day 1: as if nick drake came out of the deep south, scrummy blend of loose acoustic folk, improvisational bluesy ballads and tight jazz-country tunes
day 2: i’ve never listened to a beach boys album but this is what i imagine it would sound like. some nice harmonies and some interesting musical sections (trumpet in there somewhere?), but overall does nothing ambitious or outside of the box. not bad not amazing
day 3: i got excited seeing this one since im a huge animals fan and really enjoy DSOTM and WYWH, but have only listened to this once before. nothing is quite as empowering as ‘hey! teacher! leave the kids alone!’ an album full of incredible electric and bass guitar work, this sees the band at their catchiest and most accessible. it’s a testament that a bands 4th best album is still this good. while it is hugely long, there is still a collection of fantastic hits and deep cuts in here, which feel like i’m listening to a love child of Matilda and Rocky. for a band characterised by prog-rock, psychedelia and copious amounts of lsd, it seems mostly the latter part is present here
side note: watched the film after this, wow wow wow that propels this up even more. the visual context and imagery is extremely necessary for getting the story of this album
day 4: big ol STRONG voice here janis! ascendant instrumentations, funky grooves and inspired lyrics take the stage. i’m almost inclined to call her the female equivalent of robert plant (musical ability only). fuck it she shits on him. americana at its core, i can hear the inspiration of countless future femmes stemming from this album
day 5: this one made me nervous since i have a love/hate relationship with kid a. while 16 year old me would thrive in the sad depressiveness of how to disappear, i struggle now to enjoy thom’s whiney vocals on many of radioheads more mellow songs. when i think radiohead i would rather hear at least 7 or 8 (offshoot included) other albums before this. traditional radiohead? ok computer or in rainbows. sad emo radiohead? a moon shaped pool. weird IDM radiohead? amnesiac, the smile’s wall of eyes or even thom’s solo albums. i saw him live last year, and the electronic songs he performed were by far the best experiences of the night, yet this album fails to grasp me the same way. still, i can’t deny that it is technically mesmerising. EIIRP is their best intro, motion picture soundtrack is jaw-droppingly written and sung, and idioteque! my god! one of the greatest songs ever made!!! as a whole experience though, it doesn’t quite captivate me. how unfortunate it is to be so compared to aphex twin and boards of canada in this era of their sound, who’s music TRUMP this album.
day 6: whoooo!! a classic. this album is an excellent culmination and revival of hip hop at the turn of the 2010s. an incredibly captivating concept of a teenage kendrick’s life in compton explores themes of post-reagan effects on low income american communities and the black experience in the 80s and 90s. poetic, angry, cathartic, this album finds kendrick in issues of gang culture, police brutality, family and peer violence, alcohol and drug abuse, and the struggle of finding one’s identity and staying afloat in an environment so destructive and toxic, which are unfortunately very relatable for many millions of americans and encompassing of a failed sociopolitical system.
i recall listening to maad city when i was 7 with my friend and playing the intro over and over, laughing at the ‘yak yak yak yak,’ into it being my most played song when i was 15/16/17, into hearing it live when i was 19, one of the best performances ive ever seen. this song is so so so angry, and outraged at a system which creates these impulses of murdering your community, robbing from your own job and being peer pressured into mixing hard drugs.
one of my favourite lines however comes from poetic justice, ‘if i told you that a flower bloomed in a dark room would you trust it?’ to live and breathe experiences like these and then commit so much life to sharing and expressing and supporting these communities takes immense courage and growth from kendrick, themes which are expressed even greater on his following albums. can’t go without mentioning jay rock’s feature being one of the best written verses ever.
the music itself is a love letter to LA’s founding sounds of NWA, tupac, snoop, and more. chronic-esque keys and horns, sample flips and big snare hits showcase the best of this era, while still capitalising on the blossoming sounds of early 2010s rap.
will always love this one.
day 7: my god i love david byrne (king)! this album is in my top 10, i have nothing bad to say about this one. when i want to wake up and have a good day, i put this on. from the first note (AH!) this exudes creativity and autism, following into what i believe is the greatest 4-track run in music, rivaled only by the open 4 of mezzanine. the band genuinely went ‘random bullshit go’ on instruments and vocal melodies. these songs follow such a fast pace and rhythm, giving no room to breathe until the album is already half over. i love it so much. the next couple songs stay pleasantly enjoyable, before the last couple turn a cheek. brian eno’s influence couldn’t be clearer here, as if this is a 4th installment to bowie’s berlin trilogy, these last songs take a more ambient, droning approach, with darker, brooding sounds, being even somewhat sinister. such a bizarre musical segue between the two halves, but the songs themselves are still all amazing and serve their purpose. there’s a good reason i dressed up as david byrne for halloween last year.
day 8: heard this one once before a number of years ago, don’t think i thought too much of it. super heavy reggae tones with a classic 90s bristol trip hop/big beat sound, mixed with a rave-focused backdrop. original is always going to sound timeless, seems like rest of the songs all fall a little flatter. i enjoy house music the most in an album-listening style (chemical bros, daft punk, fatboy slim, prodigy all have fantastic examples), but unfortunately i don’t quite get the drive to hear what the next song has to offer. the second half actually picks up a fair bit more with inspection (check one) and open up, both really standing out. would give this one more of a 2 however the 3 songs i like i think are really really great.
day 9: another hip hop classic. personally i find a few other wu albums a bit more interesting (cuban linx and 36 chambers) but the production value here is unmatched in creativity and class. similar to 36 chambers and a number of others, the martial art samples and instrumental influences exude a juvenile charisma, perfect for the conceptual smoothness in this one. the ideas that the groups MCs are samurai in a staten-island warzone full with conspiracies and plots to take down emperors and the shogun (don’t question my aetiological accuracy) is simply fun. can’t understate and i will say it again, RZA had his best production here. good reason why 4th chamber was my most played song in 2020. B.I.B.L.E. sounds like a spiritual successor to C.R.E.A.M., with a gorgeous soulful touch. classic.
day 10: this feels like an album a dude with a beanie who drinks oat mochas would rave about. always hurts a band when their debut is far and away their best album. like, where do you go after funeral??? i suppose at least this isn’t pink elephant. anyway it sounds nice, is still an art rock album and has the same lovely intimate vocals and melodies on the lush orchestral backdrops as funeral. the tracks just feel loose to me?? like any of them could fit anywhere on the album? also just a bit boring otherwise. also the only album i’ve had to listen to twice now before reviewing because the first time i played it it finished and i thought alright i suppose it was an album. also sucks that the lead is an abusive cunt since it makes me not want to enjoy this. anyway, first half is dull as a brick, second half has some good songs which do make up for it a bit. the well and the lighthouse stretch until the last song sounds nice. at least the band picked it back up for the suburbs!
day 11: audio equivalent of the windows 95 release conference with all the devs dancing and clapping hands hehe. proud white american after listening to this one! ROCK FLAG AND EAGLEEEEE!!! not going to pretend this isn’t a fun fkn listen, the songs are over the top and the new-wave/hair metal blend is stylised awesomeness. jump is a classic, and the rest fill a nice tight 30 min runtime (hot for teacher is a questionable choice but the prog section bangs). girl gone bad actually sounds like a rush outtake too. if this was 50+ mins i would hate it but i wont say no to 30 mins of wicked guitars and silly synths. ‘GIANT BUTT! MAKES ME SCREAM!’ already eddy calm down now. this album cover fucks.
day 12: i’m conflicted on little simz since i know she’s well reviewed and critiqued but the couple albums i’ve heard before have done nothing much for me. open mind tho for this. unfortunately first couple songs ive quite disliked, the overdone vocal effects and beyoncé-esque bassy instrumentals on most songs here just aren’t for me. selfish is great tho! finally feeling nice. rest is whatever. finding that most of the writing comes half assed and kind of just meaningless? like anyone or their dog could come up with these lyrics. a lot of it is very ‘i’m 14 and this is deep.’ production on pressure sounds alright, i do love little dragon. beat on therapy sounds good as well, just uninterested in the vocals or writing. think i’m struggling most with the whole fast rap schtick. always have for most rap, feel like ive only ever heard twista pull it off consistently.
concluding thoughts: just wish she had more vocal emotion and range, the deadpan one note delivery im already tired of after one song. the features with the nice backing soulful vocals littered across the album help massively but would be nice from simz herself. production is better in the 2nd half but some of the songs in the first half really have no redeeming factors.
day 13: have listened to barely any pre-66 beatles so excited for this. think there’s definitely a big shift between their sound here compared to the later albums, much more of a 60s style boyband/pop/love song approach, very little abstractism. it’s nice! nothing is even 3 mins long, just short sharp sweetly written pop songs. much more harmonising, all sounds nice, paul sounds brilliant on till there was you. all i’ve got to do is another highlight for me, really feels sweet and sombre and blushy. lots of bob dylan influence here too, harmonicas and bluesy/folksy sections. you really got a hold on me is another lovely ballad too, really really dig the 3/4 harmonies. if there was a bechdel test for dudes then they are not passing it with this album lol. real rolling stones vibes on i wanna be your man, i hate ringo disregard cuz he sounds awesome. every single song is so earwormy and catchy, seriously nothing im not loving here. while the concepts are simple and substance is limited, it’s all perfected in a tight 30 mins. scrummy!
day 14: pretty decent 80s pop, some nice experimental droney stuff going on too. kate bush influence goes hard.
day 15: very nice! bardy singing on folky tunes.
day 16: too soon for another arcade fire album eeee. first song is on another level and second song follows suit. the rest passes along fine. some very averagely boring stuff draws this out (do not need to have 16 songs). there is for sure a better 10 song album in here somewhere. it’s no funeral but it’s better than neon bible.
day 17: super interesting, adore lots of these soundscapes. autism overload brian eno and david byrne, literally the combo made for me. really love all the rootsy/afro-inspired tribal vocals and Eastern production influences, just beautiful mix of all sorts of inspirations. gonna study the hell out of future shit with this one.
day 18: so nice and soft, gentle and calming. i love country like this, it brings sense of loneliness but a welcome one. willie has a perfectly nostalgic voice which feels like i’ve been listening to him for years, even though this is my first experience of his music. no big standouts but rather a collection of imaginative poetry, strings, cozy percussion and keys. i won’t listen to this all the time, but it feels special.
day 19: one of my favourite voices in music i love ms apple. i adore when the pawn and bolt cutters, and this is real close to those in quality. never has she been as ANGRY as on this one, but it comes as a gentle catharsis and a necessary evil. the music is super varied, drawing from jazz and soft rock like all of her albums, but also touching on dreampop, reggae and classical. as expected the melodies are the highlight. the hits are hits and everything else sounds great too. especially a nice touch on many of the songs finishing with 2+ min instrumentals, fantastic atmosphere.
day 20: pretty decent jangly aussie pop rock. fits the era and sounds nice. not something i’d seek to listen to again and again but a good album from an average era of music. maybe a little bloated of samey-sounding songs but not many criticisms. really like this album cover tho, reminds me of talk talk.
day 21: i want his jacket it looks awesome. great album! bit of soul to wake me up on an early morning, jazzy and heartening. lyrics are sweet and loving and the instrumentals match as such.
day 22: everyone’s favourite album they’d like the avoid. not sure how this is 2nd highest selling album ever??!?!!?! it’s not bad but it’s really average at best for the era and sound. i’ve never cared for the title track, couple of the other quieter more acousticy ones sound alright tho. the wasted time (reprise) was the best part lol, pure string section which probably wasn’t even the band. try and love again also sounds decent. just more than half the songs boring as shit lol.
day 23: very nice blend of all sorts of founding genres. guitar work is fantastic, vocals are great, backing bang sounds good right through. crowd noises do work as well, adds to the fun environment. don’t think this one speaks too much to me however. songs are def a bit samey and no particular ones shine through. still good!
