Jun 05 2024
View Album
She's So Unusual
Cyndi Lauper
4
Jun 06 2024
View Album
With The Beatles
Beatles
3
Jul 22 2024
View Album
Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
4
Jul 23 2024
View Album
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
3
Jul 24 2024
View Album
Stankonia
OutKast
This is a banging album. Listened to it three times yesterday. Favourite tracks were "So Fresh, So Clean" and "Ms. Jackson"; also really liked the "Cruisin' in the ATL" interlude. A little bit overstuffed for me at 70+ mins (like I could've done without some of the, er, beginning noises) but overall this is my first 5!
5
Jul 25 2024
View Album
The Village Green Preservation Society
The Kinks
This is the first album I've listened to before getting the prompt for it!
It's hilarious how two days ago we got \"Arthur\", and I thought that \"Village Green\" was the better of the two Kinks albums I've listened to. Anyway, having listened to \"Village Green\" multiple times in the past couple of days - to compare it to \"Arthur\" and now for this prompt - I still stand by that.
This is an excellent album - all the tracks are strong from start to finish. It also reminded me a lot of Vampire Weekend's work (especially the first half of their discography, which I absolutely love) - it's clear that they were influenced by this album.
5
Jul 26 2024
View Album
Django Django
Django Django
I've never heard of this band, which is odd, as 2012 was pretty much the peak of my British indie band obsession. (Arctic Monkeys was my personality for a while during that time.) This album is vibrant and energetic, although I'm not the biggest fan of the chant-like vocals. Still great for a debut.
Favourite tracks: Wor, Life's a Beach, Skies Over Cairo
4
Jul 29 2024
View Album
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
10/10, no notes
5
Jul 30 2024
View Album
Blunderbuss
Jack White
This anecdote is going to make me feel ancient, but here goes: in August 2014 (when life was still relatively good and the world didn't feel like it was on the verge of imploding all the time), I saw Jack White live at a local music festival that no longer exists. It was my first (and will likely be my only) music festival experience as I quickly realized that I was too old for that at the ripe old age of 22. I mainly bought my ticket to see Arctic Monkeys, but Jack White was the last act of the festival and I thought, "Well, I'll never actually pay to see him so why not stay for him." I mean, like, "Seven Nation Army" is rightfully iconic, and was incredible live.
This album is... fine. I like a few Jack White/White Stripes/other Jack White bands songs, but none of them are on this album. "Weep Themselves to Sleep" was the standout track for me though.
3
Jul 31 2024
View Album
GI
Germs
This was difficult for me to get through because of the inarticulate, incomprehensible vocals. I was constantly checking how many songs were left in the album before I could listen to something else. I don't even mind punk rock, but I found the vocals so extremely grating that it's a no from me.
1
Aug 01 2024
View Album
Larks' Tongues In Aspic
King Crimson
Well, the opening track certainly had instruments, and they were certainly making noises. It was a bit too discordant and all over the place for me. The rest of the album felt like fairly standard classic rock, of which I personally am not the biggest fan.
Things I liked:
- the excellent album cover
- the violin parts throughout the album
- the guitar noodling on "Easy Money"
- "The Talking Drum" was okay for the most part until the end
Things I disliked:
- pretty much everything else
- special shoutout to "Larks' Tongues in Aspic (Part I)" which was absolutely horrendous
2 (.5 for the album cover)
2
Aug 02 2024
View Album
Illinois
Sufjan Stevens
I tried to listen to Sufjan Stevens when I was 17 but got bored and never tried again, so this was my first time really listening to him. I don't think I was missing out on much.
This album is fine enough, as it's fairly standard indie rock, which I generally love. However, I think the album is a bit bloated, bland, and repetitive, and some of the songs felt like they went on for too long. Overall, I don't feel the need to revisit this album in the future and it hasn't convinced me to listen to more Sufjan Stevens.
3
Aug 05 2024
View Album
Fulfillingness' First Finale
Stevie Wonder
I'll have to listen to this more for sure, but I loved this. It was joyful and exuberant and it made me smile, which was nice after an otherwise mediocre week of albums for me. Looking forward to revisiting this one and listening to more Stevie Wonder!
5
Aug 06 2024
View Album
Talking Book
Stevie Wonder
Strong start to the week. "Superstition" is an incredible track and almost warrants a 5 for this album by itself.
5
Aug 07 2024
View Album
Maverick A Strike
Finley Quaye
This is... not good. The "reggae" itself is fine and inoffensive but the fake Jamaican accent from a Scotsman is not.
I had never heard of Finley Quaye before this and perhaps that was for the best.
2
Aug 08 2024
View Album
Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
I usually prefer studio recordings to live performances, but this was energetic and just so much fun - there is such a rawness present in his voice and the crowd is having a blast. Will be revisiting this in the future for sure - I loved loved loved this.
Favourite track: Twistin' the Night Away
5
Aug 09 2024
View Album
Roxy Music
Roxy Music
I didn't know what to expect going into this as I hadn't heard of the band before, especially based on the album cover. But I really liked this, particularly the first half. It sounds much more modern than it should for an album released in 1972! I think it falters toward the end - the second half isn't as strong as the first - but I still liked this overall.
4
Aug 12 2024
View Album
Court And Spark
Joni Mitchell
I think I like the idea of Joni Mitchell more than I like Joni Mitchell's actual music.
3
Aug 13 2024
View Album
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Beatles
Maybe it's because I'm an uncultured millennial but I just do not personally get this album. Like, I understand that it's culturally significant and is one of the most impactful and important albums of all time, but I lack the context for it; I didn't grow up listening to The Beatles. It didn't click with me.
3
Aug 14 2024
View Album
Copper Blue
Sugar
This was fine - it sounded like stereotypical 90s alt-rock, and I was imagining it playing over a montage in a movie set in the 90s. The lyrics were quite repetitive at times ("She said she said she said she said she said she said" - is this where Matty Healy got his inspiration from?) but the album mainly sounded like the output of all 90s alt-rock albums thrown into a blender. It wasn't distinguishable enough for me, personally.
3
Aug 15 2024
View Album
If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
It was fine, but I didn't think there was anything special about it. I liked "Monday, Monday" but the rest was a blur.
3
Aug 16 2024
View Album
Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan
I'm surprised by how much I liked this. Although perhaps I shouldn't be too surprised, considering how much I *love* John Mayer and his moody, guitar-heavy music.
4.5/5 rounded up (-0.5 because the Garth Brooks' and Adele's versions of "Make You Feel My Love" are much better)
5
Aug 19 2024
View Album
MTV Unplugged In New York
Nirvana
Yawn. I'd put this on if I was having trouble falling asleep.
2
Aug 20 2024
View Album
Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
I just love jazz so much.
5
Aug 21 2024
View Album
evermore
Taylor Swift
Ah, Evermore, Folklore's younger sister. Evermore wouldn't have existed without Folklore, and so I think any discussion about Evermore should always involve Folklore. After all, Evermore only happened because Taylor and her music friends were celebrating finishing Folklore and... they just kept writing songs.
I was so excited to get this - it's an album I have listened to its entirety multiple times, which is the first time I can say that about a generated album!
I think this is Taylor's last great original album - Midnights was a hot mess with a few good ideas, and we won't even talk about the abomination that is TTPD. I do think that Folklore as a whole is better than Evermore (and that Folklore is her best album, period), as Evermore has felt to me like a collection of afterthoughts that were left off of Folklore.
I think Taylor is at her best when she's not writing about herself, even though that's what she's known for and why she became so popular in the first place. The Folkmore albums are so special because she's weaving stories about (mainly) fictional others. I remember when this album was released and how much of a complete surprise it was - just seven months after Folklore, right before Christmas in 2020. I think it's a perfect wintry album and representative of that specific time - the isolation, the collective pause, the quietness that fell over that muted season. To me, this album evokes walking through a forest crunching through freshly fallen snow.
Ultimately, though, I don't think Evermore belongs on this list - I would've argued for Folklore's inclusion instead - but it's a damn good album regardless. It's a good length, and it's not bloated (which certainly cannot be said about many of her other albums). I'll be listening to this again during my drives in winter, sipping on hot tea, surrounded by glistening snowflakes.
Favourite tracks: "No Body, No Crime" (which is basically the 2020 version of "Goodbye Earl"), "Dorothea", and "Long Story Short"
5
Aug 22 2024
View Album
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
This is an album one would listen to on vinyl alone late at night, surrounded by flickering candles and a crackling fireplace in the dead of winter.
It's what it says on the tin: this album is dark, sombre, bleak. He's a man who knows he's at the end of his life, and this is last gift of art to the world. Not many people get to say goodbye in the way Leonard Cohen did, and come to terms with God and his mortality. It's a beautiful, haunting album, but it's a specific mood that I'm not keen to revisit any time soon.
4
Aug 23 2024
View Album
Dare!
The Human League
This was jazzercise and retro bowling alley music - stereotypical 80s synthpop, although it was one of the pioneers of the genre. I'd argue that this *is* essential listening, especially to appreciate how synthpop has evolved, but it sounds so dated compared to modern synthpop.
I didn't realize that "Don't You Want Me" is on this album and I nearly fell over in shock when it came on. It's a classic banger that has stood the test of time for a reason, and, of course, by far the best track on the album.
3
Aug 26 2024
View Album
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
Yeah boiiiiiiiiii
I had no knowledge of rap in the 80s (or 90s, for that matter) going into this, but this went HARD. It's powerful, militant, aggressive, bombastic. Flavor Flav (he gets a star by himself for being such a huge supporter of the US Olympics and Paralympics teams) is a great hype man and Chuck D is just angrily spitting poetry throughout the whole thing.
This blew me away - it's unapologetically and assertively Black, and I think their political commentary is still relevant (unfortunately) 30+ years later. This album is funky, explosive, energetic, and feels fresh even now.
4
Aug 27 2024
View Album
C'est Chic
CHIC
I loved this. It was funky, groovy, and so joyful!
Favourite track: I Want Your Love
5
Aug 28 2024
View Album
There's A Riot Goin' On
Sly & The Family Stone
I liked this, but it was hard to discern the lyrics because of the overdubbing. I'd listen to this again but I didn't like it as much as yesterday's album, C'est Chic, which was a similar genre.
4
Aug 29 2024
View Album
1977
Ash
The instrumentals were fine - great, even! - but the lead vocalist cannot sing on-key, which didn't make this fun to listen to.
2
Sep 03 2024
View Album
Music From Big Pink
The Band
This was a little too dad rock-y, a little too folksy for me.
3
Sep 04 2024
View Album
New Boots And Panties
Ian Dury
When I was growing up, I had a British violin teacher. He was much older - likely in his 40s when I started taking lessons from him when I was 8 or so - living alone in a fairly isolated northern town, divorced, not much going on in his life except for teaching violin to a bunch of little girls. I took violin lessons from him for nine years, so he was a constant presence in my life during some very formative years. I never thought much of it at the time, but from when I was about 16 or so, he started regularly giving hugs to me, which had never happened before that. I had already left for university when my sister, who was, erm, a bit more well-endowed than me, mentioned that he was giving long hugs to her and touching her and making her uncomfortable.
I mention this because that's what this album reminded me of - a creepy, lecherous, old British man singing (? Calling it "singing" seems insulting to actual singers) about how horny he is. Ew. It was awful. No thanks.
1
Sep 05 2024
View Album
Too Rye Ay
Dexys Midnight Runners
This was OK. I really didn't like the lead singer's voice, which I found a bit showboat-y and performative. It's a fun and energetic album otherwise, but his voice was such a huge turn off for me.
2
Sep 06 2024
View Album
Goo
Sonic Youth
This started off okay, but then it devolved into a lot of harsh guitars, yelling, and noise, of which I'm not a big fan. The album cover is extremely cool though.
2