Reviews by itomenglish

The Band just… doesn’t hold up for me. Maybe it was because it was Women’s Day or maybe it was just the Canadian of it all. Also, I’ve heard some of these songs before but they somehow sound worse all together like this.

Season: Late Summer
Favorite Song: Rockin’ Chair

I was physically unable to continue to pay attention through this album. I assumed I had listened to all the songs not because I had sat there for what felt forever but struggled, personally, to find where one song ended and one began. This is entirely a me problem.

Season: True Autumn

Paul Simon is a musical icon and as someone who grew up religious, middle class, and somewhat white, Paul Simon was a huge part of my childhood. That being said, most of Paul Simon’s portfolio from later in his life reeks of early midlife crisis. His solo career post Simon & Garfunkel had promise but Graceland was a difficult and confusing choice made by a man trying to find himself again in other people’s culture. And for what it’s worth, we all do it from time to time. Trying to reinvent ourselves in the shape of someone else? Much easier than finding internal creativity. I refuse to comment on the politics surrounding Paul Simon’s choices of making white people mbaqanga during apartheid simply because that would take me all day. Regardless, I find Graceland to be overall fine with a few hits and at least one big miss.

Season: Early Fall
Favorite Song: You Can Call Me Al

I am a BIG Sly & The Family Stone guy and prior to this, the only War song I had heard was “Low Rider” so this was a pleasant listen! If you like the “Thank You for Talkin’ to Me, Africa” version of “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” (or that general Sly Stone era messaging) this may be the album for you. “The Cisco Kid” may be one of my favorite songs from this project yet. Some of the other songs just weren’t wordy enough for me but this is a great hot, summer, concrete jungle type album.

Season: Late Summer
Favorite Song: The Cisco Kid

Ok, so if you know me, you know that my sense of timelines is really bad. Like, time before the 2000’s doesn’t exist in a linear way in my mind. So I have no clue what the state of punk was in 1979. But I will say that this album really sounds like it influenced a lot of the 90’s punk music I listen to currently. That being said… this was a hard listen. Every song just had me hoping for like, 1 more thing to be added so it didn’t sound so… raw and open.

Season: Early Autumn
Favorite Song: Adventures Close To Home

Another album that I just think got me on the wrong day. If I heard this playing in a park, I would think this is super cool. But not something I would be able to put on for my own purposes. Also, I think I could use about 3 minutes less on each song (must be my iPad kid attention span) which might have moved me from a 2 to a 3.

Season: True Autumn
Favorite Song: Frustrations

Fun, intense, a little vampire-y. Really answers the question, what if the Cold War happened but you were also goth? 100% on the high end of a 3 but still a 3.

Season: True Winter
Favorite Song: Flood I

Good album. Not sure I can imagine listening to this anywhere that *I* would go which does make replay-ability a little difficult. Also, I enjoy it when songs have words.

Season: Early Winter at Night
Favorite Song: Breathe

I do not have any deep thoughts. It’s simply not for me.

‘What if I had a mental breakdown early in the album and then the rest of the songs were just my breathing exercises?’ One of these songs gave me actual motion sickness. Also I listen to music largely for the lyrics and I kept thinking I could almost hear words but I couldn’t which was deeply unsatisfying. If I had to rank it based on the individual songs, I think it overall would get a 2. But ranking it based on my experience with the album as a whole, I have to give it a 1. I could not fully recover from listening to Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors.

Season: Psychosis/Late Autumn
Favorite Song: Knives Out

This album is what late summer sounds like when you grew up upper middle class in the same town your mother grew up lower middle class. And nothing you do can actually be all that unique because her experiences overshadow yours. I cannot possibly expand on that thought. Also, I am physically incapable of being normal about Movin’ Out.

Season: Late Summer
Favorite Song: Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)

A great album, Sade’s voice is warm and comforting. I don’t feel like any of the songs are super stand out for me, but the overall tone of the album is captivating.
Season: True Winter
Favorite Song: Smooth Operator

Ok but I do like folk music. Maybe not my favorite genre but recently, I have been listening to a lot of folk. I just… can’t get past Neil Young’s voice in some of these songs. Unfortunately, that is a big sticking point for me. I will say that I like some of this other work, especially group recording that he’s done.
Season: Early Fall
Favorite Song: Only Love Can Break Your Heart

Lots of covers. Such a mature sound for his age. I cannot begin to imagine what kind of music he may have released had he been around longer.
Season: Late Winter
Favorite Song: Down in the Valley

This album was difficult for me to rate, both because it’s the first album we got and because the reputation and impact of the Beatles is often better than their music itself. I love the exciting, rock tones in some of the songs but overall feel that other than the notoriety, many of the songs are a little… milquetoast.
Season: Late Spring
Favorite Song: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band