Reviews by mikey_nc

A chill if unfocused album with a diversity of sound. Interesting but not too impactful.

Made me feel like I was in Ratatouille.

Best song: Amsterdam

This album basically created the entire sound of 80s rock. This led to a bunch of terrible bands, but I get why so many teenagers decided to start terrible bands off this album. Pop metal perfection.

Best song: Jamie’s Cryin’

I guess that was “innovating” reggae but I don’t like its innovations. Way too squawky and boring.

A pretty good rock album, one of the most original of the early-2000s garage rock boom. I do think the album is lacking in guts, for lack of a better word. Only a few songs have real bite to them, and except for Maps (which I don’t like as much as most do anyway), the slower artier songs are uniformly the weaker ones.

Best song: Date with the Night

A strange and buoyant little album, bouncing between moods and genres. Not all the songs are much good, but it’s a fun listening experience.

Best song: Enjoy Yourself

Does this need to be on the list? Surely not, but I thought it was very pleasant and relaxing, if unadventurous. It strays to the edge of cheesiness but I don’t think it ever quite gets there.

Best song: Tears All Over Town

A very weird and very sad album, about as crushing of a breakup album as you’ll hear. I have no desire to listen to this again, but I come away respectful as ever of Bjork’s unique talents.

One of the most tedious albums I’ve ever heard. Not really bad per se, but man is it flirting with a 1.

Can’t tell if it’s funny or sad that the album cover is MJ’s vision of a “bad boy.” The music is pretty good. This is not as tight as Thriller for sure, and he’s not as suited to this weird rock-ish sound as he was to disco and R&B, but he could still pump out classics on an off day. Should we still be listening to him? I really don’t know. He’s dead anyway—it’s God’s job to judge him now.

Best song: Dirty Diana

Maybe the first “concept album?” This album can drag at times, but it’s really successful at establishing a mood and ambience. Great for, unironically, the wee small hours of the morning.

A long and weird mix of jazz, downbeat electronica, and world(?) music, tied together by the impending doom of nuclear war. Certainly has some low moments (tikitikitatikitikita for one), but still a creative and fascinating album.

A bizarre, bombastic, nerdy rock symphony. Some weird moments and sus lines but I was pretty into it.

A desert island album for sure. It might be the only jazz album some people ever hear, and that’s OK by me.

Best song: So What

It’s not like I have a problem with this, it’s nice background music, but… what’s the point? Do people dance to this?

A classic and pristine fusion of blues, rock, folk, country, and pop: a real “American music” album. I’ve never listened to this front-to-back and it has such a mythic reputation that I did find myself a little disappointed. As much as I like the laid-back sound, it bordered on sleepy here and there, and Christine McVie is a glaring weak link among the three singers. But at the end of the day, come on, it’s Rumours. It’s good.

Best song: The Chain

Not sure what this had to do with John Coltrane or To Kill a Mockingbird

There were parts of this that didn’t click with me, but I found it pretty unique and engaging as a total package. Pretty sure my ancestors were mostly English so sorry boyos.

Nice atmosphere. A little same-y and a little too lush, but I enjoyed the sound of this.

Best song: Wrong

Very chilly and rich album with great atmosphere. I’m not a goth but I understand those tortured souls a little better now.

Best song: Dominion / Mother Russia