I mean sure. It’s better than your town’s summer festival cover band. The songwriting on some of these tracks are great enough to carry this project to tolerability. I’d go as far to say that this album is enjoyable. And yet, it’s innumerably disappointing.
The Teal Album is the latest of Weezer’s attempts to milk the success of “Africa” and garner buzz for the upcoming Black album (in which Rivers proudly posted on Facebook that he “uses the ... read more
I love Toro y Moi’s general aesthetic and I wanted to love this album as much I as love the idea of loving it. Unfortunately I have to admit it kinda sucks.
Outer Peace’s singles hinted at an album chock full of funky grooves, and the opening tracks “Fading,” “Ordinary Pleasure,” and “Laws of the Universe” definitely deliver. Yet, something about the tunes kinda feels like drinking from a spoiled milk carton. A little sour and a little ... read more
It’s not a good sign when I have listened to this album three times now and I can’t really remember a song from it without listening to a little bit of it first. It’s pleasant enough to listen to while it’s on but it’s pretty plain, the vanilla of indie rock.
First, the production is pretty solid and smooth, but it contributes to the forgettability of this album. If perhaps the album was more lo-fi or had more varied dynamics or a more varied instrumental palette ... read more
Krit’s new project TDT is a compilation of his three 2018 EPs and it is almost wholly unnecessary. Pulled altogether, these songs do nothing to justify the rereleasing of these tracks less than a year later. Although perhaps no tracklist would, the ordering here does not allow these songs to fill a deeper narrative, nor do they heighten each other. It’s a compilation that fails to be more than the sum of its parts.
The songs themselves don’t ask much of the listener either. ... read more
James Blake has found love, and his latest, Assume Form, lets us know.
Seemingly Blake's most blissful project to date, Assume Form is filled with odes to his girlfriend Jameela Jamil. While they produce some of the strongest tracks here– Can't Believe The Way We Flow is a gorgeous Oneohtrix Point Never-featuring track with hazy and soothing vocals that radiate cuddliness– Blake's inspiration results in a couple duds too. Barefoot in the Park is an unapologetic PDA that features ... read more
The first release of 2019 I have heard, this being a comeback single (or EP?) of a 90s midwest emo band. It's a pretty solid couple tracks. Aurora, the first song, is the main attraction here (despite already being released in 2018). It's a melodic-heavy slow burner with passionate vocals. The tension built throughout its lengthy opening verses are released in a very satisfying way in the noisy and cathartic chorus that never gets old. As the song starts to dissipate in the outro, beautiful ... read more
What is it about Arctic Monkeys that I just can’t stand? Maybe it’s Alex Turner’s confident and relaxed voice that just oozes “”””cool,”””” when the music behind it is some of the most uninspired and trepid garbo I’ve heard from them. The album never really figures out what it wants to be, and the Arctic Monkeys decide to throw pacing out the window to do whatever the hell they want. Second, the word vomit that falls out of ... read more
I really don’t get what people see in this. The lyrics are completely asinine in some songs (see: I Got the Juice, Screwed, Americans). The production is okay... but forgettable. She isn’t being inventive on any of these songs. I really don’t get why people are calling this decade defining, outside of promoting pansexuality, homosexuality, etc. It’s a good intention, but I just think she’s shooting herself in the foot by being downright goofy and obnoxious on some ... read more
Melodrama marks a huge growth and improvement in Lorde's songwriting. Sonically, it's very intricate and deeply interesting. It's one of the most quickly memorable albums I've heard all year. I was surprised at how many of the songs hooked themselves into my brain only after the first listen.
Favorites: Green Light, Homemade Dynamite, Liability, Supercut
Least Favorites: Writer In the Dark
Big Fish Theory is a super innovative album and has some of the best beats I've heard this year, but it lacks focus sometimes. Everything sounds very crisp and defined. Vince's flow is wonderful (per usual) but his lyrics often lack the focus and descriptiveness of Prima Donna. This album feels a bit like the opposite of a concept album, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But at times it feels like a hodge podge of few amazing songs and a few good ones.
Favorites: Crabs In a Bucket, Big ... read more
It takes a lot to make an album so critically and commercially accepted. This album is much more easily digestible than To Pimp A Butterfly, but still maintains lyrical prowess and many thoughtful beats. There's a lot of excellent features and overall its an incredible album.
Favorites: DNA, Yah, Feel, Pride, XXX
Least Favorite: Humble
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Recent Review Comments
On orangedroog65's review of Christine and the Queens - La vita nuova
"Well Je Disparais dans tes Bras shows up again in English. Though it is marked as a bonus. So 5 song EP?"
On MySoftBulletin's review of Mitski - Be the Cowboy
"It would be dishearting to hear if Kendrick was a phony; that he never spent a day of his life in Compton, but it wouldn’t diminish his lyrical prowess. Granted, Mitski is no K dot, but if Mitski was discovered to be a 60 year old man tomorrow, it wouldn’t make the lyrics any worse "
On MySoftBulletin's review of Mitski - Be the Cowboy
"Um, authors write stories about other people all the time. Doesn’t make them bad stories. The same principle applies to music. Who cares if the lyrics aren’t told from the artist’s perspective, as long as the lyrics are interesting and nuanced? Granted, you probably don’t think the lyrics here are either nuanced or interesting, but the point is, the verity of the lyrics is unrelated to the quality. "
On MySoftBulletin's review of Mitski - Be the Cowboy
"Can you explain what you mean by making something redundant by shortening it? Also I don’t think you have the right (or at the very least, the credibility) to tell anyone that their lyrics don’t have a “single ounce of honesty.” Furthermore, many artists have and do come up with stories to use in their lyrics. It doesn’t necessarily make the lyrics themselves any worse or better than they would be if they were true."
On WildChameleon's review of Years & Years - Palo Santo
"beach house? dream pop is definitely not part of the “new wave” you are talking about"
On inu5za's review of Kanye West - ye
"Thanks dyelir, but I’m not trying to convince inu5za why Ye is not a great album. I’m happy that inu5za enjoys it, and I wish it was something I could enjoy too.
My goal here is to help create an evironment where we can have open and good music discussion, where the conversation doesn’t fall hostile or shut people out with “you gave an album I like a low score, your opinion doesn’t count!!” ... This should be needless to say, but apparently it does need to be: everyone’s opinions count. "
On inu5za's review of Kanye West - ye
"No. I don’t think people shoud be told to hate it, nor should I think people should be told to love it. “Think for yourself” is correct.
What I’m not a fan of is atuff line “you gave ye 76 but sremm3 78, how can people take you seriously.”
Y’know, in an argument, attacking the person instead of attacking the argument is a logical fallacy. "
On inu5za's review of Kanye West - ye
"Hey can you actually stop telling people their opinions are irrelevant because of the numbers they assign albums? You are completely ignoring the actual reason anyone likes albums more than another.
Take a step back and realize that you are valuing people as below yourself because of some numbers. Please stop being so toxic and pretentious as you will not even allow yourself to view a differing opinion than yours. Your opinion is not fact, and differing opinions are not “poisoning the well.”"
On dearsongs's review of Amen Dunes - Freedom
"I think it more has to do with the fact that it was officially released... not that it was reviewed by pfork :p"
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