LP1

An absolute masterclass in electronic arrangement and production. Each track is its own small microcosm of carefully layered synths and samples, a small world that exists for only 3 minutes at a time and fully encompasses the entire soundstage. Some tracks could use a bit more variation, but overall an amazing listening experience.

Twigs apparently hates the term "alternative R&B", so let's be fair and not call this album that. Try "monumentally boring hipster bullshit" instead.

Unlistenable in the way a lot of modern albums are. I'm speaking purely in terms of production here, but everything seems to be aimed at being parped through a laptop. Such a harsh sound. Also, I'm aghast at the critical response this album has had; perhaps it's age, but I'm simply not getting the same juice as the critics out of this dud. At least I can now say I've given FKA twigs a go.

I've heard lots about FKA twigs but never took the dive. Boy am I glad I did here today. What a uniquely stimulating album. The textures in the beats, synths, and basslines elevate FKA's vocals, giving the music a certain "wow" factor. This can be partly attributed to producer and artist Arca, who had also done production work for Kanye West on Yeezus and Björk on Vulnicura. The sonic space being explored here is sublime. This album stands heads and shoulders above other pop/r&b albums for 2014. It stands for the natural progression of music: innovative and bold.

these songs are like the bridges of dubstep songs, breathy, glitchy, some nice vocal, but then it just lingers there for the entire track, I wanted more out of pretty much every track I listened to. Two Weeks made me have flashbacks to Mr Robot which was unexpected.

This whole album is a mood and I'm here for it. Brilliant production, great vocals, lots of energy (without being frantic). I'm sad that it took me this long to experience it.

Really? It should be on a list alright. And that list is of Albums You Never Need To Hear Again before you die. This has no business being in THIS list. Hard pass. Replace with Florence + The Machine. Hey, I tried.

Music for ducklipped teenagers to put their makeup on to.

Well, here's a thing. I'm suprised at how negative everyone is in the reviews. Yes it's not entirely original and doesn't follow traditional definitions of a cohesive album with tracks but it's inventive and fresh and precisely what I enjoy listening to. People are giving '1's for no more reason that 'it's not for me' so I'm going to give this a '5' for precisely the same reason in reverse.

Soft sung vocals with glitchy instrumentals. Initial thoughts are that I've heard this before? It sounds like the concept behind every female singer songwriter today, and the execution is the exact same... Everything on this album just blends together and it becomes a bland mess. These sorts of vocals also just make me cringe. Find a female "singer" on TikTok and there's a 95% chance that she sings like this. Whispery and whiny without an ounce of power. The instrumentals, the singing, the production, everything works together to make this album feel as uninspired and boring as possible. It really feels like the album has been plucked from the "music industry conveyor belt" and still has that mass-production smell (it might not be mass-produced, but that's how it feels). I feel like I've heard all of these songs before. I truly can't hear anything unique about this sound. The album would maybe work better if it tried to be less athereal and more punchy and groundbased? But yeah It's a solid No from me... I just noticed that the album has stopped playing and I didn't realize. Perfect background music lol.

She clearly has a voice, but this was dreadful. Just a bunch of falsetto abused over sound effects you could hardly call beats.

I remember when this album came it was what everyone who was anyone was listening to. it was the bomb, a revolution in music and all that. The thing is, it's been 7 years and it did not age that well, it sounds repetitive and confusing just for the sake of it. Magdalene is a huge leap forward letting go the repetition for a more soulful but still ground breaking sound. This is a great album and an excellent debut but it will not remain on this list for long I believe.

This is shit

Stop pretending to like things that you think will make you seem cool

A truly mesmerising album that combines a beautiful soulful voice with unique electronic music.

who knew? i never would have listened to this otherwise

I was bang up for this after hearing the haunting vocals and jagged beats of the opening track, 'Preface', followed by the quite beautiful, and a little raunchy, 'Lights On'. I loved it - sounding like someone had spliced Kate Bush with Bjork and replaced Thom Yorke with them during Kid A/Amnesiac-era Radiohead, but told Jonny, Colin and Ed to ditch the guitars. However, it then began to feel that it was just the same formula throughout the rest of the album: soulful voice over the top of chopped beats. Nothing wrong with that and I still very much enjoyed it. So much so that it remained on a loop for most of the day and I kept finding new little sonic nuggets with each play-through.

This is a crazily enchanting album that had me mesmerized. Really interesting and unique. The soundscapes painted here are a bit stark, a bit startling, utterly beautiful. So many layers, such an incredible use of electronics. I loved it!

I didn't particularly enjoy this as it I found it pretty dull and low energy. The vocals were really beautiful, but I probably won't seek it out again

The concept of this robotic smooch music and its reverberating post-punk hall of mirrors appeals to me, but the tracks feel like sketches sung rather than tunes, and the sound alone is not beguiling enough to carry an LP. At times I heard a resemblance to Kate Bush; other times I wondered if this was what listening to an Enya album without the hit(s) would be like.

Layered, spacious, and slightly dissonant. One of the best albums of the ‘10s.

What a beautiful album and such a unique sound I really enjoyed this one!

Amazingly innovative…. FKA twig is a true artist!

Very good album. I love her voice and her choice of sounds to accompany it. I enjoyed this very much.

The last time I gave a shit about year-end "best-of" lists this album was consistently near the top. After providing quite a jarring soundtrack to a stormy drive around Indianapolis, I didn't want to listen to it again. Of course, I enjoyed it immensely today; stupid, really - I am quite fond of "Magdalene" (fool me once and I'll double down, motherfucker) so should have returned earlier. Modern in a way I usually don't tolerate but there are clearly tunes and talent buried within the sterile, claustrophobic production

Moody, sultry, ethereal, and gorgeously layered. Sometimes the gossamer production here got away from itself for a little too long in my opinion; if bits of this just got slight cutting tweaking it could really soar.

One of those cases where I can see why people would enjoy this but just not for me, there's just no through line for me to get attached to and nothing that sticks with me. But I can give props for not being some cookie cutter album and you miss 100% of the chances you don't take so it deserves props. The grandpa simpson quote comes to mind "I use to be with it, now what I'm with isn't it, and what's it is weird and scary to me"

Trippy opening on 1st cut - as 2nd cut opens up, this is an album made for headphones. "When I trust you we can do it with the lights on" - repeat ad nauseum. "Higher than a motherfucker dreaming of you as my lover" "I can fuck you better than her" "My thighs are apart for when you're ready to breathe in". It sounds like she has a good voice (kind of like Enya?), but juvenile lyrics and crappy computer music leave me embarrassed for the many many people who apparently dig this shit. Maybe it's a generational thing, but please.... Overall, I would rate this album as fucking awful. My impression by the middle of song #3 is that this album is designed for a different market than me (ya think?). Background soft porn music for being exceedingly high and having sex. While wearing headphones, so I don't know exactly how that would all work out. Good luck. __________________________________ 🎧 # of LPs reviewed: 14 🎧 # of LPs left to review: 987 🎧 # of LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 3 🎧 # of LPs I *might* include in my own list: 6 🎧 # of LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine: 4

Not bad exactly, but very simple and boring.

This album is an entire environment, and I don't mind getting lost in the landscape. The music and vocals combine to create a rich texture: dreamy, dangerous, sensual. Favorite track: "Two Weeks"

Yup, big fan of this album. Sometimes breathy / surreal music doesn't have enough substance for me but this album delivered!

Great album. Great artist. Always a good reminder to listen to FKA

Wow. That was my favorite album of 2014.

Wow

not my cup of tea, but respect for her innovation

Les albums d'rnb post 2010 font toujours un bien fou au générateur, c'est une vraie constante. Je vais m'abstenir de répéter une énième fois ce que je pense des clébards à tête de mort mais vous connaissez mon avis les concernant.

I didn't really like this album when I first listened to it a few years ago, but after revisiting it it's grown on me a bit.

I have loved this album since it came out. So damn good 🔥.

This was a weird one. I’m not sure how to describe this album but I think I liked it. It really grew on me as I listened to it more and by the end I was vibing to it. Fav songs: two weeks, pendulum

A brilliantly produced and performed album that makes me want to explore more. A strong four, almost a 5.

Jesus Christ, it's so minimalist. It's like literally nothing is happening. There's some interesting sounds and backing bits that sound kind of sci-fi, but it's just so empty. I don't think any single song distinguishes itself as something separate from the rest. Just high breathy vocals over some basic minimalist beats on every single song. It faded into the background easily enough for the most part, but that's hardly a winning endorsement now is it?

some of the worst music i've heard in my life

Robert se remet enfin au travail, avec un album de qualité qui fait du bien au milieu de la bouillie proposée récemment. En parlant de règlade, j'ai appris ce matin que les membres du groupe Fleetwood Mac s'amusaient à lancer des preservatifs remplis de lait pendant les concerts de leur début. Une anecdote qui fait sourire, plusieurs années avant que la femme chanteuse du groupe ne passe son temps à courir derrière le mec super charismatique du groupe tout au lond de l'album Rumours.

I've seen this record cover all over the place but never clued in. So, here goes. Open mind. Clean slate... I have an embarrassingly small frame of reference for music like this. But it seems so goddamned innovative to me and her voice is so pretty. The song "Two Weeks" has more than 80 million plays on Spotify, yet I've just heard it for the first time. It's excellent. The synth sounds on that song and the record, in general, are great. I think the production uses a technique called "ducking" where the various tracks/instruments duck out of the way (in terms of volume) when other instruments are hitting. So, like, the volume of the synth drops when there is a snare hit. It's like the next level in the volume wars that people like Rick Rubin hate. I tend to dislike it when applied to rock music. But when literally everything in a mix besides the vocals are synthetic, it's a beautiful effect.

Really enjoyed it. Lots of interesting beats but arranged around solid song writing.

Dit is wel het goede

Wonderful, very new to me but I also feel like I need to really listen to it with no distractions to actually get a feel for it.

Future-pop never looked (or sounded) so good. I am not sure why it belongs here, though it is engaging and creative, sure, but its very faroutwardness pulls it into a category that has only itself as a member (not legal, but hey).

A glacier of an album. Icey cold and geologically slow moving, creaking cracking and glitching rhythms, an ethereal whispered falsetto blizzard blowing across the surface while a deep timeless calm melts under intense pressure within, bluer and bluer the further you listen down the cracks.

I don’t know if this was just a refreshing change of genre after a week of dad rock, but I enjoyed this. Listened to it on a rainy drive home and found it both relaxing and intriguing, with lots of cool sounds for my ears to chase

I have heard of her but this is first time hearing her music. It’s a different sound. It’s nice but not sure I’d listen to it again

I'm not a big fan of pop in general. I thought this was interesting enough. Introspective synth pop, clearly influenced by many genres. It definitely feels a little over-produced to me, but this is subjective. It seems the direction that most pop is going in, so it tracks for this artist's debut. I see the appeal here, but it's just not for me. Like a lot of art, I can respect why/how others enjoy this, but I probably won't be spinning it at home any time soon.

It started as a fresh breeze between these dusty records on this list but after a few songs the breeze died down and now I'm in the same dusty room with he window open

FUCK twigs

Didn't super love this one, kinda sounded like well-crafted noise to me for a lot of it. Don't get me wrong, I recognize the artistry and the talent it took to create that, and it really was all cohesive and musical, but it was just too noisy for my general taste.

Vaguely recollect giving this a listen when it was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. I always listen to the yearly nominations as it is a good source for discovering good albums you might have missed (like this list!) Cannot recollect my reaction to it then but would have been similar to today’s listen. I’m all for experimentation and pushing boundaries but this album goes nowhere and quickly becomes boring. The occasional heavenly vocals are pleasing and these save it from a 1 star. 2/5 23/7/24

Irritating.

Evidently an impressive accomplishment, but no joy in hearing it. Full of textures in search of a melody. Lots of glimpses that Twigs sings beautifully but her voice is too often lost in a mess of… I’m not sure what to call it. It just sounds so overdone. Ultimately R&B, in its modern form, just ain’t my thing. Prime cut: Two Weeks

Annoying distorted crap

Das Cover sagt „Finger weg!“ Stimmt! Grausam!

I’m open to all types of music but this doesn’t satisfy in any way. There’s no momentum to it, there’s no stand out song. It’s like it’s meant to be music for wales. Her voice often stays in the higher tone as she rambles over a collage of musical instruments. If this was the album that got her noticed then excuse me, I have music to make.

Didn't like it. Didn't get it.

I tried. I really did. There’s nothing here. Hollow sounds.

Sounds a bit too forced artsy

Fucking what?

awful. I couldn't finish the album. Trying to be creative and innovative but it all sounds the same and just lands flat.

Uh. No. Just no. This is an example of trash current-day music.

I don’t like this at all. The vocals are pretty. Production quality is good. It just doesn’t rub me right. I feel like the only thing this is good for is a radio station in Cyberpunk 77. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Another new to me album and artist. Coincidentally she also released an album today. I wonder what the odds are of that happening. Not really my style of music but it's enjoyable if you take some time to listen.

Love to see artists pushing the bounds of pop.

This is a very interesting album from a production standpoint. To me, FKA Twigs is similar to Bjork in sound and approach. It's not something I will put in my rotation but it is good!

Fire

Strange electronic zen tracks and an artsified contemporary R&B style, pretty soothing and entrancing to listen Overall a fresh experience and every track is cool

This was so incredibly good. I had never heard of FKA twigs before today, and I loved this so much I ended up listening to it all the way through 3 times. Every track sounded distinct from the others but with a unifying groove or sound that made them seems like parts of a cohesive whole. The music was really cool and interesting sounding and I loved her voice and the instrumentation and the harmonies and the beats, and really just everything. I became an instant and huge fan today. Five stars.

Beautiful Trax. Had never heard of twigs, this was a good find.

Gorgeous production, silky smooth vocals. Idk why I’d never listened to this before.

ummm she is forever the moment. i used to listen to this album all the time. it's why i'm such a freak now probably

Impeccably produced. I don't think there's a single flaw in any sound. Astonishing. These songs are odd and futuristic yet still catchy and enthralling

Vibey, sexy, and weird (complimentary). I love her strangeness.

Had genuinely forgotten how stacked with great songs this album is. Whilst I maybe think Magdalene is the better record, this is such a strong debut that really sounded so ahead of the curve at the time.

Blew me away, great music, two weeks, pendulum and kicks all stand outs but whole album is amazing

Yesss! Great album!

Wow 11 years. Definitely for headphones or good speakers cos of all the great we details she packs into the production. I agree with the reviewer saying Magdalene is a better album but this is still great. Also surprised at its low score. Too pop for the 'real music' brigade, a little too off kilter for the pop kids? They're all missing out regardless.

If you do a Punnett Square for pop stars and the variables are "horny/not horny" and "fucks/doesn't fuck", FKA twigs is undeniably in the "horny/fucks" square.

If you zoom out too far, the description of this album gets a little funny: an incredibly talented pop music video dancer channels Kate Bush at her breathiest, Dev Hynes at his most sophisticated, and Sade at her horniest to create a fusion of indie, R&B, and electronic music that just may have set the template for a lot of popular music today. But that weirdly feels like I'm over and underselling it at the same time. First, the underselling: twigs is a pretty great songwriter, something that doesn't get acknowledged very often. The album expands upon the pleasures of the first EP into jams about wanting to steal someone's man ("Two Weeks"), making out ("Hours"), and masturbation ("Kicks"), while ruminating on being the object of that same desire ("Video Girl", "Pendulum"). The production remains in line with mid-10s trends while still sounding like almost nothing else of the time: the post-James Blake bass of "Two Weeks", the upright bass of "Lights On", the drums that feel like they're referencing Björk and trap music on "Numbers". I will admit at the end here I'm a bit biased: LP1 was my #1 album of 2014 then and I don't think there's any other album on this list that matches up with my personal rankings from any given time. But to this day, this album remains a hallmark of the possibilities of what post-genre pop artists can do, no matter what tradition you may perceive they're tied to most.

I thought this was fantastic and I had never heard it.

Always a good day to listen to LP1.

Really nice 1001 discovery - I've heard of FKA twigs but never listened before now. It's like Prince, Bjork, and trip hop all mixed together. Looking forward to listening to more of her stuff.

Jeg har først lige sat den på men jeg ved det er en easy 5. Hørte den for et par uger siden. Et af mine yndlingsalbums fra det årti

I love how everything comes together in these songs, the production is really amazing and her singing is phenomenal.

Good

Cool picture! Rap? Oh wait a minute! I know this artist. I'm so glad to see something like this on this list. 5 stars hands down. The bass in the second track is deep! Oh I had it on my Jubilee eq setting. Still a cool track! the album has kind of a Bjork feel to it. Not the vocals obv cause bjorks voice is unique af, but the electronic part of it.

I'm a relative newcomer to FKA twigs and I'm completely captivated. The music is so innovative, taking some of the most exciting elements of alternative electronic music and layering beautiful vocals, sometimes hauntingly so, over the top. It's an enrapturing experience and she's only gone from strength to strength since this first album. To anyone who doesn't get this - you're probably behind the times

by the time the second song came on I already knew this album was a 5

A swirling, inspirational anthem of liberation and ode to self-actualization. FKA Twigs' stunning debut is dripping with intention and aesthetic. She executes life in a way of which most artists could only dream. One of the most formative albums of my young adulthood.

This was a fun one. Kinda mesmerizing in a way. I felt like I entered a portal into her world. The entire album was very fluid, but each track was very distinct in its own way.

What an original album from the 2010s. Not particularly surprising that it wasn’t more popular, as a consequence of its highly experimental nature, yet it fully deserved to be. Rather relaxing to listen to on replays. 10/10

Well, that was bloody excellent. Still sounds fresh even though it's now 10 years old. There's some cool threads of trip hop here and there, all wrapped up in luxurious electronic threads. Very cool.

Such an underrated art-pop album. I feel like FKA Twigs has been flying under the radar for a while, so it is great to see this album on this list.

fuck man