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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dapper~Blueberries Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 19 2024 at 17:05


Lupe Fiasco - Samurai (2024)

Genres: Jazz Rap, Abstract Hip Hop, Boom Bap, Conscious Hip Hop, Neo-Soul, Lo-Fi Hip Hop

Rating: 4.5/5

You know, besides Derbe Respect, Alder, I have not reviewed a pure hip hop album this whole year, especially one that came out in the year of our lord. Guess I should change that with this album.

Before going about this review, I didn’t really know Lupe Fiasco. Guess he flew under my radar beforehand, since he’s quite popular in the rap scene. His most popular song on spotify, Battle Scars, has about 378 million listens, and not only that but he has been on some very popular projects, like Late Registration by Kanye West, The Adventures of Bobby Ray by B.o.B, and Doo-Wops & Hooligans by Bruno Mars. This man has been around the music industry quite a bit, and hearing a release from him now, I can see why.

Fiasco is quite the rapper! He has this lush and calmness to his vocals and flows that feel tranquil to my ears. The way he goes from lyric to lyric with a very smooth rhythm makes him really pop. His singing voice is also quite nice, almost having this RnB like charm. He has an almost Frank Ocean-esque tone in his more soulful vocals, which, after listening to Blonde, makes me appreciate this high all the better.

I also really like the backing beats on here. Originally I was going to say that this album felt like a love letter to the rap albums of the past, say stuff from A Tribe Called Quest or Mos Def. While that sort of sound does resonate a bit on here, this is more of a modern take on the whole jazz rap and abstract hip hop themes, going through an almost pastoral level of moods in order to create something that feels both relaxing, whilst at the same time thought provoking. It’s like how Earthside’s Let the Truth Speak was a sort of pastoral answer to the metal scene, but here it is hip hop. I quite love it actually, especially on tracks like Palaces, Outside, and especially Cake.

Speaking of which, Cake is quite a blast to hear. The rhythms, the lyrical contents, the flow Fiasco has, and the backing vocals create an absolutely amazing number of pop rap sensations. Everything on the track just fits so organically together, almost as if Fiasco himself baked us an actual cake with this track. It has layers to it, and I really love it. Just a good fun song.

However, I feel like this album has a bit of a problem, and that is mostly stemming from the concept and length. The concept is mostly about the music industry and the struggle of being an artist in it, which I don’t mind. Many great acts I love have done music with the same concepts. My main issue isn’t that, more so the album with the first track and album cover paints a different sort of context. In fact, when I was about to get into it, I thought I was gonna get something like a Wu-Tang Clan inspired record, but instead I got something completely different, which I don’t think is a bad thing since I still heavily enjoy this piece of music, but I do kinda wish Lupe kept up with a sort of samurai theming throughout the whole, to sort of drive home a linking between each song other than just the concept of the music industry being crappy.

The length is more of the bigger issue though. All the songs are really, really great, so much so that after the album is over I get the feeling of wanting much, much more. I get the whole phrase of “short and sweet” and “quality over quantity”, but I think Lupe has shown quite enough talent that I believe he warrants some more time to shine rather than a measly 30 minute run. Guess there are other albums from him though, but I dig the sound off of Samurai so much that I don’t really know if I will enjoy his other works as much as I do this one. Guess time will tell about that.

Definitely, at least as of right now, my favorite hip hop release of 2024. It has quite a lot to really enjoy here, and I think any raphead should check this one out for a good time. Lupe Fiasco is now in my radar, so I will be sure to see what more he has to offer. Really great stuff!

Best tracks: Cake, Palaces, Outside

Worst track: N/A
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The Microphones - Mount Eerie (2003)

Genres: Avant-Folk, Psychedelic Folk, Drone, Tribal Ambient, Field Recordings, Musique concrète, Experimental

Rating: 4/5

One man bands have become a lot more realized with the advent of new technology and recording techniques within the late 20th century, to the point of finding a “band” that has only one member has become a lot more common nowadays. One of the more popular of these single artist bands comes in the form of The Microphones, helmed by Phil Elverum. While Microphones has had past members, they were mostly for backup vocals, whereas Phil practically does all the work. The project would stop in 2003, being sort of replaced by Mount Eerie as Phil’s main project, though he would go back to the Microphones name in 2020 with the apply titled ‘Microphones in 2020’.
I do quite like this project honestly. It may not be my favorite of the whole indie folk scene, as Sufjan Stevens takes more of the cake in that regard, but Microphones do have quite a lot going for Phil and his musical output that I enjoy, with most of my enjoyment stemming from his, before 2020, last record under the Microphones name, that being Mount Eerie.

So, for starters, this is an album I’d classify as a “dark side” which means it is an album that is practically one big track, but split into multiple songs, just like Dark Side of the Moon. Now don’t be mistaken as this isn’t a prog rock or prog folk record. In fact, it is a stark departure from the other works Phil has made before this. Comparing this to his other big record of The Glow Pt. 2 is like night and day. It is a very unique record in all facets, still primarily folk, but it does have more roots in genres like drone, musique concrète, ambient, and krautrock to name a few. This uniqueness does make it stand out from the other stuff Microphones has put out, and possibly from other records in the indie folk scene. I really like this, if you haven’t guessed. It feels like a proper last hooray for The Microphones project. It is a reconstruction into a completely new project, while still containing the familiar beats and movements that made The Microphones into a well renowned musical escapade.

I feel like the musical elements here work quite wondrous within the more lo-fi soundscape that Mount Eerie offers. While Microphones have always been shown to have a lot more lo-fi textures and elements, especially with his debut of Don't Wake Me Up, Mount Eerie showcases a realization of his musical odyssey, using the noisy lo-fi textures into account when making the music. The starting track, the 17 minute The Sun is a good example of this fact, blending pops and crackles of the audio recordings, as well as ambience with flavors of Faust-like krautrock, and a very cryptic ending monologue at the tail end showcases a level of understanding within the more disorienting world of avant-garde techniques. Another example of this is the title track of the record, which has moments where Phil’s vocals seem to dissolve into the underlying static.

However, I feel like Phil doesn’t quite put these soundscapes to their full power. Aside from the examples I have told, the album feels barren, but not too empty to encapsulate the melancholic energy, which I think is a very missed opportunity. While I may not really like albums that feel too depressing, like Kid A or Closer, I think Mount Eerie would actually benefit greatly from the desolation those records provide. It feels too warm in a lot of ways, especially with Solar System and the first Universe. They’re not bad songs, but they feel like a stretch where the album doesn’t quite know whether it should be cold and lifeless, or be filled with a strange sense of energy. Perhaps it's the inherent uniqueness of the album that is its double edged sword, stabbing itself occasionally when it has nothing else to fight for.

As well as this, I find the finale of the album to be quite lacking, as the second Universe track just doesn’t excite me all too much. Perhaps it is because of me being spoiled with other “dark side” records having quite amazing endings, but I find the second Universe track to be a lacking ordeal that doesn’t quite end the album on a strong note. While listening to the record I was sure I would get a very strong closing track that’d blow my socks off, much like how Eclipse or Louise Louisa did for me, but all I got was a good, but not stellar closing.

While I wouldn’t call this record a masterpiece in any way, I think it is up there with my favorites of The Microphones’ discography. There is quite a lot to love about it, and even the songs I had complaints towards are still quite good. I definitely suggest checking this one out if you can, especially if you enjoy a good mix of avant-garde folk with droning krautrock stylings.

Best tracks: The Sun, Mount Eerie

Worst track: Universe (2)     
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dapper~Blueberries Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 07 2024 at 14:31


My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)

Genres: Shoegaze, Noise Pop, Dream Pop, Neo-Psychedelia

Rating: 4/5

I have sort of wanted to review a My Bloody Valentine album for a bit. Originally I wanted to review m b v first, but due to an album swap giving me Loveless, I guess I’ll start my endeavors with what is commonly coined as the best shoegaze record ever made.

Released in 1991, Loveless was sort of an experiment for the band, trying out new guitar vibratos and tunings to see what they could produce. This is why the record cover has a picture of a guitar on it, as all of the songs revolve around it.

In fact, I’d say this is one of the few records that actually sounds like the cover, as the guitars on Loveless sound distorted, colorful, and washed over in a mysterious light, much like the cover presents. It is as noisy as I described, but it is a good noise, for the most part. The noisiness the record advertises is certainly a highlight for me, weaving through dynamics the songs provide. While past, and even some future projects My Bloody Valentine has made did show off the distortion to great effect, Loveless is definitely where they put it to its most ripe use.

However, I do find the noise to get sort of overbearing a bit, and at points not in a particularly good way. When it works, like on Only Shallow and I Only Said it is quite amazing, but sometimes like on Loomer, Touched, and To Here Knows When...it kind of makes me want to file a noise complaint. I feel like previous My Bloody Valentine projects, like the EPs and Isn’t Anything do a far better job with the noise then Loveless in my personal opinion. Sure they were very raw, and more punky, but they had a much stronger handle upon the noise than what Loveless loves to show-off. You Made Me Realise is a good example of this, as they work in the raw, unfiltered production into account for the EP. While Loveless certainly has good production, I sometimes feel like the guitars are too up in my ears for me to notice any of the other elements. I love noisy shoegaze, but sometimes I also want to hear more than just guitars blaring in my ears. At that point I will just turn on a Boris album.

However, the elements this record can showcase are quite superb! Kevin Shields and Bilinda Butcher are both excellent vocalists for the music. Bilinda especially has such a wonderful singing voice that I think complements the heartfelt lyrics incredibly, especially on the opening track of Only Shallow. Oh, and Colm O'Ciosoig is quite a great drummer here too, giving a lot of oomph in the wake of the distorted guitars. He is really strong in Only Shallow too! Actually, speaking of such, Only Shallow really is the best song on here in my opinion. It is an amazing opener, with a strong, almost proto-blackgaze hook with the guitars, perfectly showcasing what the album is about.

However, again, there is a part of me that finds this to be their weakest effort, at least in terms of the studio. Sure, it is still very, very strong in terms of the whole shoegaze mythos, but I feel like maybe this record is a bit...overrated. I hate using that word, but I just find this record to not be as amazing as some people say it is. Whenever I listen to the album, I sometimes ask myself “This is pretty good, but shouldn’t I be listening to m b v instead?” or “This song is great! But wouldn’t it be even better if it sounded more akin to the stuff on Isn’t Anything?” in a sort of vicious cycle. A part of me DOES want to view this as a five star, in fact it hurts me that I am giving something like this a low four, but the more I hear it the more I just find the other two records the band has made to be far more rewarding. I know this take is as hot as the pink upon the cover, but I cannot deny my feelings for this album. It is probably my least favorite My Bloody valentine project ever. None of their projects are bad, mind you, but out of any and all of their releases, I much rather listen to something like Feed Me With Your Kisses than Loveless again.

However, I do not want to end this review on a low note, so I do wanna give one final positive remark on this album, by saying thank you to it. Due to its popularity with the public, it practically created a movement for more of the shoegaze style of music. Because of Loveless, I can enjoy groups like Alvvays, Parannoul, Candy Claws; Groups that might’ve never gotten their sound if it wasn’t for Loveless. In fact, maybe some great blackgaze bands like Alcest and Asunojokei wouldn’t be around if it wasn’t for the love that Loveless has garnered since its release. So, if anything, it deserves praise for that, right? So, yeah, thanks Loveless.

I do suggest at least trying this out if you haven’t. You probably have, I mean it is one of the most celebrated records of the 90s, but still if you haven’t then maybe give it a spin to see what you think. Who knows, maybe it can be a masterpiece for you.

Best tracks: Only Shallow, I Only Said

Worst tracks: Loomer, Touched, To Here Knows When
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Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Wild God (2024)

Genres: Singer-Songwriter, Art Rock, Gospel, Baroque Pop

Rating: 4.5/5

This year’s pop music has been very stellar in probably most, if not all facets! Of course we’ve gotten Kyros’ Mannequin and Joanna Wang’s Hotel La Rut, but also some rather unique approaches to the genre like Mahōgakkō by Hakushi Hasegawa, 毛布’in by pppppfffffuuuuuiiiii, Imaginal Disk by Magdalena Bay, and probably one of the most vibrant pop releases so far, Wild God by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

Despite their massive influence and popularity, my love for Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds is more of a recent kind of thing for me, all starting with this album. However, I have been loving this rather enigmatic art rock band, and just how good Nick Cave’s voice is. My favorite from this group so far probably has to be their debut of From Her to Eternity. It is so experimental yet such a fun listen, sounding kinda like if no wave era Sonic Youth made a David Bowie album. Their eclectic mix of records proves them to be a new favorite of mine, and I cannot wait to listen to more of this kinda music in the future! However, that is for a different time, because we need to talk about Wild God.

With an incredible voice that Nick Cave has, I am very surprised he hasn’t made a gospel record yet in his entire career, but I guess better late than never, right? In fact, that’s probably one of the best things about this album for me, the vocals. They feel incredibly emotional, tender, and vibrant that I cannot help but just feel the energy deep within my soul as Nick Cave pours his heart out. Joy, probably the best track of this album, shows this off in spades, focusing on his beautiful vocals and range in an impressive display of piano lead beauty. It feels like I entered into a church from an alternate universe whenever this song plays, and I absolutely love the feeling.

Another thing I really enjoy is how the subject matter of the album does feel religious, but not in an overtly pretentious way. The album definitely has themes of God and love, but they are presented in the usual Nick Cave style of vibrancy and coolness, and not like in the usual shorthanded exhibition that a lot of Christian rock and pop stuff delivers. As a Christian myself, I often get tired of a lot of media distributed for my religion since they’re either the same old bible studies that everyone already knows of, or radicalized propaganda hidden under a Jesus shaped blanket. Wild God is a breath of fresh air for me for that reason, as it does its own complete thing.

Though this record isn’t quite the masterpiece as I hoped it could be. It is still absolutely amazing, but some tracks on here certainly are stronger than others. Tracks like Frogs, Final Rescue Attempt, and As the Waters Cover the Sea are fine, good tracks that I do quite like a decent amount, but they never quite wowed me to the same extent as stuff like Joy or Cinnamon Horses. They made me abandon my masterpiece status that I originally thought this album had during my first listen, and a part of me feels like they should’ve been reworked a tiny bit to fit a bit closer with the consistently great tracks all around them. As the Waters Cover the Sea especially feels like the weakest of the bunch. It's pretty, but I think the big and loud chorus overdone it quite a lot, and the song feels just a bit too short for my liking.

Despite that one, admittedly more minor complaint, Wild God proves to be a stand out album of this year! It is a beautiful art rock and baroque pop endeavor from quite a long standing band, and it is clear that Nick Cave’s range and creativity hasn’t aged a day. Certainly a must listen from me, and a great highlight for this year’s stream of consistently good pop music.

Best tracks: Wild God, Joy, Cinammon Horses

Worst tracks: Frogs, Final Rescue Attempt, As The Waters Cover The Sea
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dapper~Blueberries Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 22 2024 at 19:51


The Microphones - Little Bird Flies Into a Big Black Cloud (2002)

Genres: Singer-Songwriter, Indie Folk, Poetry

Rating: 5/5

When you ask someone what the best Microphones album is, most often you'll hear people say The Glow Part 2, and perhaps in some cases Mount Eerie. However I say his best actually comes in between those two albums, Little Bird Flies Into a Big Black Cloud.

Odd choice to consider a masterpiece from Phil’s project, but there is something quite personally masterful about it. Sure it may not be as experimental as Mount Eerie, nor as expansive as The Glow Part 2, but Little Bird just has something that just clicked right for me when I first heard it.

Perhaps it is the very lite instrumentation, focusing more on Phil’s very somber sounding voice. Most songs here utilize an organ or piano in the mix, giving the backing a very personal quality, benefitting from the lo-fi quality the record has. Heck, sometimes there is no instrumental, and instead just pure silence with Phil’s poetry to comfort the listener. It is weirdly mystical, and I adore it in all aspects. It's sparse and introspective, but without the abundant faults such descriptors could show within an album.

The poetry on this record is also incredibly well put together. Microphones songs have good songwriting a lot of the time, but there is a sense of enigmatic beauty within Little Bird that no other album has shown. Stuff like Phil Elvrum’s Will, or Painful Storms Will Always Come to Blur My Way just has this incredibly detailed writing that both soothes and irks the core of my being in a way that no Microphones album has ever done. I feel as though I see a fraction of what Phil saw whilst making this album, and in some retrospect what he saw while making his, then, finale record of Mount Eerie.

But I actually think the biggest reason why I personally love this album is that it came to me at a time when things were changing very quickly. I listened to this album on a car ride, leaving a home I grew up in. You see, a month or so back me and my family were moving away from Wyoming to Texas, and for a lot of people moving is a massive change. It didn’t help that I was gonna be turning 18 years old in a few days, so I myself was experiencing a change that was pretty great. So, with all that in mind, you can see why I have become adoring for this extremely retrospective, and personal album.

I know for a fact I won’t make people feel the same way for this album as I do. After all, in a more objective light The Glow Part 2 and Mount Eerie are 10x better than this record, I can admit that, but in my more subjective oriented ways, I find this record to just be pure magic. Just an amazing piece of music that came at a time when I needed it most.

Best tracks: I Got Stabbed, Phil Elvrum’s Will, Three Steps, Painful Storms Will Always Come to Blur My Way

Worst tracks: N/A
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Charly García - Yendo de la cama al living (1982)

Genres: Art Pop, Pop Rock, Progressive Pop, Synthpop, New Wave, Sophisti-Pop

Rating 4.5/5

Charly García is one of the most popular musicians to come from the woodwork in Argentina. Not only was he quite the huge figurehead of the Latin American progressive rock scene with his involvement in Sui Generis, La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros, and Serú Girán, but also the pop scene, at the very least from his first three records. While Clics modernos and Piano Bar are his more popular works, I will be instead reviewing his debut solo record, Yendo de la cama al living.

This record came out a good year after the disbandment of Serú Girán, after the more pop oriented Peperina. A lot of sound traits from Serú Girán arrive on this album, like the bouncy progressive pop sound, and the more jazzy swing a lot of the music has. As a fan of Serú Girán, it was quite enjoyable hearing these sounds, especially when they’re put in a more new wave oriented context. Obviously Charly abandoned the trademark progressive rock sound he had been using in the 70s, but I can see why he did so since he probably wanted to try out some brand spanking new synths, and or probably wanted to go on to newer genres, which I can respect.

Though the more Serú Girán-ish sound design does kind of make it feel less original than what he would make afterwards. While the only other album I heard from Charly is Clics modernos, I find that record’s more original sounds give it a bit of an edge against Yendo de la cama al living. Other than that though, the record is extremely great!

Every song, in my opinion, all has this very satisfying drive and rhythm with the reverberated drums, and those amazing synths. I’d say the moment where such drives arrive at their peak is with my favorite track of No bombardeen Buenos Aires, a song that has a more jazzy swing to it, with Charly almost rapping his verses in a fun and stylish way! It is all so quirky and fun, and even though I do not know a lick of Spanish, I can certainly understand how much fun he must’ve had while recording the track.

His vocals too are a treat. They have been, and from small dashes of his stuff from today his voice seems to have aged quite well. He is like the Ian Anderson of Argentina, just without the nonsensical flute playing (though with Charley being a multi-instrumentalist I bet he can at least deliver a few wind solos if he wanted too).

Nothing more left to say other than that this is a great and fun record to check out. Charly takes the best bits of the early 80s new wave sound, and adds in his own twists and turns into it, creating a very stylish art pop vinyl. Definitely an album to check out, especially if you like Serú Girán.

Best track: No bombardeen Buenos Aires

Worst track: N/A
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Chat Pile - Cool World (2024)

Genres: Noise Rock, Sludge Metal, Post-Hardcore, Industrial Metal, Deathrock, Nu Metal

Rating: 4/5

Two years ago I reviewed an album by a relatively new noise rock outfit called Chat Pile. The album, God’s Country, was what I considered to just be purely ok, with some things I quite liked, but also a good amount of stuff I felt didn’t lend to the band’s benefits. Two years later, the band would release their second (or third if you count Tenkiller as their second album) studio release, titled Cool World.

I wasn’t too sure on how I would like this record. While I did like God’s Country, I felt like its direction wasn’t as good as what some people seem to make it out to be, especially with the pretty lackluster production and mixing. However I was pleasantly surprised with how much they grew in terms of making music, right from the get go of the album’s first track of I Am Dog Now, which is easily one of the plentiful highlights this album brings.

I feel like what really sets this album apart is the band really diving deep into a more sludge metal sound, akin to that of Today Is the Day, with some industrial and nu metal aspects occasionally straying into frame. I felt like the more post-punk direction wasn’t really working for God’s Country, so them upping on that album’s strongest genres here, as well as doing some new stuff in some cases is what I really like to hear from this group. They really are putting the SLUDGE in sludge metal on here, and I think that is really something to admire.

The noise rock also has been improved quite dramatically. It is still very noisy, especially in the production (we’ll get to that) but I feel like it isn’t as egregious as before. In fact, I kinda like how it feels like a cross between something incredibly intense, but also mellow enough for it to feel kind of accessible in a way. It’s kind of like Sonic Youth’s brand of noise rock, but in a way that makes the melancholy of their music fit within the aggro of Chat Pile’s sound. Speaking of melancholy, I also quite like the emotions here more than in God's Country. God’s Country I felt like was angry, certainly at something, but still has a sort of directionless basis in its wake. Cool World though I find to be angry but in a very depressing way. Legit, I feel as though sometimes Randy Rulz is holding back tears with how overwrought his voice comes out at times, almost like he, and the music itself, are having a panic attack at the current state of the world. I especially like this because I can definitely relate somewhat. Politics and current affairs in practically every place ever gives me stress. A lot of stress actually. A lot of modern day stuff just makes me feel very tired and stressed out in many ways, so honestly Cool World’s biggest strength, in my mind, is that it perfectly within my levels of stress at the world in any moment. It's a sonic anger that pushes and pulses, and for that I think it's a really good effort!

However, while Cool World is a massive improvement to God’s Country, I still feel like there are still some issues that need to be addressed. Particularly, the production, while still a bit better than their previous output, still feels a bit too muddy, especially in the bass. Some things are just a bit too loud, and not in a really good way either. I wish the production was still very noisy, but still had an edge of less headachy volumes.

Another thing this album does kind of fall short on is the second half. Yep, I’d say this album has a curse of the forbidden top heavy treatment. While the first five tracks of I Am Dog Now through Camcorder are really good, I feel like the last five just doesn’t really do as much for me as the previous tracks did. They’re still good tracks, don’t get me wrong, but they just don’t hit on the same level or are as strong as stuff like Funny Man or Frownland.

Even if Chat Pile still has some shortcomings in their music, it is clear they have improved greatly in my mind. Cool World is a glow up and a half in practically every sense of the word, and it does give me some hope that this band will continue improving and making awesome new music. Definitely keep an eye out for this group now, because they really rock!

Best tracks: I Am Dog Now, Frownland, Funny Man, Camcorder

Worst track: Milk of Human Kindness
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Charles M. Bogert - Sounds of North American Frogs (1958)

Genres: Animal Sounds, Nature Recordings, Lectures, Spoken Word

Rating: 3/5

The funny thing is this is my most listened to album of all time. I don’t even know how it happened. I have listened to this album more than Frances the Mute and Self-ish. An album with nothing but frog sounds.

On that note, this is a pretty interesting record to experience, especially for a first time. Usually I do music reviews, but this isn’t music, at least not in a traditional sense. This is a lecture that showcases the sounds of various frogs, with the late Charles M. Bogert, a herpetologist from Colorado, providing information upon the various frog calls and choruses that go throughout the state of Florida, from the barking tree frogs, to that of a southern toad.

While this isn’t music, in which I cannot really say what I really like about this album, or exactly what I dislike, I do admit I am quite surprised with how well made the production and mixing this record has. Obviously, even in 1958, we had been getting albums with pretty well rounded production, like Blue Train by John Coltrane, or Relaxin' With the Miles Davis Quintet. However, I didn’t expect an album filled with frog sounds, broken up by the occasional educational elements, to have a production value that is honestly superb. Whenever the frogs make their mating calls, I sometimes feel as if I am really there, in the swamps of the Floridian trees under the harsh, moisturized sun. It has honestly become the only album that I think one should listen to with just headphones, to really feel these natural songs that these amphibians are resonating deep within the bog.

Other than that, though, there really isn’t much else to say I like, or even dislike about this album. It is certainly a neat little record though, and I think for what it is worth it does make me a bit more interested in frogs and toads. Also the southern leopard frog screaming is oddly cute, so there is that too.

Best track: Scream of the Southern Leopard Frog (Rana Utricularia), Mixed Chorus

Worst track: N/A
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FlashBack2210 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 22 2024 at 07:05
Band: EXISTENTIAL DEAD (Finland).

Album: Reborn (Single, 2024)

Album's cover:


Review: All tracks by EXISTENTIAL DEAD are well-structured, with thoughtful compositions that are neither monotonous nor linear. Tha band skillfully combines different styles and instruments in his music, especially the synth in the synthwave intro to Reborn (comape it with intro in the previous single Unreality), seamlessly blending with the main metal section of the track. Before you listen to Reborn, you can't imagine how well it works. This combination is the main feature of the track. 

The single is quite long, almost 5 minutes, but it won't let you get bored because the composition is layered. One metal riff replaces another, but each of them blends seamlessly with the previous ones. So much so that there’s nothing to subtract or add. Considering that it's DIY, it sounds exceptionally good.

Raiting: 5 of 5. 

Prog Appeal: I think it might appeal to progressive music fans as they are open to new things in their playlist.


Edited by FlashBack2210 - November 22 2024 at 07:12
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dapper~Blueberries Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 27 2024 at 14:09


Stan Getz & João Gilberto featuring Antônio Carlos Jobim - Getz / Gilberto (1964)

Genres: Bossa nova, Samba-jazz, Cool Jazz, Samba-canção

Rating: 5/5

The 1960s was a golden age of sorts for jazz and rock music. Obviously, for rock we got bands like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Doors, King Crimson, etc and etc. But jazz, though, was kind of going in a direction that was quite stark from the smooth laden chords and be-bops of the 50s, and into directions of experimentation, freedom, and diversity that not many expected, which gave way to some rather notable classics such as A Love Supreme, In a Silent Way, Karma, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, and, what we’ll be reviewing today, Getz / Gilberto.

Getz / Gilberto is a collaboration album between American saxophonist Stan Getz, and Brazilian guitarist João Gilberto. This record also features Antônio Carlos Jobim, a rather prominent Brazilian composer.

This is a record that is widely beloved among both Brazilian and American listeners, as it introduced the sounds of bossa nova to a wider public. While Stan Getz had experimented with bossa nova with previous albums, especially his release from the previous year of Jazz Samba Encore!, Getz / Gilberto is what really pushed the genre to its more commercial limelight outside of Brazil, and it is rather easy to see why it just became really popular. It's just a consistently amazing album!

The mixture of styles like samba and cool jazz, with a bit more of a minimalist architecture in the backing, allows this record to be a relaxing time to just experience. The playing styles of both Getz and Gilberto, as well as the composition help of Jobim, lends this record to sound almost dream-like to my ears, but also very warm and cozy. It is kind of like being in your comfy bed, with dusk slowly drifting into night, as you read a good book before getting ready for bed. It's an album with simple pleasures, and such pleasures really do just feel really nice to me.

Additionally, its more simple structure allows it to really differentiate itself from other jazzists at the time. This record came out in the same year as Out to Lunch, and even came after records like The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, yet myself, and others, seem to just be drawn to this record equally as much, if not more so than the big leagues of avant-garde jazz at the time. This isn’t a knock on those records though, but I can’t deny I do enjoy this quite a bit more. It really just has this almost irreplaceable charm and energy that I just love!

Getz / Gilberto is a record that is simply great, and it knows its greatness through and through, without showing an ego about it. While Getz and Gilberto are no longer here, they undeniably made a very important mark upon the world of jazz music and bossa nova. I definitely implore you to check this album out if you haven’t heard it yet. I think it is just one of those albums that really is a mystical experience and a half, and for that I think deserves all the praise it can get.

Best tracks: The Girl From Ipanema, Para machucar meu coração, Corcovado, O grande amor, Vivo sonhando

Worst tracks: N/A
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dapper~Blueberries Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 09 2024 at 11:03


Kessoku Band - 結束バンドLive-恒星- at Zepp Haneda (2024)

Genres: Shimokita-kei, Math Pop, Power Pop

Rating: 5/5

Earlier this year I reviewed the debut album of a new hit Japanese group dubbed Kessoku Band, starring Hitori Gotoh, Nijika Ijichi, Ryo Yamada, and Ikuyo Kita. Likewise, also earlier this very same year, they released a pretty amazing live album, dubbed 結束バンドLive-恒星- at Zepp Haneda, or Kessoku Band Live-Star- at Zepp Haneda.

For clarification on what Zepp Haneda is, it’s a music hall located in Tokyo, and quite a popular one that attracts plenty of touring groups like Arctic Monkeys, Pixies, Ningen Isu, and Masayoshi Takanaka.

Anyways, would you believe me if I said this was my favorite live album from this year? Admittedly I haven’t listened to a whole lot of live stuff this year, which I probably should do more often because live albums are just really good, but Kessoku Band’s Zepp Haneda record stands at the top as easily one of the greatest in my opinion. I had praised their self-titled debut album, with how it crafted a sound that was a great mix of a pop punk energy with an almost mathy sensibility, but Zepp Haneda ups things into new heights, creating an atmosphere that is nothing but pure joyous fun.

This record plays pretty much the entirety of their debut album, as well as a few extra songs from what I believe are from some of their EPs. Let me tell you, they play these tracks amazingly. Sure, I could still say they may be a little conventional for J-rock purposes, but I think in a live context these tracks really do pop a lot more. The sheer rawness these songs have in the musicality makes for an experience that is entirely unforgettable for me. I always found live albums to just have this unmistakable energy of being ‘alive’. Obviously, that is where the word live comes from, but live albums just have this way of making me feel like I am really there, sometimes more than a lot of studio works. I can close my eyes listening to this music, and I can imagine myself in a crowd of people, looking at a stage of four ladies playing some really well made rock music, and I really just love that.

Obviously my favorite tracks from the studio album are the same as here, Distortion!!, ラブソングが歌えない, 星座になれたら, and so on and so forth. But, it even made me fall in love a bit more with 小さな海, which previously was, for a lack of a better term, my least favorite track from that album, but here in this show it honestly became quite the treat. Live shows really do just make the music better, huh?

All in all, 結束バンドLive-恒星- at Zepp Haneda is an incredibly put together live show, and also live album to boot. Without a shadow of a doubt, I consider this to be a masterpiece of a live show, possibly rivaling that of Roxy & Elsewhere, Retrospektïẁ, and Deliquescence. I cannot wait to see what else this amazing group has to offer in the future, because they really do know how to rock. A very high recommendation from me, because it's really just THAT good.

Best tracks: Distortion!!, ラブソングが歌えない, ひみつ基地, 星座になれたら, フラッシュバッカー

Worst tracks: N/A
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dapper~Blueberries Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Yesterday at 10:25


Underworld - Strawberry Hotel (2024)

Genres: Progressive House, Progressive Trance, Minimal Techno, Downtempo

Rating: 3/5

I have probably reviewed every prog genre under the sun. Prog rock, obviously, but also prog metal, prog folk, prog pop, prog electronic, hell even progressive soul! However, there is still one more to give my takes in, one that I have only heard recently as a matter of fact. Progressive house. In fact, house music is a genre I haven’t really explored fully yet, with the real closest examples I can think of being Björk’s Debut, and Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories, and even then the latter isn’t even house music, it’s disco music made by a house duo. Oh yeah, also a few albums by Underworld too.

Speaking of such, I have been getting into progressive house through this enigmatic group from Cardiff. I recently listened to their albums of Dubnobasswithmyheadman and Second Toughest in the Infants, and I think they are both really well made and enjoyable. They’re both pretty great introductions into this wide world of progressive house, probably more than what I was expecting. Underworld has become quite a new favorite for me, so obviously when I heard they released a new album this year, I was very willing to take a shot at reviewing it. After all, gotta start a new age of house–music loving reviews, right?

So, what did I think of Strawberry Hotel? Eh, it’s just ok. I think it does have its pretty good moments, like how there seems to be a central theme going on abstract and even sometimes repetitive phrases, such as a continuous mention of a mysterious ‘strawberry jam girl’, as well as just having no real bad tracks. It is a very consistent album through and through for the most part, which I think is its strong suit.

But also, I find it to just be a bit too...inoffensive, to say the least. They aren’t really trying anything too new here, or really trying to do something new to begin with. Heck, I wouldn’t even say they’re rehashing previous ideas, or trying to make their next Beaucoup Fish or something. This honestly just feels like Underworld just wanted to make house music for a bit and release it, which I probably get. They're old, they’re in their 60s, so making something purely unobtrusive in a bit of their own style makes some sense. Still, I find this almost overly safe side the band is going for here to be the album's worst quality. It's good to be cohesive, and I get you’re old men now, but like...you’re also the group that made Mmm Skyscraper I Love You. Like obviously I am not expecting lightning to strike in a bottle, especially since the supposed golden age of progressive house music has gone away, but at least try to spice things up here and there on here.

This album is just fine. Nothing really super good or super bad. Very middle of the road, so to speak. Obviously I don’t think you shouldn’t listen to it, but I think you’d rather spend your time with something like Dubnobasswithmyheadman than this album.

Best tracks: N/A

Worst tracks: N/A
D~B
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