Girl next door aesthetics applied to the female diva stylistic. Female Jeff Buckley vocals, set back by the unimaginative musical backdrop. Probably influential, since everything that came after it sounds exactly the same. Shame, since all the Billies, Marinas, St. Vincents of today really watered down the style, despite the higher production value.

A culturally loaded album locked in 60s USA. From a folk and blues standpoint, it holds water, yet you can't shake off the feeling of missing the joke most of the time.

To define the 90s, some were grasping at hard rock's ballads only to achieve a tacky fad, other tried replicating the original punk feel, almost border-lining on being parodic. The Smashing Pumpkins had a different approach. With fuzz guitars and soft spoken lyrics, they deliberately created an angst simulation machine. Rather than romanticizing the past in wailing verses or screaming at the top of your lungs to berate it, accept it since it's part of you after all. It's rare to find an album that rocks so hard without making you feel cathartic. Guess that's what they call alternative.

Extensive build-ups, emotionally loaded vocals overlaid against an impressive atmosphere of impotent despair. It's a shame that the "rough November Rain" aesthetic wears off around "Jeremy" and the "grunge U2" takes over for the rest of the album. Snap the record in half and you'll get an excellent smaller EP focused around "Black" which ends on a contemplative tone with "Oceans". "Excel" out of "Excellent" overall, so to speak.

Flip off your parents, but you won't because this ain't punk. Make out with Mary from biology class, but you won't because this ain't that kind of teenage drama. It's just you listening to whiny angst ridden Violent Femmes, and loving every moment of it.

A culturally loaded album locked in 60s USA. From a folk and blues standpoint, it holds water, yet you can't shake off the feeling of missing the joke most of the time.

Delicate jazzy bits presented in what could be called a typical rock format. While it does not offend by being overbearing, the tracks might fail to make a distinct impression by themselves. Overall, a catchy set.

Sometimes, it's important to remind yourself that Bob Dylans come in many shapes and forms.

A textbook example of hard rockin' prog, but this time the textbook was written by the example itself. Since it's so innocuous, it's easy to overlook and scoff at it's low complexity. The first side of the disc might be too long for certain tastes. However, the bite size tracks on side two are excellent samples of a more cultured hard rock approach. Credit where credit is due, but other efforts will end up being more distinctive.

To define the 90s, some were grasping at hard rock's ballads only to achieve a tacky fad, other tried replicating the original punk feel, almost border-lining on being parodic. The Smashing Pumpkins had a different approach. With fuzz guitars and soft spoken lyrics, they deliberately created an angst simulation machine. Rather than romanticizing the past in wailing verses or screaming at the top of your lungs to berate it, accept it since it's part of you after all. It's rare to find an album that rocks so hard without making you feel cathartic. Guess that's what they call alternative.

You'd be tempted to live under the assumption that male teenage anxiety is an adolescent fad. The themes change, "teenage" to "grown-up", but the fad remains. Pretty good, not bad, I can't complain, but actually everything is just about the same.

Impressive instrumentals, true rhymes and top banter in skits. This is where raw authenticity is at.

Girl next door aesthetics applied to the female diva stylistic. Female Jeff Buckley vocals, set back by the unimaginative musical backdrop. Probably influential, since everything that came after it sounds exactly the same. Shame, since all the Billies, Marinas, St. Vincents of today really watered down the style, despite the higher production value.

What if The Cure, Depeche Mode and Joy Division had an annoying little sister.

Rock and rolling Soft Machine.