funny_character

I have done battle with Steely Dan several times now, and have always walked away luke-warm, but with a respect for what they do. However, I will concede, that Aja clicked with me pretty well. Of the Steely Dan I've heard, Aja seems to be their masterpiece. The jazz influence, the real studio magic, and the accessible songs through it all finally gel for me in such a way that this album really clicks as an aesthetic, whereas other Steely Dan albums struck me as a little bland. While talking about it, I do think the jazz influence *is* actually a little overstated. This has jazz chords, and some rhythms, but to me, jazz is maybe defined most strongly by it's communication. It's a language for artists and their music to have a dialogue through, and *that* is something I don't really hear on Aja. But the jazz chords do contribute to this in a palpable way themselves. Steely Dan seem like they are having all the fun in the world scientifically arranging chords and dissonance and resolutions. There are passages on here that would just be heaven for theory nerds. However, this aspect does kind of put parts of Aja at arm's reach for me. Maybe I need to give it some more time, but I definitely still appreciate Aja more than I enjoy it, and the fact that it seems like it was written to be picked apart by people who already love Aja has a big deal to do with it. And it's not that I don't like complex pop songs, but the way it's handled on Aja just manages to skirt my emotional response a little. Maybe it's the combined dedication to making this intricate, *and* incredibly easy listening. Although, listening to this, there are a lot of moments that *really* worked for me. The cascading chorus of Deacon Blue for example is maybe the best realization of Steely Dan's meticulous approach that a I've heard yet. I know this reads more negative than my score conveys, but through it all, I can definitely see something special in Aja that I really can't find in a lot of other places. And I definitely see myself revisiting this in the future.

I love metal, but Pantera has never really been my cup of tea. I would say I like them, generally, but I rarely seek them out, and I have my reasons. I don't really like their production style, I don't really like Phil Anselmo's voice, or lyrics all the much. Hell, I just don't really like Phil Anselmo. But I do think Pantera deserves their place in the pantheon of metal acts. And it's really just for one reason. The riffs. Holy shit, Dimebag Darrell could write riffs.His technical abilities are obviously there, but there's such an understanding of restraint and raw power in his writing that most guitarists never really figure out. Look at Walk. The main riff for walk is literally a single note, which is bent. And it's one of the most iconic metal riffs ever. Look at the sheer weight of This Love's Breakdowns, or look at By Demons Be Driven's jackhammer riff. Listen to the staircase riff on A New Level. I don't even know if this is my favorite Pantera album for riffs (it might be Far Beyond Driven, but there are *absurdly* good riffs on every Pantera album from Cowboys on), but the library of riffs here is an absolute master class in riff construction. On this factor alone, Vulgar Display Of Power utterly soars. Not like one of my favorite metal albums or anything, but one which isn't being removed from the pantheon anytime soon.

I had never realized how much Rufus Wainwright's singing reminds me of Thom York. I had also never realized that he is the son of Loudon Wainwright III, so I've been learning quite a bit today. It took me a while to place the sound of this, but I kind of settled on " it's a little like if Radiohead had a neoclassical slant, and if I could believe the emotional core of Coldplay". This is a very pretty album, and Rufus Wainwright's singing is gorgeous. And honestly, I don't just want to keep bringing up Radiohead, but I genuinely think the best songs here kind of hit the magic that some of Radiohead's late '90s stuff had. But Want Two definitely has an identity of it's own too. Like I said, there's the neoclassical stuff; it's very rarely a bit much, but generally is executed with taste and purpose. There's also something kind of singer songwriter-y here, but I have a harder time explaining that. These slants all flavor and expand on what could have just been a solid alternative rock album. But instead this explodes with unique ideas, and delicate beauty and unique performances. I will say the quality drops off a little near the end, and that this could've maybe been a bit shorter, but I *am* very impressed.

A cool, queer pop album by Chris, but it's not one that strikes me as particularly essential. The sound here is basically minimalistic electropop that manages to have fun like a pop album while maintaining a kind of sparse, odd atmosphere. But I also don't think this lens is leaned into *that* heavily. This more or less just functions as a solid pop album, and if that's what you're looking for, you'll be happy. But at the same time, I don't really know why this is on here. If it's the pop lens, there are more important, recent pop albums in this niche that I would have went with. And if it's the queerness, there are more important modern trans pop albums that I would have gone with first (No shade to Chris, but the absence of Oil Of Every Pearl's Uninsides on the list is utterly insane). But, if you are willing to overlook this aspect; it's really solid.

The Chemical Brothers make a particularly rubbery sounding type of techno. And honestly, it grooves in a pretty infectious way. I don't have a lot to say about this, but it is very enjoyable.