The instrumentation is not groundbreaking, but Simone's expressive, multifaceted vocals carry the day. The title track is haunting; minor key, warbling voice, some of the more dazzling piano. It's special and is now added to my essentials playlist.
Atmospheric and cohesive. Some beautiful guitar work. Not all the tracks hit.
King's titles are catchy, affecting, and so well performed. I can't believe I've made it this far into life only having digested her first track.
I already know and love this one
I didn't enjoy this as much as I wanted to. Jack's a competent, exciting guitarist, but he doesn't have the charisma to carry the repetitive song structures or boring rhythm section.
Honestly not my fave pop album.
It's rocking and rolling and ahead of its time. Not as heavy as I expected.
Fascinating. Lyrically offball and compelling, motored by pulsating instrumentation. Not as experimental or innovative as I might have expected; I felt the Nico record was much less immediate. For all of that the tracks are enjoyable and exciting, though best listened to with a lyric sheet. First side is avant garde if not sonically unusual; the final cut there, Here She Comes Now, is a borderline accessible pop track. First track of the second side could have had much more life with better mixing.
Variable quality. I don't like the interpolations of folk or americana-tinged tracks, but I do like the dancier, breakier cuts. The record's also too darn long. The highlights are pretty great, though.
Gorgeous, simple, so ambitious. Created a new age. Harmonics are angelic, string instrumentation also heavenly. Lyrics are clever. It's a classique album.
Such a glorious, delicious vibe. Bond film shit.
Sweet and soft, some lovely pop ditties, and the harmonics are clearly resonant. The Everly Brothers must have sowed a seed that germinated throughout western pop music. But the record lacks depth.
They don’t call it swing for no reason. Those brass are played so brassy. The chill tunes, though, tune it down far too much. The placidity strips the record of the pulse that drives its vitality.
Cool in the Pool is tres cool; synth-slicked, kinda funny, heavily accented. Weird Al's take on disco if he took music as seriously as Zappa. Track two is largely instrumental, a psychedelic jam session with more synths and string-picked goodness.
Maximalist production, fire features, braggadocio, and vulnerability. And so much more...this man was a peak artist.
The horror, the horror! A vocal performance shlock with personality via vocal modulations. Surf music for the river Styx.
It's got some funky instrumentals and impressive vocal performances. The vocals don't sync well with the instrumentals in mine humble opinion.
Fire.
So gorgeous.
eh. pretty lame.
Punk-inflected grunge, the extension of Unwound into the PNW.
This is the pinnacle of soft rock. Jazzy piano licks ('Fire in the Hole') and tasty hooks ('Do It Again,' 'Reelin' in the Years') are the calling cards.
Listened on an early September morning. Starts well and finishes well but sags in the middle.
This whiteboy is so overrated. Faux suave.
Now this is a whiteboy we lost too soon. That androgynous glam rockstar voice, the emotional range, the diverse stylings. What a record.
nerdy boy. never loved Costello; his voice is high-pitched but not bewitching, and the music stylings are not attractive to me.
The album is so gosh darn long. But it’s full of bangers and intensely creative. Undeniable impact and fun. The actual raps and rhymes are, however, much less exciting than latter day wordsmiths, and as such less stimulating.
So many moods and styles on this record. I don't find their sound as quite as compelling as I did on Convict Pool, but there are some fantastic tracks, like Not Even Stevie Nicks.
It's fine. Bob Dylan-influenced, sorta Beatles-y. I like Nine Pound Hammer a lot but the rest of the album is passable. Singer can be expressive when he feels like it. Not sure this is essential.
I always thought they were a novelty band, but the B-52s have so much depth. From the unique vocal stylings to the endlessly grooveable rhythmic lines I'm hooked.
