Reviews by kitch82

Atomizer by Big Black is one of the more average albums I’ve come across in this challenge.

Nothing really grabbed me from start to finish. It just sort of passed by without leaving much of an impression, and it’s not something I’d go back to. At times it felt like a precursor to a lot of the American punk and alt rock from the 90s that I’ve never really liked, bands like Blink-182 and Green Day.

That said, there are positives. The sound is raw, aggressive, and powerful, and you can appreciate the influence it must have had. It just doesn’t have enough memorable moments to pull you in or bring you back.

Favourite track: Passing Complexion, a relatively catchy moment on the album
Least favourite tracks: Most of the album blends together and doesn’t leave much of an impression
Album artwork: Great cover, bright and eye-catching and easily the standout for me

I’ve never really been a fan of concept albums, and the idea of a soundtrack to a film that doesn’t exist doesn’t usually fill me with confidence. That’s exactly what Moss Side Story is from Barry Adamson.

It’s a tricky album to judge because it doesn’t behave like a typical record. There are some nice musical moments and you can appreciate the cinematic ambition, but overall it feels a bit flat and, at times, quite dated. Like the Goldfrapp album I listened to earlier in the week, it comes across as a kind of low-budget Bond soundtrack, without enough standout moments to carry it through.

I’m a fan of Adamson’s work with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, so I went into this wanting to like it, but it just couldnt.

Favourite tracks: None really stood out
Least favourite tracks: Could have been any, nothing grabbed me
Album artwork: Probably the best part, a really strong cover that suits the concept well

My fourth album by Tom Waits in this challenge, and I was hoping this might be the one that finally clicked.

So far, though, I’ve really struggled with his music. I find it hard to listen to, lacking in melody, and difficult to connect with. Going into Heartattack and Vine, I was open to it changing my mind, but unfortunately it didn’t. It’s another tough listen for me, and one I just didn’t enjoy.

There’s no denying his style is distinctive, and I can see why people rate him so highly, but it just doesn’t land for me at all.

Favourite track: Jersey Girl, although I’d still rather hear Bruce Springsteen’s version
Least favourite tracks: Most of the album didn’t work for me
Album artwork: Great cover, easily the standout for me

My fourth album by Talking Heads in this challenge, and one thing I’ve definitely realised after 800+ albums is that I love this band—and David Byrne is a genius.

This is their second album and the first produced by Brian Eno. You can really hear them starting to find their sound here, with Eno’s influence bringing a sharper, more refined production. It feels like the beginning of something special.

The opening run of tracks is fantastic. Thank You for Sending Me an Angel, With Our Love, and The Good Thing are all brilliant and set the tone early. The second half keeps it going too—Stay Hungry and Take Me to the River are standout moments. There’s a consistency across the album that makes it such an enjoyable listen.

Favourite tracks: With Our Love is a fantastic track
Least favourite tracks: Nothing stands out, every song earns its place
Album artwork: Brilliant cover, simple but iconic

My second album by Cocteau Twins, and one of their last. This is their sixth album, released at a time when the band were close to imploding, so I was curious to see how it would compare to Treasure.

The biggest surprise is just how well this has aged. It’s over 35 years old, but still sounds incredibly modern today.

I really enjoyed this listen. There are so many strong tracks, and you can hear a range of influences throughout. Pitch the Baby in particular gave me a real Gary Numan vibe, which I loved. The music is superb—lush, electronic, and layered with guitars that feel very reminiscent of Johnny Marr. There’s a lot to like here, and it’s a much more engaging listen for me.

Favourite tracks: Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires and Cherry-Coloured Funk are beautiful. Soft, atmospheric, and sung perfectly.
Least favourite tracks: I Wear Your Ring feels a bit odd and slightly out of place
Album artwork: Really cool cover. I’ve no idea what’s going on, but the colours really stand out

Felt Mountain by Goldfrapp felt like the soundtrack to a Bond film that never quite gets going and is a little bit crap!

I gave this album two listens to make sure I wasn’t being overly harsh first time around, but unfortunately my opinion didn’t change. It’s a difficult listen and, for me, quite dull throughout. There are moments where you can appreciate the atmosphere and intent, but it never really grabs you or pulls you back in.

Overall, it feels dated. This kind of trip hop and cinematic electronica has been done better elsewhere, and hasn’t aged particularly well. It leans heavily on mood, but lacks the standout moments to justify it.

Favourite tracks: Paper Bag was okay
Least favourite tracks: Oompa Radar is a bizarre listen
Album artwork: Cool cover – probably the best thing about the album

I’ve never really been a fan of Nirvana, so I went into In Utero without much excitement.

I’ve never fully connected with grunge as a genre, and this album didn’t really change that for me. It feels long, dark, and at times quite heavy going. There are some standout moments, Heart-Shaped Box, All Apologies, and Dumb are all great tracks, but outside of those, I found a lot of the album to be a bit dull.

That said, I can appreciate the rawness and honesty in the sound, even if it’s not something I’d choose to revisit often.

Favourite tracks: Dumb
Least favourite tracks: Pennyroyal Tea didn’t do much for me, and there are a few others that just don’t land
Album artwork: Classic cover that’s instantly recognisable

Kala by M.I.A. is not the kind of album I would normally choose to listen to, so I went into this with an open mind.

There’s a lot going on here. The album is packed with interesting sounds, samples, and cultural references, and it’s actually quite fun trying to pick them out as you listen. It’s creative and energetic, mixing playful, catchy moments with more serious, political themes. That contrast keeps things interesting and gives the album a bit more depth than I expected.

It’s an enjoyable listen overall. It’s different from what I’d usually go for, but it never drags and it held my attention the whole way through.

Favourite tracks: Paper Planes is a great tune. I also enjoyed Boyz, Jimmy and a few others across the album
Least favourite tracks: Nothing I disliked, just outside my usual taste
Album artwork: Very cool and colourful cover that fits the energy of the album

I like New York Dolls. I love their vibrant, messy, raunchy and powerful glam rock sound, so today felt like the perfect time to dive into their debut album.

The album gets off to a brilliant start. The opening tracks are superb. Personality Crisis hits straight away with energy and attitude, and Looking for a Kiss is just as good, especially as it always takes me back to hearing it before Morrissey gigs on the video package. Then Lonely Planet Boy slows things down, showing a more vulnerable side and adding some real range. Side one is excellent.

Side two is strong as well. I’ve always liked Morrissey’s version of Subway Train, but the Dolls’ original is better. Trash is another standout, full of attitude and energy. Overall, it’s just a very good album and a really enjoyable listen.

Favourite tracks: Looking for a Kiss is brilliant and feels underrated when you think about great glam rock and proto-punk tracks. Trash is superb too
Least favourite tracks: Every song is worth a listen
Album artwork: I love the cover, messy and sleazy, just like the New York Dolls

Since I Left You by The Avalanches was completely new to me before today, and it turned out to be a very welcome surprise.

It also made me realise that I clearly like electronic music more than I thought. This album is great. It’s full of variety, really tuneful, and built on some brilliant use of samples. It’s an easy listen at home, but you can also imagine it working perfectly on a night out.

The title track Since I Left You is a standout, just a superb piece of music, but there are plenty of other highlights too, like Close to You and Frontier Psychiatrist. The way the samples are layered and stitched together across the album is really impressive and gives it a unique, almost nostalgic feel.

What’s most impressive is how fresh it still sounds over 20 years later. It doesn’t feel dated at all, which is a real credit to how well it’s put together. I’ll definitely be coming back to this and adding it to the record collection.

Favourite tracks: Since I Left You is brilliant. I also loved Frontier Psychiatrist and the use of samples throughout the album
Least favourite tracks: Every track is worth a listen, but it is a little long and can feel slightly repetitive in places
Album artwork: Cool cover that fits the vibe of the album

Seventeen Seconds is the third album by The Cure I’ve listened to as part of this challenge. I previously scored Pornography and Disintegration very highly, so I went into this expecting more of the same.

After a few listens today, this might actually be my favourite Cure album. It’s dark, moody, and haunting, and feels way ahead of its time. As a complete piece of music, it’s brilliant.

The album moves between goth and a kind of electronic melancholy. The sound is minimal, built on reverb and space, simple on the surface but with real depth underneath. It creates this intense atmosphere that runs through the whole record, and the lyrics fit that mood perfectly. Robert Smith’s voice is made for this kind of music.

Favourite tracks: A Forest has always been one of my favourite Cure songs. On its own it’s epic, but within the album it feels even bigger and more powerful
Least favourite tracks: Every song on the album is brilliant
Album artwork: Love the cover, it perfectly matches the mood of the album

Ghosteen by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds is not your average Bad Seeds album. It’s completely different in sound, production, and lyrical tone. It’s a stunning record, absolutely beautiful, but it lacks the punch and rock and roll of Tender Prey or Let Love In, and it doesn’t have the same style of ballads as The Boatman’s Call. It feels totally unique in their catalogue.

This is not a fun or easy listen. Ghosteen is grief and pain laid out across an album. As a huge fan, I struggled with it when it first came out. It takes time, patience, and the right mindset to really connect with it. Interestingly, hearing the songs live, especially through Live in Copenhagen/Idiot Prayer-era performances, helped me appreciate them more and understand what Cave was doing here.

That said, this album can also be healing. It’s delicate, reflective, and at times genuinely moving. There are some incredible moments, Spinning Song, Bright Horses, and Waiting for You are all standouts, and the album opens beautifully. I also love Leviathan, which is just a stunning piece of music.

I do love this album, but it’s not one I return to as often as Skeleton Tree or The Boatman’s Call. It demands a certain mood, but when it clicks, it’s something special.

Favourite tracks: Bright Horses and Leviathan
Least favourite tracks: Every track earns its place
Album artwork: Magical cover, like the album, it feels completely different to anything else they’ve done, with so much going on

I’d never heard of Sleater-Kinney before today’s listen of Dig Me Out, so I was genuinely looking forward to it.

Going in, I’d seen a lot of really strong reviews, which probably raised my expectations. But as I listened, I struggled to see where all the 5/5 praise was coming from. To me, it felt like fairly standard 90s punk rock. There’s nothing bad about it at all, but nothing really stood out either.

The guitars are probably the strongest part of the album, there’s a good raw energy and some solid riffs throughout. The vocals, though, weren’t really for me, which made it harder to fully get into the record.

It’s one of those albums where everything is decent, but very little pulls you back in for another listen.

Favourite tracks: Dig Me Out and Turn It On
Least favourite tracks: Nothing terrible, everything is worth a listen
Album artwork: Cool cover, fits the style of the album

C’est Chic by Chic is a fun album that instantly makes you want to dance. It sits right in that R&B space pushing into disco, with a great groove throughout, even if the storytelling is fairly simple and mostly built around classic chat-up lines.

There are some genuinely iconic tracks here. Le Freak and I Want Your Love are brilliant, proper disco anthems that still hold up today and belong on any night out. They carry the album in many ways.

Outside of those standout moments, the album does feel a bit flat at times. It doesn’t quite build or evolve as it goes on, and some of the tracks blend into each other. It’s enjoyable, but not something I’d go back to in full very often.

Favourite tracks: Le Freak and I Want Your Love
Least favourite tracks: Not a big fan of the slower ballads like At Last I Am Free and Savoir Faire is just very dull!
Album artwork: Standard cover for the time, nothing particularly standout

Let’s Get Killed by David Holmes was something completely new to me today, so I was looking forward to giving it a proper listen.

It feels like a cross between a Fatboy Slim record and the soundtrack to a slightly offbeat spy film. It’s easy to listen to, easy to drift in and out of, and has some really strong moments when it leans into its groove.

The music is consistently good throughout. Vocals are used sparingly, but when they do come in, they add something extra. A lot of the album works best as a background listen, but there are enough standout moments to keep you engaged if you’re paying attention.

Favourite tracks: Gritty Shaker and My Mate Paul are great, proper dance tracks. I also really liked the reworked Bond theme, which was a nice touch.
Least favourite tracks: Listen is an odd way to open the album. It starts quite slowly, but improves as it goes on.
Album artwork: Cool cover, even if I’m not entirely sure what’s going on in it

My third Roxy Music album on this challenge, and one of the biggest takeaways so far is just how much I’ve grown to love them. I’m now a proper fan. After scoring previous Roxy albums 4s and 5s, today’s listen is For Your Pleasure, which I’ve actually been playing quite a lot recently anyway.

Instrumentally, this album is superb. It’s the last one before Brian Eno left the band, and you can really hear his influence all over it. This is only their second album, but it feels like the moment they truly found their sound. It’s experimental, creative, and full of confidence.

There are so many great songs here. Do the Strand is a brilliant opening track, fast, vibrant, and full of energy, with a great instrumental section in the middle. It sets the tone perfectly. Beauty Queen brings things down into something more delicate, while In Every Dream Home a Heartache is dark, strange, and completely captivating. The variety across the album is what really stands out, it never gets boring.

Favourite tracks: Do the Strand and In Every Dream Home a Heartache
Least favourite tracks: Not a weak song on the album
Album artwork: Iconic cover. Roxy Music really don’t miss when it comes to artwork.

You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen was released just 17 days before his death and stands as his final studio album. You go into this expecting something dark, and it absolutely is.

I love Cohen, but somehow I completely missed this album when it came out. This is my first proper listen, probably because my daughter was born just days after he passed. She’s also called Marianne, which makes this one hit a bit differently.

This album is beautiful, deep, sad and genuinely stunning. The melodies are subtle but powerful, the backing vocals add a real weight, and the lyrics are as sharp and poetic as ever. Cohen’s voice is fragile but full of authority, which only adds to the emotion. It feels like a man reflecting, accepting, and saying goodbye.

One of the best things about this challenge is discovering albums like this. It’s quite something to connect so much with a record made by an 82-year-old man at the end of his life, dealing with everything that comes with that. It doesn’t feel dated or distant, it feels honest and real.

Favourite tracks: The title track You Want It Darker is brilliant. The lyrics are both beautiful and painful, set against that haunting, almost gothic sound. There are so many strong moments across the album though.
Least favourite tracks: Every track earns its place, nothing feels out of place.
Album artwork: Brilliant cover, simple but perfectly in keeping with the tone of the album.

Today’s album is Rust Never Sleeps, and once again, I really enjoyed it. This one feels heavier and more rock-driven than some of his earlier work. There’s a rawness and edge to it, especially on the electric tracks, that gives the album a bit more bite and energy.

It’s an interesting mix as well, moving from acoustic, almost gentle moments into full-on distorted rock. That contrast works really well and keeps the album engaging all the way through.

Favourite tracks: Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) is superb. I’ve loved it ever since seeing Noel Gallagher cover it at Wembley. It’s a brilliant song and I do prefer the original. I also really enjoyed Sedan Delivery, which adds to the heavier feel of the album.
Least favourite tracks: Every track earns its place, nothing I’d skip.
Album artwork: Cool album cover, very much fits the raw, live energy of the record.

I gave Blue Lines a 5/5, so I was interested to see how Protection by Massive Attack would compare for today’s listen.

I really like this record. In fact, it’s made me realise I might just be a Massive Attack fan. It’s an easy, smooth listen that still feels fresh today, which says a lot for a mid-90s album. The production is excellent throughout, with a more refined and polished sound compared to Blue Lines. It leans further into that laid-back, atmospheric vibe, but still keeps enough groove to hold your attention.

The vocals are a real highlight. Everything feels effortless and cool, and the different guest singers add nice variety across the album. It works just as well in the background as it does when you sit and properly listen, which is always a good sign.

Favourite tracks: Sly is a brilliant track. I also really enjoyed Protection and Spying Glass.
Least favourite tracks: The cover of light my fire was awful and really not needed.
Album artwork: Cool, understated cover that fits the mood of the album perfectly.
Album artwork: Cool album cover

Time Out of Mind isn’t my favourite Dylan album, and it’s hard to see it ever topping classics like Blood on the Tracks, Blonde on Blonde, or Highway 61 Revisited.

That said, it’s still a really strong listen. The album starts brilliantly. “Love Sick,” “Dirt Road Blues,” and “Standing in the Doorway” set the tone perfectly and pull you in straight away. As the album goes on though, you do start to feel its length. At 11 tracks and over 70 minutes, it drifts a little, and the lack of variation makes it feel repetitive towards the back end.

One of the standout elements for me is Dylan’s voice. The gravelly, worn delivery suits the mood of the album perfectly and adds real weight to the songs. Lyrically, it’s excellent. There’s a consistent thread of cynicism, anger, and longing running throughout, and it all feels very authentic.

Favourite tracks: “Love Sick,” “Trying to Get to Heaven,” with my standout being the beautiful “Make You Feel My Love”
Least favourite tracks: Nothing bad, but a few tracks in the second half blend together. “Highlands” in particular feels far too long and drags on.
Album artwork: Classic Dylan. Simple, understated, and very fitting for the tone of the record.