Three months into 2020, I can already confirm that this is a year of musical discovery for me. Expanding horizons, exploring new genres and artists. Baxter Dury is one of them.
This is the first Dury album I've listened to in its entirety. And it's very good!
Let's talk about "I'm Not Your Dog" first.
Heck of a track to start off the record. Intense, vibrant and intimidating. Both the backing vocals and Baxter's vocals remind me of french "Chanson" artists like Serge ... read more

To be frank, I basically never heard of Poppy until this record was released. It was recommended to me by a friend of mine ( @mlvrptrc ), and I gave it a shot even though I was a bit hesitant.
If I had to describe this record with one word...I'd probably pick "unsettling".
The blend between metal, pop and electronic is at times surreal, but quite compelling. At first listen it didn't really
kept my attention, but at second and third listens that changed for the better.
What I enjoy ... read more

Queen's fifth album (and first since their worldwide breakthrough) follows the same operatic and royal aesthetic as the previous record in both the music in it and its title (based on two movies by the Marx brothers).
With this said, "A Day At The Races" has a more burlesque and laid back feel to it in my opinion, it's like the band recorded this album filled with the optimism that the massive success brought to them...But that can be a double edged sword.
While this optimism could be ... read more

Even though I periodically listen to Morrissey's solo material, I do not endorse or support any of his grim political views and statements.

Anyway, isn't this a website about music? So let's discuss about it.

I was curious about this album. The singles weren't that bad...I guess?
As a massive Smiths fan it's quite hard to jump to Morrissey's solo efforts, because they never quite match the same greatness as the band's discography.
I have to say, what impressed me the most on "I Am Not A ... read more

I'm not the biggest or the most resilient fan of The Weeknd, but I couldn't help but wait for the release of "After Hours" with intrigue and good expectations on behalf of the hit singles that were released previously.
After a few listens, I can say I enjoyed the record...But it wasn't enough.
Most of the tracks feel bland in comparison to a few others, tracks like "Escape From LA" and "Scared to Live" that seem to lack the energy that should be present on ... read more

This is the record that catapulted Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel to worldwide stardom as icons of American folk music.
"Bookends" explores the anxieties and struggles that one goes through in the course of life, as well as love affairs, disappointments and the melancholy of old age.
The first half of the album follows this concept, and the result is pure bliss. We have euphoric (and a little bit terrifying at one point) tunes like "Save The Life Of My Child" (with hints of ... read more

I look back on "Plastic Beach" not only as my favourite Gorillaz album, but as a music odyssey that's so diverse in both guest-artists and motifs. It's really one of those albums I hold close to my heart, and will never get tired of.
Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett are at their peak when it comes to the conceptualization and musical eclecticity that were implemented on this project.
The album has an epic beginning with a symphonic orchestra and the feature of Snoop Dogg. The first half ... read more

The Beatles started changing their sound from the regular 60s boy-band pop to a more experimental,
psychedelic approach with their 1966 album "Rubber Soul", but it's the following album that really
showed the new musical horizons and studio experimentation that came with the ceasing of live
performances and touring from the group.
The album contains some of their weirdest and most creative tracks, like George Harrison's trippy
sitar-based "Love You To" (that shows the ... read more

The Killers' debut record is one of my favourites from the early 2000s. It's a good alternative rock album.

Some musical elements that I really enjoy on "Hot Fuss" are the very sharp use of synths on songs like "Smile Like You Mean It" and "On Top", the great drumming by Ronnie Vannucci and electric guitar work by Dave Keuning throughout the whole album. The effect used on Brandon Flowers' vocals resemble the one that's audible in the work of other bands from this ... read more

Supertramp's magnum opus remains as one of my favourite records from the second half of the 1970s.
Each track is a constellation of catchy saxophone solos, crispy synthesizers and powerful drums mixed with the amazing lyrics.
Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson both provide pristine vocals on every track, giving special highlight to the heavy starter "Gone Hollywood", the sweet and fun "Oh Darling" and the mellow "Goodbye Stranger".
John Helliwell's saxophone skills are ... read more

I first got into Grimes back in 2016 when I saw her at a local festival, without knowing any of her work. Since then, I've been waiting for her next record, and was curious how she would follow her amazing album "Art Angels" (which seemed to be the peak of her career..Thankfully, I was wrong!), her bonding with Elon *DON'T DOUBT YOUR VIBE* Musk and the recent announcement of her pregnancy.
Grimes is one of the artists that seems to get better and better with each project that's ... read more

Fat White Family's latest record is the first I heard from the band (as I got the CD for free on a radio contest).
The record starts in a intense and slightly menacing tone with "Feet". I love the use of strings and the thin layers of auto tune in the vocals.
The second track "I Believe In Something Better" has a great bass line and atmosphere, showing that the intense mood from the first song is here to stay.
The vocals on "Vagina Dentata" remind me of Marc ... read more

Here we are. "The Slow Rush", at last.
One of the albums I most anticipated for this year, and one I waited for ever since the release of Kevin Parker's masterpiece "Currents" in 2015.
It's evident that Kevin wasn't very pressured to release the follow-up to "Currents" in a short period of time, but he definetly felt the fans' need for a new record. This could maybe explain the album's paradoxical title "The Slow Rush", and the fact that the first song he ... read more

The Smiths took a political turn in their sound and lyricism on their second album "Meat Is Murder".
Morrissey and his bandmates filled this record with songs that criticise various problems of society like the outdated educacional system and the psychological and physical abuse that is present ("The Headmaster's Ritual"), the lack of discussion on animal welfare (in the title track) and the corrupt political landscape (on "Nowhere Fast", which includes one of my ... read more

"A Night At The Opera" is Queen's most celebrated record of their career.
Many tracks out of this album can be considered classics from the band's catalogue, including their greatest creation "Bohemian Rhapsody".
The album begins with the grim "Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To...)", written as a harsh personal critique to the label administrative personel that pressured the group to create radio-friendly hits, while barely willing to invest money for them to work on ... read more

One of the greatest albums of the shoegaze panorama.
Slowdive's second album is often praised for that matter, and I understand why.
It opens up with "Alison", one of the most popular songs by the group which portrays escapism and how drug dependency can make you disassociate from the real world and everyone around you. Because of that lyrical theme and of Goswell and Halstead's vocals, this song supplies a wistful and melancholic start to the record.
Other tracks from ... read more

Destroyer's new record was one of the albums I most anticipated for this year, even though I started listening to them quite recently.
This album has a nocturnal energy to it, with both serene and vibrantly dynamic moments.
The vocal mix (that resembles the band's previous album "ken") stands over the instrumentals in a way that at first wasn't pleasing to me (but got used to and enjoyed afterwards).
I'd say my favourite tracks on "Have We Met" are the ... read more

Queen's third studio effort shows the band's transition from a heavier rock sound to a more commercial glam rock approach they are most famous for.
The album contains some of the band's most famous songs (the seductive "Killer Queen" and the frisky "Now I'm Here"), but also some of their most underrated ("Tenement Funster" and "Misfire").
I always enjoy albums that are able to accommodate tracks with different sonic viewpoints. This album is an example of ... read more

I started listening to Grizzly Bear shortly before they released their latest album back in 2017.
With that said, I was quite surprised by how their sound used to be 13 years before "Painted Ruins", on their debut album.
"Horn of Plenty" was born after the band's vocalist Ed Droste suffered a harsh breakup, and decided to create this record with some help by drummer Christopher Bear (using the alias Grizzly Bear) as a form of purification and a spirit-cleansing method for ... read more

Another one of my favourite debut records, by one of the best bands of the 80s.
The Smiths were able to mix slow-paced moody serenades with danceable indie anthems from the start.
The record's opener "Reel Around The Fountain" was a great choice in my view. It sums up Morrissey's soft vocal melodies and romanticaly gloomy lyrics with Johnny Marr's immaculate guitar skills, Andy Rourke's deep bass work and Mike Joyce's intense drumming all in one song.
After that comes the sonically ... read more