Joanna's most difficult record and also her most rewarding. Although some of these songs are deceptively simple in structure ("Emily" cycles through three or four distinct but equally arresting chord progressions), everything about this record feels massive and maximalist. You'll more than get the gist of Joanna's musical ambitions with one go-through, but repeated listens are also extremely rewarding since some great musical moments (especially in longer passages like "Only ... read more
Although "Hissing" was viewed as a betrayal after the incredibly accessible (by Joni standards) "Court and Spark," time has proven this record has a deserved place in her "golden age" discography. Emotional moments like "Don't Interrupt the Sorrow" and "The Boho Dance" are on par with "Down to You" or even "Both Sides Now," while many of her polarizing experiments with synthesizers and sampling (namely "The Jungle ... read more
All I ever wanted from this guy was for him to eventually start sounding like he was enjoying life, and I think we're starting to get there!
I think we all knew this record would be overblown from the second we found out it would be 18 songs. The good news is the filler is very easy to weed out from the strong material, and even without it you still have about eleven solid (and surprisingly robust) songs, only five of which creep past the four-minute mark (compare that to the eleven on his ... read more
About as good as you could expect a bedroom pop record recorded in two weeks to be. "Get a Yes" had me worried that this was going to be an album worth of good ideas marred by basic Fruity Loops production, but most of the other songs fare better (especially the ones with a live drummer). She doesn't assert much of an identity for herself as a solo artist since the best songs here are the ones that sound like Speedy Ortiz, but the writing quality is there so who cares?
I’ve never quite seen someone else take “the breakup album” in this direction. Harvey sounds absolutely unhinged on many of these songs, and while I walk away from it concerned about the mental state of both her and whoever she’s singing to, boy is it an exciting ride. The title track alone has loads of quotable lines (most notably that closing shout: “Lick my legs, I’m on fire”). Uptempos like “Snake” and “50 ft. Queenie” are ... read more
I really can’t say enough good things about this record. It’s easily one of the most dazzling and ambitious albums of the 2010s, and Monae consistently comes off as charismatic, geeky (in a good way) and wildly imaginative. Her gorgeous, expressive voice might be one of the last things you register while listening simply because there’s so much else to take in. Even the more subdued moments like ballad “Sir Greendown” have something ear-grabbing in their production ... read more
Had to go back and change this review after spending time with this album. Maybe I’d like Skeletal Lamping more if I did the same for it.
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Many view Sleigh Bells as the definitive buzz band of the later 00′s/early 10′s, simply because their abrasive style, while extremely catchy, was also gimmicky and never seemed likely to last more than an album or two before going stale. And indeed, they would go on to follow the typical buzz ... read more
Promising... the ratio of pretentious non-songs to certifiable jams is starting to tip towards the latter. Keep it up!
Me when Perfect Illusion came out: "This is garbage"
Me a month later: *wears a crop top and denim shorts* *swings microphone over head* *pronounces 'love' as 'lahve'*
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