Oct 14 2025
Boston
Boston
Boston actually accomplishes that classic rock sound from the 70's/80's that makes a lot of those bands sound monotone, but adds variance into their music, continuously twisting the sound. Most of the songs still suffer from being 5+ minutes long with repeating refrains that play better at a concert than listening in the background. More than a Feeling and Peace of Mind will always be classics though.
3
Oct 15 2025
Garbage
Garbage
I've never even heard of the band Garbage before, and now I desperately want this on vinyl for background music. I'm not sure how I missed them, but I can immediately hear their influence throughout so many alternative rock and grunge bands I'm into. They had a sound similar to Smashing Pumpkins but shifted more towards Nirvana's grunge, but with a female vocalist who fucking crushed it. The songs didn't seem like lyrical genius to me at all (except for Stupid Girl, which was ironically one of my least favorite songs). Queer was my overall favorite despite my love of Vow. I highly recommend listening to the opening of Vow with headphones, the sound balancing is awesome, but then they add a tinnitus sounding effect that hurts the headphone experience.
5
Oct 16 2025
Hunky Dory
David Bowie
This album was not my jam. The lyrics continuously were creative, powerful, and captivated my attention. But the singing + instruments just sounded discordant to me frequently. The slower songs tended to be the ones I enjoyed the most which was more like listening to David Bowie recite poetry with a guitar.
Highlight: Life on Mars. I wasn't a big fan of sound, but the lyrics were a superb story process:
"Take a look at the lawman
Beating up the wrong guy.
Oh man!".
2
Oct 17 2025
Tommy
The Who
oodness that was a dark experience. This might be only album where I actively hate every song but one, and I still want to give it 5/5 stars. This is not a musical album, this is dark musical theater you can listen to instead of watch. I was ready to write this album off as a 1/5 stars, this music sucks, about 7 songs in. But I started getting invested by "Christmas" immediately followed by "Cousin Kevin". Towards the latter part of the album, I couldn't focus on the other stuff I was doing, I was just sitting there listening to this musical. I'm still not convinced a good way to write a musical is via a feature length album, but I have to give it to The Who for how innovative that is in 1969.
Each song by itself was awful though with the sole exception of Pinball Wizard (which has a much darker twist to it now that I've heard its full album). However, I really don't think The Who cared about making the music all that good. I'm hard pressed to believe there's a single person on the planet that thinks "Fiddle About" is a good song for its music as opposed to its importance to the albums story. The numerous 20-30 second songs spread throughout the album seem to cleanly separate the "acts" of this "show", and summarize the next steps in the story for people not paying close attention, a really nice touch (even though the songs suck).
4
Oct 20 2025
Dookie
Green Day
While not much of a Green Day fan, can’t deny their longevity and that they made the occasional jam, Dookie being their biggest and breakout album is very much both a time capsule of its era and is inviting enough to new listeners to become fans. Overall, a solid great album with any potential low points being totally carried by the terrific and iconic hits and other more personal songs.
Favorite song: Longview
Disliked song; the last one
5
Oct 21 2025
Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
Highlights: killer queen, flick of the wrist, lily of the valley, in the lap of the gods, stone cold crazy
Lowlight: Brighton rock, now I’m here
I always felt Queen were the biggest example of a band who people know the hits, but the albums weren’t as well known so I was excited to do this one.
Off to a bad start with Brighton Rock tho. As much as I can enjoy the last few minutes, the intro is a hard hurdle to jump over, so can see a skip and just start with absolute banger
“Killer Queen” is Queen manifest. Felt like it expresses the entire greatness of the band in 3 minutes to have people decide whether they are in, and with how popular they are, it worked. While I’m not a big fan of Ternmsntrment Funster, I’m always down for other member to have at least a song on the album.
Flick of the wrist is a sinister almost Saturday morning cartoon rocker/villan song vibe that I’m in, and lily of the valley is a sweet lil number showing off their biggest attribute, Freddie’s voice
Now I’m here, I’ll be honest, doesn’t do anything for me. It just feels like background music montage for a movie with a band traveling. Just felt very generic.
Lap of the gods slaps I love it. Their experiment with Abstract celestial space rock, trying to fit in with Bowie or other cosmic rockers. Stone cold crazy is all gas and no breaks with protothrssh riffs and just as quick burst of vocals, showing they do more tbh e. Rock the opera.
Admittedly, while I did enjoy dear friends and misfire, the remaining tracks just didn’t do anything for me, with bad Leeroy brown getting a bit on the annoying vibe, despite me enjoying music hall
Either way, still think that, while the album can be scattered in genres, it’s an overall excellent album that would start the bands ascent to rock legends.
4
Oct 22 2025
Songs From The Big Chair
Tears For Fears
I looked up what big chair meant and saw that it was a reference to an older movie and how a character called the chair that they sit in for therapy as “the big chair
The overall theme of the album to me seems to me just experiences or different kinds of sessions or conversations one might have with their therapist or issues that they are working on. I think it shows just the way lift of ToF by having this theme while producing some generational bangers
Shout, with its repeating chorus and synths wave, it’s up an equally moody and powerful anthem. Wether in your car, in a session, or at a concert, it’s an uniform g Carson call to make yourself known by shouting
Working hour has goddamn wonderful sax intro and throughout. It sticks the most with the therapy theme since a session might usually be an hour with the refrain of “Find out what the fear is about”.
Everybody wants to rule the world is already iconic just at the guitar intro followed by frognizible synth and increasing smoothly delivered message of world domination and control. Passing sinister over tones as a pop hit isn’t new, but this is surely might be the biggest hit to do so
Mothers talk: with exploding drums and fast synth, there’s a lot of energy and I’m fascinated with the journey of the song takes me. Seemingly about war “when the weather starts to burn then you’ll know you’re in trouble” while not as well put together and smooth as last tracks it’s a welcome change
“I believe”: a jazzy introspective break to all the 80s synth. “Broken “ doesn’t do too much for me. A short two minute jam that not only introduces next track but lifts the hook and some lyrics from the next one. Forgettable imo
“Head over heels” my fave track. From the opening hook, it sets the tone for being completely enamored with someone, while your feelings aren’t necessarily being reciprocated. An amazing vocal performance even with the ending “la la”.
Listen doesn’t reallly do much, I feel like it’s background music and while the ending refrain is nice I don’t think j I’d go back litening
Overal this is an enjoyable album from to start to finish with nothing I would overtly skip, maybe end early to skip Listen. An amazing piece of introspective work well gilded with 80s pop synth scene to become timeless. The hour is up,
5
Oct 23 2025
Music Has The Right To Children
Boards of Canada
3
Oct 24 2025
Palo Congo
Sabu
Highlights: El Chumbanchero. Billumpa-Palo Congo. Thapsodia Del Maravilloso
Lowlights: Simba
4/5
What a refreshing and amazing set of Cuban rumba music. It sounds sophisticated and more advanced then I would have thought for the time period, so that’s one of the many surprise.
The drums are fantastic on every track, which is good cuz there are a whole lot of em. If you don’t like this kind of music then I can see the album being a bust but every track was either okay, or fantastic
The rhythm, the beats, the guitar, the shouting, everything added to make this such an awesome listen to.its an album that compels you to move, to dance and to experience and enjoy life, it’s not one to be listened to politely sitting down
4
Oct 27 2025
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
I’m gonna be completely honest, this was hard album to listen to. I can respect that the profiles are good musicians, and that the lyrics and messages their songs convert can be full of heart and sadness and cheer. But this genre of music is just unappealing to me completely.
The flutes, accordion and banjo combo with the snare, this sort of Celtic punk is just produced an instantly skip neuron in my brain that has me itching for the next track, despite it sounding more of the same
Like there’s some noticeable differences were things were different, like “Turkish sing of the dammned” and “Fairytale” but ultimately everything would come back to central sound that after so many tracks just after to sound irritating
Again, good musicians, poignant words and if you can connect/dance/chant, then more power to you. But it’s something I’ll be leaving as a distant memory.
1/5
1
Oct 28 2025
3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
absolutely loved this album. Such a mix of high energy funk, soothing R&B. Each song, while carrying the same genre, sounded unique, refreshing and was a joy to listen to.
From the recognizable “That lady” to the pleading and aching “don’t let me be lonely tonight and the pulsating drums “ifyou were there”. Sunmer breeze is an excellent track that really does smoothe despite the hot summer air still kind of in the air
This was a great album to listen to on a Monday.
5
Oct 29 2025
Rust Never Sleeps
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Lowlight: thrasher, ride my llama, welfare mothers
Highlights: everything else
Neil Young was someone I never listened to much until my mid 30s, so was happy to hear something I hadn’t heard from him yet. I loved this album and its messages of trying to reclaim yourself and violence that’s just imbedded in American culture.
Splitting it between acoustic and electric is probably just a hold out from the record flipping days of one side being acoustic and the other electric.
My my hey hey, is a song I have heard and I liked the wise but not tired message of trying to maintain your fire and if not, better to burn out then fade. Thrasher is just a bit too long and ramble and as much as I like Neil young, space music is not his forte and ride my llama is proof
Pochhonfas was interesting in the sense that he’s of two spaces in time, being a Native American time during American expansion and talking to Marlon Brando. Sail away is a bit more fun, which is a nice break between all of the heaviness.
Powderfinger blasts in with the guitar and the unfortunate story of a young boy being forced to war. Welfare mothers honestly, got kinda boring and reparative
Sedan delivery was fast and hard and rocking that you need before the last proto grunge track of hey hey my my.
It’s not my favorite Neil young album(Harvest, everybody knows, and on the beach juggle for the top spot) but this was a great continuation of his work and showed that despair being like a decade on the music business he could still make meaningful, striking, melodic and loud bangers
4/5
4
Oct 30 2025
Destroy Rock & Roll
Mylo
I really like the club sounding beats on Destroy Rock & Roll, but I cannot forgive the DJ style samples Mylo uses. I'm sure it makes for great showman-ship in person, but listening to a recording it does not help. I either dislike the sample altogether, or if I do like it, it massively overstays its welcome (looking at you "Destroy Rock & Roll").
2
Oct 31 2025
The Sounds Of India
Ravi Shankar
That was a really cool experience! Normally I would hate an artist speaking at the beginning of their tracks, but this "album" listens like a study of classical Indian sounds, and that carries a very different vibe. It's like exploring a different culture of sound, and I was particularly intrigued when Ravi contrasted it to Western music saying that you shouldn't expect a "melody", and compared it more to Jazz. In the past I've heard a fair amount of Indian ambient music, and this seems like a more "pure" classical take. Overall I did not enjoy the music, but this is the kind of ear opening album that I cherish the opportunity to listen to once. 4/5
4
Nov 03 2025
It's Blitz!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I was very excited for a Yeah Yeah Yeah's album. The songs I normally listen to from them as typically much more upbeat and I think the singer Karen O does a really great job with that sort of breathy sound. However I was surprised by the amount of slower songs on this album, and while I didn't like them all (Skeletons was a miss for me), it did show me another side to a band I like that I didn't even know existed. No hot takes here, my favorite is the ever popular Heads Will Roll. Overall 4/5
4
Nov 04 2025
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Beautifully funky. There's few times where I love heavy bass as much as Red Hot Chili Peppers. I have absolutely no idea what they're singing about 90+% of the time, but it's still fun to listen to them, and there's so many bangers on this album: 5/5.
5
Nov 05 2025
A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
3
Nov 06 2025
Technique
New Order
2
Nov 07 2025
Horses
Patti Smith
No thank you, 1/5.
I'm a big defender that an "album" doesn't just have to be pure music, and I am absolutely willing to rate an album well if the experience was thought provoking or enjoyable in some creative alternative way. So I feel I was open minded when I realized this album was more aligned with poetry than traditional music. However, I imagine the song "Birdland" would be similar to the result of putting an 8 year old on a stage and telling them to make up a song on the spot, and telling a very competent pianist to try and keep up with the made up songs direction.
1