There is a mix of country music vocals and southern hip hop. I loved so much about this album, but the spoken word pieces lose interest for me, and the ending started to fade, causing a drop in score from a nine.

01. MORE – Poetry filler
02. KINFOLK – 8.5
03. HIGHWAY 10 – 9
04. BLACK TRUCK – 8 – Nice play on words: “Venus said keep ‘em barred up so I’m back to the pen.”
05. DODGING THE DEVIL – Another spoken word piece
06. HEATWAVE ... read more

I was not able to get into this album. The eighth track was a favorite over the fifth, but the rest were middling to me. I do like where there are themes that repeat within a work to connect everything together. On top of the oral references (eating, drinking, speaking, and other too numerous), there were repeated mentions of colors, clothes (their presence or lack thereof), and death. The hideous cover is of a mouth and a hat, which reinforces my belief that these were intentional inclusions, ... read more

I had no real impression of Alice Cooper beyond the image of the man in the top hat who does theatrical performances with horror themes. I knew and enjoyed Poison, but had no idea it was him. Hearing this album and seeing the cover gave me an entirely different impression of a more exuberant artist. A lot of the songs are vibrant, most garnering a score of eight or higher. Black Juju (04) is a nine-minute masterpiece, but my overall favorite was the last track, Sun Arise.

I just couldn’t get into this album. She reminded me too much of Joni Mitchell or some seventies artist. While most bored me, I added Everyday to by personal playlist, as it is excellent and light.

Every song on this album was enjoyable, but Lark, New Love Cassette, and What It Is are songs that achieve a score of eight-point-five or higher, each magnificent in their own way. The work as a whole gets a high score because there was nowhere where I felt compelled to skip over a particular track to get to some better song.

An excellent album by Kanye West. It felt like he was trying to make one good song of various different religious music styles. All the songs felt different as if through a chronological progression from gospel music with pianos and singers to the end where the performers use AutoTune. The problem that I have with the work is that I have the feeling that this is merely a gambit to lure in evangelicals for his mentioned presidential run in 2024, of which I believe is serious. Despite the fact I ... read more

This was a pleasant post-punk album. I expected it to be harder and louder, and it was not, which was an interesting change. I found each time I listened, I enjoyed it more, and this might be one of my favorites of the year.

01. For Everything – 7
02. More is Less – 8 - I wasn’t crazy about the song, but the sound of the outro at the end popped the score up.
03. Green is Blue – 8.5 - I don’t get the lyrics, but a nice sound. Nice song.
04. Slowdance I – 8 - ... read more

This was an interesting album, as if someone took moody music, pulled some Indian / Asian music stylings, and recorded it all in a castle or an opera house. There was a large, overblown feel to the music as if everything they did was epic and grand and weighty, but I didn’t get any of that. It was dark and atmospheric, but beyond the second song, I found little to enjoy.

There was absolutely nothing about this album that interested me. The only way this was worth anything was that it worked for Halloween in tone. Otherwise, bleh.

This is the style of rap that I like: the simple beats and raps on top. It is not as common nowadays, but it is a cleaner form for me. However, this album did not have much for me to appreciate, save for War With Us and F--in With Dis Click, which were both enjoyable. I could have probably enjoyed this album more if it wasn’t for the words, like the light piano(?) in All or Nuthin’; otherwise, I didn’t hear anything particularly interesting, innovative, or intelligent here.

I liked Into The Light and Monitor, and went back and forth on Voodoo Dolly. Most of the songs except Head Cut were fine, but my aversion to eighties-styled music probably kept me from appreciating it more. All were almost pleasing, so I almost gave it an eight.

This album was good as a different type of metal, and there were several times I was really engrossed with the sound, but a lot of the songs turned to where I was no longer interested. (02) I’m Already Gone was good, but the album died down for me until (08) I’d Do Anything, which became my favorite with a fantastic opening. After that point, the album picked up for me with (11) Cold-Blooded Angels being a standout. I found the second half better than the first, and I liked the ... read more

I enjoyed the album, putting it on rotation several times, but I couldn’t find a particular song that was memorable. The entire album had a fun, experimental feel, but none of the tracks stayed with me outside of the first couple, and I liked the first part of Gone, Gone / Thank You, but this was another case of where two songs are mashed together when there was no need.

This was Iggy Pop’s most commercial album, and two of the songs are immediately familiar, (01) Lust For Life and (04) The Passenger, but over time, I found greater affection for (07) Turn Blue and (08) Neighborhood Threat.

I have never been a Springsteen fan, but this was really good. It seemed like a country album with great production values and an occasional orchestral feel. It talked about the simpler things in life, with the incidental toss out of such elements of modernity like Viagra. My favorite songs were (01) Hitch Hikin’, (02) Wayfarer, (04) Western Stars, (05) Sleepy Joe’s Café, (07) Chasing Wild Horses, and (09) Sundown, though there really wasn’t a dud in the entire ... read more

To be completely fair, Nick Cave has been my favorite musician for twenty years, so my review may reflect some biases.

I am trying to gauge the album as an outsider. How would I feel about this if I didn't know the backstory and didn't have reverence for the artist? Lyrically, it is fantastic, repeating images and metaphors throughout, a work filled with horses and fireflies and boats and children traversing the skies. It starts with a king and queen in their castle, and ends with the author ... read more

I love these early adopters of the rock-rap style, and it is a shame their interpersonal problems prevented more works like this. As much as I enjoy the heaviness of the band’s songs like Killing in the Name, the tracks started to blend together, which is why I actually found some of the quieter moments more interesting, and over time, Settle For Nothing grew as a favorite beyond the usual suspects of Bombtrack and KITN. Any of the songs are great for when someone wants to hear appealing ... read more

I have listened several times, and I cannot find any songs that draw me in. A second album by Big Thief that I cannot appreciate, I can honestly say this group is not for me.

I like Billie Eilish’s style. There is something retro and modern, but I am bothered by the way it tries to blend two styles, and it doesn’t feel like it completely works. Some tracks make me feel like traditional songs are given an edgy feel, or experimental songs that are trying to be seem poppy. A good example is When the Party’s Over, and the way the electronic singing comes in at the 1:40 mark; I liked the song except for that. I Love You is a simple song without ... read more

I like the clean punk sound of this band. The opening of Hurricane Laughter reminds me of Andrew WK. with its brash sound, but Television Screens, Chequeless Reckless, and Boys in the Better Land are my personal favorites