1001 Albums Summary

You Know I’m No Good is really fun to play on guitar! Very complex for a modern album. A lot of the melodies sound old, like they should’ve been written years ago—they sound like something everyone knows and starts randomly humming. Sad she died :( Favorite songs are Rehab, You Know I’m No Good, and Back to Black. I liked it even more than I did the last time I listened. Just Friends is a pretty good song but it does feel a tad bit like filler, even if it is still amazing. Tears Dry On Their Own definitely inspired Olivia Rodrigo. Feels timeless. The songs are relatively short but still give themself time to develop as if they’re eight minute songs. Is the album cover supposed to be like a school chalkboard? It looks cool but I’m confused. Great album sequencing. Both the beginning and ending were perfect. Beautiful vocals. Sax is cool.

Another one I’ve heard before! Great themes. Definitely the best reggae album of all time. Great bass.

This is the first I’ve gotten that I haven’t listened to before, so interesting to go in without any preconceived notions. Listened at 1 am after taking a melatonin and now I understand why people would trip to The Beatles and such bc boy was it an experience. It starts off really strong with one of the most perfect opening 30 seconds I’ve heard. I’m big on a good opener (Dark Fantasy by Kanye West, Violet by Hole, Rehab by Amy Winehouse, Burnout by Green Day, Bombtrack by RATM, and Kill The Poor by Dead Kennedys are some of my favorites) so this was great. His voice did shock me a bit bc of how rough it sounded, but that is quite understandable given that he was frickin dying. Man, I’m sad he died. We lost him, Bowie, and Prince all in one year, along with a bunch of other people. His voice did grow on me. It fits the somber feeling of the album, like something ancient telling a story. It’s really a deeply spiritual work about death and life. The line “I’m ready my lord” almost had me crying. I’m a sucker for religious people using religious imagery in a dark way, as I love religion but dislike the typical “it’s so great and carefree yay God :)” that’s all too prevalent. That sort of lyricism sung over the worship chord progression just has no meaning to me, as somebody who does care deeply about their religion. (“Save” by Tyler Joseph is a great song that is deeply religious but actually means something, btw, so 100% recommend that.) It definitely makes me want to listen to more of him because I find his relationship with religion very interesting. I’m Christian but ethically and culturally Jewish, and my interest in learning about the history of both has led me to blend some Jewish interpretations of scripture into my religion. He was Jewish but blended some ideals of Christianity and Buddhism into his religion and he wrote beautifully about those beliefs. My favorite song was definitely Treaty—I knew that just about the second I heard it—and the reprise at the end only cemented my liking for it. The lyricism is beautiful and connects to the theme in such an emotional way. The songwriting is excellent. The piano with the build up of violins gives a sense of almost breaking free and just being stopped short, which fits beautifully. The lyric that stuck out to me the most was: “I heard the snake was baffled by his sin/He shed his scales to find the snake within/But born again is born without a skin” Just from a purely technical standpoint—ignoring the obvious religious imagery and sense of connecting to the root of sin—making all the repetition of words flow naturally is impressive. A lesser lyricist would have had this come off as clunky. This album is certainly an acquired taste, and isn’t something I’m adding to any daily rotation playlists. But that’s just because it’s so utterly haunting and rough. I can’t do this review without comparing it to Black Star, so here’s the obligatory mention of that, but it also reminds me of After the Gold Rush by Neil Young—it isn’t trying too hard, it sounds stripped back (despite the string section), and it just showcases pure emotion and songwriting talent. It’s eerily human and as quiet as death itself. I went into this project with the following rating system: 1-Awful 2-Okay 3-Good 4-Great 5-One of the greatest albums ever that defined the course of music/its genre. Which is why I gave Exodus five stars, as it’s the best of its genre, but Back to Black only four stars, as—while amazing as it is—it didn’t define soul or jazz in the same way. But I think I’m going to throw away my historical sensibilities here and give it five stars. I can’t not. To recap: Favorite songs: Treaty, You Want it Darker Least favorite songs: N/A Rating: 5/5 Similar albums: Blackstar, After the Gold Rush

I’ve listened to this one before and it’s awesome. Feels like a big party. I’m big on whammy bars so this is great. The cover of You Really Got Me was really interesting. They complexified (is that a word?) it and made it very much their own, and I think it’s a testament to how hard rock drew from a lot of the same influences as punk, despite the fact that it’s a lot more glam and a lot more complex and high-concept. The cover of Ice Cream man is equally as interesting. It provides a dynamic shift at the perfect time, right where I find myself growing a bit tired of the consistent high energy levels. The vocals are impressive and I love blues rock. Eruption is my favorite track. And yes, I do play guitar, and I am quite annoying. The suspense of the opener, Runnin With the Devil, is really well done. It starts on this low, almost creepy note then devolves into a total party. I love the little bursts of guitar noodling throughout. It gives a sense of spontaneity to the whole thing. The production definitely sounds a lot like Led Zeppelin II. I’m the One (like the Descendants!) definitely has a Black Sabbath influence at times, and more whammy bar, and that fun bridge part! Feels like live music and I love live music. The vocals are also incredibly impressive. I can’t take myself seriously when I hum so being able to make those vocalizations and make them sound raw requires a lot of confidence, as well as talent. The sort of raw, party-like energy of it reminds me a lot of Appetite For Destruction, except I find GNR obnoxious so this is way better (tho they are objectively good I guess…sigh…). GNR sounds like frat boys but Van Halen comes off as more punk. Ofc, the closer On Fire is also perfect. It seems like an almost call to arms…not, like, politically, but just because they wanna have fun. It perfectly sums up the rest of the album. To recap: Favorite songs: Eruption, Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love, Atomic Punk, On Fire Least favorite songs: Feel Your Love Tonight (still a banger though) Rating: 4/5 Similar albums: Led Zeppelin II, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, Appetite For Destruction

The only Curtis Mayfield I’ve listened to before was his self titled, so this should be interesting! The album cover is phenomenal. I actually remember having to write a little essay about it in fourth grade English class. Sadly, I don’t have time to write an in-depth review, but I will say: -Awesome production -Impressive vocals and instrumentals -The opening was really good and fitting -No songs really stuck out to me but as a whole the album felt cohesive -I’m torn between a 3 and a 4. I think it’s a three but I also don’t think I really listened as closely as I normally do. I’ll go with a 3, however, because I think that the fact I zoned out while listening is a testament to the fact that it wasn’t mind blowing. I’ll say 3.5 here though and I’m willing to change my mind with another listen. -I do love the lyrics. They’re very passionate and I liked how he threw in a religious song. -The closer was also really good. -Overall, nothing absolutely blew me away, but it was good and I enjoyed it.

Oooooooh got that Smoke on the Water riff triggering every Guitar Center employee. That’s also the only song I’ve previously listened to from this album. It was the second song I learned to play on guitar (first was Cherrybomb by the Runaways!), so I did hear it quite a few times while playing along with it. Just looking at the tracklist, I can already tell I won’t hate it. The tracklist is short, and I find that shorter tracklists usually yield higher quality songs—with the exception of concept albums or the miracle that is Songs in the Key of Life. The first song, Highway Star, isn’t an exceptional opening but it isn’t awful. That could be my bias, however, because I put a lot of weight on the opening of an album and I’m very judgmental about that. The song didn’t blow me away but I did like it. The guitar solos felt very bland and it honestly came off as a bit generic, but it wasn’t bad and I’d turn it up if it came on the radio, I guess. Maybe I’m a Leo is definitely a lot better, with a really great riff and great drum bits. It also provides a lower energy level that definitely makes the album more immediately engaging after the loud opening. The drumming is something that’s great throughout, with lots of fun fills. It provides a lot of life to the album. Pictures of Home is really enjoyable. The instrumentals and vocals are equally as impressive. And oh my God that bass solo holy crap. I definitely get a sense that they share many of the same inspirations as the White Stripes—I mean, obviously they do somewhat, but I mean they really did very, very strongly pull from the same influences. The riffs sound very similar to those in White Blood Cells specifically, and obviously that Smoke on the Water riff is a lot like Seven Nation Army. That said, I’d rather listen to the White Stripes. Maybe it’s because I like punk, and they combine a lot of punk influences with blues, but I feel like they have a lot more energy. Similarly, in terms of sort of early metal, I would much rather listen to Black Sabbath. Ozzy’s voice has so much more life to it, and the—for lack of a better word—aesthetics of their sound is much more interesting, with all the dark imagery and dirge-like riffs. Anyway, yeah, Smoke on the Water is great. The famous riff, obviously, but also that little bass bit. They use bass very well. That said, I wish it had a bit more…passion. The keyboard on Lazy is amazing. It—alongside the drum fills and the bass solo—is the most interesting thing on the album. Space Truckin’ is amazing. The drums are incredible and the palm muted bits sound like the most fun the guitarist has had this whole album. But the vocals still just kind of lack any sort of unique energy. I think what really bothers me about this album is that nobody sounds like they really care. I can’t imagine the guitarist having much fun with the soloing. I can’t imagine the vocalist putting a ton of emotion into any performance. The rhythm section does sound really good and like they’re having fun, but it doesn’t make up for the dullness coming from the very people carrying the melody and meat of the song. It’s good, but I’d just much rather listen to something else. That said, I did enjoy the album. And I give them a lot of credit for laying an essential part of the groundwork for metal. That’s impressive in its own right and anyone interested in music history should listen to this album. And, if you’re just starting out on guitar, definitely learn Smoke on the Water—tho there are some other good ones for a first song, like Johnny Cash’s cover of Hurt, I Wanna Be Your Dog by The Stooges, Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes, American Jesus by Bad Religion, Minor Threat by Minor Threat, and Teenage Wh*re by Hole. Overall, my views on this boil down to: good songs, very influential, pretty emotionless though. To recap: Favorite songs: Pictures of Home, Smoke on the Water, Lazy Least favorite song: Highway Star Similar albums: White Blood Cells, Elephant, Paranoid Rating: 3/5 stars

I’ve heard a lot about this one. I know the history about the album cover and such, and I know a lot about the Arctic Monkeys, but the only album I’ve listened to by them has been AM. The opening few seconds of Whatever People Say I Am album is really good, with some fun drums leading to a catchy riff and a great bass line. Emphasizing bass in a song is something I really love so I already liked this. But, I will say that, in its whole, The View from the Afternoon is a bit of an odd choice for an opener. It has that pause in the middle, which really slows things down, whereas initially the track seems to be going for a more energetic, punchy feel. It’s not a bad song, it’s just an odd choice in the listing as a whole that I feel wasn’t a good choice. The second song, I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, has a surprising punk opening. The first few seconds definitely sound like something out of Nevermind or maybe even a Minor Threat song, though the rest of it does slow down a bit. The third song, Fake Tales of San Francisco, continues the energy of the first two songs. It also has a really great storytelling aspect—which is something that’s pretty common throughout a lot the songs. The lyrics are really well-written. The build-up and sharp change in volume at the end of the song is also impressive. It’s the first truly dynamic part of the album. Dancing Shoes is also really good. It continues the energy with the lyrics, fun drums, and guitar solo. I actually think this would’ve been the perfect opener. It literally starts with a pop punk riff then goes “put on your dance shoes.” The melody on You Probably Couldn’t See is amazing, especially during the opening part where it has a layered sound to it. The riff on Still Take You Home is amazing. The opening sounds a lot like Dead Kennedys. They definitely wear their influences on their sleeves—the vocals are Jack White, the lyrics are The Strokes, and the guitar is a blend of punk and Brit pop, expressed through a garage rock edge. This album is an interesting bit of musical history, even without accounting for how they changed the way fanbases are built. Marduk Bum is pretty good. The riff is very addictive and adds a good amount of depth. The buildup with the drums and then the release into a solo-ish part that acts as a mirror for the riff is impressive and well-executed. Perhaps Vampires… has a very obvious Sonic Youth influence. Parts of it sound right out of Goo or Dirty. As it’s their debut, I guess they do lean pretty heavily on the specific sounds of bands that were inspirations for them—which is a very smart thing to do on a debut, when you’re not fully formed, but it also causes them to sound…well, not fully formed. They also definitely sound a bit like a British Fall Out Boy at times. I haven’t actually listened to Grand Theft Autumn, and if FOB did inspire Arctic Monkeys it would likely primarily be through that because that was 2003, but it does definitely sound a lot like From Under the Cork Tree, which came out the previous year—the lyrics about dancing and romance, the long song titles, the vocal edge, the pop punk-inspired riffs. From the Ritz uses dual guitars really well. That’s something that’s pretty consistent throughout the album, in fact—there’s a lot of great layered and call-and-response guitar parts that add a lot of interesting elements to the song. A Certain Romance is great. The opening drums are so fun, and the guitar riff made me want to look up the tabs. It also has this almost ska rhythm to parts of it that’s just really creatively done. And the ending is instrumental part is amazing. Recap: Favorite songs: Dancing Shoes, A Certain Romance Least favorite song: The View from the Afternoon Comparisons/Similar albums: Goo, Dirty, White Blood Cells, Nevermind, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, From Under the Cork Tree, Is This It Rating: 3/5

I’ve listened to some of the songs from this album, but never the whole thing. I love Belinda Carlisle, though, and Heaven Is a Place on Earth is one of my favorite songs—partly due to its use in the Black Mirror episode San Junipero. The opening of the album is amazing, with a fun beat and instruments slowly being added. It’s a pretty perfect opening segment, and the rest of the song doesn’t disappoint. How Much More is also really good, with a fun guitar riff and chorus. I can definitely sense that it inspired Green Day and some of riot grrrl’s more melodic stuff, such as Bikini Kill’s Reject All American or Bratmobile’s Pottymouth. Tonite then pushes things to a more dramatic level, with a building melody and riff. The lyrics have some great imagery—albeit a bit stereotypical—and really serve the song well. Lust to Love continues the dramatics with a pounding drum and powerful melody with backing vocals. This is definitely a song where you can really tell how much they inspired Madonna—specifically Like a Prayer, with its pop/rock sound. This Town is similar to Tonite, but with a lot more diverse of a sonic palette. It’s very dynamic, with a perfectly-placed instrumental segment. And then, of course, you have We Got the Beat. This song is so fun and perfect to place right after a handful of more dramatic songs. I also love that it sort of gave the album its title. The next few songs add some emotion, alternating between extremely fun and upbeat to heartbroken and reflective. Even during the latter, however, nothing is ever slow. The ending doesn’t feel much like an ending, but that’s a good thing. It continues the upbeat feeling right up until the end, tempting you to listen once more. I have a lot of respect for what this album did for women in rock. While the Runaways and Joan Jett pioneered women in hard rock and showed that women had a space in traditionally male music and culture, this album made a space for combining traditional femininity and pop styles with punk, as well as helping to create a space that not only accepted women, but actually put them and their art front and center. Without this album, we likely wouldn’t have had Bikini Kill and the riot grrrl movement, or even female grunge bands such as Hole, L7, and Babes in Toyland. Even much of the fashion of the riot grrrl and kinderwh*re movements could be traced back to this album/band, with feminine clothes being introduced to rock. And it goes beyond rock and women in rock—you wouldn’t have Madonna without them, Green Day wouldn’t be the same without the influence of this album, and much of New Wave wouldn’t be the same. Recap: Favorite songs: We Got the Beat, How Much More, This Town Least favorite songs: N/A Comparisons/similar albums: Reject All American, The Runaways, Dookie, Live Through This, Celebrity Skin, Like a Prayer, Bricks are Heavy, Fontanelle, Pottymouth, Heaven on Earth Ranking: 4/5

I’ve listened to the hits from this one but not much more. I’ve been meaning to get into the Pixies, though, so I’m glad I got this album. The drums at the opening of this are perfect—feels almost like a war call. The rest of the song follows and doesn’t disappoint. The second song, “Break My Body,” is an oddly melodic admission of self-hatred. The third track follows this theme of anger, but instead of being aimed inward it’s about someone else, and it isn’t melodic at all—it’s full-on hardcore punk with screeching vocals that sound like they’re coming from the next room. Then Broken Face brings it back to melodic again, but with the most insane lyrics imaginable. Then, of course, there’s the two big songs from this album—Gigantic and Where is My Mind. The former has an amazing opening bass line and features Kim Deal on lead vocals. You can definitely hear the blueprint for later trends in indie and punk in this song. The latter is even more amazing, being the slowest the album ever gets. It has this great feel to it, like spinning in circles and floating away. The main riff and drums are especially exceptional. I could listen to this song on loop all day, and it’s a perfect midpoint for the album. The abrupt ending is really creative as well. Tony’s Theme is surreal, with references to childhood and an opening that sounds like (and likely influenced) Carnival by Bikini Kill. It’s fun and screechy and continues to be melodic. Oh My Golly! continues the pounding drums and garage sound, and Vamos (Surfer Rosa) continues the theme of having lyrics in Spanish, for some reason. Also, lesbians. It’s a great song. The last fifteen seconds of Brick is Red makes for a perfect ending. The instrumentals sound like they’re about to finish off, then rise, then stop almost suddenly. I’m not going to pretend to know what the lyrics are really saying. However, I love this kind of rambling style—the beat poetry movement, Hole’s Pretty on the Inside, most stuff by bands like Sonic Youth. I can’t help but like it, even if it’s really insane most of the time and I’m kinda wondering why he felt such a need to say some of the stuff he did out loud. I’m a huge Husker Du fan, so it’s cool to see a band inspired by them—and see that that band then went on to inspire the grunge revolution and some of the greatest musicians of not only alt-rock, but of the musical landscape as a whole. And this album is deeply influential. While I haven’t listened to Doolittle, the general consensus does seem to be that it was better, but because I haven’t listened to it I can’t really make a statement about that. So, having this album in my mind as THE Pixie’s album, this is a definite five stars. Recap: Favorite songs: Where is My Mind?, Gigantic, Tony’s Theme, Something Against You, Broken Face Least favorite songs: N/A Comparisons/similar albums: Zen Arcade, Pretty on the Inside, Nevermind, Goo, The Stooges, Dirt, Pablo Honey Rating: 5/5

I’ve listened to a song or two off of this before and I liked it, but I haven’t heard the whole thing. I’m a huge Beatles fan, and Paul McCartney is my favorite Beatle, so I assume I’ll like it. That said, I’m gonna try to separate the two, as it feels unfair to just think of this as just “kind of a Beatles’ album.” The first song starts off with a sort of easy-listening sound, instantly bringing the listener into a sense of comfort—and then, as the lyrics start, a description of claustrophobia as the music builds. I love how, as the song transitions into Jet, it keeps the melody of Band on the Run into the instrumentals. It’s really creative and makes it feel really cohesive. Bluebird is silly. Quite whimsical. I can’t quite take it seriously. It’s still a very enjoyable listen, though, and would make a great kid’s song. Mrs. Vanderbilt is amazing. It’s the perfect blend of dramatic, somber, catchy, and drunk-feeling. The opening instrumentals are amazing and the melody and storytelling throughout are fantastic. The guitar/sax solos and little drum fills make for plenty of space for the song to both build and decompress. Mumunia, No Words, and Picasso’s Last Words slow the album down a bit, the most interesting of the three being the latter. The other two are well-done but nothing special. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five is an amazing closer and the best song on the album. It’s the one I was most familiar with as well. The opening instrumentals and vocals are particularly amazing. It’s somehow both somber and something you can dance to, and it builds on itself really well. The callback to Band on the Run ties it together incredibly well, too—it makes you want to restart the album. The blend of jazz, pop, and arena rock in this album is very well-done. It all feels very natural and cohesive. There’s never a moment where a genre shift feels sudden or forced. Even though this album wasn’t made in great circumstances, it still doesn’t take itself too seriously—it’s both dramatic and lighthearted. It’s a good mix. Recap: Favorite songs: 1985, Band on the Run, Picasso’s Last Words Least favorite songs: N/A Comparisons: N/A Rating: 4/5

I’ve listened to Discovery before, but nothing else by Daft Punk. Discovery was fantastic and probably top 100 albums ever—arguably the best dance album ever. The album starts off strong, with this weird opening that seems to bubble and build through a swamp until it forms itself into a distinguishable beat. Just past the minute mark, it does get repetitive, but by the two minute mark the sound has warped once more into the original murkiness. Cut about ten seconds or so from this song and it’d be perfect. It then seamlessly transitions into Wdpk, which gives a great radio announcer-style introduction, before transitioning once more into Revolution 909, with a pulsing beat and sounds of people talking and police sirens—which fade into some fantastic EDM. The following songs are equally as catchy, with Da Funk being the main standout. Fresh has a nice build to it, with the sound rising in and out of murkiness so naturally that you barely even notice when it starts to change. Then there’s Around the World, the first with distinguishable lyrics, which honestly ended up being a bad thing, because if I hear “around the world” one more time (one more time, we’re gonna celebraaaaate~) I’m going to explode. Rollin and Scratchin has some…rolling and scratching. It makes the whole thing much more interesting because the music does get very repetitive, and this adds a fresh sound to it. Oh Yeah is the first song to use vocals in a way that isn’t annoying as hell. Then Burnin has a cool, zipper-like sound to it. Indo Silver Club has an intro I recognize from somewhere but can’t quite place…driving me crazy. Then Alive is pretty good. Funk Ad is good as a closer, but it also feels like a bit of an afterthought—like, “oh, this album should have an ending track—lemme make one real quick.” This album is definitely at its strongest using dynamic production, and at its weakest trying to incorporate distinguishable voices and lyrics. Overall, it’s a debut—it shows some awesome talent but it’s inexperienced. Recap: Favorite songs: Da Funk, Fresh, Rollin and Scratchin Least favorite songs: Around the World, Around the World, Around the World, Around the World, Around the World, Around the World, Around the World, Around the World, Around the World, Around the World Comparisons: N/A (Idk enough about this kind of music) Rating: 3/5

This was a fantastic album. It genuinely felt exactly like being in a little cafe in France…until suddenly there was a rap song? That was weird. The change was so sudden that I literally checked to see if I’d accidentally connected to someone else’s AirPods. It was still a great song, though, and it certainly made the album a lot more interesting. The instrumental tracks in this were also great—amazing piano and ambience.

I’ve listened to about half of this album before, as I thought I was going with somebody to see them live (we didn’t end up going, sadly). From what I remember, it was pretty good. The opening build of Blister in the Sun is a perfect way to start the album. The song is immediately catchy, despite not being blatantly melodic. It’s a short track that does a lot. It feels almost like it was recorded from a live performance. Kiss Off continues the raw style, and I get the sense that Against Me! was heavily influenced by this song/album. And then there’s the “This will go down on your permanent record!” which is something my mom quoted daily, so it’s part of my daily vocabulary at this point—alongside “I can pop you—like a pimple!” and “it’s a beautiful day for a barbequeeeeee!” Anyway, the build up with counting in Kiss Off is amazing. I’ve never heard anything like it. I’m not sure what made it feel so special, but it did. Please Do Not Go takes things in a slightly more folk direction, with a perfect flattening of energy and also a great little solo part. Add It Up starts with isolated vocals that are almost creepy, but the song quickly launches into being the most upbeat of the album so far. I also see similarities between this song and Radiohead—specifically Paranoid Android. The builds, raw vocals and lyrics, and acoustic guitar are all pretty similar. When he says “Take a look now, look what your boy has done/He's walking around like he’s number one” it also sounds exactly like the vocals/melody from a Sonic Youth song, too—particularly reminding me of Cinderella’s Big Score. Confessions has a sing-song-y quality to it. It sounds like something drunk sailors would sing. The vocals are incredibly emotional and moving. It also feels like it inspired Sonic Youth. And those drums that enter around the 3:20 mark are great. This whole track is amazingly dynamic and cathartic. Prove My Love is then amazingly lighthearted, somehow glueing an upbeat folk tune to the end of a deeply emotional and disturbing song without making either sound out of place. It evens uses clichés—I’d climb a mountain, I’d cross an ocean—with such purpose it twists the irony into its own complete thing. The opening of Promise sounds like the opening of a Green Day song. A lot of this also feels like it inspired The Pixies, with the raw, unfiltered lyrics and vocals and the mix of punk energy and folk instrumentation. It also sounds like it was inspired by Patti Smith. Recap: Favorite songs: Blister in the Sun, Kiss Off, Add It Up, Confessions Least favorite songs: N/A Comparisons: Reinventing Axl Rose, OK Computer, Goo, Surfer Rosa, Horses, Dookie Rating: 5/5

I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this guy before. I read a little about him and he inspired, like, everyone. You can hear it in the music, too. The piano and vocals of the opening, Sea Song, sound like something Bowie would write—and, add some more electronic elements, and it could be a Radiohead song. It’s beautiful and haunting, with stripped down production that makes it sound like you’re in the room with him. It’s a complete out-of-body experience. A Last Straw is beautifully dreamlike, with fuller production and bits that sound even more like Radiohead. It has a tense build to it that does feel like slowly drifting farther and farther out to sea. The little whooshing sound at the ending that somewhat leads into the opening of Little Red Riding Hood offers a wonderful change in dynamics as well. Little Red Riding Hood itself teeters the line between ambient and distractingly discordant—which pretty much sums up the whole album. It’s something you can let yourself be absorbed into, but first you have to become comfortable with the weirder bits. The bass in this song is also especially good. Alifib has beautiful instrumentals, and while I understand the reason for the repetitive, breathy vocals, I find them a bit annoying. I feel as if they could have shortened the intro by a good twenty or thirty seconds. That said, when the actual lyrics start, they’re quite beautiful. Alife continues the build, with some more interesting production and creepiness. The little drums itch something in my brain. The instrumentals are so interesting and the vocals are utterly devastating—I can’t quite explain them, but they are. The sax outro is fantastic. The final track, Little Red Robin Hood, continues the eerie feel, but chooses to build it up less with dynamics and more with tempo and energy. The repetition of “can’t you see them” is agonizingly desperate and the drums add a sense of urgency to the track—all before it fades into a slow dirge…and then it’s Scottish? The lyrics gain a bit of a political edge, and act as a grounding, bringing you back to earth after nearly forty minutes of discordant jazz and dreamy ambience. It’s a jarring ending, but it works quite well—especially with the sudden stop. I find it really interesting that this is from Domino. I don’t know, but seeing that it was released by the same label who released stuff by Arctic Monkeys and Wet Leg is kinda funny. MBV is also on Domino, though, so that at least is kinda similar. This album isn’t everyone’s thing, and that’s understandable, but as a work of art I do feel as if it is fairly objectively good, and it’s obviously influential. Much of music today wouldn’t be the same without this album. Recap: Favorite songs: Alife Least favorite song: Alifib Comparisons: Low, OK Computer, Daydream Nation, The Aeroplane Over the Sea Rating: 4:5

I love Bob Dylan. Admittedly, I haven’t listened to much of his stuff—just Highway 61 Revisited and The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan—but those two albums were fantastic and I go back to listen to them fairly regularly. This one immediately felt entirely different from those two. It sounded like Leonard Cohen’s You Want It Darker—the vocals are raspier and more mature—it was produced to sound less like a guy with a harmonica and guitar and more like something ambient you can lose yourself in. The lyricism is the only thing that really stays the same. The storytelling and descriptions of daily interactions are still there—and some clever lines, too, such as using “lovesick” to mean “sick of being in love.” The changes weren’t bad at first. The opening seconds of Love Sick made me think this would be one of the best albums I’d ever heard. But then it just…didn’t live up to expectations. It’s thoroughly heartbroken and regretful. It sounds like a goodbye. And the first few songs are excellent. They do dip in quality at times, but they remain emotional. The highs of this album are certainly quite high, and much of it felt like something that could just absorb me. The vocals are swamped with anger and sadness. But, gradually, they just start to drown in production. It becomes repetitive towards the latter half of the album. Listen, I’m a huge fan of long songs. I love experimental, no-wave, prog, jazz, ballads in general—everything from Green Day’s Jesus of Suburbia to Rush to Sonic Youth to Coltrane. But god, Highlands was too long. It was reaching for the heights of Desolation Row and fell incredibly short. The lyrics, once more, were excellent, but the instrumentals became repetitive. I was just waiting for it to end. Overall, the album was quite good, but it wasn’t impressive, and some of it was actively unpleasant. Recap: Favorite songs: Love Sick, Not Dark Yet Least favorite song: Highlands Comparisons: You Want it Darker Rating: 3/5

Oh, man. With the exception of a few songs, I do not like Smashing Pumpkins. Whoever told Billy Corgan he had a good voice should be in jail. That said, I don’t feel as if I’ll be too biased, bc they’re a genre I like and I do try really, really hard to like their stuff because they’re a band who, on paper, I should love—I just can’t get past those vocals. I don’t even care much about someone having a good voice but man I can’t stand him. The opener, Cherub Rock, has an excellent first thirty seconds that immediately hook you in. When the vocals begin, they aren’t…horrible. If they stay this inoffensive for the rest of the album, it might be an enjoyable listen. The song does begin to get boring at times, but they always swoop in and salvage it with some fun drumming. The distorted ending gives it a little extra flair that makes the transition into Quieter feel natural. Whatever that effect is on Quieter is excellent—and so are the melody and drums. It’s a shame that Billy Corgan has begun to lean into his more reptilian vocals. Also that guitar solo is out of place—it just doesn’t fit naturally into the structure and style of the song. Then there’s Today, which is undeniably fantastic. The lyrical and melodic juxtaposition is executed extremely well, and you can certainly see a lot of how they influenced MCR with this song specifically—the lyrical styles are incredibly similar, though MCR’s is better in my opinion because they use better storytelling and imagery as well as less ego. Hummer has an excellent instrumental intro, moving in and out of distortion and giving the song plenty of time to build. However, Corgan’s vocals are particularly atrocious here. I picture his voice as an exponential graph and its inverse, the former showing what his voice should sound like to maximize the song’s impact, and the latter showing what his voice actually sounds like. It not only sounds demonic, but also like it’s constantly trying to reach an energy level it can’t quite get to. Why couldn’t he stick to playing guitar/drums/bass/this-guy-played-everything and leave the vocals to someone else? He’s obviously a talented musician and songwriter, but god, put down that mic. Ultimately, it doesn’t give me a reason to choose it over similar albums. Nevermind had better vocals and more energy. Even though I’d put Trent Reznor in a similar class as Billy Corgan in terms of how much they annoy me, NIN was much more groundbreaking than SM and has better vocals. Anything by Sonic Youth is more complex and experimental, and—again—better vocals. Same with MBV. But I digress. Disarm has a fantastic arrangement. It’s a beautiful and transcendent song marred by that one point where he goes “Oooh” with more voice cracks than a middle school boy. I greatly appreciate the Brave New World reference in Soma, as Brave New World is my favorite book. It also continues the soft sadness from the last song, making for a good transition into Geek USA—which I strongly believe is the best track on here. The riffs are fantastic. Then there’s Mayonnaise, which has an amazing riff. This one is generally regarded as one of their best songs and I have to agree. Silverf*ck is pretty awesome, the empty sounding part did last a bit too long, but it was saved with a great ending. Sweet Sweet was great—soft, short, and stripped of the MBV-style overload of the rest of the album. Then came Luna, which I was hesitant about because Sweet Sweet seemed like such a good way to close the album. But it really did work out quite well. It might’ve been one of my favorite songs on the album because it was the only song that sorta fit that god awful reptilian voice. This album really just makes me sad. The instrumentals and songwriting are so strong but then Billy McNugget Corgan had to ruin them by speaking Parsletongue. However, the instrumentals are so strong that I can kinda ignore how awful his voice is. Really, the vocals are my only critique of this album—alongside the fact that those noodling guitar bits/solos should’ve been cut because they didn’t fit whatsoever. I could give this album one star. I could give it five. I think I’ll give it four because that’s what I feel it objectively deserves in terms of how my rating system works. I’d recommend it if you’d enjoy hearing a snake hissing over a well-done mix of MBV and Nirvana. This album did make me like Smashing Pumpkins more, but it also made me more annoyed at those dang vocals. Recap: Favorite songs: Today, Disarm, Geek USA, Silverf*ck, Luna Least favorite songs: Quieter Comparisons: Loveless, Nevermind, Dirty, The Downward Spiral Rating: 4/5

I believe this is the most recent album/band I’ve gotten by far. Sure, I got one from 2016, but that was Leonard Cohen, and he’d had a decades-long career beforehand. This band had their debut 2009, and this album came out 2017. I’ve honestly never heard of them before. I don’t follow much modern alternative because, honestly, I’ve found that the majority of it is really bland. The opening is pretty good. Odd production at the opening but my dislike could be a stylistic preference. When the beat starts, it’s quite good—reminds me of Portishead, but with less depth. Say Something Loving is pretty boring. The dual vocals are somewhat interesting, but, like…they get pretty old. The production is beginning to become grating. Same with Lips. It’s not that bad, but there’s just no soul. The production is way too much. It’s a minimalist style but somehow still manages to incorporate unnecessary elements. It feels like it’s trying to be transcendent, but it just falls flat. A Violent Noise is particularly flat, with an awful use of dual vocals. Dual vocals—especially with using both male and female vocals—can be done well, but this isn’t it. Something like Mary Christ or Death Valley ‘69 by Sonic Youth would be an example of a good use of this—or really anything by Sonic Youth. Or even looking towards features, with something like Don’t Hurt Yourself by Beyoncé, which features Jack White. They’re extremely different artists, but Jack White is brought on because his raw energy matches the raw energy of the track. Beyoncé sings in a way that matches his vocals as well, so it feels natural. Jack White’s vocals act as a break in the song to add some dynamics. With this album, however, it just feels as if they’re throwing it in just for the sake of it instead of using it to create more dynamic songs. Then there’s Performance, which has so many ambitions but falls on its face. The vocals are gorgeous, but sadly the production ruins it. This would be a good acoustic track, or a good track to really strip back on until the final build. But instead it feels like they just threw stuff in because why not? Replica is the first song that’s actually pretty good. The production is mature and the lyrics aren’t bad. It’s still very much elevator music, though. Brave For You is nothing music. It’s something that plays in the background of those inspirational videos they show at school assemblies and corporate meetings. There is a cool bass part, but that’s the only interesting thing. On Hold somehow manages to be worse. Then the final two tracks, I Dare You and Test Me, just kinda are the same as the rest. Going into this, my rating system meant that anything that wasn’t entirely unlistenable was at least two stars. But this has really convinced me to apply my “boring/soulless is worse than bad” ideology to my rating system. And that’s difficult. Who’s to say there’s no emotion here? I don’t know what these guys are thinking. I don’t know their emotions or motivations. But what art really does is convey emotions. It is meant as an outlet for expression. At least an awful poem by a middle schooler filled with cliche angst is genuinely from the heart and truly conveys what they are going through, allowing you to empathize. I have gained no empathy from this album. It does not let me connect with another living soul. It just sort of exists. So, even though I’m sure there’s emotion behind it, very little is expressed through the actual art. I’m sure some people will connect to what is there, but I’m not one of them. Similarly, there’s nothing new here. Most bad art at least have quirks that make it unique, but I hear ten songs exactly like the ones on this album on Alt Nation every time I go to the grocery store. There’s talent here. I try not to hate art (I mean, I haven’t given anything under a three) as long as it’s not a money grab or something that came from a place of bigotry/an embrace of clear immorality, so me giving this one star isn’t me hating anything—it’s me wishing those inclined towards creating art would stop being so safe with their creations. It really didn’t convince me that modern alternative isn’t boring. And I don’t mean that to say ALL bands/artists, of course—but a good majority. Honestly, I blame algorithms. Recap: Favorite song: Replica Least favorite songs: Lips, Performance, Brave For You, On Hold Comparisons: Dummy, Currents Rating: 1/5

As it’s Christmas Eve, I don’t have much time to sit down and write a review like I usually do. However, that may be somewhat appropriate for this album—it’s good, there’s no duds, but it didn’t make me feel much, nor did I listen to it and really feel a sense of artistry. That could be because I had to listen to it in segments, though. It does have a lot I like about Neil Young—the stripped-back feel, the mature songwriting—and most of the songs were genuinely catchy. It’s also extremely interesting to see the Godfather of Grunge make a 90’s album, especially given the last track: a plea for people to save the earth for the sake of future generations. In a way, this album is almost like him stepping back and letting the next generation of musicians and their political and cultural concerns take center stage. In giving this album a three because I don’t feel like it held anything special. However, I will say that I didn’t listen to it incredibly intently, so my general apathy towards it could be because of that.

Man I wrote a whole review and saved it but for some reason when it reloaded it brought me back to the review I had written for my previous album. Not sure what’s up with that, but this is certainly not Ragged Glory by Neil Young so I’m gonna have to just re-write this as a summary: It’s a Christmas album produced by a murderer. The songs are all covers everyone knows by heart. It’s impossible to review this thing objectively. I am not inherently anti-Christmas music. Carol the Bells and Little Drummer Boy absolutely slap. Most of the hymns do as well. Even the more secular and contemporary stuff can be good. But god, hearing Phil Spector talk over Silent Night does not make me very holly jolly—nor does the obvious financial motivation behind this album. Darlene Love was the only good part. She has such an impressive voice. Sorry for the negativity, have a great Christmas.

I’m a huge Beatles fan, but the only solo work I’ve listened to has been Band on the Run by Paul McCartney. I’m hoping this will be good, because it’s been six albums since a 5/5—and in those six I’ve had a one star and a two star. This may sound normal for a lot of rating systems, but comparing how I rate things with how others rate things, I’ve found that I often give higher scores on just about everything, so it sort of means everything I’ve been getting has been especially not awesome... Ok, I listened. Honestly, this album made me dislike John Lennon a LOT. I'm not going to talk much about the Elephant in the Room because I haven't done much digging into it, and I've seen a lot of contradictory evidence. I will say that I will always default to believing any accusations of that nature, but as this is a man who died years before I was even born, and whose legacy is already so complex and debated, I feel as if I don't have much to add to the discourse, so I'll try to stay away from it as much as possible. I also won't be talking about it in relation to his character with the exception of Jealous Guy. However, I will immediately bring up another controversy about the title track. It's so out of touch. It's not intellectually or artistically pretentious, but it is morally pretentious. Call me a crazy liberal/vegan, I guess, but I just don't think the guy who spends his millions on a special room for his fur coat collection has the right to just sit there and give his "I have a dream..." speech about peace and love and sharing wealth. Fur coats are even a step below eating meat, because at least meat is literally everywhere and can be necessary for people with certain health issues or for other animals. But fur coats are just a purely aesthetic indication of wealth. The fact that the three other Beatles are/were all vegetarian (with Paul McCartney being almost completely vegan), but John Lennon once bought eighty fur coats in a day just immediately bumps him down to my least favorite of the four. Not to mention, of course, the obvious moral misuse of wealth. Hearing it without background knowledge, however, this song is pretty good. The opening is a bit sudden, and I feel as if the song was placed here simply because it was obviously a hit rather than because it was a good opening sonically—though, lyrically, an argument could be made as it does summarize the themes of much of the album. I'm pretty neutral. Overall, it's a good song but nothing incredibly special. Crippled Inside does redeem it. In my opinion, it is better than the title track both in quality and in context. It's catchy and to the point while also bringing in some genuine artistry and freshness, which is what The Beatles do best. I also love how this song is so upbeat while having incredibly depressing lyrics. Then there's Jealous Guy, which is where I must reference that before mentioned elephant. It's unnerving. It's disturbing. It feels almost like satire. It's exactly what everyone warns you about, like in high school Health class where they tell you to ignore this exact plea for forgiveness and immediately get the hell out of there. It feels like something that'd be used in a domestic abuse prevention PSA. Sonically, the song is pretty good. You can hear the Phil Spector on it (which does NOT help the creepiness, by the way), and it doesn't actually work too badly on this song due to its slow, sad nature. The political messaging on Crippled Inside and I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier Mama are much better than that on Imagine. While Imagine is a very obviously flawed man going "why can't people be better," these two songs have more of a storytelling element to them, and talk from other perspectives that separate Lennon from the narrative. Gimme Some Truth...man, it's hard to be objective about this one. I'm obviously from a different generation. Maybe what he was saying was savage then, but I find it a bit...well, just not very powerful or anything. I agree with the politics obviously. The song itself has great, raw vocals and George Harrison's slide guitar is awesome. So is the "money for dope/money for rope" part. But the part where he just shouts out insults sounds like a kid who's not allowed to curse. Again, could be a generational thing. But there is something to be said about timelessness. I still resonate with the sentiments of songs like For What It's Worth, Ohio, Masters of War, etc—and some of those were from the decade before this. I do think a lot of the power is lost with the wall of sound production. There are a lot of lyrically simple political anthems such as this one that do have power—anything by Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, or the like. And if this song were a folk track or even a stripped-down electric pop/rock song, it would retain much more power. But instead of trying to build energy with harder strumming or solely vocals, the production does much of the work which really takes away a good majority of the weight behind his words. However, I do feel as if this statement is powerful coming from John Lennon. He was a major celebrity—one that was under much scrutiny and, during his time with The Beatles, control. Having him make such a bold political statement does hold a weight unto itself. The next notable track is the worst, and that is the infamous How Do You Sleep? The best way I've heard this song described is "bringing a gun to a fist fight." It's ridiculous. The lyrics are painfully immature and petty. I'd say the only part that really is "savage" is the opening line about Sgt. Pepper, which did immediately hook me in. There seems to be this unspoken rule that artists who became famous in a band do not reference that band in their solo work, and the breaking of this rule along with the obvious target of it are effective in getting the attention of the listener. The other awesome part was the reference to the "Paul McCartney is dead" conspiracy. While it is extremely—painfully—*excruciatingly*—petty, it may become my Roman Empire because wow is that a wild thing to write. That conspiracy in general is so fascinatingly outlandish and iconic in itself, and Lennon's addition to it is just spectacular. I will say, I am most likely biased because Paul McCartney is my favorite Beatle. Oh Yoko! makes for a pretty good ending track. It's a definite tone shift, which thematically brings the album to a close. Sonically, the upbeat simplicity of it also acts as a breaking away from the songs that preceded it. I would say cut Imagine, Jealous Guy, and How Do You Sleep?, and bring back the more stripped-down sound on the majority of the songs, and this would be a pretty solid album. However, Imagine and How Do You Sleep? carry the majority of this album's character, so it's difficult to treat them as one-offs, or duds, or filler—they populate much of the album's artistic and cultural breadth and therefore make it difficult to treat them as simple flaws. Similarly, the fact that Gimme Some Truth—another key track—falls short makes it evident that, whenever John Lennon attempts something great on here, he fails in execution The reason the other songs are pretty good seems to just be because they're simpler in concept. There’s a lot of genuine brilliance and genuine humanity in this album, but its ego-fueled failings often make the gems hard to notice. It’s a sad listen. John Lennon, both the human being and public figure, had such potential. But as what happens to most people, major problems with ego and wealth interfered with his human passions. This album is messy and self indulgent. It’s a man fighting against his own past and present and the legacy he knew was all too inevitable. It’s good art in the sense that it is genuine, but it’s blind art, and it’s art that needed more thoughtfulness and less surface-level, drug-fueled, egocentric rage. It’s the sound of a man falling apart. Recap: Favorite songs: Crippled Inside, I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier Mama, Oh Yoko! Least favorite songs: Imagine, Jealous Guy, How Do You Sleep? Comparisons: Band on the Run, Plastic Ono Band, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, Easter, Born to Run, Abbey Road, Buffalo Springfield, So Far, After the Gold Rush Rating: 2/5

Prior knowledge: I’ve heard of this band but never listened to them, so let’s see how this is. The Apple Music description of this described it as "like the Beach Boys had been raised on Grimm's Fairy Tales instead of the sunny California coast" which sounds really awesome. Review: I'm not particularly fond of more recent indie-folk, so this doesn't mean a lot, but I think this is some of the best indie-folk I've heard that came out since, like, 2005-ish. Of course, I haven't listened to a whole lot of it because I've found I don't enjoy it, but still—just based on what I've heard. The opener, Southern Point, sets the mood for the whole thing, with a solid first few seconds and some dreamy vocals and an excellent build. However, that mood is formulaically sustained throughout, making the album a bit one note: opening, plunky notes/chord with stripped-down production, soft vocals enter, more instruments are introduced along with fuller production, cool drum bit, and rise in tension and energy for a build up, then a short, few-second drop back to quiet to end the song. The second song, Two Weeks, is an obvious highlight, with that typical slow, atmospheric indie-folk/pop sound used in movie montages. Fine For Now does the build-up part of the formula better than any other song on here. It's beautiful, with excellent production and even a section that could, dare I say, be classified as a breakdown? While the album is getting a bit repetitive by the end of Cheerleader, Dory salvages it by changing things up, with an odd, warbley opening and some stripped down acoustics before a melody enters over the chords and choir-like vocals, making way for a steadier, fuller sound. The production is, once again, really well-done. I love how the instrumentals feel as if they're constantly pulsing in and out of the songs, like the whole thing is alive and moving. And, somewhat unrelated, but I always like acoustic songs where you can hear the guitarist's fingers sliding over the strings as they switch chords. The drums and guitar on this are also particularly good. Really great production with them specifically, and some very well-placed changes in speed and volume. Ready Able continues the dramatics, with some distorted guitar and pulsing background vocals. Great riffs as well. About Face then brings in a lighter, more thoughtful tone, and Hold Still continues that energy level, quieting the latter half of the album significantly. Then While You Wait For The Others brings the energy and noise back up, with more distortion and some fast strumming. And Live With You then makes that even better, with great strings and this crashing-and-burning feeling. There's even some variety in the vocals. And holy crap around the four minute mark it becomes just a total out of body experience. The final song is Foreground, which begins with a gentle piano melody and some strings. Surprisingly, it has a fairly distinguishable vocal melody. There are some excellent, booming drums and rises in tension that never quite create a full build. There's definitely a distinct stylistic shift that makes it a good closing track—though arguably, Fine For Now would've made for a better ending. I do feel as if much of this album still falls into what I dislike about recent indie folk: it relies too much on excellent production to mask repetitive and mediocre songwriting. I wouldn't say the songwriting on this is mediocre—it's quite good, actually—but it is quite repetitive. That said, there aren't any particular flaws with any individual songs. They're all excellent on their own—they only begin to reveal their weaknesses when you have to listen to fifty minutes of them in a row. While the repetition does get frustrating, I can't bring myself to dislike this album. It's meticulous, and complex, and emotional. I don't know how to describe it. I got really annoyed at some of the repetition but I was also simultaneously blown away by every song. It somehow works. It really does. The complexity and melancholy remind me a lot of Surf's Up—they're definitely a darker Beach Boys. With the amount of production, grit, and distortion on this thing, I'm not sure if indie-folk is the right genre for it—because, while it does fall into that category, it barely stays in it whatsoever and seems to have more ambient production. Great album. It's one flaw is being repetitive. But I think the fact that the build-ups never lost their effect is a testament to how, if you make a song good enough, repetition doesn't really matter. It's an album of all the same thing because that thing is awesome and it'd be cool to just have a bunch of songs like that. Recap: Favorite songs: Two Weeks, Fine For Now, Dory, About Face, I Live With You Least favorite song: Cheerleader Comparisons: Surf's Up Rating: 4/5

I did a dumb thing. When I started this, I found that one album a day wasn’t enough. And so I decided to start a second project. And then that was too little, so I began a third! While I’ve paused the other two as I’ve decided I’d rather focus on re-listening to one album to give it the time and attention it needs to be properly reviewed, I did get to this album on one of the other projects. Which is insane. I’m 21 albums into this project and got about 14 into the other. So the chances of this showing up there then me getting it here are, like, one in over a thousand I think. I don’t know. It’s one in the morning and I don’t feel like doing math. I’m not going to re-listen because I have a lot of other music to listen to. I decided not to keep up with many 2025 releases because I’ve found music has been pretty disappointing recently. Established artists do their thing but a lot of stuff is extremely algorithmic—not to mention the rise of generic country-pop. I listened to the new twenty one pilots album and loved it, I listened to Getting Killed and loved it, I listened to a couple of the recent riot grrrl revival albums and thought they were okay, and I listened to the new Florence and the Machine album and loved it—and I listened to the new Taylor Swift album and hated it beyond words. I’m not even a hater of her music—I just find it kinda redundant—and it genuinely angered me. But anyway, yeah, I kept hearing such good things about Let God Sort ‘Em Out and Lux that I listened to them both, and now I’m realizing oh, crap, I should probably have paid more attention to new music. Lux especially was amazing. So tryna catch up on that before the year ends. But I digress. I listened to this album a week ago so it’s still kinda fresh in my mind. My review from my other account basically just said “classic David Byrne weirdness combined with classic Brian Eno weirdness. Awesome,” and I gave it four stars. I stand by that rating. It’s niche. It has integrity while also being obviously self-indulgent. It isn’t mind blowing, but it is unique—and it’s fascinating in the scheme of music history, as it really is just an album of the oddest impulses of Talking Heads, with some more electronics—not to mention its influence on Radiohead, Moby, etc. It’s too discordant to have any sort of ambience, but the discord makes you pay attention to each element, allowing you to lock in nonetheless—just maybe not as background music for studying or the like. Every odd little note fights for attention. It’s entirely vibes while also being the antithesis of everything vibes-based music stands for. Definitely something to listen to before you kick the bucket. After all, there’s no point in *not* listening to eighteen balearic/afrobeat songs made by two weird dudes wrapping a guitar in metaphorical tin foil.

22 albums in and this is my second Pixies album. Hell yeah. The All Mighty Generator smiles at me today. I gave Surfer Rosa five stars, but I heard this is their even better album, so let’s see. I needed to listen to it for a list thing I’m doing anyway so multitasking I guess. The opening bass of Debaser tells you all you need to know: in the words of a friend, “man, this thing just be straight bangers.” Ridiculously spectacular riffs—definitely something that inspired Nirvana. It’s definitely a lot more mature than Surfer Rosa, with more melodic guitar and a sound that’s like The Beatles got introduced to Husker Du and Violent Femmes then went surfing. The vocals are raw and the instrumentals are amazing, with that aforementioned melodic guitar, as well as some heavy, well-placed bass and lively drum fills. The big hit on this one, of course, is Here Comes Your Man, and it’s amazing. It’s also a perfect inflection point in the album: what comes before it is just banger after banger, and what comes after it offers a bit more of an odd edge. Both are quite fantastic. Not to date this review, but god I wish 6 7 hadn’t become a meme so I could more thoroughly enjoy this album. I was forced to stare off into the distance and contemplate due to that association. This is probably top 100 albums of all time, honestly, though. Recap: Favorite songs: Debaser, Tame, Wave of Mutilation, Here Comes Your Man, Silver, Gouge Away Least favorite song: N/A Comparisons: Zen Arcade, Abbey Road, Pet Sounds, Violent Femmes, Nevermind, Goo, The Stooges, The First Two Seven Inches Rating: 5/5

Nice. Ten songs and under forty minutes. I’m tired of bloated albums. The Seventh Seal is a very strong opening—baroque and darkly dramatic. His voice goes along with the theme very well, though they do feel slightly out of place in the mix. The ending is also rather sudden for such a dramatic song, but the flow into the melancholy opening of On Your Own Again is quite good. On Your Own Again has some beautiful arrangements, and the vocals are quite strong. It’s pretty short—as are the next few songs, which are gentle piano ballads with Cohen-esque lyrics. The lullabies of the first half take a complete turn during Hero of War, which is upbeat, with some down-to-earth, political lyrics. The shift does certainly add some more excitement to the album—right as it was about to gently lull you off to sleep, it wakes you up with a grisly description of a man who’s been ruined by violence. The Old Man’s Back Again continues the violence and politics, and its more down-to-earth lyrics paired with dramatic arrangements make for some fantastic songs—I’m just not sure why he’s scatting. Duchess is a beautiful song, with amazing lyricism and a fantastic arrangement. It’s timeless. Get Behind Me picks up the tempo once more. The bass and vocals are particularly good on this song…at least until the scatting… Rhymes of Goodbye is a perfect ending, with amazing lyricism and, dare I say, even a bit of a country twang? The way the melody finishes out on this song is an absolutely perfect closing. 10/10. While this album has its flaws, its highs are much higher than its lows, with gorgeous instrumentals, beautiful lyricism, and a sound that influenced the likes of Blur, Bowie, Radiohead, Pulp, The Smiths, and Nick Cave, which is why I’m giving it a 4/5.