Reviews by mcthrasher

I like the idea of combining surf rock and new wave, but the voices are so grating, especially the women.

Was this an album, or just the same song 10 times in a row?

Great voice, lovely instrumentations (always appreciate the bass harmonica), heartfelt lyrics, nothing to not like here. I’m thinking Dennis was the true genius of the Beach Boys. The only negative I can say is that there’s too much reliance on fade-outs.

Excellent use of sampling combined with real instruments and Lennon-esque lyrical absurdity. The songs do all kinda hit the same vibe, but it’s such a unique vibe and there’s just enough variation that you really don’t mind.

Every song feels so incomplete. They pick one riff or vibe and stick with it for a couple minutes. There are no build-ups or dynamic changes or bridges to speak off here.

Every song is so same-y, and it’s not a good vibe to repeat on every song. Very boring.

Some very pleasant songs that all hit nearly the same exact tone. Nice to listen to, but tends to fall into the background.

Nice variety of sounds and styles, but the utter lack of levity and the constant gravitas really holds it back from being accessible on a more emotional level.

Some nice riffs, but way too repetitive.

Some good ol’ outlaw country. Often sounds too thin. Could have used another instrument in there for sure, just to flesh it out a bit.

Pretty generic and forgettable.

Some nice instrumentals, but the vocal parts sound like they’re just being made up as they go. Very undefined melodies. Every song sounds the same.

Some interesting ideas, like combining folk with string arrangements, but most of the songs amount to just two chords and monotonous vocals.

Some good moments, but it feels like they focused too much on making the songs long and complicated, rather than making them good.

Scheiße

I did not enjoy a moment of listening to this. The vocalists, both male and female, sounded like they were trying way too hard to sound ancient and folksy and whimsical, and it just doesn’t work at all.

Every song is just a mid-paced rocker à la AC/DC. Very boring.

I liked how some of the songs were sorta bit-crushed like a bad Likewire download, gave the album a unique vibe. Beyond that, it’s all boring as sin.

Pretty much awful in every way. Bad singing, badly produced, badly written. And then it went on to influence some of the worst groups ever.

With a better singer, this coulda been something. Unfortunately, the Gordon Gano vocals only work with The Violent Femmes.