This is def a mixed bag for me. A lot of the tracks here are a really interesting blend of R&B and Neo-Psych that are really engaging, but a lot of the ‘skits’ here act as such a momentum break that it really halts the album in its tracks. Has this been a more cohesive LP it would def be one of the best R&B albums of the year
A few of these tracks are some really great, fun indie rock tunes like Morning Zoo, Crossed That Line, and I Want You, but the rest of the tracks fail to live up to this energy imo
Really pretty production and writing I just can’t get behind the timbre of her voice
EDIT: 65->83
Her newest record inspired me to revisit this and I'm glad I did. Her voice not being such a hurdle for me made the light intricacies of this record much more enjoyable
The more typical countryish vocals paired with the lush, ornate production makes this record truly stand out. I do wish some of these tracks were a bit longer but on the whole this makes for a deeply underrated alt-country LP that even non-country fans should check out, easily her best imo
The energy of this record is just so damn fiery in such an enjoyable way. Normally I don't care for albums as country as this but her voice is so compelling and the production is highly engaging. All of these tracks are pretty brief which generally only serves to keep up the high energy of the album- it reminds me of a country-soaked Mitski album or something. I do think some tracks could've definitely been elevated even higher but on the whole this is def one of the best alt-country records ... read more
A perfect blending of Alex G’s earlier, acoustic-centered ballads and his later, noisier experimental stuff. Apart from a few slightly grating moments like the beeps in the opener, the way he implements noise here is incredibly well crafted and genuinely elevates the songwriting in an incredibly enjoyable way. Def my fav of his and a staple folk/slacker rock project of the 2010s without question
I absolutely love how stripped back most of these tracks are. The usage of piano and really potent vocal melodies mixed with his signature lo-fi sound really works. The later Alex G experimental stuff can he really great but I ultimately prefer him being stripped back like this, fantastic stuff
The production here is so off the wall holy shit. The implementation of what feels like glitchpop/Hyperpop? elements on some of these tracks is highly jarring but honestly kind of works, barring some minor duds. This is the perfect level of experimentation for Alex G I feel like and hits those marks way better than God Save The Animals imo
Even though this thing is an extreme mess in several parts I still quite enjoyed the bulk of these tracks. I still am not a huge fan of how he uses auto tune and harsh noise but when his lo-fi sound meshes with his keen writing and folkishness it sounds great
There are some great tracks here like Runner, Mission, and Ain’t It Easy, but the vocals especially on this thing are so disjointed and weird that it kept me from enjoying a lot of these tracks. For instance, the usage of auto tune on tracks like Immunity didn’t feel conceptually important and honestly just felt gimmicky. Still worth a listen just a very mixed bag
Probably the best scrapyard so far. The production on the first two tracks feels very reminiscent of the glitchy warped production on I didn’t mean to haunt you which was very enjoyable. Third track was annoying tho
Def the loftiest and folkiest of Eels’ early stuff. This record combines his more witty, humorous writing with some super bright and punchy folksy production and honestly nails it on the vast majority of the tracks. Solidifies an honestly phenomenal first three album- run for the band, hella enjoyable
The Sandinista of Eels’ discography. I definitely didn’t really pick up on the supposed narrative/greater concept of the album and so I def think it’s WAY too long of an album, and a lot of the interludes and some main tracks fell really flat to me. That being said, this still has a lot of the early Eels charm that makes a lot of these tracks really enjoyable, like the closer, Losing Streak, Going Fetal, and In the Yard, Behind the Church. Worth listening to for sure and the ... read more
This thing has multiple flaws and some major weak points but when the heavy production hits it seriously hits
Despite the truly atrocious cover, this thing is so loaded with bangers. There’s not a compelling narrative like with Electro-Shock Blues but the eclectic production and writing is phenomenal. Also hella underrated
My God this is perhaps the saddest and most disturbing album I’ve ever heard, or certainly one of them. The writing in this thing is so miserably sad I don’t even know how to process most of it. What’s even wilder though is how damn GROOVY so many of these tracks are. The production is so wild every track feels like it’s own narrative, all contributing to the greater narrative of the album. It’s almost like the singer is so desensitized to his sadness that the ... read more
Honestly like this just about equally as Pre Pleasure. The hooks and melodies here aren’t quite as immediately grabbing but the high points on this record, such as the phenomenal buildup on Turn Me Down, are fantastic, not to mention the great writing. Super great and underrated indie rock project π
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Recent Review Comments
On Jalen Ngonda - Doctrine of Love
"@Shayden 100% agree, it’s a throwback record done right"
On 2Pac - Me Against The World
"@Cloudboy019 yeah I def get what you mean. Pac’s cadence and energy is so infectious for me I was able to look past the production being relatively ‘one-note’, even though like you said it is excellent production. That’s an excellent analogy"
On 2Pac - Me Against The World
"@Cloudboy019 that's a fair critique, I will say flow is not Pac's strongsuit, though a lot of people would probably disagree with that. The production is pretty much perfect here imo but it is definitely uniform across the record so I could see it growing stale if G-Funk adjacent stuff isn't as much your bag"
On David Bowie - David Bowie [Space Oddity]
"@usur_disc350 I’ll admit I’ve not revisited this much at all in the last couple years, but I’ll definitely stand by it having several great cuts beyond the title track"
On usur_disc350's review of McKinley Dixon - Magic, Alive!
"Honestly, really well put. I still have this rated pretty highly but I'd say I feel similarly, there's a sheen over this style of 'indie rap' that's starting to feel like the sheen that's covered a large bulk of indie rock the past decade (post-Mac if you will), it's a sheen of homogenization. Hadn't really put much thought to it until now but I think this absolutely hits the nail on the head, and is probably why despite there being so much 'good' hip-hop nowadays, the bulk of it feels like one big swirl of sameness. Excellent take"
On susquatch - Water Plant
"@Rileone it is yeah but it’s also definitely math rock too"
On Faith Evans & The Notorious B.I.G. - The King & I
"@TheTrillTrolla that’s actually very informative, thank you!"
On Doofy's review of The The - Infected
"I prefer Soul Mining a shade, but I’ll agree that this record should be considered as far closer in quality than most. Nearly everything that makes Soul Mining so excellent is found here too, excellent production and songwriting especially"
On Clifford Brown & Max Roach - Clifford Brown & Max Roach
"@HomeSession3 holy shit what a story! Thank you for sharing, that certainly sounds like one of those life-defining moments, for you and Roach. Live Jazz may be the definitive form of live performing for the reasons you said- it makes the frail jolt to life"
On My New Band Believe - My New Band Believe
"@Trazyn I hate saying ‘annoying’ bc that’s reductive, there are def moments where the lyricism along with the vocal style felt really contrived and grating to me though. Overall it’s certainly not an ‘annoying’ album, just nothing particularly new for Windmill. I would say I’m annoyed with the windmill scene in general nowadays"
On Tangerine Dream - Rubycon
"@Litebill931 thank you much! I have to stop myself from over-writing a lot of the time lol"
On π©πππππππΆππ's review of Slayyyter - WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA
"First review of this project that’s really made me want to check it out- seriously excellent write-up"
On XTC - Drums and Wires
"@sher12308 you’re totally right! Major goof on my part, I’ll edit that, appreciate the call-out"
On King Krule - 6 Feet Beneath the Moon
"@yusukeYYH thank you so much! His music is this really intriguing blend of abstract and extremely vivid"
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"@ScaredDog6163 yeah for sure! I appreciate the compliment! Jeff Buckley is a perfect example of why 90s rock really shouldn’t be funneled into those two ‘categories’ I listed because he blends so many styles and sounds (a major reason why Grace is one of the most majestic albums of all time). I’m the same as you in that there’s very little I truly dislike that I listen to- it makes it a lot easier to be encouraged to check out more stuff! Let me know when you’ve got those reviews typed out, I’d love to check em out!"
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"Sorry for the long winded answer, hope that helps! If you need help finding some specific bands lmk too and I can try and throw you some based on what you currently rock with π€"
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"The other main strain in my mind is Slacker Rock (the kind I tend to prefer a bit). This is your Pavements, Built to Spills, Weezers, etc. This style of rock tended to ‘look forward’ whereas grunge took influence from a lot of its contemporaries in many ways.
In terms of what I’d do for a deep dive now- honestly, I’d determine which strain you like more and start with the big bands before digging deeper, maybe even trying out some of the influences/ similar bands. For instance, if you really fw Weezer I’d recommend other Geek/Wacky Rock bands like Cake or Grandaddy. Same goes for, say, AIC- you could check out other alternative metal bands for instance."
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"@ScaredDog6163 for sure! I went on a pretty big 90s rock binge a couple years back and it’s definitely a vast canyon. This is a wildly simplified answer, but imo there are two *main* streams of 90s rock. The first is what most people think of , being Grunge. These are your Nirvanas and Pearl Jams and basically what the average person will probably think of when they think of ‘90s rock’- and it’s great! Grunge pulls a lot from heavier influences depending on the band, such as Punk and Noise Rock for Nirvana or even Metal with bands like Alice In Chains."
On The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme
"@Zubb autism + long commutes to work goes a long way lmao"
On Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic
"@Iam_AKne thank you so much! It’s become something of a passion of mine for sure. The kind words go a long way, I’d love to have my own site or something one day"
On Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic
"@Iam_AKne no I’m not, it’s funny you ask because in high school I had plans to maybe become a writer but it never panned out"
On Johnny Blue Skies - Mutiny After Midnight
"Unless you find a rip somewhere or dish out thirty bucks it’s impossible for the time being unfortunately, it is an absolute blast of a record though no doubt, one of his best easily"
On Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic
"@Iam_AKne thank you much! I have fun with them lol"
On Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage Acts II & III
"@ScottShelby that does look interesting, I’ll try and get to it later today, thanks again for all the recs! You’re the Zappa guy so it’s been helpful as a total Zappa novice"
On Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage Acts II & III
"@ScottShelby honestly, having sampled a handful of tracks from his studio records to follow from here I think I’m going to bow out for the time being on his discography, I’d prefer to end it on a high note. Someday I’ll eventually go the whole distance but I think I’d honestly just get burned out going through a series of just messy subpar records tbh"
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