Another rock and metal heavy hitter for day 4! This album kicks ass straight from the get go and is handily Metallica’s best and most consistent release rivalled only by the higher highs but lower lows of Ride The Lightning. This album is the definition of all killer no filler, no second is wasted on this album and it remains one of the most influential and important metal releases of all time. Battery is the best opener to a Metallica album full stop and maybe the best thrash metal opener of all time. Not a lot to be said about the individual tracks that hasn’t be said a thousand times, Master of Puppets being the stand out closely followed by Battery and then the rest. The thing that stands out to me about this record is the level of consistency achieved throughout even on the instrumental track Orion. Another thing that should be noted is the production and mixing on this album, which is maybe uncharacteristically great with everything slotting into place perfectly creating a menacing, unforgiving and sometimes evil sound that Metallica rarely found again after this release.

Not very familiar with jazz as a whole genre so excited that the first album is a jazz record. Smooth, easy listening upbeat jazz, elevator music in the nicest way. Bass work is very nice and has some stand out moments. Bossa nova drums are crisp and and drive the songs forward whilst keeping a danceable enjoyable steadiness. Saxophone is expressive and fun. Doesn’t always flow one track into the next perfectly but feels cohesive, held together by a clear stylistic aim. Feels a bit one note but is aided by a relatively short run time. Very enjoyable but probably not something I would return to often unless seeking out samba/bossa nova jazz. Will likely return to once my jazz palette is a tad more informed. 3/5

Feels very fitting for NYE. Luxurious, crisp clean almost sensual production. Instrumentals are perfect, playing is very tight but doesn’t feel robotic. MJ puts in a stellar vocal performance. Album starts with an incredible 6 track run and loses a bit of momentum around she’s out of my life, which I’ve never really enjoyed as a single. Fits a bit better in the flow of the album but still not a fan of the song. Album is incredibly smooth and outside of the aforementioned song every track is great.

This album oozes style and a level of consistency rarely found in a 60s rock album. With a more coherent hazy atmosphere than other LZ albums and a tight 9 track listing that neither overstays its welcome or waste any time kicking off with the stand out track Whole Lotta Love. There’s not a lot of original comments to make about the song it’s one of the biggest and most celebrated rock songs of all time but I think it doesn’t always get the credit for being as adventurous as it is when it comes to song structure. With its sweeping atmospheric sections sandwiched by one of the all time greatest and most recognise-able riffs and vocal performances of all time. Other stand out tracks include Heartbreaker, Ramble on, and Moby dick. The weakest point of the album for me is The Lemon Song, instrumentally I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the song, the guitars and drums are as tightly played and well mixed as ever but the lyrics on this song are sub par and cringeworthy. For whatever reason the lyrics and the vocal performance don’t seem to have the usual roguish charm that would usually smooth over these types of lines from the band, they come off as tactless and bordering on groan inducing. Other of a couple of lyrical weak points the album doesn’t have many flaws, the biggest strength being the incredible instrumental writing and playing efforts of the band with soaring guitar solos, beautiful organ breaks and genius drum work by Bonham. The album flows together extremely well and feels like a complete experience that even by todays standards is genre defining and deserves the classic status it has accrued.

Another rock and metal heavy hitter for day 4! This album kicks ass straight from the get go and is handily Metallica’s best and most consistent release rivalled only by the higher highs but lower lows of Ride The Lightning. This album is the definition of all killer no filler, no second is wasted on this album and it remains one of the most influential and important metal releases of all time. Battery is the best opener to a Metallica album full stop and maybe the best thrash metal opener of all time. Not a lot to be said about the individual tracks that hasn’t be said a thousand times, Master of Puppets being the stand out closely followed by Battery and then the rest. The thing that stands out to me about this record is the level of consistency achieved throughout even on the instrumental track Orion. Another thing that should be noted is the production and mixing on this album, which is maybe uncharacteristically great with everything slotting into place perfectly creating a menacing, unforgiving and sometimes evil sound that Metallica rarely found again after this release.

A little bit blindsided by this album, when it was generated for me I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I have. After the initial confusion around the song Just a Gigolo I found myself smiling throughout the whole album, even going back later to listen to the expanded edition on Spotify, although this rating will only cover the original release track list. The energy captured in this recording is infectious and unwaveringly celebratory. The album conjures a strong mental image of a big vegas casino lounge, room filled with smoke where the drinks are always full and the party doesn’t seem to wind down. The interplay between Prima and his bandmates and guests is extremely endearing and amusing. The playing is technically impressive but very free and natural feeling without even a hint of feeling ad-lib or overly improvisational. The vocals by Prima and guests are very enjoyable and instantly recognisable as many others have pointed out. The lyrics are be full of nonsense and sometimes even hard to make out what is being said. That being said I don’t think I really cared about any of the lyrical minutia during any of the songs outside the first 30 seconds of confusion in the first medley track. All the positives aside there’s not really any major negatives about this album, maybe that it’s a tad one-note and shallow. Not that all albums need to be varied or deep it’s very competent and enjoyable exactly as it is and it doesn’t need to be anything else. Unlikely to be an album I’m spinning whilst working or in the gym I can picture it being an album that I relish returning to when the mood strikes. After a first listen not an incredibly personally defining album but extremely fun.

Disappointed with this album, not a lot to say about it for a supposed classic. The album was a snooze fest, songs seemed to blur together and the lyrics are painfully average for a rock album released in the 80s. Outside of the legendary sharp dressed man which is easily the highlight of the album and the really expressive bass work on Thug the album failed to leave any real impression on me. One of the least energetic rock albums I’ve listened to. The mix and production was pleasantly well done though. 2/5

Haven’t listened to a lot of Elvis outside of the hits and whatever my Nan has played while visiting. Listening to this I wasn’t sure whether to be impressed or disappointed. I’d heard that he was unoriginal but talented and that he was an incredibly charismatic performer. And after listening to this I’m certain that Elvis was both talented and charismatic, but neither to the degree I had been lead to believe. The opening track kicks off with a nice amount of energy but the lyrics and short runtime of the song don’t really give the song the depth or the time to develop into a full piece. The fade to silence at the end makes the song feel unfinished and that’s the feeling I get from this track overall, fun and upbeat but shallow and unfinished. Fever might be my highlight from the album surprisingly. A relatively low energy but steady and smooth instrumental allows Elvis to croon over top with sultry lyrics that I’m sure made hundreds of fans swoon at the time. I think the simple lyrical concept works for this and it handily achieves what it was aiming for, albeit with a more sexual undertone than you would usually hear on an Elvis song ( from what I’ve heard). Although I think the song feels perpetually building to something and could have benefitted from a climax such as instrumental break or solo. Nothing really stood out from the next track, The girl of my best friend. Very much felt like Elvis by the numbers, again too short to really develop into anything and once again relying on a face out ending. I will be home again feels like Elvis putting his spin on a nostalgic ballad for home al la John Denver. The tempo is notably slower and the acoustic guitar errs with the sounds of country and is easily the best part of the song. I would be interested to hear this without the backing vocals and Elvis taking a less overstated performative vocal swing at this. But alas it feels soulless and shallow. But at least the song feels finished and has a definitive ending?! Dirty Dirty Feeling is fun and very high energy, the rhythmic sections of the track are very fun and the interplay between the drums and guitar are very well done. The instrumentals and melody of the vocals held my attention to the point where I wasn’t really paying attention to the lyrics which I guess is a positive? But frustratingly the song ends abruptly at a point where I feel like a new idea could have been introduced. Although this is probably my favourite of the shorter upbeat songs. Thrill of Your Love is one of the slow love songs about a nondescript girl that every pop star makes with no distinguishable edge or interesting writing or performance, think some of the Beatles worse singles or even a Justin Bieber song. (although 9/10 times I would rather listen to this). It feels like it was made to sell records and it doesn’t have anything unique or particularly well done to show for it. Soldier boy This feels like a song that was actually written with a tangible theme in mind. The song surrounds a soldier whose girlfriend awaits him back at home, but the soldier is afraid that she won’t wait for him. What I can only imagine was a very common fear for soldiers around the world, this song feels genuinely nice and knowing that Elvis was part of the military at some point this feels like it could be hinting at some genuine emotions he had experienced or at least those around him. Although the lyrics are nice it could do with another verse. But a much better song than some of the others. Such a night is well made and performed and feels like a full complete song without any cut corners. It’s charismatically sang by Elvis and his back up singers. Not a lot more to say, this is far closer to what I had been expecting from an Elvis track and although predictable, thoroughly enjoyable. I’m running out of things to say about these songs now, It feels so right is fine, nothing particularly impressive or terrible about it. Album is starting to drag a bit by this point which is impressive for a 31 minute release. Last couple songs flew I can’t help feeling that by this time in his career Elvis was such a hit that some level of label interference lead to an incoherent and almost unfinished in some places album. As usual I’ve not read up on the history of this album so I’m willing to be completely wrong about this. This album could have been a strong release if the fat was trimmed and a couple of the songs were a bit more baked. On a positive note I didn’t mention during the rest of the notes is that the recording quality is excellent and far better than I had expected. 2.5/5

Listened to whilst driving so no track by track. I expected this album to click straight away and to enjoy it from the get go but for me the first 3 tracks just didn’t really connect. I can’t really put my finger on why at the moment but will definitely be revisiting this to try and get a better understanding of them. That being said after the first 3 tracks, the album starts to find its feet and each song continues to improve on its predecessor. For me the peak of the album and as far as I can tell the climax and centre point is Sex Machine. What an incredibly funk filled sprawling epic! A hypnotic instrumental masterpiece that borders on prog rock in the best way possible. The album ends on a great note with You can make it if you try being short (by comparison) and sweet. Overall enjoyed this album will definitely be coming back for future listens, unsure if the first handful of songs will click. 3.5/5

A charming oddball folk pop adjacent album by an artist to this point unfamiliar to me. (Haven’t written out song by song completely, still in bullet point form, might come back at a later point and add it in on next listen.) Favourite tracks are: Where Dreams Go To Die, Sigourney Weaver, It’s Easier, Outer Space, Caramel, Fireflies. Least favourite tracks are: Queen of Denmark, That’s the Good News, Supernatural Defibrillator Starts a little slow with some lyrics that don’t quite work for me on the first couple of tracks but really picks up on Where Dreams Go To Die. The track has this eerie movie sound track x Radiohead instrumental sound which is really working wonders for the atmosphere. Lyrics are simple but effective and the vocal style and harmonies work very well. Endearing and pretty but bittersweet. The progression of this track is its main strength. Sigourney Weaver is very fun and sometimes funny with its pop culture pulls. Manages to pull off these pop culture references without feeling corny or dated. JC hates faggots is the lyrical and emotional stand out track of the album and feels incredibly personal. A scathing criticism of organised religion and the damage it can inflict on young people and its use of us vs them tactics. The lyrics and vocal performance are blunt and bleak and passionate, and you can tell how much JG means what he is saying. Instrumental feels a bit underwhelming to back up the lyrical and vocal performance. To me personally would have preferred a grander or a further stripped back and raw instrumental and production. So close to being a great track. Again the writing is the best on the album, and is extremely good. That being said That’s the good news feels like something that would come from a late 2000s/ early 2010s YouTube sketch or parody song. Instrumental isn’t good and the lyrics and vocal performance with the German accent is grating and funny, but not in a good way. Album ends on a mysterious and atmospheric note that leaves a bit to be desired. 3.5/5 - high highs and low lows. Will definitely be returning to this album with a handful of skips, some songs will definitely remain in my rotational, very excited to hear more of John Grant’s work.

A double album from an artist I’ve had a lot of recommendations to listen to. I was hopeful that this album would click straight away for me and I could buy into the Nick Cave hype train. However I think the first disc starts relatively weakly. I mean the song structure is good, the production sounds great and the individual elements are well performed. The vocal style is cool and I’m never not turned off by them and as far as I can tell so far the lyrics are fine. However nothing in the first two tracks is grabbing me so far and I can’t put my finger on why yet. The vocals and the bass and drum lines is reminding me of Michael Gira and Swans on some of their more recent records. Which on Hiding All Away is great, a much better track after the first two, it doesn’t overly rely on the choral unison vocals but the short sweet punches of it in the verses really add emphasis where you want it to be. The track really feels like it earns its runtime and the chaotic crescendo at the end of the song is excellent. Things continue strongly on the next track Messiah Ward, which starts a bit slower than the other songs so far but creates a great atmosphere with the piano melodies and the more haunting vocals from Cave. Again doesn’t overstay it’s welcome and stays interesting for its nearly 6 minute run. There She Goes, My Beautiful World has a bit more of a positive feel than the last two tracks, but feels a bit too predictable and follows mainly the same plan, there’s no addition of anything unique and it feels like it’s sticking to the game plan a little bit too much. That being said it’s still extremely well made if a touch too familiar by this point. Nature Boy keeps up the tempo and energy of the last track and doesn’t seem to be straying from the defined sound so far. The hook and the writing on this song is a bit more fun and absurdist. Cave’s delivery on this song is perfect for this track. Track could maybe a minute shorter to really nail the landing. Abbatoir Blues is another slow moodier song which I think tend to be the stronger songs of this disc. It also has a sub 5 minute runtime which is a nice change of pace and I think this song is a great change of pace for this point in the track list. The lyrics are also pretty solid and interesting. The song itself is pretty strong but not a huge standout compared to the Hiding All Away and Messiah Ward. Let the Bells Ring maintains the mood of the last track and is another fairly strong moody song but fails to leave any lasting impact. Fable of the Brown Ape closes out the first disc with probably the weirdest and most interesting sound palette. Really cool sounding and doesn’t feel as long as 3 minutes, so could actually do with another verse or something new. Disc 1- overall an enjoyable listen but a bit too one note on occasion leaving a lot of the songs, although enjoyable hard to distinguish in my mind after listening. Could have been a shorter moodier album or an EP. 3/5 Moving on to disc 2… Straight off the bat on The Lyre of Orpheus Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds lean into the more interesting post rock sounds sprinkled throughout the first disc with a spacey hypnotic guitar and reprise vocal that really gets stuck in your ear. The strange retelling/twisting of the story of Orpheus and the creation of his lyre makes for a really captivating lyrical concept. The drums also sound incredible and the vocal harmonies are crisp. Cave’s vocals also have a bit more of a sinister bite, especially when singing as Eurydice and Orpheus towards the end of the track. Loving this track a lot, high hopes for the second disc. Breathless kicks off with some nice woodwind sounds. The sonic pallet of this song is really pleasant and the song seems to be placed as a bit of a breather after the tonally heavier previous track. A very nice and relaxed song although after the first track I was ready for some more dark expansive sounds. Still very nice and warm. Babe, You Turn Me On is a sweet track about the attraction Cave is feeling to his partner, unsure if written about anyone in specific, but the lyrics are tender and touching. Easily one of the stand out tracks which is surprising, when I saw the title of this song I was expecting a more raunchy bluesy song but the appreciation and attraction that Cave feels for this person rings out as not only passionate but mature and deep. Easy Money is a powerful track which as far as I can tell revolves around a relationship built on financial/class differences, shame and guilt. I can’t quite fully understand/grasp the story off a first listen, but is captivating enough to warrant returning to. The structure and arrangement of the track are top notch and so far this second disc is setting up to be a much more interesting and enjoyable listen. Supernaturally is faster paced and more energetic, with a more indie rock style. The driving rhythm leads to a more cinematic feel for the track, feeling like a victorious climax point of the disc with a big hook group vocal and a very short but great guitar shred at the end of the track which left me wanting more, maybe a full solo and another chorus. Spell continues with the moodier post rock inspired soundscape of the second disc, with haunting strings and understated eery vocals the track really builds on the atmosphere and tension of the album. The song flew by and I could’ve listened to another 5 minutes of it. Carry Me maintains the creepy tense strings but with a dramatic piano melody and more overt vocals. The choral vocals bringing the reprise and alternating against Cave sounds great and the lyrics on this one are super strong. Another great song for this half of the double album. O Children has a real downtrodden and defeated energy which thematically feels perfect after Carry Me. The lyrics and vocals sit lingering in your head after each line with excellent pacing. I can see why this is the bands most streamed song. It really is perfect. Disc 2: If this is the normal style of the band then I’m buying in 100% after the first disc. I had really mixed feelings and was starting to dread another 40 odd minutes of middling blues rock adjacent tracks. But this completely blew my expectations and I wish I could rate this album on the merits of the second disc alone. I can’t help but continually thinking the vocals seem Bowie-esque, especially those found on Blackstar. I don’t want to keep drawing similarities to other artists but this one kept reoccurring in my mind throughout this second disc and it is no way a negative. 4.5/5 Overall considering both discs I’d give this a 3.5 but man the second disc is infinitely more interesting.

Blackened- love the riffs on this one, drums are pretty solid, vocals and lyrics are fine chorus is pretty fun though, structure is the weakest part of this track, song goes on probably two minutes long. Pretty strong opening track though. And justice for all- why is this song 9 minutes long? It’s pretty solid and enjoyable for most of it but stretches of the track are t building anything and just kind of fill the space, not that any of it is particularly bad just not necessary. Lyrics clearly want to feel important and intelligent but I find it hard to buy into from the song (not that I disagree that the justice system is fucked), and it’s a bit painfully on the nose. Although still unsurprisingly relevant today. Eye of the beholder - great riffs and drum work on this one vocal performance is good but the lyrics kinda suck. Again lyrics feel quite performative too on the nose without actually saying a lot of interesting stuff. One - This is a classic, yes the production and mixing are bad, yes the drums are a bit off but who cares. This song is great it completely overruled the shortcomings of this album on this one. The Metallica stars aligned for this one the intro is haunting and a perfect mood setter, the guitars shred on this one, the drums are punchy and driving and the lyrics are awesome. The Shortest Straw- just another pretty good classic Metallica song not a lot of details her to give. It didn’t really leave a lasting impression. Harvester of souls is pretty awesome, one of the strongest guitar performances on the album. The Frayed Ends Of Sanity is similarly pretty good and another strong song to hold up the second half of the album and stop the whole thing from dragging. To Live Is To Die is pretty cool with its acoustic guitar intro and embellishments. The riffs are great and the drum work is pretty tight. Vocals are better on this one. …Dyers Eve is fine nothing special though, a not as climactic or anthem if as you’d expect. Mixing and production: drums are too high in the mix, guitar sound weak at points. Bass is non existent in the mix and the whole mix is tinny and shrill. Pretty terrible overall, which this album is infamous for. Outside of a couple of tracks this album is a pretty middling Metallica album the mix just takes it from a pretty good/ok album to a disappointment. I would definitely return to a good handful of the songs on here but I wouldn’t listen to this whole album in one sitting again in a hurry. Also a lot of the tracks are overindulgent in their length. 2.5/5

Super fun album, amazing to have something so outside of what I would usually listen to. Thoroughly enjoyed this Language barrier isn’t really a problem outside of a couple of tracks like Petit Metier that feel more emotional than others and it would be nice to understand the language, but I can’t knock the album because I don’t speak the language. Can’t wait to come back to this again and write out a longer track by track. 4/5

I was surprised by how much of this album I’d actually already heard and had put into various playlists. With 4 already somewhat on my radar, especially the tracks with Thom Yorke I was excited to get stuck into this album. Big Exit is a great start to the album, I love this song, the exclaimed short vocal lines for the verses mesh well with the driving drums and guitars, and then the rest of the instrumental kicks in with the chorus and really elevates the song with the more melodic hook. The piano punctuation in the chorus is a really great embellishment that really elevates the chorus. The bridge is a beautiful melancholic change of pace that comes back to a final chorus wonderfully. Good Fortune is another solid alt rock song with satisfying overlayed vocal harmonies and a great progression throughout. More melodically focused than the previous track and maybe a bit more generic as far as 90s/00s alt rock is concerned but still a great track nonetheless. A Place Called Home, has this great staccato to piano line underneath that drive the rhythm and tempo of the track, rising along with the chord progression nicely. The alternating vocals are excellent , and the instrumentals are great aside from an accordion or harmonica solo/ line that sounds like a preset on a keyboard which sounds a bit dated and artificial now. But still another great song. One line is a notable change of pace and feels more moody and dramatic. It has pretty good group harmony vocals that underpin the track as it builds to the climax/anticlimax with a haunting xylophone or glockenspiel line to carry the last part of the song. Another solid track, loving the level of consistency in the track list so far, feels coherent and flows super well. Beautiful Feeling with Thom Yorke starts slowly with PJ’s beautiful vocals sitting atop a dark guitar and bass instrumental, remaining drum less for the track. Thom Yorke can be heard harmonising in the background acting as another instrument like a violin, punctuating most of the vocal lines with an eery atmospheric understated delivery. This one is a great atmosphere builder and I love the energy created on this one. The Whores Hustle And The Hustlers Whore, turns up the volume and the energy instantly after the ominous echoey tracks. Another really great track that seems to meld the alt rock sounds of the first couple of tracks with the atmospheric breaks of the previous songs. It creates a really great full sounding almost climactic song that feels like you could hear it in a late 90s early 2000s action movie, which isn’t at all a criticism. The song sounds dated to that era but it ends up feeling nostalgic and beautiful instead of a relic of its time. This Mess We’re In sees Thom Yorke and PJ Harvey trading places from Beautiful Feeling with Thom Yorke taking centre stage and PJ accentuating the spaces between his vocal lines. Again I’m struck by the atmosphere created on these tracks and this is easily one of the highlights. Such a solid string listen so far. Again the pianos are excellent on this track and every instrument seems to be used as sparingly as possible whilst making the most of its impact. You Said Something is probably my least favourite track on the record, the lead melodic instrumental line, sounds very artificial and programmed and the quality of the digital sound used is quite weak. The song structure itself is pretty good but that instrumental line really takes you out of the song. Kamikaze is fastest and most eclectic song on the album and is another pretty fun alt rock track, the vocals are more emboldened but the chorus sounds a bit too strained at points, whether it’s intentional isn’t clear and the vocal recording quality is as good as the rest of the album. This Is Love is a pretty good in your face rock song. With a great instrumental, the vocals are back to being excellently mixed and produced, and the performances across the board are solid. Horses In My Dreams returns to the slower more atmospheric sounds found elsewhere on this album. Which I think is where the most interesting songs of the album sit. The obtuse and obscure lyrics on this one are great and create this mysterious alluring atmosphere. PJ Harvey seems to be doing her best Björk vocal impression on this one, which suits her and the track really well. I’m not drawing the similarity to highlight any shortcomings or lack of originality though. The piano is also a highlight on this track bringing an emotive powerful force to the song that underpins the vocals and instrumental perfectly. Also a stand out track for me. We Float starts with a pretty weak piano line and programmed drum beatthat builds for the first couple of minutes the vocals atop sound great though. Once the rest of the instrumental kicks in with the chorus this song becomes absolutely stunning. I just wish the production on the piano lead was a bit better for the verses, as it really sticks out in your head. It’s also weirdly panned to the left annoyingly. Although the majority of this song is immersive and magical a couple of parts let it down. This Wicked Tongue is a great gem of a bygone era, where you’d have a couple of minutes of silence tacked on to the end of the last track on the CD to make it seem like the album was over only to discover a hidden track! You felt like you’d found this secret that only the true fans knew. This is mostly lost now that streaming is the norm but what a feeling it was. Overall this track is pretty solid but seeming as it’s a hidden track I don’t think I’m going to put too much thought into it. Overall thoroughly enjoyed this album, very solid and beautiful alt rock album with atmospheric sections that stand out. Production sounds dated in places, sometimes that’s a strength although in a couple of tracks works against the album. Can’t wait to re listen to this really loved it. 4/5

A very enjoyable, polished and forward thinking post-punk goth rock album. With tracks like Spellbound, Into The Light and Arabian Nights it would seem impossible to maintain the same level of songwriting consistently and while the front half of the album is the better half the second half isn’t far behind. An incredibly dark and passionate album , the vocals are incredible and steal the show on this one. The production and mix on this record excels at creating a grungy gothic atmosphere that draws you in and holds your attention. It goes the line where a lot of goth rock music fails, sounding dark without sounding campy and cheesy. The drums are mixed to perfection and the bass might be the underrated superstar of the album, the bass lines are infectious and unrelenting, what a performance. Head cut is probably the weakest track on the album. 4/5

Somehow in all of my childhood of listening to my dad play 80s British pop I’d never heard of this band or at least I didn’t have any recollection of this band. The vocals are dramatic and fun, don’t come off too cheesy for me personally. The production is very of its time with its crisp drum machines and maximalist style, which might be a turn off for some but I’ve listened to a fair bit of 80s electro pop so I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for the sound. It doesn’t push the boat out too far as far as venturing beyond the defined sound of the time but it still makes for an pleasant listening experience. That being said it struggles to leave any lasting impression and outside of one or two tracks I would be unlikely to return to this as an album, but I wouldn’t be particularly bothered if this album was playing anywhere that I was. 2.5-3/5

A positively pleasant and interesting listen, I think this album is a compilation so it doesn’t necessarily feel cohesive or flow together well which is a shame because a lot of the songs are pretty good. Again I can’t comment on the writing/lyrical content as I don’t speak the language (sounds like Portuguese?). Sounds good though, singer has a lovely voice and the songs themselves are well made, just probably unlikely to be something that gets a regular relisten from me. 3.5/5

What a classic, have heard this one a couple of times before but was still a lot of fun to come back and listen to. Production is great and really captures the hazy swampy feel, the guitars are incredible the drums and bass are perfect and the additional instrumentation is great. The songwriting is pretty solid too, I think my main criticism is that some of the songs get a bit muddled in the middle and Graveyard Train is a tad too long/repetitive by the end. Born On The Bayou, Bootleg, Proud Mary and Keep On Chooglin’ are all top tier CCR tracks though and the album overall is pretty great. 4/5

What can I say about this album that hasn’t been said a million times before. The album is just non stop quality mind-bending classic rock anthems. The level of consistent quality on this album is unmatched by Led Zeppelins other projects and by most classic rock albums out there. Everyone in the band brings their A game to this one and it’s a legendary piece of music history for a reason. I think the word I would use to describe this album is hypnotic, what a fun way to spend 40 mins. 5/5

Again with another classic! I have vivid memories of loving this album when I first heard it and just having it on repeat for a solid couple of weeks. So I was super excited to return to it as a full project instead of just having a couple songs in playlists. And what a pleasure it was to give this another listen, it’s an album that has this amazing ability to make you smile. The writing and rapping on this album is some of the very best, it’s funny heartfelt and always relevant with its commentary. The skits don’t feel out of place, they are quite heartwarming and they really add to the flow of the album. I think the only thing that disappointed me on a relisten was the sheer length of the album, it feels pretty front loaded and a couple of the tracks at the backend drag the project on unnecessarily. Still an incredible all time great project just overstays it’s welcome a tiny bit. 4.5/5

Abrasive, grimy, depraved, beautiful and groovy are all words I would use to describe this album. My favourite aspect about this album is the rhythmic sections, the rhythms created on this album are so infectious feeling simultaneously industrial and natural. The dynamics are intentionally jarring and add to the tension that is constantly weighing down on the listener throughout the record. The lyrics are hateful and raw and the songs themselves are masterfully crafted. I’ve been pretty lucky with the quality of the albums recently. 5/5

Never heard of this album before so was unsure what to expect going into it. Overall I’d say it’s a very well made bittersweet singer songwriter album with pretty solid writing and enjoyable songs. Sometimes production/mix feels a bit muddy there’s some weird panning in the first track that took me out of it a bit. Highlights are Silver Raven, No Other and Some Misunderstanding and True One. I think the opener is probably the weakest on the album. I enjoyed this more than I anticipated after the first track, it excels at creating this peaceful, albeit almost somber, longing feeling that I could definitely see scratching an itch if I was in a particular mood. This is one of those cases where I think this album is pretty good but maybe I’m just not in the right headspace or part of my life to really connect with it at the time of writing this review and listening for the generator. That being said as it stands it’s very solid, 3.5/5, could definitely see this growing to a 4 or higher given time.

Not a lot to say about this one, didn’t particularly impress me but wasn’t poorly made either. Either I’m missing a historical element to this album or it’s just one of those albums you either get or you don’t. Just feels like it was put in here out of favour, which is fine, it’s not my book/list lol. 2.5/5

I really liked the more folk/ country inspired tracks on this one like Teach Your Children and the doing Our House is a classic! The production and instrumentation is excellent, the vocals are a bit hit and Miss and sometimes are a bit grating but the group harmonies are super sweet. Songwriting is pretty good for the most part outside of a couple of songs, least favourite would probably be the opener. Overall it’s a nice short sweet album but it doesn’t have too much I’d come back to. 3/5

A fun little punk album, not overly angry and has some strong melodies throughout. The lyrics aren’t anything incredible and the instrumentation is pretty typical to what you’d expect, the bass is probably the standout on the album. The sound design is dark and in your face but the band doesn’t seem to take themselves too seriously and there’s a great sense that the band thoroughly enjoyed making this. The vocals are pretty good too and lend a great deal of energy to the songs. Standout tracks are , and the weakest tracks are. Overall a fun listen that doesn’t overstay its welcome but is by no means a life altering or genre defining album as far as I can tell. 3.5/5

Super fun, energising, captivating blues, excellent live performances, great vocals and instrumentation. Doesn’t overstay it’s welcome and definitely a great album to get on a Friday! 4/5

Admittedly I’ve never been a massive oasis fan, their big songs were fun in nightclub cheese-rooms when I was in uni, but they were never something I’d seek to listen to in my free time. Listening to this in full I’ve gained a new appreciation for the bands songwriting, but the sound still doesn’t do it for me unfortunately. Live Forever, Up In The Sky were the stand out tracks for me, Cigarettes & Alcohol was probably the most grating track to me. 2/5

A serene, care free almost aimless wander of an album, which excels at creating a summery nonchalant atmosphere. Pulling inspiration from sounds of rock, jazz and a tiny bit of reggae this album is the perfect backing music for a collage of photos from your latest summer holiday. Sometimes the relaxed and easy atmosphere of the album acts against it and I found myself losing focus from the songs and they began to blur together, but when the album had my full attention it was very pretty and calming. It’s not a masterpiece by any means but it’s really sweet and has a clear vision/vibe. Well written, production and mixing is ok. Overall would definitely come back to this on holiday or when wishing for a holiday during the 9-5 grind. 3-3.5/5

An emotionally rich, passionate and dramatic and technically excellent vocal performance, with great songwriting and instrumentation to go with it. One or two songs feel like they could do with a bit more development though. Four Women is handily the standout track and is incredible. Easily a 4/5 could be a 4.5 on another day.

A competently made albeit forgettable experience. I’m struggling to say a lot about this album, good or bad, it kind of washed over me blankly. It’s a shame to not really connect with anything on an album but I can’t force myself to enjoy it. Production and mix was well done though and nothing jumped out as being bad, just not particularly good or original. 2/5

A really great, beautiful sometimes haunting album from one of modern musics most innovative and unique voices. Combining sounds of jazz, pop, 90s house and this albums spans multiple genres but manages to maintain cohesion. The production sounds crisp and futuristic at points whilst still feeling very 90s. The songs themselves are fantastic outside of Crying where the lead piano line stands out as my least favourite part of the album and the song has never clicked for me. Björk’s vocals glide over the instrumentals, with effortless but powerful delivery and the lyrics are often fun and playful and other times dark and reflective. I’d forgotten how danceable some of the tracks on this were and even if this was the only album released by Björk I think people would still hold it in such high regard. Easily a 4/5.

Having heard a majority of Loveless at other times I’ve always been a sort of passive fan of MBV as a band. That being said I wasn’t expecting much from an album over 20 years removed from their much beloved masterpiece. I certainly didn’t expect them to push the level of atmosphere and distortion as much as they have on this album. This album excels in creating overwhelming, all encompassing atmosphere to the point where the songs almost become secondary to the soundscape they are creating. At times it’s glitchy and chaotic, and at others it’s coherent and beautiful. I think this albums perceived lack of focus is at once it’s greatest flaw and it’s greatest strength. The songs themselves are seldom stand outs or catchy but the ambience they create are unique and enveloping. The sounds on this album show a level of mastery in the way that they make something so precisely intentional sound so natural and accidental. As an experience the album pushes the boundaries of a ‘gaze’ album and the sounds that can be achieved which is commendable and if the right mood catches you, extremely enjoyable. However I find myself unable to recall any of my favourite moments or tracks as the songs lose their individuality and impact to the overall vision. Not something I would return to regularly but definitely a well made and interesting sound. 3.5/5

This album was everywhere on release, I genuinely can remember every radio station and music channel playing Use Somebody and Sex on Fire non stop for what felt like 6 months. And there’s a reason, the singles on this album are great. They’re not high brow art but the singles are tight, well made, catchy pop rock that doesn’t alienate any audience by overcommitting to the pop or the rock image. The album is stupidly front loaded, Closer the opener is easily the best song on the album, Sex on Fire, Use Somebody Manhattan and Revelry are all pretty great to varying degrees too. Although Crawl is probably the worst song on the album. I found the vocals a bit grating to want to listen to for 40 minutes. I think Kings of Leon are a band that is enjoyable for 1 or 2 songs at a time but afterwards the formula becomes apparent and things get annoying, but man for the 1 or 2 songs they rock. Overall there are some great songs on this but it dragged so badly which is impressive for a 42 min album. 2.5/5

Songs are pretty damn solid, definitely heard a couple of them before without realising who Nilsson was. Production is super great and the songwriting and performances is pretty solid. Doesn’t overstay it’s welcome or feel unfinished either. Could be a 4/5 if it wasn’t for the Coconut song. Man this song is dazzling in how annoying it is, not to mention the stupid vocal inflections and accents. This song really got under my skin in the worst way. I can see how it’s meant to be a fun unserious almost comedic break in the album, but it just doesn’t work for me. Highlights are: Without You and Gotta Get Up. 3/5

You cannot deny the quality of the recording and the performances on this record, the interplay between the crowd and Cash is integral to the quality of the songs here. When the songs are good the is incredible with high points like Dark as the Dungeon, Cocaine Blues, Give My Love to Rose, Green Green Grass of Home and Greystone Chapel. There are a handful of middling to boring songs like Dirty Old Egg-Suckin’ Dog and Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart, both of which are gimmicky and lose the charm of their humour pretty quickly. Overall a pretty great live record where being live is the biggest strength of the album. Songwriting is usually pretty solid but has some low points and there isn’t enough variation across the album for me which feels like a poor criticism but I can’t think of any other reason why I found myself checking how long I had left on the listen. 3.5/5

This album has a handful of pretty great songs on it but my god is it bloated. In some places the music is empowering and fun and well made. In others it’s over produced, with poor writing and lyrics. Beyoncé’s vocals have always seemed to me to be pretty undeniably great, regardless of the quality of the writing and the over produced glitzy sound works for the style of this album in some places, but often comes across as too much. Stand out tracks are: XO, Jealous, Partition and Drunk in Love. Worst song for me is easily Blow, for a song about sex it sounds so un-sexy, like Beyoncé decided to make her own version of 50 cents candy shop. It’s going for this Raunchy not subtle tongue in cheek metaphor which isn’t meant to be hard to catch but it’s so tactless and the sound design and production of the song is so bad that instead of feeling cheeky it just feels frustrating. Overall the highs on this album are pretty high and with some trimming of fat and tweaking it could’ve been a pretty good album. Hoping there’s some more Beyoncé on this list as she has much better albums that could’ve been here instead. As it stands 2.5/5

A super tight, super fun surprise of an album. Tracks are all pretty great, the grooves are incredible, the vocals and lyrics are so energised and the galactic radio concept just brings a smile to my face. Wouldn’t say there are any particularly weak tracks, just that I wish there was a bit more of it! 4.5/5

This was made in the 80s?!!!! Jokes aside the sound design on this album is insanely good. As a thousand people have commented before the sampling and production on this is fantastic and ground breaking for the genre. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this album with its in your face attitude, catchy bars and some funny jokes. However for me the rapping style wore a bit thin by the end and the album dragged a tiny bit. Still an incredibly important and impressive album from the group. A lot of these tracks are in my playlists, just not sure how often I’d listen to the whole album in one go again. 3.5/5

Listening notes: Sonically this album is really nice, it’s not over produced and the vocals sit nicely in the mix. The instrumentation is sweet and most of the songs are well written and arranged. As far as the first half being a mini concept album, I didn’t really get that on a first listen but I don’t think it takes away anything from the listening experience. At a crisp 29 minutes this album doesn’t overstay its welcome and the songs themselves are well constructed, not feeling unfinished. Some of the tracks are really great with the stand outs being: America with its excellent lyrics and delivery , Old Friends has some beautiful strings and accompanying instruments and Mrs. Robinson being the best song on the album and is pretty much a perfect song. However in some places the songs are a bit underwhelming such as Save the Life of my Child which has this weird inserted sample of Hello Darkness my Old Friend which really takes you out of the experience and sticks out like a sore thumb. Overall it’s pretty nice, I’m not getting the concept yet but it has some really strong moments with some pretty boring moments to go alongside it. 3/5

A surprisingly groovy rock album from Aerosmith, songs are a lot of fun and well performed if you ignore the lyrics which are pretty bad. Not the showiest performances like those found on other Aerosmith albums but an enjoyable 35 minute listen. 3.5/5