Reviews by nevele

This album feels like it was tailor-made for me. Gorgeous, emotionally honest lyrics about long-distance love? Been there, lived that, and married her, too. That bittersweet pull of closeness stretched by geography runs deep in these songs, and it’s written with that intimate melancholy that Death Cab does so well.

Transatlanticism finds a beautiful balance: the louder moments are never too much, and the quieter ones, especially the stunning title track, cut to the bone. That song might just be the best thing they've ever recorded.

And yet… it’s a strong 4 stars, not quite 5. Not because of anything wrong, exactly. The production, the sound, the style, I enjoy it all. Maybe it's just that ineffable something that keeps it just shy of greatness for me. But what’s here is more than enough to return to.

One of those cult-favorite, internet-loved oddities. It feels like a quirky student band, in the best and worst sense. colour-coded ties, barbershop harmonies, theatrical arrangements, and a kind of nerdy songwriting. Focusing on cleverness rather than emotion.

It's fine for what it is.

Pleasant surprise, this one.

A tightly produced pop-rock record that punches above its weight.
It blends energetic high school rock with sugary ballads and the album is surprisingly varied and self-assured. Lyrically, I'm not that interested in it, because it’s not aiming at the life experience of a 40-something year old man.
But my inner teenage girl? She had a good time.

"Vampire" stood out as the clear single for good reason: it’s sharp, dramatic, and catchy as hell. And while not every song reaches that same level, there’s more than enough on here to keep it interesting Olivia wears her Alanis influence proudly, and honestly, every generation needs its own cathartic, angst-filled, high school rock heroine.

I’ve tried. Again. And I think it’s safe to say now: jam bands just aren’t for me.

Whether it’s Phish, the Grateful Dead, or Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, I hear the same directionless improvisation, fret-wanking, and fan-driven mystique… but I don’t feel anything. I get why these bands have such a devoted following: by relentless touring, high-energy live shows, and a communal vibe, but none of that translates to my listening experience.

As for The Great Outdoors Jam, it brings me absolutely nothing. No standout melodies, no emotional pull, not even the novelty of weirdness to hold on to. Just a long, flat blur of jamming. I endured it more than I listened to it.

This is a confident, genre-hopping debut that shows Valerie June’s range and charm, but also struggles a bit with coherence. There’s no denying the talent here: the songwriting is strong, the voice is distinct (if not for everyone), and there’s a heartfelt musical curiosity in every track.

Produced by Dan Auerbach (the Black Keys guy), the album has that retro, lo-fi 60s sound. But now, more than a decade on, it also dates the album a little. It’s the kind of nostalgic production that can slide into kitsch, and I found myself wondering on several occasions how these songs might’ve sounded with a more modern or timeless sound.

Valerie June clearly has a deep love for blues, folk, soul, country, and gospel, and she pours it all into this album. The downside is that it sometimes feels more like a tour of her influences than a fully formed style of her own.

FREAKS TO THE FRONT!

An album I know inside-out and one that hits like a punk rock bolt from the blue. Comfort to Me is loud, raw, and totally unpretentious — a hurricane of fresh punk energy paired with direct, no-nonsense lyrics that don't care about literary polish. And that’s exactly the point.

Beyond the sound, this one’s personal. After 262 days of lockdown in Melbourne, they were one of the local bands to hit the stage at the Play On Victoria gig in 2021 — and the crowd needed that chaos. Amyl & the Sniffers made sure we got it. The Sidney Myer Bowl crowd of 4000 got as rowdy as possible with masked faces and aching feet — and when the band kicked off, something shifted. It wasn’t just a show; it was a city exhaling.

Every track here is tight, forceful, and urgent, and Amy Taylor is an absolute star — unfiltered, charismatic, and commanding.

Comfort to Me doesn’t try to be clever; it tries to be real. And it nails it. It's just punk as fuck.

What an album. In retrospect, this might be the best rock record of 2017. At first, it feels like a confident blend of Springsteen’s open-hearted rock and The National’s poetic introspection. But as the album progresses, the Springsteen-esque energy gives way to slower, string-laden ballads, and that journey—from swaggering to reflective—is what helps justify its nearly 80-minute runtime.

David Le’aupepe’s voice carries it all: deep, rich, emotional, and not afraid to belt it out when needed. He’s clearly been through a lot (seriously, look him up), and this album feels like a cathartic purge—ending with titles like “Our Time Is Short” and “Say Yes to Life,” it's got soul and affirmation in equal measure.

Sure, Gang of Youths cranks the grandeur knobs, and occasionally goes overboard with strings or cinematic flourishes—but the melodies, hooks, and feel-good energy are so strong, it’s hard not to get swept up. And above all, it’s performed with passion and heart. No idea how this album passed me by for so long.

I'll admit Fontaines D.C. never really made it onto my regular rotation, though I’ve always liked the singles. I've listened to all albums since Dogrel, but hadn't heard this one yet. So I went into Romance curious—would it bring that same post-punk punch?

Yes and no. The spiky post-punk sound is mostly gone (only “Here’s the Thing” and “Death Kink” echo that older style), replaced by a broader sonic palette: Britpop, shoegaze, '90s alt-rock, indie, even hints of orchestral pop. And yet, it still sounds like Fontaines D.C., largely thanks to Grian Chatten’s unmistakable vocals. Honestly, I think this shift works in their favour—great bands grow beyond the genres they started in.

There are real highlights here: “Starbuster,” “In the Modern World,” and the jangly, Smiths-like “Favourite” are standouts—each one distinct and memorable. But I don’t hear the masterpiece that some others seem to. Tracks like “Desire,” “Horseness Is the Whatness,” and “Motorcycle Boy” just don’t stick, and others like “Sundowner” or “Bug” are decent but not revelatory.

Still, Romance feels stronger than their last two albums, and maybe even on par with Dogrel. It’s a confident reinvention that might explain why Fontaines D.C. have become the post-punk flag-bearers of their era.

Listened 4–5 times over 24 hours and… still conflicted. The musicianship? Undeniable. The first two tracks—What About Me? and Shofukan—landed hard with their tight grooves and rich, layered production (at times giving off Mars Volta vibes, which I dig). But as the album went on, the endless solos started to blur together. Technically dazzling, sure, but emotionally? I'm not sure it's talking to me.

Maybe they're expressing something deeply felt—or maybe I'm just not wired to receive it. Still, I get why people love it. I just don’t know if I ever will quite love it myself.

I was going to write a whole thing down but thought better of it. Marillion will just never be for me.

I was deep into Tori Amos 30 years ago, and Under the Pink was a key part of my musical experiences. If Little Earthquakes was raw emotion, Under the Pink is its more polished, possibly more powerful sibling—helped enormously by the stunning production.

Back then, “Pretty Good Year” was the standout for me. Now, after a relisten, it’s “God” and “Past the Mission” that really hit. “God” especially—what a wild, unpredictable piece. No two notes land where you expect, yet it’s all held together by her voice and conviction. Slower tracks like “Icicle” and “Bells for Her” still shimmer too.

This one holds up—smart, emotional, strange in all the right ways. A reminder of how far-reaching and fearless she was (and still sounds).

4,5*

The kind of band where deep fandom hinges on live context, inside jokes, and patience for extended improvisation.
The crowd’s enthusiastic clapping at the start of Stash is pure “you had to be there,” and if you weren’t, it’s more alienating than inviting. Like listening to a cult. And the fretwanking goes from “interesting detour” to “where are we even going with this?” real quick.

Didn’t seem like my thing at first—too sweet, too much autotune—but a few tracks in the second half like “Unfold” pulled me back in. Not sure yet, but there’s something here. I'll give it another go and maybe it'll grow on me.

It's not bad, but John Martyn for me is always a story of never rising above mediocrity

It's a chaotic, horror-obsessed blast of psych-rock and garage energy, full of songs about zombies, vampires, the devil, and aliens.
there's definitely some psychosis at work.

A highlight in the electronic Krautrock. It seems to have all the basic ingredients that would make electronic music big about 15 years later

The first album on this user-generated list already surpasses almost anything that was classed World Music in the original 1001 list. Organic, deeply rooted sound that isn’t filtered through Western pop sensibilities.
Superb start.

A laid-back, competent record that coasts more than it compels. Clapton’s playing is tasteful, but being a great musician doesn’t always make you a great songwriter. The covers and traditional arrangements are fine, but little here truly grabs you. Even the big hit “I Shot the Sheriff” feels more like a respectful studio rendition than a reinvention. It's a background listen, not a standout. And I might've been hoping a bit more for my penultimate album on this journey

Black Holes and Revelations is an epic yet exhausting listening experience, made for grand gestures. Muse's mix of rock with classical and electronic elements gives them a distinct sound, and on this album they fully embrace the bombast. The production is slick, theatrical, and takes itself very seriously—which suits the apocalyptic tone of the music and album, but at times also feels a bit over the top.

Tracks like “Map of the Problematique” and “Knights of Cydonia” are definite favourites—MotP reminds me a bit of Depeche Mode, while KoC is so excessive that it circles back around to being impressive.

Man, early 2000s pop albums really didn’t know how to stop at 40 minutes, did they? The album is frontloaded with singles, but the last 7 songs feel interchangeable, once you get past "Rock Your Body," the album starts to blur into a polished but samey stream of filler.
The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo) and Timbaland sure know how to write a catchy pop tune, but the production sheen can’t save the weaker tracks, and the emotional range just isn’t there to sustain a full album listen.