Reviews by wotanmjolnir

I much prefer old country to new country, but this is just a little bit too rinky-dink for me. It’s fine.

As far as rap, a genre I don’t like, goes, this is pretty solid. I can see why he was so huge.

It’s all going a bit Kid A!

Good album, although it does feel a bit like a Special Edition where they’ve tacked on some demos and studio outtakes to beef up the run time.

This is a perfectly fine album. Very lightweight, but that’s not a criticism, and the singles have become part of the British musical wallpaper. Unlikely to seek it out, but also unlikely to turn it off if it is on.

The big singles are now standards, and deserve to be. The rest of the album doesn’t really compare - it’s very uneven, and whilst there is some really good stuff (Spanish Eyes in particular is very strong) everything just tends to hang around a minute too long. It’s good enough.

This is not a bad album, but it’s not an interesting or memorable one, either.

I didn’t hate it, but I can’t say I enjoyed it, either. Background.

It’s like a blander The Smiths, or Arcade Fire. Perfectly ok sort of shimmery pop.

Don’t confuse them with the Go-Gos - I found myself trying to rub one out over a bunch of Australians while trying to work out which one was Belinda Carlisle.

It’s like the bit in The Inbetweeners when Simon gets the suit for the school dance, except instead of “Too jazzy?” it’s more like “Too proggy?”.

Yes, it is a bit too proggy, actually.

Cons: it’s Steely Dan
Pros: it’s not available in Spotify

I don’t think there is any sugar-coating this - it is shit. Boring, repetitive wankmusik, and it goes on for 72 fucking minutes. I’d rather stick thistles up my arse than listen to this again.

Hmmm. I have been pretty forthright in my disdain for jazz, but you know what? I actually enjoyed this. It’s not as freeform or interpretative as some other stuff, and it entertained me.

Am I becoming a fan of jazz?!

It’s one thing to spend 11 minutes ripping off your own song, but to write a song, lamenting lack of variety in popular music and with the refrain “They all sounded the same”, and then lay it over the riff from Werewolves of London is a tiny bit hypocritical.

This music is never going to be my bag, but maybe because both it and I are British there feels like a better cultural connection for me with this than any random Snoopy Dog or Jason Zed. Ok, but not my thing.

Nice album - reminiscent of the Flaming Lips, but that’s not bad. opus 40 is a truly majestic song, and whilst nothing else comes close to being as good it’s a very fine album.

This is ok, that kind of r&b / funk type of thing is not my bag, but it’s not awful

70s British Folk Rock is absolutely my thing, and you can’t get more 70s British Folk Rock than this. Ok, it’s actually 1969, but spiritually you get what I’m saying. Top notch stuff.

This is ok I guess - it’s quite samey, and also sounds like a lot of the late 60s George Harrison Beatles stuff. I could murder a Lamb Pasanda right now, though.

Why sing one note when many note do trick?

Top tip, Mary - they don’t. This is shit.

Ryan Adams may be a horrid abusive prick, but this album is really lovely. Gentle alt-country vibes, nice melodies, just really enjoyable.