Jimmy Hendrix probably is one of the most if not the most citied influence amongst rock bands even today.
I only knew a few of his songs before going into this album.
What can I say: The man deserves the legendary status that has. At its strongest points Electric Ladyland feels like Jimmy is sharing otherworldly experiences he gotten in a alternative, probably drug induced, reality. His voice and guitar playing are extremely expressive, the production is raw and feels authentic. Overall this record has this mythic quality about it that really stands the test of time.
Still, Ladyland is not a 'perfect' album to me. The frequent jams during the album are extensive, sprawling and experimental. At the time probably every original and wild - However, since Hendrix is so influential a lot of the musical ideas he presents are hardly surprising. The jams were not unpleasant, since the raw artistic intent Hendrix puts into the music still is engaging. Still for me the more loose parts of the album fell a bit flat.
Overall, really strong album that I have a lot of respect for.
I have a blind spot for what happened in the music scene in the 10s and for Soul music. Needless to say, I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this album.
Overall this was a pleasant and entertaining listen. I especially liked the lyrics on this one which kept me engaged throughout. Favorites songs were: Rich Kids, Crack Rock, Pyramids & Monks.
The small interludes sprinkled throughout the album are another highlight. At times hilarious, they set the theme of this album very well. I also liked the guitar work.
However, the vocal performance did not emotionally engage me much, dampening the overall impact of the album for me.
Overall a strong 3 for me.
Very solid classic blues rock with some jazz influences to spice the music up. The mix works surprisingly well: While the more formulaic blues influences keep the music grounded the jazz parts add enough spice that it's not boring.
When the instrumental parts sprinkled throughout are, overall, great. Especially the guitar playing, which has a very contemporary sound to it, presented some interesting ideas that clicked with me.
I like the vocal performance on this track: The voice of the lead singer blends really nicely into the sound of the band and the delivery has just enough lunch to be not boring. Of course it helps that the record has some generally catchy hooks..
Favorite track is probably Razor Boy which uses its musical ideas to create a contemplative atmosphere.
What's holding the record back are the parts where the band go full "jam mode". At times these parts overstayed their welcome and playing felt too unintentional, almost random to me. Some of the tracks even end with a fade out while the band continues to jam. A bit more focus and this record would be the best thing since sliced bread.
As it stands the album is a light to decent 4 out of 5 for me.
Number of the Beast, The Trooper and Run for the Hills - That was my understanding of Iron Maiden to this point.
Color me surprised when I tapped into their debut album: I had to double check if I got the right album playing. Not only was the vocal performance much more grounded than I was expecting, the album had some very tender moments (Remember Tomorrow and especially Transilvania into Strange World), which I found beautiful and moving.
The album has a organic flow of tracks into each other, with a nice range of somber and more "in-your-face" moments.
The more progressive parts of the tracks caught me a bit less: While I appreciate that the band was presenting some more extensive instrumental ideas, I found especially the power chord heavy riffs a bit too repetitive.
Overall the album is a really strong, albeit a bit generic, debut. Definitely sparked my interest in the band. I feel a strong 3 out of 5 for this one.
Solomon has an amazing voice. His vocal performance feels powerful, majestic like a lion's roar. His voice is center stage in this album and that for good reason, as he carries most of the songs by himself. Overall this album oozes vintage charm and is a nice listen.
The songwriting is a double faced sword. The easy to understand and campy lyrics are essential to the overall vibe of the album.
However, I think the songwriting does not work with the overall concept of the album, which is love. The lyrics depict love in a very naive and over romanticized way - which would be fine if the tracklist had one or two songs with this subject matter. But, since ALL the songs are love songs and love is depicted in this overromantized way, the overall depiction feels shallow, inauthentic, almost tacky.
I also had some problems with the flow of songs. Most of the songs had very little build up, or release: It was mostly Solomon roaring with his lions voice from the get to, while the band miyandered around one or two musical ideas. A couple of the tracks just ended completely random with a volume fade. For a couple of tracks that happened when Solomon sang at his highest intensity, leaving me puzzled.
Overall, it is "nice" music as long as you don't think too hard about the lyrics, or want more than an amazing vocal performance.
I feel a light to decent 2 for this one.
During my listen I jotted down a lot of reasons why this album shouldn't work.
The tracks overuse simple A/B rhymes throughout.
The lyrics come off as something written by a unruly teenager trying to seem all fly and gangsta, but ultimately read more immature than cool. The overall feel of the album is Bart Simpson trying to stick the finger to teachers/adults. "59: Christie Street" is basically "Lolz I saw a vagina!"
The lines are delivered in cartoonish almost goofy voices which made me think of Justin Roiland. It's like Mr. Meseeks and Mr. Poppy Butthole came together to record a hip hop album.
However: Somehow it works. The trio delivers their wonky lines with such authenticity and ernisty that it comes off as fun, but never silly. It's the neighbourhood teenagers bullshit boasting about their misdeeds in such an endearing way that is infectious. The rebellious rascal energy of these troublemakers reminded me of my own teenage mindset, their bears made my head bop.
I love that this album has moments like "5-Piece Chicken Dinner" which have no other purpose than to be fun, adding to this vibe.
Ultimately I think it's a fun album, but it's too long for what it brings to the table. I think the album would have achieved the same energy and message at half its playtime. As it stands, It is a light 3 for me.
Brutal, Morbid and Cartoonish.
This album feels like listening to "Tales from the Crypt: The Musical - 18+ Edition".
My favorite track is the opener "Song of Joy". It tells of a mysterious family murder while leaving who did the deed open. It is implied that the culprit is the poor soul telling this story, but we cant be sure. Now they are asking us to open our doors for them. Probably a bad idea, but their morbid story was so exciting and the prospect of them telling us more of his tales is too enticing ...
I couldn't think of a better introduction to an album of this kind.
The following tracks are a mixed bag.
Strong tracks are "Where the Wild Roses Grow" and "The Curse of Milhaven" which engage due to their drama and interesting reveals. "Lovely Creature" and "Death is not the End", are also to my liking, letting their horror unfold between lines.
However, most of the tracks are more "Show, don't tell" and focus on blatantly describing gruesome acts of violence. Worst offender is the 14 minute long "O'Malley's Bar" which feels like a school shooters power fantasy. "Stagger Lee" is extremely profane for no reason. "The Kindness of Strangers" concludes that trusting strangers will only get you raped and killed.
It is dark humor that aims for nothing more than shock value. To some this might be distasteful, for me it's just boring.
The music in this album couldn't stand on its own without the lyrical content. While the musical ideas presented are interesting enough, they are repeated over tracks that are often a bit longer than they should be.
Ultimately, I can appreciate what this album is going for, but for me it is too blunt. I prefer ghost stories to be subtle, mysterious and eerie. This has too much splatter for my taste. It's a light to decent 2.
Is David okay ... ?
In the early 2000s, comedy sitcoms like "Scrubs" and "How I Met Your Mother" were all the rage. These shows focused on humorous, albeit often quite unrealistic, slice-of-life stories, and most of the time it was just goofy fun. However, they occasionally featured more heartbreaking topics.
The songs on "White Ladder" could have easily been featured in a season finale of one of these shows, playing over a montage of all the moments that led to the breakup of an inseparable couple. It is prototypical melancholic music from that era.
I really appreciated the instrumentation on this one. It blends acoustic sounds, mostly guitar, with some understated lo-fi electronic elements. The recording feels like something that was put together in a home studio, giving it an authentic and intimate feel.
David sings about transience, unrequited love, and a general disenchantment with his own life. While his songs are melancholic and somber, they still hint at some hope. He doesn't believe that this year's love will end any better than last year's, but he still yearns for it.
He sings with the energy of a beaten street dog that refuses to die. His vocal performance reminds me of Damien Rice, but less theatrical and more mature.
The album managed to put me into a contemplative headspace, pondering the bittersweet realities of human existence.
While I greatly enjoyed the album overall, it lacks variety, and a few songs felt too generic for me to give it top marks. Still, this is a strong 3 to light 4 in my books.
A sonic assault by the stoned neighbourhood teens who play their goddamn instruments way too loud all Sunday.
The sound on this record is unapologetically thick. The bass rumbles like it’s trying to cause an earthquake. How much fuzz do you like on your guitars? If the answer is yes, you’ll find it on this album. Buried under all the distortion, the drums anchor the thumping of the songs with simple patterns.
The lyrics are laid back, as if the singer couldn’t give a damn about the audience’s opinion. Or even realize there is one to begin with. They’re cryptic but not nonsensical, which only emphasizes this half-conscious feel. Riffs are simple, repeating, and get drawn out: What are we doing again?
There is some variety in the tracklist. “Walking on Sidewalks” sounds like cavemen repeatedly hitting you with their clubs. Some of the licks could have been written by Tool if they ever used a normal time signature. The lead guitar in “If Only” sings in the disoriented voice of the psychedelic 70s, just with a lot more heft. “You Can’t Quit Me” ends by diving into complete chaos, then “These Aren’t the Droids You Are Looking For” starts laid out drunk on the floor before bursting into an expressive dance.
The album isn’t without flaws. By the time I reached “Give the Mule What He Wants,” I was wondering if I hadn’t already heard that song a few tracks earlier. The songs tend to mush together into one big experience; there’s no clear standout.
Overall, a strong debut that excites with its vibe and tone, but stays a bit too stoned and distant to leave a deep emotional impression. It's a strong 3, maybe a light 4.
When growing up we think life is a straight path, until we discover our first crossroads. Soon enough it starts to feel more like a maze.
Odessey and Oracle is an album about the unexpected things life throws at us - and the unexpected places where we can find strength. It’s sunshine pop rock with bittersweet, contemplative lyrics.
Some of the songs lean hopeful. The opener “Care of Cell 44” excitedly awaits the return of a true love from prison. “I Want Her, She Wants Me” describes a harmonious relationship, even though one of them enters it with a broken heart. “This Will Be Our Year” holds out hope for the future; or at least for the next twelve months.
Others sit on the bitter side. “Brief Candles” is about people coming to terms with the fact that they’re better off alone, which is equally sad and freeing. “A Rose for Emily” follows a woman who never finds love but still manages to keep her pride.
Then there are the more somber tracks. My personal favourite, “Beechwood Park,” is a longing for days past and the quiet realisation that those particular joys will never return. Not because the world changed, but because we did. The most dramatic song, “Butcher’s Tale,” tells of a butcher whose life turns to shit when the king makes him a soldier.
Musically there’s good variety. While some tracks feel like they could have been written by the Beatles, the jazzy ideas appearing throughout make the album feel unique enough that it doesn't come across as derivative.
I would have wished for a bit more passion in the vocal performances. As they stand they come off as as distant at times, not completely conveying the complete emotional impact that the tracks could have had.
Still, it's easily a decent to strong 4.
An ambitious bedroom musical loosely based on the writings of Giacomo Casanova, depicting the idiosyncrasies of the modern man with a pinch of irony.
On paper this album sounds amazing, and there are elements I enjoyed. There were some genuine moments that made me laugh - like the reveal in “Something for the Weekend” that the garden shed contained an ambush, the later reference to that moment in “Charge”, or the intro to “Songs of Love”.
I also enjoyed the instrumentation, vocal performance, musical variety and catchy melodies. At its strongest moments "Casanova" feels grand and flamboyant, like a Broadway musical.
Still, the album failed to grab me.
I didn’t like the songwriting. Lines like “I met a girl, she was a frog princess, and yes I regret it now - but how was I to know that one kiss could turn a frog into a cow?” try to be tongue-in-cheek and poetic, but mostly feel like the written output of a middle schooler. “Through a Long and Sleepless Night” is a barrage of simple A/B rhymes. There were a few clever lines, but they were the exception rather than the rule.
While there is variety, most forays into different genres don’t really pan out. The metal aesthetic in “Charge” feels like a barking Chihuahua. Given the topic of the song that might have been intentional, but I found it grating, almost annoying.
My main gripe is that most of the songs try to shine an ironic light on the modern man, but at times end up reinforcing old-school gender stereotypes: men want to bang, men want to fight, men get tricked by beautiful women and don’t like successful ones. I have trouble vibing with this; not because it isn’t true, but because we need to abandon this narrative, not enforce it. In defence of the album, I think it’s a victim of its time. In the early 2000s the stereotypical womaniser still had some intrigue; but 2026 is the age of the incels.
Ultimately I like what the album is going for and think it’s solid from a musical standpoint, but the songwriting and lyrics are not for me. A decent to strong 2.
Inoffensive cowboy rock that manages to charm through its solid execution.
There’s a reason the country formula is so beloved by some. When it all comes together, like it does on this album, the music feels romantic and homely - which, as a European, is a weird thing to note...
The standout feature of "Grievous Angel" is the vocal performances. The male lead has a pleasant timbre and expresses emotion well. You can hear him solo on “Brass Buttons,” an instrumentally sparse song where his singing successfully conveys a bittersweet sense of longing. For most of the album he’s accompanied by a female support singer whose performances are every bit as impressive. Their voices harmonize like they were made for each other. On “Hearts on Fire” the duo sounds so camp and cute it genuinely impressed me. On “Love Hurts” their voices take center stage - it’s probably one of the better renditions of the song I’ve heard.
The accompanying band does a good job. While everything stays safely in the realm of country, it’s done very well. I especially like the instrumental fills, which manage to feel musical even while leaning heavily into established motifs.
Still, the album plays it too safe to be a real standout. There’s nothing groundbreaking here. The lyrics are clear, relatable and inoffensive. With very little adaptation this could be played on the radio today.
I feel a decent 3 for this one.
Slightly undercooked 80s metal saved by a few standout bangers.
"The Number of the Beast" is a rough listen. It is one of the cornerstones of heavy metal, but at times it feels too unfinished to be a masterpiece in my book.
Take the main riff of “Invaders.” It’s actually very solid, but feels as if it’s missing a bar or two at the end. The main hook in the chorus is very short, feels completely different from the rest of the song, and isn’t very memorable. The chaotic nature of the track matches its lyrical topic, but as a song it doesn't come together.
“Gangland” feels like scaffolding for a song. The sections and chord changes are there, but instead of interesting musical ideas it relies on a very dull palm-muted guitar riff. The instrumental solos and fills feel like building blocks randomly dropped into the track and are poorly integrated into the mix.
There are some solid tracks as well. “Children of the Damned,” with its melodic guitar intro, sets a mood and the verse builds to a simple but epic hymn-style chorus. The vocal delivery is a bit too over the top to take it completely seriously, though.
“Hallowed Be Thy Name” is an epic narrative power ballad. It takes its time unfolding its story, but the build-up ends in a satisfying conclusion.
What saves the album are its two best-known songs.
The track “The Number of the Beast” feels like a finished product. The instruments re-emphasise the vocals and the mix is noticeably better. It’s an enjoyable power-metal song whose only real criticism is that it’s a bit cliché. The songwriting would have been extremely provocative at the time, given the Satanic Panic, but nowadays it loses a lot of its scandalous energy.
“Run to the Hills” has similarities to “Invaders” in lyrical theme, but is a much better song. The musical ideas are more coherent, the main hook is really catchy, and the track still feels frantic. The guitar solo shows technical ability while remaining melodic enough to feel like a natural part of the song. It’s probably the strongest track on the album.
From what I’ve read, this album was written and produced rather quickly with a new singer in the band. It shows. While the building blocks for good heavy metal are here, some of the songs would have benefited from a few more months in the studio.
As an album, it’s a decent 2 for me.
"Hit by Sunshine" is one of the rare albums that manage to be laid-back enough to blend effortlessly into the background, while still being engaging enough to reward active listening.
The album sets a cozy lo-fi atmosphere from the get-go with the vintage-sounding intro of “Punchbag.” Vocal harmonies blend seamlessly in and out of gentle horn sections, while the underlying beat keeps looping with slight variations. Lyrics are sparse but evocative.
“Angryman” introduces a cool jazz groove, embellished with a few funky guitar chords. The song features multiple types of keyboards, wind instruments, a vocal chorus and a minimalistic saxophone solo. There’s a lot going on, but it’s arranged so effortlessly that you barely notice the complexity.
“Trophy” follows suit, weaving plenty of musical detail into a very laid-back track while leaning into a reggae aesthetic.
“Binnel Bay” lingers for a moment on a glockenspiel melody supported by minimal percussive elements, before simple keyboard chords take over. The underlying rhythm phases in and out organically. It feels like warm summer rain.
“Sunshine” is almost entirely instrumental except for a few sung words at the very end. It starts sparsely, lulling you into a relaxing mood, before bursting into a dramatic melody. It feels a bit like a post rock song but has a very distinct vibe and unique sound structure.
With “A Minha Menina” the album picks up the pace. It’s an enjoyable folk-rock song that feels raw and energetic. However, the transition from the previous track is so jarring that the first time I heard it I had to check if I’d accidentally skipped the track before midway.
The remaining five songs lean a bit too far back. It’s nice music, but at times it feels a little too close to “lo-fi beats to study to”. I found myself zoning out a couple of times.
The first half of this album is an absolute gem and should be treasured as such. The second half is a slow fizzle-out that dampens my overall perception. Still, what’s presented here is a decent to strong 4.
"Je voudrais une baguette" - that’s roughly my level of French. Not the ideal prerequisite for fully appreciating French chanson, which, from what I’ve read, is praised for its poetic lyrics and clever wordplay.
There are elements of this album that genuinely impressed me. Jacques Brel’s vocal performance is outstanding. The commitment and urgency he delivers his lines with convey a great deal of significance.
At its best moments "Olympia 64" transcended the language barrier. Take the opener "Amsterdam" which gave me a clear impression of how Jacques views the beautifully depraved capital of the Netherlands, even if I didn’t recognize the words he was using.
Equally impressive: this is live music, which is easy to forget given how flawless the overall performance is. The sound is captured and mixed perfectly.
This album is challenging to rate. It didn’t completely click with me, but I think it's mostly due to the language barrier and my lack of exposure to the genre. I spun it twice to give it a fair chance, but right now I only feel a strong 2. It’s an album that makes me wish my French was better.
You’re having a crazy fever dream in a beach bar. You faintly register some kind of funky elevator jazz playing in the background, but what really grabs your attention is the little monkey on your shoulder, unenthusiastically whispering melodies into your ears that sound a bit like children’s songs.
It’s a weird and annoying experience.
That’s how "More Specials" feels to me. It’s an ambitious record that doesn't really know what it wants to be, except quirky and weird.
Some Melodies like the one in the opener and closer “Enjoy Yourself” feel extremely dull, like something you’d come up with spontaneously in the shower. Others, on tracks like “Pearl’s Cafe” and “I Can’t Stand It,” remind me of children’s TV shows. The extremely dry, detached vocal delivery doesn’t help, sucking any potential energy out of the songs. For example, “Stereotype” pulls from Latin music, but the singing is so uninterested that there’s nothing fun about the track.
The instrumentation often adds to the irritation. At times the wind instruments feel like they’re actively trying to get on my nerves, and the frequent call-and-response patterns just come off as uninspired.
I do appreciate that the band was willing to take a risk with this album instead of playing it safe, but this one really isn’t for me. A decent 1 for the ambition, and that’s it.
"The Stone Roses" is the kind of music your mom wishes your new boyfriend would listen to.
It’s tuneful and well made, but rarely risks being impolite. The songs glide on elegant basslines and chiming guitars, with detached, almost conversational vocals. Copious amounts of reverb give it an airy, dreamlike atmosphere throughout.
The lack of musical bite makes some tracks land as toothless power pop for me, which is probably not the intention.
Take the opener “I Wanna Be Adored.” It’s a strong track with a lush arrangement, but it feels like it’s being sung by an ambitious young man who simply believes in himself. The line “I don’t need to sell my soul, he’s already in me” is meant as blasphemous swagger, yet in this musical context it reads more like he doesn’t need drugs or deals with the devil to get what he wants. The perfect in-law.
Some of the tracks have very gritty lyrics that the music doesn’t support. “Bye Bye Badman” is about brutal street riots: “I want to throw stones at you man, I want you black and blue and I wanna make you bleed.” Words fit for a death metal song, but delivered so politely that it almost makes me wonder if the stone-throwing is some kind of biblical reference.
It’s difficult to hate this album though - it’s full of tracks that are pleasant to the ear. The bassline in “She Bangs the Drums” is very groovy and makes you want to dance. I enjoyed the jangly guitar riff in “Waterfall” and the overall flow of the track. “Made of Stone,” a song about the gruesome death of Jackson Pollock, has a very anthemic chorus that makes you want to ignite a lighter and wave it over your head.
Overall, a very respectable showing, especially for a debut. I just wish it had more balls and wasn’t so damn agreeable all the time. A decent 3 for me.
"Exile on Main St." is the music you’re supposed to blast while riding a chopper into the sunset on Route 66. Problem is, I don’t like motorcycles; and after two listens, I’m not sure I like this album much either.
The album has an overall raw and loose feel throughout, giving it a real rock edge. The band pulls extensively from blues and country conventions, which creates a strong “America!” atmosphere. At the same time, it makes a lot of the tracks feel predictable and samey. Most songs have similar energy and tempo and there are almost no real hooks to grab onto.
The mix doesn’t help either. At times the vocals sound like they were recorded in a different room from the rest of the band. There’s probably a reason this record has been remastered multiple times over the years.
After two listens, I struggle to remember specific moments. I respect the legacy and attitude, but the album didn't grab me.
A light to decent 2.
"Modern Cosmology" is a fascinating musical onion that begs to be peeled.
It’s the kind of album that needs some exposure to fully appreciate. The opener “HAK” gives a good sense of the overall feel: It features a continuously swelling, wobbling bass, detached vocal chants, and cryptic lyrics. There’s a lot of musical intricacy that can easily be missed. Take the drum beat; it’s tucked away in the back of the mix and can seem overly simplistic at first. Listening closely reveals occasional fills that accent the chant and seem to warp into the bassline. As the song continues, different synth elements are layered in, blending into a harmonious wall of sound. There’s plenty to listen to, but none of it is in your face.
Some tracks reveal their treasures more clearly. “Slow Motion” feels like a mix between chiptune and post-punk. Others, like “Ravenspoint,” lean further into the mystical vibe of the record and almost feel like a meditative practice.
I overall enjoyed it, but at times it left me wanting more. It doesn’t have the quality of a Björk album that immediately encases you in an atmospheric barrage of musical intricacies. This one can easily fly under the radar. The lyrics are very cryptic at times.
After three spins I’m at a decent to strong 3, but I can totally see how this album could grow on me with more exposure.
Surrealistic Pillow is a great example of what distinguishes a good vocal performance from a great one.
The opener “She Has Funny Cars” and the following track “Somebody to Love” are both very competent garage rock songs. However, only one of them became an international smash hit. It’s quite obvious why: on “Somebody to Love,” Grace Slick takes the vocals.
While the male vocalists on this record do a good job, Grace is much more expressive. Personally I like the timbre of her voice a bit better, but what really sets her apart is her vocal range and her more effective use of inflection and vibrato. I’m sure “Somebody to Love” would have been a fine song without her. However, her performance lifts the track from fine to legendary.
Her singing on “White Rabbit,” the other hit single (which, no surprise, also features her out front), is especially impressive. While the genre blend of tango and rock is interesting on its own, the song is carried by her voice. She reminded me a bit of Florence & the Machine on this track; a band that would form 40 years later.
I’m not saying the male vocalists are doing a bad job. Take “In the Morning” as an example. It’s a very traditional blues-rock leaning track. For a song like this to stay interesting, the execution has to be strong, since the musical ideas are rooted so deeply in tradition that they’re hardly exciting by themselves. In other words: here the male vocalist has to do some heavy lifting. I enjoyed the song, which is a testament to the musicianship on display. Still, while it is good, it is not as great as “Somebody to Love” or “White Rabbit.”
I also don’t want to undersell what the band is delivering instrumentally. It’s very tastefully done classic rock that excites through its competent execution. The production is also very nice: raw enough for that “garage” feel, while clean enough that everything can be heard clearly - which, given the recording tech at the time, is an achievement in itself.
I get that it was probably a risk to give a female voice the lead in a rock band at the time. I just wish they had dared to take that risk more often. Overall it’s a decent classic rock album with a few standout tracks. For me a decent to strong 3.
You’d assume an album called "Bongo Rock" by a band named the "Incredible Bongo Band" would shove bongos down your throat no matter what. Luckily, it doesn’t.
Instead of forcing every track into pure bongo overload, the record treats the instrument as a recurring character in a broader instrumental journey through different genres and styles.
Sometimes the bongos take center stage, like in the lengthy solo on the opener “Apache.” More often they sit in a supporting role, adding texture while the rest of the band carries the song. On a track like “Last Bongo in Belgium” they barely stand out at all.
The album is quite self-aware about the ridiculousness of its concept, as exemplified by the track “Dueling Bongos,” where the little drums are pitted against a full drum kit. It feels like a small dog throwing itself at one three times its size. It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, but not goofy.
Outside the novelty of the idea, the music is actually competent. There’s a mix of covers and originals across different styles, and there are more than a few tracks I genuinely enjoyed. The decision not to make everything relentlessly bongo-centric was the right one. A stricter version of the concept would’ve been just a novelty joke.
Still, bringing bongos slightly more into the limelight isn’t enough to make this feel groundbreaking. A decent to strong 3 in my book.
