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
Just bop after bop honestly. The second half lulls slightly in some places but for the most part these tracks fuse fantastic vocal hooks and bright Indie-rock production to make for a really fantastic listening experience, especially on tracks like the opener, Moviegoer, and Ignore Tenderness. Lacks depth in some ways but has far more than enough character and charm to make up for it imo, excited to listen to her other projects
I know this record has a cult following and is considered the best Cat Power record but I honestly like it a little less than The Greatest, which I already wasn't much of a fan of. This record has far less of an identity crisis than the formal in that Moon Pix is pretty squarely a slowcore LP, but that doesn't really serve much to its benefit to me. Most of these tracks fail to go anywhere exciting for me, despite the pretty, glistening production and smooth vocals. Certainly not bad by any ... read more
Her vocals are great and some of these tracks, like the title track, really deliver, but on the whole the writing and especially production of this record really fell short to me. It felt like this record couldn't decide if it wanted to be a more typical singer-songwriter project, a really bouncy R&B record, or a slow core LP, and as opposed to synthesizing these elements into something that could've been really interesting, it instead felt like the whole record was having an identity ... read more
The vocals and writing aren’t really anything special but the production here is so wildly interesting for such an otherwise mainstream sound. The way she mixes DnB, Jungle, folk, and other such contrasting sounds with a more mainstream R&B sound is genuinely so damn interesting. I think this idea could’ve been pushed even further if she let loose more but as it is this was a hugely pleasant surprise
Easily my fav of his I’ve heard. I do wish the annoying ass nasally songs weren’t included and if they weren’t this would be even higher but most of these tracks are fantastic, as well as devastatingly sad like damn. Probably my fav rap album of the year even if a few tracks are annoying
EDIT: 85->98
Confidently my second favorite of his behind AE. Subdued DB makes for some of his most inspired and catchy bars, and the more stripped back production is an excellent ... read more
Initially wished there were some vocals here but honestly both of these tracks make for some great electro-dance pop tunes with some of his most eclectic production to date, especially Listen which is super engaging despite being 5 minutes. I'd be very interested to hear a full project in this style from him next year
I truthfully can respect André for doing something so out-of-the box for his first solo album, and it perfectly aligns with his artistry in a really poignant way. That being said, man I just wish this has even a bit more life to it. The production is super nice and chill but this thing is just damn boring in a lot of spots. I know ambient/new age records move very slowly but this thing just moves at a snail's pace, it reminds me of Sufjan Stevens' Convocations. I really think that had ... read more
DAMN this thing is gorgeous, by far some of the best vocals the group has ever put out. Lovely tribute to a legendary artist
Easily among the best indie rock albums of the decade so far. The vocals, writing, eclectic production, and sick ass guitar riffs are all on full display here- pretty much everything you need for a kick ass indie rock album. She deserves to be known as an indie darling without question and is easily one of the most underrated artists in her field working rn. Incredibly enjoyable
I've heard individual tracks and bits and pieces of Madison Cunningham's stuff for a while now and I already knew Revealer was a phenomenal album but DAMN I was blown away by this album too. Despite the middle of the record having a bit of a lull to it this record starts and ends absolutely incredibly. She reminds me of like a classically trained Laura Marling but with a bigger focus on distorted guitar- which, if that's not fucking awesome idk what is. So enjoyable
I really appreciated how different this was than the last Bleachers single, and it really shows how the upcoming s/t is (hopefully) going to be a big sonic departing for Antonoff. LDR’s like two lines are dope even if they basically just sound like a sample, looking forward to the upcoming LP
The production on this thing in many spots is genuinely astounding. Fr like tracks such as Galaxies and Something Holy are simultaneously so spacey but also epic. Seriously surprised by this
You can definitely tell a lot of these tracks are somewhat unfinished but the vibe is still very present nonetheless, I like how upbeat this album sounds. Plus tracks like If You Were Here and Me & the Moon are great examples of her signature indie-dream pop style
I normally would find this type of album good, not necessarily great- but this totally encapsulated me. It's definitely a tad front loaded and there's a few vocal spots that aren't the best, but the lofty production and ensnaring hooks on most of these tracks kept me highly engaged throughout nearly the whole thing. Sleeper album of the year ngl
Easily his best and also one of the best Americana albums I’ve ever heard for sure. Nearly every track encapsulates his hushed, minimal style and country-esque songwriting perfectly, especially highlights like All Shades of Blue and Amsterdam. Incredibly enjoyable and hugely underrated
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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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