1001 Albums Summary

Well, here we are, my first album of the user submissions. I’ve never heard of Anaïs Mitchell before, hey, Justin Vernon is on this album! I haven’t fucked with Bon Iver in a minute, but I know I’ll encounter at least a couple of albums of theirs on this list. In addition to not being up on my Anaïs Mitchell music, I’m also a little rusty on my Greek mythology, so this album should be a good refresher. Let’s go down to Hadestown! Hadestown isn’t the type of album that I gravitate towards, but I thought it was really good. The music on this album was really beautiful, and it did a fantastic job of creating a really vivid setting, realistic characters, and a haunting atmosphere. Rock opera-style storytelling tends to be hit or miss with me, but I thought this album did a great job of crafting a story with a lot of emotional weight that felt eerily relevant in today’s political climate. Orpheus’s struggle, though unwinnable, still had glimmers of hope throughout it, and even though he was doomed, I naturally felt myself optimistic that he might succeed in rescuing his love. I didn’t care much for Greg Brown or Ben Knox Miller’s vocals, and a few songs in the middle kind of dragged, but other than that, this was a really solid album, and an interesting submission from a fellow user.

Other than Lady Marmalade, I don’t think I know any songs by Labelle. I honestly had no idea that Patti LaBelle was in a group; I always thought she was a solo artist. I tend to enjoy funk and soul music, so I’m sure this will be a fun album to listen to. Hmm, well, this album wasn’t really for me. “Lady Marmalade” is a really fun jam, and the vocals and lyrics on this album are really good, but musically, there just wasn’t a lot that I enjoyed on Nightbirds. When it comes to funk, I expect a bit more pop in the music; I like good bass grooves and fun keyboard riffs, and this album didn’t deliver on that. As for the soul elements on this album, while the vocals were good, I didn’t feel like there was any oomph to the singing, and despite the meaningful lyrics, there was just no emotional weight to anything. Every now and then there would be an element that I would like, but it was just rare that any song was able to put it all together and create something that I liked listening to. This is a cool addition to the list, but it’s just not for me.

I don’t think I’ve heard of Al Stewart before, but this is certainly an interesting album cover. The soft rock albums from the seventies that are on the main list were a bit hit-or-miss with me, so I’m not sure whether I’m going to love or hate this album. Tomorrow marks the start of the year of the horse, so I guess it’s good to experience the year of the cat for now. Year of the Cat was a really fun album, and I would have never sought this out on my own. I thought Al Stewart did a great job of conveying so many different emotions and moods through his arrangements, and he’s a really good vocalist as well. Musically, the string arrangements were my favorite part of this album, but there were plenty of other elements that I enjoyed as well. “Lord Grenville” was a fine opening track, but “On the Border” really hooked me in with its excellent bass playing, beautiful strings, and the Spanish guitar. I really liked how this song had a southwestern feeling to it, without going completely into a typical Latin music sound. The keyboards on “Midas Shadow” and “Sand In Your Shoes” were really good, but they were really great on “If It Doesn’t Come Naturally.” The bass playing on “If It Doesn’t Come Naturally” was really good as well. On “Broadway Hotel,” I really enjoyed the guitar playing, and the string arrangement on the outro was really great. There weren’t any songs that I thought stood out above the rest, but the album as a whole was just really solid. Kudos to whoever submitted this album, because it was really cool and unique.

I’ve never heard of Angelo De Augustine before, so I’m not really sure about what to expect from this album. The cover is certainly interesting, and it reminds me a bit of the cover for The Drums’ 2011 album Portamento. I’m curious to find out what this album is all about! Overall, I thought this album was fine. The arrangements were really beautiful, and I enjoyed how a lot of the songs had subtle little melodies layered under the main melody. There was a somber mood that permeated this whole album, and I thought the music did a great job of conveying that mood. While I applaud the consistent tone of this album, I wished that there had been some fluctuations in the intensity of the emotion. I feel like I could have picked six songs at random off of this album and skipped the rest, and I wouldn’t have really missed anything. The vocals on this album reminded me Elliot Smith, but for some reason, ADA’s vocals wore me down quite a bit over the course of this album. While this wasn’t really up my alley, I can understand how this album would mean enough to someone for them to submit it for this list.

Well hello there Iggy Pop and The Stooges, fancy seeing you guys again. With the exception of Fun House and Lust for Life, I was pretty lukewarm on Iggy's solo stuff and The Stooges' albums that were on the main list. On top of that, I really don't care much for live albums, so this album is probably not going to be my jam, but I'll try to approach this album with an open mind. As I feared, I really didn't care for this album. The recording quality was just awful, and I understand that it is what it is, but I couldn't get past that. The Stooges' music already has a raw sound to it, so listening to it live and unfiltered didn't do much for me. The things that I do enjoy about The Stooges' music was so muddled and drowned out on this recording, that I found this album pretty boring. However, as a piece of music history, this album is pretty cool. Iggy's bantering with the audience and his profane ad libs were pretty funny. I thought it was interesting that I couldn't hear the audience very much, so I just had to rely on Iggy's reactions that they were out of control. It's pretty cool too that this was the last Stooges show for several decades, and I liked that it was recorded in Detroit. I can see why someone would submit this album, but it wasn't my jam.

Welcome to another edition of “I know nothing about jazz, but sometimes it sounds pretty cool.” I’ve never heard of Medeski Martin & Wood before (btw, congrats gents, you’re MMW for the rest of this review), but man, that album cover definitely screams nineties. I don’t think I gave any jazz album on the original list five stars, but I think the only one I gave two stars to was Bitches Brew. What an absolute slog that was for me. Anywho, I’m ready to jazz it up with MMW! Shack-man was a pretty cool album. I don’t think I really had any preconceived notions about this album, but I enjoyed its eclectic sound. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that MMW opted for some really fun instruments from the piano and keyboard family, and I think those choices served this album’s style and sound really well. I feel like this was the first time that I was able to somewhat follow the structure of some jazz songs, and understand what the musicians were doing. While this album’s songs weren’t particularly memorable to me, I did think that there were some fun grooves throughout it. At multiple points though, this album kinda became background music to me. It was good background music, but background music nonetheless. A few songs did stand out to me though, and I have some short notes on them: I liked how funky "Is There Anybody Here" was. What a great choice of instruments for this song, and I was actually able to follow along with the structure of what MMW were doing. “Bubblehouse” was really fun. I loved that fast tempo, and the solo drumming section was really awesome. I loved the bass and guitar on "Spy Kiss." The bass playing was particularly great, and I liked how steady its sound was throughout the song. While this didn’t convert me to being a jazz guy, I still had a fun time branching out and listening to Shack-man

I can’t remember when exactly I reviewed Eels’ Beautiful Freak, but if I had to put money on it, it was probably in my first 100 albums (ah, it was number 74). I enjoyed the overall sound of Beautiful Freak, and I liked how unique each song was. The lyrics didn’t captivate me, but the music alone was enough for me to give this album four stars. I don’t know if Daisies of the Galaxy is going to do the same thing for me, but I’m interested to find out! Daisies of the Galaxy was right on par with Beautiful Freak. The music was great, and I enjoyed the quirky but melodic sound of this album. I wasn’t particularly into the lyrics on this album either, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment at all. I thought that the songs that featured the Wurlitzer were the best songs on the album, but I also enjoyed the Beck-like vocals and drumming. I really liked how varied this album was in terms of its instrumentation, but it still managed to have a really cohesive sound throughout. “The Sound of Fear,” “I Like Birds,” and “Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues” were my favorite songs on the album. Daisies of the Galaxy was a fun experience, and it makes me want to revisit Beautiful Freak.

I knew that someone added a Sophie album to the user submission list, and I’m glad that I’m getting to review this today. I only know the first song off of this album, but I think it’s a beautiful song. On top of that, I love synth driven pop music, so I think this album is going to be right up my alley. Well, despite a strong start with “It’s Okay to Cry,” I really didn’t care for this album. I expected this album to be a gentle sort of dream-pop, but that idea was dashed pretty quickly once “Ponyboy” kicked off. From there, “Faceshopping” was more of the same, with some bass so strong that it ratteled my fillings. “Is It Cold in the Water” was more up my alley; despite the chaos and the sharp sounds it utilized, it was a lot gentler and more melodic than the previous two songs. But from that point to the rest of the album, I just wasn’t impressed. I expected some beautiful and lush melodies like the first track, and I think this album lulled me into a false expectation. Back to “It’s Okay to Cry:” this song is really great. The gentle vocals are excellent, and it’s just a simply beautiful and melodic song. The crescendo at the end came out of nowhere, which made it really effective. I wish more of this album had been like this song. I guess I’m just not into this particular brand of pop music.

I’ve never heard of Tally Hall before, but I hope they’re better than Tammany Hall! No Gilded Age fans here? That’s okay, I don’t watch it either. I prefer to get my Carrie Coon fix by rewatching The Leftovers. But I digress. Time for a trip to Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum, which I hope is better than Mr. Magorium’s… I’ll see myself out. MMMM isn’t really my cup of tea, but I thought it was a pretty good album. Tally Hall has some fun songs on this album, and I thought their lush arrangements and vocal harmonies were unique and refreshing. Their best lyrics were pretty fun, but sometimes these songs descended into something annoying, cringeworthy, or both. But this record shows that Tally Hall was out to have a good time, and that they wanted their audience to feel that sense of fun as much as they were. This album didn’t always work, but when it did, it produced some bright, toe-tapping songs that were fun to get sucked into.

I’ve never heard of Protomartyr before, but I do enjoy post punk and noise rock, so this album will probably be right up my alley! This album was a bit short of five stars for me, but I still thought it was really good. The guitar playing throughout the album was consistently great, and I enjoyed the moments when the violin and the synthesizer were used as well. The guitar playing did such a great job of crafting a really dense atmosphere, but there was a nice balance of different melodic techniques that were used to craft that atmosphere. It took a minute for the album to get going for me, but once it did, I really got into it. Some notes on the songs that really stood out to me: “A Private Understanding” grew on me the longer it went on. By the last stretch, I was really into it. I really liked that shift that it made towards the end. The guitars on “My Children” were really awesome. I loved how the tempo increased, because I had no idea where it was going to go, and that anticipation just made the song so much better. The guitars on “The Chuckler” were really great. The way those notes oscillated was awesome, and the guitar on the chorus was really great too. This was such a really well-fleshed out song, and the violin was incredible too. I loved that segue from “Night-Blooming Cereus” to “Male Plague.” Both songs were really good too. While this album wasn’t perfect, I thought it was really good, and it’s the type of thing I would go back to.

I'm not very far into the user submitted albums list, but this will be the first album I've gotten that I've already listened to. I haven't listened to The Shins in a hot minute, and I can't think of a good reason why I haven't, because I think they're great. I saw them live back in 2012 when they were touring for Port of Morrow, and I had a great time. I'm pumped to fire this album up today! This isn't a five-star album for me, but it's pretty darn close. The Shins (okay, James Mercer) packed this album with fun and beautiful arrangements, and some solidly poetic lyrics as well. This album is really fun to listen to, with some of the best indie rock from the aughts. The lead and bass guitars are great, as are the drums, keyboards, and synths. James Mercer may not be at the top of anyone's mind when it comes to great vocalists, but I really enjoy his singing, especially on the album's best track, "Phantom Limb." While we're on the subject, "Phantom Limb" absolutely rules. The opening fuzzed out bass tones, the driving rhythms of the bass and drums, the shimmering guitar notes, the infectious refrain of "ohh, oh-ohhh, oh-ohhh"... man, this song has it all. What a beautiful piece of music. "Sleeping Lessons" is wonderful too. I love how the dreamy intro shifts into an absolute pop-rock blast, with some incredibly dance-worthy drums and guitars. "Sea Legs," "Turn On Me," and "Split Needles" are great too, but "Sleeping Lessons" and "Phantom Limb" are in their own galaxy. The songs that don't stand out on this album are a touch boring and don't really add anything to the album's overall sound, but thankfully, those songs are few. Overall though, Wincing is a really solid indie rock record, and some of the best work James Mercer has ever put out.

I’ve never heard of King Tubby before, but if that’s him on the cover, I think his name doesn’t really fit him. King Tubby would be a good nickname for my overweight orange cat though. But I digress. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to any dub music before, but I enjoyed most of the reggae on the original list (but NOT Finley Quaye). I’m not really sure what I’m in for on this album, but I’m excited to find out. Wow, this was a really fun album to listen to. This isn’t the type of music that I typically gravitate towards, but this was really enjoyable. I was really hooked in by the bass playing throughout this album, and I loved letting the infectious groove just wash over me as I listened. The percussive elements were great too, and I enjoyed that there were so many different instruments used over the course of the album. On top of that, the echoes and reverb just added a really great atmosphere to the sound. My only gripe with this album is that there was a handful of songs that didn’t do anything new or exciting to my ears, but even my least favorite parts of this album were still pretty good. I’d definitely consider firing this up again, and it’s something I’d love to own a physical copy of. Solid addition to the list.

Oh boy, The 1975. I first heard of them when their song “Chocolate” was getting a lot of air-play. They felt like a band that I was supposed to enjoy, but I just didn’t like that song very much. A few years ago, I listened to their album I Like It When You Sleep, but I honestly don’t remember much about it. And now we know that Matty Healy is some sort of idiot-weirdo-asshole hybrid, and that hasn’t exactly made me want to seek out more of his music. I’m not sure how this album will land with me, but I’m willing to give it a fair shot. This album was a bit better than I expected, but since I had pretty low hopes for it to begin with, that lands it squarely in three-star territory for me. I did like the overall bright sound of the album, but while those brighter songs were fun to listen to, they weren’t very catchy, and I thought the melodies were a bit bland and forgettable. As for the more ballad-y songs, I felt like they didn’t have any identity or emotion in them, and they fell pretty flat with me. I can’t see myself going back to this album, but songs like “Oh Caroline” and “Looking For Somebody” were very enjoyable while I was listening to them.

Today is my 41st birthday, and I’m delighted that I get an album from one of my favorite bands. I own a copy of Boxer, but I’m pretty certain that I’ve only listened to it in its entirety one time. It’s not that it was a bad album, but when I’m in the mood for The National, I’m going to gravitate to Trouble Will Find Me (which was on my list of possible album submissions) or High Violet, which of course is on the main list. I’m sure I’m going to love re-listening to this album today, and I’d completely forgotten that it has gems like “Fake Empire” and “Squalor Victoria” on it. Happy birthday to me! Boxer wont’ supplant Trouble Will Find Me or High Violet on my informal list of best albums by The National, but hot damn, I just love listening to these guys. Their lyrics are just the right amount of reflective sadness for my taste, I think their arrangements are beautiful and haunting, and their overall musical talents are just incredible. Boxer’s themes of the anxieties of transitioning to adult life really resonate with me, even though I’ve been an adult on my own for over two decades. I look at where I’m at in my life, with a wife, two kids, a mortgage, and four cats, and it makes my head spin that I’m at this stage of my life, trying to navigate the daily stresses of having a family. I find the daily drudgery of chores and work can really wear me down sometimes, and Boxer really made me feel validated. I love Matt Berninger’s vocals on every National album I’ve listened to, and Boxer was no exception. I loved the arrangements on this album too, from the strings and the piano to the drumming and guitars, Boxer is really beautiful. “Fake Empire,” “Squalor Victoria,” “Slow Show,” and “Apartment Story” were my favorites on this album, but there wasn’t a bad song on here. The next time I want to listen to The National, I think I’ll mix it up and reach for Boxer.

Yesterday on my birthday, I got The National’s Boxer, and today I get another band that I love, in Vampire Weekend. I thought about submitting Contra for my contribution to the list, but someone beat me to it, and I also thought about submitting their self-titled album, but ultimately didn’t. I haven’t listened to this particular album in a while, but I’m excited to fire it up today, because I’m pretty certain I’m going to love it. I really loved revisiting Modern Vampires of the City. This album may have a darker tone and less pop influences that its predecessor, but it’s still a beautiful album. I love how MVotC has a healthy mix of slow and up-tempo songs, but the dark lyrical themes and overall musical sound ties the album together really well. Like Boxer, I thought this album did a great job of exploring the themes of finding your place in the world as you move further and further away from young adulthood. I wish I could spend another few paragraphs heaping specific praises on this album, but I just simply love the whole darn thing. Well, I’m big on “Hudson,” and it’s a weird turn for this album to take so close to the finish line, but that’s a nitpick. There are so many clever callbacks and references on this album, and even though Contra is still my favorite, MVotC deserves all the accolades it gets. My favorite song on this album when it came out was “Unbelievers,” and that still holds true. I love the main keyboard melody, and the drumming is perfectly catchy. The bridge is utterly spectacular too, and the horns add so much. I was raised in the evangelical church, but no longer follow evangelical Christianity, so this song’s lyrical themes of religious questioning and doubt really resonate with me. This is a wonderful album, and I’m so glad I got to revisit it today.

I’m somewhat familiar with Dallas Green’s work as City and Colour, but I’ve never listened to anything by Alexisonfire before. I enjoyed the post-hardcore albums that were on the main albums list, but I don’t think there was anything on there later than the nineties. I have no idea what to expect from this album, but I’m excited to… Alexisonfire it up. I found Watch Out to be really enjoyable. This type of sound is what I think of when I think of emo music from the aughts, but this was much better than what I typically imagine when I think of that sort of music. The guitar playing and drumming on this album were really good, and I loved the overall high energy. The combination of screaming and melodic vocals was really good, and it was really head-spinning for me to hear Dallas Green perform music like this. “It Was Fear of Myself” and “Hey, It’s Your Funeral Mama” were my favorite songs on the album, but most of the songs were really good. This isn’t the type of music I typically gravitate to, but I’m thinking of throwing this album on during my next workout.

I’ve never heard of Les $heriff before, but there’s a few bands from France that I really like (although none of them are punk bands), so I’m curious to see what I’ll think of this live punk album. Even though I don’t know any French, I enjoyed listening to this album. The French language worked really well with these short and energetic songs, and I thought the guitar playing and drumming here were really good. I listened to this a bit while I warmed up for a workout, and the energy from Les $heriff was really contagious. I think that this is the type of album that I would enjoy more with repeat listens, despite not understanding the lyrics. The choruses of these songs were really catchy, and I loved the way the lead and backing vocals sounded together. It was tough for this hour-long punk album in a foreign language to keep my attention the whole time, but I’m still glad someone added this to the list, because it was a unique and fun experience.

I’ve never heard of Reincidentes before, but this sounds like an interesting album. I know a very minimal amount of Spanish, but that didn’t really detract from my enjoyment of any Spanish language albums on the main list. Let’s see what these punk rockers have in store! Overall, I thought ¿Y Ahora Que? was a good album. The high energy, good guitar playing, and cool vocal techniques made this album pretty enjoyable to listen to. The Spanish vocals gave this album a really cool flair, and made Reincidentes’ punk sound really unique. There was a healthy bit of variation to the sound of this album as well, and it sounded to me like the band pulled inspiration from a few different sources when it came to their guitar playing. The drumming and the bass playing were okay, but everything else really took a back seat to the lead guitar. I did enjoy the strings on “¡Ay! Dolores,” and I wished that Reincidentes had branched out a bit more when crafting their sound, because they’re clearly good at it. Even though this album wasn’t completely my jam, it was fun to branch out, and I’m glad someone added this to the user albums list.

Ooh, Pinkerton! Man, I don’t think I’ve sought out any of Weezer’s music since the teal album (for the record, I like that album). I don’t have anything against Weezer, but there’s just plenty of other things I’d rather listen to these days. I’ve listened to this album in its entirety before, but the only songs jumping out at me right now are “Tired of Sex” and the incredible “El Scorcho.” I’m curious how this album is going to land with me, and I’m hoping for a fun trip down memory lane! Pinkerton was a great reminder of why Weezer’s work in the nineties still holds so much sway today. This second album of Weezer’s is certainly less pop-forward than the band’s debut, but I think the darker sound works really well here. The thing that really struck me about listening to this album today is that there wasn’t any particular part of the music that stood out to me. The guitars, bass, drums, and vocals are all good, but nothing steals the show. But together, everything just sounds great, which is also how I thought this album worked as well; the sum is greater than the parts. After a strong start with “Tired of Sex,” it took Pinkerton a bit to get going, but that run from “Across the Sea” to “Pink Triangle” is immaculate. I’d forgotten how great “The Good Life” is, but “El Scorcho” still stands out as the best song on the album. At times, the lyrics here felt like an inside joke that I wasn’t a part of, but I still found this album enjoyable to listen to, and I’m looking forward to when I get to review The Blue Album.

I first got into My Morning Jacket in the early 2010’s, when Circuital was on a bunch of ‘best of’ lists. I really enjoyed Circuital, and when I was reading up on MMJ, I saw that Z was supposed to be really good, so I bought that too. I know I’ve listened to Z in its entirety, but for the life of me, I can’t remember anything about it. I think it’s one of those albums that I always meant to go back to, but just never got around to it. I’m really pumped that I have an excuse to check it out again today! Damn, I really missed out by not revisiting this album until now. MMJ isn’t the type of music that I typically gravitate towards, but man, they’re excellent at what they do. Jim James’s vocals were excellent, the guitar work was great, and the overall mood and atmosphere of this album really stood out. I thought the songwriting was really good too, and the music suited the lyrics really well. Even though MMJ draws on various influences to craft their sound, Z is incredibly cohesive, held together by its themes of loss. I don’t think I could pick out a favorite song from this album, but the run from “Gideon” to “Off the Record” is immaculate. I wasn’t that big on “Into the Woods” (I really hate circus-sounding music) and “Dondante,” but Z is still a really strong album.

I beg your fucking pardon, but there are four Tool albums on the user list? And they only have five studio albums total? I’d say this more than vindicates David Bowie and Bob Dylan from having too many albums on the main list. Elvis Costello, you’re not off the hook though. I know a couple of Tool songs, but I’ve never heard anything off of this album. And despite my whining about Tool having four albums on the user list, I’m sure I’ll find this album to be fine at worst, because while this may not be up my alley, I think these guys know what they’re doing when it comes to music. I guess I better listen to this album before RFK Jr. bans it for having the word inoculum in the title. Eh, I thought Fear Inoculum was fine. I’m not a big fan of prog rock, so prog metal is mostly lost on me. I did like the guitar playing on this album though, and I thought it did a great job of creating a really dense and dark atmosphere. On top of that, Danny Carey’s drumming is excellent, and his playing complimented the guitars really well. For me, the big risk with prog is that the end of the long and winding journey you just went on might not be worth it, and that was the case for me on quite a bit of this album. The long and meandering songs would be enjoyable for a bit, but after a while, I just found that the music wasn’t really going anywhere interesting. This album was nice to listen to, and it was definitely outside of what I enjoy listening to, but I didn’t think it was anything to write home about.

I think I’ve heard of Scraping Foetus off the Wheel before, but for the life of me, I can’t remember where I’ve heard of them from. I certainly couldn’t tell you what type of music this is, and I have no idea what this album is going to sound like. Oh wow, this is an industrial album, cool! For the most part, I thought this album was pretty enjoyable. I enjoyed the way the arrangements were constructed, and I enjoyed the overall industrial sound. My knowledge of industrial music is pretty much limited to what I encountered on the main list, but while this album was enjoyable to listen to, I don’t think it did anything new or trailblazing for the genre. It did get a bit too goofy for my tastes at times, but after the goofy songs, it was able to rebound nicely. As an added bonus, after I finished this album, Spotify started up an Einstürzende album where the cover has a picture of a red horse ejaculating on the ground. Neato! The ejaculating horse will not impact my rating.

Man, Death really got in the death metal game at the best time. I really didn’t care for the few death metal albums that were on the original list, but the reviews for this album sound like this might be more up my alley. There’s only one way to find out! As far as death metal goes, I’d have to say that this album was fine. It felt pretty one-dimensional to me, with almost all of the emphasis on the guitars and drumming (which, for the record, were great), but I felt that Death was really good at what they do. The sound wore me down a bit over the course of the album, but I thought the lyrics were pretty good, and I appreciated the social and political commentary they featured. There weren’t any particular songs that really stood out to me, but I did like it when there were crazy guitar solos in the middle of the songs. Other than during a workout, I can’t see myself going back to this album, but it was certainly a unique experience.

Ooh, a Queens of the Stone Age album that isn’t their debut! Fantastic. I think I may have listened to this album in its entirety one time, but I think that was during a workout, so I didn’t give it my undivided attention. I know the singles off of this album really well, but most of this album will probably feel new to me, even if I did indeed listen to all of it at some point. Songs for the Deaf is a little short of five stars for me, but it’s still a really great hard rock album. Listening to this, it’s clear that it was crafted with a vision for a complete work of music, and not just a collection of songs. SftD truly feels like a road trip across a desert landscape, and Josh Homme is the perfect guide. To me, QotSA teeters right on the edge of being sinister, but without going full-tilt into that sinisterness. Homme is the perfect guide for that journey, because there’s a quality to his voice that makes you want to follow and trust him, but you know in the back of your mind that you need to keep your wits about you if you do. The guitar work on this album is great, and the riffs burrowed straight into my brain. “No One Knows” is incredible, and easily the best song on the album, if not the best song that QotSA has ever put out. There’s multiple catchy guitar riffs, expert drumming, and a bridge that manages to build a sense of dread and wonder at the same time. I wish a couple of minutes could have been taken from “The Sky is Fallin’” or “God Is in the Radio” and given to “No One Knows” instead. “Go with the Flow” is great too, with its screeching guitars, and “First It Giveth” is up there too. This album has a few points that dragged for me, but it did wind up finishing on a really strong note with “A Song for the Deaf” and “Mosquito Song.” Despite those low points, SftD is still a great album, and easily one of the best rock records of the aughts.

As a Houston native, I’m obligated to mention that I’m not a huge Beyonce fan. Is she good at what she does? Of course she is. Is what she does my cup of tea? Eh, sometimes. My favorite Beyonce song is “Schoolin’ Life,” which is a bonus track off of 4, so again, I’m not the best judge of Beyonce’s music. However, I see that Renaissance is a dance/pop album, so if any album of Beyonce’s is going to make me a fan of hers, this might be the one! Overall, I thought Renaissance was fine. The best moments of this album were absolute bops, but the parts that I didn’t like were grating and seemed to drag on forever. I did like the overall sound of this album, and I thought it was cool that Beyonce made this album as a celebration for black and queer communities, and I thought the songs that leaned more heavily into disco and funk were the best parts of this album. “Alien Superstar” stood out to me as the best song on the album. I loved the pulsing beat, and the outer space sounding synthesizers were excellent. I think Beyonce’s vision on this album was great, but the result just wasn’t something that was really up my alley.

I’ve never heard of Powderfinger before, but I’m not going to complain about the addition of Aussie artists to this list. I have no idea what this album is going to sound like, but I’m excited to check it out. After a two pretty strong tracks to start off, I felt like Powderfinger’s Odyssey Number Five fizzled out. Those first two songs were pretty good; I enjoyed the vocals, lyrics, and guitar playing. “Waiting For The Sun” reminded me a lot of Doves’ The Last Broadcast, which I really enjoyed (I saw that the person who submitted this album also gave that album five stars, and this seemed like an appropriate submission for someone who likes Doves). The lead and backing vocals were really great, and the overall sound had this slightly dark feeling to it that reminded me a lot of the alt rock radio songs I loved in the nineties (I feel like these guys invoked a lot of Live). “My Happiness” was really good, especially the guitar effects that were used. The lyrics here were good too, and I really loved the vocals on the chorus. This song reminded me of Our Lady Peace, in a really good way. But after those two songs, I felt like the band didn’t really establish any identity or signature sound for themselves. I thought the lyrics were pretty strong throughout the album, but musically, there was nothing that really added any emotional weight to those lyrics. This album wasn’t bad, but it felt like being a teenager, and buying a CD from a band who had a couple of radio hits you loved, but the rest of the album was just filler.

I think I listened to The Mountain Goats’ Tallahassee several years ago, but I wouldn’t wager money on it. If I did listen to it, it sadly didn’t make much of an impression on me. Also, not to nitpick, but the cities mentioned in these song titles are not in west Texas, so I already don’t trust these guys. Oh well, let’s see what this album is all about! Unfortunately, this album wasn’t really my speed. I didn’t think it was bad, but I really didn’t care for the super lo-fi sound that the whole album had. In my opinion, if you’re going to have a ‘gimmick’ like that, something else needs to really punch through, and I didn’t think there was anything remarkable about the guitar playing or vocals. I did think the lyrics were pretty clever though, but that wasn’t enough to make me want to seek this out again someday. I appreciate the Mountain Goats’ addition to this list, but this album just wasn’t for me.

I think I’ve only listened to one Mastodon song before, and it was on Rock Band 2, and it nearly caused me to embed that stupid plastic guitar in my TV. I don’t think that song was from this album, I think it was from the album before this one, so I’m glad I’m not going to have Rock Band 2 PTSD today. I’m not a big prog metal guy, so this album probably won’t be up my alley, but I’m going to give it a shot! As I expected, this wasn’t really my speed, but I still thought it was a pretty good album. The guitar playing really stood out to me, and I liked the Ozzy-adjacent vocals as well. The drumming and bass playing were pretty good too, and I generally enjoyed the way the music was arranged and layered. On some of the songs, there were some really fun and interesting elements buried under all of the louder parts of the arrangements, and I felt like this album rewarded the listener for paying closer attention. I really enjoyed “The Czar,” despite the fact that I typically don’t care for prog songs that are structured this way. I can’t see myself seeking out more Mastodon albums to listen to, but this was a pretty enjoyable listen.

I mean, it’s John Mayer. It’s not going to be good, is it? The only song I recognize from the track listing is “Waiting on the World to Change,” which I guess is pretty inoffensive. I think John Mayer is talented, but I’m not really expecting this album to be my cup of tea. Continuum wasn’t a bad album, but it certainly wasn’t my speed. For someone who knows his way around a guitar, I was disappointed that this album didn’t really take any risks or do anything exciting. Most of these songs felt like things that are perfectly safe for a doctor’s waiting room or Starbucks, and that was pretty disappointing. There were some flashes of brilliance on this album though: a groovy bass line here, some nice horn playing there, but as is the nature of a flash, they were gone pretty quickly, and I was left with generic guitar strumming and singing. As much as this album wasn’t for me, I think today was the first time that I’d paid attention to the lyrics for “Waiting on the World to Change,” and I’d never noticed that they had a twinge of social commentary to them. When it comes to the lyrics, I thought the closing lines to “Belief” were a bit more effective in terms of social commentary, but it was interesting to notice. But despite this album’s solid production and pleasant arrangements, it just didn’t wow or excite me.

I’ve never heard of Spinvis before, but I see that this is a lo-fi album, which, given my scores from the original list, does not bode well. When I hear the name lo-fi, it sounds like something I’d enjoy, but that turned out to not be the case when I went through the original list. Hopefully this Dutchman can break that curse! Overall, I thought this album was really enjoyable. I don’t speak Dutch (I did however earn straight A’s in three years of high school German and two years in college), but I thought that the vocals on this album went really well with the music. The melodies on this album were really beautiful, and the vocals felt like they were full of emotion. I thought “Ronnie Gaat Naar Huis” and “In De Staat Van Narcose” were the best songs on the album, but there wasn’t anything on there that I thought was bad. Musically, this album gave me a lot of the same feelings that Serge Gainsbourg’s Histoire de Melody Nelson gave me, which I really liked. If I had the time, I’d definitely consider giving this album another listen.

Ah, the Avett Brothers! I’m not a big folk guy, but I’ve listened to this album before, although it’s been a hot minute. Looking at the track listing, I’d say that I’m still familiar with probably half a dozen of the songs here, but I’m sure a few others will come back to me as I listen to this. I and Love and You isn’t an album that I would want to listen to frequently, but I think it’s fantastic. Listening to this again after several years of not hearing it felt like being wrapped up in a cozy blanket on the couch with a cup of coffee; everything about this album hit just right for me today. The arrangements are beautiful and varied, the alternating lead vocals from Seth and Scott Avett give you the best of both worlds, the production is immaculate, and the lyrics are beautifully written. The first half of the album is stronger than the back half, but the dip isn’t severe enough to make this album an uneven listening experience. But everything on this album feels so sincere to me, and I can’t quite put my finger on why. The lyrics to “Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise” still really resonate with me. I’ve always loved the line ‘if you’re loved by someone, you’re never rejected, decide what to be, and go be it,’ and my love for it hasn’t dwindled at all over the years. This is a really great album, and it was a treat to go back and listen to it today.

I’ve never heard of Dead Boys before, but I do like punk music, so this album might be right up my alley. Despite my kids being Young, Loud and Snotty all winter long, I’m ready to fire this album up. I thought this album was very entertaining. Despite some underwhelming drums and bass playing, I really liked the chunky guitar chords that Dead Boys used on this album. I’m not an expert on punk music by any stretch, but I’m shocked I’d never heard of these guys before, because their sound was so different than other American punk bands from this era. While these lyrics ventured into some uncomfortable territory (what was with bands in the seventies working the phrase ‘sweet sixteen’ into their music so often?), I thought their pervasiveness really encapsulated the griminess of New York City and punk rock in the seventies. I really enjoyed how this album was arranged and produced as well, and I especially liked it when they played around with rising and falling volumes and depth of sound. Despite that, this album still had that simplistic and do-it-yourself sound of early punk. While this album wasn’t perfect, I think it makes a great addition to the list.

I've never heard of The Hotelier before, and I'm not even sure I've listened to an album that's a part of the emo revival (is Brand New emo revival? Oh wow, this is part of fourth wave of emo, which was in the late aughts? When the hell was the first wave? Just when I thought I knew something about music, I get my mind blown). I have no idea if this album is going to be my jam, but this cover is pretty cool. I enjoyed listening to this album, and I wish I had gotten to listen to it more than once, but time is not on my side these days. The guitar playing, drumming, and vocals were all very good throughout this album, and I thought that it was really easy to listen to and take in. The lyrics were really good too, and while they had a very 2010's feeling to them, they feel really relevant in today's post-COVID world. There wasn't one particular song that stood out to me, but the opening track did a really good job of getting my attention right away. I'd definitely be down to listen to this again, and I'm glad someone added it to the user submissions list. Editor's note: I was originally going to give this album four stars, but after listening to it today, I've been thinking about it a ton, and I can't wait to listen to it again. I know that if I'd had the opportunity to listen to it twice, it'd be an immediate five stars, so it's a five-star album for me.

Ooh, another Frank Ocean album! I’m 95% certain I’d listened to both Channel Orange and Blonde before starting this project, but I don’t really remember much about either one of them, but I don’t think I disliked them. Channel Orange was album number 100-something for me, and I gave it four stars, but my notes on it were pretty slim. I expect to enjoy Blonde as well, but I’m not sure whether I’ll enjoy it more or less than its predecessor. Overall, I thought Blonde was fine. I’m not a big R&B person, so most albums like this don’t really register with me. However, I can appreciate the artistry of Blonde; the arrangements were really good, and Frank Ocean is a very talented singer. The biggest thing that Blonde has going for it though is the emotional vulnerability on display. There are so many layers to peel back when it comes to this album’s lyrics, and I really enjoyed how Frank Ocean tackled subjects like materialism and drugs and escapism. While this album isn’t the type of thing that I gravitate towards, from an objective standpoint, I thought it was good.

I’m sad to say that I’ve never listened to a Childish Gambino album or even song before. I know the visuals from the video for “This is America,” but I’ve never even listened to the song sadly. I’m not quite sure what this album is going to sound like, but I’m curious to find out! I apologize Mr. Gambino, I was not familiar with your game. I thought this album was fantastic from start to finish. I expected this to be a pretty straightforward hip-hop album, but I was blown away by the funk and psychedelic rock sound that it utilized. Musically, this album hooked me in right from the start, with the bold and funky “Me and Your Mama.” I loved how the song started off really gentle, and then shifted into a rock and roll blast. It reminded me a lot of King Crimson in a way, with its bold and big arrangements. “Have Some Love” was great too, and I loved how it kept the funkiness going. I was a bit bummed as the album shifted away from the heavier reliance on funk and into more psychedelic influences, but it was still great. I really enjoyed how Childish Gambino used different vocal styles and techniques across the album. There’s something about that shift in vocal styles that feels incredibly symbolic of millennial anxiety, but I can’t quite find the words to describe it very well. It’s really remarkable that Donald Glover is a really good comedian and also a really talented musician; the use of a stage name to make his albums feels really apt, since this identity feels so distinct from who he is on screen and stage. This album was a pleasant surprise, and I definitely want to check out more Childish Gambino albums.

I haven’t listened to any Death Cab for Cutie in a really long time, but I’m always down to listen to Ben Gibbard. I know I’ve listened to Plans and Codes and Keys, and while I know a couple of songs off of this album, I don’t think I’ve ever listened to all of it. Time for a trip back to the early aughts! While I definitely prefer Plans to Transatlanticism, I still thought this was good album. I love Ben Gibbard’s singing, and that was no exception here, as Ben’s vocals were as beautifully soft and vulnerable as they always are. Before today, I had no idea that this album was a concept album, and while I’ve never been in a long-distance relationship before, I thought Ben did a great job of making the feelings of such an experience really relatable. Musically though, this album didn’t offer me a lot. I liked the guitar playing, but a lot of it felt structurally pretty similar, and I would have enjoyed a bit more variation. As far as my favorite songs are concerned, I really love the restrained jauntiness of “The Sound of Settling.” The little ‘ba ba, ba ba’ vocal fills on the chorus really punch things up and add a lot to the mood of the song. The title track is really great too, and for a song that’s fairly sparse on vocals and lyrics, it packs a ton of emotion. While this wasn’t my favorite album, I still like DCFC and Ben Gibbard, and I enjoyed listening to this.