Board 8 > Recommend two albums. I'll rate, rank and review them.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Yesssss I win.

Was that your first time hearing Perfect From Now On? It was one of the few albums that I heard was good but really, really blew me away.
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3 away from that thing I nominated
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Had to do these next couple as first reactions because of time. They were both kind of long and I only had so much time.

Ted Leo - The Hanged Man

Starts of way rockier than I expected. For some reason whenever I see a single (white) male name as the artist I think its going to be some acoustic singer-songwriter thing. It usually isnt. But my mind still goes there first every time. Really loving the... 60s? Influence on the first couple songs. I dont really know anything about the era, I just know that certain types of music remind me of the Now and Then Soundtrack, which I basically treat as a documentary of the late 60s. William Weld in the 21st Century this song is really, really cool. Ted Leo sounds a lot like the lead singer of Kamelot. Its something I noticed during the first song, but after hearing all these fantasy words in the lyrics of The Nazarene really hammers it in. Nearly dozed off for a minute there that stretch of songs was not for me, but Make Me Feel Loved sounds great. Youre Like Me has a real attitude and I kinda love it.

Final Rating: I really like about a third of the album/14
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DMX - Its Dark and Hell Is Hot

Holy crap, skits! Its so easy to forget where we came from Did they just use a crying dog sample to open Look Thru My Eyes? This might be the best album. So this is the first DMX album Ive ever listened to. Ive heard all the big singles, but never sat through an LP. I always figured the dog thing was just kind of a gimmick, something to make him more memorable (as if his voice isnt enough), but Im several songs and it its becoming harder to avoid the idea that DMX actually believes hes a dog. Just got to Damien, I had no idea DMX had multiple voices in him. Whoa, that interpolation of In The Air Tonight is sure something. Still astounded by how often dogs can be referenced in an album. The spoken word stuff is way more powerful than I was expecting. Literally the only time Ive heard him do a capella was during those Christmas songs a few years back I thought it was just a joke. I had no idea he actually did that kind of stuff on albums. Now Im wondering if that was just a scene in Top Five, or if the Christmas thing happened in real life. Posse cut to close it was decent. I think Im biased towards that type of track though, I love them all, even when theyre bad. Must be something about the loop-based production.

Final rating: K/9
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Will hopefully get back to normal length and effort by Friday. Still have to eat too much to remain sober after work. Rankings will be done at that point too. It's going to be tough given how much I like everything, and how many albums I already need to hear again.

Steff and the Articles - Timekeeper

This is another album where the first half captured my attention much more than the second, but I remained pretty impressed with how varied the production was from start to finish. Its not often that I listen to pop music this bright with anywhere near this level of complexity in terms of the instrumentals. Not every song has a big hook, or is immediately catchy, but everything feels so well put together and tightly produced. Its really a joy to listen to. Whats more impressive is that these are all still standard pop length songs. Every track is less than 4 minutes long, and yet it still feels like they have so much room to change and evolve.

I was originally planning to focus writing about favourite and least favourite songs today, but I couldnt actually come up with any concrete choices here, or rather, they keep changing. Call You Mine was the first one to truly catch my attention, but now it would be hard to say I like it any more than Fate Is Fame or Sense You Make. There are a lot of songs I love here, and the album is growing on me more and more with each listen. I dont even know if I can stand by my opening statement anymore. I like this stuff, a lot.

Final Rating: And the articles...?/10
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Stars - There Is No Love In Fluorescent Light

I never really know what to expect with this group. My first exposure to them was with The North from my title track topic a few years back, and then I listened to No One Is Lost from 2014. I didnt even know they two main vocalists, and the fact that they opened with something as danceable as From The Night blew my mind a little bit. Unfortunately the entire album didnt carry that vibe and it became something I would just shuffle certain songs from, rather than listen to in full. This album feels like it will be similar for me. I actually dont know any of the track names because I just listened to the entire 50 minute track rather than using the playlist at the bottom, but there are songs throughout the album I really enjoyed, and probably a few more overall than I found in their previous album. Some great interplay between the vocalists and I love how different their songs can be, since they have such an incredible range between them.

I almost wish there were a couple of people ahead of you so that I could have done this on Friday. The quality was fine, but Im sure it would have sounded a lot better in the official release. Ill have to go back and check this out again on the weekend.

Final Rating: Thanks for The North/10
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didn't think you would skip ahead to my second nom already!

but great that you enjoyed the first one and had some great things to say about the second
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Happy to see you really liked I See You.

Shame about American Dream; I think we have to opposite opinion on it. I think the beginning is kinda slow, with tracks 3 and 4 being the weakest, but then it hits How Do You Sleep and goes on a phenomenal 4-track high. Though even being a low for me on this album means I still like those two songs...
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This should be the last of the high ones, definitely gorged enough and I'm getting annoyed by how much worse the writing is. Updated rankings tomorrow too, since that's definitely something I'll have to be sober for.

The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing

Having previously been exposed only to the singles from this album, I was expecting to love the hell out of this. Turns out I only like about half of it. I have to believe that the only reason I liked the two big singles so much is nostalgia because most of the tracks I dont care for here have a very similar energy as Thats Not My Name and Shut Up and Let Me Go, yet I listen to something like Fruit Machine with its These Boots Are Made for Walkin attitude and upbeat, energetic production, and I just cant get into at all. There are some other tracks I just hate entirely such as Traffic Light and others I decided to forever skip during my first ever listen (Impacilla Carpisung).

Yeah as I listen and write Im realizing there are four tracks I can stand to hear, and Im just not feeling the rest of this album at all. It gets really bad for the last couple since Impacilla is just nonsense and the closer feels overlong, especially for an album of this length.

Favourite Track: Shut Up and Let Me Go

Least Favourite Track: Impacilla Carpisung

Final Rating: Barely 4/10
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Paramore - After Laughter

I see myself in the reflection on peoples eyes
Realizing what they see may not even be close to the image I see in myself

While there have been a few albums here that Ive previously heard, this is the first one Ive really had in heavy rotation for any part of the year. I was a little put off by the first few listens since I really didnt like that they shed any semblance of having been a rock band but when I was finally able to look at it in a vacuum and attempt to appreciate it for its own merits, it quickly became a favourite. Despite what Ive said about certain albums in this very topic, I really love pop music when done well, and this album does it extremely well, not to mention for a band transitioning from a fairly different sound. In switching genre they havent lost any of the complexity in terms of their instrumentals or lyrics, and after spending a lot of time with the album, its easy to see why this was the follow-up to 2013s self-titled album.

Thats actually the reason Ive come to love this album so much. When you look deep you can find little nuggets of the Paramore of old and its really cool to see how theyve been able to stay themselves underneath all this glossy production. While you dont get Hayley outright screaming on any track, its still great to teeter on the edge of a yell singing Oh Please! during the chorus of Fake Happy or the urgent delivery of her verses in Idle Worship whose hook somehow manages to keep the song pop, despite the intensity of each verse. But my favourite thing about the album is that even with this bright new sound, they still manage to get weird on the track No Friend. Its not my favourite song on the album, but its easily my favourite moment. Its inclusion was a real rock band move and its something I did not take for granted.

Favourite Track: Pool

Least Favourite Track: 26

Final Rating: Acceptance/7
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St. Vincent's new album MASSEDUCTION came out today; I think I liked it more than both American Dream and I See You.
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CasanovaZelos posted...

St. Vincent's new album MASSEDUCTION came out today; I think I liked it more than both American Dream and I See You.

I've never listened to an album of hers, but I did play it in the morning as I was getting ready for work. Very interesting sound. Had no idea her music was so electronic.
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also stars

also beck?
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Ugh... so fucked for today. Fighting over IM so it's so intermittent that I can't really lose myself in the album, or my word processor. Gonna have to do this as a stream of consciousness right in this message window.

The Jesus and Mary Chain - Damage and Joy

I wish I could place the decade of this record. I don't know where I think these sounds belong, but it definitely isn't 2017. It feels as if there was a time that this would just be considered "rock", but in 2017 it's Alternative/Indie and that just feels weird to me. Maybe it's because I think of the Indie scene as being exclusive to a certain age of performer and these guys are clearly old men... but I don't know.

*40 minutes later*

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF-okay.

*15 minutes later*

I'm going to need to call an indefinite hiatus. The fight is literally about this so it might not have the same format when I return.
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Plomp
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Something's stirring in a deep Atlantic trench
Doesn't forget the thousand years before it slept

bump

how close are we to Science Fiction goddammit
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Update:

Going to have to move down to 1 album a day. I was planning on doing this at some point anyway, though I wanted to reach 50 total entries or catch up with all the suggestions first. I plan to spend much more time listening and writing about the 1 album, so the plan is that even though I'll be doing less, the posts themselves will be of higher quality and actually, you know, be about the music. The first day is proving extremely difficult though, as I've already listened to the album (Damage and Joy) and I'm still struggling to come up with thoughts.
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Oh yeah, also real ratings.

The Jesus and Mary Chain - Damage and Joy

Back from the grave to remind us they still give zero fucks

So I guess this is some of that rock and roll everyone has been talking about? Man, oh man is this a fun album... for a while, at least. The relatively simple instrumentation paired with the heavy feedback and distortion of the guitars give the album a real classic feel, and the effortless vocals are just perfect for the type of production featured here. Its a unique fit because as uninterested as Jim Reid sounds throughout the album, the first six songs could be described as relatively high energy. You could even argue that there is a hint of excitement in Reids voice as he sings the chorus of The Two Of Us, which Id consider the energetic peak of the album. In terms of instrumentation the shtick starts wearing thin immediately after this track as well.The sounds and song structures arent varied enough to keep things interesting and its really just odd lyrical quips that capture my attention in the second half. You get lines like My transplanted head needs a change of direction, I cant find a hole I can put my erection and I killed Kurt Cobain I put the shot right through his brain, and his wife gave me the job, cause Im a big, fat, lying, slob, I mean there are some real head turners to be sure, and it all seems to reinforce the idea that these guys only came back to have fun and make themselves laugh.

Honestly, I like this album a lot less than I did on Friday. I was excited to come back to it today, and was really surprised by how quickly it wore out its welcome this time around. I still really enjoy the first group of songs, and The Two Of Us is probably something Ill keep around for playlists in the future. While I dont see myself listening to the album in full again, I was intrigued enough by it to check out some of their earlier work and I will definitely set some time aside to dive into Psychocandy and Darklands, at the very least.

Favourite Track: The Two Of Us

Least Favourite Track: Get On Home (or any of the last 8 songs, theyre all just OK)

Final Rating: 3/5
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I liked the goofy ratings!
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trdl23 posted...

I liked the goofy ratings!

Me too.

Leo Ku - Enjoy Yourself Tonight

Going into this I thought that language would be my biggest issue with the music, turns out it wouldnt even matter if I could understand the words hes saying, since there is almost nothing I enjoy about this album.

From the opening notes on the piano, this album is adult contemporary pop through and through, but like... contemporary for the 90s. It makes me feel like Im a child again. A child who is too nervous to ask an adult to change the radio station. The music is so sickly sweet that I can barely tolerate the instrumentals. Id love to be wrong, but with no knowledge of the subject matter I feel I can make an educated guess that the songs here are mostly filled with cliches about love, relationships and possibly even a track about getting a second chance though I gleaned that last one from the bit of English in the chorus.

Its a little hard for me to remember if any of this would be better received in 1997, but right now it all feels very uninspired. I mean it makes sense that I would have heard hundreds of songs that sound just like this by now but I feel like I would have been unimpressed in the 90s as well. One thing I can give the album credit for is switching things up with genre. Xi Bu Zhi Zui is a straight up country song, but even with the change of pace, it feels just as bland as the rest of them. Still, just for the surprise factor its one of my favourites on the album. Sadly Yao Shi Na Shi follows, and its easily the most Enjoy Yourself Tonight song included here. Its really hard to place a genre on this, but it sounds like yacht rock but softer. In some ways I guess its a feat. This has to be some of the most unimposing, Ill just sit here in the background music Ive ever heard.

Now I said there is almost nothing I enjoy about the album. The almost is because the last track Zui Hou Sheng Li features a fairly prominent pan flute, which reminded me that Zamfir is a person that exists, and also of video game music from the SNES era. I honestly thought it was sampled for a split second and got really excited by the idea of trying to guess what soundtrack it came from. This was the highpoint of my listening experience and it feels oddly fitting that once I did start Enjoying Myself Tonight, it was over. Im not sure if it was meant to be an order, but in the end I did comply. Thanks Ku.

Favourite Track: Zui Hou Sheng Li

Least Favourite Track: Yao Shi Na Sh

Final Rating: Zamfir, Master of the Pan Flute/10
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Brand New - Science Fiction

A million sons won't fill you up if you can't see the wine flowing over your cup...

Im still not sure that its possible to understand, much less evaluate this album outside of its context. This is the fifth and most likely final LP from Brand New, and the music here was very clearly written by a band conscious of the finality in all of this. Science Fiction is more or less a meta-narrative on the life of Brand New itself, and numerous references of both previous albums and earlier lives of the members themselves are scattered throughout. A formula that easily could have come off as self-indulgent navel-gazing instead reads like a heartfelt letter to their fans or more accurately, a resignation letter.

What makes this album so personal, especially to fans is that it doesnt shy away from an uncomfortable fact that were all aware of--continuing Brand New likely isnt healthy for its members. This is an album from a band that sounds remorseful for having to call it quits, still not feeling as if theyve done enough, but also realizing that its the only choice they have left. Lit Me Up the albums opener outlines this recurring theme with the lyrics

I want to put my hands to work til the works done
I want to open up my heart like the ocean

Its almost comical that after 4 albums of deeply personal and emotionally affecting music that lead singer and lyricist Jesse Lacey could still feel like he hasnt sufficiently opened up or expressed his feelings through his music, but here we are. The theme continues during Waste, a song that appears to take the viewpoint of Jesse speaking to another version of himself, offering reassurance that this will all be over soon.

Cause every night had you laidlow
Its going to feel so good to let it go
If its all in your head, your race is run
Dont give up my son, this is the last one

These lines illustrate the emotional duality the album represents for fans of Brand New. The lyrics can appear depressing on the surface. Someone calling it quits without even being satisfied with the work theyve done so far... but on the other hand it can feel uplifting. Its an acknowledgement that theyve done all they could and its time to move on to the next journey.

This album is incredible and it pains me that due to length I cant even discuss a track like Same Logic/Teeth which might be the most impressive work the band has ever written. Instead Ill focus on In The Water which I feel is the true heart of the album. Again this is a song dealing with the guilt over the band never being able to truly and completely express themselves. Then chorus features Jesse singing about the band having always been drowning in the praise despite never having actually broken themselves open to be viewed in their totality, and the idea that their true selves may be hard for us to look at. The songs bridge and outro clearly outline the struggle with this feeling as you hear Jesse repeat that he cant say it enough, cant sing it enough and that ultimately hell have to find another way to get these feelings out, before the song transitions into obscure references to their past albums.
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You could say that Science Fiction closes with a whimper, as Batter Up is easily the most lowkey track on the LP, but lyrically and thematically, I dont believe they could have ended the album, or their careers on any other tone. Its a song about resignation. The idea that depression, anxiety, unfulfillment, etc. are simply constants. No matter what youre able to accomplish these feelings will always remain, so you may as well brace yourself and get ready to face them. Batter up.

Brand New is my favourite band. They were not my favourite band before this album was released. Ive never seen a band take so much care to end their narrative in a way that fans will appreciate, while also staying true to themselves, and the fact that they were able to do so at the height of their creative powers is what makes this album so astonishing. This isnt merely fan service. As with all of their previous albums, Science Fiction experiments with sounds theyve never used in the past and as a whole sounds distinct from anything theyve done before. They took on an entirely new sound and still managed to create the quintessential Brand New record. I dont even know how to end this, as long as Ive gone on, Ive still only scratched the surface on what this album is about, or why Ive found it so personally affecting when applied to my own life. This album gets all the superlatives. Its one of my all-time favourites and it earns my highest possible recommendation (along with the rest of their discography).

Final Rating: 451/10
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Oh man mine is 2 away.
I hope you can find a better rip then the awful one on YouTube.
I can't rip it myself right now either
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Well, it's coming.Can't get one done tonight since I have to go see Blade Runner and possibly go out for wings after.

I say have to because I still want to see it, but would have preferred a weekend show when I didn't have this stuff to work on. I blame her. You can too.
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bumpa
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Apologies for being a ghost and thanks for the bumps. I have a new phone now, life is good and I plan to get right back on track.
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bump
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This one a day thing is really not working out. I think the fact that I know I can finish one in a day has made it way easier for me to procrastinate, whereas when I had to finish two I was so worried about not getting it done that I started working on them as soon as I got home. Didn't even have time (read: wasted the time) to read this one over, so apologies for grammar/typos. I'm going to need more discipline.

Eyedea & Abilities - By The Throat

But time taught me how to see every second as Heaven
Even though they're perfectly disguised as Hell

Its a good thing I dont really do these in a day anymore because it took me a while to really understand what this album was talking about. First I was a little bit thrown off by the fact that it was rap. For some reason I just wasnt expecting that genre coming from Blur, probably because weve spent so much time talking about rock music. But once I really started listening rather than just playing these songs in the background I realized that despite the fact that it was produced by a DJ its basically a rock album, and that the concepts covered here are very, very Blur.

Eyedea has some really interesting takes on life, addiction, relationships, suffering and, well I guess I could have just ended at life. This is definitely an album that deserves to have its lyrics pored over and I think I would still be lost if Genius didnt exist. Despite clocking in under 30 minutes, this is an incredibly dense album that tackles some really deep issues. Some of my favourite moments come during the track This Story. From the first second it grabs your attention with an electronic riff that seems to have been absolutely mangled by a bitcrusher and it sounds fucking badass. The song itself seems to deal with the history of humanity (no big deal), but the part that really gripped me was the final few bars talking about deeply fear and violence are buried in our DNA. I always found it weird how so many people think that violence is something that will always exist in our species and that its something we simply have to deal with and try to lessen, rather than eradicate. Its not even that Eyedea is outlining a plan by which we could do this, but something I appreciate about the idea of just imploring people to be better at controlling impulse and fighting base instincts instead of resigning to the fact that were animals and slaves to our nature.

Smile is another track that really gets me. It actually feels quite Buddhist in its delivery as the song repeats the idea that life is filled with suffering, and that suffering is both inevitable and unavoidable but thats still no reason not to smile and try to look for the best in any situation. Im not going to pretend that its a brand new idea, or that doing this is a quick and easy way to make your life more enjoyable but I do find it incredibly true and I think its something that needs to be practiced every day, no matter how bad things get. Its an easy viewpoint to pooh-pooh and argue that it only works until some REAL bad shit happens to you, but I honestly think thats simply what makes it a difficult and worthy practice because there is almost always a positive, no matter how slight it may be.

Aff. It looks like Ive gone back to talking around the music rather than about it, but it was kind of hard with this album as it drew on a lot of things Ive read, thought about or have been practicing for the past several years. I can honestly say that I was not at all in love with the sound of it after the first few listens, but the content really made me reexamine and appreciate the production and delivery much more than I thought I would. This album is a real lyrical gem.

Final Rating: Bars/10
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GTM posted...

also stars

also beck?

Totally missed this the first time around. Yeah, the album sounds great. Only listened to it a few times so far but I think I'll end up playing it a fair bit more than No One Is Lost.

Brutal Juice - Mutilation Makes Identification Difficult

Judging by the name of the band, album and the tracks themselves, I was fully expecting to hate this album. Somehow it turned out to be right up my alley. I also have to give it credit for being the most obscure band/album that's been posted here yet. I couldnt find it on Google Play, Spotify or anywhere for free, legally. Hell, I couldnt even find the lyrics to this album which means this review is as good as useless since I cant really get in depth. Under ideal conditions Id be able to just focus on the music for an hour and study the lyrics the old-fashioned way, but Ive been incredibly scatterbrained this week and I just cant sit still long enough to do something like that. As for the quality, it is a real shame that this was only available on Youtube because I can only imagine how much better this sounds at CD quality.

This album seems so steeped in its era that I want to say it sounds grungy. I mean the vocals are punk/hardcore and they play way too fast but I dont know if its the guitar tones or the way it was mixed.. But it feels so mid 90s and I cant really understand why. Especially since I wasnt listening to anything this hard back then. Its really hard to talk about the songs because the more I listen, the more I think about how much better this could all sound. The overall musicality is so much better than what I expected from an album with tracks like Kentucky Fuck Daddy and The Vaginals, and their bassist especially seems like a real stud. Its so fucking weird that this band seems to have disappeared when they were this talented. Like I cant even find any info on the bassist because he shares a name with some character from General Hospital.

Seriously. Where the fuck are these guys, and in the age of the internet how is it impossible to find this album for download? None of this makes any goddamn sense. Im sitting here staring at the Amazon confirmation screen wondering how much this album is worth to me ($3.49 shipping on a $5.45 CD) and whether or not I should order this thing from freaking Germany. Also not sure if I'll still care when it gets here a month from now. I guess that tells you all you need to know about my thoughts on this album. I'm enamored.

Final Rating: If the liner notes contain lyrics Im fucking IN/10

I am so screwed whenever I decide to update the rankings.
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Oh brutal juice, the self stated acid punk band with the great cd I randomly bought at a fye in a dying (yet amazing) mall 10 years ago because of the name and art.

I believe they got screwed by their album label Interscope. The mid 90s were a weird time for rock. I bet It's Interscope not caring to release this album on any digital service. I say this because recently the band released a new album that can be found pretty much everywhere (I think it was kickstarted). Also could you tell that the vaginals was the forced mtv video song for the cd?

thundersheep posted...

Final Rating: If the liner notes contain lyrics Im f***ing IN/10

Its been a long time since I've looked at it but I do believe that they are in there and HPV-Emerald seems to be selling it for 6.50 after shipping on Amazon, if you are in the states.

I wish I can upload the better rip for you and a scan of the lyrics, but I can't for like a month. My singing along to the whole cd won't help either.
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How have I not seen this topic before

Lights - The Listening

Oh I need a 2017 album

....

Oh, Lights has a new 2017 album I havent seen

Lights - Skin & Earth
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Jeeeeeeeeeeeezus. Here I am listening to this hour long pop-punk record because Google didn't bother to tell me the only version they have is some sort of deluxe edition that's 26 tracks when the original release is only the first twelve. I only noticed at the very end when I got to an acoustic version of something I'd already heard. This is not a genre suited to 60 minute records. Fuck me... Will talk about feelings later tonight.
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Lagwagon - Lets Talk About Feelings

Its hard to imagine I used to do two of these a day now that Im noticing how much my feelings on these albums change after 3-4 plays. First time through, this album seemed like generic skate-punk or pop-punk. I couldnt really tell since I wasnt paying attention to the lyrics. As far as I can tell the only difference is that pop punk is generally white guys whining about girls not paying attention to them with fast guitar and the same few chords whereas skate punk sounds exactly the same but they sometimes venture into other topics. I kid, I kid Well kind of. The more I think about my favourite pop punk albums the more accurate this sounds. Either way Im actually a fan of both genres, largely thanks to the cultural touchstones named Tony Hawks Pro Skater 1-3. Between that and Guitar Hero, Activision has had way more influence on my musical tastes than I ever realized until this exact moment. Thanks Bobby.

In all (some?) seriousness, the fact that this album isnt completely about girls makes me like it quite a bit more than I normally would. Musically this sounds like something Ive heard before. Even the lead singers voice sounds incredibly familiar but I just cant place it Matchbook Romance? 50 other bands from the genre in the early 2000s? I dont know. Its a good kind of familiar though, lends a feeling of nostalgia to something Im hearing for the first time. The inserted audio clips are something I found pretty cheesy at first, but Im liking them more each time I go through the album. Especially the Barry, why dont you play an A for Steve? one. Its hard to pick out favourite moments from this album because everything feels so fleeting. Nearly every song is under three minutes, but theyre all so incredibly tight that it somehow doesnt feel as though theyre cut short. The album is so cohesive that I never really find myself looking at the tracklist to see what is playing at any given moment, but on my lyric readthrough May 16 is a song that really caught my attention there arent nearly enough people singing about friendship. I like it.

If the above paragraphs didnt tip you off, Im feeling a bit delirious right now. I think I need sleep. In closing, I dig it.

Final Rating: 720 Boneless Stalefish/10
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Yesssss now those were some reviews. Let's start with:

thundersheep posted...

Brand New - Science Fiction

I have so much to say about Science Fiction that I wouldn't know where to begin if I was reviewing it either. The album also elevated Brand New for me, and I think I can concretely say they're my second favorite all-time band now (behind Tool). Too many of my other favorite bands have released subpar, merely serviceable albums as of late, while Brand New managed to create one of the greatest "resignation" records ever, as you aptly put it. If your ass wasn't up in Canada I'd say we should catch a Brand New show together before they disband. I've still never seen them live and I'll definitely be changing that soon. They seem like they sometimes half-ass their live shows though, which is sad... but also hilariously fitting for Lacey's critiques on fame.

If I get the time, I'd love to do a brief track-by-track commentary on Science Fiction in this topic. Oh, but it's still only their second best record behind Devil and God, yo.

thundersheep posted...

Eyedea & Abilities - By The Throat

But time taught me how to see every second as Heaven
Even though they're perfectly disguised as Hell

Its a good thing I dont really do these in a day anymore because it took me a while to really understand what this album was talking about. First I was a little bit thrown off by the fact that it was rap. For some reason I just wasnt expecting that genre coming from Blur, probably because weve spent so much time talking about rock music. But once I really started listening rather than just playing these songs in the background I realized that despite the fact that it was produced by a DJ its basically a rock album, and that the concepts covered here are very, very Blur.

True story: underground hip-hop is actually my favorite genre, and Eyedea arguably my all-time favorite individual artist and songwriter. So you are completely on point with your analysis here that this guy is 'quintessential me.' He is most certainly my single biggest influence both in terms of my music taste and with the type of music I write myself/would like to create in the future.

I wrestled with which Eyedea & Abilities record to suggest, or if I should go with his Oliver Hart record -- which might have his best work but overall isn't as consistent, track for track, as By the Throat. His albums all sound extremely different from one another though. First Born is the most minimalistic musically and philosophical in lyrical content (though as you can tell from BtT, they all are the latter). E&A goes with a more live sound, turntablist approach -- it's really neat, but instrumentally my least favorite of the three. By the Throat is a really weird rap-rock hybrid record that might be my all-time favorite attempt at that sort of genre. It was also released shortly before Eyedea's death and holds a special place in my heart for that. And Oliver Hart's How Eye One the Write Too Think is a self-produced masterpiece that combines a lot of some of my favorite things about the man and his music. If you think Smile is Buddhist in nature (which it most certainly is), wait till you listen to a track like Here for You, which is actually my favorite Eyedea song. Really, I can't recommend his entire discography enough.
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Ugh. I think I'm coming down with something. Will get to replies and housekeeping later.

Dead Cross - Dead Cross

My shit stinks like the breath of your mom

So uh this is basically what I was expecting when I listened to that Brutal Juice album a few days back. And uh yeah. I dont like it. This topic has really made me take notice of the types of music I tend to avoid, even though I generally see myself as pretty open-minded when it comes to music. I still think that my tastes are pretty diverse when it comes to genre, but I can be really selective when it comes to content and delivery. I know its not a dumb or immature album, despite how crass some of the lyrics can be, but its really hard for me to appreciate the political commentary and activism when the album just grosses me out. I now understand what those old people feel like when they criticize Kendrick Lamar for swearing in his raps. Its like they know hes a smart dude and has a good message, but they cant fully stand behind him because theyre so turned off by the language. Thats how I feel with a lot of the lyrics here. Idiopathic is probably a great song. If Im understanding the lyrics correctly, Im pretty sure I agree with most of it... but the lyrics are so off putting that I dont have the desire to listen to it, or anything from this album again.

Thats not to say the lyrical content is the only reason I dont enjoy this album. Im a sucker for melody and thats also something I found lacking in this album. I dont mind hardcore or other genres played this fast, but it just doesnt stick with me. The closest this album comes to anything resembling an earworm is Bela Lugosis Dead, which makes sense because its a cover.

I actually dont hate this album, and this isnt the first time Ive listened to it either. I always take notice when something in this genre is reviewed highly, because I feel that since hardcore is often ignored by the mainstream, any album creating a lot of positive-buzz is worth checking out. I wasnt a fan on release day, and while I cant say too much has changed now, studying the lyrics for a bit has at least allowed me to realize why its been so highly regarded. In closing, not bad, but not for me.

Final Rating: Unplanned parenthood. Eat shit and fuck good smh/10
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I'm going to have to skip the Buckethead album tonight and try to get it done tomorrow. At my girlfriend's house and I'm getting some crazy audio clicks+pops when I play videos on Youtube (and the album isn't on Google Play or Spotify). Moving onto the Chicano Batman album for now.
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Chicano Batman - Freedom Is Free

Its actually kind of crazy how differently I feel about the first two tracks on this album compared to everything else. I was really enjoying the oldies feel on the opening two tracks, especially with the female backing vocals, it really sounded just like something from another decade, even down to the recording techniques and then I got sick of it. Its not as if the third track switches up the formula too much, it still sounds like something from the same genre and era but I cant really get into the rest of the album in the same way. It might literally just be my mood right now, quite tired and wanting to get this over with, but the general brightness of the production featured on this album starts getting on my nerves as it reaches the midway point. Its really not even just the production, there is a real sense of sincerity and almost childlike earnestness to the lyrics that I just cant seem to appreciate at the moment. Id be really interested to see what I thought of this album a week or two from now because even though Im not feeling any of this right now, I cant say that any part of it is objectively bad.. Just not for me.

There are actually some pretty interesting concepts covered in this album on tracks like La Jura and The Taker Story, but I feel like theyre covered in such a simple way that they dont really do the subjects justice. I mean Ill admit that its hard to tell with something like La Jura which is sung in Spanish, but it feels like such a surface-level commentary on a serious issue (police brutality) that Im not really sure it needed to be said. I dont know if its referencing a true story or not, but I feel that it would be much more powerful to tell the story of the person involved and the life that was lost, rather than simply saying the cops are killing the people that theyre supposed to protect, and saying thats not how it should be. The Taker Story does dig a little deeper and I can admit that its kind of great to hear someone sing about how the agricultural revolution basically ruined humanity what bothers me about this track is that they often just forsake the rhyme scheme altogether in order to deliver information. It feels very odd for an album that has been so musical from the start to end with a track where I feel like Im being talked at. It honestly feels a little like slam poetry and I wasn't at all into it.

I hope some of this made sense. Im still sick and my mind is definitely mush right now, but these are the thoughts I could gather and put on a page. I dont know, even know what I think of this overall. It just seems like another type of sound that isnt really for me. Its not nearly as bad as jazz, but its not something I can bear to listen to for hours at a time.

Final Rating: Holy Chicano Batman!/10
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Bump.
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Thanks for your time and giving the genre a chance :)
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Simoun posted...

Thanks for your time and giving the genre a chance :)

No, thank you. I'm genuinely thankful for each new band/genre this topic has introduced me to. It's been really fun.

Buckethead - Colma

Ugh. fuck being sick.

So this album is pretty far from what I was expecting. The only thing I know about Buckethead is that hes a guitar virtuoso, and I vaguely remember the song Jordan being in Guitar Hero II. Based on this I was honestly expecting a bunch of super-fast, technical, wankery when I played this album. I had no idea it was going to be so emotional. I think it goes without saying that the guitar is the main attraction here, but I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of versatility he shows with the instrument. Again, I wasnt expecting to hear anything acoustic--even within the slower tracks, so songs like Wishing Well and Lone Sal Bug were pretty cool to hear.

I guess my only real gripe with this album comes with the rest of the production. The guitar does enough to make everything sound great, but when I focus my ear on the drums they tend to sound really flat and lifeless. Some of this could be due to the quality of the rip Im listening to but even ignoring that, there isnt anything interesting about the drums themselves, which seems odd for a rock record. It really feels like the bare minimum when it comes to the backing instruments and some serious overachieving when looking at all the guitar work. That might sound like a serious knock, but the scales are still heavily tipped in the this is good direction. Ive always loved the guitar and my favourite guitarists have always been those described as being very emotional players (Frusciante fanboy here) so I really like what this album has to offer. Im really curious what his other albums sound like, but with apparently over 30 (or is it 300?) studio albums recorded I assume hes done anything and everything at this point. Anyway, really cool shit.

Final Rating: 10-piece chicken bucket/10
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My pleasure, it's always nice to see someone who explores music and puts their analysis into words. I can't even begin to describe the things I listen to so that's nice.
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Elephant Gym - Angle

Flu week continues with another half-assed review of an album I wish I was able to spend more time with, but cant due to naps. Im not quite sure what genre this falls under, though I suppose we could just call it rock. Still, its unlike any of the rock genres I spend most of my time listening to, and it actually reminds me most of video game music more than anything. Video game music in a very specific setting though. A lot of these tracks feel like they would fit quite well into the background of a modern Final Fantasy game. The non-vocal tracks especially feel like theyd perfectly capture the vibe of some small, sleepy town by the sea in a fantasy world.

I think the fact that this album is Japanese bailed me out a little, I couldnt even talk about specific tracks if I wanted to, because the names are all in...Taiwanese? I should probably know this given how long I studied Linguistics but I honestly cant remember whether or not Taiwan has their own language. I cannot wait until my brain starts working again. Anyway, I find that a lot of my favourite moments on this album come during the intros and outros, for example during track three the breakdown that occurs around 2:50 is fucking fantastic and with everything Ive said about post-rock here you can be sure that I love the hell out of those drum fills as well. Similarly track 7 which is basically an intro to track 8 feels incredibly cool and naturally minimalistic.

Despite how enjoyable stuff like this can be to listen to, I feel like I never come back to these types of records because my musical cravings tend to lean towards the extremes. I always find myself wanting to listen to something really heavy with lots of screaming and soaring hooks, slow, understated and depressing with a focus on lyricism, or really bright and poppy with shimmering synths but I almost never find myself wanting to listen to anything thats such a mix of chill and upbeat vibes...at least with such a heavy rock tinge as well. This album is really cool though, I dig it.

Final Rating: Lonely seaside village/10
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Okay first off its Math Rock, secondly they're a band in Taiwan. Not Japan.

If you want a Japanese Mathrock band, there's Tricot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvMyCFAVIqs

Totally different kind of sound. Also recommend. I was actually deciding which of these two to nom initially.
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And now that you mention it, I'm totally digging that lonely seaside image as well.
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Simoun posted...

Okay first off its Math Rock, secondly they're a band in Taiwan. Not Japan.

Yeah I don't know why I said Japanese in the first sentence and then Taiwan in the next couple... I guess my brain really was mush. Interesting that they're considered math rock, but it makes sense given the genre designation is based on using unique time signatures. My mind just never went there since all the American math-rock I've heard has been incredibly heavy and influenced by screamo in their vocals.
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thundersheep posted...

My mind just never went there since all the American math-rock I've heard has been incredibly heavy and influenced by screamo in their vocals.

yeah, you've probably just heard mathcore.
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Halsey - hopeless fountain kingdom

While I cannot honestly say that I was hyped for the release of this album, I was quite interested to see how it would measure up against her impressive, yet inconsistent debut Badlands. Hopeless fountain kingdom does everything that can be expected from a sophomore effort, from employing a dream-team of hit producers, to collabs with hot rappers and even structuring the entire effort as a concept album but much like the concept behind this record, much of this album feels forced and perfunctory.

After a forgettable and unnecessary intro voice over (The Prologue) the album starts off incredibly strong with 100 Words. The track features her trademark vivid storytelling, backed by a relatively sparse, percussion-driven instrumental. Its really worth noting how unique and original this production sounds with its hints of jungle and understated guitar, especially in this age of tropical house. Alone is another highlight in the first half of the album. Borrowing its groove from a 70s R&B sample, the track sounds theatrical without feeling overblown and really makes you wonder how versatile Halsey could be if she chose to venture into other genres. Unfortunately, the best of this albums offerings are contained in those opening moments. Now or Never is the requisite lead single, with lyrics vague and meaningless enough to be sung by insert pop star here, and Sorry is the stripped-down piano ballad included to remind you that she can sing even without any vocal processing. While those two tracks are undoubtedly the low-point of the album, there is truly nothing remarkable to be found in the second half of this LP. Strangers featuring guest vocals from Lauren Jauregui of Fifth Harmony does stick out, as its an 80s synth-pop jam sandwiched between a lot of music that feels so deliberately modern.

Hopeless fountain kingdom is an album that appears ambitious and calculating in all the wrong ways. Rather than an album that doubles down on the raw authenticity that made her debut such a hit, this feels like a by-the-numbers attempt to become the next big thing in pop. While the music here isnt exactly poor, it feels all too generic for someone capable of being a unique voice for a genre in dire need of them.

Final Rating: Im not angry just disappointed/10

So as per my own rules I only reviewed the standard version of this album, but since I've listened to the deluxe many, many times before I'll give the quick and dirty on those tracks.

Heaven in Hiding - Everything before "Now or Never" is great, including this song, should have been included on the standard

Don't Play - Laughably bad production (dated AND generic), don't care at all for the rapping

Angel on Fire - Manages to make a 48 minute album feel overlong

In short I wish Heaven in Hiding was on the album, and also that it was 5-track EP (first 4+Strangers) instead of an actual album. So yeah... now that I've read this I don't think I'm going to tell my girlfriend about it after all. She still plays this album all the time and I'd feel really bad if she stopped just because she thinks I hate it.
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Emilie Autumn - Opheliac

Get ready for an update to the tier list because this ones got nope all over it

As Ive mentioned a few times before, I really dont enjoy writing negative reviews so Im going to try and get this done quickly and clinically. There is a lot of personality in this album and thats where my first gripe lies. Ive never enjoyed artists playing characters or taking on personas in their music when those characters require a heavily affected vocal performance, and this album is full of them. Its a choice some people can appreciate and Im not going to argue that it makes the music inherently bad, but I find that these vocal exercises distract from the music rather than adding any meaningful quality. What Im complaining about here is basically the entirety of what Autumn does on the title track Opheliac. She switches in and out of many vocal affectations and while the worst is the strained/screaming/urgent one, I cant really stand any of them.

The second track Swallow is probably the only song I enjoy on this album as it feels like a mostly straight-forward electronica track with some nice vocal processing that reminds me a lot of the type of music I used to listen to in the mid 2000s. Its incredibly nostalgic for me and feels like one of the few tracks here that isnt so heavily inspired by a goth aesthetic (lyrics notwithstanding). The strings here are very tasteful and there is some great vocal layering features throughout the track.

I dont have anything nice to say about the rest of the album as Im not crazy about the goth-industrial production or the over-the-top theatricality of her vocal delivery. I appreciate the fact that this isnt an album that was simply slapped together in the hopes of having a few singles hit big, as its clear she approached making this album with a clear vision and concept the album is nothing if not consistent and cohesive, its just that there isnt much here for me to enjoy.

Final Rating: All this talk about vocal affect/inflection has me thinking about Marina/10
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LlVE!
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yeesh, brutalized both my albums. At least they're just opinion.
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So can I nom albums again now that you went through mine?
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Simoun posted...

So can I nom albums again now that you went through mine?

Yes.

This goes for anyone else as well. If you want to nom more, they'll just be added to the end of the list.

Luna - Free Somebody

Really short EP so Ill just give thoughts on each track

Free Somebody - Really cool dance track with some pretty great deep house vibes. There also seems to be some 90s house influence with some of the piano in the production which gives it a bit of a nostalgic feeling. Its great to hear these styles mixed together here and the vocals

Breathe - Pretty standard and kind of boring, also gives me a bit of a 90s-early 2000s vibe. Sounds like the kind of ballad that would be included on an R&B singers album. Without knowing the lyrics the entire thing feels a little corny in its execution.

Keep on Doing - I have such a blind spot for these genres that this is what I would call Persona music. I really like it though, its got a real attitude in the production. Very slick groove and some interesting vocals. Assuming its the same vocalist doing the rap interesting. And the vocal layering throughout the track is top notch.

I Wish - This is really cool. It digs deeper into that 90s R&B vibe, but also borrows some modern touches like the Flume synth and a few other EDM flourishes. It really feels like an alternate future Brandy track or something.

Galaxy - This is some real EDM bullshit. Nothing about this track is original. Dated preset sounds, obvious buildups and drops, overused effects Nope nope nope.

My Medicine - Another slower track like Breathe, though it serves as a bit more of a vocal showcase. Probably the first time listening I really focused on how pleasant her voice is. Not a track I can see myself listening to on its own, but its pretty solid.

Overall I really liked this. Surprisingly cool mix of genres in such a short recording, curious what her full length album would sound like.

Final Rating: Free Your Mind/10
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Gnod - JUST SAY NO TO THE PSYCHO RIGHT-WING CAPITALIST FASCIST INDUSTRIAL DEATH MACHINE

Have to be honest, there isnt a lot to like here. There is a ton of repetition in these songs, usually focusing on a simple drum or riff, but the lyrics are incredibly repetitive too but not in the usual way that suggests laziness or a desire to create a catchy hook, but in a way thats more purpose-driven, as if theyre trying to create a chant that people can rally behind I dont like it. It all feeds into this sense of the music feeling directionless, as if theyre just marching around in a circle and repeating themselves until theyre finally heard. Im truly not sure if this is meant to be protest music in a literal sense, but it does a great job of creating the imagery within its composition.

As for the music itself I cant stand it. Not nearly enough going on with the instruments to pique my interest on a production level and the rhythms themselves feel very plodding. The vocals arent something I can get behind either. Its almost like a disinterested yelling. Yeah, its slightly paradoxical and altogether unenjoyable.

Final Rating: No/10

I am so close.
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