Reviews by galway_rat

April 10, 2026

HL: "Lump", "Boll Weevil", "Peaches", "We're Not Going To Make It", "Wake Up" (bonus track)

I'm not a smart man, but I know what a classic is: the song "Peaches"

rest of the album is hit or miss, but still enjoyable.

From Wikipedia: "All My Best Friends Are Metalheads" is featured in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, and in the soundtrack for the 2000 film Digimon: The Movie.

Important historical context ^

This reviewer has spoiled much of the user list for himself, because he's always fascinated with how it's taken on a life of its own. As a consequence, he understands this is far from the last ska punk he'll come across if he keeps coming back to this website.

But really, as one of the purest exposures to the subgenre yet (Sublime's self-titled was sometimes but not always ska), I can't really fault it. The melodies are nice, the brass section is commendable.

My own genre biases probably make this a 7/10 listen; for much of my life, ska punk was represented by a) The America's Funniest Home Videos theme, and b) Weird Al's "Your Horoscope For Today"--
but perhaps sometime in the future I'll grow up and give Hello Rockview the extra star it deserves.

HL: "All My Best Friends Are Metalheads", "Motto", "Scott Farcas Takes It on the Chin", "Al's War"

April 9, 2026

April 8, 2026

HL: 1, 2, 4, 7, 9

As Michael Rosen says: *pop* “nice.”

West coast rap I'm not really familiar with, except for that one song that blew up thanks to Daniel Radcliffe performing it on late night television

Really dig this overall! A little more nostalgic-leaning than, say, Jurassic 5 and the Roots from the original 1001; however, the surprisingly versatile mix of beats from Chief Xcel, mixed with an impressive performance by the aptly-named Gift of Gab (RIP), makes this a worthy addition to the user list.

Old-gold-mid-nu-school hip hop

Pairing this with another 90's album that's too long* today, from my personal list: Aaliyah's One in a Million

HL: "Do This My Way", "Cliff Hanger", "You Didn't Know That Though", "As the World Turns", "Sleep"

April 7, 2026

*all of them. All 90's albums are too long.

This is album #311 past the 1089 original albums for me; I think I've been pretty good at keeping an open mind, but just looking at this cover makes me want to quit.
Oh it's a man in his forties doing a lampoon of 2000s emo. Is that better or worse?
Oh it's only 5 songs long, what am I even complaining about.

Edit, after I actually listened to it: oh it's actually not bad

I think the parody aspect is kind of lost on me for two reasons: one, my insistence that I despised this whole era of pop punk was challenged when I gave not one, but TWO Blink-182 albums 4 out of 5 stars, thanks to this generator. (That's a lot of numbers.)
The second reason is that the genre was already so ridiculous to begin with. I have friends that can make me laugh with a couple simple phrases: "tonight will be the night that I will fall for you", and "where are you and I'm so sorry". So funny!
A welcome salve to the shared trauma of having grown up in the 2000s.

While this E.P. is more amusing than funny to me, I can't bring myself to hate the songs themselves. The "highlight" is probably the second last track. The refrain of "Don't click the link below / We're all gonna fucking die", mixed with the shitty trap beat, sounds like the kind of song I would have unironically liked in junior high.

Music to cry in the minivan to

HL: "Don't Click The Link (feat. Kim!)", "August is Falling"

April 2, 2026

April 1, 2026 again

HL: "Visit to Vienna", "The Loneliest City of All", "No For an Answer", "Getting Away With Murder"

Wikipedia, are you saying this band formed as 10 year olds? Madone as if I didn't feel like I'm behind in life enough as it is

It took me a minute, but I'm really warming to the Hotnights. My first thought was the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but it actually feels more like pop rock from the early 80's. The Bangles, Cheap Trick, the Cars.
Just straightforward, melodic tunes.

Caught between a 3 and a 4. tonight I shall round up

My monkey- I mean, my review- is linked below:

https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTZjMDliOTUyYTN2MW5nZGZ5dXZ3OXVqbjdzYTZ3ZDVoaGo4bmx1djl0MngxMW4yaiZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/XeqguPE3q88xsIeMgb/giphy.webp

April 1, 2026

not 1st listen- that was about a month ago. I knew it was on here from the user album list, I just got impatient.
Funny enough, this was recommended to me during high school, by someone I haven't seen since like, 2015. I've been listening to this band ever since- "Sons and Daughters", "The Mariner's Revenge", "I Was Meant For the Stage"- but for some reason I always put off this one.
Maybe I always liked the idea of a rock opera more than I did actively seeking them out. I love albums like Tommy and The Wall, but I really don’t care about the story so much as I do seeing how these rock bands create a cohesive, musical movement complete with motifs and multi-part suites.
The Hazards of Love isn’t that complicated, musically or story-wise; Meloy’s lyricism and voice, as well as the guest stars on this album, are what keep the tragic lovers’ tale from becoming too predictable.
My feeling in the first half, that they don’t use enough musical motifs or “ingredients”- how many times do we have to hear that sludgy metal riff, as good as it is?- is assuaged by the album’s second half, where strings, harpsichord and freaky atmospheres combine to make a pretty great payoff.
Re-listening to the final track here, “The Hazards of Love 4”, is one of the rare times the album sounds like the Decemberists. Obviously I know that’s subjective, as they continue to experiment with genre. 2024’s insane “Joan and the Garden” might be one of my favourite songs of theirs, and it’s reminiscent of The Hazards in parts.

Anyway, while I don’t think this is the best introduction to the band, it’s still an ambitious and worthy entry to their catalogue

Not familiar with this band. I haven't listened to much metal so far in 2026, so I'll try to keep an open mind here.

(from Wikipedia) the "Grit", the "Crunch", the "Thunder", and "Doctor Killdrums". That's way more fun than saying the names of the band members

The Crunch is really good on this album, I wonder what he's up t-Jesus Christ. Amazing how many stories of fatal drunk driving end with the drunk person alive

Why do I like this so much? I was wondering for a minute if it needed a rating higher than 4 stars, but then everything after the title track kinda dragged it back down. ("Devastation" is a decent ending though)

At different times, I thought of Dio and Scorpions, but the fact that Hall of the Mountain King isn't groundbreaking doesn't detract from how much fun I had. Their synthy rendition of the Grieg instrumental could be worth the price of admission alone.

Something about that rhythm section, particularly in Side A- what's the word I'm looking for, limber? bouncy? Idk I found there was a lightness that you don't often find in other 80's metal bands. i liked it

HL: "Beyond the Doors of the Dark", "Legions", "Prelude to Madness", "Hall of the Mountain King"

March 28, 2026

March 25, 2026

HL: "Warm Sound", "The Space Between", "Speed Dial No. 2"

The Housemartins are dead, long live the Beautiful South

As someone who has only recently been put on to Housemartins, courtesy of this website, I'm not sure what to expect from this band

To use the 1001 albums as reference, I can't decide if it's
a) more like Viva Hate after the Smiths broke up, where Heaton and co. are restless to invent beyond the jangle pop of their original band, or
b) like Dexys third album Don't Stand Me Down, where the tight pop-rock structures are expanded to 6 and 7-minute long odysseys, but without a clear stand-out track like their earlier records.

This might grow on me, who is to say. Just because I wasn't taken by it as easily as the Housemartins' two-minute ditties, doesn't mean it wasn't a worthwhile listen

3.5

HL: "Song For Whoever", "You Keep It All In", "Woman in the Wall"

March 22, 2026

-Excision Shrek visuals came across my brainrot YouTube algorithm literally today, maybe that's the algorithm's way of saying I am in fact the target audience for this album
-I will say, the switches between abrasive electronica and brass grooves make "Astro Funk" a pretty unique listen
-"Vibe Check" is more recognizably brostep à la Skrillex or Knife Party
-"Other Side of Jupiter" makes good use of those wobbly, Leslie speaker-kind of vocals
-I think by "Feel It All", I was ready for it to be over. But I will say though, listening to the cut up vocals in the final track "The Echo Tree", I acknowledge the bones Griz throws at people such as myself who don't really care for brostep/riddim/bass music/whatever one might call it. The spacey synthy interludes, and of course the brass and organic elements help balance the drops.
-My final thought is I wish it leaned into those fringe elements a bit more. The build and denouement are better than the climax
-wub wub wub

HL: "Burn Up the Floor" title track, "Harmony"

March 21, 2026

March 20, 2026

HL: "Good Luck Bad Luck", "The Sound of War", "Undercover", "The Golden Age", "Mountaineers"

"The Sound of War" becomes Game of Thrones White Walker music at one point, and I'm fine with that

Also, what a finale- good to hear from John Grant again

As someone in trouble, thanks for recommending this OP

March 19, 2026

Hell yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about

I don't think there's a neo-psychedelic album from the late 2000's that I've said "no thanks" to, and All Hour Cymbals is not an exception.

The lyrics could be the most trite nonsense, and I wouldn't know because I was too focused on the African drums, clunky DIY instrumentation, and cool harmonies. On those last two, I'd say Smiley Smile-era Beach Boys had a bigger impact on music of that time than I initially appreciated

March 2, 2026

Wolf Alice is cool

Alright, Love Is Hell makes album #300 of our chosen albums, a milestone I feel like I have reached, sore and battered, dragging myself over the finish line.

For Ryan Adams, my general impression from the original list was "His music might be boring, but at least he's an asshole". I don't know why someone thought he needed a THIRD representation on this website, but free will is awesome and one is free to make their choices.
Let me be clear- I don't rate music based on morals. If I did, surely I'd be harder on Mick Jagger, Steven Tyler, Kanye, the list goes on.

The tepid "Wonderwall" cover and "Avalanche" are probably the worst moments, but there's some high points when the jangle and twang are utilized. For the most part, I still don't see what Ryan Adams brings that you don't find in 1000 other singer-songwriters at open mic night

HL: title track, "City Rain, City Streets"

March 6, 2026

February 27, 2026

HL: "Side Walk", "No Transitory", "That Girl Possessed"

It definitely was some more Alexisonfire

March 1, 2026

Damn me for developing expectations for this album. I already knew Bruce Hornsby was a great piano player, and I (sure I’ll admit it) mostly knew Hopper paintings like the one on the cover from sad, liminal playlists on YouTube. Hence, I thought I was getting into a smaller scale Bruce Hornsby where he moved away from the pop production of “The Way It Is” (we’ve all heard it) into jazz. It does be jazzy, but the production has merely advanced a couple years, into a mix of R&B, hip-hop-lite beats and adult contemporary ballads. All of which remind me why the 90’s was the worst time for popular music

Around “China Doll”, where most of the band stops playing and it’s just Hornsby playing some rather dissonant chords, I catch a glimpse of an album I’d greatly enjoy.
Then it switches gears to a more earthy ballad, “Fields of Gray” which actually might be one of my favourite tracks even though I just said I preferred the moments where Hornsby gets a little weird!
“Rainbow’s Cadillac”, “Pastures of Plenty” and “The Tide Will Rise” are gems in an album that is stronger in its second half.

In conclusion, it is a decent listen, and Bruce rocks the keys- although, I do want to sue the producer.
…Never mind, Bruce Hornsby self-produced

As someone who has previously considered factors like time of day when listening to an album, or whether or not you are behind the wheel of an automobile, I take the title of this album as instructions.
But if I can't get my hands on the automobile, at least I will put this on in the nighttime.
Edit: still do not have an automobile

After the stylish, neon-coloured cover art, I thought this would be a more dancey album. "Tick of the Clock" and "Killing Spree" are among the cuts that totally shatter that preconception, choosing instead to be ambient, wintery, and almost creepy much of the runtime.
Not complaining!
The Kate Bush cover was very apropos to walking after dark in -20 degree weather, being a bleaker affair than the original.

February 20, 2026

edit2: I guess I'll listen to the full version, as the Wiki blurbs make it sound like it was originally intended to end with "Accelerator". If I wasn't enjoying myself so much, I'd cut it at "Tick of the Clock"

Not first listen! Still haven't gone and listened to the "full" version (the CD has like 4 extra tracks), but this'll more than suffice

As 2025 grew to a close, with its best albums relegated to the “Almost Great” category, along came Rosalía, at the eleventh hour, to thoroughly beat me over the head with LUX.
“You want greatness”, it seemed to say, “well here it is.”

She brings a thousand piece orchestra, sings in 800 languages, and has intercourse with your spouse/significant other, all in less than an hour. Do not skip!

HL: "Reliquia", "Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti", "Berghain", "La Perla", "Memória"