I have so much respect for Janis' ability to express feeling through her vocals. Regardless of my dislike for her voice tone (it gives me the same feeling as italicised singing lol), she was a very passionate singer and it showed. She is raw, true to herself, and did not hide her intentions.
She may not be my cup of tea, but as a fellow vocalist who respects folks who are passionate about the skill, and who have made lasting impact to all those who take it up, I think Janis has carved a spot for herself eternally. This album is a solid representation of her art, skill, and love for what she did in her short time with us.
I used to really enjoy Springsteen, but admittedly this one did not stand the test of time for me.
Illmatic is the quintessential East Coast rap. It really takes you to the streets of New York, and shows you through lyrical, eloquent, and intelligent rhymes and story telling. ECR is my weak spot when it comes to rap, it was what convinced me that rap and hip hop are actually very talentfilled genres. Nas is legit one of the best rappers of all time, and he shows that rap doesn't always have to be fast, aggressive, and vulgar to be raw, powerful, and impactful. You can have fun, be a badass, AND show up people who doubt you based on where you're from and who you are. His passion for his craft and his music is palpable in Illmatic, and for that it will always be one of my favourite hip hop albums.
Radiohead has never been a hit for me. Sure there are catchy tunes that have become radiobops, and therefore earworms for anyone who's ever dialed in to a radio station. Radiohead has all the pieces of what would make a very Sam Band ™️; British, experimental, ambient, instrumental style vocals, concepty albums, with the moodiness of shoegaze softboi aesthetic. It's very much a weak point for me, yet I dislike all of those aspects of Radiohead. They aim and miss the mark so gloriously.
I couldn't even tell you which song it was where Yorke switched up his vocals for a moment and was actually somewhat bearable, but it was nothing but fleeting. I understand how people can enjoy his methods, but it just sounds like someone softly releasing air from a barely full balloon to me. The melodic instruments could be enjoyable if they picked a consistent avenue to drive down. Instead it felt like I was on the edge the entire album waiting for it to start, and tbh I was happier the ending came before any kind of beginning even happened.
This album is definitely a classic, but the Juicy Fruits/Beach Bums/Undeads were better #wellrememberyouforevereddy
A very nice jazzy piano. Likely the biggest inspiration to '90s classic waiting room music, and I say that lovingly.
Can appreciate what people like about this vocal style, but it is entirely not for me.
I'm a sucker for Ice Cube. Although, this isn't my favorite album but him, it's still fun.
