"Slaps" - Trent McLees

Completely new to me; enjoyed it and will check out their full range. Really liked the instrumentation. Simple enough guitar & bass riffs and high energy drum. Listened to the album after a long workday and zoned out, which will likely be how I listen to it in the future. Some lyrics were really rough to listen to (Jordan, MI, et al.), and I'm not sure the message outweighed how grating they were. I get that that was kind of the point, it just didn't feel like the subject matter elevated those songs and in some cases made them nigh unlistenable. That being said, the lyrics barely played into my overall appreciation of the album; the production felt raw yet polished. For not having much exposure to punk and for my first time hearing them, I'm surprised at how quickly I was into it. P.s. In 'Bad Houses' I kept waiting for the drum to drop and the hook from 'What I've Done' - Linkin Park to enter. Probably permanently ruined the immersion for that song, what can ya do...

New to me. Pretty much know Billy Bragg from the Mermaid Avenue Sessions (Wilco/Tweedy fan). Sort of knew he was a relevant figure in British Folk, but not much beyond that. I immediately hear the influences of the '80s and the UK in both political referencing & sound production. His vocal delivery sounds similar to The Smiths. I also hear Elvis Costello. But his verse & melody construction is often more simplistic and approachable than either of those two - a la the traditional protest folk he was inspired by. It just doesn't feel as compelling as Guthrie, Baez, or other folk ballad singers, and certainly not as compelling as The Smiths or Costello. I don't strongly dislike the album, but I can't find anything I truly love either. Considering this was inspired by a political poem with plenty of wit, I would love to have felt more singular creativity - musically or lyrically. Whether or not it's fair to compare, I liked his covers from the 2006 reissue substantially more than his original work. Of the initial release, 'Ideology' & 'Levi Stubbs' Tears' were my favorites. I can see enjoying those after future listens, so I'll likely revisit the whole album and see how I feel the 2nd time.

In Paintwork I hear Wilco and Kurt vile and Courtney Barnett. I like that garage indie and soft punk kind of sound coming through. I also hear Stones, Velvet Underground, Elliot Smith, The Clash, some Kinks, and a little Leonard Cohen too. I like the vocals for how unbothered/untroubled they are delivered. But the suspense of the instrumentation makes you feel like he could flip at any moment.

Too much prog rock for me. Like...way too much prog rock.

The album itself doesn't feel like a 5 star masterpiece (to me), but so many of the songs do individually. "If Not For You" is a perfect folk song & love song. It alone would make this album worth listening to, even if the other tracks were low caliber. I would give many things to hear any selection of Dolly Parton, Lyle Lovett, Wilco, et al. sing "Behind That Locked Door." It is a lovely nod to Bob Dylan, and I think it is a great example of George Harrison's universal skill in songwriting. "Let It Down" too, show this skill, in my opinion. "My Sweet Lord" is exceptional, and yet one of the lesser songs on the album for me. Might be a familiarity curse. Most tracks on the album either remind you of his role in the Beatles, or show his growth beyond that time. I changed my mind whilst writing this up. 4.5 stars but rounding up.

I guess I just really don't like most of Paul Simon's stuff. Still Crazy After All These Years? I'm in. This? I'm out.

They definitely figured it out with (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, but they needed 11 songs to get there. With all the ignorance about the history & context of this album that I can muster: Nothing about any of the tracks feels unique, exploratory, challenging, etc., and therefore I cannot find a reason to like any of them. If this an important album in the sense that it redefined genres or made a splash when other similar records couldn't, that is the only way I could see this record being included in the list. It's the least of Oasis (for me) in that the sound is pop-y/rock-y, the vocals are grunge-y, and there's no sense of purpose coming from either direction. Once we get (WtS)MG? - only a year later! - we are introduced to the unaffected pop rock that I associate with (and like about) the band. We hear a far more developed sound complete with catchier hooks and a richer instrumentation worthy of superstardom. Definitely Maybe? Not so much.