- these guys can't sing very well
- the drummer is great
- any of these songs would be really good backing track for a 70s flashback in a movie
- I recognize Substitute! First one I've heard before on this album.
- Points for interesting arrangements. Not just verse/chorus/verse/chorus. Lots of weird, fun stuff happening.
- The song I'm a Boy leaves something to the imagination, lyrically
- I think all of these songs are in the same key. As a matter of fact, these songs all sound kinda the same.
I had some notes that got wiped at some point and it's a Saturday so I'm not in the mood to try and recreate them.
I liked it. Felt like there was a ton of variety in this album, compared to the Who album we listened to on Thursday. Instrumentation, dynamics, harmonies, and more.
I'm not exactly sure what sort of "Truth" this album is getting at, or how a cover of "Old Man River" is supposed to get us there, but this album isn't about intellectualizing. It's about Jeff (and to a lesser extent Rod Steward) take you to blues town -- where it doesn't matter that there are only 3 chords, it matters how they FEEL when Jeff alternatively slaps you in the face or caresses you with them.
I'm into it. I would listen to this again when I'm in the right mood. Also seems like it'd make for a great live show.
(Somehow) less organized thoughts:
- I like this a good bit more than The Who's album from last week. Probably because of the blues element. But there's also a bit to it that feels more unpredictable and unusual. And, when it rocks, it rocks harder.
- Even though it's pretty straight-up blues rock, they're playing with some chromatic ideas and dissonance that keep it interesting (for me anyway).
- Doing really slow blues rock can feel like a durge sometimes, but I liked the two tracks where they did it. There was enough energy keep it from getting boring.
- Reading his Spotify bio, he released an album with Johnny Depp? I don't know what to do with that information exactly, but... there it is.
This is the most inconsistent of the albums I've rated so far. At it's worst (I'm in Touch with Your World, Don't Cha Stop, even Moving in Stereo), it feels like contrived karaoke fare. The songs don't seem to be going anywhere and the new age elements, particularly the synths (and, even more specifically, the metronome on I'm in Touch with Your World), seem out of place and distracting. It's almost cringe-inducing.
But when this album hits -- and it hits plenty -- it absolutely slaps. For me, the songs that work best are the mid-to-high energy ones where it seems like the band is careening towards a chorus, driven by strong lead guitar motifs and vocal harmonies, and culminating in classic guitar solos. It's a pretty standard "classic rock" sound in my mind, with a touch of rockabilly and maybe some grunge/punk in there too. And it works really well.
The bass is so fretless, it’s distracting.
I like how he moves between talking and singing.
Overall, feels like a combo of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen with a dash of Bela Fleck. Not crazy about it, but it’s not bad.
I loved it. Favorite album so far.
Some strong Beatles and Beach Boys vibes. Definitely of that same era.
Extremely musical. Instrumentation, arrangement, composition. All so good. It's a band where every part is playing a melody at one point or another.
Tons of contrast in songs.
This is a classic and I like Amy Winehouse. So easy to listen to and her voice is amazing. That said, in the pantheon of great R&B/neosoul albums, it doesn't feel like this is breaking any new ground.
Not my cup of tea.
