Reviews by mattrickpow

Overall: 8/10

I love listening to a pop album that has banger after banger yet it's not afraid to get a little weird. Harry had an amazing voice that fit these songs perfectly and I found myself amazed by the production of the album. Really fun and I'd recommend.

Fav Song: Coconut

Overall: 6/10

Although her songs don't wow me, it's obvious that Adele is incredibly talented as a vocalist and performer. There were moments on here that really showcased how powerful her voice is. Her lyrics are honestly a bit mediocre and I think that's what stops me from loving her music. Still, this is a pretty good album overall and I could see it growing on me if I cared to relisten to it, which I honestly don't.

Fav Song: I Miss You

Overall: 7/10

Before I get into it, I find it hilarious that they opened this album with "When I Kissed the Teacher".

Abba are one of those groups that I can turn off my brain and just have some fun with some dumb songs. They don't blow me away with their lyricism or instrumentations but they know how to write a good tune you can dance to. There are lots of people in my life who fell in love with Abba thanks to the movie Mamma Mia, and I never really enjoyed that movie very much apart from the songs so I don't have a huge connection to them. Still, I enjoy the music and I think most people would as well.

Fav Song: Money, Money, Money

Overall: 4/10

I'm a little dissapointed in this one. It started off really strong with two great songs in a row, and then it just became a kind of generic, lame 80's british pop album. Way too many on this list. The bass parts were pretty great throughout though.

Fav Song: Poison Arrow

Overall: 8/10

This is a very strange album. I'm honestly surprised I like it as much as I do. A lot of the songs are so short that they feel unfinished, and the soundscapes here can be a bit of a turn off. However, I appreciate that this is an artist expressing themselves with complete freedom and he took that to the next level. Every track flows as one. It's very ahead of it's time, and although I'm not sure how often I'll listen to it, I think it's great.

Fav Song: Sometimes I Don't Know What to Feel

Overall: 8/10

I love the weird, noodly experimentation on this one...to a point. The problem is that the album is so damn long that I have to put up with a LOT of noodling that is better taken in small doses. That's really the only big complaint I have though. There's lots of hard rockers on here to balance it out, but again, this album is just too long for me to love as much as I love the other 2 Hendrix albums. If anything, this one makes me really sad that Hendrix passed away so young. It's obvious that he would have been one of the biggest names in music who would have helped move music forward. Oh well, at least he left us with a bunch of bangers before he left us.

Fav Song: Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

Overall: 8/10

Kate Bush has one of the most beautiful and versatile voices I've heard in my life. Her music always makes me stop and listen no matter what, because her songs can be so beautiful or so strange that you can't help but notice it. I don't watch Stranger Things but the one thing I can say about that show is that it brought Kate's music a lot more attention and I likely would not have known who she was or showed any interest in her music if my friend's hadn't heard her in that show.

Fav Song: Love and Anger

Overall: 8/10

Move over, Goo. Dirty is now my favourite Sonic Youth album.

It's probably their most accessible, and I admit that that is a big reason it's mt new favourite. I appreciate their experimentation, and there's still plenty of that here, but I also like to just rock out to some good tunes. I think this album is a good middle ground for that.

I also love Kim's voice on this album so much. I like Thurston but it's always been Kim that was the big draw for me. She has the perfect voice for the punkier stuff.

Fav Song: Shoot

Overall: 7/10

This is my second "Cash Live at a Prison" album I've gotten. Not sure if there's more, but I absolutely adore the energy in these albums. Johnny seems at home with these types of audiences and he shows so much charisma and a bit of humour at times. It's nice to have albums like these that show off the artists personalities so well.

Fav Song: Folsom Prison Blues

Overall: 7/10

Pretty good album from the early stages of punk. There's a ton of energy and the album feels relatively fun and positive. The vocals are kind of hit or miss for me, but it's a great voice for this type of music. The songs can get a bit repetitive but it's punk so that's not entirely a bad thing. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to know where a lot of their favourite bands got their sound.

Fav Song: Moving Away from the Pulsebeat

Overall: 4/10

Not for me. I don't consider myself a country hater (anymore) but it's funny for me to imagine someone listening to this and going "No waaaaaaay, this is cool!" He has a nice voice but it feels formulaic to me.

Fav Song: Streets of Bakersfield

Overall: 1/10

Quite possibly the most annoying album I've listened to in my entire life. The vocals are mediocre and they did a horrendous job of combining the attitude of punk with the melancholy of country. It's sad too cause I enjoy The Pogues and similar artists to them.

Fav Song: Darkness and Doubt

Overall: 9/10

So glad to see the best of Leonard Cohen after not having the best experience with another of his albums on this list. I think his lyrics shine through the best with minimal instrumentation like this. Reminds me of Bob Dylan or Nick Drake. I think his voice sounds really great on this album as well. He doesn't have a huge range vocally but it's pleasant to listen to. I'm not afraid to listen to his other works now that I've heard this.

Fav Song: So Long, Marianne

Overall: 7/10

Honestly pretty good. I love the guitar sound on this album, it's very floaty and pleasing. The songwriting itself doesn't have a ton of variety and the vocals are kind of mediocre but the actual melodies and instrumentals work really well together. It reminds me of old Radiohead a bit. I might be giving it too much credit honestly, but I had a good time with it. Definitely shouldn't be on this list though.

Fav Song: So It Goes

Overall: 7/10

I got Fragile generated for me a long time ago and I must have been in a bad mood that day and wanted to take it out on Yes, cause I gave that album a 7/10 when it's easily a 9/10. I don't tend to change my ratings on this site so it'll stay that way. After listening to this album, I now know what a true 7/10 Yes album sounds like.

The first thing I noticed was that the keyboard parts are less than satisfactory, and after looking it up I realized it's because Wakeman wasn't in the band yet. That's dissappointing.

I do really like this album though. The vocals, drumming, and especially the bass are still all awesome. The guitar work is also a lot of fun but it's not really a big draw for me when it comes to this band. I think this album was a great stepping stone to get to the heights of Fragile and Close to the Edge.

This is unrelated but Chris Squire was tall as hell.

Fav Song: I've Seen All Good People

Overall: 8/10

This is a pretty chill album. It opens with Drive, which has to be one of the more calming R.E.M. songs. There's definitely peppier moments sprinkled throughout but this is more acoustic based than anything they had released prior. The slower stuff works really well for them.

Fav Song: Man on the Moon

Overall: 9/10

I JUST bought this album on vinyl a few days ago. I adore Peter Gabriel. His era as the frontman of Genesis is one of my favourite eras of any band and his solo career is pretty incredible too. This album is a slow burn for the most part, with ballads taking up most of the runtime. But then there's Sledgehammer, with one of the funkiest basslines ever written (thanks Tony Levin!) Then you have Don't Give Up with the Kate Bush guest vocals. Awe man, the more I listen to this and think about it the more I like it. I'm so glad this man gave us so much amazing music.

Fav Song: Sledgehammer

Overall: 6/10

Pretty mediocre rock that's propped up a LOT by There She Goes, which is a pretty great song. There genuinely wasn't anything else that really stood out to me but it's also hard for me to call any of it bad. I just didn't really care all that much.

Fav Song: There She Goes

Overall: 7/10

Very cool. Very ambient. When your dad composed the score to Lawrence of Arabia, you definitely need to prove yourself if you decide to make your own music, and I believe Jean-Michel did with this. It's mostly ambient and atmospheric but there are times when the music feels more bouncy and upbeat. I recommend it.

Fav Song: Oxygène, Pt. 2

Overall: 10/10

Pretty good stuff, I'd say. Still hits just as hard at 28 as it did at 13, maybe even moreso. Especially the song Time. It's always been my favourite song on the album, but when I was younger it was because of the incredible atmosphere and vocals rather than the lyrics and the way it makes me feel. I cry almost every time I listen to it now. I think I'll keep appreciating it even more as I age, as well as the other beautiful songs on this masterpiece.

Fav Song: Time