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

(+) Yeah! (+)

o

replace The Mountain Goats with

Minimall - HUH! EP
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thundersheep posted...

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

this seems pretty similar to me! but on a lesser scale

i was not on anything so that may have been a contributing factor.

digiiiiiiiii posted...

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

Did you look at the rankings? I think it's a better album than Villains, just not one I can enjoy listening to right now.
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yah i mean i'm not upset, i realize that comes off more hostile. i've just been enjoying your writeups and that one made zero sense to me.
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Halsey - hopeless fountain kingdom (2017) (on spotify)
Emilie Autumn - Opheliac (2006) -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdzKd7WCs9E
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digiiiiiiiii posted...

yah i mean i'm not upset, i realize that comes off more hostile. i've just been enjoying your writeups and that one made zero sense to me.

Yeah, and I kinda knew it would be disappointing going into it because her name is one I've seen you propping up for YEARS around here. It's hard to make sense of but yeah, it's almost too emotionally affecting to talk about directly because it puts me in a really introspective mood and I can no longer step back and examine her words because I'm too deep in my own mind about my own shit. Which I know sounds contradictory since I just said her lyrics demand attention... but it's all happening at the same time and it's very hard to describe.

Long story short it makes me feel a lot of things and while that's generally good, it's really tough on me right now, probably another album that would have benefited from me taking some more time with it. It can be hard to nail what's good about the good stuff as soon as you hear it.

tabiicat42 posted...

Halsey - hopeless fountain kingdom (2017)

Oh no... Now I'm going to have to show this to my girlfriend. She's a huge fan (going to her concert next month). I didn't want to show her these reviews because frankly I don't think they've been any good yet (hoping to hit my stride around the 50 mark) and I've always felt like B8 was kind of my journal, wanting to keep it private. But if I write about Halsey I don't think I can keep it to myself. Now I just have to hope no one posts Foster the People's 2017 album...
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The Contortionist - Clairvoyant

I really fucked up on my listening sequence today. The albums were both kinda lengthy and I tried to get cute (or save myself fatigue) by hopping between them and now I feel like I didn't spend enough time with either. Oh well. At least I can say that I'm not dismissing either of them because they failed to click.

It feels a little serendipitous that this was the album I had today. I was listening to an interview with Deafheaven's George Clarke as a fell asleep last night and it got me thinking about how much I love that band and some of the post-rock sections they have in their albums. It got me thinking about how I still don't know what post-rock is and how I'm only aware of the genre because a few bands I like have written songs with some really nice drum parts featuring a really nice tempo and lots of cymbal crashes. I read a lot of reviews and someone inevitably mentions post-rock influences regarding the tracks with those drums that always catch my ear. I found it pretty odd that even though I love every instance of "post-rock" I've heard, I'd never actually listened to a post-rock record, from a post-rock band before.

So I start this album up and I notice it's completely filled with the type of drums I'm in love with, and then I look them up and see that the album is prog metal/prog rock. Apparently I still have no idea what post-rock is, but I'm really enjoying this album, I just wish I was able to give it the attention it deserves. I feel like there's a concept I'm still not understanding and it sucks that I don't have more time to actually comb through the lyrics and give it a dedicated listen, just lying down with some headphones and no distractions but my phone is broken right now so I'd have no way of doing that anyways. This is going to be so much better when I don't have to sit at a computer for 6 hours a day to do this the writing should improve too. The LG V30 can't come soon enough.

So yeah, this is pretty much exactly the kind of rock I like, whatever it is and I can only see this climbing up my rankings as time goes on. I love the seemingly effortless vocals, how fucking intricate the instrumentation can be without getting too weird with shifting time signatures and such, and the euphoric feel of everything when I think "post-rock" is happening. This is really great.

Final Rating: I wanna know what post-rock is... And I want you to show me/10

Holy crap. I just realized that GameFAQs deletes my ellipses when I copy the text over from Google Docs. They still show up in the text box here, but not in the actual posts. It probably makes everything more readable since I overuse the hell out of them, but... I don't know. I like em.
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The Dear Hunter - Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise

Hey guys, here's something you may not have known about me. I really like concept albums. Like, I REALLY like them. A lot. So much so that I basically decided not to review this album two tracks in. Because I like it a lot. I listened to it in full, but I actually made an effort not to pay too much attention to the lyrics because I want to experience this thing from the beginning. Maybe it's not necessary and the albums aren't even that closely connected. I don't really care, I can be a stickler for these things and I already feel like I've spoiled myself a bit. I don't even know how to describe these certain moments in this album, but the music reminds me of the Trial Scene in Chrono Trigger, if Chrono Trigger were a rock-opera, and I am all about that shit.

There is a lot to like here. The vocals for one, some truly captivating compositions (74 minutes and not a single boring track? Come the fuck on) and a bunch of styles, influences and genres I can't even attempt to identify, blending together seamlessly. It's days like this where I wish I could put this entire thing on hold and just live in these albums for a week or two. But then again, I wouldn't be finding all this great stuff without subjecting myself to such a rigid schedule. I guess you take the good with the bad, and I'm grateful that you've all shown me so much good music already.

Final Rating: I love you guys/10

Now excuse me as I use my 20 minutes of leisure time to check out the first half Miley Cyrus' new album.

Rankings

SZA - Ctrl
The Dear Hunter - Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise
Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady
The Contortionist - Clairvoyant
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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
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I don't want to overexplain anything and ruin the experience of new music for you, but just to give some context...

Both of the Contortionist's last two albums were written about a friend of the vocalist's that passed away. Language, the first one, tells that story metaphorically, whereas Clairvoyant is much more direct, especially towards the end of the album.

As far as TDH goes, all five of their Act albums are directly connected - they all cover the same story. You actually have a couple of options with it, though. You can listen to them all chronologically, obviously, but the band's songwriter has also said a few times recently that he actually thinks the story is more interesting from a narrative perspective if you start with Act IV and then treat the first three as flashbacks that reveal everything that led up to the events in Rebirth in Reprise. (I could go into more detail but it'd be very spoiler-y and it doesn't sound like you want that.) Either way works, just wanted to throw that alternate path out there since you thought so highly of IV.

Glad you enjoyed them both.
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@Murphiroth

I'm about to go leave for a haircut, but I can't find the Band-Maid album anymore, and I'm pretty sure that was your 2017 entry. If you don't see this by the time I get back I'll still review the Fair to Midland album since I know for a fact that "Just Bring It" was on Youtube in full at the time of your posting, but you may need to replace it, or find me a new link.
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NBIceman posted...

I don't want to overexplain anything and ruin the experience of new music for you, but just to give some context...

Both of the Contortionist's last two albums were written about a friend of the vocalist's that passed away. Language, the first one, tells that story metaphorically, whereas Clairvoyant is much more direct, especially towards the end of the album.

As far as TDH goes, all five of their Act albums are directly connected - they all cover the same story. You actually have a couple of options with it, though. You can listen to them all chronologically, obviously, but the band's songwriter has also said a few times recently that he actually thinks the story is more interesting from a narrative perspective if you start with Act IV and then treat the first three as flashbacks that reveal everything that led up to the events in Rebirth in Reprise. (I could go into more detail but it'd be very spoiler-y and it doesn't sound like you want that.) Either way works, just wanted to throw that alternate path out there since you thought so highly of IV.

Glad you enjoyed them both.

Hmm. If that's the case I may as well dive into Act IV before seeking out the rest. It's actually perfect since I've been thinking about the album throughout the day and I'm really excited to get back to it. I have a feeling the rankings will be shaken up this weekend.
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thundersheep posted...

@Murphiroth

I'm about to go leave for a haircut, but I can't find the Band-Maid album anymore, and I'm pretty sure that was your 2017 entry. If you don't see this by the time I get back I'll still review the Fair to Midland album since I know for a fact that "Just Bring It" was on Youtube in full at the time of your posting, but you may need to replace it, or find me a new link.

I just woke up and got to work, I'll see if I can find a link, if not I'll replace it.
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Fair To Midland - Fables From a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True

Given the last few suggestions, it would make sense to assume this is another album that would be right up my alley. I now have the extremely difficult task of explaining why I don't like it without merely picking ridiculous nits. The only moment I flat out hate in the album is the bridge during "Dance of the Manatee". What the hell is going on with the vocal? It doesn't sound anything like a traditional metal growl or harsh vocal, he just sounds low, and severely affected. An angry yell would be fine, but it just sounds like vocal affectation rather than genuine emotion and I can't take that section seriously. I was quite worried since it occurs so early in the album, but that style of vocal never resurfaces so why? To speak of the vocals themselves, they never really grabbed my attention (other than the previous negative example) and it wasn't until I did my lyric readthrough that I caught any of the words being sung.

So... the lyrics. I... uh... fuck. Maybe I'm just an idiot, or I'm not giving them enough time, but I don't understand any of this. Well, I actually gave up on reading them after "A Seafarer's Knot" even though "April Fool's and Eggmen" may have been the only track where I vaguely understood what they were singing about. I won't call them nonsensical, because I feel like a lot of time was taken writing them. They're incredibly tight in a rhythmic sense, but semantically I got nothing. I can see all these references to metaphors and idioms and common sayings, but I don't understand how any of them fit together in the way they're using them.

*15 minutes later*

So I posted a verse here for example, and then read it over a couple times and totally understood it. I went back to another song and it made sense too. Okay, the lyrics are actually great, they just require more than a quick once over. To move onto another positive I really enjoy "The Wife, The Kids, and the White Picket Fence" *5 minutes later* and "Walls of Jericho". Okay, I think this album just moved up 8 spots in the time that it took me to write this. Maybe I should stop now before I say something else stupid. This is exactly why the rankings will never be final.

Final Rating: I'm still triggered by the fact I have to manually retype my ellipses/10
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Hahaha yeah their lyrics are a bit out there sometimes.

A Wolf Descends upon the Spanish Sahara is my favorite song on the album and I'm still not 100% sure of what it's even about.
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Just Bring It looks to be available on Apple Music and Spotify but I can't find it anywhere else.

If you want to replace it with another 2017 album...

Mastodon - Emperor of Sand
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Murphiroth posted...

Just Bring It looks to be available on Apple Music and Spotify but I can't find it anywhere else.

If you want to replace it with another 2017 album...

Mastodon - Emperor of Sand

Awesome, thanks. Heading out for the night so I can't get it done tonight... hopefully I can do it sometime this weekend because I really don't want to be doing one from two different users each day. We'll see.
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Weekend bump.
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yay
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since Menji's was skipped...

Gnod - Just Say No to the Psycho Right-Wing Capitalist Fascist Industrial Death Machine
Luna - Free Somebody
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thundersheep posted...

NBIceman posted...

I don't want to overexplain anything and ruin the experience of new music for you, but just to give some context...

Both of the Contortionist's last two albums were written about a friend of the vocalist's that passed away. Language, the first one, tells that story metaphorically, whereas Clairvoyant is much more direct, especially towards the end of the album.

As far as TDH goes, all five of their Act albums are directly connected - they all cover the same story. You actually have a couple of options with it, though. You can listen to them all chronologically, obviously, but the band's songwriter has also said a few times recently that he actually thinks the story is more interesting from a narrative perspective if you start with Act IV and then treat the first three as flashbacks that reveal everything that led up to the events in Rebirth in Reprise. (I could go into more detail but it'd be very spoiler-y and it doesn't sound like you want that.) Either way works, just wanted to throw that alternate path out there since you thought so highly of IV.

Glad you enjoyed them both.

Hmm. If that's the case I may as well dive into Act IV before seeking out the rest. It's actually perfect since I've been thinking about the album throughout the day and I'm really excited to get back to it. I have a feeling the rankings will be shaken up this weekend.

Let me know if you've got other questions or anything, I could chat about TDH forever.
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In order to get back on track to doing two of each user's suggestions a day, I'm going to review Murph's Band-Maid album, and Damn The Torpedoes by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers today. I've never listened to a Tom Petty album before but I've liked everything I've played of his in RB/GH and Rocksmith games so it seems fitting to pay tribute to a legend, while also solving my dilemma.

Tomorrow everything will continue as normal.
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Band-Maid - Just Bring It

I'll begin by saying that the odds were stacked against this album from the beginning. Not having a high-quality stream (used Spotify's web interface and it sounds pretty bad) and not being in English made it harder for me to appreciate what this album had to offer in the 3 or so hours I gave it. Still, I feel confident that even with lossless audio and an accurate translation my opinion of the music would remain largely the same.

I don't hate this. No, actually I kind of do hate it, but not because I think it's poorly made, it just happens to take influence from an era and a genre I largely abhor... 80's rock (specifically glam metal). Without being able to understand the lyrics I can only focus on the sounds, and there is nothing for me to enjoy during this album. It all appears to be standard hard rock with some metal flourishes when it comes to some of the solos and guitar work. I may have even heard a blast beat or two at some point it's hard to remember (and I don't feel like searching) as much of this album just blends together. It's weird to talk about because I feel like everyone loves 80s rock, but I think most of it just so shitty. The overused guitar tones, the noodly solos, the fact that they're generally singing about nothing or literally singing about "rock" as a verb. It's not something I can appreciate. I'm not saying all 80s rock is like this, and I'm not even saying that I hate all music like this. A ton of stuff from that era I love has everything I just complained about, but I'm too blinded by nostalgia to care. But when I hear anything done in that style today, with no memories to attached... it sounds terrible.

This entire album sounds like 80's rock and there aren't enough modern flourishes or deviations from that sound for me to see it as anything more than a solid tribute to rock bands that came before. The furthest they get is sounding like generic 00's metalcore on tracks like "you." And honestly, that's fine. I can enjoy Killswitch Engage or Bullet From My Valentine on occasion. But apart from the fact that their image doesn't match up with what you'd expect from this type of music, I can't hear anything in this album that sounds unique. Eh.

I really hate writing negative reviews/10
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I'm actually kinda nervous about you ranking mine, haha!
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tabiicat42 posted...

I'm actually kinda nervous about you ranking mine, haha!

Yeah... me too.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Damn The Torpedoes

I'll begin by saying I have no reverence for Tom Petty. His music is not anything I grew up with, and it really wasn't until 2007 (when I first played Guitar Hero 2) that I listened to any classic rock for an extended period of time. I didn't know what to expect choosing this album for today, but I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by what I heard.

I realize that this seems like an incredibly backwards way to compliment someone, but this album makes me realize why people enjoy The War on Drugs so much. It feels very nostalgic, even for someone like me who has only heard the singles, and wasn't even close to being born when the album was released. Nostalgia is a great feeling, and when nearly every song is about girls, it's easy to see how an album like this could be extremely relatable and have such widespread appeal. I don't mean to be reductive either, it's a strength to be able to write 7 songs about a single topic and come in from a completely different angle every time. In an album almost entirely about relationships or women there really isn't much overlap in lyrical content. And impressively, when there is it feels like a chronological progression rather than someone repeating the same sentiment twice such as with the tracks "Don't Do Me Like That" and "Tell Me".

Still, this isn't really the type of music I tend to listen to in my free time. I think it has to do with the brightness of the guitars and piano. The album tends to sound quite immediate and demanding, and it's not something I can play in the background, while also not being heavy enough to be the kind of rock I'd play when I'm in the mood for something more upbeat. The singles from this album are undeniable though. Even after listening to it four times, nothing stands out as strongly as "Refugee" and "Don't Do Me Like That". It's also hard not to feel the sincere sentiment in a track like "Here Comes My Girl". While I can't see myself coming back to this anytime soon, it's something I'm glad to have heard and I'll probably check out his solo work as well, just to compare how his sound changed after splitting ways with The Heartbreakers. I know he's not technically gone yet, but RIP. I can only imagine how many of my favourite artists were influenced by his music.

Final rating:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ4o1N4ksyQ /10
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John Mayer - The Search for Everything

Id like to get to know you, But I just dont think I can

Oooooh boy. I wanted to like this, I really did. I hear a lot of people complain that John Mayer squanders his talents. Apparently he's a guitar virtuoso capable of shredding with the best of them, but instead he chooses to write soft rock for album sales and radio play. As someone with a soft spot for tracks like Bigger Than My Body and No Such Thing I was prepared for some radio rock. I mean, I thought I was prepared.

The funny thing about listening to these albums in such a condensed period of time is that music Id normally say is fine becomes unbearable by the fourth listen. It feels like the highest aim of the album was to be as inoffensive as possible, and there is nothing I enjoy less in music than someone who doesnt take chances. Every song here feels like it was engineered specifically for the adult contemporary charts and I fucking hate it. The intent that is. Mayer is still an accomplished musician and a... songwriter, so you could say everything works and sounds professional, it's uh... competent. But on tracks like Changing and Never on the Day You Leave the piano becomes so incredibly cloying that I quite literally cannot force myself to listen to anymore. I actually thought the album was fine the first time I threw it on and was just browsing Twitter with it in the background, but when I was actually forced to pay attention I realized that I couldnt stand the majority of this album. Its so bad that I cant even appreciate his solos. After a verse and chorus or two Ive long been ready for the song to end.

Is there anything I like about this album? Technically yes. Even after all this time, In The Blood still feels like a great track. The notes tell me that Sheryl Crow did the background vocals (uncredited) which leads me to believe that my brain knew this subconsciously and put the song on the pedestal it deserves, because Sheryl is, well, everything. But in a way I kind of hate that track too because it leads right into Changing, which begins so quickly I dont even have time to hit the mute before those goddamn piano chords hit me.

Favourite Track: In The Blood

Least Favourite Track: Changing

Final Rating: The Search for Everything even the title annoys me now/10
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In The Blood is fantastic, but I think Rosie, You're Gonna Live Forever In Me, and Moving On are my three favorites. In The Blood would very close to those. Changing is definitely some lazy and bad songwriting. So, good picks for the favorites!

I really like the album though so can't agree there.
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Melody Gardot - My One and Only Thrill

I should have seen it coming from a mile away...

When I began this topic I made the decision not to mention any artists, genres or eras of music I enjoy. This was partly because I didnt want you to cater suggestions to my current tastes, I want to discover new things and get a sense of what Ive been missing out on. I also wanted to avoid trolls who deliberately suggested things they knew I would hate. Of all genres (in the broad sense) the only one I can say Ive thoroughly disliked throughout my entire life with (very few exceptions) is jazz. I dont know exactly what it is, and Im hoping that music theory will someday illuminate me as to why I cant stand listening to anything in the genre, but for now I just try to avoid it whenever possible.

I try really hard to emphasize that these are just my opinions. Im not an expert, Im not even a (talented) musician. I feel uncomfortable judging any piece of music as good or bad and I can only speak about how much it moves me. When it comes to jazz, I truly have nothing to say. In other genres I'm aware of what I like and what I dont. Im not sure that Im even capable of liking this style of music, I actually hate all of it. In any other genre I could probably say something positive about Melodys vocals, but I find the tempo so infuriating that the actual length of each word gets on my nerves.

I guess the only relevant thing I can say about this album is that the inclusion of a cover really piqued my interest. I already knew I wouldnt like most of the music, but I was really excited to see how I would react to a cover of Somewhere Over the Rainbow done is this style. I hated it just as much as everything else. I absolutely cannot get into this album and I will confess that while I only listened to it twice, the only moment I enjoyed was the audio clip at the end of If The Stars Were Mine which was entirely non-musical.

Favourite Track: All of them

Least Favourite Track: All of them

Final Rating: Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope/10

New ranking (with tiers names!) in the next post
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Rankings

I'm gonna follow these people on Twitter
SZA - Ctrl
The Dear Hunter - Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise
Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady

These could make some type of year-end list
The Contortionist - Clairvoyant
Gorillaz - Humanz
Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear
Frank Turner - Poetry of the Deed

I like you, but you hurt me
Mitski - Puberty 2
Dessa - A Badly Broken Code

I'm having a hard time justifying this tier
The Veronicas - Hook Me Up
Queens of the Stone Age - Villains

These are all good
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
Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory

I will give these another chance, someday
Fair To Midland - Fables From a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True
Handguns - Life Lessons
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis
John Mayer - The Search for Everything
Michelle Branch - Hopeless Romantic
Depeche Mode - Delta Machine

I will not give these another chance
Band-Maid - Just Bring It
The National - Sleep Well Beast

Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope
Every Time I Die - Low Teens
Melody Gardot - My One and Only Thrill
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One reason you dislike jazz might be that it uses its own scales; it doesn't follow the normal musical progressions of almost everything else, which people either find awesome (me) or grating (you). Throw that in with swing tempos -- even in the ballad parts -- and yeah, I totally understand.
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Knew I should have gone with Mastodon!

The 80s rock influence is strong for sure.
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aww, jazz is my favorite genre and i love melody gardot :-/

but yeah, how you feel about jazz is how i feel about punk. some music genres just don't do it for certain people.

(nice topic, btw. i've been lurking since the start.)
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Cloud Cult - Light Chasers

Google Play Music is telling me that Ive already listened to this album twice. Exactly twice, to be precise. Not a single track has been played any more or less. Since this is the only Cloud Cult album in my library, it would lead me to believe that once upon a time I asked Board 8 for music suggestions and someone (who may or may not have been Zazi, but Im 100% sure it was) told me to listen to it.

I actually have a pretty good memory. I can remember what I said about it the first time around, and it turns out that I lied. I never did end up listening to more of this band and I feel fairly certain that its the second listen that caused my change of heart. There are many things I like about this album, and a few major things I dont. I really enjoy when they remind me theyre a rock band with tracks like The Exploding People and Running with the Wolves that four song stretch is by far my favourite section of the album, and its likely why I was so excited by it during my first exposure. These tracks do a great job of showcasing the things I like best in this albums overall sound. When it gets loud, it starts to feel very low-fi and distorted and it conjures an image of a band playing from inside a broken computer. Odd imagery I know, but also very specific in my mind. The vocal delivery also changes significantly during these tracks as the lead singer sounds much more urgent while the softer tracks can begin to sound a bit twee when he sings over piano melodies. It's during these less chaotic songs that I begin to lose interest. The music can become incredibly sweet and sincere, which isn't terrible on it's own... but I greatly prefer his vocals with more of an edge on them.

Despite being recorded in 2010, it feels as if this was made for 1999. The electronics arent as shiny and clean as many of those produced this decade, and the robot-ish processing on some of the vocals feels very y2k. I havent studied much on the concept behind it all, but the album feels almost like a reminder of how were still part of the natural world, while everything gets more computerized around us. There are some really cool themes in here and I believe I was told that all of Cloud Cults albums deal with different ones, maybe this time Ill actually listen to something else of theirs.

Favourite Track: Room Full of People In Your Head

Least Favourite Track: You Were Born

Final Rating: The strings are really great too/10

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I already nominated things and don't want to change either, but given the jazz discussion that has popped up, you should take a half an hour and listen to Kamasi Washington's new EP, Harmony of Difference.

It's really exceptional and I think more accessible than most jazz records of recent vintage.

(He also played on DAMN., To Pimp a Butterfly, RTJ3, and You're Dead! among other albums you may be familiar with and/or enjoy, so he's not your typical jazz artist by any means)
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Hmm. I've begun recommending Feel Good Ghosts to people as I think it's the most accessible album in Cloud Cult's discography, but since you were listening to the albums as a whole, I recommended Light Chasers as I feel it's their most complete album. Looks like I should've stayed with accessibility. Alas. If you do truly listen to more at some point, I'd recommend looking that way.

Excited to hear your opinion on my next recommendation as I still haven't listened to it yet.
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CherryCokes posted...

I already nominated things and don't want to change either, but given the jazz discussion that has popped up, you should take a half an hour and listen to Kamasi Washington's new EP, Harmony of Difference.

It's really exceptional and I think more accessible than most jazz records of recent vintage.

(He also played on DAMN., To Pimp a Butterfly, RTJ3, and You're Dead! among other albums you may be familiar with and/or enjoy, so he's not your typical jazz artist by any means)

I've been hearing a lot about him recently and yeah, I've definitely heard him on each of the albums you mentioned, which is probably why it seems like everyone has been talking about him recently. It's on the list though I can't say when I'll get to it since I basically only have weekends now to listen to the stuff I want heh.

ZaziGuado posted...

Hmm. I've begun recommending Feel Good Ghosts to people as I think it's the most accessible album in Cloud Cult's discography, but since you were listening to the albums as a whole, I recommended Light Chasers as I feel it's their most complete album. Looks like I should've stayed with accessibility. Alas. If you do truly listen to more at some point, I'd recommend looking that way.

Excited to hear your opinion on my next recommendation as I still haven't listened to it yet.

Duly noted. Also I did enjoy the album on the whole just certain parts way more than others. I feel like the chaotic stuff was really well done so it's more of me wanting to hear what a band like that would sound like if they made a really aggressive album.

Also not sure how late you'll be up (or if you're even here now) but the next one should be coming up in 15-20 minutes. Writing it right now.
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Oh Wonder - UIltralife

Did I, did I ,did I, did I do you wrong? Did I, did I, did I, did I do you right?

Much like Light Chasers I found this to be a particularly polarizing album. My first issue is pretty big and it appears to be this groups bread and butter. The vocal harmonies. I dont understand why theyre a duo. Male and female vocalists in a group can create really interesting dynamics both lyrically and sonically but here both voices just overlap on every word. Im not exaggerating much either. There are a few verses where the female (Josephine) will have a solo, but the male (Anthony) often joins in halfway through to sing the exact same words only slightly further back in the mix. I dont think it adds anything to the music since its not even as if their voices are emphasized at different parts in the album. Whenever both voices are present its always Josephine in front and Anthony in the back. What makes this choice even more puzzling is that the one moment in the album where Anthony gets a verse for himself in Lifetime it ends up being one of the more interesting moments on the album. They have two unique and distinct voices they could play with, yet they choose to say the same thing at the same time. While there are some moments where one of them will sing background vocals or in some way complement the other, these moments are sadly few and far between.

Now for what I like about this album the production. At least some of it. When they lean into the electronics things can get really interesting and at times even a little funky. In Overgrown there are some straight up video game sounds thrown into the mix and its awesome. Ditto with the Flume synths driving the track Heavy. On the other end are the tracks featuring no electronic production which I found to be near unbearable. The stripped down ballads really shine a light on how boring their vocal style can be. Naturally there are a few in between tracks that dont rely heavily on synthetic sounds but instead use electronics to accentuate the instrumentals giving them a really simple, but modern feeling. For some reason these tracks (All About You and Heart Strings) give me a strong Sunday morning vibe and thats the only way I could describe them, easy I guess.

This definitely isnt the type of music I would listen to regularly and Im kind of glad I was able to hear this entire album because there is some stuff I really like, even though I find their two vocalists a little redundant.

Favourite Track: All About You

Least Favourite Track: Slip Away

Final Rating:
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just realized that the rip of one of my submissions on youtube is kind of bad.
idk if it's anywhere else
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Rankings

I'm gonna follow these people on Twitter
SZA - Ctrl
The Dear Hunter - Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise
Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady

These could make some type of year-end list
The Contortionist - Clairvoyant
Gorillaz - Humanz
Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear
Frank Turner - Poetry of the Deed

I like you, but you hurt me
Mitski - Puberty 2
Dessa - A Badly Broken Code

I'm having a hard time justifying this tier
The Veronicas - Hook Me Up
Queens of the Stone Age - Villains

These are all good
Neil Cicierga - Mouth Moods
Fit For An Autopsy - The Great Collapse
Joey Bada$$ - ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$
Everything Everything - A Fever Dream
Cloud Cult - Light Chasers
Soen - Lykaia
Masayoshi Takanaka - An Insatiable High
Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory

I will give these another chance, someday
Oh Wonder - UIltralife
Fair To Midland - Fables From a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True
Handguns - Life Lessons
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis
John Mayer - The Search for Everything
Michelle Branch - Hopeless Romantic
Depeche Mode - Delta Machine

I will not give these another chance
Band-Maid - Just Bring It
The National - Sleep Well Beast

Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope
Every Time I Die - Low Teens
Melody Gardot - My One and Only Thrill
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stp
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GAS - Narkopop

What a gosh darn curveball I looked at the genre, saw it listed as Dance/Electronic and got really excited. I know a lot about dance music. I listened to it exclusively for 4-5 years. I can talk about the history of genres, sub-genres, production techniques, influences, etc. Its was kind of my wheelhouse, and if it was anything resembling trance? Oh boy would I be able to sound smart. After yesterdays albums I was kinda feeling myself, I was getting comfortable talking about the music, rather than around it and then I get this. Ambient music. Just the thing to cut me down to size. I dont even hate the genre, but holy shit do I know nothing about it compared to nearly every other electronic genre.

Fuck talking about these tracks with any sort of specificity, this barely qualifies as music to me. And I dont mean that in a pejorative sense. Its so atmospheric that its hard to look at any of these pieces as songs, its like hes creating environments through sound. It feels like an exercise in sound design during most tracks and I think thats whats so impressive about it. It feels as though Im listening to a bunch of audio simply recorded from nature with some light production touches added for effect. When I stop and think that this entire album was programmed in a DAW its fucking mind-boggling. I dont even understand how someone goes about creating something like this, but I respect the hell out of it. It shows me that its possible to do whatever moves you, and find success with it. I know music doesnt have to follow basic pop structures, but the idea that something this far out can still find an audience is really inspiring. I often get frustrated with production because the music in my mind is rarely arranged as a song, with a drum beat, bass line, lead chords, etc. Its really cool to see someone at this level and acclaim making music that doesnt fit into a box and Im comparing this to other ambient music when I say that.

Overall this is extremely not my shit. But I appreciate the hell out of it.

Final Rating: I dont know why Im swearing so much today/10
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Album 2 http://www.npr.org/2017/10/05/555040264/first-listen-stars-there-is-no-love-in-fluorescent-light
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Bark Psychosis - Hex

I dont know why Im still surprised when both of someones recommendations come from similar genres. Or why I put any stock into the broad genres Google tells me that this music falls under. Alternative/Indie my ass. While I was expecting something that sounded more in the vein of traditional rock music, I think I might have actually enjoyed this album more had it been an entirely instrumental record. There are bits of the production that sound dated, especially the use of distortion effects, but melodically there is a lot that I enjoy in this albums instrumentals. It features some great contrast between the bass lines which feel darkly tinged, and the pianos and chimes? Which are incredibly bright.

I should probably emphasize that its not just that I like the instrumental parts more than the vocal sections, I largely abhor the vocals themselves. He seems to be talking barely above a whisper and I find it incredibly grating. Its hard to call it singing in most sections because there is so little power behind his voice. Its as if hes just stretching out words without giving them enough wind, and it causes the delivery to sound strained and uneven. Fingerspit is likely the greatest example of this, as its the song with the most vocals and its made worse by the fact that its also the least melodic track on the album. Unsettling may have been what they were aiming for with the track, but its hard to give someone props for making music that just makes me feel uncomfortable.

There really isnt a single song on this album that I love, even the entirely instrumental closer Pendulum Man lacks the contrast I mentioned earlier and begins to drone as it nears the end of its nearly 10 minute runtime. I'm sure it sounds like I am very much down on this type of music, but its strange because it sits so closely to some acts that I greatly enjoy. When I began listening to this album I thought this is something I could probably get into with more modern production and although much more upbeat, I feel that someone like Tycho is cut from the same cloth as a band like Bark Psychosis. Its no doubt interesting to hear from the pioneers of this genre, even if the music isnt exactly my cup of tea.

Favourite Track: Absent Friend

Least Favourite Track: Fingerspit

Final Rating: Two thumbs down/10
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Rankings

I'm gonna follow these people on Twitter
SZA - Ctrl
The Dear Hunter - Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise
Janelle Monae - The Electric Lady

These could make some type of year-end list
The Contortionist - Clairvoyant
Gorillaz - Humanz
Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear
Frank Turner - Poetry of the Deed

I like you, but you hurt me
Mitski - Puberty 2
Dessa - A Badly Broken Code

I'm having a hard time justifying this tier
The Veronicas - Hook Me Up
Queens of the Stone Age - Villains

These are all good
Neil Cicierga - Mouth Moods
Fit For An Autopsy - The Great Collapse
Joey Bada$$ - ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$
Everything Everything - A Fever Dream
Cloud Cult - Light Chasers
Soen - Lykaia
Masayoshi Takanaka - An Insatiable High
Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory

I will give these another chance, someday
Oh Wonder - UIltralife
Fair To Midland - Fables From a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True
Handguns - Life Lessons
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis
John Mayer - The Search for Everything
Michelle Branch - Hopeless Romantic
Depeche Mode - Delta Machine

I will not give these another chance
Band-Maid - Just Bring It
The National - Sleep Well Beast
GAS - Narkopop
Bark Psychosis - Hex

Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope
Every Time I Die - Low Teens
Melody Gardot - My One and Only Thrill
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Built To Spill - Perfect From Now On

I dont know if its simply because its Friday and Ive had a really long week, but I am completely burnt out right now and not at all in the correct state to write anything substantial. And it sucks because I really love this album. I love the song structures with their lengthy instrumental sections Ive always felt this showed a lot of confidence from bands that generally rely on vocals. The ending of Velvet Waltz is sublime. I like pretty much everything about this, its right up my alley. I wish I could say more.

Favourite Track: Velvet Waltz

Least Favourite Track: I dont think that would be fair

Final Rating: Perfect/10

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Alvvays - Antisocialites

I am so freaking tired I can barely think. Uhh speed round. I really like the sound of this record. Feels very new-waveish and thats one of my favourite genres. Vocals really fit the upbeat production and I wasnt expecting the album to be so much fun. Really like the 80s feel on some of the tracks, yeah Ive already said it was new-waveish Jesus. I need sleep. Just posting so yall know I didnt completely shirk my responsibilities today. Will try to elaborate and post rankings later. Sorry.

Final Rating: Dreams Tonite/10
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Guilty bump.
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Oh yay, are my albums next?

Every time I post in one of these topics, it either disappears or I forget about it before it gets to me.
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bump
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It was just Canadian Thanksgiving and I still have roughly an entire turkey to eat over the next few days...

I'm gonna be pretty high for these next couple albums.
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High. High. High.

LCD Soundsystem - american dream

This is a weird one. There is a lot I enjoy in the first half of the album and it peaks during How Do You Sleep?. Its something about the grooves, because Im not a fan of the vocals on either half to be honest. I can understand why people would be into such a quirky delivery, but I think it would take a while to grow on me. As far as the production goes, I wasnt expecting to hear such a retro sonic palette. I mean I wasnt expecting this much electronic production period, but the sounds themselves generally seem rooted in another decade and its great. There are a ton of simple, yet brilliant loops used throughout the background that do a great job of making the album feel quite atmospheric. The repetitive nature of the production also adds to the perceived length of each track, and I find that it makes the album itself feel like more of a journey.

Its actually quite astonishing how down I am on this album, given how much I enjoy some of the tracks in the first half, but the last half really brings it down. I dont find any of the production nearly as engaging and there are two tracks I actually find somewhat annoying. I also found the albums closer to overlong and kind of unnecessary.

Favourite Track: how do you sleep?

Least Favourite Track: emotional haircut

Final Rating: E>D
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The xx - I See You

This is a prime example of an album that greatly benefitted from me being slightly impaired all day. This isnt the first time Ive listened to it, and while I remember liking what I heard the first time around. Most of the tracks had only been played once, with just a few sitting at 2 listens. Listening to it today Im not sure how it hasnt been one of my most played for the year. I really love both the vocalists and how many different ways theyre employed throughout the album. Its rare that I dont have a favourite vocalist in a duo, but I really enjoy both of them in equal amounts here. Theyre both so different and perfectly suited to complement each other in each song. The production is just out of this fucking world. Its not surprising given what Jamie xx has done in the past, but its definitely hitting me quite differently today. The beats, the samples, the instruments everything sounds immaculate and they traverse so many styles on this album, I really dont know how it flew under my radar, after it was spotted. A Hall and Oates sample alone is generally enough for me to call an album 10/10, but the way one is used in On Hold is like, orgasmic.

Im really curious to see how I feel about this album when sober because I cant even think of something I dont like about it right now. Like, theres a tier above whatever the highest tier listed is right now. While its a little too early to tell right now, this feels like an album that would end up on that highest tier. Even the sequencing seems perfect. Yeah. I love this shit.

Favourite Track: On Hold

Least Favourite Track: Imposhibibble!

Final Rating: 10/10
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