Murmur
R.E.M.Radio Free Europe: The mix is sorta weird in a way in which I can't really pay attention to the lyrics because of everything else that's going on even though they are audible. I really like how the bass is audible, it really adds a lot to the song. It sorta reminds me of going along on a train almost. Overall, the song was kinda just background music, I couldn't really pay attention to it or it didn't really hold it as long as I thought it would. 6.5/10 Pilgrimage: This song is already a lot more interesting to me. The guitar work in this song is pretty good, as well as the drum work. This song sorta gives off a vibe of being in a cave I guess? I can't really put my finger on it, but I like it. I think the repetition of the lyrics really works with this one just because of the different interesting elements in the song. 8/10 Laughing: This is a very indie sounding song, and I am honestly not very interested by it. It's just sort of boring in a way, there's not really anything interesting going on, or anything that's really standing out. The vocals are especially weird in this one, it just sound whiny almost in this one, the vocalist sounds like he's mumbling throughout the song, like he wasn't really interested in singing the song. 5/10 Talk About The Passion: This is another boring song where the singer sounds very uninterested (which I'm starting to think that's just his style which I don't really like). This one is a little bit better though, I dig the guitar quite a bit more than in Laughing. There's not really much to say about this one other than I liked it slightly more than Laughing. 6/10 Moral Kiosk: This song bops, I'm digging it quite a bit. The guitar is very cool in this one, as well as the drums that have perfectly timed fills which I appreciate. I think the lead singer's voice fits this song a lot more than the other songs, I can't quite figure out why, but it does. 7.5/10 Perfect Circle: This one already stands out a lot more than the previous songs on the album because of the honky-tonk-like piano which I enjoy. The mixing on the drums is really weird in this song, the hi-hat is in my right ear and it is really stange to me and it's almost distracting. I really like the bass in this song as well, it's played very well and it works with the song very well. As with all the songs on the album, the chorus is just repeating the same thing, which is getting very boring. 7.5/10 Catapult: This is another one of the boring songs with mumbley lyrics. This one feels incredibly uninspired as well, maybe even more than Laughing. I really don't have anything for this song. I suppose the guitar is pretty good. 5/10 Sitting Still: This one mixes it up a little by not having the chorus be a repetition of the same word over and over, which I like. 7/10 9-9: This one is already interesting at the start with the crazy guitar riff and the talking in the right channel. This one feels like it has more energy in it than the other songs by a lot. It's definitely an enjoyable song, and it has a lot of character to it, the lead singer makes it sound like every other song on the album though, which is kind of annoying. This one is probably my favorite so far though. 8.5/10 Shaking Through: This song is, once again, just okay. It pretty much just sounds like every other song on the album. Once again, this song really doesn't have much to talk about. The song has a very interesting ending, with the choice of fading out, and then going back in. 6.5/10 We Walk: This song has a bit of a jumpy feel to it, which I think is pretty cool, and sounds good with the lead singer's voice. This is definitely the most creative song on the album, so far. This song makes me feel like I'm walking through a forest with a dog. I like it. 8.5/10 West Of The Fields: This is another one of those boring songs, which is really disappointing for the closing track on the album. It just sounds like all the other songs that are like this on the album. 6/10 CONCLUSION This is a very underwhelming album. Most of the songs on the album sound basically the same, with the monotone, bored, tired sounding vocalist. The mix on all the songs are basically the same too, which drown out the vocals anyway because of how much reverb was put on the vocals. The guitars are boring, which are just arpeggiating chords, pretty much. And the writing to all the songs sounds like they were all written by the same person on the same day because of the repeating chorus and the references to random philosophers and Greek locations which just make it sound like they were trying to be quirky. Overall, this album was uninspired and I didn't enjoy it much. Favorite Song: We Walk Least Favorite: Laughing Overall Rating: 6/10