Reviews by mattrickpow

Overall: 10/10

Yeah, so this is kind of a masterpiece. I hate that I ever hated Radiohead as much as I did, I genuinely can't get anywhere near that mindset again when it comes to these guys. This album is genuine art and the members of the band should be so proud of themselves.

Fav Song: No Surprises

Overall: 6/10

This was okay. I love rock led by women normally, but there wasn't really anything on this album to hook me in. Decent, but nothing special. Especially when I saw this compared to Jagged Little Pill. You wish.

Fav Song: Shatter

Overall: 8/10

Every time I saw this album cover, I expected the music inside to be gloomy, depressing and boring. Imagine my surprise when it actually ends up being very upbeat in it's music with lots of variety in it's sounds. There are times where this album almost crosses over into new eave territory. The basslines especially put a big smile on my face. I haven't analyzed the lyrics enough to know if they're depressing or not, but for now, this is a great and danceable album.

Fav Song: Kick in the Eye

Overall: 8/10

This might actually be my new favourite Sonic Youth album. They're a band I've always appreciated, and when I saw how many albums they had in this list, I decided to save them all for when they pop up in the generator. I had a feeling that listening to all these other albums in the list and getting a better idea of my tastes would help me appreciate these guys more, and I was right.

This album has everything that I love about Sonic Youth: Thurston and Kim trading on vocals; the weird, almost otherworldly guitar parts; the sonic (lol) soundscapes. It's all here, and the songs themselves are surprisingly melodic and fun to listen to. Such a great album, and I'm glad I waited to listen to it cause I get the sense that I would have hated this a year ago.

Fav Song: Shadow of a Doubt

Overall: 6/10

This wasn't a very enjoyable listen for me at first, but once it got going I started to vibe with it a bit. Maybe not for me, but I respect what Coltrane was trying to do here.

Fav Song: Pursuance

Overall: 3/10

It's shitty acoustic Springsteen.

Fav Song: State Trooper

Overall: 7/10

So Slipknot were one of the bands that got me into metal (and yes, they are metal). I listened to this album constantly in high school, so when this popped up, I got a little nervous. I thought "is this going to hold up well after I haven't listened to it in almost a decade?" For the most part, yes. The first half of the album is banger after banger and there's still some great stuff in the second half as well. I may not be as obsessed with Slipknot as I used to be, but I still enjoy this in a nostalgiac way.

Fav Song: Sulfur

Overall: 8/10

This song is a stanky, funky bong rip that hits just right. The beats are fire and the flow is on point. Some of the lyrics haven't aged well, but this is just too much fun to ignore.

Fav Song: How I Could Just Kill a Man

Overall: 3/10

After listening to the rest of this album, I'm shocked that these guys were able to write a song as good as The Humpty Dance. That song alone is the reason this isn't getting my lowest rating. The beats all suck and the lyrics are so gross and misogynistic. There were a few moments that made me laugh but it wasn't enough to make me enjoy this. Just listen to The Humpty Dance and skip the rest.

Fav Song: The Humpty Dance

Overall: 8/10

Another banger album from Stevie. Fun, funky and beautiful in so many ways, this album is a real treat. The one big issue for me is that some of the songs drag on, and there's SO many of them. But it doesn't even matter because Stevie knew how to write a good jam song.

Fav Song: I Wish

Overall: 6/10

This is a smooth, sexy album with a gorgeous voice that acts as an aphrodisiac. The songs start sounding very similar after a while, but that first half was getting me going. The basslines are especially buttery and fun to listen to.

Fav Song: Dancewitme

Overall: 5/10

My initial reaction was to hate this. That vocalist is godawful and I really hate the guitar tone throughout. However, as I was listening, I found myself being really impressed by the songwriting, and even though I don't like the guitar tone, the actual playing is great. So, at the end of the day, I'm going to chalk this up as an okay album that could have been great if the band had a less annoying vocalist and better production.

Fav Song: Pantomime Horse

Overall: 8/10

What a strange album! I can totally understand why some people wouldn't enjoy this, but I had a great time. I got another album by these guys a long time ago from this website that I thought was great as well, but I vibe with this one so much that I almost want to see if that other album is as good as I initially thought. My favourite thing about it is the guitar, they're kind of all over the place in a way that still seems coherent and cool to me.

Fav Song: Rebellious Jukebox

Overall: 10/10

I was really scared to get this album for a long time. I'd heard that it can be a very challenging listen, especially with the apparently made up language and long tracks. I don't think I really had anything to be afraid of, cause this is one of the most original, beautiful albums I've ever heard in my life.

First of all, the two things that scared me about listening to this ended up being my two favourite elements of the album. The gibberish adds an almost alien-like atmosphere to the album, especially with the occasional phrases that resemble english. There were times where I felt like I knew exactly what they were saying even though it wasn't anything.

I also think the long tracks were perfect for this type of music. It's so ethereal and calming and beautiful and having the tracks go on long tangents made you feel the atmosphere even more. I was actually dissapointed when I checked the song length and it didn't cross the 10 minute mark.

I 100% think this is one of the best albums I've ever heard in my life. Everyone on the planet should listen to this because it's so creative and beautiful. This is true art.

(I'm reading that the lyrics are just Icelandic but I like the idea that it's just a new language better.)

Fav Song: Flugufrelsarinn

Overall: 6/10

This is a fun, proto-punk album that feels like it would fit in perfectly in the new york scene of the late 70s. I will admit, it's incredibly flawed. First, it's a live album, and I already don't enjoy those typically. Second, the vocalist isn't very good and the recording makes it hard to understand him for the most part. Overall though, I think this is an important album historically and worth listening to.

Fav Song: Kick Out the Jams

Overall Rating: 4/10

The fun thing about listening to this album was realizing just how much I dislike Def Leppard! Don't get me wrong, there's certainly stuff about them to enjoy, but I didn't realize just how much of the garbage radio rock that I hear out in public was made by these guys. The entire first half of this album was basically a greatest hits of poop. I can understand the appeal, but I've just gotten so sick of these songs over the years.

Fav Song: Armageddon It

Overall: 6/10

This is a strange album. There were parts of it I loved and parts of it I REALLY did not like. It was at it's best when it slowed things down.

Fav Song: Two Doves

Overall: 7/10

It's a bit all over the place, but I think this is a fun album! It almost feels like a B-Sides record that just so happens to have one of the catchiest songs ever written on it.

Fav Song: Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard

Overall: 7/10

I honestly really like this album. I'd go as far as saying that I LOVED this album in high school. I just love the vocalists voice, always have and always will. Some of the lyrics haven't aged well at all, but I think this is still really great rock music.

Fav Song: Wasting Time

Overall: 7/10

I found this to be very pleasant and relaxing. The pretty guitar work mixed with the whispery vocals almost put me to sleep (in a good way). I didn't love every song but I especially loved the closing track, Mary Jo. There's some really pretty flute work going on in that one that I loved.

Fav Song: Mary Jo