Rated 4/10
The title track was OK (the only one I was already familiar with), though you kind of get the point before too long. He mentions driving his Chevy to the levee precisely 7 times.
Much of the rest was a fucking dirge. Insomnia-curing piano/folk rock.
Rated 4/10
I knew the opener/title track as it's been used in various meme clips over the years. That's about as good as things got. The rest kind of just festered in my ears without leaving much of an impression. Do people really still "get it on" to this shit in the year 2026?
Rated 6/10
I was dreading this based on the "singer-songwriter" moniker; on first exposure, my chief complaint probably would centre on how the album perhaps isn't quite interesting enough to warrant its near-hour running time, but it wasn't an unenjoyable listen at all, and it left me somewhat pleasantly surprised.
Morissette employs a volatile vocal approach, where her little voice cracks, forceful croons and notable range add a fair measure of character to proceedings. She commands the requisite presence on an album such as this, where the instrumentation exists almost entirely as a backdrop for her performance, although the "backdrop" wasn't without its merits, despite very much confining Jagged Little Pill to its era with regards to stylistic features.
All in all, a pretty decent listen. I found it preferable to many of the other albums I've rated three stars, though it probably sits just outside of my "purchase window".
Rated 10/10
This is my type of punk.
Brimming with attitude, catchy but not over-exaggerated, intelligent but not overstated, and quintessentially British in its cynicism. Instrumentally, it's more than just four chords and the truth as well, with songs often stretching to breaking point as the album advances, in a manner that the likes of Subhumans would later inherit. I've got a couple of Buzzcocks releases in my collection, however this one eludes me. That won't remain the case for much longer.
Rated 10/10
Yes.
Rated 6/10
A wildly inconsistent album, but the highs are very good indeed despite being overplayed to death, and form summer playlist staples. You could probably lose most of the back end of Hot Fuss, and "Smile Like You Mean It" and "All These Things I've Done" are just a bit shite innit? But the album does radiate a sense of nostalgia for less complicated, more carefree times.
Despite being an American band, The Killers have always had a bit of a British "lad culture" whiff about them to engender appeal over on these shores. It's not ostensibly British, but compatible enough through its "cheekiness" and slightly mopey lyrical expressions. It was all downhill from here though, judging from the limited Killers material that I've been exposed to otherwise.
Rated 4/10
Rather disappointed that I don't like this, after gauging the fairly positive reception for this album.
The rumbling bass work, which sits prominently in the album's mix, was a nice flourish, and the songs themselves are easy enough to get on board with, but the deal-breaker was the vocals, which I absolutely cannot stand. The sort of whiny American nonsense which makes me want to flip a table.
Rated 8/10
I bought this whilst on my travels in Vienna last summer, knowing that it was a feature of the 1001 and an album which had been sitting on my wishlist for some time.
They Were Wrong... has received an absolute mauling on the 1001 Generator site, manifesting as one of the lowest rated albums, but I'm here to bat for it today as I really like it and feel that the wider criticism has been undue, seemingly on the basis of it being a more challenging listen than the usual indie / classic rock stuff which is lapped up on a regular basis.
This is a thoroughly intriguing blend of dance punk, noise rock and experimental music. Some of the thumping, scatty percussion on here is a joy to track, whilst the album gives off an unsettling, kind of mechanical vibe. It regularly segues from wafting, tribal krautrock-esque passages into deliberately obtuse, slightly off-kilter rock rhythms infused with feedback and wildly miscalculated tones, which set out with the intention of overwhelming your senses. It's always a step or two away from being truly danceable when the synths and percussion come to the forefront; gurning, shrieking and rattling away into a cacophony of the best kind of "WTF".
Frontman Angus Andrew exercises a similar unhingedness, where his duties align less with "singing", and more so with panicked yelping, off-key bellowing, or barely more melodious than spoken word vocals to elevate the album's uneasiness.
Rated 8/10
I really am surprised by just how much I enjoyed this. An afrobeat album where the vocals/lyrics largely take a backseat, however they weren't particularly needed as the songs were able to lock into some mesmerising grooves, and the warm, jazzy instrumentation was able to paint vivid pictures for itself.
When there are vocals throughout "Zombie", they feel purposeful and carry weight, particularly when you factor in the socio-political context informing the album. I was having a brief read on Wikipedia, which yielded some rather interesting yet tragic accompanying information, intensifying the cause for this to be an album to hear before you die due to the historical fallout that it caused.
Rated 6/10
This was a decent, enjoyable enough listen.
The obvious draw is Carole King's soulful, immaculate vocal performance throughout the album, however at varying points it did feel as though her voice was doing the heavy lifting to carry the songs through to the end. The arrangements here are very pleasant, and some of the more reflective balladeering songs manage to conjure up a spectacular mood, but overall the album is perhaps a bit too uncomplicated to truly ignite my interest.
Love the cat on the cover, though.
Rated 8/10
This is an epic album, and one which utilises Phil Spector's "wall of sound" recording style to spellbinding effect. Its immersive orchestral flourishes, entwined with Scott's instantly recognisable, powerful baritone and his poetic, vivid lyricism, all combine to provide a rock solid platform for his early career arc.
My introduction to Scott Walker was through his far more experimental, unhinged material such as "The Drift" and "Bish Bosch", which I do hold in the highest esteem within his catalogue, but this is a far easier album to digest as a "casual listen", if such a listening headspace can be deemed compatible with Scott Walker's work.
What a tour-de-force of an album. I love absolutely everything about it.
Bowie's expressive and impactful storytelling is probably at its apex here; not just through his razor-sharp, emotionally dextrous lyrics, but also through the sumptuous melodies he concocts, and the dazzling array of instrumentation which combines into such grand, genuinely moving soundscapes.
I hadn't listened to Ziggy Stardust for a fair while before this morning, and it really did solicit something in me this go around. Five stars, absolutely no question.
Rated 4/10
Continuing the Prince album trend of opening with a banger, before rapidly becoming irksome, although I made it deeper through this than I envisaged I might have when the album popped up earlier this morning. 70 minutes of his bombast and wankiness is just way too much to bear repeating though.
Rated 8/10
On first listen, I can absolutely recognise how important a document this would have been for informing the ska-punk genre. The incisive, rebellious, matter of fact lyricism, which fully lends itself to punk attitudes, really does appeal to me. It's anger and a bubbling desire for systemic and social change delivered intelligently and insightfully, through a working class British lens. Precisely my preferred take on the genre.
I'm not generally a fan of ska, particularly the American strain of it where it's far too in your face and overbearing, but I found it tastefully interwoven into this album, allowing the lyricism to take the primary precedence. It adds textural depth to the songs, making rebellion playful without veering into silliness.
Good stuff, it's gone onto my wishlist.
Rated 6/10
I'd only heard this for the first time towards the back end of last year, and had been meaning to circle back around to it at some stage to form a more developed opinion on it, so I appreciate the algorithm fast-tracking that process today.
Anyway, this album sits in a strange position of "not quite something I'd be jumping to purchase, but enjoyable enough that I wouldn't mind happening upon it again". It ebbs and flows in terms of retaining my interest (it does meander a bit too much for my liking on occasion), but there are undoubtedly some compelling offerings on here when the pace and energy are amplified.
Barrett Martin's array of instrumentation, which includes the conga, tabla, djembe, cello and harmonium, does add some interesting nuances to the album. Overall, however, I think I prefer Mark Lanegan's solo material and perhaps "Sweet Oblivion" as well, where the moodiness translates into a stronger sense of memorability. A strong 3/5.
Rated 10/10
After a dour run of albums last week, to quote the kids - "we're so back".
No notes needed. One of those albums where you just hit play, raise your fist in defiance and start bopping your head.
Rated 10/10
10/10. Proper transformative stuff. This was one of the first records my Dad ever bought (he sold all of his collection before I was born, sadly), spawning his love for electronic music which passed down to me.
Even now, approaching 50 years after the fact, this album sounds incredibly fresh and like it's from another dimension entirely. Yet, it's packed to the brim with catchy, minimalistic, trance-inducing robotic motifs, licks and rhythms which have never left my conscious throughout the time I've been familiar with it. It's a go to album for me when I'm looking for something soothing and palate-cleansing.
I think this should be in everyone's collection.
Rated 8/10
I rather enjoyed, and was pleasantly surprised by this. It's an accessible take on moody, atmospheric alt-rock fused with elements of country and folk, where the latter two don't encroach too heavily into the experience; positively accentuating the songs which generally place a greater emphasis towards the vocals.
The album began to feel more expansive in the second half, and specifically from "Stars n' Stripes" onwards, where the back end of such a track felt like it had a greater amount of room to breathe, and where the instrumentation took the reins with a slight sleaze and drifting style to it. The first half, whilst good, occupied a similar space from to track, although not in an unengaging way.
Grant Lee Buffalo, in a vocal sense, has a slight grunge/alt twang to him which brought several other 90s contemporaries to mind - a bit of a softer voice than the likes of Layne Staley, but operating in a comparable ballpark with the emotive quality to his vocals. Michael Stipe or Neil Young might be closer points of reference.
I can imagine this album pairing well with a beer over a summer sunset. I might actually make a purchase and explore further.
Rated 8/10
The pretentious, Pitchfork reading millennial musos got this one right at least. This is awesome.
A disorientating, yet playful experience designed for a trip on acid or shrooms, yet still fun and intriguing to delve into in a sober state. You've got all sorts of layers of swirling, warpy electronics and echoing vocals duking it out with one another because why not, but the songs remain anchored to catchy pop sensibilities, follow logical structures and exude a very human warmth, ensuring it isn't just an alien lab experiment gone wrong. The production on this one is immense as well, providing the ideal, vivid platform for these songs to wrap themselves snugly around the surface of your eardrums.
It reminds me in many ways of Yo La Tengo's more experimental tendencies, LCD Soundsystem, The Flaming Lips and Brian Wilson crossed with IDM/space ambient. No surprise that Sonic Boom would later take an interest in these guys, sounding out Panda Bear for a collaboration.
It's gone onto the purchase list. Sorry, not sorry.
Rated 10/10
A cast-iron classic. A much more "straightforward" offering than the proggy grandeur which can be observed on "In Rock", but the kaleidoscopic riffs on here are undeniable, and the vocal harmonies are ever-ingraining. The b-side of this album is about as strong as any you'll come across, anywhere in music.
