Shards is an entrancing EP, filled with sound pallets that vary a wistful beauty. Mixed to burgeoning lows & entrancing highs. Tim accomplishes a lovely little sensory experience that at its worst is a little too fruitless & at its best captures his moody abstractions wonderfully.
From the first note to the last I found myself mesmerized by Coltrane’s final masterpiece. Incredibly fitting that he would finally develop the idea of taking his music to the stars to fruition. For years in interviews he has discussed music in terms of the divine, a universal connection beyond words; he’s described his affinity for the drums and how they are as key to making his music function as his own saxophone is. It seems only right to me that he would center what lies beyond ... read more
Uncomfortable. Enveloping. Heartbreaking. Comforting.
Maximalist & minimal. Black pits of static holding liminal dances in their heart.
Knife Play stands as the quintessential Xiu Xiu album for me after listening to it again tonight, I found myself fully enraptured in every dissonant note & emotionally volatile vocal. This distills the very heart of Xiu Xiu and executes one of the groups biggest appeals/tackles recurring themes of theirs better than any other release. Descriptions of ... read more
Holy fuck this is the kind of production I need with my black metal - the switch at :55 gets me every time
Bloated, inconsistent, messy.
Sparks of cool ideas with Crimson’s coldest atmosphere & the band only coming together to bring the great chemistry of this lineup to fruition for a few spare moments and songs. (Bruford tries his damndest and god bless him) All of this leaves the modicum of potential present buried 6 feet underneath an incredibly incoherent vision.
I will say the caliber of these singles makes me question the type of album Squid is getting ready to serve us. Crispy Skin beinf the only track to offer up the grand, multi phased structure and even then the color & direction of that track was far more rooted in swirling melodies & creating an atmosphere of broken discomfort. These other two singles do feature new takes and evolutions to their sound but are much more rooted in fewer ideas. Zoning in on creating a distinct, colorful ... read more
I love how bizarre this album is, which is saying something considering TDEP's other releases lol. Smashing the two most dizzying songs across the entire record right next to their first attempt at making a traditional alt metal track while still adding that signature Dillinger zaniness (that instrumental break before the final chorus always manages to spike my adrenaline) in fact this sense for just trying shit sort of encapsulates all of Ire Works. A lot of electronic manipulation, ... read more
Everything from the traditional riff callbacks, raw and dirty production, to the one acoustic lull makes this album scream like it was ripped out of the late 90's hardcore scene and god damn they did not slouch on adding their own flavor of that sound. This is fucking great.
Meadows of Season's End - 8/10
Marion Silver - 8.5/10
On Deaf Ears Fall the Flightless - 8/10
Beneath a Claret Stained Sky - 8.5/10
A Memory Made of Gold - 8/10
À Jour - 8/10
Piano Wire Smile - 8/10
Loss - ... read more
Revisiting My Favorite Albums:
What Xiu Xiu manages to do here speaks volumes to the standard of excellence they maintain as artists. If all this project managed to achieve was mapping onto the ethos of Twin Peaks, while adding its own shape to it, it would be a triumphant success. But instead, Xiu Xiu managed to coalesce the spirit of fire walk with me & reveal what always lied at the heart of the show. It’s a dark, cerebral cacophony that blossoms with sorrow & dreams turned ... read more
Blakey & co. capture the swinging fun of jazz like no one else. Really nailing the most immediately recognizable sound of jazz with melodie’s that pop, horns that balance triumphant crescendos with hot, breathy tension, Blakey is in top form here with some of the coolest and most dynamic solo’s I’ve ever heard from him, along with plenty of adrenaline spiking moments to keep you on the edge of your seat. Hard bop is not my favorite style of jazz & so I think iy keeps ... read more
The vocal delivery on Lush Life is just so not my thing, but if you put that aside this is a very lovely record that will be getting a lot of play on super chill nights. Hartman's sultry voice makes an excellent pairing with Coltrane's soothing tone, Tyner and Garrison pair up so well together during the Tyner's solo in "You Are Too Beautiful." The introduction of groove to the feel at this thing at the tail end feels like its own mini release in its own way. Allowing ... read more
You can feel the sweat dripping down from the level of fire that these boys are spewing on this record. Its rhythmic flow is hot to the touch & it’s recorded so immaculately that I feel like I’m sitting in the epicenter of the recording booth during this recording session. Yet still the mixes of melody and insatiable grooviness are more than prevalent. Apparently these tracks were pretty much all assembled in one take, and that’s never made more sense then it does here.
The clouded buzz of the production is among some of the coolest I've heard this year and among the most notable for jazz music in recent years. It compliments the simple approach she gives to her compositions, all the while making the most out of a variety of textures that range from a crunched buzz in its synthesizers to the pillowy warmth in the strings. I think Nala has a lot of potential and I'm pretty excited to see what her next venture looks like. But for now, her blend of ... read more
![青葉市子 [Ichiko Aoba] - Luciférine](https://cdn2.albumoftheyear.org/100x0/album/1130892-luciferine_133554.jpg)
If this record is a direct continuation of the next phase of Windswept Adam’s dream world then I think Ichiko has done a wonderful job capturing the next evolution! Sunny skies glisten upon pools of mystic spring water, as April showers subside, spring blossoms anew. This is gonna be a great album!
Poppy’s newest affair is quite consistent in its sturdy yet clean production, typical yet competent in the compositions she puts together, making the whole record feel relatively dynamic because of how she arranges the track list to feel like there’s always something different waiting around the corner. With all of that being said I can’t say that this record is going to sit with me for very long, aside from a few catchy or heavy outliers.
As someone who grew up with the ... read more
You Must Believe in Spring is a splendid album. Definitely the Bill Evans album I've connected with the most; Bill's style tends to leave me feeling ambivalent whenever I try and run through a full record; however interesting a composer I find him to be I still find myself appreciating his work more than I actively love it (barring a handful of songs and performances.) This record is the biggest exception of them all.
Let's address the obvious so that we can get to something ... read more
BROTHER WHAT IS THIS MIX
Everything sounds so airy and shallow especially when it gets loud on "A Fragile Thing" the drums have a punch but their mixed lower than the bass which is super present. When the guitars get loud, they're totally airless and only make the mix sound jumbled and unclear. I can't with this one.
I don't like the really wide chunky production on the bass, it really feels like it's trying to do a lot to bring something hard to these tracks when in reality it sucks out almost any potential groove by just completely taking over the soundscape. The serene additions do their best to edge out over top of this bulky bass but in many ways, it just doesn't lead to a very satisfying or cohesive listen. It's like all of the other additional elements are fighting for breathing ... read more
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Recent Review Comments
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
"Homunculus should be genuinely painful physically and emotionally to listen too. It’s its best quality"
On Archerycraft18's review of John Coltrane - Live in Japan
"Thank you for providing an in-depth review, lovely stuff"
On Invent Animate - The Sun Sleeps, As If It Never Was
"@steffyy thank you for the lovely feedback, glad it helped your experience!"
On CheerAxConisuer's review of King Crimson - Islands
"He was Fripped out of his mind on "Sailors Tale""
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."
On landminemower's review of The Necks - Disquiet
"It wouldn't be a 10/10 if it was shorter. The length is integral to the experience of lulling you beyond considering time."
On HomeSession3's review of Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
"I can only wish you & your family the best, an honest beautiful tribute that means a lot to me as I read it. Thank you for having the strength to post this as you go through this incredibly difficult time"
On s3sh's review of Xiu Xiu - Ignore Grief
"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 :)"
On Echoesanywhere's review of Andrew Hill - Compulsion
"This review is a great example of reviewing abstract/difficult works of art. Following the music through its patterns (emotional, structural, musical) it reveals the core of what the art is and it doesn't have to be so impossible to define or require knowledge on music theory. The real key I've found is to just really tune yourself into the sound and what it's doing between all the musicians. It will speak to you."
On HomeSession3's review of The Mountain Goats - Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan
"Sounds really interesting! What mountain goats records would you recommend?"
On DAVECHER's review of Stan Getz & João Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto
"I wish the bland recommended jazz had the same degree of warmth in the production & sensory depth in each instrument. Getz sax work is especially stupendous, take O’Grande Amour where he spends most of his time in hushed breath yet the whole thing is so playfully emotional. Making that first and final push at the end so impactful."
On HomeSession3's review of Geese - Getting Killed
"A lyrically great review that distills what makes this album unique! Loved reading it :)"
On cappyk's review of La Dispute - No One Was Driving the Car
"Try understanding what they're going for instead of going expecting a good rock album lol"
On Miles Davis - E. S. P.
"@HomeSession3 Sure you can recommend them to me or comment them on my page, I'd love some as I've really gotten into the genre this year :)"
On HomeSession3's review of Imperial Triumphant - Goldstar
"I love this review and it's a style that I try to grasp when constricting certain reviews of mine, but rarely capture it as well as you do here. Less a checklist of good and bad qualities and instead you paint a picture of the records character and quality from within. Lovely stuff and my favorite review I've read this year."
On Doofy's review of toe - the book about my idle plot on a vague anxiety
"You should check out their next release For Long Tomorrow, I feel like that one may resonate a bit more."
On H1DD3N_1N_TH3_ST4T1C's review of Hail the Sun - Divine Inner Tension
"Haven't listened to this one yet, but you would really enjoy their output if this one works for you. I'd listen in this order: Secret Wars, Wake, New Age Filth & Mental Knife after that is pretty open to what you're interested in."
On jaredpeelstich's review of Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
"not on my watch
no rating submitted, review gives a 10/10"
On chaz's review of Don Caballero - American Don
"they're a "multiple relisten's" kind of band for sure"
On tyler's review of Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
"I’ve only listened to the tracks A & B, but I agree with what you’ve said so far. I started getting into jazz and i think you should check out “Let My Children Hear Music” which is also by Mingus. It’s my favorite of his that’s I’ve heard so far, it blends classical music & avant- grade jazz, love to know your thoughts."
On CLJesse's review of Glassjaw - Worship and Tribute
"Any update on that post hardcore flow chart??"
On CLJesse's review of foxtails - fawn
"Great find to start off the year, very much agree with everything you've said here"
On mj04's review of Code Orange - Underneath
"Idk man, I really love the vocals. Sound very intense and very much something of their own. "
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