User Albums Summary

EDIT: I originally gave this album a 3, which the below review reflects This gives me post-britpop vibes (coldplay, doves, placebo) so I'm guessing they took inspiration from those types of bands. The straight indie rock tracks are the least interesting thing here, thankfully it opens up into dreamy soundscapes and the occasional mathy sounding song, which actually sound pretty good. Definitely more of a slow burn, I could see myself liking it more on repeat listens. The last song is very emblematic of the record, after a slow start it flourishes into a pretty astonishing song. This also seems a bit ahead of the curve for this style of music, only by a few years, but this sound did get more popular around the mid 00s. Should it be in the main list: I don't think so, but it would make for an interesting inclusion Top 3 songs: 156, Symmetry, Comforting Sounds

This was very pleasant, traditional African music with a good danceable groove to it, easy music to put on in the background. I'm completely out of my depth when talking about this style of music, plus I have no idea who the guy is, but it's enjoyable. Should it be in the main list: Yes. I know nothing about this artist or this style of music, but I'd approve of it being in the main list just because it's both different and good. Top 3 tracks: Yamore, Iniagige, Koukou

Cake are a strange band, musically they're kind of a mix of RHCP and Wilco, but have a tone of "We could try but we don't want to" with their lazy style of talk-singing. Knowing what I know of Cake beforehand I was fully expecting to find this album irritating, which it is, but it's in equal parts funny too. Counterintuitively, the songs that give the album it's greatest identity are the classic cover songs; For example I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor, their lazy style is offensive to the legacy of a great song at first, but after a while it's becomes pretty funny. The Distance is a classic that needs no introduction, it's easy to make fun of but it rocks hard. I feel like I might bump this up to a 4 in future, I felt like the album had too many duds but it sort of won me over by the end of its runtime. Should it be in the main list: Honestly I'm going to say yes, musically they're not that outstanding but the way they present themselves adds a unique flair. Closest thing I can think of to Cake is Sonic Youth, and I'm sure they'll be fine with just 4 albums in the list instead of 5. Top 3 songs: Frank Sinatra, The Distance, Nugget

EDIT: I originally gave this album a 3, which the below review reflects This album has a very cinematic feel to it, it flows very well and it has those big dramatic strings you hear in movies, so I'm assuming this was an intentional choice. The music itself is indie folk, very powerful and well sung, though it veers dangerously into the "stomp clap hey" territory at times. The lyrics seem very personal, and it seems like the submitter values them a lot, though I personally thought they were a bit to distracting and not the best. I'm sure it will resonate with a lot of people though. Should it be in the main list: No Top 3 songs: Secret Worlds, The Calling, Inkpot Gods

I'm amazed by this one, Aesop Rock has a great flow and style of lyricism to a point where it's easy to see why he's as influential as he is. I love the dark, industrial, electronic beats, it sounds almost rocky at times, which helps paint the grim and nebulous atmosphere that he's obviously going for. I do think there is a small fall off in the latter half of the album that picks up a little towards the end, the first half is immaculate though. I was bordering on giving this a 5. Should it be on the list: Yes, it would immediately become one of the best rap albums there. Top 3 songs: Mystery Fish, Rings, Dorks

Interesting mid 00s emo post hardcore, before that style got huge a little later in the decade. Has mild metalcore and milder screamo vibes to it, which I'm guessing is the reason for the poor rating here. I like it, very melodic, has lot of existential angst, which is all good stuff to me. Should it be in the main list: You can make a strong case for it, an album like this should have been in it and I wouldn't complain with this one Top 3 songs: Accidents, Control, Hey It's Your Funeral Mama

How was this not on the list? Great jazz album, Coleman is known for his controversial style back in the 50s, but this would go on to be an extremely forward thinking jazz album. A very chaotic album, you can see why it was edgy at the time, there are some moments of normalcy, such as on Peace, but it promptly goes back to the chaotic saxophone. I think this is an especially good pick because it gives context to John Zorn's brilliant Spy vs. Spy album from the main list, which was a cover album of Coleman's work. Should it be in the main list: Yes 100%. Obviously Coleman was important enough to be in the main list indirectly. Top 3 songs: Lonely Woman, Eventually, Chronology

A very sharp turn away from the album from the book, BoC attempt something spookier. This album has a very haunted atmosphere (I don't know what "Hauntology" is but if it should apply to anything it's probably this), not in like a haunted house way, but in a more "village in the countryside and you've stumbled upon something you haven't". It has a weirdly pastoral and old folky feeling, helped by some interesting percussion instruments, chanting, and woodwinds, most notably a flute that plays on a lot of the tracks. Another interesting aspect of this album is that it's intentionally lo-fi at times. BoC know how to make good sounding albums, and that is present here too, but noisy and low quality sound is used to create a nebulous feeling (compare the start of Julie and Candy to the main hook, as an example), again to create that eerie sound. They also utilize a lot of auto tune, which on the surface sounds weird given that BoC are almost entirely instrumental, but here it's used (along with back asking) to create incomprehensible cultish sounding songs. Should it be in the main list: Yes, 100%. I understand why it isn't since BoC already have representation, but this album is very unique. Top 3 songs: Gyroscope, Sunshine Recorder, 1969

An obvious parody of scene era emo, made by the YouTuber Pat Finnerty. It's true to the sound of that genre, but it's painfully unfunny and really comes across as an inside joke that I'm not on the inside for. Should it be in the main list: No Top 3 songs: The Simple Plan, Mad This Summer, August is Falling

EDIT: I originally gave this album a 4, which the below review reflects Very interesting blend of rock, rap, funk, Brazilian traditional music, downtempo, and even some jazz (of the acid variety). Hearing this you might think that it's a disasterous mess, but it's actually very well blended and flows together smoothly. It's primarily funk rock with traditional Brazilian beats, with the other genres thrown in as seasoning Chico Science died the year after this album was released, I wonder if he would have been a much bigger deal were he around for longer? He had talent for sure. Should it be in the album: Yes, very good and unique showing from Brazil. Top three songs: Maracatu Atômico, Manguetown, Baião Ambiental

I've been a fan of this band since the day their first album came out, so they hold a special place for me. Back then they were much more punky, along with their post-rock soundscapes, but this album saw a shift to primarily chamber pop music. The album is pop music for most of its runtime, with two long post-rock tracks at the end. The pop is very well made but pretty inconsistent, I feel like it stops and starts a little too much with not a great flow. This section ends with the song "The Place Where He Inserted the Blade" which is very overly dramatic and bordering on musical, but I think it shows the strengths and flaws of BCNR as a whole, this is easily the strongest pop songwriting on the album but also has some of the most cringiest lyrics in their catalogue (a staple for BCNR). The last two songs are brilliant and my favourite section of the album as the album finally starts to enter some consistency. I think Bread Song would have been a better fit with these last two songs, as it's currently surrounded by the more poppier tracks like Concorde and Chaos Space Marine. Should it be in the main list: Yes 100%, and I'm very surprised it's not in the next edition Top 3 songs: The Place Where He Inserted the Blade, Snow Globes, Basketball Shoes

This is my first St Vincent album (though I was aware of her prior) and I'm a little bit surprised, I expected this to be a bit artsier, but this is actually quite danceable, and seems to take a lot of inspiration from 80s new wave rock music. There's an undercurrent of industrial and dance on these tracks, personally I prefer it when the songs are heavier and rockier, but there's good pop hooks here which pulls all the genres together quite nicely. She performs quite a lot of stuff on the album, so she's clearly very talented. I'm surprised Dimery wasn't all over her earlier, a talented multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter that peforms primarily rock music? He loves that! Should it be in the list: A moot point since it's going to be included in the 2026 edition of the book. I think St. Vincent deserves something but I don't know if this should be the one, it reads like the creator righting past wrongs. Top 3 songs: Broken Man, Flea, Violent Times

I was aware of this band and album as a kid when I was going through my prog phase, but I never bothered to listen to them because they seemed too nerdy. Listening to this about 15 year later... And yeah this band is extremely nerdy. That's not to say this album is bad though, it's great! In true prog concept album fashion the transitions between songs are perfect, it's hard to tell when one song ends and the next one starts which makes it feel like something that should be experienced from start to finish. The album starts with the poppier tracks, and towards the end it skews more to the proggier stuff, personally I like the pop rock a little more here. Also let's address the elephant in the room, yes this band sounds like post-Gabriel Genesis and yes the lead singer sounds exactly like Peter Gabriel. Should it be in the main list: Yes. I think Marillion should at least have an album given they dominate the neo-prog subgenre they're a part of. Top 3 tracks: Kayleigh, Lavender, Childhood's End?

This is pretty standard alt rock, it's competently performed and has decent songwriting, but I don't think it's that interesting. It takes a lot of influence from post-britpop artists and has a mild grunge tinge, but other than that it's fine. It's easy on the ears so I could see myself returning to this. Should it be on the list: No Top 3 songs: Waiting for the Sun, My Happiness, The Metre

I only knew this band through the first song, Beds Are Burning, which is an incredible song and also foreshadows what this album is about: great pop hooks, jangly U2-esque alt rock, and very blunt commentary on aboriginal Australian civil rights. Talking about societal and political issues is tough, you have to tread a fine line between getting the point across and not making the song feel like a lecture. I think Midnight Oil do a great job of this, their style of lyricism is very confrontational on white Australia's treatment of the natives, but it's balanced out by the aforementioned pop hooks, to a point where you can listen to a song about civilians being nuked and jam along to it. You could argue that this dilutes the songs meanings a bit, but I think the combination highlights how serious the problems are without it feeling preachy. There's also some environmental issues in these songs that are generally tied to aboriginal rights, such as in The Dead Heart, and again they pull it off well. The U2 comparisons are hard to ignore, personally I preferred this to any U2 album in the main list, but U2 were so big that everyone tried to copy their homework. Midnight Oil are more pop oriented, and their social commentary does set them apart from the crowd. U2 (especially Bono) always seemed a pompous twat when talking about social issues, I don't feel like that towards Midnight Oil, these guys just seem genuinely passionate about their message. Should it be in the main list: Yes, it's a great example of early alt rock, Australian pop music, and civil rights messages that aren't based on UK/US issues. Top 3 songs: Beds Are Burning, Warakurna, The Dead Heart

NOTE: check the tracklist and make sure the version you're listening to has the last three songs (Yeti, Yeti Talks to Yogi, Sandoz in the Rain), as Spotify did not have these. Yeti is an interesting prog/psych rock (and apparently krautrock but I don't hear that) that's surprisingly accessible. The highlight of the album is the prog epic that the album starts with (or the first four songs if you're using Spotify) which procedurally gets more psychedelic and weird the longer the song lasts until it snaps back to normality at the end. The remainder of the songs experiment with metal, folk, and avant garde with the prog/psych parameters that they established with the first song. Personally I prefer the weirder stuff they do, the folk not so much. The second half of the album takes a shift, from here the band gets a bit jam band, although nothing too wild like Phish. The songs get more drawn out and are given more space to wander. I don't like this half of the album as much as the first, with the exception of the title track which is actually very cool. The RNG of getting this so soon after finishing the main list has worked against the album, by the end of it I was fatigued with psych rock, but now I am back into another one. The band is clearly very talented and there's some great moments on this, that I'm almost certain after revisiting this later on I'll have a more positive opinion on it. Should it be in the main list: You could make a strong case for it. I know Yeti has become a cult classic, but there doesn't need to be more late 60s/early 70s psych rock. I'm fine with replacing one of the landfill psych albums with this though. Top 3 songs: Soap Shop Rock, Eye Shaking King, Pale Gallery

I was filled with dread when I saw this was a blues rock record, the 1001 is full of them! Don't judge a book by it's cover though, this actually is an interesting take on it, combining the blues rock with southern rock, country rock, and even soul, I guess kind of similar to Brothers in the main list but far harder in the southern direction. Marcus King clearly shows himself to be a talented singer and guitarist, and it definitely helps him stick out from a very oversaturated pack. I feel like a couple of songs could have been trimmed towards the end though. I prefer the songs that emphasize the more soulful and technical guitar elements as I find these are King's greatest strengths. Unfortunately (like with yesterday's album) I think the fatigue from hearing so much of this kind of music from the 1001 has soured me on it, regardless of its quality. I have a feeling I'll bump this up a star when I revisit it way later, hopefully less irritated by blues. Should it be in the main list: No, we don't need more blues rock Top 3 songs: Where I'm Headed, Goodbye Carolina, How Long

A very unique album, it blends shoegaze with black metal but without being as depressing as BM typically is. The first song is actually quite a lush sounding song, which fits the album cover very well, and it segues into a wonderful dream pop and impressionism piece. These two tracks are easily my favorite part of the album. Outside of this, the standouts are definitely the other blackgaze songs, such as the title track and The Pecan Tree. My problem with this album, and Deafheaven as a whole, is that I feel their albums are a test of endurance with the harsh noises and screaming vocals, that combined with how long they are just makes me want the album to end ASAP. This album is a bit better about it than others since there are more low key segments to break up the abrasiveness though. Should it be in the main list: Yes 100% Top 3 Songs: Dream House, Irresistible, Sunbather

EDIT: I originally gave this album a 4, which the below review reflects This is classified as one of the earliest prog albums and one of the earliest concept albums, and as a result it sounds both ahead of its time but also of its time. The concept is about the flow of time in a day, starting with daybreak and ending with night time. I know this band is a prog rock band so I expected something a bit different, it's definitely prog but there's not much rock here! It's primarily baroque pop some tracks are more on the baroque end but it's mostly pop. This is a very calm, and melancholic album. The orchestration is very lush and sounds like the kind of classical music you'd hear in a musical or a Disney movie at times, usually to transition away from the meat of the songs. I like these elements though, definitely add some flair to the album and allow it to flow a bit smoother. I think it generally does a good job of fitting the mood of the day. Should it be in the main list: Yes, it manages to do something before most other acts, but also still be of high quality. Top 3 songs: Dawn, Afternoon, The Night

Another Alexisonfire record, and I prefer this one to Watch Out. It starts with a bang with .44 Caliber Love Letter, a song that might be one of the best emo songs that I've somehow never heard before. It starts with some interesting guitar tones and some cool fiddly posst-hardcore riffs before the main part of the song. The lyrics do suffer a little from that millennial emo music cringe (which follows throughout the whole album) but it's really to be expected in this kind of music. This album sounds more emo than Watch Out, but also dips it's toes into the screamo subgenre a bit more. I typically don't like screamo but I like how it's handled here. Usually bands like this are too intense for too long, but Alexisonfire do a great job of balancing the intense aggressive parts with slower and more technical sections that allow you to appreciate both sides of the band. I prefer how it's handled in this album, the slower parts are typically more traditional Midwestern emo, and the more intense parts are in a same vein to ATDI post-hardcore but with more screaming. I felt Watch Out was a little too slow and mild at times and the intensity was too strong. Speaking of Watch Out, the last four songs seem to forshadow the direction they would take with that album. I think around this point the album loses a bit of steam, but it's still a solid record. Should it be on the list: Yes I think so, this era of emo has no representation. They don't deserve two however Top 3 songs: .44 Caliber Love Letter, Polaroids of Polar Bears, The Kennedy Curse

Hell yeah, The Sound! I was actually considering submitting TWO of their albums (well, one album one EP), their debut Jeopardy, and Shock Of Daylight. I think those two albums are stronger in terms of sound and songwriting but I get why some people prefer this one. From the Lion's Mouth has a much more certain sound than The Sound's other albums where they hop around. As an example, Jeopardy has strong pop, punk, and goth influences, but it seems like they opted to go all.in on the goth sound for this album. The album starts with Winning, a song considered by many fans and even not fans to be their best (a sentiment agreed by the user that submitted it), which foreshadows the bleakness the album contains compared to their first album. He might say he's winning, but with that ominous synth and uncertainty in his voice it's not very convincing! The second song Sense of Purpose highlights the two big strengths of the album, that give it it's strong gothy sound, starting with the first straight from the intro of the song: a disgustingly filthy baseline with a post-punk guitar arpeggio periodically playing over it. The bass is a huge part of the album, it sets the gothic tone and leads the music (on this song and many others), allowing for the guitar to add those occasional sinister riffs to sell the atmosphere. The second strength is the production, it's very claustrophobic, very tight, it almost feels like you and the band are trapped in a small room, and I think a large part of this come back to the bass as it's in the forefront of the mix and given more space than it's generally allowed. I love Adrian Borland's lyricism. Lots of anxiety and themes social isolation, but with their debut they had some bright spots and a rebellious nature to them, here it feels a lot more like being in a pit of despair which matches the sound of the album. After the fourth song, Skeletons, the band goes further into the goth hole they dug themselves into, they get darker and less poppy, however I think there's a drop in quality here that doesn't recover until the last three songs (and even then the only song that matches the quality of the first few is the final song) and this is the main reason I prefer other Sound albums. Some later editions of the album (including streaming) include the song Hothouse as a bonus track. Why it wasn't on the album to begin with I'll never know. Maybe they thought it was too poppy, since it does sound like it would fit with the more new wave influenced music they started making after this. Should it be on the main list: You could make a strong case for it but I would absolutely go with their debut album Jeopardy instead. Either way The Sound deserve to be here Top 3 songs: Sense of Purpose, Contact the Fact, Skeletons

Earth, Wind & Fire were a hit machine back in the day, and this album proves that. There were only two big singles on this album, but really any song on it could have been one, it's loaded front to back with bangers. As it was released at the height of disco mania, compared to their previous soul and funk works this one is a little more disco, which gives them a much needed boost in energy for mainstream pop appeal. This is brilliant dance music and I think it's at its best when it's letting loose with accessible funk grooves. The soul songs are probably on the weaker end of the album, After the Love Has Gone is brilliant, but EWF excel at more upbeat and energetic music. Not to say it's bad though, if anything they might provide a good counterbalance to the disco songs to keep the album from getting stale. It's hard to criticize the album because I don't think it has any important flaws. I'm going to keep this album to cheer me up when I'm in a bad mood, or for when I just want to enjoy life. Should it be in the list: I think so, yes. EWF are a band that probably deserve multiple albums, I'd even say this one is more deserving than the one currently on the list. Top 3 songs: Can't Let Go, After the Love Has Gone, Boogie Wonderland

I can see the appeal of this album, it's silly and has a childlike charm to it, however I found it mostly irritating. They're obviously inspired by other "geek rock" acts, like They Might Be Giants but unlike them I don't find the musicianship to be particularly noteworthy, it's standard alt rock/power pop, and consequently it lives and dies by it's lyrics, i.e. inane humour. I'm sure it's great if you like that kind of lyricism, but I mostly found it annoying. The best song in here was a cover of MC5's Kick Out the Jams which cemented my beliefs. Should it be on the list: No Top 3 songs: Lump, Dune Buggy, Kick Out the Jams

A very millennial coded album, and probably the definitive indie folk album of the 00s. Bright Eyes play jangly jovial folk over anxious lyrics that go through a wide range of emotions, mostly about passionate love. The main songwriter - Conor Oberst - seems to be lumped in with all of the other depressing indie folk artists, and while I can see that perspective I think he has a certain level of hope and optimism that sets his music apart. Despite being folk, most of these songs have well crafted pop hooks. You can groove along to most of the album without focusing on the lyrics too much (but you should!) which is an understated quality to Bright Eyes' music. First Day of My Life was even a pretty decent radio hit from what I remember! There's also a healthy dose of country music in here giving all the songs a grounded rustic americana kind of feel. Also is it just me or is he drunk during the spoken word segment at the start of the first song? Should it be on the list: Yeah I think so. I would definitely add it, it's one of the finest indie folk albums of the 00s and has been influential. Top 3 songs: At the Bottom of Everything, First Day of My Life, Road to Joy

A throwback to 80s synthpop in a modern indie pop package, with some 70s disco throwback too, Dënver are very adept at making clean and satisfying synth sounds, with a hint of twee in there. All of these songs are packed with catchy hooks, making it a fun album to boogie along to. There are some songs that utilised more acoustic instruments but I don't find these songs to be as interesting as the synth heavy stuff. I do find it a little flat however, it's very serviceable indie pop but I've heard enough of this kind of music and this doesn't really distinguish itself outside of being Chilean. It also really starts to drag towards the end. As hinted at earlier, I think they're at their best when making more dance pop music, which only occupies a small portion of the album. Overall I don't really find it interesting enough and given how upfront the music is I doubt repeat listens will improve my opinion. Should it be in the main list: I mean I wouldn't add it but it's better than a lot of the post-2005 albums there as well as giving Latin America some much needed representation. Top 3 songs: Olas Gigantes, Lo Que Quieras, Diane Keaton

Oh I know this singer, she was in the teener bopper band S Club 7 that I liked as a child. I went into this assuming I wouldn't like it based on that, which was confirmed when I heard the first song which is pretty generic electropop/dance-pop. However the second song, I Said Never Again But Here We Are, is actually quite good! It's the same dance pop before but has a glam rock beat, and it's a pretty fun song. After this song however it's all downhill. Most of this album is standard electropop for the era, it's reminiscent of Goldfrapp's (who have two albums on the main list, none of which I'm talking about) electropop/electroclash era, e.g. Strict Machine. There are some "rockers" on the list similar in the vein to the second song which I talked about above, they use a rock beat (typically glam) underneath the main dance pop melody, and I find that these songs are easily the best and are really the only songs on the albums that sound unique or interesting in any way. Maybe she'd have had a more successful career if she was a rockstar. Anyway, after to listening to 13 inferior versions of Goldfrapp songs, I'm off to listen to Strict Machine. Should it be in the main list: No Top 3 songs: I Said Never Again (But Here We Are), Negotiate With Love, Some Girls

I've listened to a lot of Chet Baker in the past, his music is very relaxing and perfect night time music. I don't know if I've listened to this album before however. I'm not a jazz expert but I believe this style is called "cool jazz" due to it's relaxing nature (though not being far enough for smooth jazz), and I think I like this style of jazz the most. Chet (the album) definitely lived up to my expectations, it's very relaxing and intimate. It does risk falling into the background occasionally, but by utilizing dynamics well the higher/louder trumpet/piano notes pulls it back into the foreground. It's very rejuvenating music for the night. Should it be on the main list: Chet Baker should absolutely be on there somewhere, whether this album or something else I don't know though. Top 3 songs: Alone Together, How High The Moon, September Song

EDIT: I originally gave this album a 2, which the below review reflects I've had 3 electropop/dance pop albums in my last four albums, so it seems like that genre is the user album equivalent of Dimery's britpop. Just pointing this out because I'm automatically going in with a biased opinion because I'm tired of this genre already. That said, I feel like by the end I gained a sense of respect for the album. Starting with my least favorite aspect because it's the first thing on the album: the blaring stuttery synth. I think this sound is incredibly annoying. I said before that this album is electropop/dance pop, but it borrows heavily from late 00s-early 10s EDM, which I think was a low point for the genre and I usually don't like music with that style of production. There are a few interesting things about this album. There seems to be some crossover with some traditional styles of African music mixed in with Stromae's typical style. It's not very common but it did make my ears prick up, definitely an interesting blend. The thing I found most interesting about the album were some of the songs that seem to follow in the steps of old chanson artists (Jacques Brel and Scott Walker from the main list fall under this category) which isn't something I've heard before, though maybe it's common amongst French language music. I always see chanson as an "old" genre, so seeing that style with a new coat of paint and mixed in with more modern genres like EDM is very interesting in my opinion. When this album was generated I thought I heard the name "Stromae" about 10 years earlier, but wasn't sure, however after checking the reviews I think I may have been right because apparently this album was very popular in mainland Europe around the time it came out. It's interesting to see something that was a big deal elsewhere that I had miniscule knowledge of prior. I don't like this album at all, that said I found it to be an interesting album that I would have never listened to otherwise. I do not regret listening to it at all, and that's the best compliment I can give an album. Should it be on the main list: I'm going to abstain from this one. I was certain it was going to be a no, but apparently this was a huge deal in mainland Europe when it came out and it seems to be held in high regard, so I'll let those people decide for me. Top 3 songs: Papaoutai, Tous les Mêmes, Merci

I was excited to listen to this because I've heard the reputation of The Tragically Hip being "the one that got away" for the American market despite being huge in Canada (and Australia for some reason), so after finally getting the opportunity to check them out I feel a little disappointed. Their style of alt rock isn't atypical at all to what was out at the time, so the whole selling point of the album rests on the songwriting, which is just fine. I have two main thoughts on this: Firstly this band sounds a lot like REM, almost indistinguishable at times, though the content of the songs do differ considerably and Gord Downie has a charming Canadian flair which Michael Stipe (obviously) doesn't have. My second thought: How was this band not popular in the US? This generic alt rock was a big deal back then, mix in the heartland/roots style of the music and lyrics and you have a recipe for a Yank success story. There's a few songs on here that follow some Canadian specific topic, like Wheat Kings, and I find these by far the most interesting part of the album. Verdict: Be more Canadian. Should it be on the main list: No Top 3 songs: Locked In the Trunk of a Car, Fully Completely, Wheat Kings

I feel like it's unfair for me to rate this one, this is a genre that's completely out of my comfort zone and it was generated on a day that I wasn't feeling or expecting Celtic folk with dark ambient and industrial undertones. If I change my mind I'll update the score in future, which I'm expecting to happen. There's three styles that permeate the album: Celtic folk, a dark ambient/drone/industrial darkness, and a more traditional style of folk. The highlights of the album are when it leans more into the second category, though generally all of these genres are mixed together into the same songs. Thanks to the Celtic folk, this album has a very fresh pastoral sound, very reminiscent of stereotypical Ireland, but the darker undertones give it a sinister sound Should it be on the list: I'm going to say yes, there's nothing remotely like this in the book, and Celtic folk has played an important role in the development of popular music. Top 3 songs: The Wild Rover, Ode to Lullaby, The Pride of Petravore

I was originally going to give this a 3, I found the vocalist to be quite annoying and lyrically pretty cringey at times, but this band has one huge advantage: hooks. I was expecting this to be Windmill era art punk given the year it came out and the style of the first two songs, but they're more indie rock later on. They initially reminded me a lot of the band shame, I think primarily because of the vocalist as well as the punkiness they have in some of the songs, but as the album develops they seem more similar to Viagra Boys mainly due to their lyrical content and because of the dancey sound they go for later in the album. I think Viagra Boys have a better sense of humor and lean into the lyrical cringe better than Sports Team does though. I also see a few other reviewers have made the same connection that I have with Viagra Boys. The third song is where Deep Down Happy really starts to flourish, at this point the album introduces dance punk into the repertoire. Now I feel like this band is a bit mediocre across the board, with one exception, and as I said before it's that they're fucking incredible at making hooks, specifically angular guitar based hooks. The complaints I have a singer also disappear on these songs, his overly quirky voice fits the poppier material very well. I really can't overstate just how good they are at hooks, they should really be making pop music (guitar based obviously), and after this I'm probably going to check out their other albums to see if they ever dip their toes in poppier music. The more indie and rockier stuff is unfortunately bang average. There's a lot more of it towards the end and I think the albums has a significant drop in quality as a result. Still, I think Sports Team have great potential. Should it be in the main list: No Top 3 songs: Going Soft, Camel Crew, Born Sugar

I'm sorry but I found this incredibly boring to a point where I'm struggling to say anything about it. This is a standard big beat project with a talk-singer similar to Mark E Smith from The Fall, which I guess is the most interesting thing about it. It's definitely not worth the 69 minute runtime. Should it have been on the main list: No Top 3 songs: Blisters on My Brain, Battleflag, Lazer Sheep Dip Funk

Wilco are a great band but I definitely wasn't clamoring for more of them after the three albums they had in the book. That said, A.M. is a damn good album. A.M. is the debut album of Wilco, and it definitely feels like it. As with their other work it's a combination of alt rock and country, thought his one feels far more like Neil Young's country rock. This one is far more unrefined than their later works especially lyrically, but as a straightforward rock album it's pretty fun. Should it be in the main list: No, Wilco already have three albums in the books. Top 3 songs: I Must Be High, Box Full of Letters, Should've Been In Love

Perhaps the best minimalism albums of the 21st Century? This album features British electronic musician and DJ, Floating Points, legendary experimental saxophonist and jazz musician, Pharaoh Sanders, and the London Symphony Orchestra, a rather unusual combination of musicians but they've made a seamless and cohesive album with Promises. The central point of the album is Pharaoh Sanders' soothing sax playing with Floating Points and the LSO backing him up. The album centres around a motif (played by Floating Points) which is present from start to finish on the album and provides a base for Sanders to work with. The Orchestra is here to provide swells and crescendos to add depth to the saxophone. I wasn't familiar with Floating Points prior to the release of this album, so I'm surprised he managed to do such a big collaboration. Musically this is a combination of modern classical and jazz, but with some electronic elements hidden in the mix. This sounds a little chaotic in paper, but it all comes together immaculately, I didn't even really notice the electronic elements until a second listen where I paid a bit more attention. Mr. Points does a bulk of the work on here, such as composition and some percussion and string instruments, as well as the electronic stuff obviously, but it's a great showcase of his musical talent. Overall this is a wonderful album, very peaceful but with a lot of depth that I'm sure I'll discover on repeat listens. This will most likely become a staple of my late nights. Should it be in the main list: You could make a strong case for it. Personally I'd add it, I don't remember their being any minimalism albums in the books.

Modern country that's not "modern country". This is evidently a throw back to the contemporary stuff of old, but with a more modern finish on it. Lyrically decent, there's a few country cliches but I enjoyed it mostly, especially the first few songs. There's a little bit of rock in some of the songs and sometimes it shifts to more of a folky sound like on the title track. I think I'd have a higher opinion of it if it was 10 minutes shorter, but it's a decent album for what it is. Should it be on the main list: I'm not into country enough to give a good answer on that, but you could make a case for it. I'm leaning towards no though. Top 3 songs: Every Girl, 7 & 7, 1968

As a disclaimer, I'm biased against Low Roar from the start. I've listened to some of their work and I found them to be painfully boring, to a point where I was dreading putting this album on. After listening to ross. , it's not as bad as I expected but it's still not something I'd ever listen to in my spare time. This album is primarily indie pop/indie folk, but it bounces around having low-key electronic influences and more soundscape-type influences such as post-rock and slowcore. Typically the poppy songs has the electronic and the folk songs have the soundscapes. I much prefer the former to the latter. There's also a notable undercurrent of strings used to create more of a chamber pop sound. A bulk of this album, particularly the electronic parts, remind me of the Portal game soundtracks, and as someone in the reddit community pointed out (shout out mrnovember91) this band has made music for video game soundtracks before, most notably for Death Stranding 1 and 2, so this probably isn't a coincidence. The floaty, weightlessness of their vocals, acoustic guitar, and the strings does sound like it's supposed to accompany something grander. Maybe I'll appreciate Low Roar more if I experience one of the medias that they have composed OSTs for. These songs, even the poppier songs, are very quiet and slow with the only impactful things being bass related (typically some low toned percussion), and like with my previous experience with the band I just find it too boring to really get sucked into the experience. Should it be on the list: No Top 3 songs: Darkest Hour, I'll Make You Feel, Empty House

The Arctic Monkeys (yeah that dumb indie rock band) make a bizarre shift into psychedelic pop music... And possibly sound better than they ever have. A common complaint with the Arctic Monkeys' albums after Humbug was that they becoming too pop, this came to a head with Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino, where instead of beating around the pop bush - like they had been on the past two albums - they plunge headfirst into it. The main sound throughout the album is a mix of old and futuristic. They're clearly going for old timey 50s type aesthetic, while pillaging genres from the 60s and 70s to help create a "dated" sound. One such genre is "space age pop" a type of music made with old synths (such as the Moog) and production techniques to create a futuristic and spacey kind of sound, but with a modern sound elevates it to impressive degrees. The album is a concept album about a luxury resort in space, and this is definitely something I need to listen to more over time so I won't go into too much detail because I don't really understand it, but I think the Arctic Monkeys' foray into the aforementioned outdated genres does set the scene very well. It makes you feel like you're in an old fashioned space resort. There's social commentary running throughout the album, to me it seems a bit ham fisted (on the first song Alex Turner explicitly says the message of the song in the outro) but I think the album is better for it just for contributing to the vibe. There is some rock music in here for old fans (quite a lot of it actually) and while I do like how it's used to support the poppier songs like in Golden Trunks, I think the rockier songs actually hold the album back a little. I remember when this album came out and it was very controversial and divisive, even among critics, and it still sorta is. I think nowadays it's received much better than it had been, and it deserves it. It's a bit clumsy but there's a lot of soul and I always love an established band doing something ambitious. Should it be on the main list: You could make a strong case for it. Personally I would, it's a pretty unique sounding album Top 3 songs: Star Treatment, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, The Ultracheese

Another Beastie Boys album, really? First it was Wilco, now this. Though just like the Wilco album, I actually rather liked this. I think this album is comparable to Ill Communication from the books, it takes the Beastie Boys in a more rock direction but still staying true to hip-hop. It even has a random foray into psychedelia at the end of the album. Lyrically it's the same as every other album Beastie Boys have ever made, if you like it you like it. Should it be in the main list: No, Beastie Boys have three already. I'd prefer this to Licence to I'll though. Top 3 songs: Pass the Mic, Gratitude, Finger Lickin' Good

I don't like Godspeed and I don't like how they changed the post-rock genre, and they very much did change the genre because almost everything post 90s that tried to be post-rock followed Godspeed's methodology. F Sharp A Sharp Infinity is very typical of their style, droning ambient soundscapes interspersed with rock-oriented crescendos, usually with spoken word segments sprinkled in about "society". As I said I don't like this style of post-rock but F Sharp A Sharp Infinity is probably one of the most important albums that exists (as well as its follow up), and it's widely celebrated by fans and critics alike. Should it be on the list: Yes 100%

The Italian Flag was a very interesting pick. It's indie/alt and takes its sound from similar bands around the late 80s-early 90s (primarily Sonic Youth but there's Dino Jr., 10,000 Maniacs, MBV) as well as Wire, and I think this variety is the reason why it holds up so well because it's a 69 minute album. Prolapse (why on Earth would you name your band that?) have a very contrasting sound. There's a male vocalist with a very thick and rough Glaswegian accent but also a female vocalist with a soft and sweet singing voice; there's noisy and experimental stuff but also soft pop and dreamy stuff; there's anxious lyrics and there's calming lyrics. I think this is it's strength, it never sticks on one sound too long for it to get boring while still having a decent album flow. Probably the poppiest song on the album (Autocade) seems to be hated by the lead male vocalist, and I think this might be key to why it has the sound it has, it seems like each member brings their own interests to the album, and it makes for an enjoyable listen. Should it be in the main list: You could make a strong case for it. I can think of many other alt rock albums I would replace this with in the main list Top 3 songs: Deanshanger, Autocade, Flat Velocity Curve

EDIT: I originally gave this album a 2, which the below review reflects. I have edited to update my thoughts. I really don't have anything to say about this, it's a very middle of the road alt rock album. There's decent songwriting in here but it's pretty generic. It's also over an hour long and I started tuning it out about two-thirds of the way through. EDIT: There's actually some quality songwriting in the first half of the album, I think if the length was halved this might be considered a classic, but unfortunately a good half of the album feels like filler. Should it be in the main list: No Top 3 songs: "Salesmen, Cheats, and Liars", "Rosy and Grey", "For the Hand of Magdelena"

Lost Horizons is the aural form of all the good things in the world. It blissfully captures a world without worry and wraps it inside of an acoustic instrumental electronic/downtempo/trip-hop package. I say this with no exaggeration, this is possibly the happiest music I've ever heard and I love it. The most interesting thing about this album from a musical perspective is how it balances the instruments with the electronic melodies. It primarily uses folk acoustic guitars and jazzier stuff like horns and strings, this gives all the songs a very comforting rural kind of feel (the fun and comforting kind with community like you see in Japan and Europe) while not feeling stuffy and old fashioned thanks to the downtempo beats. Lost Horizons also uses extensive use of sampling, most notably for vocals, which is generally short repeated phrases from old media, again contributing to that rustic feeling. Samples are also used for the music though it blends in a lot more. The album is extremely mellow, apparently some people complain about this but I think it's playing to its strengths. It does get very ambient at times which leads it starting to play into the background during certain, weaker songs, but usually snaps back to reality with a vocal sample or the introduction of new instrumentation. I like the ebb and flow that it has personally. It also has smooth transitions as to not break it's zen state, the only exception to this being the one between Nice Weather for Ducks and Experiment Number Six. Should it be on the list: Yes Top 3 songs: Elements, Space Walk, Nice Weather For Ducks

In short, this album is a teeny bopper rip off of Madonna's early work, which is to say it's synthpop/dance-pop with some freestyle elements. I'm not a fan of Madonna, so unfortunately the diet version does nothing for me. The song Only In My Dreams shows some talent, but really that's the only salvagable part of this. There are a couple of interesting things. As said before there's some elements of 80s freestyle, which wasn't really represented on the actual list. The most interesting thing by far is that Gibson wrote every song on the album, which is very rare for young radio friendly pop artists like her (even Madonna didn't write all the songs on her debut), and she was just 16 when it was released! Should it be on the list: No Top 3 songs: Out of the Blue, Only In My Dreams, Shake Your Love

Lou Reed albums seem to be a coin toss of getting something completely unexpected and challenging, or getting some of the most accessible rock music available. New York is quite firmly in that latter category and seems to be call back to his earlier rockier work, a la Transformer, after attempting (and failing) at a pop career in the mid 80s. New York bounces around genres a bit more than you would typically expect from a Lou Reed album. There's a lot of early alt rock, there's Springsteen-esque heartland music, some country rock, some folk, there's even a couple of poetry songs. While I compared it to Transformer earlier, it has less pop and more variety, so I can understand fans of Lou Reed's breadth of work eating this one up. This was always going to be an uphill battle for me, I didnt like Lou's solo albums from the books despite them objectively being fine, and I feel the same about this. His more challenging works I can dig but I can't get into his more standard works. I'm sure this is a very fine album and I can see why the submitter chose it, but it's not an album I like. Should it be on the list: No Top 3 songs: Romeo Had Juliet, Dirty Blvd., There is No Time

Night Drive, as the name implies, is going for the vibe of driving at night, preferably in a city, and I think it captures this feeling pretty damn well. I will have to actually try driving at night to this at some point. This album is a synthwave album among other genres. Most synthwave bands tend to stick to the genre religiously or only have a few hints of industrial or electro house (e.g. Dance With the Dead, Lazerhawk, Perturbator), Night Drive inserts other elements such as dream pop, post-punk, ambient, and regular synthpop, and as a result it doesn't feel like a typical synthwave album. The submitter said he considered it stronger as a collection of tracks and I completely agree with this sentiment. If you pick out tracks one by one they're mostly unremarkable, but together the album is more than the sum of its parts and creates a very comforting night time atmosphere which is the highlight of the album. The last song is a 17 minute minimal electronic/drone track, which is an interesting choice, and potentially ruinous for an album, but I think the vibe of the album is so successful that it actually ends up being a very good track. Apparently there's a whole other side of the album that I missed because it wasn't finished due to time and money by the time of the original release, so I plan to relisten to it "the way it was intended", though I think Tick of the Clock is a fine closer. Should it be on the main list: Probably not, but you could make a case for it. There needs to be a synthwave album at least. Top 3 songs: Night Drive, Running Up That Hill, Mask

A week after getting F Sharp A Sharp Infinity, I get this album, Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven, and the difference couldn't be more stark,to a point where their debut feels like a demo for their more interesting work. F Sharp used more sound collages and droning soundscapes, and it still exists here, but the ambient rock music is front and centre, it even starts with a very triumphant and rocky sound! Lift Yr. Skinny Fists is quite long, it comes in at roughly an hour and a half, but it doesn't feel quite that long, the post rock soundscapes of the first three songs do a good job of setting the scene and sucking you in and it doesn't really let go of that. There's a guy talking about Coney Island on the beginning of the track "Sleep" which is jarring at first, but it does set the stage for the best track on the album so I'll give it a pass. Should it be in the main list: Yes 100%. This is one of the most egregious exclusions. Top 3 songs: Storm, Static, Sleep

I had big expectations for this band as I know they're a huge player in the modern post-rock scene, and while this album isn't new it definitely didn't disappoint. Sonically I think they follow Slint's line of post-rock, but with a few Godspeed You elements too. This is a very rocky variety of post-rock, it even borders on shoegaze, noise rock, and grunge in places. The music is given space to develop but they also go pretty hard into more mainstream rock with crunchy riffs and repetitive, predictable patterns. I actually like this style quite a lot, it doesn't feel too "out there" because it becomes grounded in reality frequently, but you still get the benefits of the more atmospheric and roomy sounds that gives space for your mind to wander. They utilised a lot of incidental sounds on their instrumentation, like the sounds of strings hitting the feet and amplifier feedback, and I think this works well during the quieter segments to give it a colder and more mechanical feeling. Also I like the cover, this album does have a very urban/city feel to it, which I think is helped by the claustrophobic hard riffs that feature in most of the songs. Should it be in the main list: Probably, you could make a strong case for it. Top 3 songs: Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home, Like Herod, Mogwai Fear Satan

I feel like I should like this more than I do, blame it on all the post-rock I've gotten recently and my current state of mind. That said it is a pretty interesting album and I don't regret my time with it. Psychic switches between slow and methodical ambient, and pretty upbeat and poppier music. For the most part it's slow and minimal IDM, bordering on ambient, but it throws in funk, R&B and rock music to keep the album chugging along. Personally I enjoy the album more when it's lively and has more energy to it. This is definitely one I need to return to, I don't think I can do the album justice right now because it has depth for it and I'm just not in the mood for it right now. Should it be on the list: No, but it's not far away from it. The list would benefit from minimal IDM like this. Top 3 songs: Golden Arrow, The Only Shrine I've Seen, Metatron

You'd Prefer an Astronaut is a classic. I first discovered it and it seems that it's esteem has grown significantly since them. The first song - Little Dipper - is the inspiration for Deftones entire sound, the second song - The Pod - foreshadows the sound alt metal would take in the mid 00s, the third song - Stars - was an emo hit. From this you would imagine the album to be a sprawling mess of genres, but au contraire mon frere! The genre that Hum is, is just Hum. By combining a mix of alt rock adjacent genres they've managed to formulate a pretty unique sound. They're fundamentally and alt rock, post-hardcore, and emo band, but they fortify it with shoegaze, alt metal, and even a little of grunge and post-rock. They don't play all these genres at the same time. The alt metal and shoegaze are typically together and the other genres are together, though the emo is typically in all songs, so it doesn't feel like an awkward amalgamation of sounds, it's all natural. As an example: when I think of Deftones I think of a band that expanded upon the scope of Little Dipper from this album, that's how much Hum succeeded in cultivating their own sound It's not remarkable in just the music either, the lyrics are very poetic. They're mostly about passionate feelings during breakups or unrequited love of varying complexity. Stars, which was a decent hit on the rock charts, has relatively simple lyrics given it's a pop song, but something like I Hate It Too has a bit more depth and flair to it. It's also very reminiscent of Midwestern suburbia, which comes with the genre, but still good job Hum. Should it be on the main list: Yes 100% Top 3 songs: Little Dipper, The Pod, Stars

Hey Dimery, you forgot a hard rock album for your book! I'm being sincere! I'm not entirely sure I would call Dreamboat Annie essential per se, but the Wilson sisters et al. prove that they rock harder than most of the "classic rock" chumps on the main list. I haven't listened to Dreamboat Annie in a long time, but it's a lot poppier than I remember. Despite being a hard rock album there's hooks all the way through the tracklist so I think that will give it a wider appeal than other bands in the genre. To borrow software terminology, I think you could call this "firm rock", the hooks make it accessible and an easy listen but the harder rocking aspect gives it a much needed oomph. The star of the show is easily Nancy Wilson. Her plucked acoustic guitar playing gives the songs a soft and folksy feel to most of the songs, which helps to emulsify the pop with the harder elements. She also is proficient technically while still managing to to transform the fiddlier elements of the guitar into the aforementioned hooks, the intro for Crazy On You is a perfect example of that. I've never considered Nancy Wilson one of the "greats" in the guitar world, but this album is making me reconsider that. I will have to check out more Heart albums, because her performance on here is nothing short of spectacular. That's not to discredit the other members! Ann Wilson has wonderfully powerful vocals that works superbly with the more passionate songs, again looking towards Crazy On You where she arguably steals the show from Nancy from the choruses onwards. The lead electric guitarist (who I believe is Robert Fisher) also plays a great part on some of the harder rocking songs. There's a few other pretty important elements that act as the secret sauce as to why this album is so good. There's a lot of folk rock and soft rock elements, which as stated before acts as a pretty good counterbalance to the hard rock. There's also a little bit of prog in here, giving the album much needed complexity. I think a good comparison is Led Zeppelin IV, which I'm guessing was a major inspiration. This album is also home to possibly my favourite song of the boomer hard rock era that I alluded to earlier. That song is Crazy On You. After a phenomenal guitar intro from Nancy, she effortlessly transitions into the song's main motif, swiftly followed into the song proper which is another hard rocker. This combines /every/ positive element I described about the song succinctly into a 5 minute runtime. I don't think I'm exaggerating either, this should be considered a classic among the likes of Gimme Shelter and Bohemian Rhapsody, and if you haven't listened to it before do so now! I see a lot of other reviewers criticise the second half for being much weaker than the first, an opinion that I don't really agree with. Sure there's a drop in quality, but even the best bands aren't going to be pumping out songs at the quality of Crazy On You left and right. There's I'll Be Your Song which is a nice ballad, and Sing Child which is probably the hardest song on the album. I wouldn't really change anything about it other than the title track reprise at the end which was kind of unnecessary. Should it be on the main list: Yes. They're one of the original female led rock bands, and quite frankly it's more interesting than most "classic rock" albums that were in the books. Top 3 songs: Crazy On You, Dreamboat Annie, Sing Child

It's a tired comparison but an apt one: Nordic Radiohead. Specifically it sounds like a mix of Hail to the Thief and In Rainbows, which is interesting because this came out between the two. The album starts off very strong and I was originally going to give this a 4, but it runs out of steam very quickly. It also has Bowie and Lou Reed featuring on separate tracks, interestingly. Should it be on the main list: No Top 3 songs: Kalifornia, Jewel Drop, She's Made Of Chalk

I've listened to Protomartyr before, most notably the album after this, and I was very unimpressed, however Relatives in Descent was banging. The songs generally have two different modes: a talk-singing type of post-punk/art punk usually with a social message, and a noise rock and more melodic mode with a hook that usually takes place during the chorus. I think these two styles play off each other well, the former builds anticipation and gets the point of the song across and the latter is the wonderful release. There's also hints of goth here and there and it gives it a delightfully dark vibe across most of the album. I do feel the album has a serious lull in the second half of the album, I think after Don't Go To Anacita, but it doesn't diminish the quality too much I think this album was the big inspiration for a lot of the art punk bands around today, including the Windmill Scene (which I'm a big fan of), obviously they weren't the only band doing similar music as there were others (e.g. Iceage, Women/Vietcong/whatever they're called now) but this was definitely the most notable and probably the most influential. I think the album is the reason why that widely mocked post-punk talk-singing became a big thing with more modern acts, I don't have an issue with it personally and it's done tastefully here. Should it be on the list: Yes probably, you could make a strong case for it. I remember this being a big post-punk indie record when it came out, and arguably starting that new wave of art punk that's popular nowadays. Top 3 songs: A Private Understanding, My Children, Half Sister

A great emo choice and an album I've wanted to listen to for a long time, so I'm glad I finally get the opportunity. I was familiar with some of Brand New's work going into this, but I expected them to be poppier than they were (not like Paramore or MCR, but more like Jimmy Eat World and Say Anything), so when I opened the album up and got an artsier form of traditional emo I was even more intrigued. The first half of this album (i.e. the first 5/6 songs) is brilliant and easily the highlight. They have a great flow and are mired in the emo dreariness you come to expect from these kinds of releases. This is the aforementioned artsy section of the album, these songs are mostly Midwestern emo and post hardcore (hell, Limousine is basically prog rock, it sounds exactly like The Mars Volta), they connect melodically and have the best songwriting on the album. It's lyrically very depressing too, but I'll analyse those more on repeat listens. The second half has a noticeable dip in quality, it's not bad by any means (it's actually pretty good!) but the moody and tight atmosphere that has been built up to this point promptly falls apart. This is also where the pop that I was expecting is introduced, the more aggressive and oppressive sounds replaced with straighter alt rock and emo pop songs. It also bounces around genres a bit more unlike the consistency from the first half. Overall I loved this, on first impressions I think it's rightfully regarded as one of the emo classics, and with a lot of depth. I look forward to getting deeper into this over the coming days because I think this has potential to be a 5. Should it be on the main list: Yes 100% Top 3 songs: Sowing Season, Degausser, Limousine

Competently performed hard rock. The band is obviously very talented but there's no variety here, if you like one song you'll probably like the whole batch. Not trying to disparage the album either, it was a fun listen. Should it be in the main list: No Top 3 songs: I'm gonna be real I couldn't pick any of the songs apart. I might update this when I relisten.

This is an album I really wish I liked more than I actually do, the highs are nothing short of spectacular but to my taste there is only three of them on the entire album (Welcome to My Island, Bunny is a Rider, and Billions) and the rest I find to be rather boring. The album opens in a perfect way with Welcome to My Island. It's playful yet mysterious, and it encourages you to engage with the album. I think this song takes the place of an overture from rock operas, it foreshadows many themes will be expressed throughout the album. She deliberately sets a tone of a tropical island to jam that thought into your head while listening to the album (see the sand on the cover), and she completely succeeded. While talking about this album I actually referred to it as an "island" at several points, that's how well she sets the stage. This is definitely the most fun song, it's borderline dance pop, but later songs will reveal an artsier side. So now we're on Polachek 's island, what does it contain? Well primarily this is a pop album with a lot of British 90s electronic influence (trip hop, downtempo, garage, baggy, just to name a few) which jumps around from song to song. The lush tropical theme from the opener stays through pretty much the whole album, it sticks to it very well. There's a few things I don't like. I feel the auto tune used throughout the album is tacky for the most part, and Sunset just feels like it was hopping on the Latin trend that was budding in 2023 (though it is one of her most popular songs so maybe that's a me problem). The dislikes heavily outweigh the likes so this album is just fortunate that the strengths pull it up. The real gem of the album is the closer, Billions, which is one of my favourite pop songs ever. This Bjork-esque downtempo song uses the most lush instrumentation on the album which climaxes into a children's choir. The end of the song is so transcendental. Should it be on the main list: Yeah probably, you could make a strong case for it. Polachek is regarded as one of the finest pop songwriters of the 21st century, a quality that Dimery holds in high regard according to his book. Top 3 songs: Welcome To My Island, Bunny is a Rider, Billions

Gemstones is a singer/songwriter comedy folk album, which was a popular style in the 00s. As a result I find this one a lot harder to rate than other albums since the main factor is the comedy, something that is rarely a factor in other albums. Adam Green is clearly talented, the instrumentation is well done and he can sing decently well. Melodically it's pretty upbeat, though the lyrics are rather vulgar and crass, as well as the humour being a little bit on the darker side, but I find that juxtaposition to be pretty interesting. The comedy, is fine, I got a couple of laughs out of it which was more than I was expecting, but I didn't find it exceptionally funny. Should it be in the main list: No, though I think the submitter was onto something when choosing an album like this. Top 3 songs: He's the Brat, Carolina, Emily

Vampire Weekend! The band I've heard all about but never listened to outside of the "Ay Ay Ay" song that's always on radio. I'm glad I finally get an excuse to see what all the fuss is about. Contra attempts to craft a tropical summery atmosphere by utilising synths and non-western music in a psychedelic manner, and achieves this pretty well. From start to finish it feels like a tropical beach vibe, similar to Desire I Want To Turn Into You which I got a few days ago. It gives me flashbacks to Merriweather Post Pavilion from the original list, which went for a similar theme, and I'm guessing AnCo was an influence. That said, despite the success of the atmosphere they're going for I actually don't like the album. I compared it to Desire I Want to Turn Into You and MPP, but those albums have big hooky songs as anchor points throughout the album for me to latch onto, Contra seems to be going all in on the summery vibe. As I said before, the sound they're going for they do pretty well but I think Vampire Weekend intended for the album to wash over you, which is fine, but I don't really like it. Should it be on the main list: No Top 3 songs: Taxi Cab, Cousins, Giving Up the Gun,

EDIT: I originally gave this album a 2, which the below review reflects I was intrigued when I saw that the Wikipedia snippet labeled GRiZ as a DJ and producer that played funk music with his saxophone, only to have my heart sink when the album quickly turned into dubstep. That said I enjoyed it more than I expected. Unlike most dubstep, Rainbow Brain is much more musically curious. In just the first five minutes you get funk, jazz, and reggae, and GRiZ even plays around with other electronic genres, such as DnB which occupies a few songs on the tracklist. The album flows very nicely with smooth and seamless transitions, and all the songs are relatively short so the musical ideas he experiments with usually don't get too tired. Unfortunately the runtime works against the album. The album is 55 minutes long and towards the end you start to feel that. It's not helped by GRiZ sacrificing some of the musical adventurousness from early in the album to reach for some ideas in the vault of dubstep cliches. I see a few reviewers praise the album for its glitchiness, but I really don't hear that at all on this album. Should it be in the main list: No, but you could make a case for it. Rainbow Brain was a pretty unique experience for me. Top 3 songs: Astro Funk, Vibe Check, Tie-Dye Sky

There's a music act I like a lot called Kano, unfortunately this guy is a grime rapper and not the italo-disco band I'm thinking of. Honestly I think the list was fine for grime, I would have put that one Dizzee Rascal (the GOAT of grime) and called it a day, it's not like it was THAT important of a subgenre. Unfortunately, as expected, I found this guy to be pretty mediocre, especially for 2005. I get that hip-hop originated in the US, but British rap around this time really lagged far behind and Home Sweet Home is no exception, it feels very primitive compared to American stuff around the same time. It's far from the worst rap you'll hear, but I won't remember much about this a few days from now. Special shout out to Sometimes, it's not the best song on the album (that would be P's and Q's by far), but it does manage to channel Kano's awkward rapping into an authentic way due to the natural awkwardness of the song. Should it be in the main list: No Top 3 songs: P's and Q's, Reload It, Sometimes

Another Canadian rock band, but this one is actually pretty interesting. David Comes to Life starts off with some prog rock wankery in the first song only to immediately pivot to hardcore punk of all things. I learned, after a glance at Wikipedia, that this is a post-hardcore/hardcore punk rock opera. A very interesting mix of genres given the historic rivalry between punk and prog, but I think it's done quite well, it's definitely more firmly on the hardcore side. David Comes to Life is 77 minutes long, and it doesn't really feel as long as it is. The album does suffer from being a bit samey, from the second song onwards it mostly revolves around aggressive sounding post-hardcore music with screamy vocals and doesn't stray too far away outside of the occasional proggy noodling. I like the vocals and the music though so it worked for me. As it's a rock opera there is a story which I didn't catch on first listen because the screamy vocals are hard to understand. I'll have to listen again while reading the lyrics. Should it be on the list: Probably not but you could make a case for it. Top 3 songs: It's hard to separate the songs as the album is a package rather than having standouts. I may edit this on future listens, but I think it defeats the point of the album.

I don't like late 00s-early/mid 10s pop EDM, I find it boring and formulaic, and Avicii is a great example of this bad musical trend. All of this EDM follows the same pattern (solo percussion intro, verse-chorus, electronic bit to amp up the song, verse-chorus which works its way to a drop at the end of the chorus, intense electronic release), and you could swap out any other artist that was big at the time and get the exact same music, with the exception being Deadmau5 who doesn't seem to do this. This is very boring and uninteresting music. Should it be on the list: No Top 3 songs: Waiting for Love, True Believer, Sunset Jesus

EDIT: I originally gave this album a 1, which the below review reflects Maybe I'm in a bad mood, but I just found this to be boring. The Animal Years is standard folk with a bit of wilco-esque alt-country and rock. Not original by any metric, and I don't think the quality of the songwriting is enough to save it. Should it be on the main list: No Top 3 songs: Girl in the War, Wolves, In the Dark

A wonderfully nautical themed album, The Mollusk is "neo-psychedelia" in the truest sense of the term, crafting psychedelic soundscapes using synths, country instrumentals, and vocal processing, instead of traditional 60s/70s methods. I have a bias towards aquatic sounding albums so this album definitely tickles me. Up to this point Ween had been a very weird and sometimes experimental band (except for the country album) but The Mollusk is an insanely accessible album despite its quirks, Ween manage to blend a variety of different genres (folk, prog, country, even sea shanties) into a very palatable package. Since this genre hops so much it never gets too boring or samey, and surprisingly Ween have made a surprisingly cohesive album despite the assortment of genres on display. The Mollusk has a sort of childish quality, not necessarily immature (though it is pretty immature) but more in a childlike wonder kind of way. The title track and Ocean Man are the best examples of this. I think this aspect of the album is the secret sauce that ties everything together, I think childishness isn't utilised very well in art and Ween are one of the few acts weird enough to pull it off. Even the more adult songs (such as the ones about drugs and The Blarney Stone which is excessively vulgar) still retain this childlike quality. This album was apparently a big inspiration for the cartoon series SpongeBob SquarePants, which checks out. Another major theme of the album is traditional music, specifically in an old-fashioned sense, such as sea shanties and traditional folk songs. The helps add to the sailor-esque theme that runs through the album. Cold Blows the Wind, one of the finest songs on The Mollusk is even a cover of a traditional Irish folk song. I think this is easily Ween's finest record and combines all of their positive qualities with none of their worst impulses like some of their other albums do. Should it be on the main list: Yes, Ween should have a minimum of 1 album and could very well have 3. Top songs: Mutilated Lips, Ocean Man, She Wanted to Leave

This album is in an unfortunate circumstance of being a blend of a bunch of genres that I don't like. I don't hate it by any means, but it's not something I would willingly listen to. Ungodly Hour is primarily mainstream R&B, but has sneaking elements of trap and alt R&B throughout. Both Chloe and Halle are good singers and thankfully they don't abuse auto tune like a lot of artists in the alt R&B space. As stated earlier, it's not bad it's just not to my tastes, though I can't pick out why this is special over any other R&B release. Should it be on the main list: No Top 3 songs: Forgive Me, Do It, Ungodly Hour

I was cautiously optimistic for this one, I liked Vivid (the Living Colour album from the main list), it had nice hooks and grooves, and I thought the guitarist put in an insane performance. That said, did Living Colour really need two albums? Tine's Up - both the album and the title track which is the first song - starts by picking up exactly where Vivid left off, groovy funk metal, this time with a little environmental message. At this point I thought the album was just going to tread old ground, but next two songs History Lesson and Pride showcases exactly what separates this album from Vivid, which is that this album is significantly more political and conscious of black civil rights, and very unashamedly so. The further you get into the album, the more it strays from Living Colour's established funk metal formula and shows that this album is more experimental than what they were doing on the previous release. The last few songs go completely off the rails with a jazz song, a beatbox/rap song, a traditional African/Caribbean song, and then the final song which sound exactly like Tool, to a point where I wonder if they based their entire sound off of it. Another difference with this album is that the album clocks in at just under an hour, which is significantly longer than their debut. With the length and the mash of genres it does start to feel like a bit of a sprawling mess, but I think from the perspective of the band this was a feature rather than a bug. Unfortunately as the score reflects, I don't like Time's Up as much as Vivid. With the consciousness and more adventurous music the band has sacrificed a lot of the hooks that made Vivid such a fun romp. Also my excitement at hearing more from the guitarist doesn't seem to have been reciprocated by the band, he sounds far more restrained compared to the freedom he had on the debut. He still has his moments but I think he's the band's secret sauce and should be front and centre. I find this album to be a lot more interesting than Vivid was, and I'm glad I listened to it, but I find that album to be a much more enjoyable listening experience. I can see why someone would prefer Time's Up, but it's not for me. Should it be on the main list: No, but I think you could make a case for it. Top 3 songs: Pride, Type, This is the Life

I don't really have a whole lot to say about all these folk/folk rock albums except that they're boring and I wish people would have a higher standard for them. This one is a little better because of the chamber pop parts that permeate through the album, when he focuses on more string oriented textures the album sounds fine. The songwriting on here isnt too bad, I could see it hitting a bit harder if I was in the right mood. Unfortunately his voice varies between being meh and being completely insufferable. Should it be in the main list: No Top 3 songs: Delicate, Older Chests, Amie

My first live album from the user list! The original of this album is about an hour and 10 minutes, I'm listening to the 2005 reissue which is 2 hours and 16 minutes long, because this is presumably the one that the submitter wants me to listen to. With the main list I was always cautious of live albums, too many were stand-ins for compilations and many of them just weren't that good. Will the user list fare better? I imagine so. Anyway let's get into it. So this album is almost entirely covers. Does it matter? Honestly probably not, you're listening to Joe Cocker for his vocals, energy, and stage presence which is expectedly very good on this album. I do think his renditions of the songs are overwrought and dramatic in a lot of cases (e.g. With a Little Help From My Friends), but again he's playing to his strengths which I respect. With some songs I actually prefer the original, The Weight is a great example of this, I think the original vulnerable vocals were a better fit for the song despite Cocker having the objectively stronger vocals. Sometimes less is more, not that I don't love Cocker's version. The big downside is the length, and I do think it starts to drag in the second half. Also I feel like the energy starts to fizzle out in the second half which for a frontman like Cocker is never a good thing. There's a lot I like, and a lot I dislike, and I probably won't willingly return to this Also, Joe Cocker is English? It's so weird for him to sing in his powerful soul and blues inspired voice to talk like a Yorkshire commoner. Should it be on the main list: No, but it's better than most of the live albums there. Top 3 songs: She Came In Through the Bathroom Window, Something, Let It Be (what can I say, I like The Beatles)

Terrible band name, terrible album cover, I don't know what Alopecia is but it's probably a terrible album name. That said the album is quite good. This site calls this hip hop (and experimental for some reason) but I disagree. It has elements of hip-hop sure , but it's far more akin to "geek rock" bands like Cake, Tally Hall, and Harvey Danger. Many reviews on this site compare Why to They Might Be Giants, and while it does seem like a lazy comparison it's also very true. They have a sense of humor not unlike TMBG, and musically are in the same ballpark of indie pop. They have a few rap songs scattered within the album but it all flows together pretty well, they mostly talk sing on their poppier songs anyway. They sound very similar to Oliver Tree, which makes me wonder if they were an influence for him. Lyrically Alopecia is quite dark, with death being a common theme. They retain that sense of humour throughout all of this, but it does set Why apart from the aforementioned bands. I'm glad they don't this as serious as the lyrics should probably suggest because I think it would have hurt the album. Some of the reviews on this page are terrible, so I just want to shout out the guy who submitted Alopecia. It's a bizarre album but also not like anything I've really heard before (even though I spent half the review comparing them to other bands), but I'm glad I listened to it and submissions like this make the user list more interesting. Should it be on the main list: Probably, it's a pretty unique album Top 3 songs: The Vowels Part 2, These Few Presidents, Fatalist Palmistry

I'm sorry to whoever submitted this if it was a serious pick, because I can't tell if this is a troll pick or not. Musically it's actually pretty interesting, it's not entirely inaccessible rock but manages to explore sounds that would fit it firmly in the experimental rock genre. It's also very short, clocking in at a little over 30 mins. This is unfortunately where the positives end... My biggest hangup with The Golden River is the singer, he is TREMENDOUSLY annoying. One of his features that appears in every song at least once (I think) is a howling noise that sounds horrid. His regular singing voice isn't much better. There's one song (which is in the top 3 below) that sounds like he's doing a Tom Waits impression over Runescape music. I might appreciate it more with more listens, since it is relatively experimental, but this was an unpleasant first attempt Should it be in the main list: No Top 3 Songs: One in Six Children Will Flee In Boats, Time Destroys It's Plan at the Reactionary Table, Soldiers Crash Gathering At Sparrow Halls

This album is such a blast! I agree with the guy that says it's like a joke with no context, it definitely feels like it was made for fans of the band first and foremost, complete with their in jokes (of which you will never learn the context), but it also sets the tone of them being jokers, which they very much are. They're clearly a silly band that don't take themselves too seriously. Despite how comical Vulfpeck are, they're very serious when it comes to their instruments. This album is funk, jazz funk, and soul, with the funk and jazz funk occupying the first and last third, and the middle being almost entirely soul. This music is very technical but they perform brilliantly while managing to get the crowd engaged. The show has a lot of energy, so on that front it's a successful live album. They do seem a little up their own ass at times, in that Jacob Collier kind of way which is a little annoying, but solid album otherwise. Should it be in the main list: No Top 3 songs: Cory Wong, Tesla, It Gets Funkier

The band that blurred the lines between prog rock and metal and seem to have consistent fan support with both the plebeians and the patricians. I don't love Tool, nor do I despise them (just their fans), so other reviewers will better explain why Lateralus is the best/worst album ever. I think the biggest quality this album has is the trance-like state it creates from the get go. This album is 76 minutes long but it doesn't feel like that. Tool - with their LSD and DMT inspired prog - manage to create a free flowing album which you don't question, you just experience. I know some people (myself included) criticise Tool for sounding too samey, but this is a great example of why it can be a good thing. This is the biggest strength Lateralus has and sets it apart from their other works. The first half of the album features many interludes, I guess to reduce the intensity and keep that trance like state going. These often also serve as a means to set up the next song, for example Parabol being the slow and quiet intro to Parabola. The second half has more tracks that feel a little like filler but I think they fulfill the same role as the interludes at managing the album flow. Should it be on the main list: Yes, but with a caveat, I would pick one of either this or Aenima. I'd go for the latter, but Lateralus is probably more deserving. Two albums maybe, but we definitely don't need four of them. Top 3 songs: The Grudge, Schism, Parabola

For an album named Body Talk I expected this to be more aggressively dancey, but this ends up being quite limp in the boogie department. The only song I knew prior to listening to this today is Dancing On My Own, a big hit and deservedly so, it's a fun dance bop while having pretty thoughtful and intelligent lyrics. It contrasts heartbreak with a pumping synthwave/Hi-NRG beat. Robyn may be heartbroken, but she /is/ at a club. With a title like "Body Talk" this is exactly what I thought the rest of the album would be like. Unfortunately the rest of this album is pretty bland. I feel like the songs that explore the hi-NRG and synthwave genres are the better songs on here, but unfortunately there's not too many of them and for the most part the album is pretty standard electropop/dance pop, of which there's already plenty of that on this user list. My top 3 (at the bottom of this review) are the only songs that really popped for me, and everything else felt pretty flat, which isn't good for a dance pop album. I do see ways in which it has an influence on the electropop scene in the 10s, but I just don't find it interesting enough, especially since it's an hour long. You could replace this with just about any other electropop record around the same time and it would be the same. Should it be on the main list: No Top 3 songs: Dancing On My Own, Indestructible, Hang With Me

Geography is an interesting blend of modern takes on black US genres, primarily neo-soul, R&B, jazz funk, and acid jazz, but there's also elements of disco and rap from time to time. Exactly my kind of thing, so let's get into it. This album is extremely clean, think of Steely Dan's Aja era. the production sounds immaculate and sterile, which I know is off putting for a lot of people (see the terrible score for the brilliant Cupid and Psyche 85) but I actually like clean production a lot as long as it's backed by good musicianship, which Geography most certainly is. Misch's vocals also sound great here clear and distinct from the rest of the band, plus he has a great voice. Tom Misch has to be a music major, this variety of music perfection is popular amongst people with higher education in music, even down to the genres on display (soul, funk, R&B and jazz). I think the length is perfect, it's enjoyable for 52 minutes but ends right as it starts getting old. Theres also a few easter eggs for 1001 main list listeners. There's a feature from De La Soul, a sample from The Crusader's Street Life album, and a cover of Isn't She Lovely. The cover is fine, but I don't think it's suited to this format, the original song is very lively and soulful (it's Songs in the Key of LIFE) so covering it in this sterile environment does suck the joy out of it. Fortunately it's mainly used as a short interlude so it doesn't detract from the album. Geography is great at what it does, but I don't find it particularly unique or interesting. That said, I will definitely return to it as I enjoyed it considerably. Should it be on the list: No Top 3 songs: South of the River, It Runs Through Me, Disco Yes

Wow a score of 1.95? Do you people have no concept of fun? Don't forget that we can see what your submissions for the user list too! Okay, now that I've stepped down from my high horse, I do agree with the sentiment that the Mewgenics soundtrack isn't a suitable album for any list like this, for a few reasons, though the primary one is just that soundtracks have more to prove to justify their inclusion, which was a complaint I had with Dimery's list. The only two other game soundtracks I see are Katamari Damacy, and Silent Hill 2, both of which merit their inclusion, unfortunately Mewgenics does not meet that criteria. However that isn't to say that there's no musical value in this album, quite the opposite in fact. Mewgenics, from what I can tell online, is an indie turn-based based post-apocolyptic game about cat breeding. A very strange concept for a game, but unimportant to the quality of the album, which is actually pretty damn impressive. Mewgenics has a pretty long runtime of an hour 38 minutes, most of which is either vocal jazz or jazz pop and is about either cat related topics or about death/spooky topics (dead cats, zombies, skeletons) complete with haunted house-esque music for those songs. In terms of genre it floats around a bit, there's a fair amount of country, rock, and rockabilly but it seems to be trying to stay consistent within a American 50s to early-mid 60s theme so any genre you can think of that was big around that time probably plays some role in this album. A large amount of the jazz songs also have kind of a spy movie theme to them, which is interesting I guess. As alluded to earlier, I actually think these songs are extremely well done for the most part, this album clearly isn't a joke suggestion. Lyrically they take a more humorous tone, it's not an album to take with much seriousness, but I think the good musicianship, with the genre hopping and the comedic tone of the lyrics contributes to a fun experience. I've listened to this album twice now, and despite being over an hour and a half long, neither time have I felt the album dragging. This does lead me onto the biggest negative, and unfortunately it's killer: The album doesnt feel like a standalone experience. Having not played the game it feels like I'm missing important context to a lot of this album, and it feels like something for fans of the game (which makes total sense, it's an accompaniment piece to the main course) rather than casual listeners like I, which immediately makes it ineligible for any list in my opinion. To its credit some songs do try to mitigate this. There's a series a songs about a big bad character (e.g. Crystalline Dreams being a spider, Throbbing King being about some kind of despot) which I'm going to assume are boss characters, and the lyrics give some background into these characters and as a result the lack of context isn't as bad as it could be, but it's still disqualifying. Also it came out this year. Props to having the most recent album on the board, but it's far too early to suggest anything that's been out for under 8 months is worthy of being here The last song is a parody of the Monster Mash for some reason. Also one of the songs was a jazzy rendition of the danse macabre with lyrics about zombies, which I found to be delightfully amusing. Should it be on the main list: No Top 3 songs: Them Kitty Bones, Down With the Devil, Feline Invader

The best hard rock album of the 21st century, if not the best hard rock album ever? For all the hard rock dreck I drudged through in the main list, there's no way that Songs for the Deaf should have slipped through the cracks, but fortunately the user list comes to the rescue. I have history with Songs for the Deaf, it was one of the first albums I fell in love with during my early teens and an album that helped shape my music taste. I haven't listened to it in a long time so I'm trying to approach this from an unbiased perspective, but fortunately this album still rocks. I made it sound like this was just a hard rock album, but that's doing this album great disservice as there are a lot of factors that make it click. SftD is a variety of hard rock known as "stoner rock", which takes influence from psychedelic rock and heavy metal but doesn't go far enough in either direction, opting to stay within the more accessible realm of hard rock. This album is also alternative rock, which is important for reasons I'll get into later. The hard rock elements give these songs a much needed oomph, but it's not the only thing in the album that achieves this. This album is notorious for its "loudness" (in short a mastering technique which reduces dynamic range making the quiet moments less quiet,) and while it's generally considered a negative thing I think this album is one of the rare cases where it works in the albums favour. This album blasts you with sound and almost every song does this at some point to give the songs a punch, and that's an accurate descriptor as sometimes the sound bursts are so powerful it feels like a physical hit. The first song "[...] Millionaire" uses this effect multiple times and it really sends a message as to what to expect from the album. The Queens of the Stone Age album in the book is far heavier on the stoner rock side and it hurts the accessibility of it, there are a few songs that go into alt rock territory and I think they're the best on that album and a prototype for their next two albums, Rated R, and Songs for the Deaf. If Only is easily the poppiest of the bunch although seems very primitive compared to anything from this album, but the seed was planted back then. The alternative rock stylings on this album give it a much needed boost for hooks to counterbalance to the hardness. For this album Mark Lanegan (from the Screaming Trees) and David Grohl were recruited, and the inclusion of these two grunge legends had great impact. Grunge was a great example of mixing heavy and aggressive sounds with pop music (and underneath rocky exterior this is a pop album) so I think they were added to give the album that sweeter appeal. I think Lanegan might actually be the secret sauce as to why the songs sound so good, as the band lost much of the pop appeal after his departure. The final thing that makes this so special are the radio broadcast parody snippets. SftD is a concept album, supposedly of a road trip from LA, through the Californian deser,t to Joshua Tree. In-between songs there's radio skits and radio dial turning to give it the immersive feel of flicking through radio stations while on a road trip, also with some satire on radio culture. The album already has a very desert type feeling to it so these two factors combined put you in that frame of mind for most of the album's runtime. The album ends on a folky, chamber pop song called Mosquito Song. It's far from the best song on here (or maybe not, I find it very difficult to pick favorites on this album), but flipping the entire album on its head is an interesting way to close it out. There's no electric guitars and it's a very delicate and soft song, with a vaguely Latin theme, so completely different from anything else. Interestingly Mosquito Song still manages to pack a punch with the orchestral swells. One of the members of Ween also get a writing credit here Should it be on the main list: Yes, 100%. How did the debut make it in over this? Top 3 songs: No One Knows, Another Love Song, Song for the Deaf

Oh boy more Tool, and the one that's widely regarded as the worst by non Tool fanboys. I'm an open minded person, let's give it a shot. This album opens extremely strongly, the first couple minutes of the title track might actually be one of my favourite moments of their whole discography, let alone this album. It's a very slow and methodical build up, first with some ambient-esque soundscapes, then middle eastern inspired beats, and then finally Adam Jones's famous guitar sound. It drops off when Maynard Keenan starts singing and only gets worse from there, for some reason I really don't like JMK's voice on this album and I thought it was autotune at first. Oh well, promising enough I guess even if it faded. Unfortunately the whole album is downhill from this point, there's a few moments where they opt for some more soundscapes. One song is a dark ambient interlude and it was by far my favourite thing on the album, I wished they leaned into this aspect more on the album because the traditional Tool music is very toothless on the album. There is unusually a peak towards the end of the album, first with Chocolate Chip Trip which is bizarre electronic/drum solo track but I actually quite dig it. 7empest (seven empest?) is the most traditional song here, and it's the only example of Tool retreading old ground and doing it well. Should it be on the main list: No Top 3 songs: Fear Inoculum, Legion Inoculant, Chocolate Chip Trip

With a name like Transatlanticism and the concept about long distance relationships, I expected this to be an album that would really connect with me (this is the warning to the reader that this review will contain personal experiences), but unfortunately I found it fell flat in that regard, that said it's quite successful as a breakup album. This album feels a lot like the American equivalent of the post-britpop scene in the UK (e.g. early Coldplay, Travis, Keane, Doves) but the US equivalent of it, but approached from an emo background. It's a pretty interesting sound. Death Cab also seem quite fond of post-rock type slow build ups leading to crescendos, most notably on the title track. You can tell that this album took a lot of inspiration from Elliott Smith, in terms of lyrics, vocals, and music, though Transatlanticism is much rockier. It does run the risk of appearing a little like Elliott Smith but on a budget, but lyricism on the album is quite flowery so it's still pretty good. I found the LDR concept of the album difficult to connect to. For context I am a Brit that moved to the US about two and a half years ago to be with my (now) wife who is American and who I was apart from for about 4 years. A lot of the lyricism in this is about how difficult being apart is and how it highlights the fractures within the relationship and the insecurities of the people involved, which is good, the problem is that many of the lyrics just come across as the singer either not liking his partner or only being in love with them for superficial reasons. I actually spoke with my wife about the difficulties of our LDR phase today for reasons unrelated to today's pick, and she said that a lot of people she talked to in LDRs had similar problems as the lyrics in this album, so it probably will connect to a lot of people in this position but I just don't understand it. Of course it's easier to do an LDR in the year 2020 than in 2003, but I think the core issue remains. As stated at the start, it's actually pretty good as a breakup album, which I'm assuming is the way most people engage with it, and it's when I started to think of it in this way that I started to enjoy it. Also really appreciated that anti-new years day song at the start, very interesting concept for a song. Should it be on the list: Probably not but you could make a case for it Top 3 songs: The New Year, Title and Registration, Tiny Vessels

King Gizzard make a attempt at a prog album, and the end result is pretty damn good. The album has great flow to a point where it's hard to tell where one song ends and another begins, despite having clearly defined ends. Despite most prog being mired in wankery and overt seriousness, KG also manage to make it really fun. There's a strong spacey vibe to the album that gives the songs a bit more room to breathe and helps make it a more relaxing listen despite the polyrhythms and technicality on display. Good stuff! Should it be on the list: KG&tLW definitely need one album, personally I'd opt for Nonagon Infinity, but I don't have anything against Polygondwanaland being included. Top 3 songs: Crumbling Castle, Loyalty, The Fourth Colour

Bluegrass!? That explains the title... This is a very fun cover album from Mrs. Parton. I always see her as a musically slow and vulnerable artist, mainly due to her 70s output, but The Grass is Blue is anything but! This album is very energetic, upbeat, bouncy, and just all around fun. There's not a whole lot of Dolly's typical country pop style, instead she goes all in on the bluegrass theme and does a damn good job of it. It also helps the vibe of the album that it seems like she's having fun. The last song, I Am Ready, is a complete change from the rest of the album, it's a beautiful a capella and gospel song about accepting death, meeting god, and reassuring those around her once she's gone. I had this album generated the day after her death as a tribute, so this song hits especially hard right now. RIP Dolly, hopefully you had the same attitude towards death as you did 27 years ago. Should it be on the main list: No, add Jolene instead Top 3 songs: Travelling Prayer, Silver Dagger, I Am Ready

Wow this is terrible! I have to ask, submitter what were you thinking? That said this is a very high 2, as bad as this album is I actually find it quite fun! This album is funk rock, but also has elements of funk metal, rap rock, and alt rock. A lot of other reviewers are comparing them to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but I don't hear that at all, they sound far more in line with Living Colour and Fishbone to me, especially the former. They also cite George Clinton of Parliament and Funkadelic fame, which I can also hear. There is a song where the singer starts spouting Kiedis style gibberish, and it's pretty embarrassing. Also there's one song where he pretends to be Grandmaster Flash? I have no idea what Gotcha! are trying to do in this album. This band is Dutch but you wouldn't think so based on the content of the album. They really like to pretend they're from Southern California for some reason and it's (again) embarrassing. They have a pretty talented ensemble, but surprisingly they sound very amateurish on most songs, with Naked being the only real example of them sounding good. The last few tracks is probably where I have to knock it down a star, after mostly bad but fun funk rock towards the end they play they start to play more standard rock and with it a lot of their fun factor leaves. Oh well. Love the album art though. Should it be on the main list: No Top 3 songs: Naked, Bonesong, Red Hot Momma

I was relistening to the Vulfpeck live album when I generated this, which is a funny coincidence because both albums are similar in that both Vulfpeck and Snarky Puppy are talented bands that play technical music. The differences make and break the albums however, Vulfpeck's studio work feels very sterile but they put a lot of fun into their live shows, Snarky Puppy do not and instead their live shows are all technique. I remember Snarky Puppy being a band that were popular with college kids when I was there, and based on my interactions in the generator discord, it seems like everyone has a certain friend or acquaintance that insisted that they must check out this band. Fortunately Snarky Puppy fans seem to be smart enough to keep their mouth shut so they haven't gained the same reputation as Tool, Phish, or Grateful Dead. That is to say I have checked Snarky Puppy out and I wasn't particularly impressed, however this album caught my attention immediately. The start of the album is phenomenal the first song is typical jazz fusion with a rocky undertone, before the second song flourishes into a rocking prog track. I don't know if the rockiness of the album is an intentional choice or a result of the band becoming more rock in a live setting (a pretty common phenomenon) but the energy from these first two tracks really give you something to hook onto compared to their more typical jazz affair. Unfortunately from the third track onwards the band loses a lot of juice for me, and by the time of the penultimate song I was ready for it to be over. Fortunately the album is only 55 minutes long so it doesn't feel like it drags at all, were it any longer I probably would have started disliking it. Sorry but I just don't like jam bands or any bands that focus entirely on improv. The last song fortunately ends on a bang though. Should it be in the main list: God no please no more jam bands Top 3 songs: Shofukan, What About Me?, Lingus

What did I expect from The Vaccines? Inoffensive and mildly boring post-punk revival and garage rock, which is more or less what I got, though it is a lot poppier than I expected. The Vaccines are good at hooks, to their credit, but I don't really find any other aspect of the album interesting. I started the user list specifically to avoid albums like this. Should it have been on the main list: No. This is Dimery-core so I'm a little surprised it wasn't on, but we don't need more of this kind of music. Top 3 songs: Wreckin Bar (Ra Ra Ra), If You Wanna, Post Break-Up Sex

Unfortunately for this album, modern rap (2010s onwards) is a big blind spot for me unless it's doing something weird and daring (Clipping and Danny Brown for example), and while there are some pretty cool elements on the album for me, I feel like it doesn't distinguish itself in any meaningful way from other modern rap albums. My favorite songs on DON'T GROW UP TOO SOON are the jazzier cuts. The first song Take Your Time is quite cool, for it to only delve into bass-heavy trap-esque songs, which is a style of rap I don't care for at all. I don't like the R&B themed songs either. Should it be on the list: No Top 3 songs: Take Your Time, Spinning These Blocks, Don't Check for Me

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is an album that captures a specific vibe, like the Chromatics' Night Drive album, and like that album it's a cool urban night. M83 mash an assortment of genres together, there's synthpop, synthwave, dream pop, ambient, new wave, shoegaze and even a little bit of space rock and post rock, but despite wearing their influences on their sleeve they actually manage to create something quite unique from the combination. Primarily though the album is a dream pop soundscape that's achieved through the synthpop and synthwave elements on the record. The first half, and especially the first few tracks, have a variety of bombastic hit pop songs, most notably Midnight City, and this helps set that aforementioned night urban atmosphere. The album does not keep this pace up and it's for a more low-key and textured sound for most of the album, to a point where it borders on ambient at time. This will probably come as a disappointment to some people but I actually like this, they found the specific sound they were looking for and went all in on it. The songs all have a lot of room to grow in terms of sound (which I think is caused by the spacier elements from the album) but it gives the album a melancholic and wistful tone that elevates the atmosphere of the album. There's still a lot of more straightforward pop inbetween all this, U2's style of new wave was clearly a big influence for M83's sound on this album and it shows on these tracks. These are the songs that stick out the most, and really are probably the only songs I'd listen to outside of the album. Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is more than the sum of its parts and as a result most of these songs aren't going to work well outside of the context of the album. Should it be in the main list: No, but you could make a case for it Top 3 songs: Midnight City, Reunion, Steve McQueen

This is an interesting album to get only a few days after that Vaccines snooze fest, "1, 2, Kung Fu!" sticks with a similar indie rock and garage rock sound but manages to make it feel modern and even a little fururistic. Boy Azooga combine late 00s indie rock with psychedelia and bedroom pop to give the genre a fresh new sound, and like many albums from that era it has a short runtime clocking in at just under 35 minutes, almost half of which is in the last three songs. The album has a great flow with the transitions from each tracks being very smooth. Still I'm just not a fan of that style of indie rock, though I'm glad that Boy Azooga made one of the more interesting takes on it. Should it be on the main list: No Top 3 Songs: Loner Boogie, Face Behind Her Cigarette, Jerry

Okay, I have no idea how to rate this one, so I'm giving it a tentative 3, but I'm fully expecting it to flop in one direction or another. First thing first, as you can tell from the title, this is the fourth album in a series. Am I supposed to listen to the other stuff first? I don't know, but I'm going to assume not. Second thing, this is a prog rock opera, I generally love this style of music but it doesn't lend itself well to first time listens unless it has plenty of catchy singles (e.g. The Wall), usually there's a lot to unpack and on a first listen you miss too much. I've listened to David Comes To Life about 5 times in full after I generated it a month ago, and I'm still trying to "get" it. Anyway, this style of prog comes from a more indie rock/alt rock direction compared to prog of old, think Decemberists, Muse, Coheed and Cambria, maybe even Marillion a bit. I think the Muse comparison is especially apt because The Dear Hunter have a very theatrical and melodramatic sound to them, which I think can be beneficial for rock operas but really just struck me as annoying on this listen. Now that I'm giving some of the songs a relisten half a day later I can see the appeal in it though. They do shift through a lot of varieties of prog, sometimes they shift genres to also set a certain tone such as a cabaret song and even a random disco song. I like the idea but I'm not sure how well it fits in the context of the album. Maybe when I get the concept more I'll dig it a bit more. Should it be in the main list: TBD Top 3 songs: The Old Haunt, A Night on the Town, King of Swords

I'm surprised this has a low score (2.69 as of writing), I expected something challenging as a result of that but Type O Negative actually have an accessible sound. Maybe the users here just don't like goth? Type O Negative the most well known and respected band in the world of goth metal so I expected Bloody Kisses to be a bit foreboding, but musically they aren't far away from the thrash and hardcore punk of the time, occasionally dipping into it which helps break up the darker parts of the album. They do also have a slight doom metal sound on top of the gothiness but it's only present in a few songs. These songs happen to be the highlights of the album and I'm guessing they develop it more on their later work, as I know the two albums after this are widely regarded as their best. Lyrically was the biggest surprise for me, I expected Peter Steele to have a dark and misanthropic lyrical style, perhaps with a slight misogynistic streak, but the lyrics on this album are actually quite silly in a humourous way, and with a sarcastic bite to them. I shouldn't have expected such a serious album from the same guy who used his spread asshole as an album cover. The most interesting song on the album is the title track, Bloody Kisses (A Death in the Family) which builds up this dark gothy atmosphere of how the protagonist lost his love while using traditional goth romantic imagery ("pair of souls", "crimson pool", "endless night", you get the idea), and it doesn't use any of Steele's style of humor that I described above. However all of this about is just a metaphor to make it seem cooler, it's about his cat who died. Knowing the true meaning makes this song sound a bit ridiculous at first, but this is easily the saddest song on the record, and also shows a more vulnerable side to him once you cut past the facade. A fitting tribute to the cat. Should it be on the main list: Yes. Type O Negative should have something on the list, there's no goth metal at all. I think October Rust is the more popular release but given TON's importance on the genre I have no issue putting Bloody Kisses on as well. Top 3 songs: Christian Woman, Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All), Bloody Kisses (A Death in the Family)

Oh hey, I only found out yesterday that Yves Tumor has recent sexual assault allegations thanks to the guy who submitted it mentioning it in the discord. What a funny coincidence! Anyway, I listened to this when it came out after being impressed with Yves Tumor's previous release, Heaven To A Tortured Mind. I'll use this moment to highlight Mx Tumor's interesting musical evolution, they started as an ambient artist, moved to hypnogogic pop, infused their pop sound with industrial, did a complete change to glam, and now here went back to psychedelia and started making post-punk with this release. Anyway their previous release, the glam record, was a bit lumpy but had two solid singles, this release is way more consistent but doesn't really have any major standouts, and as a result I don't dig it as much. To illustrate what I mean, I would highly recommend checking out Kerosene! and Gospel for a New Century. Lovely Sewer is probably the big one here but it doesn't come close to those two Anyway, back to this album, which I will not be saying the name of. This album retreats to a more minimalist position compared to the previous release, there's not much grandiosity here, and most songs follow a psychedelic post-punk sound. There's also a lot of vocal processing which I don't remember being on the previous album, and I find it quite annoying at times (Parody, Heaven Surrounds Us Like a Hood) but it may be an attempt to add to the psychedelic vibe. Some songs add glam and dance punk to the blend and I think these more energetic songs are the better tracks. Should it be on the main list: No Top 3 songs: Lovely Sewer, Meteora Blues, Ebony Eye

I haven't had any Canadian alt rock in a while, and unfortunately this one isn't any better than the other ones I had. Though the band do seem to be pretty talented musicians, so credit for that. Whale Music is basically a combination of The Tragically Hip and Neil Young, it has the poppy alt rock of the Hip, and the country/folksy/rootsy sound of Neil Young, also the singer kinda sounds like Young. The album flicks through a variety of different genres that were popular in the early 90s but it settles on this for the most part. Unfortunately I don't have much interesting to add, it's pretty standard early 90s alt rock, and when it's doing this it's probably at its best. There's a particularly annoying track which just seems like a rant about guns over a drum solo, pretty preachy. Should it be on the main list: No Top 3 songs: Queer, What's Going On Around Here, Soul Glue

Right after I complain about a mediocre Canadian alternative rock band I get this the day after... PSYCHE! Nah this album is awesome, and while it definitely exists in that sphere of Canadian alt rock this is a lot different in many ways, the primary being that it's Celtic rock and Celtic folk primarily. To draw a comparison from the main list, think The Pogues but less punky and aggressive. As stated Up is Celtic themed, so expect fiddles, accordions, and jaunty Irish tunes. The songs are a mix of originals by the band, covers of old folk songs, and just covers in general (the first song is by Slade!), I feel like this mix plays an important role however as it means you get a mix of Celtic themed rock tunes, pop tunes, and the old fashioned stuff which gives it a well balanced flow. The more inaccessible stuff doesn't last too long because theres probably an original pop song around the corner. Great Big Sea pull from a lot of different Celtic styles in this album. There's folk from the British isles (as you would expect) , as well as sea shanties, old working class folk songs, and even a style of folk called Newfoundland folk, which I wasn't aware was a thing. Lyrically the topics that are handled include: working class issues and life, ye olde tunes about a popular wench, and the heartland and how great it is to be Canadian/a Newfoundlander. The last song is delivered with such passion that it almost makes me (someone with no association with canada, nor stepped foot there) proud to be a Newfoundlander. There's not just the Celtic folk tracks though, Great Big Sea also write their own songs which tend to be more in the realm of folk rock/jangle pop/alt rock, and they prove that the Celtic theme isn't just a gimmick and they're talented songwriters in their own right. They have a particular talent for guitar based hooks and they often employ a jangly guitar sound for many of their own tracks, which likely comes from their association with Celtic music. Should it be in the main list: Probably not, but I will never turn down more fun Celtic music in the list, plus it gives representation to Newfoundland, if that was needed. Top 3 songs: Goin' Up, Buying Time, The Jolly Butcher

Okay I'm sorry but convincing me this is worth my time is going to be a tough ask. First of all this is a a TRIPLE album from Wilco frontman and lead songwriter, Jeff Tweedy, and you might think "hey, aren't there already 3 main list and one user list Wilco albums? What makes Tweedy 's solo work so special", to which the answer is, not a whole lot. Twilight Override is essentially a 5th Wilco album, and honestly it's closer to a Wilco album than Mermaid Avenue was. Anyway with that scathing introduction out of the way, you probably expect me to loathe this, right? I actually don't, if anything I think my opinion of Tweedy as a songwriter has improved from listening to this, primarily because it proves that he IS Wilco, at least in terms of his songwriting ability. For the most part this is a very well made album, and I enjoyed the first disc thoroughly. My issue is of course the length and there is a noticeable drop in quality in the second half. The best songs are the country themed country songs which are primarily in the first half. Should it be on the main list: No. We have four Wilco albums between the main list and user list, we don't need what is essentially a fifth Wilco album. Top 3 songs: There's too many to distinguish from a first listen, but I really like the second track Caught Up in the Past.

Considering Dimery's penchant for singer/songwriters, I'm surprised he missed You Don't Mess Around With Jim. This album has some of the finest songwriting I think I've heard, definitely better than most of the singer/songwriters on the main list. James Taylor just feels like a watered down version of Jim Croce, for example. This album wastes no time, clocking in at just 33 minutes, but it doesn't feel any less complete! Jim Croce constructs a folk pop world full of sentimental lyrics about relatable experiences such as unrequited love, the passage of time and broken dreams. As sad as some of the lyrics are the album always feels positive, helped by how fun and bouncy Croce's guitar playing and singing is, and it also helps a lot that he /can/ play guitar and sing quite well. There's also a few fun diversions, such as the old school rock and roll song right after what are probably the two emotionally heaviest songs on the album. Jim Croce died the next year after this album's release. What a horrible waste of talent, I think Jim would have had an exceptional career Should it be on the list: Yes Top 3 songs: You Don't Mess Around with Jim, Operator, (That's Not the Way It Feels), Time in a Bottle

I'm surprised this album came out in 2005, this sounds like the Windmill Scene style of post-punk from the early 2020s, I'm guessing that scene took a lot of inspiration from this band. I'm guessing The Hold Steady came out of the post-punk revival movement, but with their jerky rhythms, off-kilter talk-singing vocals, and crass lyrics, they sound more like an art punk act. This album seems to be a concept album of sorts, which I missed most of on my initial listen, so I'll come back and add more info when I get the opportunity to listen to it a bit more. The concept revolves around drugs and religion, and most of the songs are about these themes. It's also very lyrically dense as you would expect. The album starts off quite strong with the first few songs but loses me pretty quickly after, I guess the concept gets developed more in the second half so it might work a bit better when I listen to it alongside reading the lyrics. Should it be on the main list: No Top 3 songs: Hornets! Hornets!, Cattle and the Creeping Things, Your Little Hoodrat Friend

The album that entered (and promptly exited) Blink-182's emo period, and honestly I think it was for the worse. Blink-182 are great at making fun hooky pop songs and less good at emotionally charged stuff like this. I dislike the "emo is too whiny" criticism because it's trite, but this album... really is too whiny, like this is a parody of what I'd make if I didn't like whiny emo. Blink-182 do retain a lot of their pop punk hookiness but it's too stuck in the emo framework for me to enjoy it, but it does make me think I'll enjoy Enema of the State a lot more. Should it be on the list: No, but you could probably make a case for a different Blink-182 album Top 3 songs: Feeling This, I Miss You, Down

Remember Deloused In The Comatorium by The Mars Volta from the main list? That band came from At the Drive-In! The two main members, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez were also the two masterminds behind this project, though ATDI also has the great Jim Ward (who split off into the post-hardcore band Sparta) and Omar joined a little later after they formed. Speaking of Ward, I think his presence plays an important role on this album, which I'll get into later. Relationship of Command is post-hardcore and emo, which gives context to Deloused, as for a prog rock record it was still firmly in the realm of post-hardcore and slightly emo-ish, this album, on the other hand, has some mild prog elements in some songs that hint at what the band members would go onto do, the most obvious of these being Invalid Litter Dept.. Unlike ATDI's earlier work, there's definitely been an attempt to give the songs more complex rhythms and make them longer and more noodly, which I think has played a big factor in how well received this is compared to their other albums. TMV, being fully prog, opt for even longer and more intricate songs, but as this album is still in the realm of punk the songs are a lot shorter and more accessible, but still Relationship of Command is a strong step in the artsier direction for the band. While ATDI are a great band, it's easy to see why Relationship of Command stuck more than their other works. This album perfected the blend of aggressive energy with the moody and confused emo, but most importantly all these songs have karaoke-worthy hooks, especially during the chorus, it's very easy to get into the vibe and start blaring the chorus out. Also it's kinda funny that these choruses have a key word or phrase that's great to scream but it ISN'T the title of the song (e.g. "Beware", "Temperature/Cut it", "Wormed our way through distant Earth"), in fact I think the name of the song is only said in two of them. Enter Jim Ward, the guitarist who does the less fiddly bits. His contributions seem to be completely overshadowed by Cedric and Omar, but given what we know from TMV and Omar's technically advanced side projects, they're clearly musically ambitious people. Jim Ward's band, Sparta, is effective yet unremarkable post-hardcore, like this album but with all the more complicated stuff gutted. I think Ward provides a grounding and stabilizing force to the band that's desperately needed to keep the album consistent, and the songs with the realm of reality. I think Cedric also plays this role a little, but Ward more so. Continuing on from the "stability vs. ambition" point, the lyrical balance of the songs play a key role in the album's appeal. Cedric style of lyricism is rather esoteric and could be accused of being word salad at times, but these are usually restricted to the verses with the choruses having more simple lyrics that you can sing along to. Invalid Litter Dept. is the most extreme example, with the verses being long-winded and borderline poetry contrasted with the bombastic chorus having a few words and mostly being "wishing well" repeated. There are a couple of examples of the chorus having relatively weird lyrics, such as Pattern Against User, but they still manage to make it fun. Should it have been in the main list: Yes, 100%. Dimery had TMV on the list, how the fuck did he miss this? Top 3 songs: Cut Away, Wishing Well, Freight Train Coming

I don't have anything to say about this, it's very middle of the road pop/alt rock and there's many other bands doing the same thing. Should it be on the main list: No

Fontaines D.C. are one of those bands I'm "supposed" to listen to. They're trendy, they play post-punk and goth music (both genres I'm interested in) and they pump out material relatively regularly, so I was excited to listen to this. Romance wasn't entirely what I expected, that would be something more along the lines of post-punk and goth rock that they have a reputation for, but it was interesting nonetheless. Fontaines D.C. are Irish, so it should come as no surprise that this album is influenced by 90s British music. There's elements of trip-hop, baggy, britpop, shoegaze, and even some American 90s genres like grunge, but not enough to call the album any of these or even close to that. This album is firmly in rock territory but it just jump sounds quite a lot, in the first three tracks alone you go from a goth song to a rap rock song, to a britpop-inspired post-punk revival song. Towards the middle of the album Romance opts for a sound closer to early-mid 00s post-britpop, to continue genre hopping in the last few tracks. I think the inconsistency hurts the album. There's many great songs on here, but every time you feel like you get a handle on what the album is about, it shifts to something different. Conversely the consistency in the middle of the album where they try a more post-britpop sound is the least interesting part of the album and the songs here are weaker compared to the start and end. By the final track I was sort of glad it was over, and this album is only 36 minutes long. That's not to say Romance is bad, there's some really good songs that I'll likely return to, but as a complete package I don't think I'll listen to it much. The good is too scattered and the bad is too compact. Should it be on the list: No Top 3 songs: Starburster, Here's the Thing, Favourite