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

(+) Yeah! (+)

Paramore - After Laughter
The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing
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Committing to daily bumps because I really hate losing topics to the purge.
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WoIfOfLight posted...

Paramore - After Laughter
The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing

I just found hard times a couple of days ago and its chorus is so trippy I love it

also love the ting tings
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GTM posted...

WoIfOfLight posted...

Paramore - After Laughter
The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing

I just found hard times a couple of days ago and its chorus is so trippy I love it

also love the ting tings

god bless

After Laughter is a really difficult album to sit to and listen if you're in a okay mood w/ nothing going on though, especially with Tell Me How, 26, and Forgiveness.
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the jesus and mary chain - damage and joy (2017)
leo ku - enjoy yourself tonight

SZA - Ctrl

Fuck me… This album blew me away. I’ve noticed SZA’s name popping up more and more throughout the last couple years on a variety of features, but I don’t believe I ever took the time to actually listen to any of the tracks. I honestly didn’t know if she was a rapper, pop singer, or EDM producer before playing the first song. The lyrics are so raw, and the storytelling is so strong that it was impossible not to hang onto her every word when listening to this album… which I find rare for the genre as R&B often easily falls into the background because of the chilled out beats and slower tempo. I actually had to break habit and follow along with the lyrics on the first run through because I was just too enamored by what I was hearing.

One of my favourite things about debut albums, or at least major label debuts, is that artists are often working with just one, or very few different producers throughout the album. With just three producers doing virtually all of the production on this album, nothing sounds out of place, and they provide an excellent backdrop to let SZA do her thing. I’m legitimately thinking of adding a “cry counter” to this project because I have to admit, “Drew Barrymore” had me in tears and I don’t think it’ll be the last time that happens in this topic. The problem with reviewing so early after hearing an album is that I just want to shower everything with superlatives. Is it the best song I’ve heard this year? I don’t know. But I really want to say so. Something else I loved about the album is the sequencing. There are a couple of big name features here coming from Travis Scott and Kendrick Lamar, and despite the fact that they’re both good in their appearances, I really love that they’re both out of the way early, and you don’t hear another male voice until the closing tracks on the album. I think I just appreciate the fact that they let a newer artist control the space, rather than throwing in a bunch of bigger names to attract more attention to her music.

In short, I fuck with all of this. Hard. I’m behind for today so I really need to move onto the next one. But damn flubbs, you not only went 2/2, but those balls went hard and deep.


Final Rating: More suggestive baseball metaphors/9
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Aw shit, I'm glad you enjoyed my choices! Drew Barrymore is really phenomenal, easily a SotY contender. Great album write-up, I'll continue following the topic for sure. Keep up the good work!
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What up thunder. 10/10 topix as usual

Brand New - Science Fiction (2017)
Eyedea & Abilities - By the Throat (2009)

Man...that Puberty 2 review almost makes me think Science Fiction is a bad suggestion but, I'm completely obsessed with that record right now and I'm pretty positive you'll love it. Plus I'm selfish and want to read your thoughts on it too.
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StartTheMachine posted...

Man...that Puberty 2 review almost makes me think Science Fiction is a bad suggestion but, I'm completely obsessed with that record right now and I'm pretty positive you'll love it. Plus I'm selfish and want to read your thoughts on it too.

I was really hoping someone would suggest it, but I'll let you know right now that I bought it the day it came out and listened to it nonstop for a few weeks after that. It really ignited my passion for music again and made me realize... Well, I should save this for the review. Can't wait to get to it, and really happy to see you around again!
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wait are you not going in order? where was that last one rec'd
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digiiiiiiiii posted...

wait are you not going in order? where was that last one rec'd

mcflubbin didn't have a 2017 album in his first post, but I didn't notice until I ranked his first choice, he made the correction somewhere near the bottom on the first page.
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Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory

In a complete reversal compared the SZA album, I feel as though I would actually need more time to digest this in order to say that I truly enjoy the album at all. In terms of lyrics and subject matter, the album sounds very assured and Vince’s flow is stable and impressive throughout… but I’m still struggling with many of the production choices. The styles feel disparate and although I enjoy many of the genres on their own, it’s almost unsettling to hear them on a hip-hop album. I’m hearing elements of dubstep, garage, techno and even some sections that sound like late 00’s progressive house. For some reason I just can’t make sense of it all yet, and the album is slightly disjointed as a result. Despite clocking in under 40 minutes, it feels like a lengthy listen… and that’s not a positive in this case. To speak more on the positives, I do enjoy his use of interpolation and it’s kind of fun to search for influences or little references throughout his bars. In a lot of ways, this sounds like the kind of album I would make if I were a rapper. I’d try to include all the things I like about different genres and even references to pop culture figures and ideas that I find interesting. That’s a major reason why I think this is an album that could grow on me in a big way. The bridge in “Yeah Right” seems like a moment of genius to me, but as I listen to it now, I get somewhat annoyed when it ends and Kendrick hops in for a verse. Being annoyed at a Kendrick feature for any reason seems kind of ludicrous, but that’s currently how I feel.

I hate to make the comparison because it always feels lazy and I don’t want to even slightly imply that this album is derivative, but many moments remind me of how I felt when listening to Yeezus for the first time. I simply wasn’t ready for it. There were moments I enjoyed, but after the first listen I did not think it was a good album. At all. It was only after sitting with it for a few days that certain moments would loop through my head and eventually force me to revisit it with a more open mind. Little by little the album grew on me and I was eventually able to appreciate it for what it was. With Big Fish Theory it’s a little different because I already know the album is good. The lyrics and delivery are too sharp for this to be a middling album, I just need more time to unpack it in order to understand if and how all these pieces fit together.

Final Rating: Another rap album compared to Yeezus/10


Rankings

SZA - Ctrl
Gorillaz - Humanz
Mitski - Puberty 2
Soen - Lykaia
Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis
Depeche Mode - Delta Machine
Every Time I Die - Low Teens


Yeah, the rankings are anything but final. It's way too hard to make a ruling on an album after just a single day and a few spins. Everything except the ratings are subject to change.
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thundersheep posted...

StartTheMachine posted...

Man...that Puberty 2 review almost makes me think Science Fiction is a bad suggestion but, I'm completely obsessed with that record right now and I'm pretty positive you'll love it. Plus I'm selfish and want to read your thoughts on it too.

I was really hoping someone would suggest it, but I'll let you know right now that I bought it the day it came out and listened to it nonstop for a few weeks after that. It really ignited my passion for music again and made me realize... Well, I should save this for the review. Can't wait to get to it, and really happy to see you around again!

Ahhh, I had a feeling that might be the case. I just couldn't remember if from that music topic back in the day you were a Brand New fan too or if it was just ExTha and me!
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Brutal Juice mutilation makes identification difficult

Lagwagon let's talk about feelings
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2017 Dead Cross - Dead Cross
Buckethead - Colma
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OlDirtyNumbers posted...

The National - Sleep Well Beast
Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady

...this is over two hours of music. Why do you hate me? I'm gonna have to do these as "first reaction" type posts, and they might be in point form.

They're both fucking great though.
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Big Fish Theory was an instant for me but I can get the grower type of reaction


I actually wish I switched that out to see what you would say about Lorde's Melodrama but eh
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You know what disregard my Paris Match rec, that youtube rip sounds like crap and I can't find them anywhere else. Listen to "An Insatiable High" by Masayoshi Takanaka instead!

Bane_Of_Despair posted...

Big Fish Theory was an instant for me but I can get the grower type of reaction


I actually wish I switched that out to see what you would say about Lorde's Melodrama but eh

I'd actually love to comment on that album if I'm given the chance. Or maybe I could do it as a weekend freebie or something... Still not sure if it's fair that I insert things I feel like talking about on my off-time, or whether I should stick to the order regardless of the day. I can say that I came around a long way on that album though. I put it on the Friday morning it was released while getting ready for work and wasn't too impressed. Played it again during a road trip with the girlfriend where we sat pretty much silent to absorb the lyrics and... god damn.

Actually, those are the only times I've listened to it at all. I just know it's an album that deserves my attention so I've been reluctant to throw it on in the background again.

Seginustemple posted...

You know what disregard my Paris Match rec, that youtube rip sounds like crap and I can't find them anywhere else. Listen to "An Insatiable High" by Masayoshi Takanaka instead!

Duly noted. Also thanks, because I would have listened to it... but I can't stand listening to low quality rips.
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The National - Sleep Well Beast

I’ve been hearing about The National since at least Boxer, and possibly Alligator. Something about their name just led me to believe their music would be boring as fuck. You know, “white bummer” music as they say… or more accurately as I say, and hope it catches on. It’s not even that I don’t like that type of music, it’s just not for every day. When it came to The National that day never really came, despite me thinking that Trouble Will Find Me was a badass album title and the fact that the music itself was reviewing extremely well.

So two tracks in and this is already heavier than anything I expected, based on my own completely made up expectations. Time for a track-by-track analysis (being generous with that word here)

Day I Die - Oh hey, it turns out I like The National… or at least what they’re doing right now.

Walk It Back - Electronics… interesting. Not interesting meaning it’s captured my interest… more like “wasn’t expecting that”. Sampled voices talking over one another, that’s the other type of interesting. I don’t like this song though. It makes my speaker do weird things.

The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness - I want these guys to name things for me, they’re great at it. Also, this song kicks ass. Wait a second.. They actually say the title in the song? 5 stars.

Born To Beg - Ahh… 3 notes in and I can already tell this is the white bummer stuff I was expecting before this began. Not feeling it.

Turtleneck - Literally forgot to make a comment on this one. Take that as you will.

Empire Line - This song? It gets better.

I’ll Still Destroy You - There is some serious shit going on in here. Like.. layers. Cool ending.This song went places.

Guilty Party - Badass names galore. I really like the outro on this song. Very pleasant.

Carin at the Liquor Store - Not diggin’ the piano here. It’ll be a miracle if I start enjoying this song at any point. No miracles today.

Dark Side of the Gym - I can’t with these titles anymore. TOO GOOD. This song? Not… too good.

Sleep Well Beast - Fuck it.

I overhyped myself with this album. I thought it would be one thing, the second track convinced me I was totally wrong and it was another thing, but then it turned out that it was totally that first thing all along. It might sound like I hate this album, but that’s not totally true. It is close to the truth though. I hate myself more for getting excited though. I was already thinking about going back and listening to all their other albums, hell I was thinking about going back and listening to Matt Berninger’s appearance on Pete Holmes’ podcast. I was all in guys. Things really took a turn at “Born to Beg” and I was never hooked back in.


Final Rating: Trust your gut/10
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Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady

This album is so fucking cool. I’m a sucker for concept albums and the fact that this concept is going to span 4 albums through 7 “suites” is both nerdy as hell and incredibly awesome. It’s such a great fusion of styles, with the first portion feeling quite futuristic in its production and delivery, and the latter half feeling much more like the Motown tracks my parents would play when I was a kid… if they were recorded in the future. “It’s Code” gives me such a strong vibe of “Never Can Say Goodbye” that I was actually quite surprised to see they didn’t give Clifton Davis a writing credit.

As good as the entire album is, the first 6 tracks are just something else. Features from Prince, Solange, Erykah Badu and Miguel.. And they all kill it. That transition from “Q.U.E.E.N.” to “Electric Lady” Unnnghhhh. This is where I would insert a gif of a dude’s O-face because that shit was sublime. The idea that she has another album just as good doesn’t even make sense to me right now. I haven’t even had a chance to follow along with the lyrics yet (the albums were too long today) but given how much care was taken in the creation of this album, I can’t imagine they’re any less impressive than the production. The fucking production. God damn. I don’t understand how these guys haven’t been asked to work with any other high-profile artists since this album was released.. Everything sound so crisp, it’s really, really... it's everything.

I wish I had more time tonight, I’m nowhere near done gushing. But I need to rank this and get the hell to bed.

Final Rating: (4+5)/7


Rankings

Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady
SZA - Ctrl
Gorillaz - Humanz
Mitski - Puberty 2
Soen - Lykaia
Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis
Depeche Mode - Delta Machine
The National - Sleep Well Beast
Every Time I Die - Low Teens
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Joey Bada$$ - ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$

When it comes to hip-hop my tastes generally lean towards the old-school. I think that’s why I love the hell out of the first half of this album, and my feelings start to cool down right after the halfway point where the songs get a bit more aggressive and the production gets a little grimier to match. Even as much as I enjoy his flow, I’m more impressed by his singing on the hooks. He’s not trying to do anything crazy, he just stays in his vocal range and manages to sound smooth as hell, especially on “Temptations”. As far as his lyrics are concerned, I’m generally not into the political stuff, and it doesn’t help when it’s the kind of surface-level analysis everyone has been doing for the past few years. I feel like nobody is saying anything new when it comes to these topics anymore. Black people are getting killed? Got it. Trump isn’t a good choice for President? You don’t say. It’s not really a criticism of Joey himself either, I feel this way about most music that tries to grapple with these issues. The examples I’ve seen of it done well are very few and far between... the only one I can even think of right now is “Early” on RTJ2. But I’m getting off-topic here. I wouldn’t ever expect a 22 year old to be able to tell me something profound about the times we live in, but good on him for trying, I guess.

This album really falls off when the features start rolling in during the second half. The only one I truly enjoy is “Ring the Alarm” featuring Nyck Caution, Kirk Knight & Meechy Darko. Meechy sounds scary as hell and the track has some incredibly dark and foreboding production to match his intensity on the bridge. It’s really a perfect marriage. The rest of the features are mostly uninteresting and I assume J. Cole’s verse is trash since I actually zoned out during that song. On multiple listens.

I don’t listen to a lot of rap anymore, but I actually checked this album out when it was released. The lackluster second half is probably why I never returned to it, since I’m now realizing that the first 5 tracks are fantastic. Overall, I’m a fan. This is good stuff.

Final Rating: 3/1
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You may have said it sometime in the past but curious how you feel about To Pimp a Butterfly after seeing you talk about AAB
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Also I'm glad you pointed out Ring the Alarm, I highly enjoy that song too.
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Bane_Of_Despair posted...

You may have said it sometime in the past but curious how you feel about To Pimp a Butterfly after seeing you talk about AAB

I've got mixed feelings on that album. I think it's an incredible accomplishment and that the album deserves all the praise it's received (and the Grammy it didn't). But I'd be dishonest if I said I LIKED the album. I've listened to it maybe 6 or 7 times total and many of those were forced. I love how deep it is, and the fact that even though I consider myself as someone who knows a lot about black history I had to read up in order to fully grasp some of the references he was making... but again, I listened to it 7 times. The music just isn't what I would put on to enjoy. That said, I absolutely LOVE "These Walls" and I could listen to that track all-day.

In short, it's an album I have an immense amount of respect for, but it's not one of my favourites. In comparison I'd say DAMN. was much more listenable and suited to my tastes, but I wouldn't call it a better album.
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Frank Turner - Poetry of the Deed

Breaking all conventions and my own rules here. I only listened to the first 5 tracks (of 13) and I’m going to write and post this anyway. I don’t really need to hear the rest to say what I need to say about this album.

It’s times like this I wish I were recording myself talking about the music so that you could see how fired up I get about this shit... Or simply pause for drama after making vague statements, kind of like I’m attempting to do right now. Okay. This album is pretty good so far and it’s really hammering home why so much of top 40 radio gets on my nerves. It’s not that i hate pop music, because some of my favourite acts operate solely in that genre, it’s the incredible laziness when it comes to lyrics and production that basically get me angry when I listen. I’m following along to this Frank Turner and although the genre and production aren’t my favourite, his words force me to care and pay attention to his music. Every line means something and you can tell it’s coming from a genuine place.

His bridges aren’t filled with “Whoa oh oh”s and other bullshit, his choruses don’t just repeat the songs title a bunch of times and the lyrics speak to things that things he’s experienced or things he’s learned, rather than empty platitudes sung to no one in particular. It’s not even just pop music, most of the garbage being rapped over trap beats these days features a similar lack of creativity and some big names that just stick to a formula.

I’ve been pretty lucky in this topic so far because no one has suggested I listen to the type of music I’m complaining about here, so thanks for that. But it’s something that’s been on my mind lately because I work a monotonous job where the radio is all that keeps me sane, yet it can also make be go a bit crazy when I’m forced to listen to some rubbish by The Chainsmokers. Ugh. Before I listened to the radio this stuff wouldn’t get me so heated, I figured people should listen to whatever makes them happy and if I don’t like it… cool. But seriously, fuck The Chainsmokers.

Final Rating: Was gonna proofread this, but decided I’d give it to ya raw/10


Rankings

Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady
SZA - Ctrl
Gorillaz - Humanz
Frank Turner - Poetry of the Deed
Mitski - Puberty 2
Joey Bada$$ - ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$
Soen - Lykaia
Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis
Depeche Mode - Delta Machine
The National - Sleep Well Beast
Every Time I Die - Low Teens


I think I'll be ready for some tiers tomorrow. This looks like an ordered list but some are tied with 3-4 others and there are some pretty big chasms between a few albums.
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Disclaimer: I ate a pot chocolate about 3 hours ago. This generally results in me liking new music more.
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Handguns - Life Lessons

Whoa, was not expecting to hear pop punk at any time during this topic. It’s still one of those genres that is so rooted in an era to me that I don’t even consider the possibility of bands still playing this music, or me discovering a new name in the scene. I’ve always thought that it would be hard to enjoy hearing new stuff in the genre because without the nostalgia attached, the music sounds pretty juvenile… but I don’t hate this. It sounds very prototypical of the genre and there isn’t much praise I can aim towards the instrumentation or the vocals. They sound like the dictionary definition of pop punk, they don’t seem to have influences from any other genre and it’s kind of crazy. During their heaviest moments they tend to sound a lot like the more melodic moments of a band like Silverstein and I really love those parts, such as the bridge on “Heart vs. Head”, also my favourite song on the album.

The rest is tough to get into though. There is nothing that stands out about these songs. There is no experimentation in terms of production or song structures and even the lyrics can get a bit cringey at times. It has no character, they take zero chances and do nothing to differentiate themselves from other bands. And yet… it still sounds incredibly tight and focused. The album was clearly made with an immense amount of skill and attention to detail--it’s just a shame that they set out to make such a boring album.

Final Rating: Take a Chance/ABBA
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It's one of my favorite albums even though I can recognize that it's the pop punk template completely. The lyrics are especially dear to me since they came at the perfect time in my life and I adore the vocals. It's also the perfect length, I can put it on for quick pick me-up whenever I need it.
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but man you missed so many good tracks

MysticBrohan posted...

but man you missed so many good tracks

I just started writing there. It doesn't mean I stopped listening at that point. That's why the rankings can change at any time. If I keep listening to this stuff, my opinions will change over time.


I'm really high right now. Sometimes 1 is enough, too much even.




Fit For An Autopsy - The Great Collapse

When I’m listening to music this heavy, I usually prefer when it’s peppered with melodic sections throughout the album, but even without going for the big choruses, this record keeps things interesting with its incredible breakdowns, The only track that indulges me with a big melodic chorus featuring a literal chorus is the second track “Heads Will Hang”. It grabbed my attention early on and ended up being my favourite album. I really enjoy their measured use of blast beats as I’ve listened to a lot of music in similar genres where the drumming becomes fatiguing to listen to. One weird complaint I have is that I feel the lead vocals should should be harder to understand? It just doesn’t seem right that this guy is growling every word, but I can clearly hear what he’s saying without having to look at lyrics. It’s like the his voice is naked or something. Real weird. It’s kind of funny how many different things they throw into this album, with the sparse almost electronic feeling breakdowns to the melodic death metal choruses to its noodly solos and inserted audio clips… There’s a lot going on here and it’s pretty great.

Final Rating: Who the fuck are you when no one’s watching/10




I can't think of tier names right now, but these spaces will mean something one day. Possibly tomorrow.


Rankings


Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady
SZA - Ctrl
Gorillaz - Humanz
Frank Turner - Poetry of the Deed
Mitski - Puberty 2
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Fit For An Autopsy - The Great Collapse
Joey Bada$$ - ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$
Soen - Lykaia
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Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory
Handguns - Life Lessons
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis
Depeche Mode - Delta Machine
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The National - Sleep Well Beast
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Every Time I Die - Low Teens
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I'm really glad you liked it, it's actually one of my favorite metal albums in a while.
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I'm ready to be told my tastes are shit lol

Chicano Batman - Freedom is Free (2017)
Elephant Gym - Angle (2014)
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Everything Everything - A Fever Dream

...where did these guys come from? I swear I hadn’t even heard the name of the band before this year, yet when A Fever Dream dropped, everyone was talking about it as if it were one of the biggest releases of the year. I kind of get it, they seem like a band that just hasn’t really made a name for themselves on this continent, despite having already formed a very clear identity and proven themselves capable of putting out an extremely polished record. This album hooked me early with the electronic influences and the ability to go in and out of hard rock and more… groovy shit, with their dirty basslines and slick harmonies. This type of feel peaks with the third track “Desire” and sadly, so does my enthusiasm for this album. I love when they just go for it and get loud with some chunky guitar, while still displaying their pop sensibilities with the soft-falsettos and melodic breakdowns. But man… the sequencing absolutely kills this album for me. “Run the Numbers” is the last song on here that I could call a “romp” and after that it’s all down-tempo pop/electronic stuff that isn’t even bad… it’s just not broken up by any of the fun stuff that they opened up with.

Listening to the entire thing leaves me feeling bamboozled. It’s like the first group of songs was just put there to lure me in, and the absolutely forgettable second half of the album is what they wanted me to hear the entire time. If the lyrics weren’t so thoughtful I would have a much harsher view on this album as a whole… but the second is still well-made, just disappointing. I’ll probably end up listening to this album a lot more, they’re doing something interesting. I mean “New Deep” is o_0.

Final Rating: Eeeeeeh/10
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Masayoshi Takanaka - An Insatiable High

Well… here it is. The reason I started this topic. Was hoping it wouldn’t occur so quickly but… it did. Obviously I’m not talking about this particular album (although wouldn’t it be cool if I was?) but the fact that I began this as a way to get more comfortable talking about music. Growing a vocabulary and finding new and interesting ways to describe my feelings about something I love. Unfortunately, I still have a long ways to go because I don’t even know where to start with an album like this. First of all, I enjoyed it, a lot. It’s quite far from the music I would listen to on my own time… but it does trigger a feeling of nostalgia and familiarity I wasn’t expecting. Also sounds a lot blacker than I was expecting. I think I would be more surprised if I didn’t play video games, but I’ve always loved how funky the Japanese can get when it comes to production. I’m still trying to train my ears to isolate and identify different instruments within a mix, and anything other than a simple 4-piece band with some synth work is hard for me. I can praise the guitar here, but I truly wish I had a better understanding of music theory so that I could describe why a track like “Sexy Dance” speaks to me more than something like “Sundrops”. Ahh, I feel bad for this, but I gotta head out for the night and will likely be too drunk to want to post when I get back. I’m gonna stick a metaphorical pin in this one.

Final Rating: Feels bad man/10




Rankings


SZA - Ctrl
Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady
Gorillaz - Humanz
Frank Turner - Poetry of the Deed
Mitski - Puberty 2
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Fit For An Autopsy - The Great Collapse
Joey Bada$$ - ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$
Everything Everything - A Fever Dream
Soen - Lykaia
Masayoshi Takanaka - An Insatiable High
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Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory
Handguns - Life Lessons
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis
Depeche Mode - Delta Machine
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The National - Sleep Well Beast
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Every Time I Die - Low Teens
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Save.
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Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear

This one really threw me for a loop. I still have something in my head that tells me funny music cant also be good music. I felt really worried after hearing the first couple lines in this album because I usually cant get into comedy music and I really didnt want to listen to a funny album 3-4 times today but I was pleasantly surprised to see that this album isnt carried by laughs, and its construction was far from lazy. I was expecting a guy and an acoustic guitar, writing a few funny lines to the same few chords over and over, but there is a wide range of production styles throughout this album and each song stands out from the rest. My favourite of the bunch was the electronically-driven True Affection which features some irresistibly melodic synthwork as well as some 80s inspired electronic percussion that really sets it apart from every other track on the LP. Even better is the fact that the songs lyrics explain exactly why that song sounds so different from the others. The lyrics really stand out in every track here. Not only are Mistys vocals incredibly fitting and consistent with the subject matter and production styles featured but the lyrics themselves are descriptive, conversational, and at times utterly arresting with their specificity.

I truly did not expect to enjoy this album nearly as much as I am right now. Will definitely have to check out his other work.

Final Rating: Funny can be good/10
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Neil Cicierga - Mouth Moods

Its probably a good thing I didnt recognize this guys name until I had already listened to the album. I came in with no expectations and was kind of blown away by the end of it. Im a guy who still has When Robots Attack saved on his phone, and who makes sure to watch The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny at least a few times each couple years. I had no idea he was doing this mashup stuff now, but it makes a lot of sense now that I know its him. The thing that caught me off-guard about this album was how funny it managed to be while only using music cues. It plays on connotations that these songs have in our culture and uses those feelings to create some unbelievable dynamics with other songs that conjure up vastly different feelings in the collective consciousness. Im hesitant to even talk specifically about which parts I like best, because it almost feels like Id be revealing spoilers. Its such a great feeling to hear how these songs are interpolated on the first listen and I feel like knowing what to expect would ruin some of the incredible surprises to be found in this album.

Im tired and I like this a lot.

Final Rating: #LazyMonday/10




Rankings


SZA - Ctrl
Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady
Gorillaz - Humanz
Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear
Frank Turner - Poetry of the Deed
Mitski - Puberty 2
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Neil Cicierga - Mouth Moods
Fit For An Autopsy - The Great Collapse
Joey Bada$$ - ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$
Everything Everything - A Fever Dream
Soen - Lykaia
Masayoshi Takanaka - An Insatiable High
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Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory
Handguns - Life Lessons
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis
Depeche Mode - Delta Machine
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The National - Sleep Well Beast
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Every Time I Die - Low Teens
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Michelle Branch - Hopeless Romantic

I dont like this very much at all. It feels incredibly pedestrian and safe in both the lyrics and I cant think of any moment in the album that stands out as being innovative or unique. The lyrics seem to be an exercise in nailing every single cliche about love there is, and I guess that could be expected on an album called Hopeless Romantic but it becomes hard to stomach after a few listens. Luckily the lyrics are easy enough to ignore because the songs themselves are quite listenable. The music here isn't technically bad. The arrangements are fine and the production features enough real instruments to differentiate her sound from a lot of the pop-EDM acts singing about similar topics, but man its all just so uninteresting. Even her vocals are played safe for the entire album, just staying comfortable in a very limited range never revealing any urgency to her words. I think thats the biggest problem with this album. Mediocre lyrics can be covered by an incredible vocal performance, but on this album we get neither.

I really don't like this album, and the worst part is that there probably isn't a single bad song in the tracklist. I actually kind of love "Temporary Feeling", but I'm sure I could find something to love in any 50+ minute LP. My issue is that the album simply feels unnecessary. I guess shes speaking to her own truth and every story of heartbreak is unique in its own way but I feel like I've already heard every tired metaphor used in her lyrics and I just cant get behind this album.

Final Rating: 7/10
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The Veronicas - Hook Me Up

This one really threw me for a loop. I was really digging the first track, likely because of the interplay between the strings and the synths and then the rest of the album really hammered home the fact that this was released in 2007. It feels wrong to knock an album for being old, especially when old only means it was recorded about 10 years ago, but this type of production did not age gracefully. I have to give them some props for embracing dance beats before they became popular (in the US), but there are a couple moments on this album I found near-comical simply due to how dated they sound. That said, there is also a lot that really works on this album, likely because the vocal performances are so strong. I mean its no doubt teen pop, and the topics covered are about as shallow as it gets but they come to each song with different vocal inflections to match the backing beat, as well as an earnestness that allows them to sell even the most ridiculous concepts, like brag track about being popular. Seriously.

Its hard to explain why this album works so well, but in a word its probably the energy. Even the slower tracks build up to big and powerful harmonies and there is a constant feeling of motion throughout the album. Whether its the guitars, synths, pianos or the voices of the sisters themselves, something is always building or swelling somewhere in the mix, making the album really feel alive as many of the tracks build up to be something nearly unrecognizable from where they began. Anyway, Im really digging this, might have to check out some of their newer albums.

Final Rating: 808/10




Rankings


SZA - Ctrl
Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady
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Gorillaz - Humanz
Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear
Frank Turner - Poetry of the Deed
Mitski - Puberty 2
The Veronicas - Hook Me Up
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Neil Cicierga - Mouth Moods
Fit For An Autopsy - The Great Collapse
Joey Bada$$ - ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$
Everything Everything - A Fever Dream
Soen - Lykaia
Masayoshi Takanaka - An Insatiable High
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Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory
Handguns - Life Lessons
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis
Michelle Branch - Hopeless Romantic
Depeche Mode - Delta Machine
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The National - Sleep Well Beast
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Every Time I Die - Low Teens
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So, since Owl didn't include a 2017 album and got skipped and I don't want TDH to go unrepresented, can I make a change?

Take out Maps of Non-Existent Places in favor of
The Dear Hunter - Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise
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NBIceman posted...

So, since Owl didn't include a 2017 album and got skipped and I don't want TDH to go unrepresented, can I make a change?

Take out Maps of Non-Existent Places in favor of
The Dear Hunter - Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise

Yeah that sounds fair. That's actually one of the artists I was most excited to get into.

Queens of the Stone Age - Villains

It's on albums like this I think about how different a topic this would be if I never suggested doing two of these a day or having any schedule really, and just decided to talk about the music when I had something to say. The difference in opinion between one listen and 4 listens can be huge. If those 4 listens are spread out over a period of days or weeks, it's literally night and day. I guess I prioritized hearing a bunch of new music over putting together meaningful critique... but I do think about changing the format every now and then.

So, for whatever reason, I was hyped for this album. I'd never listened to a QotSA album before, and I picked up Songs for the Deaf in the weeks before this was released in order to confirm my hype? I don't know. It was something about the name and the cover that had me excited. I didn't even bother checking out the pre-release single. I got the album on Thursday night and was immediately hooked. I was expecting some kind of dance-rock, and again I don't know how or why I was expecting anything when I hadn't read anything about the album, and Songs for the Deaf came out 15 years ago. Imagine my elation when "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" had a great groove and "The Way You Used To Do" was a straight up bop. I mean it's not even the typical rock headbang/nod vibe you get from that track.. It's seriously danceable and I love it. I thought the whole album would be filled with tracks like that, but the dance vibe left as quickly as it came and I ended up severely disappointed with the album as a whole.

Now if I were "reviewing" it that same night, I would have said it's bad/boring/disappointing and that would be it. Luckily, I wasn't. So I went back to it a couple times and still, huge drop-off after the first two tracks. But on my listens today, something changed. I still think the third track is bad, but the album itself is kind of great. It's 48 minutes spread between 9 tracks and only two of them ("Domesticated Animals" and "Head Like a Haunted House") are not to my tastes. The rest of the group features some really interesting instrumentation and the length afforded to every track gives each song space to really stretch its legs. Nothing feels rushed, they're not trying to cram in a few verses and hooks in a 3.5 minute package for radio and I think most of the songs are much stronger for it. On tracks like "Fortress" and "Un-Reborn Again" the electronics are just allowed to morph and twist, creating their own vibe before the traditional instruments even make an appearance and they're able to form very distinct settings for many songs throughout the album by taking this approach. I don't know if I'm making sense, but it's really fucking cool.

This album is really fucking cool.

Final Rating: More fucks/10
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Dessa - A Badly Broken Code

Eh I don't really know about this one. Feeling pretty low right now and I feel this is going to come out as a stream of consciousness more than anything analytical. I honestly feel weird listening to music like this, and this album gives me a similar feeling as the Mitski one did earlier in this topic. The lyrics and storytelling are great, but it almost feels too personal, like I'm eavesdropping and I shouldn't actually be privy to this information. I guess that speaks to the quality of the music, but I can't say I enjoy the feeling or experience. I often let an album sit in the background for at least one of my listens while I browse the internet, but albums like this make it hard to focus on anything other than the words I'm hearing. It's all very gripping and immediate, her delivery really demands your attention.

I'm not sure if the album itself put me in this funk, or if I was already having these feelings and the music doesn't distract me from my feelings, but it's a little hard to listen to. It's likely the latter, as the music here isn't overtly sad for the most part, but it is quite emotional, and I don't think I could describe any of the subject matter as frivolous, but even the tracks that should be more fun like "Crew" aren't doing much for my mood. I really just need to get away from this album, which happens to be pretty good. I think.

Final Rating: Bleh/10

Rankings

SZA - Ctrl
Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady
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Gorillaz - Humanz
Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear
Frank Turner - Poetry of the Deed
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Mitski - Puberty 2
Dessa - A Badly Broken Code
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The Veronicas - Hook Me Up
Queens of the Stone Age - Villains
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Neil Cicierga - Mouth Moods
Fit For An Autopsy - The Great Collapse
Joey Bada$$ - ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$
Everything Everything - A Fever Dream
Soen - Lykaia
Masayoshi Takanaka - An Insatiable High
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Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory
Handguns - Life Lessons
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis
Michelle Branch - Hopeless Romantic
Depeche Mode - Delta Machine
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The National - Sleep Well Beast
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Every Time I Die - Low Teens

These tiers will all be given names soon, and if I succeed, the rankings will make even less sense than they currently do based on the writeups.
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Can mine be the hardcore tier
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glad you liked them!

i think it's interesting(?) that you seem to characterize Honeybear primarily as a comedy/funny album. clearly there are humorous elements and maybe i'm showing off my plebeian side here because the draw for me is the more obvious romantic tone and themes of the album. i'm a sucker for the cynical "the world sucks and we're all going to die but at least i've got you" attitude and the resulting intimacy conveyed as a result.

i'm honestly not that big on Mouth Moods myself actually but i'll just ask you for your favorite track. Starting Line/Smooth for me.

QotSA is such a hit-or-miss band for me. Songs for the Deaf and ...Like Clockwork are among my all-time favorite albums, but the rest is just... meh. I was psyched for Villains because I liked the singles, but I was really underwhelmed by the full album.
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The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth
Ben Folds Five - The Sound of the Life of the Mind
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jcgamer107 posted...

The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth
Ben Folds Five - The Sound of the Life of the Mind

You can't come in this late and still do it wrong. All I asked is that you read the first two sentences. Is that too much?

C'MON MAN!
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kateee posted...

glad you liked them!

i think it's interesting(?) that you seem to characterize Honeybear primarily as a comedy/funny album. clearly there are humorous elements and maybe i'm showing off my plebeian side here because the draw for me is the more obvious romantic tone and themes of the album. i'm a sucker for the cynical "the world sucks and we're all going to die but at least i've got you" attitude and the resulting intimacy conveyed as a result.

i'm honestly not that big on Mouth Moods myself actually but i'll just ask you for your favorite track. Starting Line/Smooth for me.

I think that's what caught me off-guard with the Misty album. I heard a few lines and instantly thought "comedy album" because music with that kind of instrumentation is rarely funny, unless that's what they're going for that type of incongruity... for the laugh. But as I kept listening I realized that it's just really great music with some clever writing that happens to be funny a lot of the time.

As for Mouth Moods, my favourite has to be T.I.M.E. I was enjoying the album well enough and when that song came on I just had that moment of clarity and realized "this is actually brilliant". Prior to that I was more in a "haha these two don't go together!" mood, but that track really showed me how a song can take on a completely different meaning simply by changing the background production. I got kind of emotional when listening to it.

I may have also been on a pot edible.
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that seems like the most backwards criticism of a badly broken code i've ever seen to be honest. the lyrics mean too much? the song is too compelling? i don't really get it. like if you didn't like it that would be one thing, but your reasoning sounds ... completely bonkers

glad you liked villains tho
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