Reviews by mcthrasher

One of the greatest guitar records ever made. Every song has a unique vibe, but the album is tied together by the intricate guitar work and gravelly vocals. Sultans of Swing stays one of the best songs of all time.

Very rarely is an artist able create something wholly novel that also feels like it should naturally exist, but Eno’s creation of ambient music does exactly that. It’s not some obscure, avant-garde creation that few can appreciate, but a genre that serves a purpose and excels at it. This is music that anyone can hear and appreciate at any level, totally fulfilling the goal of creating music as forgettable as it is engaging. The story behind the album is more interesting than the album in a vacuum.

Great songs performed with rawness and high energy, what more could you ask for? It made me dream of being a kid in the 60s and having bands like this performing at parties.

Utterly disconnected album. The only through-line is the wannabe Tom Waits vocalist’s constant grumbling. Almost unlistenable.

Man, talk about overrated. I’ve heard nothing but raves for this for the past 10+ years, and this is it? You don’t need to put a voicemail skit into every single song, dude. You’d think in a genre defined so much by rhythm, that the rapping would actually be on beat, but I guess not.

I really wish the guy didn’t sing in that stupid fake crooner voice.

I love Brown-Eyed Girl and Moondance from Van Morrison, so I was really hoping like this, but it’s not quite there. The lyrics are rambling, he does his raspy scream way too much, and the instrumentals vacillate between too boring and too jazzy and weird.

Couple decent songs, but mostly a lot of synths and programmed drums. If you’re doing synths and programmed drums, why make the most basic, boring music imaginable?

A total riff-fest. Leaves you wanting more, despite how long it is. Each song feels like it takes you on a real journey. Killer production that keeps everything clear while being heavily distorted.

The second track is miles ahead of the first track, so it averages out to be pretty meh

Very unique blend of folk and jazz. Lots of excellent musicianship on display. Really missing some memorable vocal hooks/choruses. The vocals just sorta ramble and the melody feels like it’s being made up on the spot.

Man, idk how this band went from this wonderfully produced album to the trash that was Pornography. A lot of the songs have this subtly sinister energy that is harder to create than something that just sounds outright evil. I also appreciate that they don’t overuse the synthesizer. Definitely could have used more memorable vocal hooks.

There are a couple stinkers here that sound like legit goblin music, but then there are some softer songs where Tom doesn’t play up the raspy voice schtick, and those tunes are just sublime.

Standard female indie pop stuff. Liability is the standout song, and makes you wish for a more piano rock kind of album.

After listening to this, I can really see the appeal of Taylor Swift. Her lyrics are very simple, but portray a kind of bittersweet nostalgia that could really resonate with someone who has had the same kind of experiences. The music is pop as pop can be, with some songs harkening back to 80s synth pop, while others feel like the dirty pop of the 2000s.

So it’s all very good if it’s what you’re into, but it’s just not for me.

Incredible musicianship on display. Very chill, funky vibes. My only knock against it is that it is a bit TOO chill. There’s really only one mood that this goes with.

Who is this for? It’s like techno-infused rock that doesn’t make you wanna dance.

Extremely generic rock. Choruses repeat way too many times in some songs. Idk how anyone would ever be in the mood to listen to this.

Sounds like someone asked a first gen generative AI to create a White Stripes album. Pretty trash.

Couple good funky songs, but the production feels so thin. No bass frequencies to speak of. Drums too loud, and always playing the same beat in every song.