21 probably has more mainstream hits on it than any other Adele album. It's perfectly pleasant throughout, well-sung and well-written, but is more comfortable than dynamic. It's at its most exciting early on, opening with "Rolling in the Deep" and "Rumour Has It". It sounds good throughout, but it isn't the type of album I see myself revisiting in full very often.
This is the first full album I've ever listened to by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Prior to this, I wouldn't have been able to name of their songs, though now after listening I absolutely recognize "Heads Will Roll" (favorite track on here by a wide margin). It's an interesting listen - starts off in this dance-punk-disco space but transitions into something more somber and reserved. Kinda wish we got more of the former than the latter but it's a cool listen regardless.
Country/western isn't a genre I dive into all too frequently, but I do find the album to have a smoothness to it. There's some really inventive storytelling and there's a dignity to its simplicity. But, every song is basically a ballad, and Marty isn't particularly dynamic as a singer, so for my tastes all the songs kinda blend together. It's great background music and I mean that as a compliment. "Big Iron" is about as good of an opener as you can get.
You get it all on Bold as Love - sweet riffs, catchy melodies, fun songwriting, and a charismatic Hendrix right at the center of it all. What I've always loved about Hendrix, and what is on display on this album, is how he sits at the intersections of so many genres. You'd largely call this psychedelic rock, but the blues, R&B, jazz, and pop influences are apparent. Songs like Bold as Love, Little Wing, and Wait Until Tomorrow are standouts for me.
I listen to no heavy metal but I found this album much friendlier than what I normally think of when I think heavy metal. Has that 80s rock sound to it. It's a tight album, and Rob Halford has the kind of voice any band, not just a heavy metal one, would kill for. But, there's something about it that feels repetitive to my ears - might just be my lack of exposure to the genre.
This album isn't doing much for me. I can appreciate the energy on this album. It's raw and frenetic, and Iggy bounces from song to song with different vocal inflections and deliveries on each one. It's an album that sounds like the artists were having a blast putting it together. There's a clear aesthetic to this thing that I wish resonated with me a bit more. The intro "Search and Destroy" is probably my favorite track.
This album is not for me. The sounds of the album are dissonant in an intentional way and I can recognize that. Punk has that way of making you a little uncomfortable and forcing you to sit with it. But, you don't get much relief from the vocals. No matter who takes the lead singing duties, the results are never particularly pleasant on the ears. Though it doesn't fully resonate with me, I can appreciate the energy that comes through and there are some catchy earworms underneath the chaos. "Little Babies" is my favorite ditty of the bunch.
This is a really fun listen. It's got some real energy to it, and frontman Chris Cornell is a truly impressive singer who shows off his range across the entirety of the album. You get the sonics and topics you'd expect of a 90s grunge album, but there's plenty of diversity within it. I like the first half more than the second, and it runs on the longer side for me, but I'm glad I listened.
Just a solid folk album all around. With any Neil Young you gotta accept his voice for what it is - at its best sincere, authentic, and gentle; at its worst nasally and heady. The songwriting is beautiful, at times haunting, and I love all of the instruments he brings into this thing. Some sick harmonica, and at times this thing straight up rocks ("Southern Man", "When You Dance I Can Really Love"). Album got better on each listen and I could see it really growing more on me with time.
This album is like organized chaos. My instinct with jazz is to throw it on as background music, but there's an urgency and franticness to this album that forces you to pay attention. Coltrane at times is wailing via saxophone. He has the lung capacity and vigor of an elite athlete. There's some real spirituality to this thing too. "Psalm" is an actual psalm. A Love Supreme is complicated and layered - I don't think you can get everything out of it that Coltrane intended in just a single listen or even multiple listens over the course of a day. I've enjoyed digging into it.
I can say I've never really heard a band that sounds like this (and from the looks of global reviews, it won't be the last time I'm listening to Nick Cave). You get a little blues, some rock, some folk. At the center of it you get Nick Cave, whose bold voice and distinct narration can come across as a bit over the top, melodramatic. But, its unique and at times kinda fun. I just don't see myself returning to it.
Breezy southern rock. Overall it's just a very agreeable album. You could listen to it at a cookout, or while lounging around, or at a coffee shop, and it wouldn't be out of place at all. "Free Bird" never gets old to me; it's the perfect closing track. It's a solid album all around.
This is an easy and pleasant listen. It's smooth throughout, ethereal at its best and agreeable at its worst. The songs i'd say are uniquely and well written, and Guy Garvey is a good singer. The album is just too... gentle? I wish it had more bite. I keep listening and so far it just isn't sticking with me.
This is a great album and what I admire most about it is the aesthetic. Tip clearly had a sound in mind when he crafted it and it's executed well. You get the jazziness that you would expect of Tribe's frontman, but there's also plenty of soul that makes for a smooth and effortless listen. You can lounge to this, dance at times, relax. The guest appearances all work toward this end. It's easy listening but Q-Tip is focused. There's a broad and thorough exploration of love, from heartbreak to romance and everything in the middle. But Tip weaves in his thoughts on the military, gender, the current state of hip hop, and what it means to stay authentic in an industry (and world) that doesn't necessarily embrace the quality. Plus, that braggadocio we expect of the best emcees shines through on the opener "Johnny is Dead": what good is a ear if a Q-Tip isn't in it?
