Rated 6/10
Of what I know, Suede is easily my least favorite of the big four Britpop bands. They lean a lot more into a post-punk sound that is pretty hit and miss with me. At its best, I find this album agreeably energetic and somewhat melodic. At its worst, I find it overwrought and/or anonymous. Although I don’t think I’d say I outright dislike any of it, I think almost everything I’ve heard by Oasis, Blur, and Pulp is more interesting or appealing.
3/5
Rated 2/10
Honestly? I thought I was going to hate this, but in fact, I *really* hated it.
0/5
Overall pretty solid, even if it’s not inherently my thing.
3.5/5
Rated 4/10
A generous 2 stars because “Paper Planes” is so damn good. Was surprised by how borderline insufferable I found the rest.
2/5
Rated 8/10
“Armenia City in the Sky” and “I Can See for Miles” are the two major standouts here, though “Our Love Was”, “I Can’t Reach You”, and “Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand” are excellent as well. It’s not peak Who for me - their next two records are among my favorites of all-time - but still pretty great overall.
4/5
Rated 6/10
A few good songs here, and they were still better than the shitty hair metal acts that they inspired, but it’s ridiculous that this album is here instead of some of their better 70’s albums.
3/5
Rated 6/10
I mostly enjoy this for nostalgic purposes; these days, if I’m gonna return to Incubus, it’s gonna be A Crow Left of the Murder.
3.5/5
Never been my favorite album by any means, but I'll be damned if I don't love the energy, the attitude, and the melodies. And not for nothing, but the playing is a lot better than many would lead you to believe as well. I get why it's not everyone's thing, but these fine young upstanding fellows are a-ok by me.
4/5
Rated 2/10
The title track saved it from the coveted 0-star rating.
0.5/5
Rated 10/10
My third 5-star album in a row, how did I get so lucky! This one is genuinely my second favorite Bowie record, and maybe the one I have the biggest emotional response to. He may never be an absolute top-tier artist for me, but you'll never find me arguing the merits of this one.
5/5
I've always thought My Aim Is True was my favorite Costello record, but damn, maybe it's this one? The guitar tones are incendiary, and Elvis' lyrics and hooks are as strong as ever.
5/5
Rated 10/10
I’ve had this album at 4.5 stars for a while and I have no idea why. It’s a 5 star album, I love every single song. Pretty sure Harvest and Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere are still my top 2, but this may surpass After the Gold Rush as my third favorite Neil.
5/5
Rated 6/10
It's good, but I'd rather be listening to Fleet Foxes.
3.5/5
Rated 6/10
Definitely a step up from Crocodiles, though still not as good as Ocean Rain, in my opinion. McCulloch falls back on *a lot* of stock new wave/post-punk melodies, especially in the back half of the record, but I think he’s a decent vocalist, especially when the melodies are a bit more inventive. Highlights for me are “The Cutter”, “The Back of Love”, “Clay”, the title track, and “Heads Will Roll”.
3.5/5
Rated 10/10
Beyond perfect. No notes.
5+/5
Rated 6/10
Better than most sophisti-pop records, I suppose.
3/5
There are still moments where the British whimsy is just a bit too much for me, but overall, The Kinks usually get away with it better than any other band or artist. I think I will always prefer at least Arthur to Village Green, if not a few others as well, but fuck…the opening track, “Picture Book”, “Last of the Steam-Powered Trains”, “Big Sky”, “Wicked Annabella”…there’s just so much damn good stuff here.
4/5
Rated 8/10
When I’m in the mood for it, it hits the spot like nothing else.
4/5
Some elements feel a bit one-note, but I do think it’s a sonic step up from Tigermilk. Murdoch is not a particularly strong vocalist in my opinion, but he’s such an expert melodist that it’s hard for him to not deliver said melodies at least somewhat effectively. As was the case with Tigermilk, I think the opening track (“The Stars of Track and Field”) is the main winner, but I was also taken with “Me and the Major”, “The Fox in the Snow”, “Get Me Away from Here, I’m Dying”, and “Judy and the Dream of Horses” in particular.
4/5
Rated 4/10
Moments of musical interest can't overshadow the lackluster vocals and energy.
2/5
