I was hoping for a new R'n'B gem that I didn't know of yet, especially given my affinity for early 2000s R'n'B. Unfortunately though, it sounds very early 00s in a wrong way. The production with overpowering bass drums, weird chopping, and overproduced strings reminded me more of the likes of Blu Cantrell, Jazmine Sullivan, or Eve.
I liked Dynamite's flow, falsetto, and her lyrics were at times really cut-throat and direct, getting straight to the issue and painting a clear emotion. I wished there were more of these abrasive and political lyrics on this record. The second half was repetitive and felt just like small variations of anything previously done in the first few tracks.
Standout Tracks: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, It Takes
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Noisy, short, punchy, gritty, obscure. Lots of dynamics changing, great guitar riffs. Where Is My Mind is a classic - but I really can't get behind the rest. I know of the influence on alt rock and grunge, I just despise the cacophony of voices at times. It just doesn't hit the right spots for me. Maybe, I need to be in a particular mood, where I would dig the unhinged punkrock aesthetic more.
Standout Tracks:
River Euphrates, Where Is My Mind
Ah yes, the beginnings of the greatest collaboration - Beatles and drugs. Given that they only had 4 track tapes, the production is astoundingly multi-faceted and stellar. Lennon's and McCartney's penmanship gets more abstract and intricate, the use of instruments that are not common in the anglosphere, esp. the sitar, is a welcome change of pace. I could do without a few pop elements, for example in the chorus of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". (Listened to 2017 remastering)
Standout Tracks: She's Leaving Home, Within You and Without You, A Day in the Life, Good Morning Good Morning
Unexpected but the first album in this project where not a single song caught my attention. No hooks, no memorable moments. The lyrics are alright but it just blends into one broody schmaltz. The instrumentation has no variation. I'm sorry, Boss.
Nice debut album by Justice. I was familiar with a few tracks by them, but never got around to listening the entire album. I prefer the instrumental tracks over the ones with singing. The jagged, chopped, and very prominent bass were prominent throughout the record. I wished, there were a bit more variety tho.
Standout Tracks: Genesis, Let There Be Light, Phantom, Stress
Chill, down-tempo record with interesting, electronic soundscapes.
Standout Tracks: She's So, In Space, So Easy, Eple
