A tight 30 minute album that doesn't waste a minute it has to offer. O wait it's an EP officially. Man it's hard to split the difference. With seven tracks you would think of it as a short album but nah it's a pretty lengthy EP relatively speaking.
Regardless of the blurred lines between the distinct labels of a group of tracks this particular group is pretty damn enjoyable with the excellent instrumental and distinct vocals that feel grunge but don't feel angsty or ... read more
Today where I lived, I had a different kind of white Christmas. The Silent Hill kind. And listening to this classic ambient album kinda fits the vibe of this moody holiday past the usual presents, food and family.
Richard is two for two with this second album that is surprisingly engaging with how minimal it is. The bloated nature does hinder the experience a tad as well, but it's mostly worth the long runtime. So grab yourself a bowl of Carmel popcorn as you sit in front of the fire ... read more
An excellent release from the Brazilian singer that is pure bliss to the ears.
Recs:
- Na Estrada
- Segue o Seco
- Pale Blue Eyes
- Dança da Solidão (feat. Gilberto Gil)
- De Mais Niguém
- O Céu
- Bem Leve
- Balança Pema
- Enquanto Isso (feat. Laurie Anderson)
- Esta Melodia
This jazz hop release is pure excellence from front to back with a hole or two keeping it from the perfect score. Regardless of it's imperfections it's some of the best that I have heard from the genre thus far. Despite it not being a success financially it's easily a highlight of the stacked year of 94 and is one hell of a way for this group to end their careers on!
Recs:
- Slowed Comb/ The May 4th Movement Starting Doodlebug
- Black Ego
- Jettin'
- Agent 7 Creamy Spy ... read more
A pretty good indie rock release from Pavement. Skilled instrumentation and interesting vocals and melodies.
Recs:
- Stop Breathin
- Newark Wilder
- 5-4=Unity
- Range Life
- Fillmore Jive
The message may be strong but sonically it's a lot left to be desired.
I liked a few tracks near the end yet found the vast majority of the experience felt like a waste of time.
Recs:
- Searching
- In the Flesh
- It's on You
- Get on the Mic
Since I have been largely unimpressed with Black Metal in General this doesn't come as a surprise. I don't care for everything going through a muffled filter. Don't Care for the drums going a million miles an hour. The vocals sound like random screeching for me. The riffs are again too muffled to leave any kind of impact. I just listen to it and think,"Yup, this is certainly a thing." Certainly not anything I would play casually. Or have interest in doing so.
With the slow start I thought Nick and Gang would have yet another miss just when I was starting to really appreciate their artistry with the release "Henry's Dream". But soon enough the music and my ears started agreeing and it doesn't look back all the way to the finish. Another quality release on par with the previously mentioned album imo.
Recs:
- Red Right Hand
- I Let Love In
- Thirsty Dog
- Ain't Gonna Rain Anymore
- Lay Me Low
- Do You Love Me (Part 2)
A very fun Latin Alternative release with plenty of Variety throughout the beefy 20 song tracklist. Thankfully I found the experience to be mostly a joyful breeze w/ many songs added to my ever growing playlist.
Recs:
- El Aparato
- El Ciclón
- 24 Horas
- lxtepec
- Trópico de Cáncer
- El Fin De La Infancia
- Madrugal
- Pez
- Verde
- El Tlatoani del Barrio
- Las Flores
- La Pinta
- El Baile y El Salón
- El Balcón
Her whimsical voice carries my enjoyment mostly as I found the production pretty standard that does the job, but nothing all that substantial. It's just that her voice is just that captivating and the writing just puts it along another level. Good shit.
Recs:
- God
- Bells for Her
- Past the Mission
- The Waitress
- Cornflake Girl
- Cloud on my Tongue
- Space Dog
- Yes, Anastasia
Man getting thrown back to the prime days ( late 70s) of jazz fusion after listening to a lot of nineties is quite the shift. With this perspective their sound does seem a bit dated but the skilled instrumentation and the funky charm is timeless. I for one am still very much a fan of this classic sound despite the music world largely moving on from it when this was released. I will admit that it doesn't hit quite as hard as it used to. Still quality though and should definitely be listened ... read more
This is rare. A Death Metal release that has music I actually like! Might be the riffs that won me over honestly. Cause the voice and drums is whatever like how I usually find them when utilized for this genre. Regardless of my petty reasonings, this is good for what it is. And despite my usual indifference, I did find something here that appealed to me. So congrats Bolt Thrower for winning me over in that regard though you likely couldn't care less about me and my opinions of your ... read more
Damn those zesty riffs, that fucking bass, them drums. It's all so well done! It's got that old school flavor (I thought of Led Zepp, classic Sabbath and other legends like them.) that I haven't heard in a while and I forgotten just how good it is. I may not do drugs but if this album was one, I'd could get addicted. Shit is just too good man I need another hit! They don't make it like they used to and to hear a revival of this timeless sound in the nineties is much ... read more
While I am mainly here for the jazz, the rapping does compliment the vibe well. A very nice hidden gem here.
Recs:
- Trouble on My Mind
- Santana
- Ill River Expedition
- Just Because
- Soulstyle
-Take it to the Stage
- Summer in the City (Sunshine Blend)
![平沢進 [Susumu Hirasawa] - Aurora](https://cdn2.albumoftheyear.org/100x0/album/97615-aurora.jpg)
Hirasawa offers a decent art pop new age experience. Nothing crazy but you won't be disappointed if you ever do decide to listen in.
A few caught my ear. Ok to Decent overall.
Recs:
- Afuera
- Ayer Me Dijo in Ave
- La Llorona
Nevermind the under boobs, is that woman not wearing pants?
I'm surprised by how much I didn't care for what was offered by this band that I was looking forward to listening for the first time. It's certainly different , interesting, and a bit goofy at times, but I just wasn't clicking with it unfortunately. Hopefully the one with ocean man fares better whenever I get to it.
That was until I listened to "Buenas Tardes Amigo" which had me all kinds of captivated ... read more
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Recent Review Comments
On ねごと [NEGOTO] - アシンメトリ [Asymmetry]
"@themarsvolta not everything, bit a good amount. To answer your question is genuinely I didn't connect with the experience. That's it."
On Black Sabbath - Paranoid
"@frogofprog of course, all the songs listed in the review are great including the all time classic in War Pigs. I just think as an album experience as a whole it could be a bit better."
On The_troll's review of The Caretaker - Everywhere at the End of Time: Stage 1
"You are in for one hell of a ride if you're going to listen to it all the way through at once! Well worth the six hours of investment."
On Frank Zappa - Hot Rats
"@ScottShelby As for what's next for Zappa since I have listened to most of his Acclaimed stuff besides a couple of TMOI releases In likely to finish off that bands offerings before down the road see what Zappa has to offer in his more contentious releases."
On Frank Zappa - Hot Rats
"@ScottShelby That was intentional, got to save some big hitters for the future you to appreciate."
On Bridget St. John - Ask Me No Questions
"@AidenBowe45 she reminds me strongly of Nico so if you are a nico fan, you'll like this."
On Bedhead - Transaction de Novo
"@musicfanboy You looked into that more than I ever cared to so I guess? I don't know. I do generally find slowcore rather boring to slog through, so your probably right."
On Terry Reid - Terry Reid
"@AidenBowe45 He reminds of Paul McCartney at points with how passionately he sings and the instrumental goes crazy. It's a fun album for sure!"
On Muddy Waters - After the Rain
"@AidenBowe45 I honestly am just too familiar with this kind of style of straightforward Blues, sure it's classic but I find it stale and uninteresting especially compared to other styles that bring more to the table of the genre that makes for more engaging listening."
On Herbie Hancock - Fat Albert Rotunda
"@AidenBowe45 Groovy, funky and takes you on a ride. I don't remember if it goes wildly off the track but I wouldn't be surprised if it did with an artist like Hancock at the wheel."
On Harry Partch - The World of Harry Partch
"@AidenBowe45 yeah basically. I'm not here to hear your lips flapping."
On Amon Düül II - Phallus Dei
"@AidenBowe45 I'm excited for whenever you do decide to listen to it, they put you on a wild ride that's the best of both worlds and reminds me why I regard Krautrock as one of my all time favorite genres to lose my mind to!"
On Eyeliner - Buy Now
"@AidenBowe45 I mean it's not the definitive vaporwave experience, but if you're a fan of the genre then there's definitely some solid stuff here."
On girl in red - if i could make it go quiet
"@AidenBowe45 I am likely not the intended audience since I am a grown ass 26 year old listening to these lyrics. I may not be fully aware of what the kiddos are into these days, but when I was an edgy teenager in middle school, shit like this banged for the girlies."
On Swans - Soundtracks for the Blind
"@OldTask This album is definitely geared towards the artsy fartsy folks that appreciate just how deep into the rabbit hole this experience takes them. Definitely takes an experienced or a very open ear to truly "get it." Not everyone does, but the ones that do praise this shit up and down like I do."
On Swans - Soundtracks for the Blind
"@Moosky This album is fit for a very particular meditative mindset you have to be in for the Inherent strangeness to pack as hard of a punch as it does. Like many albums I love this is like a sonic drug trip that is more to be experienced than enjoyed as regular music. This album has a legendary status because it goes deep into this surreal experimental soundscape unapologetically and not everyone is going to get it, but those who do are immensely rewarded. I recommend you to maybe expand your horizons and listen to ambient/Psychedelic/ experimental releases similar to this so your pallet is more used to what this amazing album has to offer. Cont."
On David Bowie - Station to Station
"@Jakeisthedoctor You mentioned that across the board I have wild takes, are there more recent examples that raises your eyebrows?"
On David Bowie - Station to Station
"@Jakeisthedoctor Man I really should delete and reevaluate these albums I reviewed in my early days when my taste wasn't nearly as refined yet expansive as it is now. Back in 2023 I was throwing my inexperienced taste into classics head first with no idea what I was talking about. It's part of the reason why I am exploring the 60s and 70s again along with bolstering my limited playlists. To great success too with my 60s playlist going from 90 tracks to over 750 and growing as I am now appreciative of the greatness that I am consuming. I promise when I get to these albums again down the road, I will likely have a more reasonable take. For now, just enjoy how unhinged I was in 2023."
On Vapora - Oceanside Mall
"@frogofprog oh yeah, Vapora. I definitely had mixed feelings with this artist. They had some genuinely great vaporwave along with...well ones that missed the mark. Yeah I was a bit more loose with my reviews back in 2023 just experimenting with how I liked to present my reviews. It results in some reviews I am still proud of to some I just go crazy on. It is also an era where I was still forming my tastes on like twenty+ genres at once so don't take my early reviews that seriously."
On Drake - Scorpion
"@Triplo Thanks! I don't often have something to say about an album these days past a standard passing observation, but popular releases from the 2010s are a good way to get be talking at least a little bit."
On Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel
"@RSmithFan What I meant was that this was the first album that felt like it was made in the eighties. Don't know why I phrased it that way either."
On Not Marshall - FRIDAY NIGHT A DRESS2IMPRESS MODEL HAS TO SHOW OFF HER NEW AFRO HAIRSTYLE
"@engar where? what? I don't see anything eyebrow raising."
On Fabrizio De André - Vol. 1°
"@I_love_chickenw 👍 Whatever you say bud. I'll keep on doing what I do regardless of your berating."
On Fabrizio De André - Vol. 1°
"@I_love_chickenw Good for them and the people that praise their writing. That's not the reason I fell in love with music so I don't focus on it. And that is just as fine as those who do the opposite and completely mute the music and gush over the writing. Different strokes, we all appreciate art in our own individual ways."
On Fabrizio De André - Vol. 1°
"@I_love_chickenw Maybe I'll appreciate that part of the experience when I decide to give a shit about the lyrics. Until then, those pink floyd classics offer an amazing sonic experience regardless of whatever they are yapping about."
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