8.5/10
the suburbs is an introspective view into the american dream as a whole. the feelings on this subject meander, sometimes you feel trapped and want to escape, but you can’t help but acknowledge that this is the place you learnt to drive, you grew up in and formed many childhood memories here. tracks range from showing pessimism about the state the suburbs will leave you in, dreamless and in a mundane point in life (modern man) to anarchy, wanting to reform and change where you live (month of may) but ultimately realising that this is the place that shaped you into the man you are today (wasted hours). the three dimensional approach this album takes towards living in the suburbs is what made me appreciate it so much, in my opinion it takes a certain level of maturity to see the good in something you hate. the lyrics on here do a good job in illustrating the town present in this album. it’s as if you live there yourself, experiencing what the narrator was going through himself. i enjoyed the vivid imagery displayed on the album’s run, nothing short of amazing!
i think my only problem is the vocals, at times it gets really annoying and falls flat, void of emotion. also some tracks just feel incomplete, like they’re missing something?? then some of them are stupid like rococo??? yeah what the fuck was that, don’t attempt that stupid shit again. then there’s the runtime… i found myself feeling as if i was being forced to listen to this towards the end of the album. i feel like it shouldn’t have been as long as it was. but oh well.
7.5/10
ok so first things first, the titular track is a masterpiece. it’s hard for me to fathom that it’s nearly 50 years old because of how timeless it sounds. genuinely convinced it doesn’t age (and i’m saying this as a frank ocean fan)
however when you create something so great, it’s often hard to top it and that’s the problem i had with the other tracks. they’re by no means bad, i just think they feel mundane in comparison. i liked the switch up between hard and soft rock here, especially the ballads. but half the tracks just feel like run of the mill country rock songs, it’s not really that special to me.
one thing i like to note is that i enjoyed the contrast between the opening and closing, instrumental and lyrical wise! found that very cool :)
10/10
i really loved this album! i’ve never tapped into funk properly so this was my first proper introduction to the sub-genre. this album was so upbeat and fun, full of soul, jazz and more! i loved the concept of your radio being hijacked by these ET beings who just want to play you some feel good music, it really elevated things for me. also the lyrics revolving around the music instead of vice versa was a nice decision, encouraging you to focus on the beat at hand. it was soooo enjoyable seeing all the carefree lyrics here! i genuinely have no criticisms here, every track was flawless, a very easy 10/10
8/10
the drums on this album are nothing short of phenomenal! the different rhythms provided by the drummer were so engaging, they deserve a raise fr. the organ too, it’s usage adds a certain type of weirdness, along with the gritty guitar riffs accompanying it. they all come together to create an enjoyable listen where you can see hard rock developing into early metal music!
sometimes the lyrics were weird but then you remember it’s the 70s and everyone was coked out their minds so it’s to be expected. however i loved the anti war message on child of time, some lovely writing on that song!!
8/10
aladdin sane is a play on tbe words "a lad insane" and that's definitely the vibe i got from this. i decided to read the backstory of this album for once and to summarise; after gaining commercial success through his previous works, bowie went on tour across the US. whilst on his travels, he began to become inspired by the music there, creating and lyrics and sounds that would eventually culminate into aladdin sane.
i think the majority songs on here are very avant-garde and glitzy, representing the subgenre of glam rock very well. a notable track that stood out to me was "watch that man", the opening for this album - and it's a very strong one. the guitar carries the feeling of the song, giving it a very flashy and gritty vibe to reflect the main character here. there's other components too like the backing vocals present on the chorus to show that everyone at the after-party is also enamoured by this man's presence. there's other songs too like drive-in saturday with cryptic lyricism that highlight the generation of tomorrow forgetting the concept of love and reverting to pornography in order to gain some semblance of it again, or the song time, where the music utilises the piano to give it an almost musical villainous vibe to it, showing how time can be your worst enemy in the fact that it slips out your hands just as much as it decides to stretch on forever. there's a lot of strange and peculiar production choices on here that definitely achieve the concept of this album with bowie spiraling after achieving new found stardom.
however i didn't agree with every musical choice on here. for example in the second track, aladdin sane, the unorganised piano notes did not do it for me. i get the artistic vision but it went on for wayyy too long, could've been condensed a little bit. then other songs like lets spend the night together felt so out of place, like it didn't belong?? i feel as if this album has more wins than losses, but my god are the losses really apparent lmaooo.
there's a lot more i could praise this album for but i'd just sound redundant after a while. all in all, i enjoyed listening to this album, would loveee to hear more from bowie
7.5/10
umm i’m not sure how to feel about this album, mainly because i’m not too familiar with the metal genre esp with its do’s and dont’s. however i liked how it sounded, the only thing that pissed me off is that there was ZERO BASS. despite the heavy instrumentals used, they all fell flat because of the absence of bass. so disappointing, would’ve rated it higher if there was some bass. also despite the good lyricism here, a lot of the songs felt drawn out. maybe i need to listen to more metal so i can properly appreciate this album, but for now it’s solid at best.
6/10
for what it is, it’s an ok compilation of sounds. definitely captures the NYC nightlife kinda vibe but not a lot of tracks really clicked with me, if anything it felt drawn out. i appreciate the variety on here though, love u james bond <33
9/10 (im getting annoyed that half stars aren’t a thing on here, get me back in musicboard)
definitely my one of my favourite listens since the start of this challenge, i enjoyed the majority of songs on here! there was a very abrasive style of shoegaze used on here, and it definitely aligns with the lyricism especially on tracks like “rock n roll star” - such an amazing opener by the way, it’s been stuck in my head for the past few hours - and “live forever”. i also love the whiny vocal performance on here, adds so much personality! it’s a near flawless debut, my only complaint is that two songs didn’t click with me, but that’s honestly due to personal preference. also i didn’t like how the vocals were drowned out at times by the instrumental, will never like that stylistic choice. however i will be exploring oasis after this haha
love love LOVED listening to this album. the gothic nature of this album is so apparent, it really sucks you in! it made me feel like i was drowning in the midnight sky, similar to the art on the album cover. i especially loved the utilisation of the moody bass guitar and the reverbed organ present throughout the whole runtime i also think the use of the sequencer was very well done, the synths here made a lot of the tracks very avant-garde and grandiose. the only thing i wasn't too keen on were the main vocals, but that's just a me issue. i also found 1959 and driven like the snow to be bog standard in comparison to the rest of the tracklist. not bad songs, just not as interesting.
i also liked the themes of destruction on here, ny fave instance of this was dominion/mother russia and flood I. i liked how the opener flowed flawlessly into the second track, representing the aftermath of chernobyl's effects on russia. the organ usage here really stuck out to me as it's typically used in a funeral setting, so it really tied nicely together with the lyricism, with references to ashes and flooding. there's a lot more cool production choices here, like on my fave song from here, lucretia my reflection. the very intense instrumental reflects that of the falling of an empire, as discussed in the lyrics. did you know this song was apparently the sisters of mercy throwing shade at the members who left before this album was released, hence the nonsensical lyricism?? it's so dramatic. i love it haha.
overall i really enjoyed it, goth rock might be a subgenre i explore this year <33
cba to write a review today, just know i liked it likes yessss get ur soul/funk bag bowie!!!
i love love LOVE this album omg. i wasn't too sure on d'angelo as i wasn't the biggest fan of voodoo. but mannnn i enjoyed every song on here! the funk aspect, the soul elements, the jazz inspiration. guys it all comes together to create a beautiful, sensual, HORNY album (heavy on the horny, goddamn). i feel like this is my sign to revisit voodoo tbh because i feel like i misjudged this man, he's a talent no doubt about it
it was ok, defo enjoyed a a decent amount of tracks on here! i also adored the bass utilage on here, elevated the whole sound. i wish it was more adventurous but it's a great debut nonetheless
tbh i didn't really enjoy this album a lot, it really annoyed me at times. the second track dragged on for ages and i feel like a lot of production choices didn't make sense. i only liked the third track, i loved the electronic take on traditional music, it was really good. i can appreciate the experiment-ability of this whole album, electronic and traditional wise, blending the two together... but i ultimately wasn't a fan :/
this was such a cool listen. i liked the electronicy feel present throughout the album, especially whenever vocals were utilised on tracks like around the world. only major problem is the run time, when you have songs that rely heavily on loops and have them go on for 7 minutes, you start to go a little insane. and it's not like this problem was present on one track, it was quite a few, accumulating in a 74 minute runtime, not the best feeling tbh.
8/10
I enjoyed the guitar riffs on this album a lot, they're very legendary even by today's standards. My only issues is that the sound quality is very dated, I wish a remastered version could be made but alas that isn't possible since Hendrix is no longer with us </3 also some of the songs feel unnecessarily drawn out
7/10
i'm not the biggest fan of live albums purely because I feel as if yes, the performances are more lively but they don't really match up with my feelings towards the original recordings. this album was no exception. i also feel as if the songs performed weren't that interesting to me, like ok it's 70s rock? big whoop, do something cool with it. it sounds nice but it's just not that exciting.
very cool, sound gets a bit redundant though. enjoyed the lyricism quite a bit too :)
umm the lyricism was good but i don’t really vibe with the bare bones sound of it all. kinda boring, it doesn’t do anything for me.
9/10
this was such a great debut from GZA! i've been a fan of wu-tang clan for a while but never bothered to explore their solo works. this was a very lyrically complex album, i loved how martial arts jargon was used to illustrate the life GZA grew up in, being surrounded by drugs, violence and crime - it really worked well in his favour. i also love the sampling from old martial arts movies, it gave the album a lot more atmosphere. i feel like this album dragged towards the end but the songs were still good nonetheless. amazing listen.
idk anything about jazz but i kinda dig it
10/10
such a beautiful listen, i can't think of anything quite like it. the duality of sadness and happiness on here really moves your soul, accompanied with the gentle string instruments and lovely lovely steel-like percussion. everything here gels so well together, it's kind of reminded me of a whale in the ocean haha.
this was so theatrical and fun to listen to! i definitely enjoyed the pop r&b vibe of the first half, i definitely felt some outkast influence on here. the second half was very experimental and in a good way! i don’t agree with all the production choices but i can’t ignore the creativity on here. it sounds very ahead for it’s time
let’s stop using the label “indie” as an excuse to sing really badly
umm it sounds like any other rock album, it’s just that they’re really horny
pretty much the definition of 90s rock in the best way possible. i love the dirty, grimy vibe that this album gives off, better enhanced by cobain’s gritty and abrasive vocals. i also love the explicit nature of the lyrics, even when discussing simple, innocent topics like love and friendship. great listen, no wonder it gets the hype it receives!
these vocals are like obnoxiously bad, turn it off
white ppl cosplay as black ppl and flop miserably
6.5/10
despite being a UK born citizen, i know nothing about england's music scene outside the super mainstream stuff. so george michael was a new name to me. turns out he was the lead singer of WHAM! and was also the biggest UK popstar during the 80s. but ngl, im kinda struggling to believe if that's even true
the first half of this album suffers in being in this pop r&b limbo, where everything sounds hollow and almost soulless. the opening track faith has over 300 million streams on spotify and my main question is why? this song feels so boring and weak, the instrumental could've used a lot more. im not asking for grandiose types of production but the guitar just by itself is very lacklustre - could've used some help. this problem carries on for the next two tracks; father figure had me feeling like i was being edged in the worst way possible. the hook was really catchy and i though michael would build off on top of that but apparently not. i want your sex is probably my most hated song on here. i do not think this track needed two parts whatsoever, the point was already made very clear after the second chorus. after that it was just massively overstaying its welcome. these three tracks also suffer from some questionable lyricism. it goes from average pop lyrics that will get you by to classic 80s misogyny which yeah ok it's a product of its time but it's still weird.
after that snoozefest however, i do think the album grows in quality. hard day was a decent enough song, it was definitely more attention grabbing with the electronic groove elements scattered here and there. hand to mouth was a fantastically written song, the introspective lyrics were so refreshing to see after a leg of mundane-ity on the previous songs. the same lyrical quality is kept up on look at your hands and monkey. both of the tracks also hold my fave production pieces. it was very upbeat and lively, something i was craving since the opening track.
kissing a fool was a typical pop ballad, but i have no complaints really. and tbh i dont even want to acknowledge the closing track, i didn't need a part three thank you very much. i think this album is very much a mixed bag with some nice lyrics and fun sounds and then the most sleep inducing tracks known to humankind. i don't really see myself revisiting most songs which honestly is fine by me!
this album was my first proper introduction to the psychedelia genre. i never really planned on getting into the genre since i find no reason to translate the feelings of being under the influence into musical terms, seemed a bit bummy to me. but i will admit that my illogical prejudice was hindering me from experiencing some of the most interesting music i've heard in awhile. screamadelica is very unique album in the way it uses unusual and just straight up weird sounds in order to create a vast array feelings that one would experience during euphoria.
movin on up was a complete 180 from what my expectations were. i was anticipating a standard indie rock album but instead i was greeted with a lively gospel-esque track. it had an infectious, feel good vibe to it, with vibrant piano chords and a spectacular guitar riff performance later on in the track. this atmosphere carried on into the next track. i got a talking heads vibe from this one and an almost arab influence from a certain instrument used in the beginning - idk the name of it but if you listen, you'll understand what i mean. the psychedelia on here is very strong, from the lyrics that just talk about a desire to get high from the stupid bongo drums that are played in the background. its a well done song that really does work.
the vibe shifts into a more dance type of thing. don't fight it, feel it is a strange one but a goodie. there's a lot of weird sounds on here, particularly the squeak effect that is continuously repeated. but it works somehow. the vocals son here are good but it's clear the instrumental the main focus here. it feels similar to a 90s club song, i'd defo get turnt up to this LMAO
moving on, higher than the sun is where the album calms down a bit. it still has the same themes of getting high but more mellowed out. inner flight plays after this and carries the same vibe. i liked the woodwind instrument at the beginning, as well as the keyboard (?) notes that keep repeating throughout. there's another woodwind instrument that reminded me of inhaling the smoke from a joint haha! it's a strange instrumental but i don't hate it at all.
the album picks back up again on come together; hooray the organ is back! i really wished i could've figured what the bubbly instrument was because it was my favourite thing on the whole track. everything reminded me of staring up at the sky on a hot, sunny day and tripping balls off of an acid tab - i think i mainly got this feeling from the kazoo like instruments that were playing in this song. i also think this song was REALLY ahead for it's time, some elements sounded like they were straight from a 2000s/10s UK club song that you hear on the radio.
reaching the end of the album, things got a lot more simpler. loaded has an easy going feel with its drums and simplistic piano keys. the brass usage definitely gave this song a certain edge, however! i also found the guitar reverb to be a really nice touch. damaged was another normal sounding track. it's very simplistic in nature and had really well written lyrics about losing a relationship so good it leaves you broken - "i got too possessive, but souls ain't for stealing". but i was a bit perplexed on why it was on the album. it didn't really fit the flow of this project and felt like it was interrupting the tracklist. not a bad song but it just didn't belong in my opinion. the flow was reintroduced in the next song thankfully. im comin down feels exactly like its title but in a more somber sense than a violent one, even though it discusses feelings of being hungover and tired, etc. it's a very gradual track.
umm i dont care about higher than the sun part 2, stinky song. i liked shine like stars though! i was really pleased with this record! i think it definitely evokes a lot of emotions and feels like you're getting high LMFAO. it's a beautifully unique album and very crafty with its methods. i didn't enjoy every song and there's definitely some throwaways on here but when it's good, it's really good!
there's nothing offensively bad about this album but on the flip side, there's nothing amazing about it either. i do enjoy the radiohead-like electronic influence on here but more times than none it just ended up not doing enough for me. i also think they overdid it both lyrically and instrumentally. more times than not, the lyrics come off as really pretentious - like an english lit a level student writing a song and thinking it's the pinnacle of poetry when it's just too dramatic in reality. and the goddamn violin, it was in every other song. i can appreciate the variety of moods and tempos on here, it did leave me curious as to what they'd do next. but no tracks outside of family tree resonated with me. i don't know if it was the bad singing - we seriously need to stop using the indie genre as an excuse for poor singing ability - or just me being too stuck up. either way it's a solid body of work but i think i could've lived without listening to it.
white man goes to india for like a month and all of a sudden thinks he’s discovered everything there is about music. too bad this stuff is pretty surface level
ngl i never heard of dusty springfield before this but i fw this stage name heavy. anyway this was a classic 60s soul album and what a lovely listen it was. i love dusty’s voice, she has a sultry and mature tone in her singing. it was honestly my favourite part of this album, i think she knows how to use her voice well. i also think her pen game was really good, my favourite writing was on “son of a preacher’s man”, very poetic in my opinion! great listen :)
guys pls i don’t care for steely dan, can they leave me alone ?!
very nice and interesting story but it wasn’t as interesting musically
noise rock gotta be my least fave subgenres of rock lmfao
he alright, got some bangers! but not revolutionary, also the audio quality is kinda weird
should be 1 star for that stupid album cover
we need to ban annoying people from making music because ngl this is just slop. like it’s so bad, i think it made my eczema flare up
i don’t really care for early new wave music ngl
SHE HAS BETTER ALBUMS BROOOO (already listened)
kinda get why cartman hates hippies sm now
5/10
6.5/10
strong start but a boring finish :((
maybe i’m not gay enough to understand
can’t go wrong with mr wonder
sounded a bit homogeneous but it’s good!! idk too much about blues music to comment more tho
another 3, mot as bad as other steely dan albums on this list but i still cant stand them
didn't finish, too long with songs that kinda sounded samesy. i liked the f]trad folk aspect of it tho, i enjoyed a few of the songs that were like that
5.5/10
already listened, amazing album
boring boring synth pop snoreeee
5/10
this is definitely a depressing album for sure. it really encapsulates the feeling of isolation and loneliness to a ttttt. one thing i noticed is the space between the singing segments of each song, they;re just long enough to add to the empty atmosphere of this album. i think the lyrics were concise yet effective, with an array of interlinking topics covered as well.
8/10
my first reggae album ever and it was a pretty good intro to the genre! i loved the politically charged lyricism on here, didn't leave any room to sugarcoat the effects of slavery on the black community. hopefully there's more to come on this list :))
idk much about jazz but this was pleasant! bonus points for being from south africa
7.5/10
as someone who spent their formative teen years listening to indie/alt rock, it’s hard for me to hate this. only complaint is that it sounded the sameee like let’s switch it uppp
8/10
wish i skipped this one
2/10
i was kinda over it after 45 mins but i hate the “dated” commentary bc obv if you look it through a 21st century lens then yes that’s true but this album really pushed the hip hop game forward. it definitely encouraged other artists to up their pen game especially
7.5/10
album feels like ur grandpa is telling you stories in his rocking chair next to the fireplace
8/10
CLASSIC DAD/HARD ROCK, HOW COULD I HATE????
9/10
nice background music for when you go on a walk in the woods when it’s sunny
genuinely no point to this, nothing outstanding
i only really liked i love you, i like the uniqueness of this but im not a big fan of the grime genre
5/10
in theory the warm coziness of traditional celtic folk shouldn’t work with the brash unapologetic nature of punk rock. but it does on this album and it fucking ROCKS!!! minus one point for a lack of variety throughout the album however, i guess there’s only so much you can do with irish folk music. but honestly i still loved it
9/10
