Very well done instrumentation and some genuinely beautiful passages and vocal performances on this, I just didn't find the sound palette varied enough to keep me fully engaged the whole way through.

edit: Mori rules. This "review" sucks
I don't think I'll ever not hate Mori and that's ok :)

"Bricolage" is easily one of the most unique experiences one could have out of a drum and bass album. Blurring the lines of its genres more and more over the course of its runtime, this album showcases a fascinating combination of nu-jazz, drum and bass, and downtempo music, while also having a noticeably electronic/IDM feel to its production. It's an odd combination, but one that I think was pulled off as well as it possibly could've been. It also says a lot that a drum and bass ... read more

Yeah, this already pretty much has my AOTY in the bag.
For those who don't already know, Ichiko Aoba is my second favorite artist of all time, with "Windswept Adan" and "0" in particular being personal favorites of mine, so to say that my affinity for this came as no surprise would be a massive understatement. While some may argue it takes away some of the intimacy from her music, I still can't help but feel that the ensembles of her latest recordings not only add to but ... read more

Very tranquil and calming. The vocals are light as a feather, complimenting the use of field recordings very nicely, and the whole thing is just very peaceful.

kate got it wrong
S: McDonald's, Dominos, Krusty Burger
A: Sonic, KFC i guess
B: Wendy's, Popeyes, Pizza Hut
C: Taco Bell, idk i haven't had the rest
D: Burger King, Chum Bucket
@Riskr

Easily their best, "Surf's Up" shows The Beach Boys' sound at its darkest state yet up to this point in their career. This led to the lyrical topics being more open and honest than past Beach Boys albums, with the main topic seeming to be about environmentalism and the increasingly declining state of the world and society at large at the time. Not only is the production some of their best, but the instrumentals are beautiful and bring so much to the table when it comes to the potency ... read more

i always pretend that the actual title is "Being Goofy in a Foreign Language" because it's really funny to think about and makes me crack a big stupid grin

This wonderful little album from Skeeter Davis is a short glimpse into a summer in the '60s. The instrumentation, specifically in the guitar tones, bright horn sections, and fun, laidback drums all contribute majorly to the warm, cozy feeling I get from this music, and it's all led wonderfully by Davis' beautiful voice. Even if the lyrical topics become a bit monotonous after a while, I personally think the songwriting is enough to make up for the lack of variety.

When it comes to records that I derive specific experiences with, I often find them hard to write about. After all, where do I even begin? Would the well known backstory be necessary to mention, or should I just jump into my thoughts and feelings? Is it better to try and write a brief summary before/after I go into my specific experiences, or is that experience alone enough to justify the review itself being practically nonexistent? These are questions that, as a writer, I still struggle with ... read more

With pretty undeveloped production, an unengaging (and honestly nearly nonexistent) structure, especially when compared to Daniel's other records, and some of his least impactful and memorable songs that I've heard to date, I feel pretty confident in saying this is my least favorite album of his.

Yeah, yeah, it's his worst, whatever. However, that doesn't stop this from having some absolutely fucking awesome ideas on it. The singing was solid as always, but really the whole album was at the mercy of these instrumentals. Personally, for me, I just wish they honed in on the psychedelia a bit more and went a bit harder with the instrumentation itself, and the panning got to be a bit annoying after a while, but other than that this is a really great rock album that stands out as one of the ... read more

A very calming and warm album sung by someone with a voice as intriguing as it is calming, delicate as it is somber. The whole album maintains this duality, leading to some truly beautiful passages. I struggle to think of another album that feels so warm and depressive simultaneously. Needless to say, I'm intrigued. Definitely need another listen though.

sayton killed it <333

Really fun!! Vocal performances are solid and the production is decent, even if there's obviously room for improvement in areas. The instrumental reminds me of "girl talk!" but a lot more evolved and kind of moody? It's a sound that I really liked personally though. Probably gonna give it a few more listens to digest it, but yeah :)

ment, excited to see what people think!

1120m

-500th Review-
Very pretty and nice. The vocals have changed a bit, but I think it's mostly for the better, and the tracks here just continue the same warm sound of the debut, albeit with significantly less interesting structures and tracks. Really liked the lyrics on the closer though, and those horns? I mean come on!

There's something so unmistakably powerful about this music. Its ability to submerge the listener completely in its darkness is what makes it such a hard record to talk about - it made me feel a lot of things, not all of which I've fully assessed. It's like dreaming with your eyes open, like drowning without awareness of it. It's an album that gave me a lot to think about when it comes to how I judge and rate ambient music, and I think I need another listen or two to fully digest it. All I'll ... read more

A very good album that's ultimately hindered by its odd structure and occasionally confused artistic direction. There's some really pretty songs on here for sure but so many of the tracks just feel unfinished to me.

The Guardian just wants to watch the world burn
[Album Swap with @robfeemster]!!!
"White Pony" is arguably one of the best alt metal albums of the 2000s, at least for me. This puts System of a Down to shame. The heaviness of this LP is so massive and so crushing that the wall of sound created by some of these tracks is almost overbearing, specifically on tracks like closer "Pink Maggit", which offers up a particularly satisfying conclusion to the album in my opinion. The ... read more

Beautiful. Soft, cozy guitar playing, and an almost grandfatherly vocal presence come together to make probably my favorite delta blues album that I've heard so far.