a jazzy blusey nick drake, solid air is a sort of folk and soul combination that feels both effortless and deeply personal. the songwriting gives an air of late-night introspection, which alongside john martyn's almost slurred vocals, feels intimate and loose in the best possible way.
4.5/5
lush instrumentals and bright harmonies. delightful and whimsical 60s british psychedelic pop. despite moments of repetition, with several tracks seeming to blend into one, the distinctive sound is nostalgic and evocative of the era; go-go boots, mod dresses and the zebra crossing on abbey road came to mind.
3/5
always love a concept album. insane guitar. feel like i could critique the type of nihilism that seems to permeate most of the songwriting, at times more self-pitying than self-aware which can get repetitive. masterful use of samples; war broadcasts and sound bites of domestics encapsulate the mood and concept. the transition to acoustic guitar and haunting violin on ‘is there anybody out there’ feels as if the album takes a quiet moment, not of relief, but of more reserved despair. loved it. not sure i liked the almost musical theatre-esque ending to the album though.
3.5/5
there is something entirely entrancing about the way joplin commands attention through her voice; so bluesy, gritty and saturated in personality. it’s sort of impossible to believe pearl was released posthumously, it feels so alive and vibrant, even in it’s more contemplative moments. imagine she had so much more to give to the world.
4/5
depressing, paranoid and anxious. kid a is existentialism in album form; music for when you wake up sour, ‘sucking a lemon’. an angsty meditation on digital/technological isolation. so beautifully textured and multifaceted, it defies any attempt to categorise it. the little word-focused analyser in me always struggles with radiohead’s disparate lyrics and frequent lack of cohesive song meaning, but the sonic experience of the album is so unbroken, fluid and pervasive, it’s one where i sort of just resign to the experience instead. love love love.
5/5
poignant narrative-led, almost confessional exploration of morality, masculinity and faith in a racially stratified america. always going to struggle with the over-sexualisation of women though. perhaps done to expose the distorted gender dichotomy/dynamics and violent toxic masculinity of the world he depicts, but with knowledge of his broader discography and tendency to sort of moralise female sexuality and objectify women, i question this a bit. the production itself, though, is so smooth. not the biggest fan of kendrick's voice, but the samples (especially beach houseee), deep bass, and interspersed jazz and soul elements compensate.
2.5/5
feigned evangelical preaching and buzzing polyrhythms, the album feels like a manic search for meaning. beginning with the frantic and fractured declarations of identity in ‘born under punches’, and ending with the slow churn of ‘the overload’, it both lyrically and sonically takes you on a journey across this urgent spiritual/philosophical search, only to conclude in a sort of existential exhaustion. delicious!
4.5/5
i feel like i would have enjoyed this one a lot more in a different mindset. unfortunately i just felt anxious the entire listen. love 90s house usually but something about the density and atmosphere just didn’t land.
2.5/5
i liked this one way more than i thought i would. clever and atmospheric sampling of movie dialogue frame the lyricism, which carries a really interesting religious and political subtext. allusions to five percent nation ideology? would be cool to dissect lyrics more.
3/5
grand production but left no memorable impression. the entire album sort of passed me by despite its density.
2/5
so quintessentially 80s in all the ways i dislike most about the era; glossy synths, macho posturing, and overblown guitar work. no substance, just feels like white american redneck music.
2/5
very interestingly textured from the outset; the production on ‘offence’ is super layered, perhaps a bit crowded at times, but compelling regardless. did find myself cringing at specific lines. girlbossed a little too close to the sun with 'i'm a boss in a fucking dress!'. adore cleo sol and her voice is a gorgeous, grounding presence on 'selfish', a soft antithesis to little simz's fire. overall intriguing production but perhaps not refined enough, and lacking in lyricism.
2.5/5
music for the lover boys! super sweet and fun album from a time when the beatles were still very merseybeat. no irony or complicated layers, just warm harmonies and feelings.
3.5/5
kate bush feature was the best thing about this album.
3/5
a new favourite i think! gentle, sharp and quietly radical. just encapsulates everything i love about folk.
5/5
hm i think the fact we just had a mediocre arcade fire album didn't help my mindset going in but once again, i just felt disinterested and bored.
2/5
