Reviews by mkaddour2001

Solid chill-out music. This is an album that puts you in a headspace you can lavish in for days. While I do think a lot of the songs blend in with one another (upon first listen at least), I think that just speaks to how consistent this whole thing is - I respect that it remains in this very consistent, lowkey, and relatively standard cool-jazz and bossa-nova space for its duration. As the title suggests, the two artists here are vocalist Gilberto and tenor sax player Getz. Most tracks have Gilberto riding these standard samba percussive bits in the first half, with Getz coming in during the song's final minutes, sending it off with a solo. The solos can range from light and fluttery, to relatively dramatic like on 'O Grande Amor'. I also really enjoyed Astrud Gilberto's vocals on the opener 'The Girl From Ipanema' and 'Corcovado', she offers an oddly modern take on vocal jazz, considering this came out in '64 and all.

This is music that can cheer you up, and make the gloomiest of days feel sunny. Great stuff.

A very influential album, in the realms of post-rock, post-hardcore, and emo. And while I may not hold it as near-and-dear to my heart as most people, I'm still always thrown for an emotional loop whenever I put it on. Like a lot of post-hardcore of its time, this is an album that masters its loud-quiet dynamics. You'll have the hushed talking of a song like 'Breadcrumb Trails' immediately contrasted by the cartoonishly piercing tone of the haunting guitar melody on 'Nosferatu Man'. My favorite parts here are the spoken-word moments, like on 'Breadcrumb Trails', with that dead-pan and hushed delivery of the narration, the dreamlike story-telling, the way the music sort of goes along with the story, emphasizing the dramatic points - it's all very surreal, dizzying, and, at times, unsettling. This emphasis on minimalism and patience is also seen in the song 'Don, Amen' - which reinforces this album's themes of isolation, depression, and loneliness. I love the random piece of scene-setting narration that comes in from another band member in this track - it's such a strange moment in an already very strange album. The songs 'Washer' and 'Good Morning Captain' may be the most devastating songs here but for two completely different reasons. The former can be interpreted as some sort of suicide note and is backed by these very dreary, weeping guitars that feel so empty yet they're most melodic thing on this album. And this song also has this incredible explosion of noise in its final minutes. The closing 'Good Morning, Captain' has maybe my favorite bass and drum groove here. The story is also built so effectively, not just in this song, but the final minute here feels like the emotional release of the entire album like it was all building up to this one really cathartic minute.

This is a very sad and cold album, it borders on lifelessness though in a mostly good way - desolate and deserted may be better words to describe it. It feels like you're being sucked into this world where there is nothing to rejoice in. You're not going to get insanely skillful playing or the long-winding song structures and crescendos usually associated with post-rock on this album. What you will get though is a lot of atmosphere, space, and a genuinely powerful experience that will stick with you for a very long time.

While I don't listen to them as often now, Outkast is really one of the most important groups in my life - in fact, they were the first "Band" that I was ever fully obsessed with. They had such a colorful discography, and while at first, I avoided this album with the impression that it was some bloated mess (sort of still is lol), I've grown to realize over the years that it's a key piece of the Outkast constellation. When I zoom out and look at Outkast's discography and why it's so incredible, eclectic, and unique, this album's importance makes itself evident, despite it usually ranking below other classics like 'ATliens', 'Aquemini', and 'Stankonia' for me. With this album, you're just getting two very solid discs that so effectively spotlight both artists' strengths in these semi-vacuums, but also some of their weaknesses.

First is Big Boi. While often overshadowed, I've always found him to be so incredibly smooth and genuinely quite unconventional with his flow at times. And I enjoy a good chunk of his solo work post-Outkast as well, especially his 2010 debut 'Sir Lucious Left Foot'. His disc here is sort of a precursor to that album - it has some of the best bling-era and early 2000s rap songs of all time, packed with a lot of that southern Atlanta flare. 'The Way You Move' is relentlessly catchy and smooth, 'GhettoMusick' is such a kickass opener with such an earworm chorus, 'Flip Flop Rock' has one of my favorite Outkast beats with those sour guitar tones (+ a JayZ verse at this time!). 'War', while a common subject matter in 2003, is such an effective commentary on the precarious situation of the time (incredible beat switch too). Also, no one talks about 'Unhappy' but that song in particular got me through some difficult times back in the day - so blissful. So yeah 'Speakerboxxx' is just your perfect hip-hop music of the 2000s - not experimental for the time or anything, but just doing the sounds of this time more than justice. It's also very easy to fill up a playlist with these songs.

Then there is Andre's side, which I was more indifferent towards at first, but I've grown to love it a bit more recently. I mean Andre's obsession with love and his affinity for eccentric and oddball, over-the-top theatric artists like Prince is very clear with the music and writing here, you even get a Prince cover with 'She Lives in My Lap' - a great cover honestly with one of his best vocal performances. The whole thing plays out like a Broadway musical to me, 'Love Hater' being a perfect intro for this. 'Happy Valentine's Day' is one of the few songs that has Andre rapping on here, but even with that aside it's one of the strongest songs on the disc - I love the arpeggiated synth and the refrain that send the song off. The two standouts are in the middle with 'Hey Ya!', (which doesn't need to be talked about - it's just classic), and 'Roses' which is a perfect display of Andre's sense of humor, and yeah it's also super catchy. The next run of songs, while fun at times (say for maybe 'Pink & Blue' which I really don't like), are mostly forgettable. Luckily the disc closes off strong with a duet with Norah Jones on 'Take Off Your Cool' and one of Andre's best rapping performances on 'A Life In The Day of Benjamin Andre', displaying the rapper's knack for storytelling once more, though in a more mature manner.

At one point I would've said that I can only appreciate this album from a distance, picking out a select few songs to put on repeat. Nowadays, I can say that Big Boi's side has certainly grown on me a lot more, and Andre's side is far less self-indulgent than I had initially made it out to be. I think more than anything, I now see it more for the double-album masterpiece it is. It really is insane that an album like this exists in the midst of the very repetitive and, at times, bland early bling-era hip-hop scene. I just can't, at my current age, hate on an album that's oozing with this much character and life. Music like that just doesn't come around that often.

Yeah, I think I'm good. It was as bad as I expected it to be. Any decent or passable production moment here (I didn't despise it on 'Take a Look Around') is soiled by the rapping. Durst is a YouTube rapper years before the fact. He is the most intolerable thing here. Yes, the production is tacky, messy, and all over the place - but what could've been a charming, aged, so-bad-it’s-good quirk is ruined by Durst and his whiny voice. I can't stand it.

A lot more subdued than I'd usually expect out of Nick Cave (after having listened to a good chunk of his gothic '90s work - obviously 'Boatman's Call' aside). And while Nick Cave, his voice, and his lyrics are the usual draw on his albums, I found the production on here to be more uninteresting and unalluring than usual. There are some gospel elements here, especially in the first half, and I did enjoy some of the bluesier and country elements of the second half (which I liked more overall), but the production, especially in the first disc, didn't sound as grand as I feel like it should've been - it felt sort of washed out.

Nick Cave also tones it back lyrically, it's more intimate, warm, and calm. You'll get those story-driven tracks like 'The Lyre of Orpheus' or 'Fable of the Brown Ape', the subtly twisted themes of 'Cannibal's Hymn', the explosive climax of 'Let The Bells Ring', and a genuinely catchy and enjoyable love song with 'Breathless'. It's all very dense, yet at the same time, some of the more easily digestible in his catalog.

While not my favorite from him, it was a nice listen front-to-back and an album that really embraces its double-album format.

My first Van Morrison, and I think I'm at peace. At least I'm more at peace than I have been all week. The music, for one, has no right to sound this good for the '60s. The baroque arrangements are all so lush and detailed and constantly flourishing and shifting. Each song builds so subtly that before you even know it, you're entranced. It's the standout musical elements here, that subtle progressiveness. A perfect example of this is the song 'Madame George', which has a nine-minute length that just flies by, like a good night's sleep.

And Morrison's voice is just filled with so much conviction, emotion, and sheer power. He's not afraid to get unconventional. At times, he'll randomly switch up a core melody and even get tangential with his ideas. And like the music, his voice just builds emotionally. On the lyrical front, it's an album that resists easy analysis after only one listen - but as it goes with folk music, it's filled to the brim with evocative imagery relating to nature, love, and intimacy. 'Beside You' might be my favorite as it seems to relate to the singer's child, but it's tough to pick just one. The writing is gorgeous; it feels like every minute, there's a line or two that steals your attention.

I'm mesmerized and absolutely in love with this album. Super excited to see what else this guy has in store (after I bash myself in the head for not having listened to him sooner).

DC's very own Bad Brains have always been one of my favorites, if not my favorite, of the city's early hardcore scene (sorry Minor Threat). Their self-titled debut is about as fiery and fast, yet as skilled as early '80s hardcore could get. This album, while more melodic, slower, and metal adjacent (I guess sort of post-hardcore in many ways), I've always appreciated for completely different reasons. 'I Against I' is one of the band's best songs and sort of harkens back to their more straightforward DC hardcore sounds (with the structure almost mirroring that of 'Banned in DC'). While a song like 'Let Me Help' has a lot of the guitar work you'd expect out of '80s metal, especially with that guitar solo, but again, with a larger appreciation for vocal melody. Songs like 'She's Calling You' and 'Secret 77' are sort of funky as well - with these prominent basslines; these remind me a lot of what Fishbone was doing around this time. And while they tone down the straight-up reggae cuts on this album, their appreciation for the Rastifarian culture is still put on display on a few of the songs here, especially on 'House of Suffering'

So yeah, I really enjoyed this, maybe not as much as their straight hardcore debut, but it's a solid switch-up nevertheless.

'Fever To Tell' has always been one of my favorite post-punk-revival albums of the 2000s, but that album's younger electronica-tinged brother 'It's Blitz', I've never really connected with. Like their debut, Karen O's quirky and charming delivery is the ultimate draw here, but the production I find doesn't suit her as well. 'Heads Will Roll' is the standout here - a song I enjoy even after that one overplayed remix. For the record, this original version is leagues better. 'Soft Shock' was an early highlight as well. It sort of reminds me of why I loved 'Maps' so much with its melancholic synthpop instrumental. 'Dull Life' was catchy, and 'Skeletons' was also a decent slow-ballad, but it's really the second half of this record that loses me.

I think if I squint my eyes, I can sort of morph the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to an early 2010. pop-group, and maybe this record would make more sense to me then. But I just can't do that, no matter how hard I try - this album will always feel off to me - like a band who strayed way too far from their original sound. Nothing wrong with that, of course; it just doesn't work for me in this particular case. I feel similar about some of Modest Mouse's 2000s work, though admittedly, I enjoy those albums a heck of a lot more.

I've been enjoying The Byrds more and more with each album. They're a band that is, at the core, country-rock but with wide-reaching cross-genre sensibilities, an aspect that keeps me engaged on each new listen. They've always been quite poignant and politically conscious lyrically as well - it's something I've always appreciated about them. That and they can write some damn incredible songs - I mean 'Have You Seen Her Face' and, especially, 'My Back Pages' are two of some of the most gorgeous pop-rock songs I've heard out of the '60s. Those harmonies, melodies, and the bright guitar solo on the latter are to die for. It all sounds so good on the production end as well - I mean, you'll still get those classic '60s "experimental" studio post-production moments with songs like 'C.T.A' and the psychedelic 'Mind Gardens', but the closing 'Why' demonstrates the band's natural abilities with those jangly guitar leads.

I was very lukewarm on these guys when I first heard them. But after this, 'The Notorious Byrd Brothers', and even Gene Clark's solo work, I feel comfortable labeling 'The Byrds' as one of the best out of the '60s.

It's a pretty cool record and, honestly, quite ahead of its time in many ways. And maybe it's because I associate "UK Rap" with its more recent 2010s boom, but I found Dizzee's rapping style to be quite innovative, especially for 2003. The other visionary aspect has got to be the house-tinted production here, which, on songs like 'Wot U On?', sounds like the popular industrial rap of the 2010s. 'Stop Dat' has some horror-core elements and is easily the most insane production here, firing on all cylinders with those constant switch-ups. I also really enjoyed the following 'I Luv U', with that petty back-and-forth between the two MCs - it was satisfying to listen to.

Unfortunately, it was the album's length that bothered me the most. There are satisfying braggadocious rhymes for days, like on 'Fix Up, Look Sharp', but it seems like every song here had Dizzee airing his grievances about a significant other or friends he deems to be fake. On some songs, it works, but nearing the end, it gets redundant and tiresome. 'Jezebel', while somewhat insensitive, serves a decent cautionary tale and lyrical switch-up nearing the end of the record. I feel similarly about the introspective closer 'Do It!'. And while I think the production on this album was ahead of its time in many ways, its clunkiness and rudimentary nature bleed through on many of these songs. The closer 'Do It!' was amazing though, with its gorgeous and almost proto-cloud-rap beat. The hooks were occasionally annoying - but certain ones grew on me like the back-and-forth of 'Wot u On?'. And I just couldn't hate the hook of 'Jus' a Rascal' considering just how ridiculous it was.

The album aged both well and poorly at the same time. While there were some enjoyable moments, and the rapping was genuinely solid, its length ultimately wore me out. There just wasn't enough variety in the beats and lyrical themes to justify its nearly hour-long runtime. Sorry.

Friggin cool. I'm a sucker for this late '60s, intangible, low fidelity, grainy, psychadelic music that takes on this almost dream-like quality. And this one has a Brazillian-pop twist! It almost reminded me of the VU debut in many ways, with those occasional female-vocal-led soft ballads, like the dreamy 'O Relogio' and 'Le Premier Bonheur Du Jour.' I also really liked the song 'Baby'; it had this super cutesy organ lead and maybe the catchiest chorus on the album. 'Bat Macumba' goes all the way with those insane tribal drums, and that bassline is to die for. 'Ave Gengis Khan' was also a memorable closer, taking an almost krautrock direction, reminding me ever so slightly of a CAN song.

Just a really fun album to get through. Music like this just takes your mind to a million different places. And I'll say the grainy quality of the recording only amplifies this effect.

Blah blah blah, Britpop is not for me, blah blah. I mean, it isn't, but I'm not going to repeat that every time I listen to one of these Britpop albums (even though I just did). But I feel like I understand my dislike for this genre much better after listening to this. Just like Oasis, there's no personality here, no unique sound to warrant this album's fifty-plus minute run time. It's just an album comprised of other pre-existing (90s) sounds from artists who did said sounds way better. I mean, even the huge song off this album 'Song 2' felt like a big ball of nothing to me. Needless to say, Daman Albarn would go on to do infinitely more interesting things with Gorillaz.

Some moments here were somewhat interesting. I enjoyed the ominous 'Theme From Retro' and the organ-driven 'Death of a Party," which might be my favorite song here. The quirky, off-kilter acoustic ballad 'You're So Great' wasn't too bad either. However, everything else felt so boring and empty, especially the 8-minute closer 'Essex Dog," which did absolutely nothing for me and was just one big droney mess. So, yeah, I didn't like this one at all.

Yay, it's my favorite '80s hair-metal group. Def Leppard has always managed to take one of my least favorite "scenes" in rock music and turn it into something I can genuinely enjoy. Because I mean, by the time these forty-five minutes were over, I was only a little bit agitated, which is good! And it does contain all of those typical tropes that I usually don't even like, the high-pitched screechy vocals, the call-and-response choruses, and the excessive "Rock and Roll" pride (which, to be honest I disliked the song 'Rock Of Ages' for that exact reason, too cheesy for my liking). But god, there are some great tracks and some borderline Iron Maiden-esque passages here, like with 'Too Late For Love'. I mean, Iron Maiden is obviously still leagues above this band, but it was a parallel that allowed me to enjoy this song and the whole album, nonetheless. 'Photograph' might be the band's sweetest track - who knew harmonizing the word "Photograph" over and over again could sound so good. 'Comin' Under Fire' was relentlessly catchy and really the perfect hair metal song. Just the drama in the verses created by the muted strumming and that group chorus - so good! I also loved the closer 'Billy's Got a Gun', a dramatic closer that seems to tackle themes of violence and crime.

I mean, these guys are two for two at this point. Just the perfect glammy band. And I really do hate this sound, but these guys just make it work!

For as influential as Madonna is, I found a good chunk of the music here to be very typical for its time—it's no 'Ray of Light'. Especially on the production end, it sounds like the run-of-the-mill new-wave and new-jack-swing fusion you'd expect out of a pop album in the late '80s. And it lacks the finesse of an album like Janet Jackson's 'Rhythm Nation 1814'. 'Like a Prayer' (title track) is always fun to get through; it's those over-the-top choir vocals that do it for me, and it's just irresistibly catchy in almost every way possible. I messed with the tighter synth groove of a song like 'Till Death Do Us Part', and 'Cherish' was maybe the catchiest thing here, title track aside. 'Oh Father' was a tragic cut, detailing Madonna's abusive relationship with her father - it's easily the best of the ballad-type tracks on the album. 'Keep it Together' further builds on the themes of family dynamics and loss - a theme that takes a different, albeit equally as devastating form on the flamenco guitar-backed 'Spanish Eyes'.

For a Madonna album, I feel like something's missing when listening to this, but that's primarily on the production end. I can respect this album's lyrical themes and Madonna's undeniably charming vocal style. Plus, the title track will always be an all-time great pop song.

THE hippy-folk supergroup of the late '60s—I mean, just listen to the words of songs like 'Almost Cut My Hair', 'Everybody I Love You', and the Joni Mitchell-penned 'Woodstock'. With this many musicians driving the show, this album was bound to be somewhat of a mess, but it's a mostly good mess. You'll get the opening folk harmonization, followed by the more country-rock pedal-steel driven 'Teach Your Children', a psychedelic leaning title-track, the poppier 'Our House', and straight-up Rock N' Roll closer with 'Everybody I Live You'. It was all very enjoyable, though. I really loved Neil Young's spotlight track with 'Helpless', a song detailing his very uncertain childhood. I also really enjoyed the song 'Country Girl', perhaps the grandest sounding thing here - despite it not being the most interesting song lyrically.

CSNY supergroup or not, I think this album is just very solid in its own right. While not doing much special for its time, it does what it does very well.

I've always been quick to dismiss this band. They felt as boilerplate as this early '80s new-wave/post-punk, bordering on gothic sound, could possibly be (and a worse version of 'The Cure'). While I still think that's true to some extent, I enjoyed my most recent listen to this album more than I anticipated. The last time I listened to it was some four years ago. The opening track, 'The Cutter,' caught me off guard with how catchy it was and how layered that instrumental interlude is. It was a very danceable opener. I also really liked both 'Porcupine' and 'Heads Will Roll,' which take on an almost eastern-sounding direction, the latter being the most ominous-sounding song here.

Everything else was enjoyable and well performed, but it was kind of forgettable when it was all said and done. Maybe if it had been shorter, I would have enjoyed it more; it's just too polished for my liking, with nothing to show, really.

Reminds me of a punkier version of 'The Sparks' in many ways. It was a pretty fun listen, but I didn't really find much to connect with here. It is, however, filled to the brim with these very charming synth melodies and tones, like the ones on 'Princess of the Streets', 'Ugly', and 'Sometimes'. The new-wave leanings with those kooky synths were easily the highlight because I didn't find the vocals to be all that interesting (though still charming, nonetheless, like on 'Peaches' and 'Grip'). I did enjoy the borderline Jim Morrison impression on 'Princess of the Streets'.

So yeah, I'm not too crazy about this one, nor do I have much to say about it. I think it tries to do a bit too much for my liking. Songs like 'Hanging Around, 'Princess of the Streets', 'Peaches', and the final synth part of 'Down in the Sewer' were still great standouts.

Not unlike Yasiin Bey, Lupe was always a rapper that was incredibly socially aware, and also incredibly aware of how social aware he was. I mean right when you click play, Lupe makes it clear as day that this rap album, a debut, is about to be one of the most profound, important, and meaningful things you will ever hear. And sometimes, honestly, that feels true. At the ripe age of 24, Lupe's flow and rhyming here were not to be messed with. And while surface level at times, his political leaning raps are on par with his braggadocious, rhyme-showcasing ones. In the mid-2000s Bush era, a song like 'American Terrorist' makes an effort communicate those quiet issues relating to reactionary hatred out loud. 'Hurts Me Soul' might seem scattered in its commentary, but it actually does a great job of tying all these issues Lupe mentions together - it's quite a heartbreaking track with Lupe showing just how exhausting and exhaustive a list of issues like this can get. 'He Say She Say' is also heartbreaking, detailing the struggles of a boy growing up without a father figure from the perspective of an overworked mother. And the more enigmatic tracks here are just as potent - there's 'The Instrumental' and this idea of being stuck in the box, or the norm, and being unable to break from it, painting it as some sort of addiction. But, ultimately, it's the few wholesome tracks here that I find myself enjoying the most. While 'Kick Push II' sort of gives the song a dark turn, the tale of two young rebels skateboarding around the city on 'Kick Push' will never not make me smile. 'Daydreaming' I feel similarly about, I love this image of passively watching your hometown, and its cultural intricacies atop this cartoonishly large robot.

The beats here, they're solid. Certainly not the standout of this album but they are the cinematic, bling-era type-beats you'd expect out of a 2006 Atlantic Records rap album. I love the strings and backing vocals of 'Real', the classic jazz-rap turn on 'Kick Push', and the hypnotic arpeggiation of 'The Emperor's Soundtrack'. The hooks are solid for the most part too. Maybe not a huge fan of the one on 'The Instrumental', but the one on 'Hurt Me Soul' is incredible and of course those vocals building on 'Daydreamin'' are great.

Wouldn't hesitate to call this one of the best rap albums of the mid-2000s, it really helps define the very shiny, inspiring, and glamorous sound of this era...alongside albums like 'Late Registration' and 'Be'.

This is undoubtedly some of the best-sounding music in this lane. Crisp, fast. and even catchy like the song 'Where Was You At' - albums like this fly by and are a joy at every step. It reminded me a lot of another album I love: Black Market by Weather Report. The song 'City, Country, City' also gave me major Hancock Headhunters vibes with that long key solo and tribal drum pattern driving it forward. This was easily my favorite song here, if only because that serene closer made me feel things. 'Four Cornered Room' sounded like a bluesified Isaac Hayes song. I say that because the little spoken-word segment near the middle reminded me of him. With that said, the title track was really the most soulful song here, with these gorgeous vocal arrangements and lyrics that speak of yearning and longing in the face of injustice. Also, that building sax solo is killer.

Although I've heard of 'War' before, it's unfortunate that this album isn't discussed very often. It's truly a magnificent piece of funk-jazz music.

Very '90s, albeit very enjoyable music to just jive to in the background. Some enticing fusions here, primarily in the realms of hip-hop, funk, and afrobeat - just listen to the song 'Step It Up' to know exactly what I mean. There's a large focus here on establishing and then effectively maintaining this very jovial mood on each song. And I'd say that's what this album is ultimately about: mood. Admittedly, I wasn't a huge fan of the vocals here, at least not the lead vocals. I think it would've worked better as this entrancing '90s dance album without them (I did still enjoy the rapping here occasionally, especially on 'Playing with Fire'). I really liked the largely instrumental string-backed and luxurious sounding 'Chicken Shake', a song accompanied by this huge bass tone.

In the end, this album still manages to achieve the '90s-dance music-in-its-purest-form-and-sort-of-disco thing, vocals or not, and I ultimately enjoyed it.