Why is it scored so low?? Fr either I'm missing something or my taste is just terrible, either way I genuinely really enjoyed most of this album a lot. I can definitely see why it's considered the black sheep of M83's discography with its intentionally (I think at least) 80s throwback sound, but idk I genuinely liked it on most of the tracks. 'Do It, Try It', 'Go!', and 'Moon Crystal' in particular were really compelling to me and an absolute blast to listen to, basically any usage of horns on ... read more
I really didn't know what to expect out of Phife's posthumous record, especially it coming out six years after his death, but I was overall pleasantly surprised. This album doesn't compare to Tribe's best albums or even Q-Tip's 'Renaissance', but imo it's not supposed to. Getting to hear Phfie's poignant wit one more time is just wonderful even if there are some major weak points on the tracklist. The record serves as not only a send-off for Phife but also for other passed hip-hop legends, such ... read more
This album, to me, is a definite improvement upon the Jungle Brothers' debut and an overall experience I enjoyed more without a doubt. A lot of the weird sexual jokes from their debut are gone in this record thankfully, and the production and flow that made their debut enjoyable are amped up even further here. The title track and especially 'Doin' Our Own Dang' are easily the standouts of this album and are both so good, the latter really feeling like a Native Tongues magnum opus of sorts. ... read more
I think I'm gonna have to agree with the general consensus I'm seeing and say that this album, while VERY important in the sphere of late 80s/early 90s jazz rap just for being the origin point of the Native Tongues collective (by far my favorite rapper collective), is significantly weaker than the other Native Tongues' members' debut records. There are definitely several highs on this record- the title track is great and the Marvin Gaye sample throughout the aptly named 'What's Going On' is ... read more
While this album was still enjoyable and I'm definitely glad I listened to it, I honestly thought it would be even better. I've seen 'A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing' lauded as one of the great hidden-gem jazz rap albums of the 90's, but idk it didn't strike me in that way necessarily. Don't get me wrong there are definitely standouts like 'The Choice Is Yours (Revisited)' and 'Flavor of the Month' that still make this album worth listening to. Songs like these swirl some absolute ear worm jazz ... read more
This is one of the best jazz-rap albums I have ever heard, it absolutely deserves its title as a classic. The Tribe-styled samples mixed with Digable Planets' cool and confident delivery and slashing social commentary makes them stand out amidst their contemporaries. Digable Planets are one of the most underrated rap groups literally ever, it sucks they only had two albums.
I can't believe I hadn't sat and truly listened to this until now. There really isn't much to say- just two truly gorgeous instrumental pieces that make you feel like you're one with nature. This may be the most minimalist music I have ever heard- and it's wonderful. It's not a 100 because it's not a project that is naturally easy to come back to but there's no denying that Lenker is just as wonderful an instrumentalist and producer as they are a songwriter.
It took a couple of listens to determine how I really feel about this new UMO album but I can confidently say I'm a fan of the bulk of it. I do think most of the album's best songs were already released as singles- such as 'Weekend Run', 'That Life', and 'Layla'- but there were surprisingly some deep cuts that really stood out to me as well, like 'The Beach' and 'The Garden'.
Unlike UMO's other records, 'V' doesn't have any super notable weak spots in its tracklist, which is pretty impressive ... read more
I didn't have super high expectations going into this small EP so maybe that's why I'm not disappointed like a bunch of others seem to be, but I thought this was overall a solid EP. The title track may be a touch too 'mainstream' for a lot of previous Hozier fans but idk, I enjoy it for being so different in his discography. 'All Things End', though realistically not being anything special, is a soul cut that I honestly quite enjoy, having a moving chorus that shows off Hozier's voice ... read more
Though I definitely prefer 'Two Hands' between the two Big Thief 2019 outputs, this album is still quite enjoyable. 'U.F.O.F.' is an album that does very little wrong, leaning sonically much more into the lighter, folksy side of the group's sound as opposed to their heavier rock sound. My main issue I guess with the album is that several of the songs blend together, though generally they are all still quite pleasant and enjoyable, songs like 'Cattails' and 'Contact' standing out in particular. ... read more
Though this album is certainly not even near UMO's best work, I still thought it had enough positive points to make it worth listening to at least once. 'Hunnybee' is an obvious banger and easily the best track of the album- I would even say one of UMO's very best tracks. Tracks like 'This Doomsday' and 'Everyone Acts Crazy Nowadays' were surprisingly captivating as well, discussing matters such as politics and religion with surprising tact for an indie pop group.
Unfortunately I feel like ... read more
While I can't say this is a bad album, most of this record failed to really do much for me. Though there are a couple standouts, like 'Thought Ballune' and 'How Can You Luv Me' that remind of an early King Gizzard sound, the rest of the record ranges from forgettable to outright obnoxious on tracks like 'Bicycle'. I am shocked this is considered a cult classic album- it's easily my least favorite of UMO's main studio efforts.
Though there are some interesting moments- Nielson knows his way around the guitar- and I can definitely appreciate how much darker this project is compared to UMO's other works, as a whole these instrumentals are just too boring and sterile for many to get any major enjoyment out of it
For me, 'Multi-Love' is essentially right on par with UMO's 2012 album 'II'. I don't think anything on this album quite reaches some of the heights on 'II'- apart from the absolute banger that is this record's title track- but there are still some really groovy, danceable indie pop tracks to be found here, like 'Ur Life One Night', 'Can't Keep Checking My Phone', and 'The World Is Crowded'. Thankfully, this album does have a one-up on 'II' by not having any grating, distortion-heavy madness on ... read more
I've been torn about how I feel towards this album for a few months now. I used to not like it much at all but after really giving it another shot I can definitely say I am a fan of the majority of this album. Songs like 'So Good At Being In Trouble', 'Secret Xtians', and 'Swim and Sleep Like a Shark' are surprisingly insanely catchy and some of my favorite pop songs period- had the rest of the album maintained the quality of these tracks it would easily be one of my favorite pop albums ever. ... read more
Definitely an improvement over DSVI, if not a huge one. The instrumentals this time around are all still excellently produced, and the motif of being inspired by video game soundtracks is honestly pretty sick. As a whole album I definitely won't be revisiting but there are a few instrumentals I liked a good deal from it
A perfectly fine set of electronic instrumentals. Most of them are definitely produced well but to be honest I can't remember a single thing I listened to from it, can't say I'll return to it in the future.
I guess I'm kinda in the minority but I think this album deserves a heap of praise and acclaim. To have been Lenker's very first record, two years before Big Thief properly debuted, this album is genuinely remarkable in my opinion. Yeah, it's clear that it's rough around the edges and Lenker is finding their voice still- but it's still amazing imo. Songs like 'Gone, 'Steamboat', and 'Butterfly' are some of my favorite folk songs period. This is one of the strongest debut projects I have ever ... read more
I was expecting this album to be very good- as I have come to expect from really anything from Big Thief- but I was still surprised at just HOW incredible this is. It didn't strike me in quite the same way as 'Dragon New Warm Mountain...' , but it was astoundingly close. Nearly every track on the record manages a PERFECT blend between the band's wistful folk sound against their sharp, almost furious rock. 'Not' is a perfect example of this blend and one of my now favorite Big Thief tracks, but ... read more
Parts of this album I honestly like better than 'Lost Cities...', like the opener, 'Teen Angst', and 'Safe. I'm surprised at just how grand M83's sound was even this early on in their discography. Like their other stuff, there are definitely huge lulls that hold back this album from maximizing on its potential- which this album has plenty of. Overall I enjoyed this slightly less than 'Lost Cities...' and it is frustrating how this could have been even better, but I still enjoyed it for what it ... read more
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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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