Reviews by soundowl

(Light 7/10)

"Don't You Want Me" is such a bop, I was led astray into expecting the entire album to match it's lush and neon-tinged vibe. No; rather, this entire record borrows more cues from Kraftwerk than other new wave contemporaries. The synths and drum machines are much colder and more robotic than you would expect, and Philip Oakey's vocals are just as emotionless. Take "Darkness" for example, or even the chilling "Seconds" where Oakey muses over the mortality of man and how fast something as taking a life can happen as contrasted by someone's entire lived experience. Indeed, this record is surprisingly dark in tone outside of a few upbeat cuts on side A. The single of this album doesn't appear until the final track, also adding to the alienating nature of the tune. It just feels so out of place and tacked on that it also just doesn't feel like the same band. I was really hoping to hear more of the female vocalists sing lead like on "Don't you want me", but they were mainly relegated to backup vocals on only a handful of songs. Considering where this group was headed prior to the creation of this album, it's a miracle that Oakey was able to persist in the way he did, but in traditional 80's one hit wonder fashion, the majority of this album doesn't hit as hard as the hit single.

(Light to decent 7/10)

Pretty good jazz record, has a bit of something for everyone, even if that works against it sometimes.

(Decent 6/10)

Y'know, sometimes a good rock album doesn't need to be anything fancy to be enjoyable, and that's what I thought for a good handful of these tunes, but the presence of "Great Expectations" and "Beth" really drags this down for me. Outside of those skips, this album really ain't too bad.

(Light 7/10)

This album is a bit of a mixed bag of different styles of alternative rock and pop, with lots of emphasis on Sinéad's poetry and lyricism of socio-political commentary, as well as lamenting personal events in her life. Sonically, this record is a bit all over the place, which kind of makes for a sort of clunky package. For all the great qualities she has as an artist, I think the overall execution for this album needed some refinement. That is not to discredit what is done really well here. Her voice is commanding and draws you in, she knows how to strike at the emotional depth of her words and accentuates the lyrics in a very potent way. The way in which she is not afraid to write about difficult topics both in the social aspect and in her own life is very admirable, especially considering the time and place historically. Sinéad was an artistic badass for sure. Obviously the cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U" overshadows a lot of the material here, but in terms of my personal favorite song I rather prefer "I am stretched on your grave" for it's unique blend of trip hop and Irish folk. It also doesn't help that Prince allegedly almost beat her during a visit to his mansion. So his connection to her popularity feels rather tainted as a result. So yeah really to sum up my thoughts, this record is rather good but deserves proper time to sit with it and absorb her lyrics. I just wish it was also more stylistically focused. Oh well!

(Decent 7/10)

Right away, this is markedly better than With The Beatles.

It opens up with the title track, which is a good fast paced rock tune with a catchy chorus and easy to sing along to melody. The guitars are good and fun, and it's just a delightful tune.

Another good song is "Can't buy me love" which is also upbeat and infectious. "And I love her" is a fantastic McCartney ballad, with sweet lyrics and a nice relaxing mood.

All of these songs are originals, which makes this the first Beatles record to be entirely original compositions, because of this all of the songs are noticeably better to me, and just overall more enjoyable.

It's still basic pop-rock and that's really all there is to it, but it's short and fun and I would definitely listen again if the mood strikes me.

(Strong 5/10)

I mean, it's nice. Just very unmemorable dad rock. Not to be too reductive, it just doesn't feel like anything I find worthwhile or exciting, or enriching. It's fine.

(Solid 7/10)

A delightful psychedlic romp, with jangly guitars, energeric vocal performances and a unique spin on the sound by utilizing a Jug in the ensemble. It's quite electrifying, the thin and reverby production might be due to limitations of the technology at the time, but in a way it makes it feel tastefully raw and almost like a live performance. The first half of the album is the strongest for me, but really there's no single bad song in the bunch. I heard this a while back, and really liked it back then, and to my pleasure it still holds up even now for me. A good listen!

(Light 9/10)

Weird, quirky, and off-kilter, Odelay is a sleeper record for me. It's brilliance didn't properly shine till much later for me.

It's the equivalent to being on quaaludes while trying to host a party. That's a good thing tho.

(Light 8/10)

Not as iconic as Folsom, but still a good time. Cash's swagger while on stage and while talking to his audience is downright badass. His performances are incredible also. I wish the main version of this album wasn't as cut down as it is, but it's still a great live recording.

(Strong 7/10)

Gonna have to try listening to this again on a different day, and actually pay attention to the lyrics and such, but as of now.... yeah this is a really solid alt rock album.

(Light 8/10)

I grew up listening to James Taylor's greatest hits comp, so his soft voice and sweet melodies are deeply ingrained into my psyche. This album is just a very nice statement from Soft Rock's champion. The title track and "Country Road" and "Fire and Rain" are incredible singles that still hold up, while deep cuts like "Blossom" and "Oh, Susannah" are very nice as well. The album ends on kind of a strange note with a few songs that feel a little too lighthearted, but overall I cannot complain. It's a nice album.

(light 8/10)

Very pretty, it's very long but it does make for some nice background music.

(Decent to Strong 8/10)

This is one of the most 90's sounding albums that came out in the 80's I've ever heard (y'know other than Violent Femmes). This thing is coated in a hard rock sheen with it's wailing guitar solos and meaty riffs, but also swirls in elements of funk rock and psychedelia such as on "Had a Dad", and "Ted... Just Admit it". "Summertime Rolls" is a straight up psych rock jam, as is the opener "Up The Beach". The bass on these songs carries them along with steady and melodic rhythms while Navarro's reverb-washed guitar chords and soaring guitar solos lift the music up like a whale breaching the ocean's surface. The powerhouse of a single "Mountain Song" appears on the latter half of the record and climbs out of the watery depths of the majority of the record to sit high on the peak while Farrell shouts his lungs out. "Jane Says" plays out the album with it's melancholic and vaguely tropical sound, about a tragic woman and her messy life. The album actually ends with a bizarre jazz-rock jam that is so absurd I actually find it endearing. Some versions of this album also end with the bonus track "Pigs in Zen" which like the song "Idiots Rule" combines 80's hard rock aesthetics with the pizzazz of 90's funk rock jamming. The song ends with a strange diatribe from Farrell and one last powerful hurrah.

Overall I really like this record a lot. What it establishes for the upcoming alt rock takeover of the 90's it does so excellently. Perry's unconventional vocals and the band's controlled sonic bombardment symbolized the evolution from traditional rock standards to a more nuanced and eclectic form of music, which would ultimately inspire many bands down the line. This is just a really really solid rock album from one of the most explosive bands; both on and off the stage, of the 80's and early 90's.

(light 7/10)

Quite intriguing, some really neat stuff in this. Definitely a grower.

(10/10)

holy shit this album RIPS

(Strong 7/10)

A solid record, containing some great songs from this iconic duo. Funny enough I prefer the Bangle's version of "Hazy Winter" lol, but "Mrs Robinson" and "America" are great tunes also. I also wish that old person track wasn't there. That was bizarre. Eh, still a good one!

(10/10)

Arguably Yes's best album, it's beyond perfect.

(Light 8/10)

Very good mixture of country folk and rock with excellent songwriting and some of Neil's best songs.

(Decent to Strong 8/10)

I've always loved The B-52's and their debut is a fantastic statement. Whether it's Fred's campy vocals or the impressive vocal chops of Strickland and Pierson, or Ricky's fantastic guitars, there's always something to hone in on here. The opening salvo of "52 Girls" to "Rock Lobster" is incredible. The dance-punk energy and the zany lyrics really put a smile on my face. The deeper cuts of the album are also matched with the same energy and bravado, even if by the time the closing track "Downtown" comes on you feel like you need a break. The length of the record is pretty perfect though, it's all killer no filler and invites you to "Dance This Mess Around" (all 16 dances!?). Love it <3

(decent 6/10)

Starts off surprisingly strong, the heavier instrumentals really benefit Morissey's vocals on this record, and the bass is pleasantly trebly and audible giving it that early 90's alt rock edge that I love from this period. After the mid-point though it devolves into the usual self-loathing that a narcissist like Moz employs to garner sympathy from their peers and the closing track "Tomorrow" is just the icing on the cake for that (the tune itself is still alright though). Probably not the worst Morissey solo album I've heard but not one I'll actively seek out either.