Reviews by giddy

God, that voice is lovely. I understand people not liking androgynous vocals sometimes, but this is like a mix of the lows and highs of famous androgynous artists all rolled into one voice, and it hooks you pretty quickly. That being said, I did check out the first run of this album, so I thought the album was repetitive and could use some more change-ups. However, I decided to re-listen to a good chunk of the tracks and...

I love it even more! Sure, the production is very of its era, but you come to appreciate the little, danceable intricacies, and that voice just gets more stellar! Its a very relaxed album, but it still has that persistent drumming to drive you tapping your foot, bobbing your head, and having a good time. I just find this to be an incredibly solid release, and a re-listen only solidified it. Man, that voice, so pretty.

There is certainly a language barrier for someone like myself who only speaks English, and you can almost certainly tell that with any of these French albums. They just have this feeling towards them where I know I'm missing something lyrically, and its my fault. However, I feel music is music, and the music part should carry still, and this one only kind of does. His voice can be powerful, and some of the instrumentation is nice, the horns remind me Sgt. Pepper, but it feels very repetitive even in its short runtime, and that language barrier really is killer, but perhaps I should give it the benefit of the doubt? There's no way its another French album about diddling kids, right? Then again, perhaps I should be moved by the music enough to find out what he's singing, and I'm not. So, mixed feelings on this one.

I sometimes get the feeling that if I heard most of the mainstream, electropop music from the era this album released, then I would've liked it a lot more than I did at the time, because this whole album has the same vibe as that dance heavy, bass-y synth sound that every pop singer wanted to jump on in the early 2010s, but here, perhaps due to not hearing every track as its own single, I appreciate the songs here a lot more, despite it being tonally similar to those songs. I mean, its not like this album didn't have mainstream hits, but I heard songs like Head Will Roll just enough to be intrigued before it disappeared, rather than hearing it for the whole decade because the charts fail to have radio-friendly hits, before radio itself became obsolete. Any way, this album gives off that mainstream pop vibe, but like hearing it all for the first time. You don't have to hear it again if you don't want to, but very few pop songs are that bad if you don't subject yourself to overplaying, and this album embodies that feeling in my opinion.

I struggle to understand the appeal of anything I've heard by Fela Kuti and friends. It tries too hard to be dun, dance-y music and instead becomes repetitive down to the "one more time" being said far more than once. Is the musicianship quality? Sure, and I can recognize some good little moments in there, but when you're rocking four tracks that almost all exceed ten minutes, you need more than a solid lick or two to get me invested. Perhaps this was a party-and-a-half in the moment, but on wax it just feels like a man yelling at you for not enjoying his music enough.

This isn't your average progressive album, as instead of powerful hooks, entrancing guitar solos, and storylines to give Hollywood a run for its money, you instead get a skittish British man seemingly rambling over jazz-y rock, with this weirdly beautiful dread consuming the air as you listen to it. However, this change of pace is completely welcome, in my opinion. The haunting atmosphere that is formed from the manic piano, and alien synths give it this otherworldly feeling, but whenever Robert Wyatt starts singing, in which you can assuredly tell he is looking at his shoes whilst seeing, too nervous to look you in the eye, it all becomes too close to home. You feel nervous, anxious even, but the songs always relieve you of this feeling with these transcendent key changes that are always gorgeous and breath-taking, and the off-tone pianos become angels in a choir, and the space-age synths feel Heaven sent, and I can feel put together again, and truly say this is one of the greatest albums I've ever listened to.

I've always, with my limited knowledge of the band, lumped Garbage into those bands that are associated with grunge even though they aren't, and I think listening to a whole album of it breaks that stigma for better and worse. Its certainly got a unique style that's a mix of the angst of the 90s with the more laid back approach of trip hop, all with this alternative rock undertones, and it certainly gives it its own vibe, but it also leads to a lot of the tracks feeling confused as to what they want to be, rather it being angry yet seductive, or bored rebellious, it all gives a feeling of trying to emulate many of the greats from the time, and while it certainly stands on its own in parts (especially on the tracks you'd least expect, rather than the hits) it also feels confused. Her voice is great, however, and I really like some of the effects they messed with here. It breathes fresh air into a genre that was stsrting to be consumed by more and more just trying to emulate the style for a quick buck, but I think a more focused approach could do wonders for this album. I did really enjoy what I did like, though, and thats always pleasant.

I'm disappointed to say this, thinking I was a fan of the Smashing Pumpkins after Mellon Collie, but I found this to just be alright. There isn't as much variety in this album, and it leads to a lot of songs that feel like the stereotypical image of "alternative rock" were it to be formed as one, singular album. There are great things here, stuff I already know, such as the hits which are stellar, but I felt much of the rest of the album often had a decent hook, but felt aimless by the end, or just feels like a lesser take on one of the singles from the album, and it makes it so I can't help but feel this project is bloated. On the bright side, again, those hits are fantastic, and the instrumentation is great, it just feels like its missing something that made Mellon Collie special. Perhaps I shouldn't be comparing them, but its hard not to, because this pales in comparison.

There were a couple tracks here I could see getting into in this album, they've got that solid new wave/dance-rock feel to them that I could see being something I would enjoy out and about. However, the album seemed to get aggressively more British with each track, and not in a good way. We're talking the most annoying acts from Britpop assuredly took influence from this album, and didn't realize that iconic whine was something that is grating on the ears. Some of the instrumentals are fine, its all very fine, but after a while it just was all blending into the same thing, with little to make it stick out.

I'll start positive by stating that the strings and instrumentals are gorgeous here, with a lot of the big moments left up to them rather than Serge Gainsbourg, and it pays off fantastically. I also find the short runtime to be a Godsend when so many albums feel so long now, even the forty minute ones seem to run me dry, so something more stomach-able such as this leads me feeling far less exhausted than an album that sounds like this would leave me were it hitting an hour.

That all being said, I really can't stand that whisper singing Gainsbourg does, as whilst I can see the inspiration for bands like Pulp, the way the microphone seems to peak really irritates my ears, like an annoying, overtly French ASMR. Maybe the songs are really nuanced, but being a stupid American, I couldn't understand them if I tried. Here, let's look up what this album is about!

...oh. Gross. Still, great strings, perhaps another topic with actual singing and this would be an awesome album. Instead, it is most definitely French, and I can fill my French needs elsewhere.

I have grown up most of my life listening to what isn't quite country music, but rather an Americana-esque genre with vocals that don't grate my ears as they come out of the speakers. This includes groups like the Avett Brothers, later Johnny Cash, and to an extent, Wilco, Violent Femmes (at points), Nick Drake, etc, etc. Despite this, I've never come across this album to any capacity, despite releasing at the peak of my family introducing me to what would develop as a part of my music taste.

This is not the first time that has happened, as I See A Darkness by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy also sort of falls into this blind spot, but unlike with this album, where I think things like the vocals and the stripped down production hindered my enjoyment of that album, this album only flourished with its sombre, vocals backed by lush, sweeping strings that make me naturally sway, and make me feel as though I'm encountering an old friend in the form of a genre I've not embraced in a long while. The vocals are simple, and flat, but they carry the same weight Nick Cave's similar demeanour sometimes presents, and I really do get entranced by the orchestra. I do find the album tends to drag out its songs a tad, and in such, loses its luster rather than ending in a big, moving finale, but that start is something that really felt like something electrifyingly chilling, yet also like a warm embrace, and it made the album something I did really adore at points. The whole package is a little lacking, and I don't think it will sell anyone on a genre they didn't already have a relationship with, but I really got into this, and can only see myself liking it more on re-visits.

I've never been a fan of the hit off this album, Freedom 90, as it feels a bit too predictable and overall cheesy in a way that only a song from this era can be, and I personally hate that sound. However, the rest of the album was an improvement over George Michael's debut, as the inclusion of a lot more real instruments and tracks not all fighting to be a stereotypical pop tune was refreshing and felt more earnest. That being said, something about this album still rubs me the wrong way. It may be Michael's over-singing, or it just feeling like a lot of tracks are still trapped in a time that did not age the best sonically, but I just cannot get into this, despite my best efforts. It gives off the same vibes as artists like Christina Aguilera, oddly enough, where it feels like the whole thing is compensating for something, but I've no clue as to what this is. This album didn't do anything to make me a George Michael fan, but I at least understood it a bit more this time around. Perhaps it was destiny, as I have been watching a lot of Arrested Development, so my album listens seem to be subtly influenced by it.

That or its all coincidence... yeah, its probably that.

While a solid album overall, it does feel a bit distracted. None of the songs stand out in a poor light or anything, in fact tonally I'd say it all matches, but I still can't help but think with the amount of tracks and the length that there was far too much thrown at the wall, and while plenty of it sticks, the stuff that did fall, falls flat. It just leads the album to be hard to remember, and while I know I listened to something good (hence the rating) I'm unsure if I'll remember it beyond that (hence the rating).

This album started out okay enough, Hell I even thought I was enjoying it, which was shocking, but then as the hour(!) dragged on I started realizing how tiring this "I'm so cool" shit is. I'm all for being a cool as fuck, ballin' gangster, you do you man, but not a single thing here feels real. It feels like a guy coping with the fact he is a nobody, and can't handle that, so has to build himself up, give confidence by repeating the same tired stereotypes of fucking things up in the streets and the sheets, and not a single moment feels justified. It only explains to me why so many YouTube comments under these songs are like "these are my hustling songs" or "this gets me pumped" because no one is actually impressed with 50 Cent's accomplishments, they only take his place because they wish they were as cool as his lifestyle, and they daydream about it while working their 3rd shift at the gas station.

If you enjoy this, more power to you, as I said, at first I get it, but if you think this whole album's existence is justified, rather than just one or two tracks, I want to know what draws you in, because all I'm seeing is a wannabe gangster rap great, and they make that abundantly clear that's what 50 Cent is, with all the allusions to other, BETTER rappers. 50 may have had hits, but he fell out fame pretty quickly, and this album explains that.

Considered an early pioneer of what we now see as heavy metal, Vincebus Eruptum seems like an anomaly to me. I mean, it is said to have performed very well both critically and financially, yet unlike Black Sabbath, I've never heard a song off of this album, let alone this band in general. Now, I realize that is very self-centred of me, as I was not around to hear this album at release (not even close) but you'd think I'd at least here some hint of this album in passing. Perhaps an older, more rock-savvy uncle, or just from passing. Yet, I've heard nothing, nada, zilch, and once I actually sit down and listen to the album, I start to understand why. Black Sabbath were so iconic with their newfound genres because it was dark, it was demented, and it truly felt like something new was rising from Hell to take over your pot smoking-son's brain. This? This just feels like someone performing aimless, meandering blues rock with a blown out amp. The sound here doesn't feel like its an active choice that benefits the album, but rather an experiment that turned out in the band's favor. However, the lasting power fails to reach beyond that initial wave, and whilst it may have been something worth exploring in the year of 1968, more contemporary ears will find this pales in comparison to what came after it, and even before it, and while it deserves to be an important part of rock history, I feel outfits such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Black Sabbath have it covered.

While I haven't listened to a good chunk of Tim's discography, I do consider myself a fan of the Buckley's. Their voices are so amazing that the listener can't help but be entranced by their highest highs and when they go for those low notes. When it comes to Tim, I preferred his voice during that Goodbye and Hello phase, as his soulful high notes pulled me in. It was wistful, yet still so full of energy. So, finding out this (and most of his albums for that matter) chose to go to a lower register for most of the duration was disappointing, but I was still vaguely hopeful. That energy does feel a little invisible here, but that woeful singing does remain, and I still think his voice is really pretty. It makes it so when he sings on topics like his estranged son, it feels genuine, like he regrets his decisions to be apart, even though it seems Tim Buckley never really tried to meet Jeff. The backing instruments, and even Buckley's own guitar playing can feel a tad aimless, but when it does come together it really does stick with you, as long as you give yourself to it, and really pay attention to those nuances. Its an album that walks the fine line between the casually listenable on a sunny afternoon as well as engaging in your sorrows in the dark of the night. I appreciate it more once re-visiting the tracks I already enjoyed the first go around, and I think it makes sense that this is the style Tim Buckley is known for, rather than the more renaissance faire-esque stylings of his prior works, even if I do prefer them that way. I can still appreciate this.

Pixies as a band is a geoup I've always been aware of. I knew their big hits, I knew Doolittle by name, I even knew what came of members splitting into groups like the Breeders. Despite all of this, I had no clue this album existed. I knew not a single track off of its selection, and not even the cover rang familiar. In fact, it reminds me of a Primus album cover more than anything for some reason. So, this was an all new, fresh experience for me. It is certainly a step down from Doolittle and its copious amounts of power and strength it presented, but we're still looking at a good album with tons of catchy riffs, jarring-yet-satisfying vocal change-ups, and a solid record over all. I think it just loses a bit of that staying power that the album prior had down already, and feels like its standing in the shadows of its older brothers, but if you go in with an open mind you're still getting a great rock record with a lot to like.

I've found myself generally liking what I've heard from Brazil and its weird ventures into the psychedelic, but I feel as though this album doesn't really perfectly strike those points that I enjoyed in works like Os Mutantes. Its still good, but could stand to commit to a song more often, as there are many times in a track where it'll stsrt to get good just to end a few moments later, and believe you me, I love a short song, but an unfinished song is not how you do it. There's a lot here to like, with fun tracks that make you feel like bouncing up and down, but one has to wish for a little bit more substance in its tracks, because if I want to party, this would probably not be my first choice for dancey, flavorful tracks, but again, a solid enough venture.

I obviously knew Madness for their sole (US anyway) hit, Our House, but I never had an urge to explore the rest of their catalogue until my partner started getting into a couple of their tracks. I mean, it sounded, most of the time, like cartoonishly evil bad guy music, in the best of ways, and that made me far more optimistic to listen to something from their catalogue. Actually listening to it, it still sounds like the sonically condensed version of "mwah hah hah," but there are some lighter, pub rock-esque tracks that I wasn't as big of a fan of, but I think that goofy energy throughout gives off a light sound whilst still feeling deadly serious, but all in good faith. If I could compare it to something completely unrelated, it would be when They Might Be Giants has those tonally dark songs that are completely goofy once you actually tune into the lyrics, and I think that can be a blast. My only real detraction is the repetition, as I feel this album could be cut in half and almost nothing would be lost, but perhaps some adore songs here that I just shrugged at, so I suppose its best as is. When this album does hit though, hoo boy, certainly can see why Madness are one of the most famous two tone outfits. Now if we can just address the black face on the album cover we'll be golden.

This is some feel good shit, and I'm actually digging it. I mean, the religious parts (which are a lot of the parts) can feel a little hamfisted, but it isn't groan-worthy like that of Christian rock. It just makes you feel sunny and happy, all in a thoroughly 90s way. I think the real killer here is that the love tracks here can feel "not like other boys" at best, and sort of predatory at worst. I mean, I know that was sort of expected as a direct response to gangster rap, but in a modern viewpoint it causes far more eye rolls than that it is competing against. But I cannot deny I was still grooving along with it for a good chunk of the album, and that has to count for something.

This is an ugly album, and I'm not sure how else to describe it. His voice is annoying, to the point where I was groaning every time in a song that he started "singing," the guitar work (or lack thereof) feels like something picking it up for the first time and randomly plucking notes, and the whole album really gives off that vibe, for that matter. Nothing feels pre-determined, thought out, or even well executed. It isn't even like jazz with its ad-libing, you can tell every note here was planned by some musician, but whether that musician was this Alexander Spence, or a ten year old slamming on a keyboard, is unknown to me. Perhaps I can admit that sometimes a moment here and there is more standable, but there was never a moment I was truly enjoying this. It isn't even psychedelic or folk-y, its just dull and aimless.