Such an enthralling meld of industrial rock with some seriously danceable beats. A couple tracks don’t really go anywhere and some tracks meld together in sound but generally speaking this album absolutely rips, hugely surprised by this as this is normally not my type of thing
Parts of this EP are so similar in sound and vocals to Ants From Up There that it’s a major distraction. That being said the last two tracks definitely manage to differentiate themselves quite a bit more, and the sax solo on Tinker goes so damn hard. I could def see a full LP from these guys being amazing
I like how some of these tracks feel a lot more concrete mixed in with the abstractness, but a few of these tracks still just feel random and noisy for the sake of it and really mess up the flow of the album to me. Still, I slightly prefer this to A Quiet Farewell I’d say and I really think he could make a truly amazing album if he really fine tuned how he utilizes the abstract
This album feels like evil incarnate, it’s got to be the most intense and disturbing album I’ve ever heard or at least one of- specifically the closer is genuinely terrifying. That being said, noise rock is one of the few genres I really struggle to get into. I can undoubtedly appreciate how damn impressive the scale of this thing is and how damned harrowing it sounds, but for me personally I don’t think I’ll ever revisit, at least in full. Still, I’m def glad I ... read more
Some decent production and ideas but the vocals are so rough and bland that it’s hugely distracting, plus some production ideas just do not land like the beginning of Video which is just grating honestly
I’ve never listened to anything from Sampha before but DAMN do I need to because this was excellent. Such buttery smooth vocals and production, feels like you’re on a cloud when listening. Easily my favorite R&B record of the year
EDIT: 88->94
I listened again and honestly I think I just barely prefer this over Process. There are still a few lulls but the highs on this record are just astronomically high, such a groovy, introspective listen that I think perfectly ... read more
Such an interesting idea and aesthetic that is nailed for the most part. This isn’t nearly as explosively terrifying as SINNER but is honestly a bit more disturbing and harrowing, especially the final track. There are some moments that come across as a bit heavy handed, like the cheeky hymns, and a couple tracks that I feel fail to really go anywhere, but when this project works, it works VERY well. Incredibly disturbing
Purely musically this album does not deserve a score this high, but I can’t lie I had a lot of fun listening to it. Despite the band’s age this is arguably their most high-energy, fiery album to date which is baffling honestly. There are a couple definite duds and none of the other tracks come even somewhat close to as good as Sweet Sounds of Heaven, but this is a befitting final (?) album from one of the most legendary rock bands ever. Fun time π
The way in which Laura Marling writes and her timbre reminds me of a modern-day Carole King, which would probably make this a modern-day Tapestry, both in style and quality. The production isn't anything mind-blowing but it deliberately isn't- there are so many tasteful moments of colorful production that serve to only highlight Marling's amazing vocals and lyricism, never outdo them. I think there are a couple slightly weaker tracks like Blow By Blow, but overall this is a magnificent ... read more
Nothing immediately grabs but the incredibly songwriting and relatively simple production become more captivating with each listen. I also love the way the vocals are layered. Incredible track
Honestly these tracks are so great this EP feels more like a sequel than leftovers, with some of these tracks being better than some tracks on 3D Country. So much fun, I hope so badly that Geese continues to make projects like this in the future
Such a magnificently boisterous listen, a fusion of genres I truly don’t think has ever been done before, at least not to this extent. Apart from Undoer I think every track here is incredibly captivating for just how weird, raunchy, yet smooth these tracks are. Easily one of the best of the year and def one of the best modern alt-country albums, period
![Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist - VOIR DIRE [Streaming Version]](https://cdn2.albumoftheyear.org/100x0/album/747351-voir-dire-streaming-version_1848.jpg)
This has excellent production and writing but idk I just cant gel w earl’s flow here, he sounds like he’s halfheartedly trying here and it’s frustrating
Holy hell this thing rips. I love how tight and punchy every track is, the shorter runtime of each track really helps the frenetic energy of the record. Some of these tracks sound genuinely unhinged in a disturbing yet cool way, very pleasantly surprised
This is probably the biggest bastardization of a beloved work I’ve ever heard. This is one of those so bad it’s funny albums which is why I have it 5 points but musically it absolutely deserves zero
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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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