InModeration

An absolutely stunning composition of music. I have never heard a pure soundscape so effectively convey a concept ever. This is an album about the death of music, but the inherent despair and sadness in its sound could be applied a whole host of dystopian themes. Tim Hecker's brand of tense and visceral ambient music is perfect for this concept, and its beautiful and haunting production makes this one of the most harrowing musical experiences I have ever had.

I can understand this album being hailed as an all time classic, but for me, I've always found Kanye's production and lyrical themes to be a little overrated. Regarding Kanye's lyrics, there are certainly instances of brilliance where his perspective on fame is very compelling. However, one of Kanye's biggest weaknesses throughout his career has been his focus, and that's definitely still prevalent here. There are also moments where the mix is a little blown out. I'm as much of a sucker for ... read more

Despite being her debut, Tidal remains Fiona Apple's most instrumentally and stylistically diverse album. It's pretty shocking to find this sort of lyricism coming from somebody so young, but Tidal just subverts expectations like that, even for someone like me who has listened to all of her other albums. Even though she eventually moved on to more complex and ambitious song structures, that doesn't take away from how fantastic this first album was.

Now having listened to the entire Fiona Apple discography, I'm pretty surprised to find that no project has managed to surpass this one for me. It was so incredible hearing Fiona transition from more generic singer-songwriter song structures earlier in her career to some more esoteric compositions on her latest two projects. Idler Wheel used that to form a more emotional and intimate experience, while Fetch the Bolt Cutters is fierce and utterly uncompromising. Percussion has always been a ... read more