I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. So much more to the album than “Purple Rain”. Loved “When Doves Cry” and “I Would Die 4 U”. Sonically different than what I expected and that was the fun of it. It was also a short and sweet album. 9 songs in 43 mins.
Wasn’t sold from the first half but the instrumental journey the second half took me on made it worthwhile for me. Really glad I listened to this album. Perfection from “Sense of Doubt” onwards. Did like some of the lyrical songs as well such as “Heroes”
Liked the spacey vibe and feel of it. Felt like I was in another world. It was relaxing yet moving. Dark and moody. Enjoyed it
Didn’t have access to the full album but enjoyed the songs I did have access to. Especially loved New York New York and loved the Message. Lyrically and sonically empowering and gave a window into the time it was
The first listen I wasn’t too into it, didn’t know what I was getting into. But the second half of the album caught my ear. Gave it another run and started to like it more. Felt like a journey of sounds. More enjoyable as a whole album than its parts. Feels cinematic, spacey, and new age
Feeling great that I already recognized the first track as one from JoJo’s outro song. Enjoyed the flamenco elements in “Mood for a Day”. Second half of the album from “Fish” down was enjoyable for me. My favourite track is still “Roundabout”
Love this album! OutKast is one of the greats. So many favourites. Childhood favourite being “Ms. Jackson”, and “So Fresh, So Clean”, and “B.O.B”. Discovered “Stankonia (Stanklove)” in my 20s and what a time that was with that track. Absolutely psychedelic and hypnotic. Probably still my favourite track to date. Been enjoying the interludes and skits, really miss when hip hop albums did that. New favourites include “We Luv Deez Hoes”, “I’ll Call B4 I Cum”, “Gangsta Sh*t”
Enjoyed the mix of funk and electric guitar. Relaxing but fun. Groovy and cool. Enjoyed it. Brought me back to flashbacks of my childhood when I heard “That Lady” for the first time in a Swiffer commercial. So many gems in this album! “Sunshine” “Summer Breeze” “The Highways of my Life” “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” were my favourites.
Romantic, dark, and exciting. This album takes tango to a different place than I had in my mind. “Operation Tango” and “La Muerta de Angel” are my favourites at a first listen. The opening song “Milonga is Coming” was a great introduction to what’s to come. Feels like there’s a use of the xylophone a lot which I enjoy since I don’t get to hear that a lot. The accordion brings out my favourite elements of each composition too.
I knew it was going to be a good day when I was assigned this album. Perfect for the sunshine out today. Groovy, electric, soulful. Getting me right from the first track “You Are The Sunshine of My Life”. What a surprise to get to the middle of the album and recognize “Superstition”. Amazing funky track. Been enjoying the album in its entirety along the way. The ending track resonates with me a lot. His voice is undeniable. Also reading that this album involved a lot of artistic freedom makes me respect the production even more. Definitely an album I’ll keep coming back to.
The only track I heard from The Pixies was “Where is my Mind” so it was cool to explore an album from them. Found it to be a really cool rock album. Felt punky, angsty, and a bit grungy too. I read that Kurt Cobain was heavily inspired by them so it was cool to hear some of the inspiration. Favourites included “Here Comes Your Man”, “Monkey Goes to Heaven”, “Wave of Mutilation”, “La La Love You”, and “Hey”
Old school rock vibes, feels like an episode out of Supernatural. Almost as if I’m sitting in the car with Dean Winchester himself and I’m not mad about it. Love some of the jazzy accompaniments, as well as the many guitar solos. Love the catchy riffs. Great album for a road trip with the windows open on a hot breezy day.
I love me some blues. I am immediately digging this album. Mannish Boy was an amazing intro to what’s to come. Everything feels so familiar as if I’ve probably heard it in film or in passing but never actually realized who the artist was. Probably one of my favourite albums on this journey so far. As I read more on Muddy Waters I learn that this is post-war American blues. I absolutely dig it.
The arrangement and variety of instruments makes it hard not to want to move your body, dance a little, or even bop your head while tuning in. As I listen to it I imagine hosting a lavish dinner party in the 50s with lavish dishes and decor. I always romanticize this time (despite it likely being very racist). I think of a house like in Sabrina (1954), and hosting a beautiful ball with everyone in their gorgeous gowns sipping a drink in their beautiful crystal glasses. The vocals on the album fit so well. I especially love the miramba and drums. It gives a beautiful transatlantic feel. The mambo jazz and salsa work well together in this album. Enjoyed it a lot. Very relaxing yet fun. Favourites include “Hong Kong Mambo”, “Estoy Siempre Junto a Ti”, “Complicación”, “El Cayuco”, “Agua Limpia Todo”, and “Varsity Drag”
Their introduction reeled me in immediately. The energy, the solidarity, the message, wow! I was blown away. Reading into MC5 and learning that they were likely the pioneers of the early American punk rock scene in the late 60s and 70s made a lot of sense as I listened to the album. Also reading that they were heavily influenced by R&B and blues made a lot of sense with some of their bluesy, jazzy riffs especially in “Motor City Burning”. I also loved the lead singers voice over the instrumentals. Very cohesive and energizing live show performance. “I Want You Now” gives me elements of King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man” This album makes me want to jump high and low, head bang and rock out! I can only imagine the energy felt by the audience at the show. I preferred listening to the Japanese Remastered version rather than the version recommend by the generator. I found it to be a cleaner crisper sound and I could hear things more clearly but based off this edition alone it was very well done. Lyrically there doesn’t seem to be anything deep going on, but it just feels like a great time. Angsty and revolutionary from the sound alone! Favourites included “Rambling Rose”, “Kick Out the Jams”, “Rocket Reducer No. 62”, and “Motor City Burning”.
Found this album hard to get through. There was a few songs that gave me nostalgia —possibly in a commercial in the early 90s or something but beyond that it’s just not really my vibe. “Panama” is a nice energetic anthem, “Hot Teacher” has some cool riffs, but beyond that I guess I’m just not into this gym-locker-frat-rock 80s vibe.
Wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this album at first, but by the end of it, I realized I would definitely come back to this for a few tracks. The intro reeled me in immediately! Loved the jazzy cool elements. Overall, the production and sampling in this album was pretty cohesive and fun to jam to. I loved some of the sampling of The Shining in “Egg Man”, and some of the Jamaican influences throughout as well. Enjoyed the rock elements in “Looking Down The Barrel of a Gun”. “Sounds of Science” was a cool track, loved the transitions in that. What really got me digging the album though was the second half, B-Boy Bouillabaisse! I didn’t expect that at all and I felt it was really raw and cool. I’m not sure if this is the case, but some of the stylistic cadences of the Beastie Boys reminded me of the likes of Childish Gambino and A$AP Rocky which makes me wonder if they were inspired by them at all. “Hey Brooklyn” gave me A$AP (“Praise The Lord”) vibes immediately and that bass absolutely slaps. Definitely my favourite off the album. Reading about them and learning it was their sophomore album makes sense as it’s pretty refined and cool, definitely want to hear more of them.
Right from looking at the cover of the album and throughout listening, it felt like I was in an underwater rave with SpongeBob and his jellyfish friends. Funky, fun, and interesting. Reading about the group and learning they were a Scottish psychedelic rock band that made this electronic album in the early 90s was really cool. I’m sure for the time it was created when electronic music was just getting into its groove, this was revolutionary. I really do like how they blend psychedelic elements into each track, and they create an ambience that gets you into a trance. I will admit, that the day I was assigned this album by the generator, I was not feeling it. But listening to it again, I found a new appreciation for the nuances of this album. The beats, the samples, the variety of different instruments and styles. It keeps you interested! Favourite tracks included: “Possible Worlds”, “Evil is Even”, “Hear Me”, “666 Edit”, “Lightspan Soundwave”, “Make it Minimal” and “Progen 9.1”.
The name of the group and the cover art definitely don’t do justice to what this album is. This is the first J5 album I have ever listened to and I think it was a great place to start. Great beats/loops, great cadence, and each artist has their own style of rapping that works well with each other. Seems like a really cool group. I enjoyed this album a lot. Had a lot of head bangers. Reading a little more about them and the year this album was released made me realize this type of rapping style was very different than what was coming out in the late 90s early 00s. That being said I can completely see how they have influenced rap culture since this release. It sounds familiar to the rap/hip-hop I know and grew up with. The ones that really stood out for me were “If You Only Knew” (gives me Boondocks vibes with the jazzy flute), “React” (groovy jazzy beat), “Thin Line” (surprise Nelly Furtado feature, always proud to see a Canadian feature), “One of Them”, and “Hey”. I am definitely going to have this album in my future rotation so I can listen to the lyrics more deeply. But based off the vibe and energy alone it’s a pretty solid album.
“Them Bones” is a fantastic way to start this album. Really sets the tone for the dark-heavy-metal-grunge music that leads throughout. I remember the first time I heard the first track in this album I was about 13-14 years old playing Guitar Hero II. Other favourite include “Dam That River”, “Rooster”, and “Would?”. Nothing less than a 4/5 for most of these tracks. Sonically, lyrically, and the style of the vocals and instruments combined keep me coming back for more.
I’m into horror movies, and this album gave me the heebie jeebies in a cool punk rock way. Easy short album. It’s cool that they used a drum machine for a different effect. Hard to believe this album was made in the 80s! It still feels fresh and with the times. The instrumentals and vocals were interesting. It’s a cool, yet horrifying concept which makes for something new and exciting. Favourite tracks include: “Big Money”, “Kerosene”, “Bazooka Joe”, “Strange Things”, and “Cables (Live)”
This album was a blend of electronic music and nature. As I read and listened to the album, I learned that what this group did was definitely revolutionary in the late 70s. I can definitely see hear that. Definitely a cool album for sure. Great for ambient music.
This album immediately transports you to the synthesizing 80s with its punchy drum kicks and vocal production. The first track is immediately nostalgic, I feel like everyone knows the song “Take on Me” it’s fun to sing along to. As I listened to the album I realized there were a lot of tracks that sounded pretty good to me. “Living a Boy’s Adventure Tale” reminds me of one of my favourite Daft Punk songs “Verdis Quo” and perhaps it’s because of that synth-flute or string pad they may have used. Loving the energy in “The Sun Always Shines on T.V.” Also feels a bit familiar to me as I probably heard it growing up I like the vocals and instrumentals of most of the album. It’s a bit electronic, rock, punk, pop, and experimental which made for something really interesting. I find it pretty cohesive where every song seems to blend into each other. Doesn’t feel like a pile of singles jammed into an album. I haven’t taken in the songs lyrically but upon my first few listens I mainly listen for the production and feel of the song. I like the variety of emotions this album feels out. Learning that a-ha is from Norway and that they are part of the New-Wave movement, added a new layer to my understanding of this album. Overall, I found this album to be very good. Even though it’s a pop/new-wave album, and I’m usually not a huge fan of pop, this is the kind of pop I believe deserves the title of popular for a reason. Favourite tracks : “Take on Me”, “Living a Boy’s Adventure Tales”, “The Sun Always Shines on T.V.”, “Hunting High and Low”
What can I say about this album that hasn’t already been said? It’s iconic for good reason. I was immediately captivated by this album as it takes me on a journey of dreamy shoe-gaze rock and alternative rock. Both of which are a top genre for me. It definitely has hints of grunge in it and I can see why this band was comparable to Nirvana at the time. For example “Mayonnaise” was a song I was already familiar with from the band, it was slow, dreamy and sweet. But when I heard the album in its entirety I was surprised that Mayonnaise was no longer my favourite track off the album. “Today” took me somewhere I wasn’t expecting. Gave me flashbacks of The Pixies, and had a punk rock feel to it that I really enjoyed. And of course that song definitely had Nirvana grunge written all over it. Definitely my favourite track off this album for sure. I was immediately captivated by the instrumentals, the layering and the more hardcore heavy alt rock that I didn’t expect from what I thought I understood about the band. I couldn’t tell lyrically, if the album had a cohesive story to tell, but I definitely enjoyed the highs and lows and the journey it took me on. Some soft dreamy songs followed by some really heavy alternative songs made for a gripping album. Reading more about the band and this particular album, I learned there was a lot of conflict during the recording process, which to me surprises me with how great this album turned out despite all the stress and pressure they had at the time with several bands going through a tumultuous period in their life. Love knowing they’re from Chicago as well cause it adds to my list of reasons to visit that state someday. Overall, I found this album to be fantastic and now I understand why The Smashing Pumpkins have been and will be revered for ages and years to come. They got a new fan over here! “Cherub Rock”, “Today”, “Hummer”, “Soma”, and “Silverfuck”
The title “Before and After Science” intrigued me—I expected a sense of duality, and in a way, the album delivered that. With the first half feeling more playful and structured, and the second half drifting into ambient calm, it seemed split into two distinct moods. I wasn’t sure what genre to expect, but the slightly gothic cover made me anticipate something more rock-forward. Instead, I got art rock—something I wasn’t familiar with before this challenge. It reminded me of David Bowie’s “Low” and “Heroes,” which makes sense, since I learned that Eno worked on those albums too. On my first listen, I was distracted and barely noticed anything stand out—it felt like the album passed me by. I gave it another shot during a drive, but again, nothing really pulled me in. I felt a bit disinterested. That said, the opening track “No One Receiving” stuck with me—its groove kept creeping back into my head. I gravitate toward ambient and lo-fi sounds, so I appreciated some of the textured, hazy moments. I respect this album for its influence and for how much it’s adored, but it didn’t hit me emotionally. I listened a few times, hoping it would open up to me, but I think I connect more with albums that tell a clearer emotional story. A few tracks might stay in my rotation, but overall, I respect the experimentation more than I enjoyed the experience. Standout Tracks: “No One Receiving”, “King’s Lead Hat”, “Here He Comes”, “Through The Hollow Lands”
I didn’t expect a 2020 album to pop up from this generator — I assumed it’d lean toward older ones, so this was a surprise. I’m a big fan of SAULT, and Cleo Sol in particular. It’s interesting how the group is made up of individual artists with careers of their own who came together, since usually it’s the other way around — bands go solo. The album is full of gospel influences and is unapologetically political, which can be heavy at times. Music is usually an escape for me, and this one brings me right back to reality — especially with the weight of 2020 in mind. It reflects the pain and power of the Black experience, particularly around the time of George Floyd and the aftermath. It’s empowering and necessary, even if it’s not always easy to listen to. The production is fantastic, and hearing Michael Kiwanuka on a track was a highlight. There’s a lot of soul, a lot of truth, and it’s deeply rooted in Black creativity. I respect the message, even if it’s not a project I’d return to often. I tend to lean toward their less political R&B, though I know even that isn’t completely apolitical. Even as someone who isn’t Christian, I found the gospel and spiritual elements moving. SAULT always opens my eyes to perspectives I may not fully live, but deeply care about. Listening to this album also made me reflect on global struggles — like what’s happening in Palestine — and how music like this connects different fights for justice. It’s an important album, and I’m glad it made the list. The Black struggle is ongoing, and albums like this are a necessary reminder of how far we still have to go. Favourite tracks included: “Miracles”, “Wildfires”, “Hard Life”, “Sorry Ain’t Enough”, “Bow”, “Black” and “Eternal Life”
A ’90s album with everything good — and not-so-good — about ’90s rock. Some songs are more charming than others, but overall, many aren’t ones I’d revisit. I really wanted to like “In the Mouth a Desert,” which probably had my favourite instrumentals on the album, but the vocals didn’t quite land for me. Maybe that off-kilter vocal style is part of the charm for some, but it felt a bit too mismatched here. I do enjoy unconventional sounds, but I guess I prefer when it’s the instrumentation that’s offbeat — or if the vocals are slightly off-time yet still tonally strong. If that makes sense. “Conduit for Sale!” is probably my favourite track. It took me right back to ‘90s indie rock and had the kind of nostalgic punch I didn’t know I was craving. The album is cohesive and blends together well, which I appreciated. The first time I listened, there wasn’t a single track I truly enjoyed — but after a few listens at different times, something clicked. What won me over were the lo-fi alternative rock elements. Nothing overly complex, yet still interesting. The album title really encapsulates the vibe: whimsical and off-kilter, stripped down and lo-fi, but uniquely compelling with all its ‘90s quirks. It makes sense why it’s a must-listen. 3.5/5 Standout Tracks: “Trigger Cut/Wounded-Kite at :17”, “Conduit for Sale!”, “Loretta’s Scars”
Right from the very first track I knew I was going to love this album. A great mix of blues, jazz, and country rock. I am so happy that it’s a live album on top of that because that allowed the band to get extra creative, have instrumental solos and do things a little differently from what their refined studio version would have sounded like. I didn’t even realize how old the album was! Truly felt fresh and new by the sound alone. For example, “Stormy Monday” touched something in me that I didn’t even know I needed, the slow twangs of the guitar, the cohesion of the arrangements of all the other instruments like the organ styled keyboard. The vocals were absolutely perfect. And when the track breaks down and allows for each member to shine, that was when it clicked for me that this was an album I’d keep coming back to. The instrumentals hit me right in my soul, the vocals were perfect, I loved how long each song was too. This album is one of those albums that makes me wish I could travel back in time or even just travel to an area that still plays music like this. The kind that makes my face ugly as it scrunches up every fibre and expression in me as I close my eyes and listen to the album in pure enjoyment. Makes me feel like I’m in a grungy smoke filled bar and I would’ve absolutely loved to have hear this live. Definitely an album I’ll keep coming back to. Standout Tracks: “Statesboro Blues”, “Stormy Monday”, “You Don’t Love Me”, “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” and “Whipping Post”
This is the kind of album that’s perfect for a rainy day in a cafe, a beautiful sunny day in the park feeling the breeze while sitting under a tree, an easy listening day drive, a night alone for dinner, a romantic jazz night in. You name it and the album fits. It’s romantic, easy listening, relaxing, soothing and soft. The album makes me feel like I’m in a dreamland of milk and honey. Sweet and soft. Norah Jones’ soft, soothing voice hits all the notes in a perfectly beautiful way where it doesn’t feel over the top, it’s just the right amount. Her lyrics tell stories through each song. The songwriting is excellent and the instrumentals that work alongside her are perfectly collaborative with her vocals. “Painter Song” really resonated with me as I myself always wish I could paint my dreams, my wishes, my memories. It’s such a simple thought and feeling and yet she makes it so special and beautiful. Then there’s “Turn Me On” she takes a more soulful approach and somehow still makes it soft, but sexy. I really enjoyed how she carried throughout the album. Learning that Norah Jones is the daughter of the late Ravi Shankar surprised me, (though my parents thought it was old news), but I didn’t know that. It made sense since she looked racially ambiguous to me. Couldn’t help but want to learn more about her, her background, and her artistry. Couldn’t find much about her which I appreciated as well. Added to her allure and mystery. Overall, I found this album to be a beautiful vocal jazz album. I was pleasantly surprised when I was assigned this album by the generator because I was already familiar with many of the songs from this album and was so happy to get right into it. Perfect album in my opinion! Standout Tracks: “Don’t Know Why”, “Cold Cold Heart”, “Come Away With Me”, “Turn Me On”, “Lonestar”, “Painter Song”, “One Flight Down”, “Nightingale”, and “The Nearness of You”