I didn't have any expectations going into this, but Cold Fact made for a nice and neat little listen. The backstory to this album is very interesting, and I'm surprised this didn't perform well in the US. Sure, I feel that the lyricism can be a bit average at times, but there's still plenty of pretty great writing here, take for example Like Janis, the incredible opener Sugar Man, and the rallying Crucify Your Mind. The messaging and politics in these tracks still holds up to this day. The production can sound and be a bit weird at times as well, however the unexpectedly varying instrumentation here are very cool. The synths in the opening tracks were very neat. This album has many stand outs, and while I feel Gomorrah and I Wonder are weaker tracks in the album, Cold Fact is still a pretty great album. Knowing how influential this album was only makes me appreciate it more.
Ambient music is a genre that I hold very dear to me. It's a genre you never really see talked about too often, which I find a little upsetting. However, Pop is a classic of the genre. It is truly a serene album to say the least. Listening to this makes me imagine that I'm relaxing in the forest on the album cover. The subtle loops of each track are almost entrancing, and the delicate but rhythmic drums here are very pleasing. I just adored the ambient drones in the foreground though, and the tiny and minute sounds and effects in the background of these tracks too. Even if not every track was one I loved, I still found Pop to be a worthwhile, immersive, relaxing, and sonically natural experience. A very solid ambient outing all around. I can very much see myself coming back to it.
Now, A Day at the Races isn't a bad album per se, but with this album you get what you expect. There's all the theatricality and big and powerful sound and production Queen is known for. Sometimes this works in their favor and is fun to listen to, though with other songs it can feel a bit bland. Now, these songs aren't technically bad either, there's merit to them that's worthy of note, like with the ballad You Take My Breathe Away, the big hit Somebody To Love, and the fun romp of Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy, but there's also songs that just made me go, "yep, that's Queen alright," and mostly that. Now, the theatricality Queen is known works for a lot of people, but if you're somebody that it doesn't work with or just feels mixed on it, then they don't bring too much to the table. And though I'm one of those people who is mixed, A Day at the Races still made for a mostly pleasant experience. I still enjoyed myself and can see why other people may like this more.
This is an obscure one for sure. Os Mundi's Latin Mass is certainly something to describe. It's a German krautrock album with latin lyrics. It's pretty psychedelic sounding as well, and it certainly makes for an experience. Despite how cool it might sound though, I think it's alright. It's certainly weird at times, and that can kind of be kind of hit or mis, but it also certainly sounds pretty good at times too. I dig the instrumentation on this thing for the most part too. The organ and bass are nice to listen to. Even if I don't have much to say, I can see plenty of people liking Latin Mass if this band was bigger. I might find some faults with it, but I can definitely appreciate what it's doing.
I've mostly only seen Flying Beagle through YouTube recommendations, but after giving it a shot today, I can say that it's really neat. Despite how energetic the first track is, I was pleasantly surprised by how chilled out most of this album is. A Seagull & Clouds took me back for a second, the relaxing Fluffy with its great double bass are really great tracks, The Second Summer and its chill electric guitar, and more are such great tracks. And while I do like the more energetic tracks like Look Your Back!, the title track, and Ducky Ducky, I found myself having a preference for the more laid-back tracks. The songs here can also kind of feel like they're merging together at points too, but the great instrumentation, especially Kikuchi's keyboards and the bass, can excuse a lot of that. I'm glad I finally gave Flying Beagle a try. It's a laid-back and chill listen that I got something out of.
Man, I wasn't even sure what I was expecting but my expectations were very much met. "Awaken, My Love!" eclectic influences come together to form a smooth, yet energetic, and highly enjoyable experience. I was hooked the moment I heard Me and Your Mama, and it never really stops after that. This album is produced very well and that aspect really shines all over this thing, especially on the big hit of Redbone. The 70s funk inspired backing vocals are like ear candy. The grooves and instrumentation on this album are very infectious, almost as much as the hooks and great vocals from Gambino. While the track California kind of took me out of it with Gambino's questionable vocals, I still found things to admire about it like its catchy instrumental. There's still plenty of great tracks to be found here like the rowdy Boogieman and Riot, and the heartfelt Baby Boy and Stand Tall, which makes for a grand closer. I had an overall great time with "Awaken, My Love!" and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It's really good.
The energy of Hello Rockview is something that I have not had in a little bit, but I really dig it. It kept me locked in, even through parts of the album I thought were weaker. The instrumentation was certainly pleasing to me. I liked the upbeat and lively guitar on this thing and loved the energetic horns and bass. The most popular track on here, All My Best Friends are Metalheads, is the best example of what I have mentioned by far. It is a very infectious track that I really enjoyed. Hello Rockview though can feel a bit bland at times for me though. I am a bit mixed on Pop Punk so maybe I am just biased, but the vocals here can feel a bit off at times too. And while I do like the energy of this album, it can feel a little bit tiring to me when there is not too much variation. With all that said though, I can still appreciate Hello Rockview and I enjoyed my time with it. It has this energetic attitude and feeling that I can get behind.
Give Up really took me somewhere while listening. Its cozy hopefulness and melancholia weren't something I was really expecting, but it really made me feel something. It persists throughout almost the whole album, which shows how consistent Give Up is. The catchiness and infectious indie and electronic sounds are like ear candy to me. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight dips you right into its soft and gloomy world. Such Great Heights is so catchy and captivating, and it immediately pulled me into the rest of the album. It's so lush and leads greatly into the sleepy Sleeping In. Recycled Air makes me feel like I'm on the airplane in the song floating through the nighttime sky, and I love it so much. The post-apocalyptic We Will Become Silhouettes is just beautiful and bittersweet, which goes into the depressed yet pretty This Place Is A Prison. However, after that the album ends with two sweetly hopeful tunes that I can't get enough of, Brand New Colony and Natural Anthem, the latter being such a greatly thrilling finale. While I do think the lyrics could've used some work in some places, and the album wanes just a little bit in a few songs too, everything here is just so catchy and infectious that it was hard for me to move while listening. The slight faults I have for this album are very excusable for me. Give Up is such a great pop experience, and I'm very glad I got to it now. It's superb, fantastic, and something I very much see myself coming back too. Simply wonderful.
I sadly don’t really have much to report back on with this one personally. Allan Rayman unfortunately isn’t very notable to me. Yeah, he’s kinda got a voice, but it can eventually feel whatever. Everything else on this album just feels pretty meh or average to me as well. There’s just not a whole lot of stuff to talk about here to me. Roadhouse 01 sadly wasn’t for me and isn’t something I normally see myself returning to. I just don’t really have anything to talk about personally as this album is just kinda uninteresting to me.
I haven't listened to anything from Sam Fender prior, but I will say that he really made an impression here. The first thing that stuck out to me, and did throughout the album, was Fender songwriting and lyricism. It feels very personal and even pretty raw in some instances, which is something I can always appreciate. I can also appreciate the instrumentation on this thing for the most part too. It can be catchy and feel pretty dreamy and atmospheric when it wants to be. Even if this album can feel *kind of* bland to me at times in some respects, like the ones I mentioned, I was still intrigued and looked forward to seeing what was next. Fender's is pretty appealing too and adds to the nice experience this album creates. It might not be something I'll come back to very often, but People Watching was a neat album. I'm glad I checked it out.
Música, Gramática, Gimnasia for whatever reason just made me feel very cozy. It's energetic, but it's still a pretty nice album for easy listening for the most part. Its production and textures feel laid-back to me, and it made for a chill listening experience. The more-relaxed tracks here have very nice instrumentation, with nice electronics, guitars, and bass, and at times lush strings and moving brass sections. Diane Keaton has those pretty strings and a nice and cozy keyboard in the back of the mix I really dig. I really appreciate the vibes in those tracks, but this isn't to say I don't enjoy the more-energetic tracks. These tracks feel more electronic and EDM inspired, and they certainly had me moving. Los Adolescentes, a favorite of mine from the album, is very infectious and catchy, while Litoral Central is more rambunctious and feels more connected to dance music. This goes to show how this album has some tonal contrasts which I didn't expect, but I liked. But, all of these songs also have the touch of nice vocals that feel really fitting for each track. They feel cozy as well and really add to the feelings this album is going for. Música, Gramática, Gimnasia is a neat little gem that I very much had the pleasure of listening to. Even if I couldn't understand the Spanish lyrics, I still liked what I heard and enjoyed myself with it, which I will always applaud.
What did I expect from The Vaccines? I haven't heard of them before, so nothing really, but I had a nice time with this album. I really like the upbeat energy that persists throughout most of this album. The instrumentation that provokes it is pretty good, with the reverbed guitars having a nice tone to them, and I like the vocals. It all makes for a nice, pleasant vibe, and the two more emotional songs that end the album are neat too. The two opening tracks, Wreckin' Bar and If You Wanna, display these qualities well and they are very enjoyable. Though, the songwriting can be pretty average, and even a bit creepy at points sadly, like on Norgaard. Tracks can feel a bit average and meh too, which doesn't particularly evoke anything out of me even if I like how they sound. That isn't to say I got no enjoyment out of this though. I like the vibe this thing is going on, and I'm glad I gave it my time. It's not perfect, but What Did You Expect is neat for what it is for the most part.
I have only been vaguely aware of Digable Planets for a long time by seeing the cover of their second release, Blowout Comb. Maybe I should listen to that sometime, but Reachin' still really made an impression on me. This album is really just chill and funky. The production and beats are great and beautifully constructed and set a wonderful example for jazz rap. The beats on this album make me feel like I'm sitting back and relaxing in a lounge. The opening track, It's Good To Be Here immediately puts you into that chill atmosphere I mentioned. Reachin' is very laid-back, which I can get behind, but it also has neat lyricism to go with it. La Femme Fetal is a song on reproductive rights, which I wasn't expecting, and there's plenty of references and odes to jazz music all throughout. Nickel Bags compares listening to jazz to smoking weed, and Rebirth Of Slick is one of these great odes to jazz. All these tracks are greatly uplifted by the performances from Digable Planets. Everybody nicely adds to the laid-back and mellow feeling that the album nails. Reachin' is a great jazz rap album while also just being a great rap album in general. I'm glad I gave it my time, it's really sick.
I didn't have any expectations for this album, but it still blew me away regardless. Modal Soul is an album that is the definition of chill. It's probably one of the most laid-back and mellow albums that I've ever heard. It's an amazing blend of jazz and hip hop. The production from Nujabes here is absolutely spectacular. The mixing and textures are really well made. The use of samples here is very admirable as well. They're used so well to craft the awesome beats on this thing. Not to mention, all guest performances here are solid too. Everybody's delivery and attitude match the vibes of every song so well. The hip-hop tracks are complemented by the amazing instrumental tracks too. Every song here builds from and adds to the atmosphere that this album crafts so well. Everything just comes together into an album that just sucks you into the cozy lounge it creates and makes you kick back and relax in. Modal Soul is a gem, and one I'm very glad I gave my time to.
