Reviews by kitch82

Sound of Silver is a fantastic album that showcases an impressive variety of sounds and styles. It effortlessly shifts from slower indie ballads like "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" to upbeat, club-ready tracks like "Get Innocuous!", and more guitar-driven anthems such as "North American Scum." This dynamic range keeps the album feeling fresh and engaging from start to finish.

Listening to it has made me eager to see LCD Soundsystem live and explore more of their back catalog. Their ability to blend electronic beats with emotional depth is truly captivating.

Favorite Track: "Get Innocuous!" stands out with its hypnotic rhythm and layered production, while "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" delivers a beautifully slow build that hits all the right emotional notes.

Least Favorite Track: The title track, "Sound of Silver," didn’t quite click with me—it felt a bit less impactful compared to the rest of the album.

Album Artwork: The cover art perfectly captures the album's vibe—cool, understated, and reflective of the music’s blend of energy and emotion.

Overall, Sound of Silver is a compelling listen that balances danceable beats with introspective moments, reinforcing LCD Soundsystem’s reputation for innovation and emotional depth.

My previous experiences with Björk haven’t been great. Her music can be very hit or miss, and honestly, she comes across as nuts as we know she is — which is front and center in her sound. That said, Debut is an album I’ve always been curious about. It’s where it all started for her, so I figured it was time to give it a proper listen.

I was surprised by the variety of songs on the album. Venus as a Boy is a beautiful track — smooth and delicate — but then it shifts into There’s More to Life Than This, which is completely different yet somehow works perfectly in the album's flow. The range of styles here is impressive, but it still feels cohesive.

Favourite song: There’s More to Life Than This — it’s fun, lively, and stands out in the best way.
Least favourite: Like Someone in Love — it’s whimsical and dreamy, but not really my style. It sounds like it belongs in a Disney film.
Album artwork: One of Björk’s most iconic covers — simple but instantly recognizable.

I have never really been a fan of gangsta rap, so I came into this hoping it might surprise me. I have always been curious about Cypress Hill given their reputation and influence, but this album just did not land for me.

A lot of the lyrical focus revolves around crime, confrontation and hostility toward the police, and there is not enough variety in theme to keep me engaged. The production and sampling are solid, and you can hear why the record had an impact in the early nineties, but overall it feels one dimensional to my ears.

I can respect its place in hip hop history, but as a listening experience it did not grip me and it is not something I would return to.

Favourite song: None that stood out enough to revisit.
Least favourite: The overall tone felt repetitive throughout.
Album artwork: A fairly typical early nineties hip hop cover. Striking enough, but not particularly memorable for me

I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I always thought of The Cardigans as a bit of a one-hit wonder with Lovefool, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Beyond Lovefool, there are some real gems on this album. Your New Cuckoo, Never Recover, and Heartbreaker stood out to me — all catchy and well-crafted.

Nina Persson’s vocals are fantastic, and the band sounds tight and polished throughout. It’s a solid album that I’ll definitely be revisiting.

Favourite song: Lovefool is a classic, but aside from the obvious pick, I really enjoyed Step on Me.
Least favourite: Honestly, there isn’t a bad track on the album.
Album artwork: Very cool cover — it suits the vibe of the album perfectly

This one’s tough. While I really enjoyed some of the music and samples on the album, the lyrics are just dreadful — misogynistic, violent, and ultimately pointless. It makes for a difficult listen.

The intro is a perfect example: the samples and musical flow are impressive, but the lyrics completely ruin it. Honestly, I’m not sure this album should even be played anymore.

This is the easiest 1/5 I’ve ever given. There really should be an option to give no score at all.

Favourite song: Juicy is a great track. Things Done Changed was okay — but even then, it’s about robbery, violence, and identifying a body. Lovely stuff. Out of 19 tracks, only two are really worth a listen.
Least favourite: Fuck Me is particularly awful.
Album artwork: He was innocent once!!

Before listening to Golden Hour, I had never heard of Kacey Musgraves, so I was curious to dive into this 2018 release. Exploring modern music outside my usual genres is part of why I took on this challenge, and this album felt like a good place to start.

The opening track, "Slow Burn," lives up to its name — it’s a gentle introduction, but it never really takes off for me. On the other hand, "Lonely Weekend" and "Butterflies" are more engaging and easy to enjoy. My favorite track, though, was "Love Is a Wild Thing." It's beautifully written and captures the heart of the album with its emotional depth and warmth.

What stood out most were the lyrics. Musgraves brings a socially conscious edge to country music, which isn’t something you encounter often. It gives the album a sense of purpose and authenticity beyond the usual themes of love and heartache.

Overall, Golden Hour is a pleasant listen. It’s not groundbreaking for me, but I’d happily give it another spin.

Favorite song: Love Is a Wild Thing
Least favorite: Slow Burn and Mother — both felt a bit too slow and dry.
Album artwork: Cute and fitting for the album’s vibe.

When I first saw this album, I expected to hate it — but I didn’t.

Clandestino is energetic and fun, with some great guitar moments and a handful of standout tracks like "Bongo Bong." I especially loved how "Bongo Bong" flowed into "Je Ne T'aime Plus" — fantastic!

I struggle with lyrics in another language since I love hearing the story behind a song and following where it takes me. Because of that, I’d rate the album 2/5 — but I can definitely see why people like it.

Favourite song: Bongo Bong
Least favourite: There were a lot of songs I just didn’t connect with.
Album artwork: Cool cover.

I went into Raw Like Sushi by Neneh Cherry with no real expectations, but I ended up having more fun with it than I anticipated.

This album is undeniably 80s—both in production and style—which is a big part of its charm. The beats are infectious, and there are some genuinely solid tracks here. That said, some songs already felt dated even back in 1989, and they haven’t aged particularly well. While I enjoyed the listen, it’s not an album I see myself returning to.

Favorite song: Nothing really stood out as a clear favorite—some tracks were decent, but none felt like a standout hit.
Least favorite song: Buffalo Stance didn’t work for me at all.
Album artwork: Bold, confident, and totally in-your-face—just like the music.

A Tough Listen—For All the Wrong Reasons

From the very start, I had a feeling this album would be difficult to sit through—and I was right. The sound is grating, the lyrics fall flat, and there’s nothing remotely enjoyable about the experience. It’s a mess from start to finish.

Favorite track: None worth mentioning.
Least favorite track: The entire album.
Album artwork: Bold attitude, but not something I’d ever display.

Jazz-infused psychedelic rock—what could go wrong? I’ve never heard of this band or album before, so I was looking forward to giving it a listen.

Overall, I found the album to be an easy listen with some great moments. That said, it’s not something I’d revisit often.

Favorite songs: Flying High and Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine—both are great tracks with some lovely, twangy guitar.
Least favorite: Grace felt pointless.
Album artwork: Cool cover.

This album is a standout example of UK electronic pop at its best. I played it at home, in the car, and even at work—it’s truly an album for all occasions.

It’s a fun, effortless listen, packed with well-chosen samples that add to its charm and energy. The production feels fresh, making it an engaging experience from start to finish.

Favorite track: A tough choice, as I loved Girl VII, Nothing can stop us now and Stoned to say the least, but I have to go with Only Love Can Break Your Heart. It’s one of those rare cases where a cover surpasses the original—sorry, Neil Young, but this version is incredible.

Least favorite aspect: The album has a few too many short filler tracks, some barely over a minute long, which disrupts the flow for me.

Album artwork: A sleek, visually striking cover that perfectly complements the music.

This album is okay. I’ve always found Ride to be fairly standard indie—nothing groundbreaking, but still worth a listen.

This record follows that trend. It has a strong Cure influence, with dark tones and melancholic lyrics. Definitely not an album to put on if you're looking for something uplifting.

Favorite song: Vapour Trail—it was decent.
Least favorite: Nothing stood out as particularly bad, but nothing really stood out as great either. The album is the definition of average.

Album artwork: I actually really like the cover.

This challenge has not been kind to me this weekend. First, Super Furry Animals—and now, more jazz.

Unfortunately, this album felt like dull background music. The tracks blended together so seamlessly that I struggled to tell when one ended and another began. Track 3, in particular, stood out—but not in a good way. It had an odd, 1950s Disney-esque vibe that felt completely out of place. Very bizarre. I can’t help but wonder how many more jazz or swing albums I’ll have to endure.

Favorite track: None stood out enough to pick.
Least favorite track: Track 3, without a doubt.
Album artwork: Nothing noteworthy to mention.

I’ve never been a fan of Super Furry Animals, so I expected this to be a tough listen. After not enjoying Fuzzy Logic at all, I was surprised to see them get a second album on this list—this band has just never clicked with me.

"Alternate Route to Vulcan Street" has potential but never really gets going. From there, Sidewalk Serfer Girl follows, offering little more than standard UK rock of its time. It’s a dull start, and the album never picks up or improves from there. To be fair, the band experiments with different sounds throughout, but none of it really lands for me.

Favorite song: Touch Sensitive—one of the few tracks I enjoyed. Juxtapozed With U was also a good one. These two tracks alone push the album to a 2/5 for me.

Least favorite song: Receptacle for the Respectable—what an awful noise. Minature is also completely pointless.

Album artwork: The cover gives off an electronic music vibe, but that’s not what you get at all. That said, it’s a great cover.

I was very surprised to see a Barry Adamson album make the list after listening to some of his other work, but I couldn’t wait to give this one a go. I’ve always loved his contributions to The Bad Seeds.

Overall, this album has some great tracks but also a fair amount of filler. It felt about four or five tracks longer than it needed to be. You could easily cut out Dirty Barry and In a Moment of Clarity and focus on the stronger, more complete songs like Something Wicked This Way Comes and The Sweetest Embrace.

Favourite song: Set the Controls for the Heart of the Pelvis—what a track! A fantastic way to open an album and set the tone. There are some great songs here, and The Sweetest Embrace is brilliant. That said, I might be a little biased, as I love Nick Cave.

Least favourite: The Big Bamboozle—one of several instrumental-led tracks that I just didn’t connect with.

Album artwork: A really cool cover.

After listening to Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsy Babes and reading various reviews, I’ve come to the conclusion that this album simply isn’t for me—I just don’t connect with it the way others seem to.

While there are some interesting musical moments, the vocal delivery feels uninspired, and the album as a whole lacks momentum. Across its 11 tracks, it constantly seems to be building toward something, yet never quite reaches a satisfying payoff.

In the end, TV on the Radio doesn’t resonate with me.

Favorite track: If I had to choose, “Bomb Yourself” stands out.
Least favorite: Unfortunately, the entire album.
Album artwork: The cover is fine, but nothing particularly memorable.

My second Cure album this week, and this one is a longtime favorite. Disintegration is a stark contrast to Pornography, yet just as powerful in its own way.

From the very first notes of Plainsong, the album pulls you into its world. It’s an incredible opening track—lush, melancholic, and absolutely mesmerizing. And what follows is nothing short of perfection: a collection of deeply emotional, orchestral, and immersive songs that feel timeless.

The atmosphere throughout is dark yet beautiful, haunting yet inviting. It’s an album you can play over and over again, always finding something new to appreciate.

Favorite songs: Plainsong, Lullaby, Lovesong—though honestly, I could name them all.
Least favorite song: There isn’t a single weak track.
Album artwork: Absolutely iconic.

I had never heard of Buffalo Springfield before, so I went into this listen with no expectations.

There are some great songs on this album! I really enjoyed Mr. Soul, A Child's Claim to Fame, Bluebird, and Hung Upside Down. The way they blend blues and psychedelic sounds is really well done.

Overall, I agree with many other reviews—when this album is good, it’s very good. However, there are also moments of mediocrity, making it a clear middle-of-the-road album.

Favorite songs: Mr. Soul and Bluebird stand out as fantastic tracks.
Least favorite songs: Everydays and Expecting to Fly.
Album artwork: A very whimsical cover.

I've always wanted to like Elbow but have struggled to connect with their music. That said, I was looking forward to giving The Seldom Seen Kid a proper listen to see if it could change my mind.

I can definitely see the appeal of this album—it has shades of Coldplay and Radiohead, two widely beloved bands. Musically, it’s fantastic, and the lyrics are beautifully crafted. However, for me, the pacing feels quite slow. A song like The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver is undeniably beautiful, but it’s not something I could listen to repeatedly. The album leans heavily into a melancholic, almost dreamy atmosphere, which doesn’t entirely resonate with me.

Favorite song: Grounds for Divorce—a great track with a strong, driving energy. I also like One Day Like This, though it has been overplayed in recent years.

Least favorite: Starlings—it’s such a slow start to an album that it feels like you’re waiting for something to happen.

Album artwork: A cool cover. I also really like the interactive version on Apple Music.

I had never heard of Ute Lemper before, so I had no idea what to expect from Punishing Kiss.

The album has a distinct German Gainsbourg vibe with a touch of Bond soundtrack flair. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me. It feels raunchy but ultimately unimpressive and cabaret—definitely not something I’d revisit.

Favorite song: If I had to pick one, Passionate Fight would be my choice.
Least favourite song: every track
Album artwork: She’s undeniably stunning.