I don’t like his voice. Nothing strikes me as interesting or catchy about the instrumentation. The lyrics might have some value but they’re not speaking to me. Just not my thing at all.

Not my thing. David Bowie being David Bowie, I guess, but not something I would choose to listen to again.

Some great drumming on this album. Some of the songs and lyrics are a little repetitive and basic (we get it, you’re gonna give love) but overall a good one to rock out to.

Bold, groovy, fun. I’m not that familiar with Missy’s work outside of her big chart hits so this was a good one to get into. The spoken tracks, sex-positive lyrics and smooth harmonies clearly had an influence on today’s artists like Jazmine Sullivan.

Some of my favorite rock tracks open this album. I love the energy, and even 55 years later you can tell that this sound was new.

Didn’t think I would like this but I appreciated a lot of the complex, layered instrumentation. I was reminded of The Cure at various points, but with more grit. The lyrics are poignant and many of them still apply today to various conflicts around the world. There’s an interesting mix of punk and new wave influence, and I have some new appreciation for U2, having only really known their pop hits in the 90s and 2000s.

I thought I’d never heard of this band, but their sound was familiar. I then realized they’re the ones that did Teenage Kicks and it all made sense. I like this album a lot. There’s a cheekiness to some of the songs (like My Perfect Cousin) and a sweet melancholy in others (Wednesday Week). Each song is distinct but still has their signature sounds, which makes it an enjoyable and dynamic listen. Some great guitar riffs make it fun and danceable. The vibe is almost “I’d be rebellious if I could be bothered”. I’m sure I’ll be listening to this again.

I have never heard of this person. This is some adult contemporary yacht rock shit. Not my thing. Some tracks have some funky instrumentation (disco on Second-Hand Woman, soul/folk on Slowdown Sundown, bass line on Night Train) but the weird 80s synth and wailing vocals ruin it for me. The second half of the album is definitely stronger, but if we’re judging it on first impressions I probably would have switched off.

On first listen I thought this was just fine. On second listen I got more into it. By the time I realized I was listening to it a third time I figured I must be enjoying it. It’s nice to listen to, the harmonies are peaceful, and the stories take you places. It’s somewhere in the realm of Fleetwood Mac and Simon and Garfunkel and I’m not mad about that.

I have never heard of this person but the opening track is instantly compelling. I’m reminded of the music of some friends of mine (Quiles & Cloud) and it’s clear they were influenced by Gillian Welch’s style. Beautiful harmonies, interesting and slightly discordant melodies. I somehow feel nostalgic for something I’ve never lived through. Her voice is so smooth, yet somehow still raw. Some impressive finger picking. I recently saw A Complete Unknown, and listening to “I Want to Sing That Rock and Roll” made me think of Bob Dylan playing electric guitar at the folk festival. Some songs get a bit repetitive and in the middle of the album I started to wonder if I was already bored with the style. But then it redeems itself with “Everything is Free”, which definitely makes me want to give up the rat race and live off the land/on the road. I’m not sure why “I Dream a Highway” needed to be 14 minutes of the same refrain.

Just not my thing. Instrumentally I don’t find it particularly interesting, and the lyrics don’t really speak to me, with the exception of some of the classics on this album. End of The World still holds up thematically in 2025.

I have never heard of this person and had no idea what to expect. The album has some strong opening songs. Vocally I’m reminded of Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, Shirley Bassey, even a little Bjork. Instrumentally it’s very compelling - harps, accordion and orchestral elements. Lyrically, I like songs that tell a literal story (The Case Continues). As the album progressed it became clear this is some later career shit, as it has a certain eccentricity that can only be marketed to an established fan base. With Die Drogresch (with The Divine Comedy) I started to lose interest as the cabaret style, talk-singing, unstructured melodies and vibrato began to grate on me. This would be fine if it was a musical soundtrack that had a story associated with it but in its own right it just sounds random and wailing to me, and by the last few songs I was just waiting for it to end now.

Some classics, and probably exciting in its day, but kind of wallpaper for me. Wouldn’t specifically choose to listen again.