Reviews by zoobee20

Brat Summer was such a time and place. A album so instantly iconic it owns a shade of green. This album is still fantastic. The remixes are great too.

They still got it. Robert Smith’s voice and style of songwriting have aged exceptionally well. I liked the use of heaviness in the latter half. Not sure it starts great but it really picks up its stride. All I Ever Am and Endsong are an incredible way to end the album. Favorites were Warsong, Drone:nodrone, All I Ever Am, and Endsong.

A couple months back I saw a trailer for a concert movie they made based on the tour supporting this album and it made me think. I can’t conceptualize wanting to listen to this music in an arena. Nothing about this really screams “I need to hear this from the upper decks in the Wells Fargo Center with an 18 dollar bud light”. A small theater? Maybe. Billie makes headphones music for when you are watching raindrops race down the window of a city bus. I do like this album though. The production is really great and the songs are well written. Her vocal skills really get a chance to shine here. Also The Diner somewhat sounds like The Way You Move by Outkast. Favorites were Lunch, Birds Of A Feather, and The Greatest.

The lyrics here are great. However, every single song sounds like Let Her Go by Passenger which is a song I absolutely hate so this sucks to me. Favorite song was Heavy Foot.

This album was not one I had heard of, but it was really good. Loved how aggressive the synths could be. Quick breezy runtime too. Biggest downside of this was how the intro was just kinda nothing for the first two minutes. Favorites were Broken, IDK, and I Want To Be Better.

Solid album by a band that has long been a legacy act. Like many other late career albums by legends it does not tread new ground and instead relies on familiar styles from what worked previously. This year’s Foreign Tongues is better. The vocals here clearly had a lot of help. Favorites were Mess It Up, Sweet Sounds of Heaven, and Rolling Stone Blues.

It was very bold of Charli to cover the Grateful Dead’s Eyes of the World for the Wuthering Heights soundtrack. Admittedly, this is a good selection of songs. Does it deserve to be here? Hell no! It’s just unfortunate that House is the most sonically interesting song here but it ends before it can really go anywhere. This is a three star album that loses one for having the audacity to be put on a list like this. Charli deserves to make an updated version of the list. Brat absolutely should be on a list like this, but if you are going to put her on here twice this is the wrong choice.

This album just leads me to ask why include this instead of anything by Boygenius or its members? It’s fine, but definitely not “essential”. Vocals sound kind of like Bon Iver. Favorite song was Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation.

Really solid dream pop album with good guitar work. Catchy hooks. Lots to love here. Favorites were Easy On Your Own?, After The Earthquake, Many Mirrors, Tile By Tile, and Bored In Bristol.

Where else will I find a song about a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand? Solid songs. Favorites were Excitable Boy, Werewolves Of London, Nighttime In The Switching Yard, Tenderness On The Block, and Lawyers, Guns, and Money.

Now THIS is the Daft Punk album that should be on the list. Nearly perfect dance album. No song here is less than great.

This is not the best Beach Boys album and I don’t think anyone can make that claim. This might be my favorite Beach Boys album. It’s so relistenable. It has the great style of Surfs Up without the clunkers that drag that album down. All I Wanna Do is the invention of dream pop.

Yeah this album is fantastic. Definitely heavier and slightly less experimental than Larks. The drumming on Starless especially is fantastic. I’ve often heard that one compared to Close To The Edge in terms of great prog rock songs and while I don’t think it quite hits the same euphoric highs it’s still a monster of a song.

I liked this in 2023 and I still think it’s pretty good now. I tend to like the more energetic songs more. The lyrics and funny and the vocals are entertaining. The transitions between songs are also very well done. Favorites were Cops And Robbers, Locals, Johnny Johnny Johnny, and Old Money Bitch.

I had not heard this one until now. I liked this more than Black Holes and Revelations. Very similar to the heavier songs of Radiohead. Vocals can get a little tiring at times but they are mostly pretty good. Favorites were New Born, Plug In Baby, Citizen Erased, and Futurism.

Shocked this didn’t make the cut on the original list when Frank Black did. Love how noisy this is. Great album. Favorites were Cannonball, Roi, Divine Hammer, and Saints.

And just like that I have reached the final album on this journey. I am glad I could discover something new to close it out. This is a really neat blend of punk and blues. The vocals took a few listens to get used to, but I think it works for the style. Some of these lyrics got really dark. Favorites were Preaching The Blues, For The Love Of Ivy, Ghost On The Highway, Black Train, and Cool Drink Of Water.

I loved how mechanical this one sounded. Every song progresses nicely and it didn’t feel like it was wasting my time. Very much enjoyed this album. Favorites were Duke of Earlsfield, Planet D, Return To Planet D, Ballad Of Nicky McGuire, and Chapel Street Market 9am

This album just kinda comes and goes. I listened to it three times because it’s short enough. Nothing here really sticks with me which is strange because I like this kind of music. I like the doo-woo inspired melodies on Dreaming Of You. Some of this just felt repetitive.

This is a pure expression of emotions and male rage. The vocals are really the standout here. I liked it but not enough to push it higher. Favorites were Gentlemen, Debonair, and What Jail Is Like.