Reviews by theblanderman

This was a discount led Zeppelin. Some fine moments but utterly forgettable. 2.5/5 -> 3/5

A few really timeless songs, but many that kind of just fade into the background. A nice listen on the way to the airport in the midst of other life stressors. 3/5

I listened to this going in and out from Montreal. Overall pretty impressive. Who is it was a bop, and there were other great tracks as well. I didn't care for ancestors but appreciated the art. Great album. 4/5

Channel orange is a pretty good experience. The PlayStation sound at the beginning is a little offputting given the rest of the album. Some songs are easy 4s/5s for me (Sweet Life & Pyramids). Many of the other tracks are just fine. I like the vulnerability Frank showed, though. 3.3/5 -> 3/5

John Coltrane would be spinning in his grave if he heard these blaring, mutilated saxophones over this yelpy lady. A horrible album from front to back. 1/5

Horrible to think that these songs might have been about his 12 year old cousin. Lame genre and even lamer performer. 1/5

The thing about most pre-00s sonic youth is that the songs are not individually distinct and don't go anywhere. That same post punk rut that so many bands got stuck in. This album is no exception. Except for the very end none of the songs really stand out nor come alive. Totally meh and unexciting background music. 2.5/5 -> 3/5

I tried to listen to this album about five times, succeeded three of those times, and with each subsequent listen there were diminishing returns. By the time I got to "New Intro" I consistently hoped the album was over. Not horrible, but not the 4+ I wanted to round up to at some point. 3/5

While this album is certainly *fine*, John and his fans seem to think it's much better than it is. Like a mumblier Nick Drake. 3.3/5 -> 3/5

Unlike Yank Crime, this album kept me coming back through intrigue. The songs have good hooks and earworms. "Kerosene around, set me on FIRE". Some moments blend together but all around quite impressive. I also love the album art. 3.7/5 -> 4/5

Turns out even a "meh" Nick Cave is still pretty damn good. Some songs were a little too commercial, and a few less ear catching, but I'll probably come back to this one. 3.6/5 -> 4/5

There's a lot going on here, but let me try to distill how I feel.
1) Album art powerful because it's the context through which we perceive the music - it's the environment and the glue that holds everything together. This album art looks like diarrhea.
2) there is some really cool sampling on here and playing with pitch that I enjoy. (Stop this Crazy thing and Not Paid Enough)
3) there are VERY annoying bits and dated references that render the experience borderline unlistenable sometimes (Fat & Telephone)

All together not an essential listen that I wouldn't recommend to a friend. But interesting nonetheless. 2.4/5 -> 2/5

It's no wonder that TPAB is almost universally cited at the best album of the 2010s. There is so much heart in every moment of this album. It is exceptionally poetic and well constructed. Sure not every song is a pure bop, but those ebbs and flows give breathing room.
I know there are a lot of "boo hoo I don't like hippity-hop music" folks on here, but you gotta be a musical neanderthal to put AC/DC or U2 over this. 5/5

The first three tracks are flawless. And while it gets more choppy after that, I love the themes and it's so impressive that Beyonce created so much of that art at her age. 4.5/5 -> 5/5

Pretty decent psychedelic rock. 2.5/5 -> 3/5

Back in the saddle is a BOP (and I listened to it after watching Steel Ball Run which was fun) and Last Child is good, but the rest of the album was utterly forgettable. Just a bunch of innuendos as per usual. 2.4/5 -> 2/5

At first the music was nice to listen to, and his voice was pleasant enough. But by the midpoint of the album I was looking forward to the album being over (not a good quality). Fine, but less than the 50% mark. 2.4/5 -> 2/5

I may not be much of a Lana Del Rey enthusiast, but I know "Born to Die" is the indie-pop 'i listen to something more obscure than Taylor Swift' pick, "Norman Fucking Rockwell" is the fan favorite, and "Did you know that there's a tunnel under ocean blvd" is the underground critic choice, but I've never ever heard of "Chemtrails over the country club".

And it's no wonder, it is quite dull.

The jazzy music compositions are actually pretty good, and occasionally her voice really shines through enough to push this just above a 3... but unfortunately the lyrics are so mind numbing and godawful throughout, AND she references Kings of Leon in a way that could be be misconstrued as positive, so I'm taking away a full point. 3.1/5 (-1 for the KoL) -> 2.1/5 -> 2/5

This would be awesome to see live - I feel like a studio album format doesn't do them justice. But I really liked the high intensity performances. Some of the songs are homogeneous but I like it. 3.5/5 -> 4/5

I listened to this years ago and didn't get the hype at the time.

On relisten, I hear it a bit more than in 2017, but it's an album with pretty muted peaks and troughs.

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart clearly stands out to fans. The drum breaks are cool, and the dismantling and crumbling instrumentals are super well executed. Nice way to start the album. Most of the middle of the album is good/great, but Poor Places really snaps attention back when the name of the album starts repeating in the background - very cool. Reservations is then a fine somber end.

I just wish there were a moment or two that really grabbed my attention more in the middle of the album. Still, great overall. 3.7/5 -> 4/5