1001 Albums Summary

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User Albums Journey

Exploring beyond the book, one album at a time

View 1001 Albums Summary
93
Albums Rated
2.89
Average Rating

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Rating Timeline

Taste Profile

1970
Favorite Decade
Punk
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
9
5-Star Albums
12
1-Star Albums

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Albums

You Love More Than Most

AlbumYouGlobalDiff
Stormcock
Roy Harper
5 2.99 +2.01
Pink
Boris
5 3.07 +1.93
II
Espers
5 3.2 +1.8
Lost Horizons
Lemon Jelly
5 3.28 +1.72
Fear of a Blank Planet
Porcupine Tree
5 3.29 +1.71
Because the Internet
Childish Gambino
5 3.3 +1.7
Mm..Food
MF DOOM
5 3.32 +1.68
Nonagon Infinity
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
5 3.45 +1.55
Last Splash
The Breeders
5 3.47 +1.53
AmarElo
Emicida
4 2.75 +1.25

You Love Less Than Most

AlbumYouGlobalDiff
LUX
ROSALÍA
1 3.45 -2.45
The Fame
Lady Gaga
1 3.4 -2.4
Go Farther In Lightness
Gang of Youths
1 3.33 -2.33
Cracker Island
Gorillaz
1 3.26 -2.26
Voodoo
D'Angelo
1 3.09 -2.09
Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum
Tally Hall
1 3.02 -2.02
The art of Amalia Rodrigues
Amália Rodrigues
1 3.01 -2.01
When Smoke Rises
Mustafa
1 2.98 -1.98
Racine carrée
Stromae
1 2.96 -1.96
Don't Throw Stones
THE SPORTS
1 2.86 -1.86

5-Star Albums (9)

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Popular Reviews

Pink by Boris

Well this certainly blew me away. I think this is just about the most perfect mix of Shoegaze, Stoner/ Sludge Metal, and Noise Rock that I could have imagined. My time spent listening to this album passed so fast that I had to put it on again. Once again, the time just went and it was on the closing feedback of the final track in what seemed like a few seconds. I ended up listening to this album almost five times in one day. It's definitely a five star album.

II by Espers

The first track threw me a little, as I couldn't get the similarity with "Stairway to Heaven" out of my head. But then it settled into a dark folk groove that I very much enjoyed. Lovely vocals and instruments throughout. I found it hard to believe that Americans were capable of non-country-themed folk music of this quality. It has captured the sound of 1960s British Folk Revival, but adding a delicious dark twist. Five stars.

AmarElo by Emicida

Even though this wasn't English, I found this enjoyable, and there didn't seem to be the language barrier I had expected. Indeed, the final track being in English felt slightly jarring in some ways. It barely scrapes four stars from me. There's definitely a modern hip-hop feel that I was a little on the fence about, but it drew me in and kept me entertained throughout.

Stormcock by Roy Harper

This was on my shortlist for albums to recommend, probably in second place, so I'm very grateful that someone else saw fit to submit this great album. It's obviously going to be five stars, but let's cover off why. I love Roy Harper, I've seen him in concert many times, and he always puts on a great show. However, his albums are somewhat patchy, with some great tracks, but also some lame ducks. He also sometimes seems to struggle to capture the magic in the studio as well as he does on stage. This album is sheer perfection from start to finish, I wouldn't change a thing. Intelligent folk with a progression and the time taken to dwell on each of the four tracks just as much as they deserve. It's a very pared down and pure sound, but also complex, considering how few instruments there are. It's also an album where the long song lengths seem absurd, as they fly by in no time at all. If I had my way, there would be at least two other Harper albums on the list, but I'm happy that this one made it.

Carolina Confessions by The Marcus King Band

I imagine this band playing in an American action film from the early 1990s where there would be a house band who provided the odd musical interlude when the plot was running slow. There would probably be a scene with a big fight while the band play as if nothing special is happening. It would sound like the band definitely weren't playing live, but were in a studio with a lot of production. The lead singer would have maybe a couple of lines in the movie, but nothing to do with the actual plot. This is the album soundtrack for the movie. There's no stand out tracks, but the guitar sounds nice every now and then, plus it's so generic southern country rock that they could be singing about anything and it doesn't really matter. It actually wasn't bad at all, but so generic I feel three stars is fair.

1-Star Albums (12)

All Ratings (93)

Moanin' by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
Jun 06 2026

I had to listen to this twice, once to get in the mood, second time to isolate the drumming and appreciate it as best as I could. I liked this album a lot on multiple levels, technically great, a good mixture of styles, excellent pacing, tension and release. I didn't love it quite enough for five stars, but it was very close indeed. Four stars seems fair.

Nonagon Infinity by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Jun 07 2026

I've heard a few tracks by King Gizzard before and my Spotify was littered with tracks I'd liked by them, until they pulled the rug. I had to dig this album out on YouTube, but this gave me a chance to listen to the whole loop a few times with seamless transitions, so actually worked out as a bonus. Definitely right up my street and an easy five stars.

Carolina Confessions by The Marcus King Band
Jun 08 2026

I imagine this band playing in an American action film from the early 1990s where there would be a house band who provided the odd musical interlude when the plot was running slow. There would probably be a scene with a big fight while the band play as if nothing special is happening. It would sound like the band definitely weren't playing live, but were in a studio with a lot of production. The lead singer would have maybe a couple of lines in the movie, but nothing to do with the actual plot. This is the album soundtrack for the movie. There's no stand out tracks, but the guitar sounds nice every now and then, plus it's so generic southern country rock that they could be singing about anything and it doesn't really matter. It actually wasn't bad at all, but so generic I feel three stars is fair.

MOMENTUM by Calibro 35
Jun 09 2026

This was certainly atmospheric and gave a lot of movie soundtrack music vibes. It wasn't amazing, but it was worth a listen for sure. Three stars.

Metallic K.O. by The Stooges
Jun 10 2026

Very bad sound quality, to the point where I felt this was an unnecessary inclusion. We already have the studio albums and they are far superior to this semi-official bootleg in every way. It's still The Stooges, so it gets three stars, but slightly begrudging ones.

Fancy Blue by Tywanna Jo Baskette
Jun 11 2026

Quirky collection of short songs, some dipping into country-lite, others with minimal accompaniment. It was okay in parts, but dragged on once I'd hit the middle. I imagine the vocals are probably like fingernails on a blackboard for many people, but I tolerated them. I certainly wouldn't listen to this again. Two stars.

St. Jude by Courteeners
Jun 12 2026

I think of all the albums I've ever heard, this is probably one of the most derivative. It's like a cut price mash up of various early 2000s indie bands, but without any good songs. There's even a little bit of other influences, like The Smiths here and there, from earlier decades. The lead singer sounds very nasal. This is quite honestly the only thing that stands out from the pack. Everything else about the entire album is an almost direct copy from another band, or more usually a number of other bands. It wasn't unpleasant, just pointless, so two stars.

Whipped Cream & Other Delights by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
Jun 13 2026

To be quite honest, I feel if this wasn't under half an hour, it would have started to drag. But it was under half an hour and it kept me entertained, even if it was very easy listening. Three stars.

Jun 14 2026

The first side was good, one big hit that I recalled, a bit of variety, and everything just seemed to work. However, the second half wasn't as good. They sound a bit like The Cranberries mixed with The Cocteau Twins. The lead singer is good, but the rest of the band are a little bland. Three stars.

HELLYEAH by HELLYEAH
Jun 15 2026

This is one of my favourite genres, but there are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of better albums. This is bargain bucket generic metal that I could have done without. Two stars.

Stormcock by Roy Harper
Jun 16 2026

This was on my shortlist for albums to recommend, probably in second place, so I'm very grateful that someone else saw fit to submit this great album. It's obviously going to be five stars, but let's cover off why. I love Roy Harper, I've seen him in concert many times, and he always puts on a great show. However, his albums are somewhat patchy, with some great tracks, but also some lame ducks. He also sometimes seems to struggle to capture the magic in the studio as well as he does on stage. This album is sheer perfection from start to finish, I wouldn't change a thing. Intelligent folk with a progression and the time taken to dwell on each of the four tracks just as much as they deserve. It's a very pared down and pure sound, but also complex, considering how few instruments there are. It's also an album where the long song lengths seem absurd, as they fly by in no time at all. If I had my way, there would be at least two other Harper albums on the list, but I'm happy that this one made it.

Dead Man's Party by Oingo Boingo
Jun 17 2026

Although there were some interesting things going on here and there, it was ultimately a bit forgettable. Kind of like a Duran Duran copy without any hooks. I waited until the end of the album for the big hit, Weird Science, but it was awful. Two stars.

Untrue by Burial
Jun 18 2026

A little too bleak and minimal for my liking. I did enjoy the UK Garage sounds here and there, but it felt more like background muzak than anything I would ever listen to again. Two stars.

WE ARE by Jon Batiste
Jun 19 2026

This isn't a genre I particularly enjoy usually, but this wasn't too bad. There were some quite nice instrumental moments, on the piano particularly. The rest was slightly generic soul/ R&B but well produced I guess. It scrapes three stars from me, which is actually a compliment I guess?

A1A by Jimmy Buffett
Jun 20 2026

I'd never heard of Jimmy Buffet before, so I'm guessing he was only big in the USA, or just a little too early for me to remember. I was expecting this to be awful, but it was actually rather good. I must have been in the mood for humorous country/ pop today. I also did some reading up about the artist and he seemed like a genuinely nice guy. I almost feel bad giving this only three stars, but there's no way I could justify more than three.

Stranger In Town by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
Jun 21 2026

About as middle of the middle of the road as you could possibly get. I knew one song well, and maybe had heard a few of the others a couple of times. I guess this was bigger in the USA than it was in the UK, so that explains why this passed me by. As it's so middling I think a middle score of three stars is perfect.

His 'N' Hers by Pulp
Jun 22 2026

I don't like Different Class and this is just the same, but worse, so it's not going to be pleasant to listen to. Indeed, this was pretty wretched from start to finish. Two stars because there's a few hooks here and there to break up the monotony of Mr Cocker's weird breathy voice.

Maestro by Kaizers Orchestra
Jun 23 2026

It feels slightly unfair that if this was in English I might have given it three stars, but the lack of understanding of what was being sung means two is the score.

Moa Anbessa by Getatchew Mekurya
Jun 24 2026

This was far better than it had any right to be. Four stars. I was half dreading the vocals kicking in, but when they did it was a perfect fit. It did start to drag just a tiny bit by the end, maybe I was saxaphoned out?

Weezer by Weezer
Jun 25 2026

This teetered between three and four stars for me. It's nerd pop/ rock but done well. The big hits haven't been played quite to death yet. I enjoyed this just enough to bump it up to four stars.

Fear of a Blank Planet by Porcupine Tree
Jun 26 2026

I've struggled a little with this album in the past. It's often come up as something I should love and I think I've played it half a dozen times and it never really did much for me. It was a pleasant listen, but nothing special, and the lyrics are a bit all over the place. It started to click after multiple listenings in one day. It's still not quite a five star album, a 4.5 one for sure, but I'll round it up anyway. I always assumed Steven Wilson was American for some reason, so finding out he was English was enough to add a further 0.5 stars I guess.

10,000 Days by TOOL
Jun 27 2026

I enjoyed this while it was playing and I might even seek it out to listen to again, definitely the sort of progressive alt-metal rock I like, but nothing amazing stood out to lift it to five stars.

Zuckerzeit by Cluster
Jun 28 2026

Definitely a bit odd, but was an enjoyable, short listen. Nothing really to grab onto for me, so a strong three stars.

Vedergällningen by Garmarna
Jun 29 2026

If it wasn't in Swedish it might have sneaked a four, but three it is. Electronic folk with a female vocalist and the odd bit of atmospheric guitar. Sounded a bit like Hawkwind in parts, but that was probably the electric violin.

The Lion's Roar by First Aid Kit
Jun 30 2026

If I hadn't known this was a Swedish band, I would have assumed that this was some alt-country from America. It's okay, plods along in parts, has the vibe of the short-lived return of retro folk around when this came out. Three stars.

Jul 01 2026

For some reason this gave me Radiohead vibes throughout. No idea why, maybe from listening to the remix of OK Computer? Where I might have been tempted to mark down for receptiveness, it was actually a good thing here in some ways. There were times where I felt myself drifting away to somewhere much warmer and then three tracks might have passed by, all flowing together. Four stars seems fair, not perfection, but definitely worth repeated listens.

Wild Planet by The B-52's
Jul 02 2026

I really didn't need this I feel. It was almost bad enough for one star, but through the awful vocals there was a little bit of something, I'm not sure what, but just enough to claw it up to two stars.

LUX by ROSALÍA
Jul 03 2026

Nope, saw the rave reviews and figured this might be good, but I didn't enjoy it one bit. The Spanish language meant I had no idea what she was singing about, but even if I had understood, it just seemed like a blur of orchestral pop, which I generally despise anyway. Nothing stood out, other than the weird English bit at the end of one of the early songs that explained the explicit lyrics warning and came as a surprise. One star. This is my first one star rating on the user album list. I came expecting a modern classic and it just sounded like a really bad Madonna Ray of Light clone.

F♯ A♯ ∞ by Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Jul 04 2026

This wasn't available on Spotify, but I found the CD (longer) version easily enough. I didn't think I would like it, but the hour and a bit flew by and it just kept getting better and better. I don't know how many times I would listen to this as there's a lot of spoken word, but it certainly deserves four stars.

Smell No Evil by Ookla The Mok
Jul 05 2026

I don't like monkeys one bit, so this album was always going to be a struggle, particularly taking into full consideration just how monkey-themed it is. It tries very hard to be funny, which I guess is the genre. But it comes off as people dicking around and recording everything with no filter. There were a few times when I chuckled slightly. I know for a fact I wouldn't chuckle a second time though. Two stars.

Jul 06 2026

I think this was supposed to be quirky and fun, but it just dragged on and on until I had reached my limit. But it still kept going, into bonus tracks even, but by then I had basically given up and was just enduring until it went quiet. When it did I figured it was worth one star.

The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads by Lift To Experience
Jul 07 2026

A very strange, and at times disturbing album. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume this is tongue in cheek. If it wasn't, well I should probably have deducted a point at least. The first track hits the ground running and if it had all been this good then I would have been awarding five stars. However, there's quite a bit of meandering and "weird stuff" over the 90+ minute running time, at least ten minutes of which is silence. I'm going with four stars for some shoegaze that I enjoyed, even it was just a small part of a very strange album.

L'Heptade by Harmonium
Jul 08 2026

This was a great album, lots of variation, some bits were a little like early Genesis, other parts reminded me more of early Marillion. It went off on an orchestral journey at times, but it never grew dull. I have to deduct one star for the simple fact that I didn't understand a single word being sung, but it's a strong four star album nevertheless.

I And Love And You by The Avett Brothers
Jul 09 2026

Very generic, to the point where I was waiting for it to end from the halfway mark. I think this should be classified as pop with a very light folk rock touch. Didn't like it, two stars.

II by Espers
Jul 10 2026

The first track threw me a little, as I couldn't get the similarity with "Stairway to Heaven" out of my head. But then it settled into a dark folk groove that I very much enjoyed. Lovely vocals and instruments throughout. I found it hard to believe that Americans were capable of non-country-themed folk music of this quality. It has captured the sound of 1960s British Folk Revival, but adding a delicious dark twist. Five stars.

Quadrophenia by The Who
Jul 11 2026

I couldn't name a single track from Quadrophenia, even though I've seen the film at least twice. Now I've heard the album and nothing really stood out, apart from the very strange lyrics in some of the songs. Three stars, enjoyable but nothing special.

Racine carrée by Stromae
Jul 12 2026

I figured house electro-pop sung in French might be decent, but nope, this was utter trash from start to finish. Extremely annoying and zero depth, just Euro trash club tunes. One star.

Nimrod by Green Day
Jul 13 2026

Like American Idiot, but with more swearing and less big hits. Fake pop punk doesn't do much for me and the vocals always sound nasal and annoying. I will begrudgingly give this three stars for not being too awful, but it was a close run decision.

Friend by Rozi Plain
Jul 14 2026

Very much passed me by in a bland vocals but some nice instruments way. Two stars, mainly because it's generic alt-folk that I could have happily never heard without feeling I was missing out in the slightest.

AmarElo by Emicida
Jul 15 2026

Even though this wasn't English, I found this enjoyable, and there didn't seem to be the language barrier I had expected. Indeed, the final track being in English felt slightly jarring in some ways. It barely scrapes four stars from me. There's definitely a modern hip-hop feel that I was a little on the fence about, but it drew me in and kept me entertained throughout.

Jul 16 2026

Whiny vocals and extremely generic indie-rock with literally nothing that stood out for me. Two stars.

Before These Crowded Streets by Dave Matthews Band
Jul 17 2026

As this album opened, I figured I would hate it. It sounded like pretentious jazz-pop, like Jamiroquai, but even worse. The clumsy middle-eastern influences came over as pretty lame. However, as it continued I started to warm to it slightly. The songs took a slightly dark turn and the singer began to sound tortured, in an over-dramatic way, but certainly better than the first few tracks had made me feel this was going to be. In the end I was getting just a little sick of it, then it finally finished. Three stars I guess.

The Animal Years by Josh Ritter
Jul 18 2026

Incredibly beige. It picked up a little bit near the end, but only barely enough to scrape two stars. Generic and bland American folk that wasn't even good background music.

Is Ellipsis by Psyche Origami
Jul 19 2026

Grew a little tiresome about halfway through, a little too repetitive and the sheer volume of words started to weigh heavily. I still enjoyed listening though, and enjoyed spotting the odd sample here and there. Three stars.

Jul 20 2026

Comedy albums need to tick one of these boxes in my opinion. They're good as a standalone pieces of music in their own right (Frank Zappa for example) or they're actually really funny (Tenacious D for example). This falls somewhere in between. It wasn't awful and I'm going with three stars, but it wasn't great either.

All Hour Cymbals by Yeasayer
Jul 21 2026

Pretty chill neo-psychedelia. It wasn't special enough for five full stars, but it does grab four.

Chocolate Synthesizer by Boredoms
Jul 22 2026

Not as horrible as I was expecting from the reviews. It did grow a little tiresome by the halfway mark, so three stars. It didn't sound particularly Japanese to my ears, even though I do like a bit of Japanese noise rock from time to time.

Go Farther In Lightness by Gang of Youths
Jul 23 2026

This sounded like a mash up between Bruce Springsteen and U2. Maybe this would be a good thing if you liked those bands, but I can't stand either, so this was utter shite from start to finish. It was also around one hour longer than it needed to be. One star feels a bit harsh, but I honestly can't see any reason for this throwback garbage to exist, it's just awful and a waste of my listening time.

The art of Amalia Rodrigues by Amália Rodrigues
Jul 24 2026

I saw the album cover and inwardly groaned, but hey, don't judge an album by its cover. Turned out my gut feeling was spot on, the slightly disapproving look of Amalia was a strong tell that I was in for an hour of painfully awful crooning in a language I don't understand. Every song sounded exactly like the last one, and with the first song being utterly dreadful, this was not a good thing. At times the sound of her singing was almost physically painful, resulting in me turning the volume down for the first time in months, if not years. One star for this desultory "best of" effort that doesn't even have a dedicated Wikipedia page. I'm sure other people might love this kind of thing, but I wouldn't even call this music. One star.

Pink by Boris
Jul 25 2026

Well this certainly blew me away. I think this is just about the most perfect mix of Shoegaze, Stoner/ Sludge Metal, and Noise Rock that I could have imagined. My time spent listening to this album passed so fast that I had to put it on again. Once again, the time just went and it was on the closing feedback of the final track in what seemed like a few seconds. I ended up listening to this album almost five times in one day. It's definitely a five star album.

Deltron 3030 by Deltron 3030
Jul 26 2026

An interesting concept that is stuck to throughout the entire album. It never dragged and was a nice mixture of funk and hip-hop. Four stars.

Don't Throw Stones by THE SPORTS
Jul 27 2026

Truly dreadful. It sounded unforgivably similar to Elvis Costello. One star.

The Evil One by Roky Erickson
Jul 28 2026

I loved Roky in the 13th Floor Elevators, but his work following that always seemed a bit lacking somehow. This is okay, but many of the songs follow the simple format of him repeating the title a few dozen times with some backing music that isn't amazing. Three stars seems fair, with one of those being a sympathy star I guess.

Life Goes On by Carla Bley
Jul 29 2026

Very smooth, but also just a little tedious for my liking. The playing was pleasant enough but I would never go out of my way to listen to this again. Three stars.

Rêver mieux by Daniel Bélanger
Jul 30 2026

Not at all what I was expecting and the lack of understanding didn't seem to hurt too much either. I went in expecting some awful French pop music, but came out feeling that it was innocuous throughout and actually half-decent in some parts. Three stars.

Diesel And Dust by Midnight Oil
Jul 31 2026

I enjoyed reading about the band and their dislike of the Australian press more than the actual music, which was about as bland as I had expected. Two stars.

The Fame by Lady Gaga
Aug 01 2026

I knew the hits and figured an album of Lady Gaga might turn out to be fun. How wrong I was. I'd forgotten just how cheesy and auto-tuned this was. The filler was awful and unrelenting. Very glad to get to the end, but it felt like an eternity getting there. I was reminded throughout of 1980s cheesy "club pop" like Sinitta and Sabrina, only they had better hooks than this. The further into the album I went, the cheesier and cringier it got. One star.

Z by My Morning Jacket
Aug 02 2026

I had a brief fling with MMJ about ten years or so ago, after watching the American Dad episode about them. They seemed okay, but the music was just a little too shallow. I somehow hadn't listened to any of the tracks on this album, which I found good enough for four stars. Chill and flashes of greatness here and there.

Shallow Bed by Dry the River
Aug 03 2026

Got surprisingly good by the end, but never fantastic. Four stars as I'm feeling a little generous, but it's really generic folk rock. There's echoes of other bands here and there, but it's all nicely done.

Psychic by DARKSIDE
Aug 04 2026

I quite enjoyed this one, almost enough for four stars, but I went for three on balance. Quirky and slightly dark ambient in places.

Stella by Yello
Aug 05 2026

Definitely quirky and, although I can't say it was witty, I can understand why people might think it is. It's lightweight and very 80s synth pop, almost like listening to the Pet Shop Boys from the same era, but with more weird stuff going on. It wasn't a terrible experience to listen to, but I certainly felt I'd done enough getting to the end of the album on Spotify and ditched the bonus tracks. Two stars for disposable pop music.

My Love Is Cool by Wolf Alice
Aug 06 2026

This was hard to rate. On one side it's exactly the sort of music I like, but on the other, it's not a particularly ground-breaking example, and it's just a regurgitation of far better bands who did all this and more 30 years earlier. I actually might have preferred it if it went the folk-rock direction that I thought it might do from the first few minutes. But I think grungy-dream pop is probably about right as a description of the genre. I'm going with a very low four stars on balance, because it was pleasant to listen to and I'll probably try their other albums.

Aug 07 2026

There was nothing unpleasant about this album, nothing to jar me or make me feel I needed to deduct points. However, this very lack of any strong emotion is why I'm going with a two star rating. Probably 2.5 on balance, but it's just too bland and generic for three stars. It reminded me of many other bands that I also don't mind, but would never actively seek out their music.

Bring It On by Gomez
Aug 08 2026

This was fun and I almost made it all the way through the bonus disc. It wasn't amazing though, so I'm going with three stars. It sounded a bit like The Stone Roses at times, but then it sounded like lots of things, from many genres, which I guess was the album's main strength (it didn't get stale), but also a weakness (it became a bit too erratic). As blues/ psychedelic/ alt-rock/ whatever it was fine.

Lost Horizons by Lemon Jelly
Aug 09 2026

This was my user submitted album. I was actually tempted to rate it four stars, but I guess I have to promote it with a full five. I think, if someone else had submitted this, and I hadn't heard it before, I would have gone with a 4.5 and rounded up or down depending on my mood that day. There were many albums I considered before picking this one, and this was eventually picked, mainly because of its mainstream appeal over death metal choices that I discarded on the way. It was either this or Cradle of Filth - Dusk and her Embrace. I wonder how that would have fared for ratings? I see some people think the tracks are too long. To be totally honest, I have always though of this as a relatively short album, with snappy 4-5 minute tracks. I was amazed to realise how wrong I was. For me, each track is a soundscape that can exist as background, chill-out music, or equally, closely considered as a journey through sound. The length is irrelevant. In fact, I'm going to take a while to consider this, as it's a point I've never understood. Some of my favourite pieces of music are long, sometimes in excess of 20 minutes. But I don't fully follow why length matters for a musical composition. Is it that there's too long to wait until the next track introduces something new? In which case, if you listen carefully, you'll usually find that long tracks could be split up into three or four separate pieces, each complete in isolation. It also works in reverse, if you took several shorter tracks and whacked them together into one monster, you've not changed the music, just the listeners perception of where one bit starts and ends. It seems a strange criticism to me, when the arbitrary end points probably wouldn't even be considered if you weren't listening in a digital format. Ramblin' Man is my standout track by far, and I would give the album five stars on the basis of this track alone. I also love how well it transitions into another album highlight, Return to Patagonia, "won't be long now". But the whole album gels beautifully, in an ambient, retro, light jazz, laid back, trip-hop way. I never thought I would appreciate some of the instruments that feature, like horns, so much. It's just nice to put this album on and have it lift your mood with such warm and joyous sounds.

Jinkougaku by ZUTOMAYO
Aug 10 2026

Pleasant Japanese RPG background music. Nothing special stood out other than the bass. Three stars.

Contra by Vampire Weekend
Aug 11 2026

Whiny, nasty, and downright awful from start to finish. I'm going with two stars because there was some semblance of music here, but it was close to being a one star album. I guess this is what you might get if someone heard some Paul Simon when they were off their face drunk in a bar, decided to rip it off, but had been too drunk when they were listening, so messed it all up and ended up adding several layers of new dross on top of something that was bad in the first place. The last song is sung so badly it made me want to slap the singer.

You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene
Aug 12 2026

It wasn't bad, just generic indie rock that went a bit maudlin by the end. I liked some bits more than others. Three stars.

Voodoo by D'Angelo
Aug 13 2026

I gave Brown Sugar one star, but this sounds even worse than that did. I honestly couldn't tell the difference between the tracks, other than the one time Method Man could be heard. I guess the one star is for the guests, as everything else about this sucks. My one feeling throughout was that D'Angelo is the male equivalent of Mariah Carey. I think this is the purist form of a musical genre that I despise, so I hate it with a fierce and pure hatred that didn't dim until the very last note had faded.

Aug 14 2026

I expected to hate this, but it was actually not too awful. Far too long, but the diversity of rock-rap on disc 1 and more traditional hip-hop on disc 2 kept it from getting too stale. Nothing really stood out, other than the corny lyrics. I'm going with three stars.

10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads by Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Aug 15 2026

While I did enjoy some of this album, it was a live compilation of different artists from different places, overlong, and not what I would consider a choice that fits the criteria. I feel one star is a little harsh, so two it is.

The Money Store by Death Grips
Aug 16 2026

Dreadful cover, but the music wasn't half bad. Definitely more electronica than hip-hop, but an interesting blend of genres, with unrelenting vocal delivery. I could definitely see myself listening to this again, so four stars it is.

Silent Shout by The Knife
Aug 17 2026

Synth pop with a dark twist. This went into the background from the first track onwards and largely sat there throughout. I gave Fever Ray four stars, but this seems like a three.

Last Splash by The Breeders
Aug 18 2026

This is yet another example of an album that I would probably have never listened to, mainly due to a misunderstanding. For some reason I've always thought The Breeders were some sort of folk/punk Irish band. I was very surprised to find this was actually a vehicle for Kim Deal. Turns out I knew Cannonball well, but I don't know who I thought that song belonged to. The rest of the album varied between sounds I would expect from The Pixies into other, stranger places. I enjoyed it all. The last few tracks even reminded me a little bit of Hole. I'm going with five stars as there wasn't anything I didn't like here and I played it through four times, which is always a good sign!

Get Fucked by The Chats
Aug 19 2026

Short but full of energy. It's not exactly ground breaking stuff, but it's done well enough. I even went to listen to their first album after this. It's basic pub/ comedy/ punk rock but decently performed. Four stars.

Aug 20 2026

Better than I thought it would be, but very much the pop end of folk rock. I'd never heard a single song from this album, including the "big hit" Time in a Bottle, which kind of passed me by when it came round. I was more interested in reading about Jim's story than the music itself. It wasn't dreadful, but nothing special. Two stars from me.

Blink-182 by blink-182
Aug 21 2026

Whiny pop/punk with not much going for it. It was awful, but it wasn't quite bad enough for one star, so two it is.

The Decline by NOFX
Aug 22 2026

I'd never heard of NoFX, but I figured this would be pop/punk from the description. It actually was far better than that, so I went to listen to their most acclaimed album, "Prunk In Dublic". That would have received three stars from me, but this will be getting four stars. I know it's "only an EP", but that honestly doesn't bother me. Fela Kuti had an EP on the main list and I'm sure there were others I can't remember now. Some albums are only a little longer than this single track and there's always the option of playing it twice, which is what I did. Other people have already mentioned this, but it's shocking how well this relates to current-day America when it was written over 25 years ago. In fact, I would argue that it's actually far more relevant now than it was when it was written. There are superficial similarities to songs like "American Idiot", but this is far better in my opinion. The lyrics and song structure are simple, but then I guess they need to be for the target audience (dumb Americans). Are all Americans dumb? Probably not, but they have MAGA along with, by far, the most vile leader in modern times and one of the most terrible human beings to have ever existed... let's just leave it at that, other than I loved the trumpet.

Aug 23 2026

Weird, dark, sparse folk music that sounds a bit like an ASMR nightmare. Loses a point for Nick Cave's appearance, so two stars.

Cracker Island by Gorillaz
Aug 24 2026

I'm not a fan of what's considered to be the good Gorillaz stuff and this is far worse, so one star. If you had asked me the average length of the songs on this album, I would have thought of a number that was at least eight minutes, as time stretched during this experience. I didn't think thirty-seven minutes could possibly last as long as it did. Each track was a chore to endure, vapid and a misuse of the guest stars.

Blonde by Frank Ocean
Aug 25 2026

Not enjoyable in the slightest, I'm sure people enjoy this sort of music in their own way, but for me it's just painful to listen to. For the main this was simply awful, but there were the odd parts where it almost felt hypnotic in a, "will this never end" way where I had basically given up on getting to the end and just tried to tell my ears to stop paying attention. I'm going with a very generous two stars.

Mewgenics by Ridiculon
Aug 26 2026

This was a waste of my listening time, one star.

The Grass Is Blue by Dolly Parton
Aug 27 2026

Although I appreciated Dolly Parton as a person, I didn't really enjoy this in the slightest. Some of the bluegrass backing music wasn't too bad, so I'm going with two stars, but the lyrics were dreadful and the songs lacklustre. I don't think I've ever heard so many songs about the physics of weeping packed together so closely before.

Shakespeare My Butt... by Lowest of the Low
Aug 28 2026

Ranges from annoying to bland and back again as it lurches from one song to another, many of them sounding incredibly similar. I honestly can't see why anyone would think this stands up as an album worthy of inclusion. It's generic pop-indie-rock that's better left forgotten in my opinion. It's not that it's bad, just that there's literally dozens of better examples of this particular style of popular music. It sounds like a pub band that had a small following and somehow snagged a record deal, only to realise how far out of their depth they were and put out something so safe and dull that they should feel ashamed. The length seals the deal for me, it's bloated for no good reason other than a lack of production standards. I'm going to have to go with one star here.

Espaloian by Itoiz
Aug 29 2026

Strangely, the best thing for me about this album was the fact I didn't have a clue what they were singing about. On that basis it just about scrapes two stars. It's pretty bland fare, pop-rock along similar lines to The Police, but without any hooks. It was short though, a bonus, and it wasn't unpleasant, just boring. However, this sent me on a journey back to the same band's first album and I really enjoyed that far better. I would have easily given their debut four stars and it was interesting to see how similar "Hilzori II" was to "She Chameleon" by Marillion! Shame this wasn't the submitted album I feel, as it was far, far better in every way.

Aug 30 2026

Some strong tracks keep this just about above water, but the filler is quite thick, particularly near the end. Three stars

Because the Internet by Childish Gambino
Aug 31 2026

I really like the blend of hip-hop with a varied set of backing music, from ambient, pop-rock, even a bit of shoegaze. Rarely, this landed from the first track and the quality never dipped. The last quarter or so went off a little bit too much in an R&B direction for my liking. But it still kept up some of the momentum gained in the first part. I was originally considering giving this four stars, but I feel a full five is in order.

Pussy Whipped by Bikini Kill
Sep 01 2026

Short and screechy, some nice-sounding guitar, what's not to like? Four stars.

When Smoke Rises by Mustafa
Sep 02 2026

Well this was bad, shockingly bad. The singer mumbles through the material, sounding like a mutilated moose. The background music doesn't seem to match the songs at times, just random guitar strumming and the odd bit of percussion. It's a dismal affair from start to finish, truly awful. I figured the short length would help, but my word, 24 minutes seemed like a lifetime listening to this dross. One star, for one of the worst albums on the entire project.

Wallsocket by underscores
Sep 03 2026

The first half was great and a 40 minute album would have probably got four stars, but it outstayed its welcome so gets three stars instead.

Ruby Vroom by Soul Coughing
Sep 04 2026

I thought the stream of consciousness would get irritating, but it didn't. I also figured I would ditch the bonus tracks (everything on Spotify after "Janine"), but I didn't. I actually enjoyed this enough to dig through their other albums. The sound reminded me of many things, from rock to hip-hop and back again. I guess Beck is the closest point of reference? Anyway, this was perfect to have on in the background this morning and I may well listen to it again. Four stars.

Mm..Food by MF DOOM
Sep 05 2026

This album sounds great, wonderful production, great flows. My only concern is the number of samples, some of which go on for ages, especially in the middle. I think I'm going to ignore the potential damage to replayability, as I played this from start to finish four times today already and it just kept getting better. Five stars.

A Beginner's Mind by Sufjan Stevens
Sep 06 2026

Understated and slightly depressing folky stuff. It was just a touch cloying in parts, but overall I liked the mood it formed. Four stars.

Wordsmith

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Album origins are grouped into three buckets: US, UK, and everything else. “Other” means the artists you rate highest are from outside the US and UK.