I have fallen in love with soul music. My favorite voice for soul is Otis Redding, but after his death, I haven't gotten exactly what I wanted from the genre outside of Marvin Gaye. Al Green is the closest to that. His voice is amazing, and I love the instrumentation all around. From what I've read, this is where he finds his distinct sound and continues to build off of it. If that is the case, I'm excited for my soul playlist to continue to build.

I really only reviewed this album because I grew up on "Doctor My Eyes." I love that song, but lots of the music surrounding it can feel stale, and exactly what I was expecting. That's not bad, because everything is still well-produced, performed, and written, but this is just a typical singer-songwriter from Laurel Canyon.

I'm not sure why I skipped over this album when I first went through 1970, but I did. I loved the tone of this record and found myself getting reminded of Bob Dylan on a lot of tracks. The sometimes subtle and not-so-subtle political statements are what make this record stand out to me, but the story is also fascinating. Sixto Rodriguez didn't gain any success from this album, but he found out decades later that it had blown up in South Africa. They felt particularly attached to the ... read more

I found myself loving some songs, but felt some inconsistency with the tone of the album. I do love the Laure. Canyon Scene, and how everyone was working with each other to create beautiful albums, but this one doesn't seem to stand out to me.

I spent a total of ten months just reviewing the years 1970 and 1971. What an incredible year, and what an incredible album to end the year. While it felt like in the 1960s, everyone had the same goal, in the 1970s, everyone felt lost. That includes David Bowie. He didn't know what he wanted to be or what he wanted to do since music hadn't quite worked out yet. And why I think this is a perfect album for that is because Bowie was just doing what he felt like doing. There are so many ... read more

This album creates an atmosphere and a vibe in a great way, but the instrumentation can get stale. There is no percussion from what I can hear, which helps build the sound they wanted.

I had a great time with this record, but each track can struggle to stand out. There are some crazy time signatures and insane instrumentation throughout.

I don't really know what to think of this album. If you played me a single song, or even a side of this album, I would love it, but with all these sounds, it isn't cohesive at all. There are a lot of cool ideas that shouldn't go together, but it sounds great. RAYE's vocals are also on point here, but the sheer length can be a lot. I think she is just trying to do too much here, but if you pick out some songs, there are some gems, but as an album, it's a lot to take in.

This was better than I expected, but it still lacks the authenticity, creativity, and charm that used to make Kanye so special. He goes back to the chipmunk soul that he started his career with, but it just doesn't hit the same. Still, with all that being said, Kanye did deliver an album that flows nicely, and no song overstays its welcome.

Badfinger is a band that I had no idea existed before this list, and while I was listening, I thought they sounded a lot like The Beatles. I then looked at the producing credits and saw that George Harrison helped produce and that it was made on the Apple label. I do think this is a great pop-rock record, but at times I feel that the band struggles to find its own identity. I could easily hear other tracks that they heavily borrowed from throughout the tracklist, which took me out of the album. ... read more

This album suffers from a lot of tonal shifts that may not land all of the time, but when they do, it's undeniable. This album makes you feel like you are floating when they do it right, just like the album cover. The band's use of more jazz influence, like their last album, and orchestration, which allows for those "floating" moments, is very unique. An underrated record that I wasn't so sure about, but the band surprised me yet again. Even though this is a completely ... read more

I wasn't expecting much from this record, only based on its reputation, but it's fantastic. The last three great Kinks records, which are phenomenal, all reach higher highs, but this album is just as, if not more, consistent. I love how each album of theirs can transport you completely to whatever vibe and theme they want to. Each album, as of recent, offers such a unique and specific theme that it's hard to love. Here, they give us a look into an American sound, but they somehow ... read more

Pop music, and especially electro-pop, has been on a roll to start the year. The first two tracks here are my favorite, and I think the album loses steam as it goes on, but it is so much fun. The beats are so energetic, but the lyrics need some work on some tracks. I found myself thoroughly enjoying the grooves and the space that this album takes you on.

What an amazing album cover and overall aesthetic. With the use of all the new keys and orchestras, it feels a little otherworldly and futuristic. Like their previous album, Yes has three to four amazing tracks that are among the best the genre has to offer, but the tracks in between make the album feel less cohesive. They did do them in a very creative way, though. Each member wrote their own solo instrumental that is themed around their specific instrument.

Yes, as a whole feel so ahead of ... read more

I am going to slowly ease myself into understanding and reviewing jazz because I feel that it can be overwhelming and hard to rate. At this point, I have been reviewing music for over four years now, and never felt ready to jump into jazz until now. This album felt like the perfect starting point, seeing as it was John Coltrane's first real album (correct me if I'm wrong).

I was completely blown away by the first track, and then again by the second. The compositions are ... read more

I don't think a single artist/band captured the radical shift between decades like Stand! and There's a Riot Goin' On. Sly Stone did something for music and especially for the black community that almost no other artist has done. He was the frontman for a racially and gender mixed band. With both white and black females and males singing about togetherness and taking a stand for what truly mattered, spoke beyond anything they could actually sing. After Woodstock, they blew up and ... read more

This is an improvement of The Knife, but this is really the first real Genesis album with the full lineup we all know. They blend mysticism, humor, and progressive rock into this strange world that feels like a corrupted fairy tale throughout. The opener, "The Musical Box," is one of the best progressive rock songs of the era, with incredible highs. Some of the shorter songs don't completely land for me, but they fit very well into the overall album. Of course, this album is the ... read more

If you had told me a few years ago that I would not only like but love an album like this, I would've told you that you're crazy. U is so infectious with so many fantastic choruses, production choices, and lyrics. It is just so much fun to listen to. After the first listen, I liked it, but the more I listened, the more I was addicted. There isn't a bad song here, but also not even a good song. Every song is great and brings something to the overall experience.

As expected, this is a beautiful record. I found myself questioning a lot of the production choices on most of the songs, but as the songs went along, I was infatuated. The build on almost every single track was incredible, with "Trying Times" and "Make Something Up" being the standouts.

An album and an artist that I didn't know existed before, but an album that I enjoyed nonetheless. You can tell by how authentic Bill Callahan is that he has a lot of wisdom and years of experience. This album feels lived in and worn down. The opener, "Why Do Men Sing", is one of the best singer-songwriter songs I have heard in a long time, but I do think the album never reaches those heights again. The first six tracks are so strong, but as the album goes along, I just wanted ... read more