This is an intense album in every aspect, the vocals, heavy instrumentation, and emotionally volatile writing. The switch from very melodic vocals to gowls and screaming can take some time to get used to, and it can lead to some moments that are both very powerful, but also moments that are quite messy. I liked the post-rock influences on the song "A Vagabond's Lament", the slow build-up, with guitars layered on top of each other creating a very lush, only to suddenly into very ... read more
Counterfeit really grew on me since I first heard it. It sets up the album's sound great and introduces themes that are explored later, such as hope, self-worth, and community, in a very natural way. Mereba's singing is great here, she has such a soothing voice that compliments a variety of production styles. The production itself feels very dreamy, and isn't doing anything too daring, but is still effective enough at carrying many of these songs. Despite the decent production ... read more
The noisiest of Noise Pop, the production here is insane, the whole album sounds like it was put through a blender. I love how overwhelming the album can get with the barrage of sounds getting thrown at you. A really unique take on pop music.
Paavoharju's production lends itself surprisingly well to a more hip hop direction. It can get some getting used to, especially if you're familiar with the much larger folk influence on their previous two albums, but after a while, the two styles blend pretty well. A little more than half of the tracks here are rap songs, the rest are your standard Paavoharju psychedelia. The production on tracks like "Mina Nousen Sinne" predates a lot of other extremely abstract hip hop. A ... read more
This is one of the weirdest albums I've heard in a minute. The random pauses in the middle of the songs for some speaking for a couple of seconds, only for it to cut back to the same melody can become disorientating, but in a good way. The singing here feels very raw and carries the same uneasiness as everything else here, at points it just becomes shouting and wails. Much of the music here has not aged a day in the past 40+ years, I think the heavy experimentation at play here gives the ... read more
Thanks @Marshall4Real for sending me your album!
This is a gorgeous album. The atmosphere created here was really cool. There is definitely a dreamlike quality to much of the music here, and I thought the inclusion of more electronic elements in some songs was a really interesting and effective idea.
The production here is great, I could see each one of these songs become a giant hit. I guess it could be a little boring and repetitive at points, but I also appreciate the subtle rock elements infused in the production here. The singing is also great, surprised these guys aren't more popular.
These guys' chemistry is great, and the whole thing is pretty fun to listen to. I can still see some potential for Paris Texas to evolve their sound further, but this is still a decent little project from the duo.
I really like the post-rock direction they're heading, it makes for a welcome change of pace compared to their last few EPs. The improvisational quality of the music makes this whole EP a testament to their abilities as musicians. Everything here sounds so good, the instruments blend really cohesively, and each track flows so naturally into the other that it would be more appropriate to consider this a single 22 minute song. Probably my favourite stuff I've heard from the band just ... read more
--------1000 Ratings!---------
Deathconsciousness marks the 1000th rating I've given to this site, that's a lot of music! This is an album I've been eyeing for a while now, I just never felt it was the right time to listen to it. I think the runtime and this album's reputation scared me a little if I'm being honest. I was only familiar with the opening track prior to this, which I would describe as this beautiful and serene piece of droning ambience. Given the title of ... read more
This album sounds super polished for how little attention it has. The vocals are this mix of indie and dream pop, and the production is really spaced out, almost ambient. It does drag a little in the middle, but it's still a decently underrated album, and ends on a really high note.
The combination of drone metal and power electronics is really well done and just hits you in the face over and over again with its sound and scale. I can see why some people might not like the vocals, and while I do think they're the most off-putting aspect of this album, they also felt like an integral part of the album's identity and atmosphere. The themes of death are handled in such a blunt way that can, at times, verge on "edgy", but I think there's enough ... read more
The whole album is very easy on the ears, the feathery guitar playing and the subdued drums adds a lot to how personal this album sounds. Seeing Steve Albini as the producer was a bit of a surprsie, because I wouldn't imagine him being on something this light. There is a timeless quality to this album, like I could see aspects of this album be present at any point from the last 50 years. Perhaps the most stand-out thing about the album is the performance, the singing here has this rough ... read more
Some pretty creative production and unique performances here. It's a little short, but it's still a lot of fun while it's on.
Going into this album blind, this was definitely an experience. It's very large in it's presentation, moments in this album feel like they would work well in a film score. That being said, there are passages early on where all the different layers of music going on can seem a little hollow, it's a strange combination where the album can simultaneously feel like there's too much going on, while also not enough interesting. The improvisational aspect to much of the music here ... read more
I heard a lot of Vulnicura-era Bjork in this album in it's grandiose presentation. If I'm being honest, the first 3 songs on the album are all like 10/10 songs, but sadly the album doesn't keep up that level of quality the entire runtime. That's not to say that this album was bad at any point, far from it. Every song has this touch of elegance, mixing conventional pop ballads with industrial, classical, and electronic elements. It does get a bit predictable after a while, ... read more
Thanks to @Sanamdeep for sending me your album!
I don't like being this harsh on someone's album, especially when they took their time to send it to me, and they're just starting out. But, to put it bluntly, I didn't really like this album. I will say that, if you told me that the remixes of some of the tracks were their original version, I wouldn't question it, so I think there is a certain level of quality to the production here, even if it just isn't for me. The ... read more
John Glacier's most detailed and fully realized project to date. Even though I wasn't a huge fan of the EP that was released last year that many songs here are taken from, I think putting them in the context of a larger project adds a lot to their impact, it doesn't feel like anything been cut short here, even with it's relatively brisk runtime. Glacier's low-key delivery meshes well with the very dream-like quality that the production has. It gives her music a unique ... read more
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Recent Review Comments
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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
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