Reviews by j-bizzle

This is pretty good you know. Apart from the odd track that goes a bit prog, this has a real cool vibe. I'm liking the instruments and his singing in general. And it's nice and short.

3.5 rounded down.

Absolute nothing 'music'. And I hate to be one of those dickheads who puts the word 'music' in quote marks, but honestly. I quite like a bit of sci-fi synth, but much of this is so ambient as to barely register. Just a slight whisper of pretension on the air. I didn't even realise it was there half the time.

This was a nice surprise, particularly after reading a lot of upvoted 'blah' reviews. It's got a really good energy across the album, but the music in general really brings it up a notch for me. Despite what those reviews say, I think they've got quite a unique sound and style. I like the use of sax and instrumentation in general, and there's some great rhythms. Mr. Jones is the standout track for me, although there's plenty of others I really enjoyed and tapped along to happily.

3.5 rounded up.

This follows my reviews of his previous albums quite closely. I like the guy, and I like his style. As with some of his other albums, there's a great, manic energy to this. He has his own unique, artistic style and I appreciate it. I also appreciate a lot of the music. They don't always go with the usual route. There's a kind of propulsive energy to most songs, but there's some really interesting other bits that they're doing, with additional vocals and instrumentation. Having the songs be quite 'story based' also works for me.

So, I like this! That said though, I still don't think he will be a go-to artist for me. Maybe I need to change that.

3.5 rounded up.

It's so fucking dull. It's just some sad-sack sounding bloke mumbling into a microphone. Every song sounds the same, and they all bleed into one another.

I actually like a depressing album if it invokes some kind of feeling in me, but this sounds like he's struggling to pull himself up from the sofa. There's absolutely zero edges to this, it's just one monotonous, boring slump of an album.

Oh man this is so disappointing, and so dull. It's remarkable that you can have a great opening single / music video reveal to the world in 'Clint Eastwood', and then the rest of the debut album just be completely boring.

I don't get all the positive reviews on here. The best I can say is it's 'ok'. It's kind of chill in places - in fact much more chill and slow than I was expecting. It's a bit weird, but not in a good way. It's just kind of weird and basic.

I will say that I still really like a bunch of Gorillaz songs outside of this. Also, the two remixes on here (that can't be reviewed as part of the album itself) are really good. They give a lot more energy to the tracks, particularly 19-2000, which is way better as a result.

Disappointing - there weren't many moments where I could appreciate the music. There's some down and dirty guitar in there in places which is pretty good. So much of it is just really repetitive and dull though. It's just that same blues template going through everything. It starts off simply ok, and gets more slow, stripped-back and boring as it goes on.

2.5 rounded down.

It took me a little while to warm up to this.. but jeez, this album is FULLY bad ass. There's a few awkward moments where the backing orchestra feels slightly at odds with the music and doesn't quite gel right, but the majority works really well. At it's best it's an absolute beast, with a full on assault of the senses in the most dramatic and grandiose way.

These guys are so good as a live band. They're just incredibly tight as a unit, and like all the best live bands they can extend their songs into longer jams and moments to create something new and magical.

The moments where extended guitar interludes meld with the orchestra were very much my thing. I love it when artists go all out and chuck lots at you. Some songs are spectacular, including 'One' which is just gnarly as fuck once it kicks off. \m/

There are small quibbles and it maaay be a bit much in one sitting... but I really appreciate that this is a live album that offers something completely different to the studio albums. And it's executed really really well.

I'm finding it hard to review this one. It's mostly just a very chill time that plays nicely in the background. It kind of passed me by, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's pleasant, but kind of strange in places. Much of it would play well as a movie score.

I didn't love it. I liked it in a very non-committal way.

This is proper cheesy 80's rock, with those 80's rock n' roll vocals, and that 80's attitude. I'm sure they recorded most of this album while strutting around the studio, throwing in an occasional crotch thrust for good measure.

It's good for what it is. They've got some riffs. They've got some grooves. I also really like the extended guitar jams. You have to admit it's kind of catchy. It might not rock my world, but they have some serious toe tapping energy, and the album is very consistent from start to finish.

Ps: As with others, I was taken aback by the line that the Offspring sampled.

3.5 rounded up.

I think this is the first time I've heard of the term 'yacht rock', despite having albums in a similar vein before. As with those other albums, it's very soft and breezy. I can't get on-board (no pun intended) with these kind of stylings, it's just not me. It's nice enough in itself, and I do actually like the synths, but it's just so tame and middle of the (sea). He gets credit for playing all the instruments though.

2.5 rounded up.

This might be one that I appreciate more than love. The musical parts are all quite complex, and while it's quite impressive it does make it a bit less accessible. I can appreciate the talent and work, but it's a bit much for me. It doesn't quite match my own musical frequency.

That said there's some really nice songs and moments in here. I like the atmosphere that's generated across a number of tracks, and parts of this really take off and hit harder. They're just not that frequent. I appreciate the musicianship, including some of the longer jams. It shows a level of confidence in the music, but it's not 100% for me.

It's ok, just ok. There's some good guitar riffs in places and some good driving bass lines at times. I'm down with the extended jams. I'm not 100% up on his singing, it's fine I guess. Guitar-wise, and overall sound-wise I like it, but I'm not blown away.

This isn't bad you know. It's pretty upbeat and funky and I can get on-board with that. It's quite musical, and the music and production in general are pretty much on-point. There's also a good amount of variance across the album, with various styles thrown in.

A lot of it breezed past quite quickly, and I very much enjoyed myself. That said, it did start to feel overlong coming into the last quarter, especially as further tracks dropped that felt very much like filler (eg. 'Sometimes').

I'm less enthused with his rapping. It feels off, and I'm not buying him as a gangster rapper. I was looking at a 3.5 rounded up, but for all the reasons mentioned above, I'm going....

3.5 rounded down.

I'm one of those listeners who knew Don McLean solely as the guy who stuck his dick in a pie, before getting caught by his comedy dad, but then someone pointed out that he did American Pie the SONG and not the movie, and I then came to know him as the American Pie singer. But now I know that he's so much more than that as well.

American Pie is what it is. It's good upbeat fun. It's iconic. The rest of the album is really where it's at for me though. This isn't necessarily my kind of thing as a general rule, but the song writing and composition on these songs is just really on point. There's a collection of delightfully crafted songs, with undeniable quality and musicianship on display, and it's just a really nice listen. It's gentle, but it has substance.

It's all just very nice. Well crafted songs, with nice instrumentation and vocals. It won't be something I'll revisit, but I quite enjoyed it nonetheless.

3.5 rounded down.

It's gently nice. Musically they're doing some interesting things. There's a variety of instruments and approaches, and the song structures aren't always typical. I give them credit for that. The majority of noughties indie just really doesn't do it for me though. This is better than some of the others in my opinion, even if it's never elevated above a 'generally nice listen'. I'll also give props to the cool album cover.

A thoroughly cromulent 3/5.

This has an obvious, massive Bowie influence. It feels very easy to point out, but it's undeniable. Overall I like the vibe though. There's some really good tracks, and it's generally pretty solid. I like when they really go for it, and you have the backing singers giving it some too (eg: on hymn for the dudes).

3.5 rounded up.

This might be my favourite type of album to receive on here. Something completely unknown, but which a lot of people seem to be slating. The expectations are low, but you come to realise almost right away that it's just full of surprises and invention, and totally go with it.

The first song is so moody, with that undercurrent of strings, and a sitar? It works! Throughout the album there's discordant noises, scuzzy guitars, piano, sound effects, industrial soundscapes, operatic moments.. Parts of it sound like they could be on a film score. The thing I really appreciate about the music is that it never seems to take the obvious route. Even something like the addition of piano.. it has it's unique sound. It's a bit off-key maybe, but it works.

I'm not put off by his voice as some others are. It's a very deliberate approach, and it works for the songs. Taking something like "Raw" as an example, it's really quite effective in setting that sombre tone, and it helps to build real atmosphere and mood.

I listened to it twice through, and that may have been too much in one sitting to be honest, but I remain pretty impressed by this!

4.5 rounded down.

I'm on-board with these guys and I like their style. If you want nice grooves and tap-along beats, then this is for you. It's fun, upbeat, nicely put together, and with assured energy and personality in the vocals. A real nice, upbeat, uncomplicated time.

3.5 rounded up.