Aug 20 2025
Englabörn
Jóhann Jóhannsson
It's nice to get a sound completely absent from the main 1001 list, it really shows the benefits to user submission. Album was very pretty, and I loved the overall theme, it was always satisfying to come back to.
4
Aug 21 2025
Cor-Crane Secret
Polvo
Always love me some Polvo, althought I'll admit I like their later on, more math rock-y stuff, but this is still a great addition.
4
Aug 22 2025
Deltron 3030
Deltron 3030
I think my favorite part of this album were all the oddities hidden within. I mean, obviously, as it is abstract hip hop but the combination of memorable and futuristic lyrics in an "Alien" sort of way, that meaning retro futurism, and beats that sound like no one could rap over them, yet Del pulls it off with flying colors, never leaving a moment to let the listener pause, as even the interludes are so intriguing with these light sprinkles of lore that only add to this plot that starts to become more and more opaque. This album ran so that so many other rappers could sprint alongside it. I have to give it 100x credit for that alone. I think some of the songs are noticeably lesser compared to others, and I could see that leading to "skips," but I was constantly entertained in some fashion, and look forward to diving into most of these songs even deeper.
4
Aug 23 2025
The Great Outdoors Jam
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
This is inoffensive, I guess? The length isn't as much of an issue as it seems, as plenty of albums on the generator extend past this album's length, so I'm used to it. The playing is also quality, dare I say GOOD at some moments, but the album as a whole just doesn't do much for me. I mean this in the nicest way possible, but the person who added this has to be a member of this band, right? Friends with them, at least? They obviously have a small following, but this feels too niché to be the album I just had to listen to at the end of the 1001 rainbow. I'm all for small acts getting represented, but this feels a bit suspicious, is all. Again, though, it's fine. Not as bad as some other reviews are treating it.
2
Aug 24 2025
Super Ape
The Upsetters
I suppose I respect this to some extent, and some of it works for me, but by the end I wanted off the trip.
2
Aug 25 2025
Autobiografia
Duncan Dhu
Far more entertaining than I could've ever expected from the nearly hour-and-a-half Spanish pop rock album. I thought I was in for a beating, but this album's energy is balanced very well, with a lot of variation on what pop rock can be. Sure, it's never intensive or a challenging listen, but the vocals are nice, the instrumentation is solid, and it surely works as a cool insight into other cultures' takes on music eras I know all too well. Good add, user, don't let the naysayers get you down!
4
Aug 26 2025
Operation Ivy
Operation Ivy
Love getting the genres missed on the main generator, and while this is technically a comp, it may as well count with how limited this band's discography is. Not a huge skate/ska punk fan, but with this many quick tracks some are bound to appeal.
3
Aug 27 2025
Human Racing
Nik Kershaw
I like the middle part, it's just wacky enough to stand out, but the rest of the album does feel like it's chasing other sounds, especially Stevie Wonder. Still, solid enough, and certainly better than I thought it'd be.
3
Aug 28 2025
Stranger In Town
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
I understand including this, it's better than you'd expect, and you can find it in every record store and Goodwill in America, so it certainly left its mark. I just feel like this sort of album was done better with other acts on the original list, and something about Old Time Rock & Roll rubs me the wrong way, feels like Bob Seger is an old man yelling at a cloud, when he was barely thirty. Fine album. Still the Same doing A LOT of heavy lifting.
3
Aug 29 2025
A City Dressed In Dynamite
That Handsome Devil
Oddly unique and predictable at the same time? Listening to pretty much anything by Mr. Bungle will have you set for this record, but there are far worse things to take inspiration from, and this album does have enough of its own identity to keep it fresh. Nothing spectacular, but a good hint of something new to my palate. Palette? Pallet? Fuck off, English.
3
Aug 30 2025
Take to the Skies
Enter Shikari
Sorry person who added this, but this visually made me cringe up the moment the instrumentals started, and every time I started to ease into it a bit, it would do something to toss me right back into the Hellfire that is this album. The sound is that of an album that could be realistically played anywhere and nowhere at the same time. I could imagine hearing this blaring out of a stranger's car and not batting an eye and being concerned simultaneously. Post-hardcore just has so much great product in the world, I don't know why you'd try to drag it down with dated 2000s synths, and I say that as someone who added a 70s disco album. I could see the appeal, I guess, but if an acquaintance puts this on, I'm laughing at them, and they know they deserve it just a tiny bit.
1
Aug 31 2025
Alive Or Just Breathing
Killswitch Engage
My main takeaway here is I could of wish the main vocalist would chill it on the screeching more often. I don't mind a strained vocalist, but it just sounds uncomfortable here, and not in the good way. Plus, he has a pretty decent voice when he is singing sans strain. The album for me was in one ear and out the other otherwise. Metalcore isn't really my thing, but this album feels especially safe, and while that means this is more digestible than you'd expect, it's still a rough listen to get through. I mean I can at least admit this is better than whatever Killswitch Engage submitted for Guitar Hero III.
2
Sep 01 2025
Djarimirri
Gurrumul
Hooked me very quickly, but unfortunately it didn't really stick for very long, as I realized a lot of the tracks follow the same general structure and sound. That, plus the length of the whole album led to me being ready for it to be over by the end, even if there wasn't any part I strictly disliked. It's very pretty, I give it a lot of credit, I just don't think I could sit through it all again.
2
Sep 02 2025
You'd Prefer an Astronaut
Hum
I really like the guitar in this, its space-y, its fuzzy, and it has this other-wordly feel that can really put you in a certain mood. However, I get pulled out of all of that instantly by most of the singer's choices vocally, with it all sounding a bit too whiney at points, like he's about to break out into singing like one of those nasally mainstream emo voices, and it is a really unsatisfying listen because of this. Sometimes it works, like the biggest track, Stars, but otherwise I feel it just is a record with a lot of wasted potential, with a good atmosphere, but not enough holding it up with the other shoegaze, post-hardcore greats.
3
Sep 03 2025
Crystal Castles
Crystal Castles
Knew Untrust Us from... uh... I actually don't know, but I was excited for the rest of the album, and I'd say it mostly delivered? I think by the end of the album a lot of the songs were coming off relatively meaningless and repetitive, but I'd say the front half of the album is good enough to make up for it. Just may need some more manic energy to thoroughly enjoy this one, but still, of course, very good.
4
Sep 04 2025
Deep Down Happy
Sports Team
Really like these kinds of monotone vocals, and I was actually kind of sad when he would go for something more akin to the Darkness of all things. The punkier stuff was way better than the rock heavy stuff, but the whole album was objectively just okay, but I personally quite enjoyed my time. Nice to have a shorter album, and there are some bangers on here.
4
Sep 05 2025
No Talking Just Head
The Heads
Talking Heads is one of my favorite bands of all time, but I try to avoid their personal lives when it comes to their band because it really sours the reputation of all involved. They are certainly not the worst rock stars out there personality wise, but it can be rough. Luckily, their fantastic music and eccentric personalities always shined first and foremost. Not here, though. This album puts their inner turmoil front and center, making it known to the listener that David Byrne is NOT here, and they don't need him. But frankly, after listening to the whole, nearly hour long experience, it is pretty obvious that the group still needs their talker. There are slight bits of funk, but the whole album screams 90s identity crisis, and while some features make the band their own, looking at you Andy, others sound so off here you question how the connection even came to be. The whole album is needlessly angsty, and while there are some great moments (hi again, Andy) there is enough here to definitively say this isn't Talking Heads showing they don't need Byrne, but instead exactly showing why they had him in the first place. Without the context the album is okay, but with it this album is just a spiral of emotions in one mixed bag of a record. 2.5, rounding up to a 3 star.
3
Sep 06 2025
MOMENTUM
Calibro 35
This sure is.
2
Sep 07 2025
Ænima
TOOL
I don't think I like Tool? Or at the very least, this album. Which is weird, because most of my life I've thought "yeah, Tool is good," but I've never listened to much outside of Schism, and I never really wanted to. But today marks a start into another controversial opinion of mine, because I find this album to be overly long, somewhat full of itself, and rarely kind of gross. I get what it's going for, and I can see the start of that more progressive metal sound leaking through, but this album shares more DNA with acts I couldn't care less about than anything interesting. I already know almost the rest of their discography is in the user albums, so that'll be fun, but maybe it'll make me see something in them as we go on. But this one is a bit of a stinker.
2