By far my favourite clipping. album. I think the cyber, techno aesthetic works way better with their general vibe compared to their previous two albums, which had a more horror focus. I'm amazed at how great some moments on the album are, the techno elements pair great with the cyberpunk imagery and theming. Everything comes together to sound absolutely euphoric, there are so many different styles of electronic music here, all completely deconstructed and reassembled into something ... read more
There's a certain charm in country music from this time, at least to me. I think the concept is executed really well, with each song naturally flowing into the next, both sonically and narratively, and Willie Nelson's singing and songwriting make it sound like he's telling stories around a campfire.
Everything about this album is bleak, the vocals, the writing, and the way elements such as strings were implemented into an album like this make the album feel like a Greek tragedy.
Katie Kim once again proves herself to be one of the most underrated figures in folk/singer-songwriter music. Sonically, this album is probably the "biggest" album of hers I've listened to, with a smaller focus on the atmospheric nature of "Cover & Flood". A couple of moments here reminded me of Jessica Pratt's work, with the throwback aesthetic of many of the songs here. Really great, as usual.
Something that made their debut click for me just isn't present here. I feel like they went for a more mature sound, shedding some of the angst that was present on their debut. I still think they nailed the garage aesthetic pretty perfectly, everything is mixed to a point where it hits a sweet spot between sounding low-quality but still having enough power behind everything. Julian Casablancas' singing also brings a lot of emotion to these tracks and mixes great with the riffs, I just ... read more
With Swans' first post-hiatus album, it feels like they're testing the water for what they might want to pursue in the future. They're leaning into a much more post-rock direction, and I think it suits their style of music really well. The noisy and quiet moments compliment each other well, it doesn't rely too much on either sound, and I think it keeps the album interesting. I wish they pushed the sound further, but as their first post-hiatus album, I think it does a decent ... read more
Patty Waters has such a unique and terrifying take on jazz music. Something that makes her music so effective is how well she balances the louder, more terrifying aspects with quieter, almost ambient moments. Waters really sells her performance here, it's so unpredictable, with her breathy, whispery singing quickly descending into screaming as the production gets more and more chaotic. It's the audio equivalent of a complete emotional breakdown, the quieter moments sound like her ... read more
There's a certain purity to this album. Sure, the rapping isn't anything new, and in the coming years, jazz rap albums like this would be made that surpassed this one in terms of quality, but Guru's admiration for both genres is palpable. It's just as much a Jazz album as a rap album. The great instrumentation is given its time to shine on several occasions throughout the album, with a number of instrumental passages that add a level of uniqueness to the music. All of the ... read more
Ghais's production here is incredible, taking modern rap conventions but putting his own unique flair to them, making the album really exciting to listen to, using sampling in a refreshing way that really elevates some songs on here. It's also incredibly varied, from the somber sounding "Branded" to the high-energy opener "The Old Guard Is Dead". There are times where his rapping doesn't really compliment the production, but honestly, those are kinda few and ... read more
I feel like this would work well as a soundtrack to something, the music just has that feel to it. It's some pretty good production, I think the build-ups and payoffs are really satisfying to listen to, It can feel a little generic at points, but I also like the sudden descent into some hardcore stuff. Overall, it's a pretty fun listen.
The production is probably the highlight for me, it's the standard drumless stuff with a slight experimental edge. It isn't really doing anything new, but it does manage to carry a lot of the songs here. I really didn't love the rapping here, it felt clunky in a way and took me out of the album at points, which is a shame, because I can see an album like this being really good.
The riffs here sound great, they're really heavy and cut through the rest of the instrumentation. The songs here go through so many different passages, especially on the longer tracks, and the Porn Crumpets keep them interesting by incorporating multiple different styles that all blend great. I also love the psychedelic effects on the vocals that compliment the rest of the album's sound. I was surprised at how well the instrumental tracks worked as a small break between the more ... read more
The opening track sets the tone for the rest of the album effectively. It's an incredibly atmospheric, psychedelic listen which does a great job at building tension and setting up themes that would be explored later on in the album, even if it's mostly instrumental. Most of the rest of the album is more conventional funk music, and right off the bat, it sounds absolutely incredible. The guitar playing is great, it's a seamless combination of funk and hard rock riffs. The track ... read more
Such a different style of hip hop from Backxwash, it's like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, especially compared to her usual dark, industrial style of music. Also, the drum and bass section at the end sounded absolutely incredible, I'm interested to see if she continues this sound throughout the album.
Where their Pushing Daisies EP combined alt-rock/grunge riffs with shoegaze elements, paying tribute to these genres while maintaining a distinct sound, I felt that this album relied too much on nostalgia and lost some of it's own identity in the process. It's not a bad album, the different singers are all good and have decent chemistry with each other, and the instrumentation is still just as good, but I think some of what made the band special is lost here.
It's a really fun album to listen to, I don't think it has quite the same "bite" as WLFGRL, but the constant switch-ups kept the album engaging throughout.
I can see a massive improvement from her debut. Where she was still trying to find her footing on "Pantheon of Me", here she seems to take full advantage of her strengths as an artist. The singing is a lot better, and the production is very space-y, and makes for a really pretty and other-worldly listen. The highlight for me would absolutely have to be "Afterlife" where all these ideas come together to create something truly magical.
I just couldn't get into this album. I appreciate Clanton's unique approach to a lot of internet-based music, but listening to the album, it all just blended into one. I think the psychedelic and floaty aesthetic of the music is nailed pretty well, but other than that, I never thought these songs amounted to much. I thought that the throwback feel to songs like "I Been Young" could be compelling, but I didn't think they were capitalized on as well as they could've ... read more
Right from the start, this presents a completely different atmosphere and overall vibe compared to what I was familiar with on "Pink Moon". The music here can be quite fun to listen to, incorporating many different musical styles. Nick Drake's writing and singing still give a feeling of melancholy, but the way it's presented here makes it feel much more hopeful. The strings on the opening track sound gorgeous, and everything sounds so well put together that it hasn't ... read more
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Recent Review Comments
On twenty one pilots - Clancy
"@avg_music_enjoy nearly 2 years late but just listened to trench and holy shit it was incredible"
On JID - God Does Like Ugly
"@Phiroman I think it comes down to a personal preference thing, my favourite JID tracks are the ones where he's the main focus throughout. Not saying he can't bounce off others well, but I think he really shines when it's just him rapping his heart out."
On JID - God Does Like Ugly
"@Phiroman I expected this album to be weaker than the forever story, but it's weaker in ways I wasn't expecting, if that makes sense? I appreciate him not trying to recapture the forever story's magic, instead stretching his legs and trying out different musical influences on some tracks. I think by "disappointed", I just mean that I wish this album was more consistent quality-wise. Also by "Not giving it his all" I was referring to the tracks where the features feel like they do a lot of heavy lifting, and JID is less present than I was expecting."
On Armand Hammer - Race Music
"@Phiroman I know they've collaborated before, but this is one of the first times they've come together to make an entire project with a shared vision. Because of this, there are ways they bounce off each other that would be refined over time. Their rapping abilities and writing are still really impressive."
On TorpedoArma's review of Alex Warren - Ordinary
"Better question, why is it STILL the #1 in the UK?"
On Little Simz - Lotus
"@Cnd185 Probably will either sometime today or tomorrow"
On FootballVertigo's review of Doechii - Alligator Bites Never Heal (Extended)
"Kendrick Lamar did the exact same thing with Mr Morale, adding a single song on the deluxe that had already been out for a while. I don't see what makes this in paticular a cash grab."
On A.R.E.A.S - You Won't Last Forever
"@Alius9 Probably "It's Still There", that song sounded like an entire city being destroyed, if that makes sense. I also thought the ambience and the more blaring noises juxtaposed each other really well."
On Kobold's review of E L U C I D - INTERFERENCE PATTERN
"I think Peggy's only listed as a producer because the album samples a different ELUCID song that Peggy produced. This is pretty much entirely ELUCID's own work, not counting samples."
On Quadeca - I Didn't Mean to Haunt You
"@ol_iv_ei_ra I think we can both agree that it's actually Question mark"
On Quadeca - I Didn't Mean to Haunt You
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On Quadeca - I Didn't Mean to Haunt You
"@CaptainSquirrel It might be Quagmire"
On Quadeca - I Didn't Mean to Haunt You
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On Quadeca - I Didn't Mean to Haunt You
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On Radiohead - OK Computer
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On Sezen Aksu - Firuze
"I actually never thought of the albums being connected in that way, really interesting!"
On Shygirl - Cruel Practice
"@NeedlefluuJr I'll have to check it out before finishing my year-end lists"
On Shygirl - Cruel Practice
"@NeedlefluuJr She has such a unique take on British rap and electronic music, I've heard some of Shygirl's stuff before, but I've never actually sat down and listened to her stuff."
On HEAL XO - dis/ambiguate
"@healio I suppose music like this would be better to experience live, I'll have to check out some of the music you suggested, it's not a genre I have that much experience in"
On HEAL XO - dis/ambiguate
"@healio No problem! Do you have any recommendations for albums that sound like that song?"
On HEAL XO - dis/ambiguate
"@healio I would say my favourite track would be "nuit (poissons lune)": the way all the different vocals are layered on top of each other is simply angelic, there's something so soothing and meditative about that song, it's the highpoint of the album for me."
On healio's review of Tristwch Y Fenywod - Tristwch Y Fenywod
"@healio Yeah I get that completely, as someone who's only experience with Welsh music was pretty generic pop rock and folk, this album hit me like a truck. Definitely has an underlying sinister atmosphere to it."
On healio's review of Tristwch Y Fenywod - Tristwch Y Fenywod
"Great review, love the track by track analysis you gave"
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