Reviews by deksametazon

Do you really want to know what's on the other side of Bob Dylan? Sweet sap and introspection. It's not as exciting as some of his other albums, but it's still as powerful as any other Dylan release Still, it does make questionable decisions like the talking folk I Shall Be Free No. 10, Motorpsycho Nitemare (with an amazing name for the 60s). But those decisions are kinda covered by songs on the other side of Bob Dylan... HEY?!?

Orpheus Listening Challenge 2025: #45 An album from South Africa (14th Album)

I think it's a nice album that lacks something to bring it over the edge for me. It has sections where everyone plays off of each other to create such a fun and tropical atmosphere, but they aren't a stranger in keeping things to a minimum while one of them goes off a tangent and takes things into a different direction.

Saying this might be of a disservice to other songs, but Magwaza stands head and shoulders above the rest. The spiritual aspect reminds a lot of Exuma, just with an African twist. A really good display of talent.

I think Ntyilo, Ntyilo is great. Sure, maybe a bit out of place, but the mellow vibe it brings is beautiful and sophisticated.

How a classic that has survived numerous revisions doesn't have a single review here is beyond me.

Stone cold classic, and one of the few, if not the only TRUE funk album made (other than maybe Kineski Zid, which was also his band), and the only real competitor to the short career of Oliver Mandic. The first few singles, Zasto Pravis Slona od Mene, and Ti Si Mi u Mislima shocked the area with those Prince-like bass lines and keys. And to top it off, Dino had raw vocal chops here that truly elevates all the songs from decent, to amazing. Nothing remotely came close to this album at the time, and since.

There is some clear Falco imitation, which no one is picking up. Is that a problem? Absolutely not. Rock on!

This one is a good slowcore album that's more Bluetile Lounge than Red House Painters, if you catch my drift.

Really simple in nature, which makes it a really easy listen, even if the melancholic undertones are not your thing. The songs are endlessly similar, yet all have a distinct characteristic to them: the acoustics of Gold Dust, the indie-ness of Docking The Pod, Earth Moon Transit and Reed to Hillsborough or the pure slowcore on The Landing, but all having a warm fuzzy feeling around them.

It's firmly a slacker/indie foray, sounding like Pavement without the grandeur and worship of the moment. The lethargic approach without the polish that a studio should bring is what drives it home for me. It can be whatever you want it to be, from a chill noon on a field, or a claustrophobic downer of a bender in your bed.

This is some very tasteful Balkan folk music (from my knowledge: Macedonian, Bosnian and Romani) with jazz polish across the surface. Goykovich is a master at his craft, and his choice of influences, standards to cover, and the band to do so with, is splendid and without a misstep.

"Bem-Basha" is a local sevdalinka tune that's been covered in plenty of ways, and by plenty of musicians (including yours truly), but I've never heard it in a jazz format that mixes those delicate ethnic sounds with the sleekness of the trumpet. Some extra fine gourmand stuff.

LC is essentially a post-punk album spread thinly on the surface, with moments placed perfectly to lure you in, softly lull you, and then gracefully hit us with another moment that turns heads, thus repeating the cycle.

Eerily melancholic, it doesn't rely on being in your face. Even the most energetic song, The Missing Boy (a tribute to the late Ian Curtis), sounds like it's barely mustering enough energy to exist.

Not much more to say about it. Vini Reilly's meditative and hypnotic use of loops and reverb, with precise playing, makes even the silence stand out and helps you appreciate the peaceful absence of sound in the moment.

A combination of old-school Bosnian storytelling that was perfected by Zabranjeno Pušenje interpolated with, at the time, modern hip-hop and reggae/dub influences from their previous records, Apsurdistan marks a high point, both commercially and artistically for Dubioza Kolektiv. Songs are catchy, to the point, full of beautiful lyrics that resonated and still resonate to this day, and with some lines being quoted on the daily, at least in my household (my father is a big ganja man, hence a big fan of Dubioza). Even if I'm not a fan of the general mix of dub and electronica present here, I still like the album's general happy-go-lucky-fuck-politics-enjoy-booze-people-and-ganja feel.

Shame that after this album, Dubioza was reduced to radio and stadium filler, and the occasional mood lifter for the masses, but for me an enjoyment killer.

Thank you for the recommendation [~Blood_sampler1]!

Another one from the "unfairly judged" category is this second album by Drugi Nacin. After the debut, which was prog-oriented, the group turned to a softer, pop-rock sound.

Of course, it's a surprise, especially for the fans who were expecting a heavier sound, that they decided to make such a move, almost going for an entirely different sound to that of the debut, but even though they apparently decided to make a turn into the ditch, this is a very pleasant and enjoyable pop album.

Painfully bland to the point of being annoying. I knew what I was getting myself into, and yet I was disappointed. This guy basically gave it his all for the first song (which isn't even that good, just a lot of tropes mashed up in hopes that it sounds like something decent), and then filled the rest up with useless time wasters.

I get it that I'm not in tune with what kids these days listen/make, but y'all can do better.

I See Seaweed is a very tense album that combines the suffocating reality of existing in a world that's slowly decaying, and the isolation that comes with a world full of technology. Liddiard's voice is full of expression, and the attitude the punk blues brings is great. I need to check out the genre more.

The only minus I have is how the album loses itself in the middle, but that's only with two songs, Laika and The Grey Leader, which aren't even half bad, but are unmemorable. Thankfully, that last track is "Radicalization of D"-lite and ends the album on a high note.

It saddens me to see that this album's themes are still as actual and relevant as they were in the time of release.
Also, what's up with Australian blokes writing such heavy music that emphasizes lyrics over music? We have Nick Cave, Rowland S. Howard, and Gareth Liddiard who all come from the Land Down Under and write some really great, unique (albeit in the same vein) lyrically dense songs. What do they put in yall's water?

On one hand, it has some decent beats, while on the other, the rapping technique of just spewing out stuff with no flow or anything decks it down a few notches. Ehh...

Also, what's with the fascination of the rectum and the rectal cavity?

Orpheus Listening Challenge 2023: #44 An album from a punk subgenre (5th album)

For a debut (and come to think of it, for an album at any stage of a band's career), it absolutely rocks. I like the way in which the band transmits emotional energy through changes in the intensity of playing, thus causing a kind of anxious accumulation of energy, which will be scattered throughout the room for a few seconds. Although it is post-hardcore in nature, the emo influences are absolutely visible, obviously in the vocal delivery, and a little less obvious in the playing on certain sections, which is cleverly placed between the noise and the sound of one hundred percent rebelliousness, anger, and passion. It's also worth mentioning that the element of instrumental passages on some songs like "O Pencil Sharp" and "If It Kills You" are surprisingly enjoyable, probably because it feels like it needs to be there to relieve energy, rather than it being placed as a pizzazz effect on the listener.

Most people mention it as a footnote in relation to their second album, Yank Crime, which I haven't heard yet (shocking, especially when we consider that post-hardcore is one of the more intriguing genres for me), but somehow it's hard for me to imagine that anything could surpass an album like this.

I usually take the time to listen to an album before I rate and review it, but Pink Moon always has a certain chair reserved in the first rows of the theater of my brain, so I always see it and Nick Drake wandering around in different times of my day-to-day life.

Nick Drake went balls out on wanting to make a commercial hit, sadly failing, so now for his next outing, he pretty much sat in front of the microphone stand, and hurtfully sang the outro credits of his own movie.

While he didn't leave a suicide note, I believe whatever he wanted others to know about him and his feelings that drowned him, is on here. Nick mused about a plethora of things that were breaking him apart: his vices, growing apathy and alienation from others, and his disillusionment with life and people. A silent scream for help, if you will, belched in a way only Nicholas Rodney Drake could: with a guitar in his hands, shattered in a million pieces, and drenched in a million little metaphors and signs, that mostly end up being blown into the meadows, never to be seen again, but one day blooming into these beautiful fields.

(Also, Nick has the rare accolade of being one of the key influences in my own writings back in high school. Just wanted to put it out there)

Five Leaves Left is as luscious as they come. It feels like a stroll through the forest, with Nick's voice having the qualities of a forest spirit, guiding you through its many secrets.

Nick's personality is deeply etched in this album, which is why it sounds so rich in quality, and fairly unique. Don't know many albums that are so jazzy, but fully folk in execution, from this period (Obviously, his popularity in recent years paved the way for many inspired folksters to try and replicate his style, but almost none have managed to even sniff close).

Five Leaves Left is not as emotional as Pink Moon, but what it lacks in that part, makes up in musical quality. The warm piano, acoustic guitar, and the occasional orchestral section is masterfully put together to create a folk masterpiece.

Nick's attempt at commercialism is at times an even greater achievement than Five Leaves Left and Pink Moon. Bryter Layter is easily his most accessible work, with a lot more pop, and a pinch less somberness to ease the mood.

Northern Sky is probably the best song on here, but tracks like Fly, Poor Boy and At The Chime of a City Clock all showcase the genius and adaptability of the singer-songwriter. The rest of the album is done by a great cast that feature John Wood and Joe Boyd on producing duties, with instrumentations done by John Cale, Richard Thompson and the underrated P.P Arnold on backing vocals. Something tells me this album was the most Island pushed for, considering the former. Shame it didn't materialize into success. Nick's pop and jazz senses are spot on.

Orpheus Listening Challenge 2024: #21 An album by an artist you dislike (27th album)

It's not as rancid as I expected it to be, given it's Drake, but it's still an overly bloated "effort", with the only redeeming song being that J. Cole feature. Drake continues to solidify his status as a subpar MC. Steer away.

I've talked about my friend who almost exclusively listens to hard rock, metal and other adjacent sounds, and seeing him buy this album at our record store concerned me. Was he sick? Was everything all right at home? Did he need someone to talk to?

And you know when someone like him wanders off the beaten path and buys something diametrically opposite to what he usually listens, he usually knows something more than you know about it, so I took a gander and I let this album spin around my house, and I'm hooked. Oliver still has a powerful voice, and the sparse arrangements really accentuates that. He gives these songs, which are covers originally released through his career, a new, more intimate light than before. Hauser, the violinist, adds a great background sound, and a dose of melancholy.

I love Oliver's little resurgence near the end of his life. He showed he still got it 40 years after his heyday with timeless melodies and contemporary arrangements. Props to my friend for giving me a reason to listen to this gem.

All right, The Soft Parade is hailed as the worst album that the Morrison-led Doors ever released.

And it is.

But even at their worst, it's not bad. It's definitely a step down from the rest of the catalog, but what can you do when you have a run of 3 albums, 2 of which can be considered the best album of the 60s, and one of them can be considered the best album ever made.

The thing that pulls the album down substantially is that it boasts some of the Doors' worst tracks like "Easy Ride" where the boys channel their inner yee-haw and "Runnin' Blue", which is not bad until Robby shits the bed with some yee-hawing. Songs I like here are the title track, "Wild Child" "Shaman's Blues" and "Touch Me". Rest is middle of the road.

If it were up to me, remove the yee haw and add some more improvising and guitar play to the closing title track and you have a 4-star album.

Ah yes, your favorite band's favorite band. Incredibly original for 66/67, and still incredibly contemporary.

The first thing that comes up with this one is the heavily poetic songwriting, which is quickly shot down by modern critics as being nonsensical due to either the gargantuan amounts of booze and drugs consumed by Morrison, or an underlying schizoid condition he had. Or maybe both. In my opinion, at moments it's a valid argument, but I think he's one of the greater poets of the underground, and in that vein, this album is one of the greater ones that depicts the state, and the darker side, of the 60s counterculture.

The accompanying music is a combination of psychedelic, lounge pop with jazz influences and a whole lot of blues. But I think that it's mostly inspired not by early musical giants, but by underground literature like Huxley and Kerouac, who greatly benefited as well from this type of music being the background to their works.

It really is a special album. In the end (pun not intended), no one can deny its raw energy and poetic edge. The boys struck gold with this one.

While their earlier output is weed music, L.A Woman is clearly booze blues. And it's not some cold beer on a hot noon weekend, no, no, no. This is dark arts music. The "heavy blinding, alcohol mixed with god knows what in your system" music.

With that in mind, don't come here looking for some cogent musical expression. This album is made for vibing. Jim's lyrics are incoherent, some may say poetic (to an extent), the music is moving, and the whole thing has a lot of character to it, even if it has some duds sprinkled in, and some trademark "Jim Question Marks".