Reviews by scritters

Pre Listen:
I've listened to the odd Alice in Chains song now and then, mostly in playlists others have made where it's been included. I've never really gone out of my way to listen to them, but I've been assured by trusted sources that they're a goated band.

Notable Tracks:
Sickman - Least favorite song on the album, opinion solidified after about 1 minute. Annoying refrain, pacing is all over the place, the instrumentals range in quality wildly. Almost skipped this one.
Rooster - Oh shit I actually know this one. I didn't know they made this song. Easy favorite track on the album. The slow start, the catchy refrain, the overall sound. Very enjoyable, absolute banger, may add to my playlist.
Dirt - Surprisingly solid track that really stood out to me, for similar reasons as Rooster. If Rooster wasn't on this album, this would be my favorite song.
Untitled - I like this one. No further notes.

Post Listen:
Listening to this album really makes me *feel* like I'm off the Dizzle.

Good album overall, the lead guitarist deserves a gold medal for some of his solos, and overall consistency. I'm not a huge fan of the vocalist. I don't think the lyrics really resonated with me at any point, and his vocal range sort of boils down to "soft singing" into "LOUD SINGING" and then back again. That being said, when it works, it works, and there were some real bangers on this track I've listened back to several times at this point.

The issue I really felt about the album was the banger songs were the only good parts. Every other song was either kind of mid to downright bad, and all sounded a bit too similar. The bulk of the songs don't all sound the same, just similar. Very HIGH highs, but rather mediocre lows.

I'd give this album a 3.4/5, but out of respect to my trusted sources, I'll round that up to a 4.

Pre Listen:
Haven't heard of these guys before, but the band's name goes kind of hard. "Scritti Politti" just kind of roles off the tongue. I think they were ahead of their time with a name like that, especially the "Scritti" part. Inspiring.

Notable Tracks:
Small Talk - Favorite track on the album. It's fairly catchy, the bass is thumping, the electric guitar sounds great. I'd argue this song is where all musicians playing synergize the most, creating the best harmonies and melody.
A Little Knowledge - Least favorite song on the album by a wide margin. Almost skipped it. Why is he whispering in my ear, why is his voice poorly layered with a female singer, why are both of their voices vaguely distorted? This song is one pitch-shift down or slight distortion away from feeling demonic.
Perfect Way - I could've sworn I've heard this song before. Maybe it sounds really similar to Michael Jackson, or maybe it's the keyboard part that sounds like a Mario song, idk. Feels very familiar.

Post Listen:
Overall it was alright. The highlight through all the tracks was the electric bass for me, absolutely groovy. The synth work was fairly solid, but had some random shifts in quality, both good and bad. The sound effect additions in several songs were more distracting than complimentary. The lowest point was the vocalist, his breathy-singing and high-pitched voice just made him feel like a Michael Jackson cover singer to me.

This album overall feels like foundational 80's Girl Pop. Regrettably I'm not a girl, nor was I growing up in the 80's, so I don't think I was the target audience here. It's decent enough quality I can see some women in their 60's grooving to this in the modern day.

Scritti Musik, 3/5.

Pre Listen:
Ah, Ella Fitzgerald. Back when I was first really getting into exploring my musical tastes, the first genres I found I adored were Big Band, Swing, and Jazz. Resulting I became well acquainted with Ella's work pretty early into my life, and while I don't believe I have any songs from this collection on my playlist, I'm sure I'll enjoy this music.

Disclaimer, due to the length of the full collection, I decided to only listen to Volumes 1 and 2.

Notable Tracks:
They All Laughed | They Can't Take That Away From Me - Both songs are tied for 2nd place as my favorite songs. Energetic rhythms that I can hum along to. Would be fun to sing along to as well, if I took the time to learn the lyrics.
Clap Yo' Hands - My least favorite track in the first half of the collection. It sounds fine, but it's really missing a lot of the poetic lyricism in much of Ella's work. Fun song, just feels out of place amongst the rest.
For You, For Me, For Evermore - My favorite song on the collection. This song just strums the right heart strings for me. Maybe it's the soft guitar at the start, leading into a more dreamy swing with the rest of the band. It gives me that rosy feeling of nostalgia more than any other track on here.

Post Listen:
Ella Fitzgerald has been celebrated to the moon and back from her incredibly expansive works. Her voice is absolutely Golden, and the Big Bands she often worked with compliment her talent incredibly well. They all elicit images of a romantic past from a bygone time, where things were a bit classier, and life was brighter.

Of course such a time is only fantasy, and looking in to the true stories from Ella's career shatter those nostalgia goggles. It's nice to pretend things were perfect once upon a time though, and this album transports you to such a fantasy with ease.
Love ya Ella. 4/5

Pre Listen:
Never heard of em! But I quite like the album art, goes hard, would have as a poster in my room.

Notable Tracks:
F.I.A.T. - Sounds like a track from a 90's boomer shooter or cyber-themed arcade shooter cabinet. I dig it, favorite song on the album. There's a sound like a creaking rocking chair in the background that's a bit goofy though.
Trans-National - Very torn on this track between loving it and hating it. The sample works range from pretty cool to genuinely unhinged. The beat and guitar are solid, the vocals are solid. It sounds like something from Venture Bros. Left me feeling disoriented, leaning towards disliking it.
Herze-Felde/Laibach (Skin) - My least favorite songs on the album. They're just too experimental, just kind of noise. The Revolution #9 of this album.

Post Listen:
First Non-English album I've reviewed on here, and the definitely the heaviest to date. I can feel the veins popping on the vocalist holy moly. I enjoyed the addition of non-traditional rock instruments, violins, brass, expanded percussion, etc. The experimental compositions with wild sampling were pretty cool too. The vocals are fun, the synth work is cool. The album feels very cinematic, or like it could be used in an early 2000's medieval RTS game involving demons, knights, and time travel.

These songs go hard. Head nodding, steel gaze, clenched jaw kind of hard. That being said, it's not exactly my style, and I probably won't listen to this again. If I do it'll be with other people, so we can experience the madness together, and we'll probably be drunk off ale or mead. The second half of the album also becomes a bit too experimental. Despite that, they've got a very unique sound, and I enjoyed that a lot. I'll keep an eye out for the album cover to get as a poster, just so I can remember the experience of listening to this album. 3/5.

Pre Listen:
Yet another band, album, and artist I have no knowledge of off the top of my head. No expectations going in on this one, absolutely blind.

Notable Tracks:
Viscous - The best song I heard on this album. I say best, but I wasn't really a fan of anything on here, it's just this was the only song that wasn't absolutely terrible.
Satellite of Love - I quit listening to the album on this track. Trash.

Post Listen:
So I guess this an early example of Emo Rock? Half the time Lou Reed's vocals make him sound like he's about to fall asleep. He looks positively bored in the album cover. The music they've produced left me bored as well. They sound like a Walmart-brand amalgamation of The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and a hint of the Kinks, but without any of the fun, creativity, or raw talent.

Songs about sex, drugs, and other adult themes without any talent in the actual sound of the music or lyrics might've been unique in the 60's and earlier, but by the 70's it's so played out. I guess they could be applauded for some positive themes about queerness in a time when that kind of thing could get you exiled from your community, but their music sounds so terrible, it may have contributed to LGBTQ hatred unironically.

This will be my first album I couldn't finish because of how grating it sounded. 1/5 Stars.

Pre Listen:
I've got a few Steely Dan songs on my playlist, so I have some familiarity with them. Growing up I never heard them, as my mother considers them her #1 pick for the worst band on earth. I didn't inherit that opinion, but we'll see.

Notable Tracks:
Rikki Don't Lose That Number - Absolute classic, catchy start to the album.
East St. Louis Toodle-Oo - A classic blues styled song? On a 1974 album? And it sounds immaculate? Easy favorite track on this album. A cool little jive. May add to my playlist.
Charlie Freak - Least favorite track on the album. While I respect trying out unique instruments in songs, Jingle Bells do not belong on anything other than Christmas music. I looked at the comments under this song and people were calling it a Christmas song, which comes off as a massive cope to me, considering nothing on the lyrics or theme is remotely holiday related.

Post Listen:
The A-Side of this album was much better than the B-side in my opinion. So much so I would rate the A and B side seperately, if I could. The instrumentation, lyrics, and flow work together for some real bangers through the first 5 tracks, but drop off steeply over the last 6. The vocals specifically become more slurred and intrusive over the last few tracks, to the point I wish some were instrumental instead. Perhaps it was a mixing issue, but some songs felt as though every instrument was working against each other to have the spotlight, fighting against the vocals which consistently held that spot.

It wasn't an offensive album by any means, most tracks would service completely fine as good background music for any day-to-day moment. I would have given this album a 4/5, but the latter half bumped it down to a 3/5. Got me feeling *steely*.

Pre Listen:
Another group I haven't heard of, not even in passing. I can't tell what genre this might even be based on the album cover. Going in completely blind.

Notable Tracks:
N/A - I'm putting N/A as the whole album is a live recording of what's essentially a jam/jazz session. Songs mesh and flow from one to the next, with only 5 breaks or so. If I had to choose a "favorite" part, Egbe Mi O (Carry Me) was pretty nice. I like the melody he had everyone singing. It was nice. "Black Man's Cry" was my least favorite, it felt a bit tacky...? I don't really know how to describe it.

Post Listen:
Certainly the most free-form album I've been given to on here to date. I feel somewhat conflicted about how to even go about rating it. It's music, but it's unlike anything I've heard on here yet, seeing as how it was a live recording of free-form Afro-Jazz and rhythm. It's like judging free-form expressionist dance at an olympic sporting event, where does one even start?

The beats, guitar, keyboard, occasional brass were all well played, consistently. I felt like the vocals fit well sometimes, but felt as though they were out of place othertimes. I appreciate the artists and feel more cultured after listening to this, but I don't see myself coming back, nor adding anything to my playlist. 3/5.

Pre Listen:
Haven't heard of these guys before, but this will be the first rap/hip-hop album reviewed on here. For that reason, I'm looking forward to listening to it.

Notable Tracks:
Bring The Noise - Incredibly solid start to the album. I dig it. It's funky, the sample mixing is solid. BRING THE NOISE.
Caught, Can I Get a Witness? - My favorite track. I love the beat, I love the samples, and most of all I love the lyrics. Good shit.
Night of the Living Baseheads - Weakest song on the album. Solid lyrical work, good beat, but whatever sounds like a broken clown horn in the backing track got to go. Slightly headache inducing.

Post Listen:
YEEAAAA BOOOIIII.

I absolutely loved this album. It was a fun listen, the sample work is incredible. The lyrics got several laughs out of me, and has some decent political commentary too sprinkled about. Nothing crazy deep, but I always appreciate a good call to action. Terminator X is a clown, one I can appreciate. This is classic Hip Hop, and I can recognize their influence in several more modern artists I like, that I never knew was there.

I'll definitely be revisiting this album, and will likely add some tracks from it to my playlist. I may revisit this review and bump the score after a couple more listens. I believe the hype, 4/5.

Pre Listen:
I've not listened to Rush at all really. If I've heard one of their songs at some point, it's been entirely incidental. I'm excited to listen to their work, the last album reviewed on here was by Yes, and quite a few reviews with a negative opinion of them said how they favored Rush as a Prog Rock band active around similar times. So we shall see.

Notable Tracks:
YYZ - My favorite track on the album. Has some weaker points, especially the intro, but overall is some good ol' rockin.
The Camera Eye - My least favorite track. Sort of a nothing-burger song. Goes on for much too long and is much too repetitive.

Post Listen:
It's an album, it's prog-rock. I don't know man, it's just sort of...music? I'm rather ambivalent to this album, more so than others I've listened to up to this point. There wasn't really anything unique I noticed about the sound. Some songs bordered on boring even. I bet it would be awesome to hear this album live at the very least? I think this is the most "Dad Rock" album I've heard in a long time.

The bass player has more talent than anyone else on the band methinks.

This is the first album covered on here where I didn't recognize a single song from. Understandably so. I don't really have much else to say outside of that. 2/5.

Pre Listen:
YES

Notable Tracks:
Yours Is No Disgrace - Putting your anti-war song front and center, right at the height of the Vietnam War, is incredibly respectable. I'm happy this band was part of that movement. Song is a banger too.
Starship Trooper - Tied with the song mentioned below as my favorite track. The lyric "Loneliness is a power that we possess to give or take away forever" lives in my head rent free, and I try to keep it in mind on a daily basis. The ending "Würm" of this song is such an amazing piece of psyche-rock.
I've Seen All Good People - Tied with the song mentioned above as my favorite track. A song about Chess making me feel things about the greater world and myself as a whole? The lyric "Don't surround yourself with yourself" is another one I try to keep in mind as much as I can. Amazing. Catchy too.
A Venture & Perpetual Change - Listening to this album again reminded me these songs aren't on my playlist. I will be downloading them post-haste.

Post Listen:
This is one of my top albums of all time. It's the sort of album you can listen to over and over again, and it stays fresh. It has the sort of lyricism that leaves varying interpretations upon each person, have generally positive messages behind it, and just overall leave me feeling good. The changes in tempo, mood, instrumentation, and overall direction throughout the album makes it feel almost cinematic to me.

The only critic I have is that the band struggles to stick the landing on a few songs, resulting in some awkward endings to a few tracks. I relate completely.

Yes' sound is unbelievably unique, I can't say I've found another band that even comes close really. I would kill to have Steve Howe's skill on a guitar, electric or otherwise. I want to gush more about this album, but I'm trying to keep all my reviews around a similar length. 5/5. Perfect Album.

Pre Listen:
I get this band confused with Journey sometimes. I've heard this album before on many occasions, Boston's songs have unfortunately been included in every single classic-rock radio station or default rock playlist since their debut. Due this this, I feel their songs have been overplayed to the point where any merit they held individually has sort of worn out their welcome. Despite that I'll do my best to scrub my brain of every time I've heard their songs in a public space or on a long car ride, and keep an open mind.

Notable Tracks:
More Than a Feeling - Yup, that's More Than a Feeling alright. Despite my best efforts it's just a song I've heard 100s of times. It has merit as a real classic, but man I wish it wasn't included on everything.
Peace of Mind - Yup, that's Peace of Mind alright. Yup.
Foreplay/Long Time - Would be my favorite track, if it cut off right around the 2:30 minute mark. Certainly the most unique sounding track on the album in my opinion, until the aforementioned point, where it loses it's identity, and picks up the same sound as most other songs on this album. The acoustic bits in this track are great as well, I wish they let them shine more.

Post Listen:
In the time between listening to this album and uploading this review, a time period of ~18 hours, I went and got some groceries and got a haircut. While getting a haircut, "More Than a Feeling" came on over the ceiling speakers. I can't make this shit up.

This album is solid. The instrument work is solid, the vocals are solid, the mixing is solid, it's a very clean album. The problem may be that it's too solid..? There's nothing in it that really sticks out to me, neither inherently amazing, nor abhorrent. It's the musical equivalent to that one B+ kid you knew in high school, who was really nice, decently smart, but painfully average. You wish them all the best, but ultimately don't keep up with them after you graduate. 3/5

Pre Listen:
I listened to this album once a long time ago. I remember Money for Nothing, and I remember somewhat disliking the album. I haven't listened to much Dire Straits since, so I'm going in to this with minimal expectations.

Notable Tracks:
Money for Nothing - Yup, certified classic, banger. Adding it to my playli- wait hang on. He can't say that word. MFW Dire "Straights" or something.
Walk of Life - Completely forgot this was one of their songs. Another certified classic, a real foot tapper.
Why Worry - Snoozefest, least favorite song on the album.
One World - Honestly sort of a hidden gem. Very funky, my favorite on the album.

Post Listen:
I enjoyed this album a lot more than I remembered, a lot of the lead guitar and keyboard work remind me of Pink Floyd. While it was better than I remembered, the album frustrates me somewhat. I think this band is at it's strongest with faster paced groove and vibe sort of songs, songs you can bop to. The fact this album then is mostly slower songs hurts.

It feels like the musical equivalent of going up to a dog, hyping it up by jumping around and acting manic, then immediately leaving it alone in a room. I'm the dog, and I'm left confused and wanting more of that hype. I give it a 3/5.

Pre Listen:
Who? I like green onions in my food, and I like the album cover, and I like the release year, all telling me I'll likely enjoy this album.

Notable Tracks:
Green Onions - Ohhhh shit it's these guys. I couldn't tell you how many pieces of media I've heard this bit in. Very cool, also my favorite track.
Mo' Onions - A reprisal to the song they clearly recognized is a banger? Brave. I applaud it.
Twist and Shout - Love me Beatles. Love a good Beatles cover. Simple 'as.

Post Listen:
Call me Shrek but I'm digging these Onions man. Classic 60's rock, it's smooth, it's inoffensive, it's foundational. Got me tapping my foot and and humming along. The songs have a decent variety in sound too, I'll be adding a few to my playlist perhaps. A unique thing about this album is that there really wasn't a 'Least Favorite' track I encountered, it's all quite good.

Giving the album a 4/5. Took my expectations and ran with it to higher places. While the whole album is solid, I wouldn't say there's anything exceptionally special however, which is why it isn't a 5/5.

Pre Listen:
Talking Heads my beloved :D

Notable Tracks:
I Zimbra - What a jubilant way to start an album. Absolutely love it.
Life During Wartime - My favorite track, already on my playlist before this listen.
Heaven - The 'Nothing Ever Happens' theme song. Huge for those who subscribe to the nothing ever happens line of modern philosophy.
Animals - My least favorite track. Even though it's my least favorite I still enjoy it.
Drugs - Adding to my playlist. The lyrics are not my favorite, but the actual music behind it is so ethereal and smooth. I've overlooked this song too many times.

Post Listen:
I've already listened to this album on multiple occasions, and have been a Talking Heads fan for maybe a decade at this point, so I'm absolutely biased. I love David Byrne's goofy nonsensical lyrics that occasionally have something poetic hidden in the noise. The band has such a unique sound, with lopsided guitar and bass melodies pulled along by grooving synth, and kept in check by sleek drum-play. I love this band.

All that said, I'm giving the album a 4/5. The Talking Heads have stronger albums in my opinion, and while this one is great, they've demonstrated better. I think my bias also plays a roll in how much I enjoy this album, if you're brand new to the Talking Heads, 80% of the songs on here probably sound like doo-doo to you.

Pre Listen:
Despite knowing how influential Bob Dylan is, and despite my affinity for music out of the 60's and 70's, I've never really given any of Bob's album work a good thorough listen. I'm looking forward to giving it a try, resultingly my expectations are higher than usual.

Notable Tracks:
Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again - Just like the title, this song goes on for wayyyyy too long. Easily my least favorite on song on the album. It's repetitive in a bad way.
Fourth Time Around - Reminded me of the Beatles' Norwegian Wood. Would be a great track and playlist worthy if it didn't go on for too long.
Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands - My favorite track on the album, good enough that I'm adding it to my playlist. The piano is a nice touch. It's repetitive in a good way.

Post Listen:
What an interesting album. I had a lot of comments for a lot of tracks I felt were notable, but they all essentially boiled down to a few key feelings I had about the album; Bob Dylan's lengthy drawn-our pronunciation of words, intentionally slurred lyrics, random harmonica breaks, and jumbled verses works in small doses, but becomes grating after back-to-back tracks. The actual content of the lyrics, especially in his songs relating to women or relationships, make him come off as a creep. Whether that's intentional or not I'm uncertain, but it's unpleasant regardless.

That being said I did enjoy a few of the songs, but I won't be listening to this album in it's entirety again. It's too long and Bob got on my nerves after the 4th or so song. I give it a 2/5.

Pre Listen:
I have no idea who this band is. The only Franz Ferdinand I know was assassinated in 1914, so I have no expectations for this album going in.

Notable Tracks:
Take Me Out - Hey I know this one. This is the one that made them popular I think. Classic.
The Dark of the Matinée - Rather catchy, I like the melody a lot. My favorite track on the album.
Cheating on You - Kind of repetitive, my least favorite song on the album. It has a fairly ugly melody as well, but I guess the ugliness fits the message?
This Fire - I know this one too, another hit. It's pretty good.

Post Listen:
I did know more of their songs than I realized, and even the songs I didn't recognize were catchy and overall well made. I enjoyed the swings in tempo that a lot of the songs have and how quickly their lyrics and melodies will change along with it to fit the mood.

I give the album a 4/5, I don't think I'll add any songs to my playlist as I'm not much a punk enjoyer, but I appreciate the music for the quality it has.

Pre listen: I didn't know the Ramones were a 70's band, I always thought they were 90's. Knowing they are 70's now is very interesting, their punk-sound was very ahead of their time. I always thought The Clash inspired The Ramones, but now I think it may be the other way around.

Notable tracks:
Blitzkrieg Bop - Absolute classic, used at least once in every sporting event in a stadium ever.
Chain Saw - The loud chainsaw sound at the start hurt my ears :( I had my volume too high. Also points off for pronouncing Massacre "Mass-ah-cree"
Now I wanna Sniff Some Glue - Me too kid.
53rd & 3rd - Probably my favorite track on the album. Good lyricism, varying tempo, vocal distortions, and good vocal harmonies make me like it.

Post Listen:
Overall I'd give it a 2/5. I think too many of the songs sound similar, to the point there was a few instances I didn't realize one track went on to the next. The tempo they play at is the same for like 80% of the songs on here, and the backing guitars/drum rhythms sound way too similar between songs as well. The lyrics are really good in many of the songs, but there were a few I couldn't understand what they were saying due to their THICK Impoverished Islander Accent.

I would describe the album as Punk-Rock boiled down to it's most essential components, but just like boiled water, it needs some flavor. Remarkable album for being foundational for Punk music though, and again, very impressed it came out as early as it did.