I’m late to the table, discovering Beach house only now; they hit the sweet spot for project listening. “When consumed, as intended, as a full album, their sound took on the entrancing and metronomic quality of an EKG machine. …Relentless innovation is a prerequisite for survival in a streaming era that so fiercely values novelty. But the poise and obstinate evenness of Beach House’s catalogue offer a rejoinder to our obsession with reinvention. -Carrie Battan for the New Yorker 2/7/22

I’m familiar with this artist and have had songs on playlists from his edgier, later album, Messiah . This earlier album was a good place to start the musical Kaizen journey. While the sound was somewhat dated, that 90s synth incongruous with the r&b soulfulness, there was a song or two that held up well. Overall the album is superior to most of the crap released in the last decade.

This one’s not for me as I was never a Smith’s fan. I like his voice and some of his lyrics are interesting but overall it’s a melancholic effort. In an effort to add at least one song per recommended album to my Kaizen Project playlist I tacked on ‘The Lazy Sunbathers’ which I could see being used on a Sofia Coppola soundtrack.

Amy, Amy, Amy There was only one. Miss you forever girl.

My least favorite SW album, unfortunately doesn't get better with age. Couldn't find a single song to add to the Kaizen playlist. Sad face.

Definitely NOT. Salvaged ‘Fiddle Riddle’ from the hot mess of an album but other than that it's a tosser.

I’m late to the table, discovering Beach house only now; they hit the sweet spot for project listening. “When consumed, as intended, as a full album, their sound took on the entrancing and metronomic quality of an EKG machine. …Relentless innovation is a prerequisite for survival in a streaming era that so fiercely values novelty. But the poise and obstinate evenness of Beach House’s catalogue offer a rejoinder to our obsession with reinvention. -Carrie Battan for the New Yorker 2/7/22

Ugh. Do I have to? Yeh, no. This is only good if Natalie Portman is lip-syncing it on late nite. Zero adds to Kaizen (or any) playlist.

Preachy church synth with too much talking, mostly unlistenable. Albums 5 & 11 are more musically interesting. Zero adds to Kaizen Project.

Nope. Frenetic hillbilly punk, no thank you. Never liked Gano’s voice and it's not improved with time. Zero adds to the playlist. Sorry Wisconsin, but you can keep them.

Never heard of it, love the cover. This album def sounds 90s and nothing on it clicks with me now BUT, something clicked and when I flipped to the band’s newest album there it was: the voice. Damon Albarn OBE (/ˈælbɑːrn/, AL-barn; born 23 March 1968) is an English musician. He is the frontman and main lyricist of the rock band Blur and the co-creator and primary musical contributor of the virtual band Gorillaz. Added ‘The Ballad’ to the Kaizen project.

Very ‘80s DJ-cruise-ship’ - dated and synthesized, doesn't hold up well

Soft spot for anything this guy does as a later album was the soundtrack for a 2001 drive through Italy… this one is fun too, added La Despedida (the farewell)

‘Nosebleed-post-punk-reverb-junkie’ If I had to describe it. I'll give them an A+ for consistency at least: 2023’s (latest release)album is as angsty and reverb-laden as this one from nearly 3 decades ago. Added ‘Killing of a Flashboy’ to the Kaizen Project

A little boogaloo goes a long way but I bet this blew the roof off of 1957. Added ‘Tribilin Cantore’

Badass. Added: Wounds

10th-grade-journal-rockabilly Added: We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful

Nope.

Eastcoast Radiohead on crack… Added: Dreams

Welsh rock band? Yes, pah-leaze. Tortured, bleak and disillusioned as almost everything was back then but it's got that special something. Too bad Richey pulled an Irish goodbye but good the band prevailed and continues to produce a unique sound. Added: Yes

Mad respect for his producer cred and collaboration work but not a fan of this solo effort, his voice is too...Urkel. Collab songs are best. Added: Life is Better w/Norah Jones

Sleepy bedroom bossanova Getz and Gilberto are great but Jobim’s songs all sound the same.

Uncohesive mashup; his voice is an acquired taste, collaborative songs are best.

Nope.

Saco Triste quagmire of slowed down,over-orchestrated ballads… Glad To Be Unhappy, yeh, that about sums it up.

A good one 👍

needs to be remastered, sound is not good

A raucous ride, fun in small doses,sounds like stage music for the 90s show In Living Color. A better album came 3 years later: LabCabinCalifornia

There is a tedium glaze that descends when listening to Bossanova, a little goes a long way; with that in mind the best (and most sampled in years to follow) song is the first song. Added: Samba Da Bencao

Yeh, thats a’right.

Wanna be U2

Like an edgier, less commercial Talking Heads; this album = heavy synth ode to the 90s Added: I Used To