Day 32 of An Album A Day Challenge - Criteria 5: An album with a fun cover

Obey - Brainbombs

Ngl this isn't really a 'fun' cover but it caught my eye so I decided to listen to this.
This album sucks, no doubt about it, and I was rolling my eyes at the crude, 'edgy 14 year-old' lyrics, but after a while I found it pretty amusing and got a chuckle out of how deranged and sadistic the singer could get. It was also funnier that the singer makes threats and trys to be imposing as fuck with a ... read more

Day 31 of An Album A Day Challenge - Criteria 4: An album you haven't heard yet from one of your favourite artists

Contemporary Movement - Duster

Love the aesthetic, love the sound, love Duster. While (in my opinion) it doesnt reach the same highs as Stratosphere, I loved that this album had a darker, colder and more impersonal feel. A lot of people might describe Duster as having a 'cosy' or 'comforting' sound (myself included), but this album feels like the total opposite of that idea. ... read more

Day 30 of An Album A Day Challenge - Criteria 2: An album that came out this year

Heavy Heavy - Young Fathers

A lot of the material here just didn't stick withme unfortunately, although I never disliked a track and enjoyed listening through. Geronimo is also a very pretty song!

Day 29 of An Album A Day Challenge - Criteria 1: An album with a primarily female vocalist, or made by a woman

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You - Aretha Franklin

Absolutely incredible. Such an emotional and powerful voice. The writing is compelling, and her decision to cover songs and redefine their original meanings (such as in A Change is Gonna Come) is commendable. Also, there is a lot of variety on this record; each song feels like a new chapter with an individual atmosphere.

Day 28 of An Album A Day Challenge - Criteria 5: An album with a fun cover

Dance With Me Montana - Sonny Sharrock Trio

Has a really crude, unhinged sound (in a good way). It's a fun listen and has some great songs, like Dick Dogs. However after a while the sound loses its shock factor, and the latter half of the album suffers for it.

Day 27 of An Album A Day Challenge - Criteria 4: An album you haven't heard yet from one of your favourite artists

Amnesiac - Radiohead

Gives Kid A a run for its money. I can't believe people don't like Pulk/Pull, it's definitely a high point on the album and tells you it's going to be a weird and strange album.

Day 26 of An Album A Day Challenge - Criteria 3: An album from a non-English speaking country

Clics Modernos - Charly García

I'm back baby with this classic! This album is simply full of energy, groove and character! I love how tongue in cheek Charly's delivery is; he's not afraid to have fun with a more poppy sound than his earlier work. Also Los Dinosaurios is a great ballad.

Day 25 of An Album A Day Challenge - Criteria 2: An album that came out this year

The Redshift Blues - Dispirited Spirits

While some of the songs aren't quite my style, you can't deny the meticulous care and effort that has gone into this record. There's a very spacey and celestial vibe, which work well in building towards epic, gargantuan climaxes.
Beautiful guitar and drum work. I also appreciated the orchestral inclusions.
An issue I had with the long songs is that I feel that the ... read more

Day 24 of An Album A Day Challenge - Criteria 1: An album with a primarily female vocalist, or made by a woman

Titanic Rising - Weyes Blood

As someone who first heard (and loved) And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow, I came into this with high expectations, and Weyes Blood certainly met them! While Titanic Rising didn't 'click' as quickly for me as its successor, I came to find that while it had a slower pace, it had deeply complex and beautiful layers on relistens. Weyes Blood's vocals are of ... read more

Day 23 of An Album A Day Challenge - Criteria 7: An album from a genre you would not normally listen to

Blackwater Park - Opeth

Epic, evil and vast. Each riff somehow seems better than the last. While I'm not usually a fan of clean vocals in metal, the reverb used for Mikael's voice creates a really eerie and unsettling aura, which works incredibly well in the 'calm before the storm' moments, where acoustic guitars are used to ghostly effect. The contrast between these folksy parts and the ... read more

Day 22 of An Album A Day Challenge - Criteria 6: An album recommended by a friend or family

Rivers of the Red Planet - Max Graef

More interesting than most house projects (I especially enjoyed Intro, Mulholand Drive, Drums of Death, and Vino Rosetto), but most of the tracks, while showing potential at the start, deviate into repetition. Graef shows a lot of skill though, and I really liked his experimenting with funk/smooth jazz sounds throughout the album. If he leans more heavily into that ... read more

Day 21 of An Album A Day Challenge - Criteria 5: An album with a fun cover

The Magic of Ju-Ju - Archie Shepp

I'm still catching up goddamnit!
Has a strong start but runs out of steam (for me) since the first and last tracks are so long. Maybe I need to listen to more free jazz to appreciate it better?

Day 20 of An Album A Day Challenge - Criteria 7: An album from a genre you would not normally listen to

The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady - Charles Mingus

Brutal, bombastic, and beautiful.

Day 19 of An Album A Day Challenge - Criteria 6: An album recommended by a friend or family

Live in Cook County Jail - B.B. King

What an impassioned and electric performance. Deserves to be recognised as one of the greatest live performances ever. Score may go higher after some relistens as I'm not a big blues guy but after this, I want to hear more!

Day 18 of An Album A Day Challenge: Criteria 3 - An album from a non-English speaking country

Casiopea - Casiopea

The only one on here that I don't love is Tears Of The Star, the rest FUCKS

Day 17 of An Album A Day Challenge: Criteria 2 - An album that came out this year

UGLY - slowthai

Clearly slowthai put a lot of emotional thought and passion into this project. The abrasive beat selections pair perfectly with his tortured, animal-like delivery. On the flipside, with calmer instrumentals he isn't afraid to give us a melancholic, King Kruleish crooning session. I really enjoyed the run through Never Again, Fuck It Puppet, and HAPPY. Overall, an interesting project which invites ... read more

Day 16 of An Album A Day Challenge: Criteria 1 - An album with a primarily female vocalist, or made by a woman

Hounds of Love - Kate Bush

Of course the first half is straight up fantastic; high-energy, upbeat, and dreamlike. But the second half is such a clever concept and a true emotional rollercoaster. We follow the process of falling under a trance, dreams gradually changing from idyllic to nightmareish, to fighting for your life but slowly losing grip, all of which culminates in the ... read more

Day 15 of An Album A Day Challenge: Criteria 4 - An album you haven't heard yet from one of your favourite artists

Seventeen Seconds - The Cure

Falling behind on this challenge because of essays grr...
Really enjoyed this one. It's great to hear how The Cure and Smith started finding a gloomy, more depressing sound. What struck me about this was how 'simple' it is. When you look at Disintegration and Pornography, there's always so much sonic goodness to listen out for every time, whereas ... read more

Day 14 of An Album A Day Challenge: Criteria 5 - An album with a fun cover

Fauna - Haken

What an awesome cover. This chap looks very dapper indeed.
I can't lie, listening to this album was the first in this challenge that felt like a slog. I really haven't delved into Prog Metal outside of Opeth and Porcupine Tree, which I enjoyed, but I found they had a much darker, more captivating sound. I'm really not a fan of how 'poppy' and polished this album is. While the drums and guitars sound ... read more

Day 13 of An Album A Day Challenge: Criteria 7 - An album from a genre you would not normally listen to

Heavy Petting Zoo - NOFX

It's nothing special, but fuck it; it's fun to listen to! Bleeding Heart Disease is by FAR the best on here though, not just catchy but the tempo change works so well. Also shoutout to August 8th, "I see a bunch of hippies crying" is pretty funny. It's a shame about The Black & White since it starts off very promising with a fucking hardcore intro but ... read more