A cute little tribute to 2000s era emo/pop punk. Wherever you go from here, we wish you luck, Fauna. o7 We'll miss you.
I would have rated this song higher, but I can't shake up that score!
Definitely my favorite Kiara song. In her earlier songs, she wore her inspirations heavily on her sleeve (namely the Black Eyed Peas,) and I could never get into them. Also, her voice has always been my least favorite part of her songs, but she sounds very good here, and the production is very good. I just wish the song wasn't over 50% chorus...
Also, if we were considering by the MV, I'd give them another 10 ... read more
![儒烏風亭らでん [Juufuutei Raden] - Maitake Dance](https://cdn2.albumoftheyear.org/100x0/album/1117062-maitake-dance_225232.jpg)
maitake maitake guruguru guruguru
maitake maitake guruguru guruguru
amatte jikan
maitake maitake guruguru guruguru
maitake maitake guruguru guruguru
maitake maitake guruguru guruguru
Ado carried so hard here. I'm just thankful that being on an ID song is probably going to get Ado a lot more exposure to people who probably have never heard of her before. Maybe if the chorus didn't have those RIDICULOUSLY AMPED UP shouted vocals, I might enjoy the song on its own merits as well, since the melody is catchy and the beat is fun, but I only really start enjoying it when Ado slides onto it and adds some harmonizing.
Also, at least 10 extra points for the harmonies ... read more
This song, and all the beautiful covers I've heard, have all made me dissolve into tears. The instrumental, the vocals, and the lyricism, they're all fantastic. The final verse gets me every time. It's hard to make a song this touching without it descending into melodrama, but Robinson found a way.
![目黒将司 [Shoji Meguro] - Persona 3 Reload Original Soundtrack](https://cdn2.albumoftheyear.org/100x0/album/932547-persona-3-reload-original-soundtrack_223106.jpg)
Just stopping by to say this is just the mini OST, the full album (with full length versions of the songs) is at https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/864531--shoji-meguro-persona-3-reload-original-soundtrack.php
Absolutely unlistenable. The rapping is awful, the flow is awful, the instrumentals are awful, the lyrics are....(sigh,) and somehow they dragged this out to 43 minutes. The best rap verse on this album comes from Charli XCX, of all people. Keep your eye on her, she's going places, am I right?
Lil Xan, meanwhile, is going nowhere. When you name yourself "Lil Xan" there's nowhere to go but down and downer.
This song is unironically an absolute banger. At this point, Eminem was in the midst of his downward spiral into drug addition, and so although he has a crude but pretty entertaining verse (and this was still the era where he had that smooth, catchy flow,) Nate Dogg (RIP) mostly carries this song with a great verse and a chorus and...actually I don't even know the structure of this song. There's a lot of little bridges and mini-verses thrown in here and there, but Nate (and sometimes ... read more
In short: Man, I came out of this thing feeling like it was a waste of time. The songs all ended just as they were gaining steam and with a few exceptions, all the performances on this LP felt entirely inconsequential. Feels like less than the sum of its parts.
-
In long: The Alchemist, one of the most legendary producers in hip hop history, comes out with Yacht Rock 2, a posse album like you might see from DJ Khaled or the latest Cole Bennett project. The one major difference, of course, ... read more
Another great album by Opeth. Compared to their later offering, Blackwater Park, Still Life has a bit more clean singing, but the dark passages are just as haunting and there are a lot of great, creative riffs here. My only complaint is with the closer, which feels very forgettable compared to the rest of the album (and especially when compared to the titular closer on BP.) But this is still a classic, amazing album from one of the best progressive death metal bands in history in their prime.
Another cute and catchy track from IRyS. She has a very distinct voice, and she's a great singer. In fact, she dips a bit into her slightly lower register at points (intentionally?) and it's a vibe and a half. Maybe it's because I'm not all that familiar with Eurobeat, but the main beat of this song sounds uncannily like Internet Overdose (a song which IRyS herself has covered!) If you like Carbonated Love, you'll love Internet Overdose.
Incidentally, I know music ... read more
![Ado - 残夢 [Zanmu]](https://cdn2.albumoftheyear.org/100x0/album/935754--zanmu_130608.jpg)
(Edited for typos and a few factual errors)
In short: A few more soaring highs than her last album, some much lower lows, all the songs we've already heard (except for 2,) and all of the wild musical and tonal inconsistency of her discography. Who is "Ado"? Literally and musically, I still don't know. Overall not bad, though.
-
In long: 残夢 is Ado's second full length original album, which had been teased through many, many singles. In fact, a whopping 14 out of ... read more
![Ado - ルル [RuLe]](https://cdn2.albumoftheyear.org/100x0/album/995215-rule_161225.jpg)
I feel like this is a major regression for Ado. The hook is a definite earworm, but the production doesn't fit the vocals or the lyrics at all. RuLe is a strict downgrade from Usseewa. It has none of the rawness or aggression in her voice that Usseewa had. Her performance on that song, even though that was also written and composed by someone else, felt a lot less performative than this song does. Compare this to the other songs from her upcoming album. There doesn't seem to be any ... read more
Is it just me, or did Em go crazy offbeat at 3:57? And how you getting bodied by BIG SEAN on your own track? Where are the bars, man? Seriously, at this point, AOTY has to make two profiles: "Past Eminem" and "Current Eminem" so I can follow Past Eminem and forget about this old dude.
And who the fuck cares about the Melle Mel beef? That was a decade ago in internet years. Get a better topic! Maybe diss someone actually relevant.
Altogether not-objectionable. When I listened to it during a stream, it was a surprisingly coherent and pleasant listen.
...yes, I'm aware I'm damning them with the faintest of praise here. The fact that a few of the songs here sound like other songs (most egregiously "Wake Up" to "Talk Dirty" by Jason Derulo and "Kid" with "Feel Good Inc.) is sad, but unsurprising for a band with seemingly no greater musical ambitions than marketable mediocrity. My ... read more
I sort of just stumbled on this album and...is this amazing? Is this awful? Both?
I'm not sure if knowing the translations of the lyrics (it's all very tongue-in-cheek and meme-y) makes it better or worse. Definitely an intense, and interesting experience, and it all sounded great, although I do think The Album lost some steam on the back end.
I feel bad giving this song a 93, because it might actually bring the rating DOWN on this one. Danny Brown has always had a way to make his words slide into your brain. This is a song about self-destruction and how one's own suffering can easily turn into someone else's enjoyment. I liken this song a lot to Clout Cobain by Denzel Curry, in that way. Danny's lyricism is definitely a step up compared to Denzel's, and although Ain't it Funny's beat isn't as ... read more
I first heard Opeth a long, long time ago, when I was much younger. Back then, I was entranced by their combination of heavy metal riffs and Mikael Åkerfeldt's deep growled vocals combined with the softer, melodic passages anchored by Mikael's emotive, almost mystical cleans. I had never heard anything quite like them before, and the way they mixed up their styles and switched from one catchy riff to another, made them one of my favorite bands. Eventually, in a move that is ... read more
Create an account to rate and review albums.
Recent Review Comments
On Hohkohs's review of Ado - ルル [RuLe]
"@Hohkohs That's really sad to hear. I hope she's able to find her own "voice" soon. It seems like especially in the Japanese major label sphere, there's a lot of pressure to conform. Either way, I hope she's happy right now. It's hard to make other people smile when you aren't able to smile yourself. 悲しい..."
On Hohkohs's review of Ado - ルル [RuLe]
"I'm also so concerned. Being so young and getting successful so suddenly has a way of taking its toll on a performer, musicians included. It feels like she has a different producer for each song, a lot of them being composers from the utaite or Vocaloid spheres. Given how she got her start, I can't help but feel like she just wants to work with all the producers she grew up idolizing, to the detriment of her own identity. I'm not really sure who Ado is as a person or as an artist. She got her start by performing covers (and still does today,) which is why it feels like even her original songs are just covers of a song that hasn't been made yet. I hope she doesn't hurt her voice, but she records and tours so relentlessly that I'm worried."
On Tha Blue Herb - 未来は俺等の手の中
"全然大丈夫、分かります！僕のDiscord IDはDefeatableAirMan。宜しく！"
On Tha Blue Herb - 未来は俺等の手の中
"@Hohkohs どういたしまして！たのしかったです。僕は、日本語力をレベルアップする時でもう一度聞くとしましょう。J-ラップは気になります！ I didn't make this comparison in the review, but it also reminds me of some more modern minimalist rappers like particularly billy woods and Open Mike Eagle, whom I want to explore further. Doing research I learned that this song may have been in tribute to the song 未来は僕等の手の中 by the punk band The Blue Hearts, and I wonder if there is a connection there (ちなみに僕個人的に、ブルーハーツの曲の方が分かりやすいw) Thanks for the recommendation! I'd heard of TBH before but I might have never listened without it!
処で、LINEなどを使いますか？最近、日本人の友達を出来ていて,しゃべっている。良ければ、ADDしてくれるのはどうですか？LINEユーザネームはFriendFromFarAway. No pressure, of course!
Thanks again for the review trade!"
On Hohkohs's review of Toby Fox - The Greatest Living Show
"Hi Hohkohs! Thank you so much for your review! I'm used to Toby Fox composing in limited sound palette is very interesting. I can hear bits of his signature composition style throughout the melody of the song.
My interpretation of the lyrics and the video is that the "showman" character represents a predatory person, perhaps one who seduces and abuses young women, but maybe also someone who works in an industry where the employees are treated as disposable objects. For example, music label executives who sign their young artists to unfavorable contracts and then wring every last drop of material from them. もしくはアイドル界などのアレゴリーかもしれません。ちなみに、和歌詞と英歌詞の両方があります。どちらは（ちょっと）違いますだと。"
On Hohkohs's review of Mrs. GREEN APPLE - コロンブス (Columbus)
"本当に残念な事なんですね。2024年でこんなに無神経なMVが使ったとはな...I'm glad they took the music video down. I hope something like this doesn't happen again. Geniusで「コロンブス」はバズっていますけど..."
On H1DD3N_1N_TH3_ST4T1C's review of 目黒将司 [Shoji Meguro] - Persona 5: Original Soundtrack
"Anyone who doesn't think this album slaps needs to GET slapped."
On Legoshi's review of A Day To Remember - Feedback
"I guess all we can do is cross our fingers for if/when their next album drops. I looked into it, and they lost one of their producer/composers and their bassist/composer, so since YW they've had a different team than they had from Homesick to Common Courtesy. Maybe Fueled by Ramen really the nail in the coffin."
On Legoshi's review of A Day To Remember - Feedback
"@Legoshi I mean, lyrically and contextually speaking, we're never going to get the old ADTR back. There's only so old you can get before writing about "heartless exes/road trips with the boys/look ma we made it" becomes cringe.
I mean, if they put out a full-length album with songs that are all on the same quality level as Miracle, I'd be all over it. At least they could win back the audience they lost with their last album if the hooks and riffs are solid.
A song this shitty isn't going to win ANYONE back, and if this is Jeremy's attitude to music now, maybe you're right and ADTR is actually already dead."
On Remi's Reviews's review of Sabaton - Carolus Rex
"Great review! Also it's fun to see a Swedish band writing about Swedish history."
On Legoshi's review of A Day To Remember - Feedback
"The irony is that Miracle was really well-received! People called it a return to form! Instead of making this god-awful song whining about the "haters," they could have spent these years making a good album that sounded like them that would wash the taste of YW out of everyone's mouth. Clearly they're still CAPABLE of making good music! That's why Feedback's existence itself is so...baffling to me."
On DComic's review of A Day To Remember - For Those Who Have Heart
"Oh, easycore is definitely a thing! In fact (don't quote me on this) it seems the genre of easycore was invented specifically to describe ADTR's unique sound. Are you factoring in any of the bonus tracks on the Deluxe edition into your rating?"
On DoomedUser's review of A Day To Remember - Feedback
"What happened to Miracle?! Where did that ADTR go?!"
On SamariumGibson's review of Ado - Adoの歌ってみたアルバム [Ado's Utattemita Album]
"I agree! A pretty good album, but Ado can do much better!"
On GetInVan's review of 長沼英樹 [Hideki Naganuma] - Jet Set Radio Original Sound
"I mean, listening to this soundtrack at night gets me amped up too...maybe not to that degree though lol. But yeah, this OST rocks!"
On H1DD3N_1N_TH3_ST4T1C's review of Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory
"100% agree, Hidden! Comparing HT to more modern albums in a similar vein just doesn't makes sense--especially since HT inspired all of them. This record is amazing."
On Tobyy's review of Ado - Adoの歌ってみたアルバム [Ado's Utattemita Album]
"@Tobyy People listen to Tom Mcdonald for reasons completely unrelated to how much of a hack musician he is. People listen to Ado because her performances are genuinely interesting, and certainly one-of-a-kind. And fun.
I'm not her to change your opinion. But saying that the only people who could enjoy her are people who don't know jack shit about music...can you see how that might strike a raw nerve for some people?"
On Balloon🎈's review of Ado - 狂言 [Kyōgen]
"@balloon_datruck Okay, looking back on it, it was reductive of me to say "L" and end it there. I'll just put it like this: Everything hinges on whether one believes Ado is an amazingly gifted and versatile singer, or an annoying try-hard who does way too much. I'm in the former camp, and it seems like you are in the latter.
I do plan to review this sometime; for now I've only reviewed Usseewa, positively, for reasons I explain. At the very least, I agree that a few of the songs here are mixed/equalized very poorly. And lyrically, it certainly loses something in translation; I can't blame anyone here for disliking the lyrics.
tl;dr: I think you gave an honest and fair opinion on the album, and I didn't mean to just throw shade at you."
On TheBigTophat's review of Mori Calliope - Overkill
"Sadly, Brad would rather trash a song he knows his fanbase will unanimously agree with him on, just to boost his ego, rather than give an actual constructive review. That's become increasingly more evident."
On Balloon🎈's review of Ado - 狂言 [Kyōgen]
"Wow, you were doing so well to at least try to give a measured review, and then you compared it to “Angelic 2 the Core”
L."
On N8's review of Ceres Fauna - Let Me Stay Here
"Fauna has good taste in music, and it fits her so well!"
On Toisoku's review of Ceres Fauna - Let Me Stay Here
"According to Fauna herself, the lyrics are just there to make it feel like a very simple and cuuuuuute fairy tale to fit the relaxing/dreamy vibes."
Advertisement