Reviews by k-dot-r

Rubbish, achieves neither half of the terrible porte-manteau of the title

Exceptionally Canadian; an album with a clear sense of time and place. Plenty of good stuff here, but it doesn't quite grab me - maybe another couple of listens would have helped, but the next album is waiting!

Unnecessary

Rubbish modern country, which meant it wasn't a surprise when Kacey bloody Musgraves turned up. Inexplicably popular, when much better country (or country-influenced) artists can't catch a break.

Possibly the first Chilean album I have listened to, but probably not the last. Lovely sunny indie, with lyrics that sound lovely, even if I don’t speak enough Spanish to fully appreciate them!

Self-indulgent nonsense, from a band who have been told they were cool far too often, usually by dummies who wouldn't know actual cool if it slapped them in the face. If they hadn't had early success, and tried to release this pap as a new artist, it would never have seen the light of day. A band trading solely on prior reputation long before this album.

Background music for a (very) cool hotel, 20 years ago - not in a bad way!

Awesome ska punk, from a band who always seem to be having such fun. Also a great live band, who really bring the energy of their shows to the studio.

A unique hip-hop/soul album, and a shaft of light on a cold February day in Scotland!

Bland, but decent. A few good songs, plenty of filler, a band at the peak of their mediocre powers.

Very long 80s Spanish soft rock, with all the qualities (and flaws) that suggests. Very varied, but perhaps a bit inconsistent as a result. Good though, just maybe not an essential

very country - in quite a modern way. lots of songs about lost love, drinking and being young - which means "the funeral", with its focus on one of the most challenging aspects of adult life, shows up like a bolt from the blue.

super-prog - sounds about 30 years older than it is. the "soundtrack" concept doesn't really come through, but the songs definitely hold their own. a very smart album, by a band I am thoroughly enjoying my time with whenever they show up.
does not feel like an 8th album!

How is this not in the book?!? It's exactly the kind of thing he usually loves - unless he has a problem with the one ska-punk heartbreak ballad. Spiderwebs is such a great song - and the album only gets better from there!

Fun, even if I didn't really know what was going on at points. I found myself involuntarily clapping along more often that I would like to admit, and pretty much every song put a massive smile on my face.

Reminded me of Hole, Garbage, Big Thief & Throwing Muses - but still very much their own thing. I loved it, but would have loved a bit more light and shade

American Radiohead? Manhattan (Jesus &) Mary Chain? New York New Order? Simultaneously very Big Apple and very Great British, and very very good. Maybe just a wee bit too worthy and over-earnest, but I don't mind bands who take themselves so seriously.

An EP, and as such not really eligible for consideration. It was really good to be fair, even if it made me want to listen to American Idiot more than anything else by NOFX.
Loses a point for not being an album, and another for only being a single song (even if it isn't really). Would have been an easy 5 if it had been a proper album!

Boring and pretentious

Very prog, and very good, but falls just short of "...Blank Planet" which i had last month. A band I look forward to exploring more fully, either during or after this insanity!