Reviews by theblanderman

A paint by the numbers average indie album. Unfortunately it had 2-3 "anthems" which just make my blood boil I hate them so much (Divorce being the worst offender). But there was good instrumentals throughout. All around not for me. 2/5

While it was all over the place and very long, it was definitely a unique experience. Some very high highs (eg safesurfer) and some meh mehs. 3/5

Not a bad listen. Some songs stood out more than others, and a few were flops (my god and the mother song). Fine album. 3/5

A very OK rock album. The jazz and string elements were pretty nice, though overall pretty plain. 3/5

Really not bad - a pleasant enough listen that took me several days to absorb. 3.2/5 -> 3/5

A bloated nothing of an album. The only song worth listening to was Chemical World which was instrumental. 1/5

I was pretty impressed with this album. While I'm typically not the biggest punk fan, I found the lyrics to be great, the music to be unique and the beats to be pretty bumping. Not bad. 3/5

Really not Damon Albarn's best work. Pretty boring and uninteresting outside of the first song, with a few exceptions. 2/5

A really great krautrock/shoegaze album. Not as many interesting hooks as a CAN album, but was engaging throughout and I'll listen in the future. 4.2/5 -> 4/5

This started off strong, but over an hour of runtime it became a bit of ear fatigue with little variation. Still pleasant, and stuck the landing with Little Earthquakes, but could have been more engaging. 2.6/5 -> 3/5

I loved this album for years, and really feel like it continues to stand out as a unique and beautiful piece of work.

I don't know any French so had no idea about the Lolita-esque "ick" factors with the concept. Unfortunately this initially soured my previous appreciation of the album and I have had a tough time listening through and connecting with the vocalists as much as I used to.

At the end of the day, I remind myself that these are characters in a story created by an artist who prides himself in being controversial. No children were harmed in the making of this album and the goal does not seem to be an "advocation" of the narrators egregious acts (though again I don't know French so can only read synopses and do not understand the nuisances of the language).

Reflecting on what initially drew me to the album: his voice is amazing, there is so much musical variation and depth across it's short runtime, it was and continues to be cutting edge, it's funky and expressive, and it all comes full circle through masterful sequencing. For a non-french speaker like me, what is there not to love? 5/5

This started strong but mellowed out a bit towards the end. The spoken vocals weren't as strong and the heavier ones. All around not bad though. 3/5

Really all this album has going for it is the title track. Some others sound like o.k. alternate versions of American Pie. Not that impressive if 1/10 songs is worth listening to. 1/5

An up and down listening experience. Generally more positive/pleasant than bad. Like a discount Depesche Mode. 3/5

Really wanted to like this but it was generally middling sitar playing with some synths thrown in. The covers made me want to rate a 1 because they sounded like bad "Sitar Hero" versions, but Metamorphosis and Sagar both elevated it. 2.4/5 -> 2/5

Wow. I assumed Brian Eno's best work was predominantly in his solo work, but this is damn well up there. I listened to Country Life before by Roxy Music and felt generally lukewarm towards it. But each song was really a standout here. The beginning is slightly more impressive than the end, but otherwise a great listen. 4.5/5 -> 5/5

Pretty good, I generally like bjork but this one has never blown my socks off. Stonemilker is a great song and there are a few other good moments. Quicksand is a pretty underwhelming closer. But all around not bad. 3/5

This album is a masterpiece. It's so short, but every second of each track is meticulously crafted to describe the emotional rollercoaster of losing love, while also threading in a consistent undertone of addiction (to both the person, and alcohol). Each song is completely distinct and stands on it's own merits, but the track list is very cohesive in its overall sound. There will never be another album quite like this album, and it's a goddamn tragedy Amy didn't have the opportunity to continue to grow her talent. 5/5

While punk is one of the genres I typically do not care for, this proto-punk album was actually pretty varied and interesting. Not bad. 3/5

I wanted to like this, but honestly found the vocals to be so repetitive that it became a tedious listen. The instrumentals were generally strong, but not enough to enjoy listening for an hour. 2.4/5 -> 2/5.