(I have never reviewed the original so this is a review of the whole album, not just the new deluxe tracks)
Now that the deluxe version is out, I can confidently say this is my second favorite Tyler album. For whatever reason, when I first listened to CMIYGL last year it didn't really click with me. Now, though, I absolutely love it my goodness. This album is by far Tyler in his most confident sound- one not vulnerable nor raunchy, just ready to kick ass and travel the world. Tracks like ... read more
When I first listened through Tyler's discography, 'Flower Boy; was actually my favorite album of his due to just how vibrant, free, and jaw-dropping the production and lyricism is. Even though I now prefer IGOR and CMIYGL over it, I still think 'Flower Boy' is an amazing record without question. This has to be one of the biggest heel-turns in music history- to go from an MC rapping about rape and using slurs to having an album about repressed sexuality and flowers and bumblebees is just ... read more
The production on 'Cherry Bomb' sounds like a JPEGMAFIA album that wasn't intended to sound like one. That is not a positive. Basically all of these tracks are genuinely painful to listen to due to just how damn grating the production is, which is a shame because I do think there's some genuinely compelling bars and lines beneath all the noise. The one HUGE exception in the album is ofc 'SMUCKERS', which manages to be so damn absurd and abrasive that I can't help but absolutely love it- it's ... read more
'Wolf' is definitely a mixed bag of an album imo. There are some really stellar standouts for sure like 'Cowboy', 'Lone', and 'Answer', and in general the bars through most of the record are pretty solid. The production however is incredibly rough on many of the other tracks in a way that definitely detracts from the overall experience. I also think the abundance of harmful slurs on the record, especially on tracks like 'Colossus', really makes this album less enjoyable for me. It doesn't feel ... read more
I really am just puzzled as to why Tyler made this tbh. Hearing his music style under such a commercialized, censored lens is just not befitting to his style whatsoever- easily his worst release to date.
There's really not much to say about 'The Endless' River'. It's just a large set of ambient instrumentals that, while I'm sure would be pleasant to sleep to, is little more. Not terrible, but surely not memorable either.
Damn this album is overhated wow. There are definitely tracks where I got extremely bored but I do think there are some notable highs on 'The Division Bell', such as 'A Great Day for Freedom' and 'What Do You Want from Me', the latter especially being by far one of the most underrated Floyd tracks imo. I definitely don't think this album stacks up to the band's best but it certainly isn't nearly as bad as most make it out to be, I enjoy it.
Though I certainly did enjoy this album (my score would suggest as much), I do have to be honest- I like 'Meddle' better than this record. I think 'Animals' searing political critique is timeless even into today, and the imagery of the flying pig is absolutely incredible- this is without a doubt. For me though, the album just doesn't have the same replay value the way Pink Floyd's other best albums do, likely due to how long most of these five tracks are. Still, 'Animals' is undeniably a ... read more
I can confidently say I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. It still very much sounds akin to Pink Floyd's debut, but heading ever so slightly more in the direction of their later stuff due to the exclusion of Syd Barrett. As such I honestly think I prefer this over the group's debut, there's a few really great deep cuts here like 'Set the Controls for there Heart of the Sun' and 'Let There Be More Light'. I do think tracks like 'Corporal Clegg' and the title track keep it from standing ... read more
Last year's 'Nisemono' EP continues to establish that Ginger Root has a knack for making some of the simply best earworms I have ever heard. I definitely think the songs here don't consistently hit in the way his 'City Slicker' EP did, but the highs on this EP, like 'Loneliness', are SO catchy. I also appreciate the EP having a cute bit of lore as well in a non-overbearing way. Overall a very fun listen despite a couple boring tracks- very very underrated release from last year.
Definitely my favorite of Benny's to date. I know a lot of people really hate the vocals and how 'basic' the tracks sound, but I just don't really care- it's some good-ass feel good music. Tracks like 'Sunny Afternoon' and 'Lost Again' sound like modern day Bee Gees tracks in such a fun, smooth way that I just love. The production is essentially flawless throughout as well and is easily his smoothest to date. There are some definite lull tracks like the highly annoying 'Kids' or 'Run Right ... read more
Yeah soundtracks are definitely not Pink Floyd's strong suit that's for sure. Most of these track are like a really weird mesh between psych rock, blues rock, and Spanish folk music- it does not work. The only track I even was able to fully listen through was 'Green Is the Colour', but even still it's far from the band's best or even great tracks. Def won't ever revisit
I think the highly theatrical nature of this live album is both its strength and its undoing. I really like just how insanely bright and clear-sounding the production on it is, and songs like 'Below the Waterfall' and 'So Light' sound like a Broadway musical in a really fun way. On the flip side, tracks like 'New Bed' and 'No More Drinks for Me' sound outright unfinished in a way that makes them somewhat grating to the ears. Still, this was quite a bit better than I anticipated and EASILY the ... read more
I'm shocked this is one of his highest rated projects because this is easily my least favorite of Benny's, I like it even less than his debut. The production remains super bright and smooth but apart from that basically all of these tracks are marred by muddy vocals or are just flat-out forgettable. Not a 'bad' album but easily the most forgettable of Benny's entire catalogue.
I still prefer 'Music' and 'Art' to this but I enjoyed most of these tracks quite a bit. The general sound palette of the album is nothing really different from Benny's other stuff but it's such an enjoyable sound that I don't mind. Some of my favorite Benny tracks are on 'City Pop' as well such as 'Not Enough', 'Dreamin', and 'Everything I Know'. There are some definite duds and lulls that keep the album from being one of his all-time best but I still enjoyed this record quite a bit for what ... read more
This was definitely not as good as I thought it would be tbh. Gilmour's legendary guitar skills are basically the only real highs of this album but even then it's not enough to make basically any of these tracks memorable in any real way. There were no tracks that jumped out as 'bad' to me, but not a single track I think I'd ever revisit either. Just a very, very forgettable pop-rock record.
I was really curious to hear how Benny's stuff sounds from twenty years ago, and it was about what I expected it to be. The production is still exactly what Benny is known for today- smooth, buttery Neo-soul pop- and is definitely the best part of this early project. Unfortunately, it's clear Benny was still really struggling to find his voice here, with most of the tracks sounding pretty rough and some, such as 'Party', being legitimately bad imo. The one exception I feel is the title track, ... read more
I think this is definitely an improvement over Benny's first beat tape in the sense that a lot of these tracks sound nearly finished. I dig the usage of features from less-known rappers on a lot of these beats, and hearing Benny produce an explicitly hip-hop beat is quite enjoyable. Unfortunately, most of the MC's used are pretty weak on the whole, definitely sounding novice and weighing down Benny's great production quite a bit.
The production on 'Studio' is definitely the high point of the album, sounding so smooth and vibey and pairs very well with Benny Sings' other studio endeavors such as 'Art' or 'Music'. However, in terms of the songs themselves, 'Studio' definitely falters quite a bit more due to most songs just being somewhat boring tbh- I prefer both of those projects as well as this year's 'Young Hearts' over this record. Still, there's definitely some tracks I'll be revisiting such as 'Straight Lines', 'The ... read more
The highs on 'Meddle' are absolutely incredible my God. 'Fearless' and 'A Pillow of Winds' are two of the most underrated Pink Floyd tracks imo- those guitars on 'Fearless' are just so dope. It goes without saying ofc that 'Echoes' is the true star of the record though. The track sounds like a voyage through simultaneously the deepest depths of the ocean and through the darkest reaches of space, before slingshotting back and forth the other way. It really was Pink Floyd's first true masterpiece ... read more
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"@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"
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