Especia -- GUSTO
Fingers, Inc. -- Another Side
Inner City -- Fire
Isaac Hayes -- Hot Buttered Soul
K. Michelle -- KIMBERLY: The People Who I Used to Know
Kerri Chandler -- DJ-Kicks
Lil Peep -- Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 1
Mystikal -- Ghetto Fabulous
NHK yx Koyxen -- Exit Entrance
Norm Talley -- Norm-A-Lize
OnePixcel -- Monochrome
Oval -- Systemisch
PARTYNEXTDOOR -- PARTYNEXTDOOR 3
Philosophy no Dance -- The Founder
The Seatbelts -- Cowboy Bebop
Second Storey -- Lucid Locations
Sevdaliza -- ISON
Shawty Lo -- Units in the City
SHINee -- Sherlock
Silkk the Shocker -- Charge It 2 Da Game
Throwing Muses -- Red Heaven
Vivid Undress -- Endless
Windy & Carl -- Depths
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