SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]

[G-Man]

Okay, question for the A Person/anyone who understands this genre of music well and knows more about what goes into this than I do:

Is Vanessa Rossetto layering different sounds incidental together or is she actually adding incidental music here and there throughout the field recordings? I can't find much of anything online about the artist or her methodology. That extra layer of context may or may not make a difference.

[thellama73]

I just started listening to this, but I love field recordings, so I am already impressed. I'll post a more thorough analysis when I finish.

To answer G-Man's question, I don't know, but it sounds to me like it's entirely field recordings edited together and layered.

[triceratopzeuhl]

It's like GYBE but the actual music never starts

If I wanted to listen to garbage truck noises I would just open my window

edit: no offense I couldn't resist making a joke

[Tangrowth]

It's like GYBE but the actual music never starts

If I wanted to listen to garbage truck noises I would just open my window

[thellama73]

Well, in AP's defense, I really liked it. I am fascinated by field recordings and love ordinary sounds recontextualized. I listen to a lot of this kind of stuff, and I think this is a fine example of it. I particularly like when quasi-musical sounds of the world (like the arcade noises near the end) are folded in to more organic sounds.

4 out of five stars.

And to finish out my reviews for Rico, Arthur gets a 5, Chuck Berry gets a 3 and Crowded House gets 2.

[Ricochet]

Spoiler: show

[G-Man]

Whole Stories

I'll be frank right off the bat. I don't consider this to be music. Perhaps it's because I don't know enough about field recordings to identify the musical merits of them. Perhaps it's because I don't know enough about music to identify meter and form in non-traditional forms. Either way, I can only speak to what I know and what I know tells me that this is not music. Rather, it is auditory art that, at times, approaches points where it contains musical qualities. The sarcastic jerk in me thinks this is the kind of thing I would hear a glowing 10-minute segment for on NPR, leaving me to wonder what kind of strange people donate to NPR. The small percentage of me that digs weird art, however, identifies that there is a lot of effort in what Vanessa Rossetto did here. Editing and layering field recordings may seem more like a hobby than anything else to me but hobbies are oftentimes passion projects, so who am I to judge.

I wasn't crazy about the fading out to dead air only to be blasted by loud white noise every so often. If you're going to fade to silence, then I say it's time for a track break. I'm also torn on the artist's own voice appearing on the end product. Does this reveal her insecurity as an artist that she includes her own explanation of her craft? In the first track, she explains to a passerby what she's doing. The sarcastic jerk in me also can't help but wonder if Rossetto naming the album Whole Stories that includes her stating that "people need to hear whole stories" reveals a little vanity. Did she subconsciously put a subliminal message in her own project, as if she is trying to suggest to a listener that they should share this recording with others? These are all things I thought of after the fact though, so they didn't impact my thought processes during my listens.

During my listens, I grew a little weary because some of the droning, swirling, and higher-end noises threatened to mess with me. I have tinnitus- a constant ringing/high-frequency sound in the ear that can range anywhere from slightly bothersome to debilitating. I have it in both ears and it is rather mild. Some sounds, however, seem to aggravate it, causing sudden explosions of piercing ringing that drowns everything out (literally, like a bomb went off and all other sound drops out and slowly fades back in). Other times, certain frequencies start to mess with my equilibrium. At different times during this album, I felt like I was on the verge of one or the other of these maladies. It wasn't enough to make me actively dislike the album but it gave me pause before each successive listen.

Anyway, the first track seemed directionless to me. Some interesting sounds but I couldn't get a sense of any sort of intended journey. The second track was more interesting, though I was still largely indifferent. I liked the spoken portions, the stories that were told, whether they were trivial or not. The casino noises added that approaching-music quality. I can't remember which track it was but there was a sound that reminded me of The Dark Knight soundtrack, when the Joker was talking and building up to a climax. That sense of slow but haunting escalation left me longing for a sense of direction in Rossetto's album. It felt like a wasted opportunity.

Overall, this sounds like the kind of stuff that plays in arty rock music as the band slowly brings instrumentation in. It's all background noise. I can see how some people are fascinated by such background noise and wish to make it the star of the show. I didn't feel like it was done well enough for my tastes here. Perhaps if Whole Stories actually told a whole story or two, it would get a better reaction from me. It rates on the low side for me because I don't see this as music. Even as art, it doesn't engage me enough. It's an intriguing concept and could be potentially riveting, as I actually enjoy people-watching, but nothing grabbed a hold of me at all. Each time I finished the album I felt restless and needed to listen to something raucous to get my groove back.

G-Man Scale: 2.19 out of 5 (C)
Rico Scale: 2 out of 5

[triceratopzeuhl]

On the plus side, between this and Bisch Bosch I feel like I can nominate literally any album I want next round

[thellama73]

The debate over what "is music" is largely academic. For me, any sound presented for the listener's enjoyment can qualify as music, but what we call it doesn't matter much. I like this kind of stuff, because I just love, and am fascinated by, sound. I love the sound of guitars, but I love the sound of non-musical elements in the environment just as much, and I enjoy listening to it placed in unusual contexts.

[JaggedJimmyJay]

I have no issue calling it music. I don't think melody is a requirement by definition. I agree though that it really doesn't matter -- the intent is artistic either way.

[A Person]

Personally, for me the debate over what is music and what's not, and more largely what's art and what's not, often comes down to some idea of intention. I have no formal training in either music or philosophy, so I have to say things in general and unwieldy ways like that, but is a basic aspect for me. Intention is the difference between hearing a beautiful songbird in the forest, and recording it intentionally, or reproducing its song on a recorder. Intention is the difference between time, wind, and water creating a natural arch, and a sculptor painstakingly chiseling one. For me a fundamental aspect of art is the "experience", not moored to any particular set of rules, or preset by the artist's personal intended interpretation, or any such thing. Rather, I think the personal subjective experience, reaction, relation, interpretation, etc. of a piece is the most important.

This of course means that the usual "science" of a particular medium can be, or seem to be, entirely absent in a piece of art. Introducing some sense of randomness, indeterminacy, etc. with no "ordinary" sense of melody, rhythm, etc. It opens up a lot of ambiguity, yes, but just because something is art doesn't mean you have to like it. Or, in the reverse, just because you don't like it doesn't mean it is not art.

Musique concrete, as has been stated by Rico, is a genre that starts "concretely", that is to say, through concrete sources such as recordings. This is meant to set it apart from "abstract music" that is given birth in an abstract space, something a person will come up with and make concrete, rather than the opposite. These recordings are then used in various ways, they are cut up, layered, distorted, and so on, in ways the producer sees fit. Last year, a somewhat popular album that seemed to feature glitchy electronic music for the most part was made entirely from recordings of a washing machine.

Spoiler: show

skip through randomly if you don't care to listen to get an idea of what it sounds like

So, as you can see, not all musique concrete as a technique/genre in itself sounds like this album. That said, many musique concrete artists such as Rossetto do tend to make music that might also or otherwise qualify as drone, noise, ambient, or sound collage.

To actually talk about the album itself and rate it, for me, my listening is a lot similar to Rico's. There are a few parts that reminded me of the more ambient parts of GY!BE, in terms of the way it sounded. As a relative beginner to the genre, the first track "this is a recorder" is a really good introduction to the genre and what it's about, thanks to Rossetto leaving in (or, I should say rather, intentionally putting in) her explanations to passersby. For me it is really what I am looking for many of the times I seek out musique concrete; beautiful use of recorded sounds to create ambiance with the pre-existing sounds combined with the distortion of such to create some new ones, to create compositions that are not just giving a sense of narrative or theme or emotion or any other "reason" for a musical piece, but one that incorporates the "concrete" aspect of the recordings. As Rico already pointed out, this was done in this case in part by using recordings of what seems to be more or less straightforward clips of conversations caught on tape.

I think i'd give it a solid 7/10, and to be generous, round that up to a 4/5 stars on the Ricosystem.

[nutella]

My high school orchestra director drilled into me the opinion that the only correct definition of music is "organized sound," which I think is better articulated by AP's description of intention. So I tend to be pretty generous about what I consider music, and this album is still close to the borderline for me but I definitely see intention and skill in the organization/production/juxtaposition of the various sounds. I do agree with G that there are definitely some parts that feel more musical than others, but overall I recognize/appreciate it as a work of art (and again I find it interesting on a more anthropological level as well). As for rating I think I'll go with a 2 out of 5.

[A Person]

My high school orchestra director drilled into me the opinion that the only correct definition of music is "organized sound," which I think is better articulated by AP's description of intention. So I tend to be pretty generous about what I consider music, and this album is still close to the borderline for me but I definitely see intention and skill in the organization/production/juxtaposition of the various sounds. I do agree with G that there are definitely some parts that feel more musical than others, but overall I recognize/appreciate it as a work of art (and again I find it interesting on a more anthropological level as well). As for rating I think I'll go with a 2 out of 5.

I have heard that definition, yeah. I figure 1) "organize" as a word has some baggage, and 2) they are more or less synonymous since organization would be the result of intent, regardless of what that organization or purposeful lack of it happens to be.

Here is something I was thinking of yesterday: Grouper's (Grouper is the solo project of Liz Harris, her work is generally described with terms like dream pop, ambient, and experimental) album Ruins was recorded while staying at a house by herself in Portugal. She used a simple recording setup to do this, using only I think a 4-track, mic, and piano. At one point the power had been off due to a storm taking it out, and during the recording of the song "Labyrinth" it comes back on, causing the microwave to beep as it came on and it was captured on the 4-track. It's a gentle piano piece, ostensibly written before recorded, and yet the final recording includes that beep. Is the beep musical? It must be there intentionally, because she chose to keep that take and put it on the final album. But she also had no knowledge it would end up there beforehand. If she performed the piece live, would the beep be included? Or in that case would the incidental sounds of the room it is played in take its place? Do those sounds always take that place? Is the recorded piece of music a separate piece of art from the composition itself, and is the composition different still from future performances? And so on.

[Ricochet]

My high school orchestra director drilled into me the opinion that the only correct definition of music is "organized sound," which I think is better articulated by AP's description of intention. So I tend to be pretty generous about what I consider music, and this album is still close to the borderline for me but I definitely see intention and skill in the organization/production/juxtaposition of the various sounds. I do agree with G that there are definitely some parts that feel more musical than others, but overall I recognize/appreciate it as a work of art (and again I find it interesting on a more anthropological level as well). As for rating I think I'll go with a 2 out of 5.

I have heard that definition, yeah. I figure 1) "organize" as a word has some baggage, and 2) they are more or less synonymous since organization would be the result of intent, regardless of what that organization or purposeful lack of it happens to be.

Here is something I was thinking of yesterday: Grouper's (Grouper is the solo project of Liz Harris, her work is generally described with terms like dream pop, ambient, and experimental) album Ruins was recorded while staying at a house by herself in Portugal. She used a simple recording setup to do this, using only I think a 4-track, mic, and piano. At one point the power had been off due to a storm taking it out, and during the recording of the song "Labyrinth" it comes back on, causing the microwave to beep as it came on and it was captured on the 4-track. It's a gentle piano piece, ostensibly written before recorded, and yet the final recording includes that beep. Is the beep musical? It must be there intentionally, because she chose to keep that take and put it on the final album. But she also had no knowledge it would end up there beforehand. If she performed the piece live, would the beep be included? Or in that case would the incidental sounds of the room it is played in take its place? Do those sounds always take that place? Is the recorded piece of music a separate piece of art from the composition itself, and is the composition different still from future performances? And so on.

This reminds me of Ricochet, whose second part had some noise right at the beginning, before the proper start of the composition (the piano slow ballad). It's now most likely removed ever since the 1990-something re-release of the album, but it exists on the cassette tape my father has and which was what I listened to all my childhood. This is documented here appearing to be clapping. I guess the same questions you posed could be applied here. If it's just noise, why was it left in there (at least at first), especially after extensive, intentional edits and mastering done in studio to release this "live" album? We even used to have debates on TD forums on whether we like, dislike or give a damn whatsoever that this sound is present, right in between to two parts of the album.

Then again, on one hand, I think this is actually an instance of a noise sound that's placed ahead of the actual, "musical" composition, instead of added to the integral mix of the piece; while unconfirmed, it could easily have been a member of the audience, finishing off clapping one beat later than the crowd. On the other hand, both Grouper's beep and the clap on Ricochet are petite moments of noise and seemingly out-of-place sound. I would call their generating in both cases sort of accidental, even if there was clear intent afterwards to leave it in there. More to the point, I don't think that much amount of questioning and philosophising, the way you did in your post above, is truly necessary for either of them.

[JaggedJimmyJay]

Thanks, A Person, for giving us the opportunity to explore a variety of music that many of us had not tried before. For week 10 we move into the realm of electronic music.

[JaggedJimmyJay]

Week 10: deadmau5 - > album title goes here <

Submitted by Marmot



available on YouTube

[JaggedJimmyJay]

Along with giving Marmot's album a listen, there are a couple other things I'd like to handle this week:

1.) Please respond to the current poll to indicate how you would prefer to proceed with the SAW thread moving forward from the options provided.

2.) If you would like, submit an album for the 3rd cycle or queue. If we vote to maintain the procedure as before, then any ineligible submissions this week will be delayed until the next cycle.

[Quin]

I'd vote C, but I'd also make it so one person can only have one Album in the queue at a time - once their first album finishes, they can submit the next one.

[thellama73]

I voted for winners being able to submit albums the following week, because I have endless records I want to submit.

For this week, I'm going way back to a sort of guilty pleasure that I can guarantee no one else has heard.

My submission is: Pandora's Box - Original Sin available here.

[Ricochet]

Option A, continue as we've been. Despite the long individual wait, I think it's more fair to ensure we get a lot of recommendations from different people rather than a lot of recommendations from potentially the same people. There's also option C, but if the core of regular listeners and debaters here would keep submitting, we'd be looking at a queue of two-three months.

Anyway, Jethro Tull - A Passion Play. But it's the last time I'm submitting it.

[G-Man]

I like the current system. Making recent 'winners' sit out a cycle adds a layer of immediacy to the next poll, as well as preventing the number of options from becoming overwhelming.

[insertnamehere]

Voted Option A.

I'm submitting an album that's more or less diametrically opposed to Bish Bosch: All Hail West Texas by The Mountain Goats.

[Ricochet]

Metalmarsh hasn't posted in here since Week 1, yet here we are, honouring his submission.

[G-Man]

Metalmarsh hasn't posted in here since Week 1, yet here we are, honouring his submission.

If it's any consolation to you, Rico, my initial reaction to the first few seconds of this album was to giggle. I think I mixed up deadmau5 and Danger Mouse in my mind because quasi-ambient rave music was not what I was expecting.

[thellama73]

Voted Option A.

I'm submitting an album that's more or less diametrically opposed to Bish Bosch: All Hail West Texas by The Mountain Goats.

That's a great album.

[nutella]

Voted Option A.

I'm submitting an album that's more or less diametrically opposed to Bish Bosch: All Hail West Texas by The Mountain Goats.

Good one!


I'm having trouble with this poll, I like all the options...


Anyway, I'd like to submit Bobby McFerrin's "Circlesongs."

[Tangrowth]

Option A is fine with me. Though I also wouldn't be opposed to:

I'd vote C, but I'd also make it so one person can only have one Album in the queue at a time - once their first album finishes, they can submit the next one.

I don't like Option B because I do think it helps to keep folks from clogging up the queue, and I say that as someone who had to wait during this last five-week grouping. Didn't bother me at all.

Clearly this group needs hip hop, so I've decided to nominate my favorite hip hop record, De La Soul Is Dead.

[juliets]

The youtube link to this week's deadmau5 says "video is unavailable".

[triceratopzeuhl]

Option A is fine with me. Though I also wouldn't be opposed to:

I'd vote C, but I'd also make it so one person can only have one Album in the queue at a time - once their first album finishes, they can submit the next one.

I don't like Option B because I do think it helps to keep folks from clogging up the queue, and I say that as someone who had to wait during this last five-week grouping. Didn't bother me at all.

Clearly this group needs hip hop, so I've decided to nominate my favorite hip hop record, De La Soul Is Dead.

Not Stakes Is High?

I haven't decided between 3-4 5 potential nominations yet

[Tangrowth]

Option A is fine with me. Though I also wouldn't be opposed to:

I'd vote C, but I'd also make it so one person can only have one Album in the queue at a time - once their first album finishes, they can submit the next one.

I don't like Option B because I do think it helps to keep folks from clogging up the queue, and I say that as someone who had to wait during this last five-week grouping. Didn't bother me at all.

Clearly this group needs hip hop, so I've decided to nominate my favorite hip hop record, De La Soul Is Dead.

Not Stakes Is High?

I haven't decided between 3-4 5 potential nominations yet

The run of four albums from De La Soul's debut through Stakes Is High is of such high quality that it is nearly unparalleled in all of music, IMO, so I wouldn't argue much with you, but my preference for them is as follows:

De La Soul Is Dead (5.0) > 3 Feet High and Rising (4.5) > Stakes Is High (4.0) = Buhloone Mind State (4.0)

I'd say I feel really firm in that ranking now, but it's definitely changed over the years. De La Soul Is Dead has grown on me big time.

[triceratopzeuhl]

Actually I don't need to pick a nomination yet because I won't be in the next poll anyway

[JaggedJimmyJay]

Here we go. Time for my rave.

[Epignosis]

I'll keep nominating the same old shit until it gets reviewed, I guess.

[JaggedJimmyJay]

thellama73 - Pandora's Box - Original Sin / 1989 / Art Pop / 14 tracks / 67:11 / YouTube

Ricochet - Jethro Tull - A Passion Play / 1973 / Progressive Rock / 2 tracks / 45:11 / YouTube (Rico please verify this playlist is legit)

insertnamehere - The Mountain Goats - All Hail West Texas / Lo-Fi / 14 tracks / 42:02 / YouTube (INH please verify) and Spotify

nutella - Bobby McFerrin - Circlesongs / 1997 / Vocal Jazz / 8 tracks / 42:42 / YouTube (nutella please verify) and Spotify

MovingPictures07 - De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead / 1991 / East Coast Hip Hop / 27 tracks / 73:32 / YouTube (MP please verify) and

Epignosis - Echolyn - Echolyn / 2012 / Progressive Rock / 8 tracks / 70:44 / Bandcamp

Golden - Corinne Bailey Rae - The Heart Speaks in Whispers (Deluxe) / 2016 / Neo-soul / 16 tracks / 75:32 / YouTube and Spotify (Golden please let me know if you'd like to change your submission)

Quin - Last Dinosaurs - In a Million Years / 2012 / Indie Pop / 11 tracks / 42:56 / YouTube and Spotify

speedchuck - Toehider - What Kind of Creature Am I? / 2014 / Progressive rock/metal / 10 tracks / 51:45 / YouTube, Bandcamp, and Spotify

[Golden]

No, my submission will win!

Besides that, I'm waiting to get internet in the new house... I should finally have time to catch up on some of this, yay!

[JaggedJimmyJay]

I'll open the new poll on Thursday. Anyone else eligible is welcome to submit albums until then. juliets? Quin? S~V~S?

[JaggedJimmyJay]

I'm finishing up the deadmau5 album now. It has had some entertaining moments, but for the most part I have found it to be a tedious listen. At its worst it's pretty lifeless to my ear, and that covers a significant fraction of the thing. I have nothing against this genre, but this is not an example that works well for me. It's not terrible though. 2 stars.

[Quin]

I'll go with Last Dinosaurs - In a Million Years

Find it here

[Quin]

The youtube link to this week's deadmau5 says "video is unavailable".

For me too.

[juliets]

I'll open the new poll on Thursday. Anyone else eligible is welcome to submit albums until then. juliets? Quin? S~V~S?

Thanks Jay but I'll skip submission. I'll vote though.

[thellama73]

I did not really care for Dead Meo Five. It was far too long, and mostly seemed like pretty uninspired techno to me. Nothing there that made me want to come back for more. Also, Metalmarsh is a wuss for not at least coming to discuss his own nomination.

[Quin]

I really enjoyed album title goes here. I'm learning that I've got a thing for good background noise. I'm not the kind to stop everything to properly take in what I'm listening to, so being able to spend my night on other things while letting this play worked well for me. I was able to enjoy it this way even more given that the majority of tracks had no lyrics. Sound alone was engaging and had me hooked for the entire thing. 4.5 stars.

[thellama73]

Interesting counterpoint from Quin.
2 stars from me.

[Ricochet]

Can't use spoiler tags currently, so here it is in the open.

[JaggedJimmyJay]

The first Ricoreview I haven't watched in full.

[Golden]

The first Ricoreview I haven't watched in full.

You don't like Rico any more?

[Golden]

I am not expecting to have internet for another week

Annoying, because I can't listen to these things at work and they are really too data intensive for me to be able to afford to listen without wifi.

I feel way behind because I'd been so busy with the move, so now that's over I just want to get, well, a move on.

[Ricochet]

The first Ricoreview I haven't watched in full.

You don't like Rico any more?

Probably not, after Woodface.

[Ricochet]

[speedchuck]

I'm gonna try and jump in on this SAW thing.

I nominate "What Kind Of Creature Am I?" by Toehider if I'm not too late here. (It's not Thursday for me yet)
Youtube link
Bandcamp link

EDIT:

I'm going to throw my music review stuff here (and in my next post, apparently). Albums 1-46 completed

Spoiler: show

1. nutella - The Family Crest - Beneath the Brine

Spoiler: show

Beneath the Brine has one of the best album openings I've ever heard, and the first song mostly lives up to that promise. Blending the beauty of voice and strings with the frenetic energy of alt rock seamlessly. It's a new combination to me, it's catchy, pretty, fun, and I love it.
The World calms down and gets snappy, providing an uptempo groove that immediately showcases the variety of the band while still fitting into the mold the first song provided. Around the end of the song, though, I began to notice another pattern. When it seems like the vocalist is improvising/warbling against a repetitive part of the song, I grow bored quickly. The music, in these rare cases, falls back and loses its unique flavor.
I loved everything about Love don't Go except for the vocal hook. Little generic pop/altrock missteps like this bring the album down in places, make it lose its energy and majesty.
William's Dirge is . . . dirgy. And swanky. Good for what it is, I guess, as an introduction to Howl, which is amazing right off the bat. Jazzy, groovy, and intoxicating. I don't listen much to this type of swingy music, so my expectations might be low, but dang. It knows when to drop off and pick things back up again. Love it.
The Water's Fine starts really strong, like Beneath the Brine did. And it just . . . stays strong.
I am the Winter is probably the most beautiful song on here, but I'm not sure it holds the same uniqueness as the rest of the album thus far.
She Knows My Name is good, pretty. It's got a lot of mood to it, though the music doesn't include anything that surprises me or catches me like some of the other songs did. Solid and well done.
As We Move Forward moves forward. Straightwforward. I feel like I've said everything I need to say about the style already. Both this song and the previous song have a slight feeling of . . . catharsis, maybe? Feels like something's been accomplished.
Atomsperic pieces and acoustic guitar jump us into When the Lights Go Out. Once again, after a couple of somes that were 'normal,' I feel like we're going somewhere new. And while the rest of the song doesn't continue to surprise, the way it swells and dims is legitimately emotional. And then the end of the song is perfect.
We end with There's a Thunder. It makes a good finale song in feel, with more of that cathartic feeling. It's a strong finish, but not one that pushes the band rating up. The choiric part really contributes to the unique feel of the song.
Overall, I enjoyed this album immensely. The music is beautiful, with hints of something even greater. Like the album is about 2/5 masterpiece, and the rest is along for the ride and merely excellent. There were no really low points, and I loved the sound of the vocals. The lyrics didn't stand out to me as something you should play close attention to, but did give me the feel of a concept album. The struggle and hope of love out of reach or something like that. It felt thematically consistent.

Beneath the Brine, Howl, and The Water's Fine are the 3 songs I would take with me. (I'm going to do this for any album I want to)

4.5/5

2. MovingPictures07 - Fishmans - Otokotachi no Wakare

Spoiler: show

Whoa dang this is really long. And live. But it has a good sound. After the cheering, I can't really tell it's live. Which is good. :P
ARE YOU FEEL GOOD? I'm probably not going to do a song-by-song on this. I'll just throw in thoughts as they come.
This first guitar riff goes on a long time. The sufferings of a live album, I guess. At least it's a good riff to have in the background, and others are doing their stuff.
So far, nothing is bad. But it's (according to the OP) dream pop. Never heard dream pop before. And I'm not big on it. The music is just kinda... there, and I can't understand the lyrics (though that hasn't stopped me from liking songs before). I suppose the beats are sometimes catchy, and as of 30 minutes in, I've liked some of the riffs and solos okay. But the plodding pace and repetitiveness in parts makes me feel like I could have heard everything I've really liked from this album so far in about 7 minutes of time, if that.
Even when the album starts doing something interesting and fun, it ends up back at the plain muted cord progessions or repeated same-y notes.
Some strong grooves in places. Back to my bolded point, though. Everything is swamped in chill dream pop that doesn't really do much for me, and often that pop is repetitive. Especially when the lyrics come in.
Bass guitar sounds pretty good, even in the parts that are meh.
In the Air ends with some awful whining vocal sounds. It is the worst part of the album thus far.
5 minutes into Long Season, and it's a definite step up. I expected a bigger step at the very beginning, but it lapsed back into the same style (don't know what I expected) but maye better. The piano repetition 5 minutes in is killing me though.
This all works better to me as background music. Maybe it's the reggae I don't like. Hrm.
The piano riff never goes away.

I'm a picky guy when it comes to music. I want one of . . . five? things.
1. Fun to sing with
2. Energetic, driven, springy, idk something that fills my spirit and makes me want to move my legs or rock out
3. Musically intricate and diverse
4. Lyrically moving or plat-focused
5. Mood-setting/nostalgic

This album was well-put-together, especially for a live album, and had some good grooves and solos and instrumentation. The closest this got to me liking it was criteria #3, during some little parts. I somehow didn't get #5 from it at all.

1.5/5

3. Boomslang - Goat - World Music

Spoiler: show

Right off the bat, I'm hit with some strong moody bass warbling with guitar joining in and I like it, then the song kicks in hard. Diarabi, it's called. It's got some power to it. And it keeps that power and energy going unitl it's about to get bored, then stops. A good introduction to the album.
The insteresting beats and fun warbly instruments continue into the next song until the vocals come in. And then after. But I want to talk about the NA NA, NANANANA vocals. They're kinda yelly, repetitive... not super annoying, but I'm not getting much out of them. The spastic guitar that pops in between verses does a much better job of complementing the jungle-y beats and stuff. If all the vocals are like this, the album would be better off instrumental.
Speaking of Goatman, the talking part at the beginning was interesting. It didn't make much of an impression on me, tough. It's like with That Handsome Devil. The speaking parts are there, but I probably won't remember them.
Goathead continues the trend with some crunchy bass and musical guitar orchestration that half sounds like a SEGA Genesis soundtrack on hard drugs. And then the singing comes back in and lowers my estimation of the song. The latter part of Goathead calms down and plays come acoustic guitar in a pleasing way, with background ambience that suggests a quiet highway in the rain. The two are really well put together.
Disco fever picks things back up, and includes the least offensive use of the vocals thus far in a tumbling beat held together by needly guitar licks. (I don't know what these words even mean, but they sound about right.) The use of a synthesizer/organ on the interverse solos really works.
16:28
Had to take a break, but I'm back into the game. I've got to wonder what the ethnic influences are for this album. I'm unning into some unique percussive bits.
Golden Dawn now. Starts with a disclaimer that this is totally psychadelic. (not really, but it was a little cliche) I love the smooth rolling bass grooves and the way they sync with the drums. Again, could give or take the lyrics. Sometimes, with this particular album, I'm not sure what instrument is playing. I need to figure out what dulcumers sound like. (This music is making my thinking sporadic.)
In any case, Golden Dawn pulls right into the crazy-fun instrumental warbling and keeps mixing it up as I go, straight through to the end. A welcome addition to the album.
Let it Bleed. What, bongos? I appreciate the wide variety of instruments being used. Vocals are just killing this for me whenever they appear, but they rarely show so far. It's worth pushing through for the groovy tunes man. The sax warbling near the end of the song goes on a little too long. When the primary draw of the music is being pulled into new infectious rhythms with a variets of instruments, overstaying your welcome can be aggrivating. Small complaint, really, but I'm weird enough to notice I guess.
Run to your Mama: The atmosphere around this piece sounds different. And by atmosphere, I mean environment. The percussion is still really cool, but the guitar that it starts with echoes more, and that changes the tone of the piece a lot. Other than that, the piece is very minimalistic, which stands out, and the vocals work with it better that way too.
Goatlord reminds me of Arabian Nights right at the beginning. The sound is haunting, but not in too spooky a way. Mysterious maybe. The crisp guitar works with everything else being smooth and flowy, though I'm unsure how I feel once the guitar starts literally screeching at me. I don't know if that fits the feel I had going.
Then the last song comes along, Det Som Aldrig Förändras / Diarabi. I feel like it starts weak. The beat isn't as nuanced, the instruments don't do much different than what I've seen before, the tone is pretty similar to what I've heard already. Either that or I'm fatigued of this particular sound. And it doesn't change much. I could cut out four minutes of this song and still make it flow together, and everything in the middle would be the same. I don't handle stagnation well.
All in all, this album barely overstays it's welcome. While I was enjoying the album, it was flitting from beat to beat, contrasting delightful moodsetting pieces with diverse and energetic instrumentation that was quick to switch before getting tiresome. Each piece, except for the last one, introduced a new sound. The punk-ish singing on most track wasn't really my thing, and in some cases, DEFINITELY wasn't the music's thing. That, along with the last track, brought the album down from what could have been a solid 3.5.
I give it a 2.5.

2.5/5

4. insertnamehere - Scott Walker - Bish Bosch

Spoiler: show

bum bu bum bu bum bu bum bu bum bu bum bu bum bu bum bu bum bu bum bu bum bu bum bu bum bu bum bu bum bu bum bu
*guitar riffs rip in*
"LIKE PLUCKING FEATHERS FROM A SWAN SONG"
I'm confused. I love the beat, the guitar, the ambient noise, the singing... all individually and the way they fit together. But this first track is so repetitive that I feel like I shouldn't like it. But I do. Rrrgh. I'm ready to groove.
And then I proceed to do the opposite of grooving. Slower, longer track, pleasant until the fart sounds started. I'm... honestly aghast. Am I in the wrong place? What's going on?
What the hell?
. . .
This is music I would troll people with. And the first song was so good. And musically, nothing is wrong, necessarily. I just-- I uh-- um. Looking at this out of context. Not my thing. Lyrics are good, but even in my comedy, I want music. Funny and trajic on a meta level.

1/5

5. thellama73 - Arthur Brown - The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

Spoiler: show

Oh hey actual music. It's pleasant. The vocals and crazy synth/organs sold me on the first song. Crazy fun.
I was usure for about 20 seconds if the second song would keep things up. And then the music kicked into gear, and even with the man talking craziness over it (or maybe because of that), I loved it. This stuff has the right amount of grooviness, zaniness, energy, and I'm laughing as Arthur Brown falls into the flames.
Track 3. I'm beginning to suspect this is a concept album. It's dark but happy about it, and the organ really sells it as a poppy little tune that defies the subject matter.
Come and Buy is lovely. The fast-spitting lyrics juxtaposed against the slower, deeper dirges really catches my attention.
Time exemplifies how much better these songs work when they have more energy.
There's a bit of a lull until we get back to fire again. Interesting that the three songs (sort of at least) repeat. Fire & Come and Buy are my favorite part of the album, so I'm not complaining. If only the intro repeated as well.
The rest of the album didn't wow as much, but didn't really have low points either.

This is a fun album, and there's nothing I really dislike about it. It doesn't fit my musical preferences in a way that I would put it on repeat and listen to appreciate, but as a full album experience when I'm in the mood, it works great.

4/5

6. G-Man - Chuck Berry - Chuck Berry Is on Top

Spoiler: show

Jumping right in. The beat is infectious, the older music cheery and catchy, but I'm not a huge fan on the reliance on background singers.
The second album throws me more into what I was expecting. Twangy, twisty guitar riffs and an unrelenting beat that pulls the piano and geetah together. It's kinda hard to describe this music because, even having not heard the album, it's something I've heard a hundred times any time a movie wants to have a retro soundtrack.
Can't help but tap my heel to the music.
One thing that bothers me is when music gets too repetitive. A few parts of this album do that sort of thing. Mostly with the lyrics, but also with the main riff of Carol. It's mitigated by how short most of these songs are.
This may be rock and roll at it's roots, but I don't often get to hear electric guitar and actual honest-to-god piano in a song. I always hear guitar with synthesizers, keyboards, and organs. Not piano. I appreciate the sort of dueling solos between the two.
There is some variety on this album, but when I cam across it, I found myself split. I like variety. But I also like the 'rock' side of the heavier rock and roll tunes. The variety always goes in the opposite direction, especially near the end of the album.

3/5

7. JaggedJimmyJay - Crowded House - Woodface

Spoiler: show

Alright, alright, I'll confess. I do not like The Beatles. Never heard a song by them that I liked. I mean genuinely like, not "meh, this is okay but boring." The Beatles bore me. When I saw that JJJ said this took the significance and place in his music experience that the Beatles took for most people, I began to worry.
But then Chocolate Cake happened. And two songs later, my fears have been all but erased. My mind hasn't been blown or anything, but every song I've come across gives me the same regard that my favorite songs in average genres give me. Ew, rough sentence there. Let me explain. Country music is bland to me, especially the slower ballads. There are outliers that I love. Soft pop is boring. There are outliers that I love. And so on. This album feels like a compilation of songs that just WORK, even if the genre is something I would never touch. Listening intently gives me an emotional connection to some songs, and others just make me smile. It's good.
Of course, I like the rockin' tunes better, because I'm a young hothead. The opening song tops most of the ballads for me.
I think this is the first album I've listened to that had nothing annoying in it. The "Whoa"s in Beneath the Brine, the vocals in world music, repetitive bits in Chuck Berry, and so on. While this music doesn't hit me as something I could just love forever and forever, I also have no reason to dislike it. That alone puts it above 3 stars, and almost to 4.
Maybe it was just because it was the first song, but I don't think I heard anything that topped Chocolate Cake.

3.5/5

8. triceratopzeuhl - The Kinks - Arthur

Spoiler: show

It's easier to point out what I enjoyed about this album than to point at flaws. I liked the chill vibe in places. Some of the mellow, more groovy riffs were fun, and at times the vocals took on a novel sound. But most of the time, the basic-ness of the music was . . . merely average. The singing wasn't awe-inspiring, nor was it supposed to be. The music was mostly pleasant, but nothing I would remember after listening. Perhaps this band was important, was influential, but after a lifetime of listening to the bands that were influenced, this all seems basic. The music never surprised me or showed me something I haven't heard a hundred times before.
That said, I liked the culture of the lyrics. That alone puts Victoria, Australia, and Yes Sir No Sir up as my favorites on the album. They weren't the most interesting musically, but I forget the music near instantly. The Bri'ish-ness of the lyrics made it fun for me.
I wouldn't be bothered by this album playing in my vicinity. I'd probably tap my foot. Maybe hum along. But it doesn't really push me in any way emotionally or mentally, and I probably wouldn't choose to put it on.

2/5

9. A Person - Vanessa Rossetto - Whole Stories

Spoiler: show

This fits none of my criteria for music. I went in biased against it, as soon as I figured out what the genre was. And the entire time I listened to it, I wondered why I wasn't just quitting like I had with Bish Bosch. I never quit. I hung through to the end. And I liked it.
Wierd, huh?
It's hard for me to pinpoint why I like it. Maybe it's because I'm trapped in a quiet cubicle, and I long to be out in the streets. Maybe the sounds did come together to make something pleasing. But overall, I'd say that the sense of discovery contributed the most to it. Discovery of the genre, the sounds, the experience. I can't say I'll ever listen to this again. Maybe I'll try another album in the genre, see how much variety there is. Hard to say. I don't enjy this in the same way as normal music. I don't know how to appreciate the musicianship, there's nothing to sing along to, no catchy beat or interesting tunes. But it's so... different. Maybe I'm appreciating this in a way that I don't appreciate music. I'm not sure.
I'm very not sure.
But it was a decent experience. 3/5. Probably would not listen to the same track again.

3/5

10. Marmot - deadmau5 - > album title goes here <

Spoiler: show

Electronic music is something that I haven't listened to, much like the above experimental music. So I'm easy to please. That said, the way the first track fakes you out with a tripple 4/4 beat and then overlays a 12/4 complex time signature while building itself up is fantastic. The drop into soothing synth afterward is pleasing. This first track has a way of defying expectations while staying straightforward and energetic.
The rest of the tracks don't really surprise me in the same way.
They are decent enough, and there are interesting pieces here and there. But the novelty wore off quickly. By the time that the album was 60% done, I felt tired.
There isn't really anything wrong with what's here. It's just what it is. Straightforward beat, music, etc. It's there. It's not bad.

2.5/5

11. Ricochet - Jethro Tull - A Passion Play

Spoiler: show

I listened to this back when it was in the thread, and I think we lost any discussion I made on it. Intellectually, I liked this music, enjoyed some of the lyrics and choices in design. I just wasn't a big fan of the sound. Too... fuzzy? Don't remember. And then there weren't enough standouts to make this stand out.

2.5/5

12. Epignosis - echolyn - echolyn

Spoiler: show

This. This is exactly the kind of music that I listen to. Proggy, but not too proggy. Beautiful instrumentation, a mixture of more driven beats and laid back tunes, talented vocals, interesting and emotional lyrics, songs that are long enough to explore themselves and what they want to do. It's in the perfect spot for me.
Maybe too perfect.
As I was listening to this, it struck me that I wasn't hearing anything that I haven't heard before, in a way. I technically hadn't heard this album, but it didn't do enough to stand out from all the progressive rock bands I've listened to. Consistent in quality, in mix, in tone, the songs were all good. But it didn't stand out among what I've listened to as truly exceptional. It didn't surprise me much, like Beneath the Brine did at the start of this exercise.
It also didn't surprise itself. Compared to some other works I've enjoyed, there wasn't a huge variety of music on display. Some of the more slow songs just faded into memory without distinguishing themselves.
But even as I write this, the last track comes along. The Cardinal and I and The Island, as well as one or two other tracks I heard along the way are 5/5 tracks. That just barely edges this up to a 4.5. But it could have been a 5/5, if the fat was cut, or variety of equal quality was thrown in there.

4.5/5

13. Quin - Last Dinosaurs - In a Million Years

Spoiler: show

Last Dinosaurs had their own sound, I'll give them that much. In tone, they were different than what I normally listen to. Fun, with enough energy to keep me toe-tapping. The songs did kind-of blend together. I checked my playlist and saw that I was on the sixth song, when I had thought I was on song three. The album doesn't overstay its welcome, either.
Didn't make a huge impression on me, but it's not something I'd mind someone playing. Given the indie pop rock style of the music, that's saying a lot. Decent album, middle of the road.

3/5

14. thellama73 - Pandora's Box - Original Sin

Spoiler: show

When the description said 'Rock Opera,' this is not what I was expecting.
This is amazing. I certainly can't complain about the variety. A lot of familiar-sounding tunes, pushed to the point of gaudiness and unapologetic brazenness. I love it. Nothing is ever too eighties for me. Nothing is ever too much.
Perhaps I just have less experience with this kind of music, but even if everything was familiar, I was pleasantly surprised and couldn't compare this album directly to anything I listen to.
"I've been dreaming up a storm lately" is hilarious.
I can't point out anything about the music I particularly enjoyed, but I was grinning as I listened.

3.5/5

15. insertnamehere - The Mountain Goats - All Hail West Texas

Spoiler: show

I appreciated this for what it was. I've not ever heard Lo-Fi, didn't know what it was.
Problem is that Low Fidelity music is literally designed to be lower quality. There are goo things and bad things about this.
-The recording quality was iffy. The voice sounds like it's coming over an old radio, and I don't like that sound.
-The music had a grainy background sound.
-The arrangements didn't have much depth or variation in musical arrangement, excluding the 'blues in dallas' track.
I did not like these things. I also didn't like the voice of the vocalist. Felt like anyone could have done as well.
But in the simplicity of the songs, the chord progressions and lyrics really stood out. None of the tunes were unpleasant, and I didn't mistake one song for another despite the simple one-instrument setup. Takes me back to something simpler. I like the idea of two joe shmoes, one with a guitar, sitting in a bedroom and recording on a cassette tape. They put a lot of heart and originality into their work, even if the voice is bland and the music is simple. Even though the voice doesn't try to emotionally inflect on its own lyrics, these songs felt more genuine than anything in modern pop music.
I had been planning to give this a 2/5, but after reading my review and thinking about it, I'm not going to do that.

3/5

16. Golden - Corinne Bailey Rae - The Heart Speaks in Whispers (Deluxe)

Spoiler: show

I'm sorry to say that I was bored. There is no sin that music can commit that is worse than boring me.
I'd like to point to something specific. But the voice was pleasant, the production values were high, the music was 'pretty', and the tone was relaxing. But I listened to the whole album, and nothing interested me in the slightest. Perhaps it's just the genre.
The voice was pretty. But it didn't do much for me. It's like it was relying on it's own natural tone rather than doing something interesting musically.
I'd say more, but I just zone out every time I try to pay attention.
I don't even like this as background music. It's too... bleh. I can't articulate. Bored now. Not annoyed, just bored.

1.5/5

17. MovingPictures07 - Dead Can Dance - Within the Realm of a Dying Sun

Spoiler: show

I've never heard any Neoclassical Darkwave before, but to me it sounds like the perfect mix of gothic atmospheric music and... well, actual music. Each track gave me a different kind of epic or melancholic swelling feeling, but that wasn't all that drew me. The music itself was pretty good, well arranged. Even if the tone was altered, and the lyrics changed to something less foreign angelic and more generic, I would have enjoyed the arrangement of the music. The two aspects complimented each other though, so I prefer things as they are.
The album didn't overstay it's welcome at all, and it's definitely something I wouldn't mind revisiting. Especially if running a D&D campaign.

4/5

18. nutella - Bobby McFerrin - Circlesongs

Spoiler: show

The concept here is amazing. Vocal-only jazz. Love that. And I liked the rhythm of the first track. But the main, standout vocalist immediately turned me off with his tone and timbre. I could listen to the backgroundists and bassists for a while. With Bobby himself, or whoever, I slip from "This is pretty cool and unique" to "please stop making that noise with your mouth."
Some tracks have much better sounds than the others. Circlesong 3 is better than 2 or 1, for example. (That's how far I've gotten. :P)
Some of the vocals sound haunting and mood-driven, but when that happens, the beat vocals are usually undercutting them and clashing with their vibes. Moments like this point to what I feel is the squandered potential of this album. The concept and skill and individual bits shown could have blown me away, but certain choices in the musical design left them just north of mediocre.
Circlesong 6, the longest song on the album, pushes up the score, though. I was planning on 2 or 2.5 based on the first half of the album, but song 5 and 6 pushed it up for me.

3/5

19. speedchuck - Toehider - What Kind of Creature Am I?

Spoiler: show

Toehider is (for the most part) one guy, Michael Mills. I ran into him on the Ayreon rock opera The Theory of Everything and decided almost immediately that he was in my top 3 vocalists of all time, if not my favorite. When I went to check out his original band, I was surprised to find a silly proggy rock mashup of everything I like in music. Everything. This is the first album that I listened to, and is my favorite Toehider work, and one of my favorite albums of all time.

5/5

20. G-Man - The Stooges - Fun House

Spoiler: show

Grungey, grimy, straight-up rock. Normally, something I'd like, but for a couple of issues I had. First, the mix. The music should be powerful, in your face, driven. But everything sounds muddy, like I'm listening from far away on the other side of a building. Perhaps that's just 70s music mixing for you, but it turned me off immediately.
Secondly, some parts of the songs are very, very repetitive. I'm pretty sure the bassist is doing the same thing for 4 minutes straight in some cases. The vocals aren't much less repetitive than that, nor is the guitar.
Iggy Pop has a rough sound, and I'm not a huge fan of it on certain songs.
If there was a strong redeeming grace here for me, I'd call attention to the guitar. Even if I hate the way it's mixed in, I have the urge to pull that guitar out, turn it up, make it more crisp and clear, then listen to it without any vocals to get in the way. It sounds fun to play, and it sounds good. Even when repeating itself, the guitar is making some really good sounds.
Taking the music as a whole, the rampant energy doesn't do enough for me.

2.5/5

21. sprityo - Michael Guy Bowman - Mobius Trip and Hadron Kaleido

Spoiler: show

I liked this. It continued to mix the electronic approach to the music with instruments that at least sounded analog. The variety kept me going, as well as the light mood-setting synth effects. The vocals were not super impressive, but they fit the music. Everything was peppy and energetic most of the time, the music was mixed well and fit together cohesively.
Feel like I'm repeating myself.
Couldn't help but tap my foot and appreciate the weirdness that the synth brought to this relatively normal pop sound. I like it in the same way I like Thomas Dolby. It's quirky and fun, though nothing mind-blowing.
Nothing negative here, thought the positives didn't really blow me away. Looking back, I apparently didn't like this the first time I heard it. Go figure.

4/5

22. thellama73 - Comus - First Utterance

Spoiler: show

I loved the music. From the moody, groovy bits to the soul-filled acoustic ripping, the music grasped everything I like about folk and then twisted it into something different, but good. The way that the music came out and in, syncing with the vocals, then jumping to something else entirely, I couldn't help but be entertained.
But the vocals. I just don't know.
At times, the singing was haunting, at times angry, at times goofy, at times incomprehensible. While the vocals always fit the music, I found myself in the full range of 'like' to 'hate' at any given moment. I enjoyed the lyrics most when they synched up with the rest of the sound, and hated it most when it was being odd and loud.
Yet, in all of that, it didn't DETRACT from the music, or RUIN it. It was a part of the music, and I can't judge them seperately here. Altogether, things occasionally sounded unpleasant, which bothered me even when it was a part of the 'mood'. Those times were worth enduring for the unique and often haunting or insane tone of the album. I could see some sort of urban fantasy horror story set to these tunes.
Good for mood-setting or if you want to hear a different side of what folk can do.

3.5/5

23. JaggedJimmyJay - Mariee Sioux - Faces in the Rocks

Spoiler: show

This album is beautiful. I thought so months ago when I first heard it, and I think so now. It is the most wholesome, beautiful sound I've heard in music. More soothing, more peaceful, more pleasant than any other sound.
That's not what I always look for in music, but it is a plus.
I don't usually catch enough of the lyrics in these albums to review them that much, but the imagery in these lyrics takes the beauty to a whole 'nother level. If the album was only beauty, it would be vapid and dry. The lyrics and the haunting tone elevate this into a natural, whole and full beauty that relaxes body, heart, and soul.
I have yet to find another album like this.
All of the above being said, this isn't really my kind of album. I don't listen to music to relax typically, though if I did, this one would be on repeat. I usually listen to music for the energy, story, instrumentation, structure, or some combination thereof. This album is pleasant, and the instrumentation on display is skillful and unique, but it doesn't hit a lot of my buttons. That's the only thing keeping it out of my 'beloved albums' box.

4/5

24. Epignosis - Tears for Fears - Songs From the Big Chair

Spoiler: show

I've really underestimated how much I love this genre. Just the sound of it appeals to me. From the sound of the vocals to the mix itself. Love it. And the album kicks off really strong, with some great songs to use that sound to the fullest.
I Believe is the only track that I don't care for. It's not bad, per se, but it doesn't play to the strengths of this sound and set of musicians. It was just a song, whereas Shout, for example, is a classic. (No, I'm not biased toward hits. Shout is just really good IMO.)
There are a few places that the album took me by surprise, hitting me with something sharp and cutting after a long, brazen and full verse.
Either I'm in a good mood or I'm just hitting a bunch of great music lately.

4/5

25. A Person - Moor Mother - Fetish Bones

Spoiler: show

I'm saving 0.5 and 1 out of five for albums I couldn't finish. Yeah, sorry, this is one of them. I could handle Dataplex, a later submission that ripped and screeched at me, but at least it was doing something. Fetish Bones has "noise" as a part of its genre, and I would rather listen to the sounds of the street or computerized whining chirps than just NOISE.
The hip hop poetic inciting lyrics were okay. But even with them there, I was treating the album like a marathon, holding out through the pain. Once I realized what I was doing, I decided that I'd given the noise a fair enough shake and shut it down. Painful. Not for me.

0.5/5

26. triceratopzeuhl - Townes Van Zandt - Townes Van Zandt

Spoiler: show

I actively dislike modern country. Anything after the turn of the century is pretentious, low-brow, boozy, cruddy, overblown crap. The fake accents, the horribly meaningless and trashy lyrics, the sound of the guitar, the same-y poppish sound that is ruined by the aforementioned flaws... It's all trash, all of it.
90s country I liked, at time. It was honest, gritty, harsh, and told stories that were too down-to-earth for rock or pop to get across. It felt good. There are some 90s country songs that I would put up there with my favorite nostalgic songs.
Where did I feel on Townes Van Zandt?
It wasn't modern country. It didn't physically hurt to listen to it. But it also didn't have the edge, the realness of the 90s country. It was a collection of ballads that, while honest, pretty, and atmospheric, were ultimately forgettable. I wouldn't say that's a dig at the music. I can imagine someone getting hooked into these songs, swaying with the strings, and singing every clear and lonely word. It's a romantic album, and I mean that in the classiest way possible. Good for it.
On a personal enjoyment scale, though, I just cannot get into it at all. It's like mint and dark chocolate together. I can see why people appreciate the richness and the refreshing flavor, but it's just not something I want to experience if I have the choice.

2/5

27. sprityo - Ratatat - Classics

Spoiler: show

Steady. Nostalgic. Some cool electronic or snappy string grooves. In general, this is what I expect music to vary from. A good strong and steady beat, with melodies and harmonies that mesh and repeat well. Some of it is electronic. Some of it is not, or does a good job of sounding like it's not. All of it is... average. A good average, but still average.
I generally want something a little more interesting out of my instrumentals, but if I were streaming or working or playing video games, this would make good background music. Like any good electronic stuff.

2.5/5

28. Ricochet - Phoenix - Mugur de fluier

Spoiler: show

It's hard to review foreign language stuff most of the time. This isn't much of an exception. I can't really tell what Phoenix was going for with this album. I don't know what they were singing.
But dang, instrumentally, they nailed it. (What is it?) THEY NAILED SOMETHING!
Musically, I loved every second of this album. Everything happened as I thought it should. Bass and violin came in at just the right times to accentuate each other, the chanty interludes gave the album some structure, the tone of the lyrics fit the music, there was just the right mix of rock and... music. Like I said, hard to review. All I could say while sitting and listening was "I like this. I like every part of this." It made me want to bob my head, drum along, or pick up a bass guitar.
Musical bliss.
I just wish I could understand more about it.

4.5/5

29. G-Man - A Flock of Seagulls - A Flock of Seagulls

Spoiler: show

Ah, more new-wave-ish stuff. To make my opinion easy, I could compare this album to Tears for Fears's Songs From the Big Chair. In which case I would say this album is more consistent, but not as strong.
There are a lot of albums I've listened to from this topic that had me waiting for them to end, even if I didn't necessarily dislike them. This was not one of those. I got to the end of the album, and I felt like I could start over and go straight through it again. Which is... both good and bad.
The album didn't have a sound I would get tired of easily, but it also didn't wow me with the impressive strength and power of some New Wave stuff I've heard. The mix just wasn't as strong. But that lack of strength made it easy for the music to fade into the background pleasantly. It didn't demand my attention, but instead sought to please me unintrusively while allowing some interesting poppy lyrics if I decided to listen intently.
All around, I enjoyed this album. I'd listen again. That's all I can say about it.

3.5/5

30. MovingPictures07 - Esbjörn Svensson Trio - Leucocyte

Spoiler: show

The album cover in the Youtube video sums up my thoughts on this album pretty well. The name of the album, Leucocyte, appears in bold black letters on a white background. Simple, clean. Just like the music all arrangement. Drums, bass, keys, everything sounds very clean and crisp and perfectly played.
But then the title is printed again, with parts of it rearranged. And again. And again. This is what the album does with the music, taking these clean and well-played instruments and piecing together movements over and over and over again. And, in my opinion, like with the album cover, you end up with a mess that's hard to look at.
I like structure in my music. I like songs that are either short or broken up into clean parts that have their own sound. While this album tries to do the latter, without words or a change in the style of the music itself, all I see it it moving on to the next 'thing'. Like the last title printed on the album, instead of moving from character to character we just move from blacks and whites to whites and blacks. There is good musicianship in here, and I like a lot of the more sparse and melodic movements, but it's just messy to keep track of, and the lack of structure kills my enjoyment.
That's more of a me-thing than a music thing, but it's a thing.
I don't understand how people can listen to unstructured, 'artsy' music without drinking fine wine and eating cheeses that don't actually taste good, just for the splendor and nuance. It's probably how some normal people feel about Prog.

I wrote this review after listening to one song. I don't expect the rest of the album to change my opinion at all. That's not how this type of music goes.

1.5/5

31. nutella - Woodkid - The Golden Age

Spoiler: show

I instantly liked the music of this album. Not loved, but liked. And then the vocalist came in and ruined it. Song #1, The Golden Age, did not fit the voice that came with it at all. It sounded like it should have a clear, beautiful singer to match the tone and feel of the song, but instead we got a blase murmurer.
Then song #2 came along, Run Boy Run. The orchestral sound was still there, but it had lowered itself to a more gritty and catchy level. The vocalist fit in perfectly, and Run Boy Run was enjoyable all of the way through. The orchestral percussion really gave the piece an alive feel.
The rest of the album relied on that percussive impact to pull me in and present a cohesive work. Before I reached the end of the album, I had to go back and check that first song, and make sure that I really disliked it. I was suprised to find that I still did, because the rest of the album kept pushing my expectations higher and higher.
There was only one other song, Where I Live, that disappointed me by returning to the discordant beauty of pianic orchestra. The voice just doesn't fit that. That combination doesn't work for me.
Overall, I found this to be a great introduction to Orchestral Pop, with a unique voice to carry the songs when it fit in. Other than a couple of missteps, I liked the sound. Its beauty, in a strong and epic sense, made me feel like this sound was from a bygone era. Any music that can make me feel is definitely worth a listen.

4/5

32. speedchuck - That Handsome Devil - A City Dressed in Dynamite

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That Handsome Devil was introduced to me through the games Guitar Hero 2 and Rock Band 2, way back when that was how I got into music. Those games are solely responsible for my somewhat diverse tastes. And in the middle of those games, I found some goofy, irreverent tunes that couldn't help but tap my foot to.
Elephant Bones (not on this album, but worth a listen) and Rob the Prez-O-Dent.
I only fell further in from there.
That Handsome Devil creates booze-soaked bops that imitate anything from elevator music to rockabilly funk (as if I know what that is), selling it all with the distinct vocal drawl of Godforbid and lyrics that barge into inappropriateness with all the grace of a ballet hippo. This fusion spawn tunes that I, at least, can't help but sing along with, and this album has some of my favorites on it: Wintergreen, Rob the Prez-O-Dent, Pills for Everything, Viva Discordia, and Mexico.
I don't know what else to say. Start the playlist, kick down the Damn Door, and (hopefully) enjoy the bumpy ride.

4.5/5

33. insertnamehere - Timber Timbre - Creep On Creepin' On

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I appreciate what this album is trying to do, really. I also like the full sound of the mix, and the vocals are superb and creepy in their own right. But listening to this album wore me out. The full mix became overwhelming when things got over-the-top, and the music dragged in places. The sound itself, while putting up a good atmosphere, was a little too squealy and zany for me sometimes.
And then the problem, with atmospheric music like this, is that it drained energy from me rather than giving it. I don't regret listening to it, but I wouldn't do it again, because I'd feel more worn out after than before. I wanted more energy out of this, even if it was frantic. That might be a problem with the genre for me, because I felt that the music was good.
Subjectivity doesn't let me rate this very highly, though.

2/5

34. Epignosis - Chris Squire - Fish Out of Water

Spoiler: show

Fish out of Water was about what I expected. Soothing but interesting yes tunes, a bit more emphasis on the bass. I wasn't blown away, but do I have to be? I enjoyed this immensely, though it's more like music that I would listen to while driving, working, editing, and so on than music I would use to hype me up or music that I would listen to on it's own. That's just me I guess.
Definitely toe-tapping (yes, even to lucky seven. I'm a drummer, I can toe tap to anything.)

4/5

35. JaggedJimmyJay - Joanna Newsom - Ys

Spoiler: show

I should like this. Really, I should. I like strings. I like folk, or I thought I did. I like atmospheric music, and I like lyrics that paint pictures like this. But wow, that voice. I couldn't stand it. It varied too much, and from the tone and timbre, to the unstructured way that she moved her voice with the music... didn't like it at any point. It sounded too strained at points, too try-hardy in others. When she warbled, I cringed. When she slurred and mumbled, I flinched. Just no.
And the music did the same thing in places. Though I appreciated the tone of the music, it still, at times, broke structure to match what the vocals were doing, and I didn't like that.
The lyrics themselves were beautiful, reading them. Fine poetry, and I felt like another voice could have presented it in a way that I loved. But this one just made my skin crawl.

1.5/5

36. dunya - Drake - Take Care

Spoiler: show

The use of n***** and p**** make me uncomfortable, so I'm going to mark this as the second submitted album that I could not finish. I barely got started before deciding that it wasn't worth the discomfort, when I'm looking for enjoyment in music. I'm trying to give every album a fair shot, but as I said on my first listen when this was submitted, racial and gender-related slurs or profanity push it too far for me. I don't really care if an f-bomb is dropped now and then, or anything lesser than that, but anything I think of as a 'slur' rather than a cuss word, even if it's not used as one because Drake is allowed to say it, makes me uncomfortable. Welcome to America, I guess.
Also rhyming the n-word with itself over and over is kinda lazy.
But on to the actual music, which I heard on the first track only. It was... good. Pleasant. It wasn't gaudy and self-important, like a lot of mainstream crap I've heard. It was down to earth, pretty, and musical. Drake's voice itself was pleasant to listen to, not at all harsh. Having looked up the lyrics to the title track alone, I'd say that this album does have some pretty good lyrical content in it, despite the landmines.
It's not an album for me, it wasn't directed at me, and I'll pass. To those outside of my cultural situation and bias, I can see and hear the quality.

1.5/5

37. G-Man - Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas

Spoiler: show

I guess I'll provide some perspective.
This was really, really good. I've heard a lot of these songs before, at some point or another, but I've never listened to this album or seen A Charlie Brown Christmas. I went in without expectations, I guess. Some tunes were familiar, some weren't, but I feel like I could listen to this at any time of year and be satisfied.
The tunes work best as background music, in my opinion. But I could reasonably just close my eyes and listen. I guess this is what iconic music is. There's a reason this movie was so popular, and I'll bet a lot of it has to do with the music.
I'm not going to go into detail like some of you do. I have an ear for musical intricacy, which is why I listen to prog, but I'm not good at explaining what a piece does or how it does it and why that makes it good. All I know is that I like it. And I like this.

4.5/5

38. MovingPictures07 - Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma

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Within the first 30 seconds I've been greeted with retro gaming vibes, asian styled music, and various electronic wibbly-wobblies. I have to start the thing over to make sure this is what I heard. Answer: Yes, but there's more!
At least the second song reminds me of gaming sountracks from the early 2000s. Frogger 2, maybe (muh childhood!). Some VVVVVV in the more digital-heavy parts, but still with more substance/style. This is really neat background music, constantly changing and moving and (my favorite word) warbling. I usually have trouble finding good background music outside of soundtracks. Mostly because I'm not into/know nothing about electronic music.
Everything stays that way till Intro//A Cosmic Drama showcases some soft (electronic?) strings and whimsical mood-setting flourishes. Very different than what came before. That mood-setting high feeling continues into the next track. Computer face brings us back brings us back.
I doubt I'll have much esle to say about this album unless something changes. The electronic parts make me feel nostalgic for some reason, and the softer, more moody parts are genuinely good chill mood setters. I do prefer the electronic pieces more, but I can see myself saving this album and putting it on in the background. Not while writing, though. Wouldn't fit my type of writing.
I do have another thing to say. This album is like onions. There are so many laters, so many pieces to the music. It has depth, but it meshes well and doesn't get confusing or overblown.
...And The World Laughs With You has singing, which surprised and pleased me, and a clicking sound in the background, which hurt my ears and made me turn the album down.
I keep thinking I'm done commenting, and then new things are introduced. I underestimated the variety, it seems. Arkestry is more percussive than anything, but pulls together the mood-setting and electronic bits from before with a little sax. It's a little too unfocused for my taste, and anything with that ambient (staticy?) noise in my headphones bothers me. Ends well though.
I appreciate the artistic choices in most of the music tracks, but based on the music videos, I have to wonder if they're marketing this to people that are high? I don't understand that kind of culture or their videos. I just kinda get that vibe from the way it looks, and it sort of taints my perception of certain songs. But when I close my eyes and listen to the music alone, it sounds good. So idunno.
Satellite would be better without vocals IMO.

4/5

39. JaggedJimmyJay - CunninLynguists - A Piece of Strange

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This was chill, it was good. Maybe it's the 'southern' hip-hop agreeing with me, but I enjoyed this album. I could click on a random time in the album, and I have no doubt that the resulting beat would leave me bobbing my head with a vacant smile on my face. This is good stuff. It's not profanity-laced, the lyrics aren't garbage (what what I could tell), and the instrumentation isn't lazy. The voices were pleasant.
Basically, this is a genre I don't like, but with all of the things that I don't like about it taken away.
The rhythm of the music is infectious, and I can still feel a shadow of it after listening to the album.
That's about all I have to say. I enjoyed this, and would put it on in the background again.
Oh, and now I really want to go back and listen to Arthur Brown. FIRE. I'LL TAKE YOU TO BURN.

3.5/5

40. speedchuck - Rishloo - Feathergun

Spoiler: show

This alum was introduced to me by a friend, a couple of years ago. I heard it, thought it was noisy but interesting, then forgot about it for a year. At some point the songs came back into my head. I asked about them looked them up, and began playing them at work on my headphones. With every listen I enjoyed the songs more, though I can't point to why or how. They are progressive, but not unduly so. Heavy, but not grating. Complex, but not up their own ass. Pleasant at times, but not beautiful. Hard-edged, but not unkind. Lyrically interesting, but not entirely profound. Full of variety, but in no way that is ultimately surprising.

And I suppose that the lack of extremes fits in the way that I like Rishloo, or specifically this album. It's different and interesting and fun to listen to, whether intently or in the background. Whatever I'm in the mood for, I can always listen to it. I would put Rishloo near the center of my musical tastes, a midpoint that is high in quality. All of my other musical tastes branch out from elements of this style of music.

I suppose that is why I submitted this.

4.5/5

41. nutella - Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer, Stuart Duncan, Yo-Yo Ma - The Goat Rodeo Sessions

Spoiler: show

I don't really like bluegrass. As much as I love stringed instruments, and as much as I like the concept, bluegrass just doesn't appeal to me. Just like with country music, I dislike to voices. And on top of that, bluegrass always seems to have the same circular, bouncing rhythm.
So while I approached this album with trepidation, I was rewarded with a mostly-instrumental album, completely free of faux southerners, that did not jangle along with the traditional rolling banjo. No. This was art, and I loved every second of it. I mean that in the most literal sense. The moment-to-moment music was perfect in sound, pleasing, interesting, and fun. The album was structured in a way that game me a distinct feel of what the band was trying to do, especially with the songs that had lyrics, but it didn't feel constrained by the structure.
And the energy here was just astounding.
I don't know what separates this album from... say Leucodyte. It's hard to say. There was enough structure to please me, and the instruments took me in various directions. The pieces weren't busy enough to throw me about, but each instrument was giving its all. It was like listening to one of my favorite prog bands freestyling on a sound test, but with less solo wankery and more strings.
I nearly gave this a 4.5/5, but while I loved every second of the album, I don't see myself coming back to it on the regular like I have with Beneath the Brine and other 4.5s. I have trouble articulating why, but I'd draw it down to preference. I can't sing along, and the music doesn't pump me up. It's background music, and art that I can appreciate with awe. By filling 2/4 of my 'things I look for in music'', The Goat Rodeo Session earns a well-deserved 4.

4/5

42. Epignosis - Kansas - Somewhere to Elsewhere

Spoiler: show

Somewhere to elsewhere starts with one of my favorite songs of all time. Icarus II is fantastic. I also love When The World Was Young, and Myriad. Perhaps you see the pattern. I like the faster or more power-driven tunes. The more ballad-y or slow tunes like Byzantium and Dissappearing Skin Tight Blues are merely amazing, and not my favorites.
To point out what I like about this music would be hard. It would be easier to say that these songs have nothing in them that I DON'T like. The instrumentation, alternately meaningful and clever lyrics, soulful (maybe that's the world I'm looking for) vocals and interesting rhythmic drum tracks that don't get too trashy or meaninglessly complex/noisy, all of it is what I want.
This is not my favorite Kansas album. It is my second favorite. If I took the half of this album I actually loved, or by itself with the additions of Down The Road, Icarus (Borne on Wings of Steel), Miracles out of Nowhere, Magnum Opus, and some classics like Wayward Son and Point of Know Return, it would not only be a 5.0, it would be my favorite album of all time.
So should I give this a 4.5 or 5.0? I lean toward 4.5. I want to save 5.0 for something that I come across that not only blows me away, but also does so consistently.
...
Giving it a 5.0 anyway.

5/5

43. MovingPictures07 - Ryoji Ikeda - dataplex

Spoiler: show

I listened to the whole thing. And I would do it again.
Wasn't expecting to enjoy this thing. But lo and behold, I had no issue sitting through it. Even the high-frequency sounds fit the music, and I can't say that I wished they were gone.
By using the digital sounds, outside of the normal spectrum for music, dataplex has become something special. It demonstrates how you can take harsh or unpleasant sounds and link them together to make something good. The beats were what I appreciated most. They made me want to move, which is one of my 'things that I appreciate in music'. With the album moving a variety of beats along at a rapid pace, I didn't have to worry about getting bored or fatigued. Whenever something I didn't like came along, I just waited two minutes.
I put this music on in the background while working. It's surprisingly good for that. The music sounds like the way that my brain works, rapid paced, processing several different things at once, never letting up. It speaks to me.
Of course, all is not good. My praise doesn't change the fact that I would have enjoyed the album just as much at half the length. It doesn't change that I had to listen to this on headphones, so as not to have people scream at me. This is still a harsh album with an unpleasant tone, one that I wouldn't recommend to anyone. It still doesn't have many different avenues by which I enjoy it.
But dang, I could actually see myself listening to this again.
...

3.5/5

44. dunya - Pescado Rabioso - Pescado 2

Spoiler: show

The first track of this album is amazing.
Within the first fifteen minutes of this album, I came to the conclusion that I was listening to Pink Floyd, translated into another language. While the album did stray from that sound a little bit, at no point did I feel like the music was something new. Everything was derived from music I've been hearing for years. This particular derivation is good, and I suppose it's nice for Spanish people to hear in their language, considering that they outnumber us English folk. But it's not all that different.
More interestingly, as I was hinting to, this is a Spanish album that holds little hint of what I'd expect as Spanish or Latin American sounds. It just sounds like 60s-80s psyche rock, which is fine, but a little odd. Based on the voice and tone and music, I expect to be hearing english, but none of the words make sense. It's jarring, but I kinda dig it in that way.
As the album entered the latter two thirds, it began to do interesting things again, just as the first track did. Non-musical sounds for effect, synth organs used to give it a mystic feel, and so on. Again, I dig it. It wasn't mind-blowing, but it gave the album a little of its own flair.

3/5

45. G-Man - Local H - Pack Up The Cats

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Local H decided to start this album with noisy, energetic rock, and made the unfortunate choice to include a rather annoying voice droning "allrightohyeah" constantly during breaks. Horrid. But in between these awful breaks, the music finds a rather catchy beat, and at times surprises me with a particular turn or choice.
This pendulum swinging back and forth, from annoying to servicable and then to catchy and fun, characterizes the album. Even the vocalist was likeable at times, even most of the time, but he couldn't refrain from getting too excited. And when he goes all-out, it sounds awful.
On the other hand, kitty noises.
As the album progresses, I gain more appreciation for the guitar tones, and the highlights of the songs get better. But I can't get past the more annoying and noisy bits. I'm all for energy, powerful sound, distortion, etc., but some small parts of this were grating.

3/5

46. JaggedJimmyJay - Marina & the Diamonds - The Family Jewels

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I'm going to TL;DR at the start: Inoffensive, but not my thing at all.
I liked Marina's voice a lot, and the music showed talent. Everything came together as one piece, and nothing was jarring or awful-sounding. Pleasant when it wanted to be, but varied enough to show the strengths of the singing and songwriting. I'd like to believe that I fully appreciated this album's songwriting, and the vibe it as going for.
But I just can't get into this music because it doesn't hit any of my qualifiers. It's not complex, interesting, heart-pumping, nostalgic, or atmospheric, and I can't see myself wanting to sing along with it. It just is. It's not for me, but for others that appreciate the general vibe of the lyrics rather than any interesting narrative, and for those who want something that is "pretty" but also has some meat to it. I think. It's hard for me to say what others want.

2.5/5