FKA twigs

[Real Deal 42]

Hours produced by Emile Haynie, Dev Hynes, Clams Casino and Arca

 

Jesus         

[Inuborg 66]

My LP1 Review

 

 

 

Preface
 - Nice way to start the album off
 - Great juxtaposition of the hard hitting beat and twigs' vocal
 - The C&S male vocal sample makes the song
 - Towards the end, the vocal and the instrumental seems to desync 
8/10
 
Lights On
 - I like the icy vocal the song seems to have
 - The instrumental is addicting, from the guitar(?) to the spastic bits before the chorus and after the bridge 
 - I could listen to the flute solo in the bridge for hours 
 - The chorus, is a bit repetitive, but I like how it gets really intense at the end
9/10
 
Two Weeks
 - I LOVE THIS SONG
 - The main synth barely changes but still manages to be enrapturing 
 - Great use of forward and background vocals
 - The whistle/bell sound in the second chorus 
 - The bridge is heaven  "Feel your body closing, I can rip it open"
10/10
 
Hours
 - First song on the album to not blow me away
 - The first minute or so kinda drags on
 - But when it gets to the "rap" verse, it gets better
7.5/10
 
Pendulum
- Best song on the album
- It has twigs' best writing:
     "I've got time but you're tired of waiting, you only want me in open spaces/ Come fill your gaps   with people, I know no one/ So lonely trying to be yours, when you're looking for so much more."
- It has has the best production, the most effective use of pauses, use of processing on her vocals and use of twig's signature "clack-a-lack" percussion. 
- The last minute of this song  "How does it feel to have me thinking about you" 
10/10
 
Video Girl
- What kinda of flawless tempo shift for the chorus (sorry West Coast)
- I got used to the post chorus cooing, but the sound would be better without it still. 
- This song has the best use of a pre-chorus, its my second favorite part of the song with the first being:
- The bridge, (she seems to really shine with bridges) is just amazing. The bridge also has that signature percussion, and I notice it more in the last chorus too.
9/10
 
Numbers
- This song seems more like a interlude than anything else
- But twigs is SERVING with the vocals
- I could picture her having a looped video to this song, like Breathe, the repetition in the instrumental alludes to that. 
8.5/10
 
Closer
- Don't care for this one too much, doesn't really stack up to the other AMAZING tracks.
- It sounds like a church hymn, but not in a good way. 
- I think I need more time actually get into the lyrics
7/10
 
Give Up
- Not the good sis twigs serving a BOP (I hate that word but) although it's still kinda a slow jam, I can't help to dance to it.  
- The chorus....  yaaaas twigs dont let me give up 
- That bass line, those trap high hats 
- The early live version does not do this song justice.
- The bridge!! I live. The note she hits at the end
- Slayed 
10/10
 
Kicks
- The verses kinda drag, but:
- The chorus ab-sol-ute-ly SLAYS, that icy synth is just everything
8/10
 
Total Score: 87/100 
(But honestly, this album is perfect)

[Hundred Dollar Bill 21,809]

Ooh, let me jump in and review it myself since I have nothing better to do.

 

 

PREFACE 10/10

 

This has got to be the best opening track of any album I've ever heard. The layered vocals kill me, the bass is heaven, this song is ethereal trip-hop and I live for it. "I love another, and thus I hate myself" is a line from a poem by Sir Thomas Wyatt. I think it's really cool that she took a line from his poem that actually fits very nicely in the context of her album. The repetition of "I hate myself" at the end of the song is chill-inducing, and how couldn't it be? It's the opening of an eerie, sensual, beautiful album from the woman that brought us Water Me, which was quite possibly the best song of 2013.

 

LIGHTS ON 9/10

 

Ooh, that opening bassline or whatever it's called is just great. The first verse is like a seductive lullaby. She certainly delivers vocally here, and the lyrics are magnificent. "You'll be the first one to find the shadows that make the girl you undo." I love the atmosphere the chorus creates sonically, and I think the repetition lyrically in the chorus works really well. That.. cackle? at 2:39 in the right speaker is great. I do think that the bassline-thing which opened the song isn't really necessary to lead into the choruses, but whatever. Overall, it's amazing, but is definitely outshined by some other songs on the album.

 

TWO WEEKS 7/10

 

As the lead single and attention-grabber to lure new fans in, this is the perfect song. Compared to the rest of the songs on this album though, it comes up short for me. I think it kind of plays off all the perfect and over-calculated elements that make it "the" FKA twigs song that has and will continue to grab all those bandwagon fans. (Note: I'm not upset about this, she deserves the recognition for making such amazing music.) The general verse/chorus/verse formula with a chord progression that just sounds kind of common to me, the overuse of "motherfucker" to seem edgy, the lyrics that really don't stand out when compared to the lyrical content of the rest of the album. I don't hate or even dislike the song by any means, it's just.. the worst of the bunch to me. That bridge is amazing though, and I gotta give her props for that voice. It's never dull, even if the music surrounding it is. Moving on!... 

 

HOURS 9/10

 

A sexy & brooding departure from Two Weeks, I'm happy to not be disappointed by two songs in a row. This one brings the album back to form. It makes me think of a grandfather clock falling from a mountain in slow motion.. hmm. The hook is great; it stays in my head for hours after I've listened to the song. ( ) The bridge to this song is one of my favorites, the way the music drops and it's just her talk/singing really does it for me. Then the chorus afterwards intensifying until the end, with the hook distorted..

 

PENDULUM 10/10

 

An album highlight. The lyrics are beautiful and upsetting and the way she conveys them is even better. "How does it feel to have me thinking about you?" Followed by her desperately repeating "I" over and over make this bridge the best of the album, probably even the best moment on the album, period. Though I haven't decided between it and the outtro to Closer.. Anyway. I'd say this is like, the quintessential twigs song. It's got the click clacking she's made her own, the staggered production riffs, sad lyrics (a la Water Me, the other quintessential twigs song [if there can be two?]) and the distorted vocals. I don't know what else to say about this song, it's just amazing. 

 

VIDEO GIRL 10/10 

 

Video Girl is like the mainstream / radio-friendly version of Water Me, and I don't mind that at all. It does fall into formula like Two Weeks, but in my opinion, it does so infinitely better. The lyrics feel kind of personal, like she's reflecting on her own fame or something. I'm not entirely sure because I haven't figured out all of the lyrics yet ( ) BUT that's what I think. I love the instruments here, all of the sounds flow really well together and it kind of embodies her musical quirks in a bop-ish way, which I like. It's good single material IMO. The pre-chorus is grand, especially the second one. 

 

NUMBERS 8/10

 

Like Inuborg said, this one feels more like an interlude, but I don't mind that. Her vocals slay and I like how she made the song revolve around the question "was I just a number to you?" What it lacks in lyrics and form it makes up for in vocal delivery and an interesting backing track. 

 

CLOSER 10/10

 

One word: Wow. Why is everyone sleeping on this song? It's clearly one of the best on the album. It's like Enya on acid. Alien Enya. Or something like that. Those choral & ethereal verses and that eager and genuine chorus just melt me. The vocal distortion works so beautifully here and adds to the emotion, I think. Her voice is just heaven. Some of my favorite lyrics in the album. "Lead me to a place I'm free for all the wrongs I do." That outtro, too. Wow. It's one of my favorite album moments. "All those years in isolation isolation isolation."  I guess in an album of sensual & sad songs, this is the sonically uplifting one that pulls at my heartstrings and jus t asljhfjkl

 

GIVE UP 8/10

 

I don't know why, but this song just doesn't do much for me? It comes off a little basic, even though the transition from verse to chorus is transcendant. I really don't have much else to say about it honestly.. I mean it's great but.. yeah.   I like it more than Two Weeks, anyway. 

 

KICKS 10/10

 

OK another masterpiece that's being slept on. I can't deal with how deaf some of y'all are. This song has THE best chorus of the album and absolutely some of the best lyrics as well. I think this is the lowest she sings on the album as well and it just sounds so sensual and amazing. It reminds me of Burning Desire at points. The songs aren't really alike, but you get what I mean. "So I tell myself it's cool for me to wait for you. Just for you."  Like, how can that do nothing for you guys? "Tell me, what do I do when you're not here?"  I'm really more at a loss for words when it comes to this song because it's just so good. The chord progression I love, too. The cute high pitched voice distortions.. idk I'm getting lazy I've been typing this all up for at least 90 minutes.

 

Total 91/100

 

 

 

 

[Sitar 22,218]

GIVE UP 8/10

 

I don't know why, but this song just doesn't do much for me? It comes off a little basic, even though the transition from verse to chorus is transcendant. I really don't have much else to say about it honestly.. I mean it's great but.. yeah.   I like it more than Two Weeks, anyway.

 

The overrating

[Hundred Dollar Bill 21,809]

The overrating

 

Uh but it's 6th on your list? And you went on to praise Hours with @@National Anthem which was below Give Up on your list so

[Sitar 22,218]

Uh but it's 6th on your list? And you went on to praise Hours with @@National Anthem which was below Give Up on your list so

 

But I didn't say "Uh it's really not that good and kinda zzzzzzz but 8/10!"

 

And take down the altar you've built to my exact order obviously things change.

[comeintomybedroom 8,662]

I like Give Up a lot so you both can eat a pussy.

[Sitar 22,218]

 

PENDULUM 10/10

 

An album highlight. The lyrics are beautiful and upsetting and the way she conveys them is even better. "How does it feel to have me thinking about you?" Followed by her desperately repeating "I" over and over make this bridge the best of the album, probably even the best moment on the album, period. Though I haven't decided between it and the outtro to Closer.. Anyway. I'd say this is like, the quintessential twigs song. It's got the click clacking she's made her own, the staggered production riffs, sad lyrics (a la Water Me, the other quintessential twigs song [if there can be two?]) and the distorted vocals. I don't know what else to say about this song, it's just amazing. 

 

KICKS 10/10

 

OK another masterpiece that's being slept on. I can't deal with how deaf some of y'all are. This song has THE best chorus of the album and absolutely some of the best lyrics as well. I think this is the lowest she sings on the album as well and it just sounds so sensual and amazing. It reminds me of Burning Desire at points. The songs aren't really alike, but you get what I mean. "So I tell myself it's cool for me to wait for you. Just for you."  Like, how can that do nothing for you guys? "Tell me, what do I do when you're not here?"  I'm really more at a loss for words when it comes to this song because it's just so good. The chord progression I love, too. The cute high pitched voice distortions.. idk I'm getting lazy I've been typing this all up for at least 90 minutes.

 

Stan!

 

And Water Me is the second best song of 2013

[Hundred Dollar Bill 21,809]

yuck

 

And Water Me is the second best song of 2013 

 

I KNEW YOU WOULD DO THIS

 

edit # 3 : tbh i actually don't know if i like Give Up more than Two Weeks because I always skip both of them lel

[Rem 2,392]

Emile did it again. poor lana choosing Dan and flopped.

[my ol man isa batman 480]

Emile did it again. poor lana choosing Dan and flopped.

rephrase plz

[Inuborg 66]

The overrating

Dont diss Give Up like that! 

[Hundred Dollar Bill 21,809]

Dont diss Give Up like that!

Give Up is incredibly boring. tbh I should've given it a 6 but I didn't want to give anything less than a 7 on the album, and if I think instead of listen, Two Weeks is my least favorite. But I can at least listen all the way through it and kinda enjoy it whereas Give Up is just so DULL and I always skip it lol.

 

Also bye at that Mariah stan saying Lana flopped with Dan producing UV. Did Me I Am Mariah even chart? It certainly didn't go #1.

 

UV sold MORE than 3 times as many copies in its first week so bye

[comeintomybedroom 8,662]

Give Up is incredibly boring.

Not when you stan for Kicks. I can't even get past the first verse.

[Sitar 22,218]

Looking at the way people rate Kicks makes it really easy to spot Two Weeks bandwagon stans tbh

[Hundred Dollar Bill 21,809]

Not when you stan for Kicks. I can't even get past the first verse.

I feel the same about Give Up

Difference is give up doesn't have the chorus of the year so

 

Just nod ur head and give up ok ur not winning this argument

[comeintomybedroom 8,662]

Looking at the way people rate Kicks makes it really easy to spot Two Weeks bandwagon stans tbh

Oh, Chance. You gotta get outta 2012 hun.

[Sitar 22,218]

Oh, Chance. You gotta get outta 2012 hun.

At the moment:

Two Weeks // Video Girl

Lights On // Pendulum

Preface

Give Up

Numbers

Closer

Hours

Kicks

 

Did I just drop a truth bomb though?

[comeintomybedroom 8,662]

Did I just drop a truth bomb though?

 

 

And take down the altar you've built to my exact order obviously things change.

bish whe

[Hundred Dollar Bill 21,809]