There is something hauntingly beautiful about Nick Drake's final album. The surrealist lyricism on tracks like Things Beyond the Sun and Parasite give the music an otherworldly quality, whereas the choice to strip all other instruments than his guitar from every track but the titular fills the album with a certain amount of melancholy. As Drake grows more and more isolated, so does his guitar, his music reflecting his mind perfectly.
One of the greatest albums of all time, no doubt, but not in my top 25, likely.
4.4
Some of the best driving music I have ever heard. Funky ass blues.
3.6
Phenomenal album. Balances the bluesy and psychedelic tones of the band incredibly well. Peace Frog and Waiting for the Sun are two of their absolute best.
4.2
Yeah, still not working for me. I find their music too simple, for the most part, and the grooves don't move me much. I can appreciate the musicianship, but its an annoying listen most of the time for me.
2.6
Musically astonishing, but lyrically subpar in a lot of the tracks. I would listen to Channel Orange a lot more if not for Blonde, which I believe outshines this album in literally every capacity. On its own merits, however, its an anthemic collection of songs about the debaucherous nature of being young.
3.8
12 year old me owes Mitchell Greer an apology. This album slaps ass. I think that the first half clears the second half, but the second half is still VERY good. The double track format is really interesting, particularly for a pop punk record. I don't really understand the sellout allegations. Is it because of how good the music is? Its still sonically gorgeous and complex. Its literally a concept album/rock opera. I loved this so much.
4.2 (but will likely get higher.)
Good but not great. I enjoyed this, but it certainly isn't one that is going in my daily rotation. Pretty much everything being done on this album is done better elsewhere, though there is a lot of charm to the lazy drawl of the singer over the incredibly groovy beats.
2.8
Spellbound might be the coolest song ever written. This is such a banger album. Its so witchy and sexy and goth and it just makes me want to be in a club in eyeliner. The drumming, the singing, and the guitar are some of the best ever out to tape. Lyrically, its a bit weaker than the other albums on this list, but its still an absolute riot.
3.9
One of my favourite albums of all time. Pitch The Baby, Ice-Blink Luck, and the title track run around in my head endlessly. Its maybe the dreamiest album ever written, making me feel like I am falling out of time. The nonsense lyrics and insane production only enhance this feeling. This is a near perfect album.
4.8
I need to give this one another listen to say for sure, but it is definitely in the better half of Velvets projects, which are all fire. I loved Murder Mystery and how insane and psychedelic it was, and Candy Says is top 3 Velvet songs, period. The only issue is that it came directly on thr heels of one of my favourite albums of all time, so I will revisit in a month to see how I feel then.
Until then? 3.8
How the fuck did I dislike this on my first listen? Was I stupid? This album rips. It feels like someone crossed an episode of Atlanta with Songs in the Key of Life. Its a sprawling, insane epic of jazz, and hip-hop, and R&B that I am actively getting excited about listening to again as I write this. Since TPAB, I have known that Thundercat has insane chops, but this project really does feel otherworldly.
4.2
This is the album that it took me the longest to review. I have now heard it 20 or so times and feel no closer to a resolution on it, but the website will not recommend me any more albums until I review this one. SO...
I loved it. For sure. The question is how much. I think that the run of songs from Rise to Catch the Sun is kind of generational, and I like all of the other songs a lot too. I found the ending kind of a let down given how much else the album had going for it, and I don't feel like the album really reached the heights that I had hoped it would. That said, when it leans psychedelic, I leans forward, for sure.
Current rating? 3.9, but that is very unsure
I mean, what can I say? Its awesome. Timbaland is a far better producer than I recognized and Missy is one of the most charismatic rappers I have ever heard. The beats are incredible, and the flow is generally really good, but the bars are not my favourite. I will definitely be listening to most of this again, but mostly as singles, I think.
3.4
I am generally not a fan of albums that are mostly covers, with only a few exceptions to that rule (Signed, Sealed, Delivered). This one rips, though. Otis can sing his head off and his backing band no doubt deserves more than they got paid for this record. For what it is, this is really great, I just don't know that its for me.
3.2
Ok, I really don't get the hype on this one. Its just a really good blues album, but blue is not my favourite genre and this is not my favourite blues album. I think, for me, the main issue is that this came out a full year after Songs in the Key of Life, likely my favourite album of all time, and so I know that we were capable of creating a lot more than this album has going on. It honestly just felt like a more boring Electric Ladyland, to me, but that may just be my unfamiliarity with Blues as a genre. Either way, its slightly better than Otis because at least the vast majority of it was original compositions.
3.3
THIS SHIT IS WHERE ITS AT!
I was having a good time with it, expecting a repeat of the past two days when the second track came on and she started improvising about how bad she was cocking the song up and how they were definitely going to use this take for the album and I was SOOOO overwhelmed with how charming it is that I fell head over heels with this album. The closer where she sings the Ella song that she doesn't know the words to sent me to the moon. Now that I have heard this record, I am DESPERATE to find something else that sounds like it.
4.4
Astonishingly good album. Why did no one tell me that she was this funny? Gorgeous, weird ass compositions. Silly ass music, but every song was also gorgeously sculpted.
Standout tracks: White Dress, Tulsa Jesus Freak, Not All Those Who Wander.
4.2
A great vibe, but did not move me as much as anticipated. His other album is simply better, and I tend to prefer Stevie and Curtis to Gaye, but I still liked it a lot. It's a groovy little record.
Standout Tracks: Opener, She Loves To Ball, Distant Lover
3.3
This shit slaps, but IDK if it's very good. Not the best made, not the tightest tracks, but one HELL of a ride if you're willing to meet it where it is. It's a solid one for me.
Standout Tracks: Slip Inside This House, I'm Comin' Down, Loaded
3.8
This was AWESOME!
Incredibly country, but the quality is so high that even I fell in love. Felt incredibly modern, even with the stripped down production.
Standout Tracks: Opener, Boxcars, Closer
3.9
It's the best Stones album and it's not really close.
It's like their drugs became animate and helped them write an album, Rattatouile style.
Standout Tracks: Rocks Off, Shake Your Hips, Loving Cup, Stop Breaking Down
First three tracks remain incredible.
Had hoped the rest of the album would grow on me. It hasn't.
Standout track: Opening Trio
3.0
