Reviews by ella_ayates

Too chaotic and noisy for me personally. Hate to think that this is what living in London for two years does to Nick Cave.
Favourite: Several Sins
Least: Kiss Me Black

Obsessed with the fact YYZ is named that because it's the Toronto airport code. Also there's a bit in Vital Signs that sounds identical to so american by Olivia Rodrigo which I love (obviously it's actually that so american sounds like vital signs but I heard them the wrong way round).
Favourite: Vital Signs
Least: Tom Sawyer

Half the reviews are acting like he wrote this album from beyond the grave and it's really annoying me: I'm not denying there are references to death- he was sick and processing that- but he was being treated and by the time he finished recording the album he was in remission. He didn't know it would be his last album, he definitely didn't know that he'd die so close to it coming out: so it wasn't written as the "farewell" people are claiming. Worst was someone calling it "dying as performance art", dying wasn't some choice he made to make his music more poignant, he was a real person who was sick!
Musically I found the album grew on me as it went on, with the first couple songs being a bit too odd for me. I think the level that people love it being so linked to him dying makes me feel a bit uncomfortable about the whole thing- if his cancer hadn't recurred it would just be one of many many Bowie albums and probably one fairly low down the rankings.
Favourite song: Dollar Days
Least: Blackstar

Just very fun! Will definitely be listening (and dancing) to some of these songs many more times!
Favourite: Can You Forgive Her
Least: Dreaming of the Queen

Jam packed with great songs, found it quite difficult to pick a least favourite because of how much I liked them all.Movin’ Out
Favourite:
Least: The Stranger

Went in thinking it would be nearly impossible for the rest of the album to live up to Bennie And The Jets- was very pleasantly surprised by quite how much I enjoyed the rest of it! A few questionable musical decisions really bring it down.
Favourite: Grey Seal
Least: Jamaica Jerk-Off or Dirty Little Girl

Tended to like the guitar songs more than the piano songs (which I found a little too depressing).
Most: Carey or California
Least: The Last Time I Saw Richard

So many fun and iconic songs. Just a great time album really.
Favourite song: Just What I Needed
Least: I'm In Touch With Your World

Such a variety of songs, some that I really liked and some much less. As an album I want to like it; it's like a collage of samples and genres without being too disconnected. But some of the songs are just too annoying to listen to the whole album again.
Favourite song: Lord Only Knows
Least: Where It's At

Don't think I've ever sat down and listened to a full Frank Sinatra album before, obviously he's pretty amazing at this singing thing even when the songs get a tad too mopey for me. Little shout out to It Never Entered My Mind because not enough people sing about solitaire.
Could have been right up there as an album if I still smoked.
Favourite: Deep In A Dream
Least: When Your Lover Has Gone (but don't hold me to this)

Sometimes I really enjoyed the weirdness, other times I found it a bit annoying and hard to listen to...
Not music I would have listened to without the list which is fun- but also not music I'll be back to listen to again.
Favourite: Train Song
Least: House Carpenter

Enjoyed a lot of the album but nothing really stood out to me. The backwards stuff on Don't Stop really wasn't fun to listen to for me- felt a little too uncanny valley and some of the songs at the end seemed to go on a little longer than I had patience for.
Favourite: Bye Bye Bad Man
Least: Don't Stop

She's just got such a gorgeous and powerful voice and she puts so much emotion into the music. The album itself doesn't feel super cohesive (the transition between the last two songs is particularly jarring) but that's to be expected of an album made of leftovers from other albums. I'd love to know why this particular Nina Simone album was the one chosen for the list.
Favourite song: Break Down And Let It All Out
Least: Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair

Weird and fun style of music that I didn't expect to enjoy so much! The indie style vocals are a great balance to the funky electronic beats. Almost all of the songs on this album were contenders for my favourite and the multiple listens it took to decide were all a great joy to me.

Favourite: Waveforms
Least: Skies Over Cairo

Lovely combination of folky and indie pop that appeals perfectly to me. I love the singers voice and the mix of tragic lyrics with upbeat music. Just a few uncomfortable lyrics and the weird tone shift that is Electronic Renaissance stop it from being a 5 for me.
Favourite: She's Losing It or I Don't Love Anyone
Least: Electronic Renaissance

Some of the intros were a tad too long for me but overall shocked by how not bored I got with such long songs. Not something I ever would have chosen to listen to but I’m really glad I heard it (before I died).
Favourite: Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic
Least: By The Time I Get To Phoenix

It grew on me as the album progressed and it was just the second half I'd rate it a lot higher but I found some of the early songs genuinely difficult to listen to and that brings down the whole album for me. Really interesting storytelling happening but enough misogyny that I just couldn't enjoy it. A man saying bitch that much will always bring me out of the listening experience.
Favourite: Real
Least: Backseat Freestyle

Felt like I was on hold and they never picked up the phone. Waiting room music.

Feel like I'm in the car with my parents before they'd ever heard of vanlife.
favourite: Man on the Moon
least: Ignoreland

Felt very charming and warm, kept hearing songs and thinking they would definitely be my favourite and the next song would start and I'd feel the same way. Great mix of straight folkiness and weird quirkiness.
I can see myself listening to this again and again.
Favourite: Todo los Dolores
Least: See Saw