Reviews by meemesker

This is what I wish Jakob Dylan and The Wallflowers sounded like.

Janelle Monae is one of those artists that sounds so good in writing but when I actually listen to her music, it doesn't end up doing a whole lot for me. My expectations play a big part in how I respond to it of course. My main issue is that I want/expect her to be more experimental, closer to the way she seems to be described in the rave reviews. But when I listen to the music, it comes across way too poppy/pretty/polished for my taste. It sounds like this could be a Broadway musical actually. Maybe someday it will be? The Sci Fi concept album is right up my alley but it doesn't sound particularly Sci Fi to my ear with all the pianos and strings and such. I mean it's pretty and everything but it's not out of this world.

I thought it was just okay at first, but you know what, I'm not feeling it.

This sounds like The Cure trying to overcome a horrible hangover by taking a bunch of speed and ecstasy to power through it. I find the whole thing pretty grating but the worst element is definitely the singer's voice. He makes every song annoying with his strained wailing. So jaded it's dull.

I listened to this twice and it completely washed over me both times. Absolutely nothing stuck. I'm actually kind of amazed at how completely neutral this music is. It's like reverse osmosis water.

I have not listened to much Coldplay besides their biggest hits on the radio, etc. I know they are both extremely popular and extremely disliked. And perhaps the fact that they are extremely popular is a part of why they are extremely disliked... I don't really feel strongly about them either way. They sound like U2 trying to imitate Radiohead with a dash of Oasis thrown in here and there. They're very competent at crafting these dramatic dynamics but I'd rather just listen to their influences. They don't really seem to add much to the conversation. In fact, I'd have to say it comes across as a bit watered down. Like Radiohead for people who don't want to be challenged.

I'm starting to think I might be allergic to Southern Rock. Either that or I have a Southern Rock intolerance. If I drank enough whiskey it might help me to be able to digest this deep fried pork chop of an album. Either way I think I might end up puking.

This may be their most refined and engaging album. It feels very conceptually unified as they begin to focus more on something closer to pop song structures with lyrics, at least on Side A. The fluid 3-track song suite of Trans Europe Express / Metal on Metal / Abzug on Side B is like a mini railway version of their masterpiece Autobahn, but with a much funkier beat. Quite a ride. This album is also a big step for them in becoming the robots they were destined to be in Showroom Dummies. And I must say I geek out every time when they name check their real life rendezvous with Bowie and Iggy on the title track. Absolutely historic. They were electronic music pioneers who were so far ahead of their time that they were essentially in a league of their own. You may not dig their schtick, hell, you may not even care for electronic music whatsoever, but, like it or not, these affectless Germans changed the sonic possibilities for music across multiple genres, some of which they nearly single handedly created. Hard to pick a favorite album by them but this just may be it for me.

REM are the godfathers of indie rock. They were the epicenter of what was then called college rock, which would then mutate into alternative, and finally become indie rock as we know it today. I feel like people take them for granted now, partially because their sound was pretty much completely absorbed by others in their time, and partially because they don't have a particularly aggressive sound - something that I actually appreciate them for. I get tired of rock and roll having to be cranked to 11 all the time. This is easily one of the most important and unique debut albums of the 80s. The jangly guitars, melodic basslines, and toe tapping beats are certainly nice, but I think the real secret sauce is in Michael Stipe's poetic lyrics and seemingly casual but subtly emotive vocal delivery.

Starts really strong on the first couple of tracks but I feel it loses momentum whenever singing is brought into the choruses. I like it when she leans more towards the experimental. Beats are very moody and atmospheric and it's a real 3.5 for me but ultimately it feels more like an assemblage of fairly distinct singles than a cohesive album so I'm gonna round down.

I've always been kind of surprised that The Roots' model of hip hop with live instrumentation wasn't a more popular format. They have a very dynamic and punchy sound. Don't really understand the "Water" track in the middle of the album. I could see it working as a "secret" track at the end but, ironically, it just kind of breaks up the flow. Same goes for "Something in the way of things" - it's nothing against the tracks per se but rather their pacing and placement. And the high energy/clubby final track is just out of nowhere and feels kind of tacked on. The album seems to suffer a bit from CD era bloat.

This is at once her most experimental and most casual sounding record. I appreciate everything about it - especially the way she emphasizes the percussion. She lets her voice rip here in a way that she never really has before, and it stops you in your tracks. She's holding nothing back. This album captures both her intensity and her playfulness equally well. Love the message and love Fiona Apple.

Cloud Nine is a standout track. I wish there were more tracks like it on the album. Runaway Child stands out too, but not in a good way - some of the production choices kinda irk me. The rest of the album is pleasant and all but it literally put me to sleep.

This is the Kanye I miss. He broke the mould for the mainstream hip hop of the time here. Expanded the palette lyrically, beatwise, and, I'd argue most importantly, emotionally. He had the audacity to simply be himself rather than hiding behind a cartoonish projection (except maybe on the album cover). Yes, there's tons of over the top boasting to be found here for sure (par for the course), but he's just as likely to be introspective, even self critical, or, heaven forbid, vulnerable. I love that he is so transparent and open in telling his story through music. It sounds funny, but for somebody who has gone on to practically become the dictionary definition of an artist who is out of touch with reality, he started his career being eminently relatable. This album is absolutely bursting with ideas and emotions. All over the place in a contagiously exciting way.

What's not to like? Passed this one up on vinyl awhile back and now I regret it.

This is one of the most creative and unique albums in all of hip hop. A sprawling 2 CD set that essentially functions as two separate solo albums packaged together. I feel like it was a brilliant way to reconcile the age old problem of artists wanting to go in separate directions. I was a huge fan of Stankonia and Aquemini in college and was elated when this was released. I must admit I have listened to the Andre 3000 disc many more times over the years but Big Boi's disc is completely solid as well, and much more akin to their previous output. It's just that The Love Below is such a strange genre bending cocktail that I find it completely irresistible. Reminds me somewhat of Sign o the Times era Prince in many ways but goofier with and more lighthearted (for the most part). I feel like both Big Boi and Andre 3000 were both being completely true to themselves here and I love seeing things from their unique perspectives. For being iconoclasts of a sort, it's amazing how casual and natural it all comes across. I only wish they would make more music together again, but this album would be hard to top.

My main reaction to this is that I find it astounding that it came out in 1980! It sounds remarkably fresh and vital after all these years. Very ahead of its time and certainly holds up well. Love their heavy sound, especially when they incorporate the electronic elements. Love the atmosphere. Only thing I didn't care for were the modulated vocals on "Wardance."

I was going to say Portishead did it better, but as this thing goes on, it just gets more and more odd, in a way that Portishead isn't. It's definitely got its own thing going on, but it's a thing that I frequently found irritating.

As someone who was more into the indie rock scene, this was one of the few metal albums my friends and I would listen to in college. There is something about the ferocity of the pace and the athleticism of the performances that kind of knocks the wind out of you, especially considering when this came out. They take it to the edge without going over the top, and that is what makes them more palatable to me than some other metal. Takes itself seriously enough to give you chills but not completely freak you out. Those high notes in the vocals are like a reassuring wink to the audience that it's all in good fun. Not something I'd put on every day but would be very welcome in the right context/mood. Stands head and shoulders above other metal from the era and holds up remarkably well over 30 years later.

This was huge when I was a kid and I have a sizable amount of nostalgia for the 80s pop sound in general - rife with synths and drum machines. Pop music from this era can come sometimes across as "soulless" because of it's tendency to be rather clean and polished but that is impossible in the hands of Tina Turner. Her imminently soulful voice provides a powerful foil for the slick, synth dominated tracks, and I enjoy the contrast very much.