Reviews by j-bizzle

I hadn't realised this was quite so Britpop, but you can hear that influence from the off. However it feels quite safe in the delivery, which is maybe a hangover from being in a massive boy-band..? It feels very clean and without many edges in the production. It's a perfectly fine listen, but it's kind of light and fluffy. Angels is a big hit for a reason.

I think the biggest success for me with this album is the actual music. I really like how impactful some of the synths are, and the drumbeats go hard at times. I'm not always big on floaty vocals, but they're decent enough. It's kind of weird, but doing its own thing which I appreciate.

There's not really any specific tracks that stand out for me, but as a whole album it's pretty cohesive. Not bad!

See now, this is the kind of shoegaze / dreampop I can get behind. The type with more conventional song structures and proper choruses. The shoegazey elements are more subtle and not so ‘relentless wall of noise’ as found elsewhere with bands like MBV or Sonic Youth. It’s much more listenable. You really can hear the Smiths influence in this as well which is interesting.

I liked it overall, it was a very pleasant listen, if a bit samey at times.

3.5 rounded down.

I quite liked this. You don't get a lot of metal on here, so it's nice to see something like this represented. As a modern record, it's interesting to hear the various influences in it. The production is really solid. There's lots of big, grungy guitars with good grooves and hooks, and the choruses land.

Like others have said though, this album came out THIS year. With the greatest of respect, how on earth can you add this when it's not had any time to make any kind of musical or cultural impact? Maybe it does last long and they have a decent career, but this could just as easily be largely forgotten about in 5-10 years time. It's a strange addition, but I'm glad alternative kids these days still have someone flying the existential angst flag for them.

3.5 rounded down.

This was pretty cool! I wasn’t really into this kind of scene at the time. I always got a bit annoyed by Golden Skans, but probably because it was so overplayed on morning radio. It’s actually pretty good listening now with fresh ears, and that goes for the album as a whole too. It’s got lots of energy, and the compositions are sound. I like the vocal layering they add in, as well as the literary references.

Would I listen to this regularly…? No… but it is pretty decent, and I appreciate it a bit more now.

What a great album, full of catchy choruses, great hooks and lyrics with a bit of bite to them. It's maybe not the most consistent album, but the majority of it is excellent. You can feel a kind of hangover of Richey Edwards coming into this, especially on songs like Small Black Flowers that Grow in the Sky. Then you have some more bombastic, sing-along tracks on the other side. Both work though. Then you're chucking in some all-timer songs like A Design for Life, and you're set.

Very good!

4.5 rounded up.

It's a weird mix this album. I do generally like the musicality of it, and the upbeat nature of many of the songs, but the actual approach is so weird. There's some personality to them, but they're also pretty weird and creepy as well. It sits in that kind of baroque, cabaret kind of space. Some of the tracks wouldn't be out of place in Rocky Horror.

Big shout out to Father Ted and Songs of Love! What an all-timer of a show that is, and this is a lovely track. It's just a shame that we also didn't get a track on here about a lovely horse.

I was less enthused the longer this went on.

2.5 rounded up.

For a debut from such a young artist, this is such a mature effort. She made this when she was 18! Even the vocals are so mature and feel imbued with lived experience. She has that kind of drawling, husky energy that hits.

The production is super cool, with great use of instrumentation to create layered soundscapes. It's a real mood piece throughout. I genuinely thought Jon Brion produced this album as it has many of his hallmarks, but apparently not - but actually looking now I see he did actually play a bunch of instruments across it, which makes sense. I love that vibraphone sound in particular, and the use of violins and bells.

I don't know why I seem to gravitate towards 'sad female singer' artists, but I really do. Who knows what that says about me! Anyway, there's plenty of sadness in here. Never is a Promise is heart-breaking, but really effective. There's a real vulnerability, but also quiet resolve. Criminal is the most talked about track, and it really is a standout. There's a danger and sexiness to it.

I've listened to this album a bunch over the years, but I'm actually appreciating some of my lesser-listened tracks this time around. Particularly 'The First Taste' which has a real depth to the production.

This is a superb debut, bravo!

4.5 rounded up.

I'm pleased to say this album is better than the other two on this list.

There's some good atmosphere in places, with some nice instrumental mixes. I also like the jangly guitars when they kick in. There's still plenty of tracks that are kind of meandering and merely ok though. The Killing Moon stands out as the best track on the album, although a few others pleasantly surprised me.

It's October and I'm apparently having a brat Friday morning.

I can see why this made a splash and why people were talking about it when it came out, even if it's not 100% for me. There's some catchy tunes in here, and when it's really going for it it hits. Less so when she's delivering tons of lyrics at once, but certainly with the music. I had no idea this is what it sounded like to be honest. I was expecting some minimalist, breathy vocal thing, so I'm actually delighted that wasn't the case.

The negative: Parts of this album are deeply irritating. Parts of this album are hugely over-produced. Why is there so much auto-tune? Even on the ballad track, what's that about? It's obviously part of it, but it would have been so much better if she sang it properly.

Better than I was expecting, frankly. I'm kind of glad I'm up to speed on what it's all about.

I've quite enjoyed the other albums by them on here, but how on earth are there 3 albums represented in this list? Were they ticking some kind of quota? It's very strange. Maybe I just didn't realise they were as popular as they were...?

I've not gone back and re-listened to those other two albums, but it hasn't seemed like this album is massively different. Maybe some slightly more prominent brass...? That's always welcome from me, but it's still kind of the same thing. It's quite good overall, but not hugely inspiring.

I've rated every single Leonard Cohen album 3 stars so far, and this album isn't moving the needle for me. A straight down the middle, nice enjoyable listen that plays well in the background. There's moments of flair that stand out, like the atmospheric guitar in The Partisan. He has some presence, and the songs hold some weight. It's very stripped back, but he sings well and the songs work. It gets a bit old after a while; I certainly wouldn't want this to be any longer.

You guessed it... 3/5!

There's a lot of lower-key, broody tracks on here, but I prefer those to the more upbeat ones. There's quite a nice atmosphere in general, and he's a good singer.

3.5 rounded down.

It's not unpleasant, but it IS pretty thoroughly boring for the majority of the runtime. The same criticism applies to this as her other albums, in that her lyrics and vocal delivery is off-putting. She's just chucking way too much at it, and most songs are too dense with lyrics. I get the appeal, but this project has made it pretty clear that Joni Mitchell isn't for me.

2.5 rounded down.

This is super upbeat noisy rock n' roll fun. Especially given the year of release, this is real cool. I love the dirty guitar and the rough and ready production. There's plenty of other driving instruments in there, including the manic rock n' roll keys and that filthy sax.

I came into this album liking one of the songs already (Have Love Will Travel) so it was good to listen to the rest of the album. I really like their style, but you have to dock points for the sheer number of covers right? I know it was the thing at the time, but there are 8 (!) covers on here out of 12. Just 4 original songs.

Regardless of the covers though I am DIGGING a lot of this.

3.5 rounded up - YAAAAAAOW!

It's pretty underwhelming from the off, with lots of generic noodling rather than properly defined songs. It's the kind of noodling and jamming that doesn't seem to have much purpose or overall form. It's kind of weak and meandering with no proper connective tissue.

The second half seemed to start with some promise of doing something a bit more cohesive, and then almost straight away turned to pretentious wank. It's the type of music that takes itself way too seriously.

I'll concede... some moments have some real atmosphere to them (like sections of 'Cavalry') and I have to credit the musicianship at times. But let's be honest, this is mostly shit.

The album cover couldn't be further removed from the content on here, apart from the last track, which is jarring. Weird.

1.5 rounded up.

As others have mentioned, there's big Public Enemy energy here.

It's quite a chill time. There's nice consistent beats and good rhymes. It does start to feel a bit one-note by the end, and the album IS long.

The Kinks are a class act man. I've said it before, but their ability to craft these little self-contained vignettes in their songs is so impressive. And there's so many of them! The songs are really engaging and (crucially, for me) they manage to avoid coming across as twee, which could have been so easy.

Musically, this is just wonderful. Really, really great melodies. When you look at the songs from a broader distance you may classify them as just fun pop songs, but there's loads of experimentation in here. There's plenty of different approaches, with a variety of different instruments, changes in tempo and so on. They always find a way to elevate each individual song.

I'll say it again! The Kinks are a class act, man.

4.5 rounded up.

This was a nice listen. There's plenty of funky grooves in here and big hits, as well as some slower tracks that work well.

3.5 rounded down.

I can't say this left a huge impression on me while I was listening to it, but it does have a good overall atmosphere and vibe. It's slow and soulful and a bit sad. You can hear just a tinge of country, but generally it's just a nice and calming listen. The Sweet Jane (live) cover was nice.

As a side note, I quite like the album cover. It's so washed out, but it gives a good sense of the mood.