This is nuts but I strangely enjoyed it. The cacophony occasionally tipped over to the almost unlistenable side but it was generally a fun and interesting listen
I don’t get it. This has merit as a fun pub quiz name that tune round, as a musical endeavour it’s a mishmash of great songs chopped up and stuck together and made pretty much unlistenable 👎🏻
I’ve never heard of them before. This is pretty good. You can feel the energy. Still not really a fan of live albums though, you have to be there, that’s the point. Anyhow 3.5
Being Scottish I’ve heard of him but never actually listened before. It’s kind of sweet and likeable and probably a grower but there is nothing that is compelling me to listen again. 3.5
This is top tier relaxing spa music. And I mean that in the best possible way. There is so much more going on than it would first seem. I may welll be seeking this out in future at times of stress
Takes me back to the days when I used to listen to System7 and The Orb. I have never heard of them before and I guess I am indeed shpongled as I liked this. Chilll but enough going on to keep it interesting. 3.5
First track is a banger and I got kinda excited to listen to this band that I have never heard before. It was all downhill from there though. Stylistically all over the place like they were trying on loads of sub genres but not doing any of them in a particularly memorable way. 2.5
I don’t get it. I was underwhelmed by their offering on the main list and I am even less whelmed by this one. It’s just kind of boring. and his vocals are, and I’m struggling to think of the word here, feeble? wimpy? Definitely annoying. Anyhow, I won’t be revisiting this one. 2.5
Was kind of excited when this came up as used to go and see a few local ska bands back in the day and it was always a fun night. However this leads far too much towards the punk side of things and his vocals are terrible. The punk ska crossover doesn’t really work and it all ends up sounding the same 2.5 rounding up for the horns
Wouldn’t call this prog rock. Not sure what it is tbh except a bit all over the lace. Liked the choral bits and some of the more ambient sections. Didn’t hate his voice. Obviously far too long though and definitely lost something by not being able to understand the story. 2.5 rounding up for the ambition. Won’t be revisiting
Always appreciate the juxtaposition of the upbeat Melodie’s with the acerbic lyrics. Was lovely to revisit this and it probably should have been on the original list
Hmm, it’s just straight ahead basic rock music. It sticks to the template. Can imagine standing with a bunch of middle aged men in double denim, clutching cider and head banging (them not me). They are decent at what they do but this does not belong on the list. 2.5
This is great. Fun and interesting and I found myself bopping along at times. Sometimes feels a bit restrained , I wish they would let rip and go for it. And it is over long of course. Overall a good choice. 3.5
As everyone else has said so reminiscent of Radiohead, especially the vocals. There’s nothing particularly different here to lift it above that distraction. How did they get Visconti, and presumably through him, Bowie and Reed? Fair play to them for that
I was a bit late to the Bloc Party and only got in to them a few years ago. They’re good and this is a decent listen. Very much not indie landfill and should have been on the list
Started off pretty excited by this. I do like the combination of the folk and the slightly unsettling spooky droning. The novelty soon wore off though. Too long and drawn out. Good but not great
I saw all the 5 star reviews and then I listened and I am baffled. I have never heard of this man before and I think it’s a cultural thing as this is one of the most aggressively American things on this list. Punk rock? Really? I’m not up for having someone raucously shout at me in an annoying voice for nearly 40 minutes. Next
Not Nineteen Forever is a banger but the rest is a bit meh. Never paid much attention to them back in the day and I was right. He is not a great songwriter, and yes it is generic. They do have a loyal following though so I can see how they ended up on here. 2.5
Aww, this is an old favourite of mine. Always had a wee soft spot for Mellow Doubt. And I prefer this one to Bandwagonesque. There are some lovely wee tunes here. A tiny bit too bland for a 5. Good pick though
This took 11 studios and 2 and a half years?? The hits are certified bangers, the rest not so much. Gwen Stefani’s undoubted star power did a lot of heavy lifting for them. Probably should have been on the list though
Like someone you’d see in the pub with their guitar on a week night. Really weak singer and his lyrics are not as witty as he thinks they are
Aww, love Dolly and this is great. One thing I have discovered from this project is a liking for bluegrass music. Dolly always delivers and there are some great musicians backing her up. RIP she seemed like an absolute gem
This is great, banger after banger, not a single miss and the band sounds great. Definitely loses something without. the visuals, and for that reason it just misses a 5
This is not good. Never hears of him before and I can see why. The first track is a banger and there are a couple of other decent ones but the rest is just meh. He doesn’t seem to have his own identity. He takes on various different styles and sounds like various better artists. And it’s all very polished. I was waiting for him to let loose and it didn’t happen
For all I can tell they are good at what they do, and there are a couple of killer tracks, I’m tired of being hectored at stridently and I’m tired of hearing bitches, pussies etc regardless of whether they are satirising the tropes or whatever. I would take another Briitpip album over this any day. My recommendation would be Drawn To Thw Dewp End by Gene. Go on, you know you want to 😜
There is nothing more enjoyable and uplifting than a bit of top tier pop music. And this just ain’t it. I swear whoever added this is a troll or one of Rita’s team. It’s mediocre in every way, there are no memorable hooks, no personality, it’s just bland and forgettable.
Something I have discovered during this project, to my surprise, is how much I do not like The Flaming Lips. And it’s mainly Wayne Coyne’s terrible vocals, I can’t get past them, plus the music is generally pretty weak and just doesn’t grab me. Could not be bothered to listen to this twice. The concert is the most interesting thing hear, the music is not something I want to listen to again
Well, this was disappointing. A lot of noise and not many discernible tunes. I don’t think the collective thing helps because each track almost sounds like a different artist. Did not grab me at all
Another user choice that just didn’t engage me. It was kind of dull. Would probably make good background music in a wine bar or bistro. Lacking in something to make me want to listen again. 2.5
John Mayer isn’t a thing in the UK and literally the only thing I know about him is he’s a shagger hahaha. Wasn’t sure what to expect but was thinking it would be a bit rockier. He has a nice enough voice and the first couple of tracks are great but the novelty soon wore off and I got bored
Another underwhelming user pick for me.. Starts wff promising but by the end I was kind of bored. It was ok but I won’t be rushing back to this one
Yikes, no. I really did not need to hear this before I die. Another white dude with a terrible voice. Usually I would say they would make a great poet but Hayden doesn’t even have that because the lyrics are trite and occasionally cringeworthy. There must be a Canadian group spamming this thing because that’s 3 mediocre Canadian acts I’ve had this week. This one is the worst of the bunch 1.5
Well, love is hell if you are dating him by all accounts. This one surprised me. It’s by far the best one of his on here, I gave the others a 3 and a 2. He has a very good voice and there are some nice wee tunes here. Obviously it could do with a bit of trimming, still a winner though
I mean it’s not terrible but there’s not an original thought here. Every track sounds like a different successful artist. The lyrics made me cringe. They are trying too hard and not pulling it off. Could probably see similar in my local rock club. 2.5
This one proves that some things do not travel well. Birdhouse In Your Soul is the only one that was successful in the UK and I can see why’. Baffled at all the gushing reviews. I’m hearing a Zappa influence and I’m no fan of his. Obnoxiously American college boy. And the lyrics aren’t even that great. Next
All I know really about her is Neil Gaiman and the recent allegations, so having to separate the art from the artist yet again. I was a bit all over the place with this one, I loved it at times, I hated it at rimes, at times I found the lyrics uncomfortable, at times pretentious. After a second listen I’m taking the plunge with a 4
Yeah, I like this. Chill vibes. Can imagine this would be good to have on in the background while doing chores hot something, and that is very much meant as a compliment
Had no idea what to expect here but this is surprisingly good. The synths were occasionally a wee bit jarring but I loved the tone and atmosphere. The playlist after was good too. And this is one occasion when not being able to understand the lyrics adds to the experience
It is absolutely a no from me
Might recommend to my dad though. Could see this being right up his street
This is a bit hit and miss for me.. The clear Phil Collins influence doesn’t really suit Martyn’s style, it’s too clean I feel, but then there are tracks where that’s dialled down and he’s back to what he does. Not feeling him whining about his divorce as he was an abusive alcoholic during their marriage. Nothing beats Solid Air for me. 3.5
I never paid much attention to them back in the day and I can see why. We have so many similar sounding artists in the UK. I’m not really understanding all the gushing from other reviewers. I’m trying to figure out what puts me off and. I think it’s Paul Banks’ voice - there is something very studied and try hard about it. Anyway, after all that, this genre is right up my alley so it’s still getting a 4
See, this is one where I wish we had a 10 point scale because this is not quite a 5 but better than a 4. Many bangers but a couple of slightly annoying tracks which let the side down. Not a fan of the autotune effect, it’s overdone at times. Better than the one that was on the list? 💯. 4.5
First couple of tracks felt kind of promising but then I just got bored. I was willing there to be a change of pace or dynamic or anything to get me interested but in the end I got irritated. There were a few nice wee touches but they didn’t go anywhere. 💤
They are good at what they do but, I don’t know how to explain this, it’s like a cheap copy (something which I guess could be said for the entire genre). It also feels kinda restrained, I wanted them to let rip and it rarely happened
Hmmm… he may have the largest vocabulary but he needs to hold back a bit because there are definitely too many words here. Too many to get a grip of what he’s trying to say. Also he needs to switch it up a bit it all got a bit monotonous. Startied out promising ended up irritating. 2.5
Firstly, 90 minutes? NO NEED. Secondly, those top reviews are harsh, there are far worse albums than this on the main list. In fact I much prefer this to the Aesop Rock album I had yesterday, at least you can hear what he’s saying here. I like that he is kinda ambitious and mixing up diffeeent styles and I like some of the points he has to make. Distil it down into a single album and this would be great. 3.5
It’s ‘more than just punk’, it’s pop punk. And every band sounds the same. The music, the vocals, it’s all pretty much interchangeable with the only difference being that the ones who made it big focus a bit more on melody rather than just shouting about girls. This genre is not for me
Had no idea what to expect from this and have never heard of Hadestown as not really a musicals fan, and I love it! Have been listening on repeat. Her voice irritated at first but it grew on me and the music was always interesting with lots of different things going on. Love a bit of Greek mythology and now want to go and see the musical, who would have thought it?
This was underwhelming. Kind of reminded me of Chvrches with her voice at times but without any killer hooks or much in the way of melody
So, I’ve heard of Avenged Sevenfold but never actually heard them, and c’mon guys, it’s not as terrible as reviews like ‘I’m not listening to this crap’ would suggest. It’s a bit all over the place, mixing it up with more poppy sounds at times and, given that it’s their major label debut, I’m wondering if the label told them less screaming and a more commercial sound. That drumming technique sometimes distracts from the actual music. The lyrics and themes are cringeworthy but I can see how they would appeal to spotty teenage lads. I’m not sure whether they’re taking themselves seriously or not, honestly. Anyhow, it’s not terrible but not my thing
I’m using the word underwhelming rather a lot these days. With the best will in the world this leaves me cold. It feels more like an Alex Turner solo project than an Arctic Monkeys album. Can’t believe I’m giving this the same rating as Avenged Sevenfold but here we are. AM would have been a better pick
On first listen I was distinctly unimpressed and bored, however something compelled me to go back and it slowly grew on me over 3 listens. A record like this repays closer listening. Some of the lyrics are quietly devastating, particularly in the light of what happened to Mimi, almost feels like foreshadowing. Better than any of the dream pop on the original list
Aww, memories. We used to go to The Rocky Horror Show dressed up and all that malarkey. Love it. RIP Tim Curry. In all conscience though I cannot give this a 5 because the music does sag a bit in the second half, so 4 it is. Thanks for the memories submitter
I can’t take Drake seriously. There is something so cringey and uncool about him yet here he is bragging about his exploits. I’m not buying it. Also, why is that autotune effect all over this, it sounds so bad
Jeez, this man is talented. Is there anything he cannot do? Enjoyed this, and I wasn’t even paying any attention to the concept on my two listens, will have to revisit. Good pick and probably should have been on the list
Some decent we tunes here and it feels like they achieved what they set out to do. Like others though it’s nothing I’ve not heard before and not different enough to stand out from the crowd. Liked the rotating vocalists thing. The kind of band that if they were local to me I would be championing our a sense of local pride
This is a fun album and I like the girl’s attitude. Starts off banging but then the novelty wore off a bit for me. It felt like the songs were following the same formula, mixing it up a bit would have made it more interesting. Glad I discovered them though
I liked this more when I wasn’t listening properly. Props to them for trying to do something different but it just doesn’t come together for me
I kinda like it and the polyrhythms and all of that and you can tell they are great musicians and all BUT there is something that I just can’t warm to with this, and his voice does start to grate. It’s all a bit calculated? Idek how to articulate this. Anyway it’s a 3 from me
It’’s funny because another reviewer mentions Zappa and Claypool and that is exactly who I thought of. And that is not a good thing. They think they are funnier and smarter than they are. Juvenile humour that I imagine appeals mainly to men. And the music is all over the place. I gather I’ve got to suffer through more of them plus multiple Primus albums. Yikes
I see the gushing reviews for some of these user picks and I’m like ⁉️. This is yet another one that didn’t engage me, not even in a wash over me while I’m doing something else way. I’m going to damn with faint praise by saying it was ok
I feel like they don’t really have their own identity and are trying the styles of loads of different artists but not making them their own.it’s all a bit bland and generic. And long, very very long. Love the band name though, thought I was getting something Scottish but it’s an RLS reference, fair play to them.
On paper this should be right up my alley and it is good but there is something a wee bit lacking to take it to that next level. I suspect it’s a grower though so I shall revisit. And man, I thought the title track was a cover of Teenage Kicks when it first came on. 3.5 rounding up
Yes, this is kind of cheating but man is it a good time. I’m not a fan of a live album either but this is one of the better. It has an infectious energy about it and some great songs
I see another reviewer said this is like listening to a Latin Now That’s What I Call Music and that is exactly how I felt. It’s all over the place but somehow it works and they manage to keep it interesting. Nice one
This could have made. a great single album. Some good tunes but it’s just too long. And it falls off in the second half. Second time of listening I found myself getting irritated that it was still going. 3.5 rounding doen
I’ve heard of Tool before but never actually heard them so here goes. I really like some aspects of this - the atmosphere, the playing, a lot of the bits of music. Ultimately though this one is lacking in structure. Where are the songs? Good for them for showing off their musical chops but it’s not always great to listen to. I guess that’s the prog part of prog metal. Seems like the consensus is this is their worst one and I’ve got all the rest to come so hopefully the only way is up
Yep, took me right back to the 90s when my then boyfriend was in a band kinda similar to this. They were influenced by Zappa and the bass playing is eerily reminiscent of said boyfriend’s. Kind of like a local band you follow who are good live and are not quite as good as they think they are
The three tracks Max Martin has a hand in are good the rest is just bland and forgettable. Second time around I was willing it to get track 9. Also too much autotune, what the hell? Awful. And I have no sympathy for him whining about having a $20 million house he doesn’t live in or getting too much pussy. 🙄 2.5
Didn’t do much for me and I definitely did not need to hear it before I die, however I am enjoying hearing albums from cultures badly neglected by the book
I guess avant-garde folk is not the genre for me then
Have never heard Primus before however I am aware of Les Claypool and his reverence among bass players.. They are undoubtedly technically impressive but that alone doesn’t do anything for me. I was pleasantly surprised at first but the novelty wore off round about Is It Luck? I won’t be returning
