Despite the stellar sound on display here, Justice does remarkably little with it that makes me want to ever revisit this project in full.
This record has an impeccable flow. The beginning is steeped with atmosphere, it’s sharp and consuming, sucking you down the void and into the invisible man. Which is an incredibly melancholic and ghost like tune that slowly succumbs inside of its own diluted self both lyrically and musically. Which segways really well into zeitgeist and one hand behind the devil. Both of which take advantage of the thorny “in and out” style of songwriting. Spiking the listener as ... read more
One of the few bands in this highly modernistic progressive metal sound that manage to come through with a level of complexity in the instrumental that actually manages to impressive you & isn't just trying to emphasize heavily down tuned bass to sound heavy. When this record gets heavy it punches you in the face with walls of sound, which play into a very lovely counterbalance with the intricate and busy rhythms that are spread all across this thing. Each member is vital to the overall ... read more
The combination of groove, death and progressive metal is so seamless across this record, only making it obvious when they want to go really dig into the simple fundamentals of any given sound & it comes together so well.
There is a fantastic trick Sanders uses continuously throughout “…Master Plan” that remains key to its sublime sense of pacing.
Perhaps the most fluid transitions in feel that I’ve ever heard before. From groove to chaos to levity or reconciliation. It is all so unbelievably consistent & never distracting. The end of any section doesn’t draw to a close & vanquish its feeling, it draws its power out, keeping you steeped in its atmosphere and then suddenly ... read more
First half and the middle of this is a lavishly assembled series of bangers and mood pieces. Jarring transitions that find a way to carry the energy of their songs across whatever vibe they switch to. And yet the back half honestly could’ve been dropped and I would’ve been fine with that sadly.
If she can push the following tracks into being a bit more dynamic then I think we'll have something quite exciting on our hands.
Mingus is one of the most interesting artists I’ve ever listened to. Few feel as rewarding to read about as far as the complexity of their life or how they conceptualized their music over time. The layers peel away with every listen & it’s among the most rewarding music I’ve consumed.
The Clown kicks off by immediately throwing you into the swing of things. The powerhouse of a new post bop sound with a heavy emphasis of blues immediately comes through in “Haitian ... read more
Getting around to Richard Dawson’s Peasant made for a fantastic Sunday morning. Rustic rawness that falls in line with the yelping of an old soul. Talk about an album that knows it’s atmosphere and nails it on every level.
The fullness of their soundscape !
You can just hear the evolution from their first two records into a new yet very familiar KKB.
WOW!
A spellbinding take on life's winding journey, memory acts as a foggy discordant mess held together by an emotional throughline. In this way "Time 'n' Place" feels akin to the combination of musical framework of past present and future that Oneothrix Point Never applied to his last record (Again.) The thread of reflection is always one of a strong emotional center, even with disruptions, life is never chaos nor order, but a mess of the two.
KKB excels at demonstrating this idea ... read more
Very possible that this is the best extended edition that I’ve ever heard.
I thought Crawler was going to serve as the prototype of TANGK, but honestly I came away from this feeling like their new sound is even more bare bones and unimaginative as elements of Crawler were. I'll take being the odd one out on this one, but I don't think I'll be coming back to anything on this record.
Just the best vibes! A nonstop ride of cute bubblegum bass & creative electropop that is nothing but delicious fun. Quirky musical ear candy in the most literal sense possible.
Was Kanye even on this song? The opening TALKING section has a neat sample, but aside from a decent verse there's nothing to this section...it literally just repeats itself until we get this jarring transition into Ty's section. Which musically is as dry and bland as ever.
Wow what an absolute beauty! Might be the most slept on King Crimson record??
This sort of chamber/classical approach is so fleshed out & melds together with the jazz sections, I can't believe that there seems to be so much apathy towards this record. A longer review may be in store at some point. Until then check out this excellent review that communicates much of my thoughts on the record!
https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/justsomeguy/album/15006-islands/
My King Crimson binge continues and man I gotta tell ya I was so pumped to hear what this after reading into the process of its creation. A live record that is stripped of any indicators that it was performed live, it leans into the most improvisational side of the band and this was done to preserve the energy that they couldn't tap into while in the studio?
Sign me the fuck up!
Sadly I came away from this record feeling not especially impressed or satisfied with the music I was left with. ... read more
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On literallyMoss's review of Xiu Xiu - Ignore Grief
"A lot of people are not into experimental experiences, hence a lot of complaints about this not having "the other aspects of Xiu Xiu that makes their music memorable" without further elaboration, a comment like this says more about their taste's than it is a critique of the music"
On 🪓lexa ☮️💖☯️🤝🇵🇸's review of Xiu Xiu - Knife Play
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On Spamman's review of The Necks - Disquiet
""it's a track that is a journey, a story."
In a sense The Neck's don't make stories within their music. They create static, explorative sonic environments built on repetitions & time manipulation, extensive run times help create the hypnotic effect, creating a mode of stasis where they can add new elements or change the specific details of these repetitions in order to alter the texture of the piece.
What may seem like the exact same thing really isn't at all due to how they play around with microtones, pacing & then adding and subtracting pieces from the overall construct. I agree with your assessment on "Causeway" but it's strange to me that you don't see how elements are weaving in and out of the first two tracks."
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"Come on man, I can understand where this perspective comes from, but it's sad to see people that wouldn't try to understand the art for what it is than for what their preconceptions of art would dictate for them to believe. Abstract art is art for a reason and its worth exploring why this album is the way it is or at least being able to formulate substantial criticisms for others to contend with instead of offering a statement so broad and dismissive that it begs to be replied too. Just sort of expressing some views the review conjured and not trying to make you feel worthless or express any kind of personal hatred :)"
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no rating submitted, review gives a 10/10"
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