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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dapper~Blueberries Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 19 2024 at 17:05


Lupe Fiasco - Samurai (2024)

Genres: Jazz Rap, Abstract Hip Hop, Boom Bap, Conscious Hip Hop, Neo-Soul, Lo-Fi Hip Hop

Rating: 4.5/5

You know, besides Derbe Respect, Alder, I have not reviewed a pure hip hop album this whole year, especially one that came out in the year of our lord. Guess I should change that with this album.

Before going about this review, I didn’t really know Lupe Fiasco. Guess he flew under my radar beforehand, since he’s quite popular in the rap scene. His most popular song on spotify, Battle Scars, has about 378 million listens, and not only that but he has been on some very popular projects, like Late Registration by Kanye West, The Adventures of Bobby Ray by B.o.B, and Doo-Wops & Hooligans by Bruno Mars. This man has been around the music industry quite a bit, and hearing a release from him now, I can see why.

Fiasco is quite the rapper! He has this lush and calmness to his vocals and flows that feel tranquil to my ears. The way he goes from lyric to lyric with a very smooth rhythm makes him really pop. His singing voice is also quite nice, almost having this RnB like charm. He has an almost Frank Ocean-esque tone in his more soulful vocals, which, after listening to Blonde, makes me appreciate this high all the better.

I also really like the backing beats on here. Originally I was going to say that this album felt like a love letter to the rap albums of the past, say stuff from A Tribe Called Quest or Mos Def. While that sort of sound does resonate a bit on here, this is more of a modern take on the whole jazz rap and abstract hip hop themes, going through an almost pastoral level of moods in order to create something that feels both relaxing, whilst at the same time thought provoking. It’s like how Earthside’s Let the Truth Speak was a sort of pastoral answer to the metal scene, but here it is hip hop. I quite love it actually, especially on tracks like Palaces, Outside, and especially Cake.

Speaking of which, Cake is quite a blast to hear. The rhythms, the lyrical contents, the flow Fiasco has, and the backing vocals create an absolutely amazing number of pop rap sensations. Everything on the track just fits so organically together, almost as if Fiasco himself baked us an actual cake with this track. It has layers to it, and I really love it. Just a good fun song.

However, I feel like this album has a bit of a problem, and that is mostly stemming from the concept and length. The concept is mostly about the music industry and the struggle of being an artist in it, which I don’t mind. Many great acts I love have done music with the same concepts. My main issue isn’t that, more so the album with the first track and album cover paints a different sort of context. In fact, when I was about to get into it, I thought I was gonna get something like a Wu-Tang Clan inspired record, but instead I got something completely different, which I don’t think is a bad thing since I still heavily enjoy this piece of music, but I do kinda wish Lupe kept up with a sort of samurai theming throughout the whole, to sort of drive home a linking between each song other than just the concept of the music industry being crappy.

The length is more of the bigger issue though. All the songs are really, really great, so much so that after the album is over I get the feeling of wanting much, much more. I get the whole phrase of “short and sweet” and “quality over quantity”, but I think Lupe has shown quite enough talent that I believe he warrants some more time to shine rather than a measly 30 minute run. Guess there are other albums from him though, but I dig the sound off of Samurai so much that I don’t really know if I will enjoy his other works as much as I do this one. Guess time will tell about that.

Definitely, at least as of right now, my favorite hip hop release of 2024. It has quite a lot to really enjoy here, and I think any raphead should check this one out for a good time. Lupe Fiasco is now in my radar, so I will be sure to see what more he has to offer. Really great stuff!

Best tracks: Cake, Palaces, Outside

Worst track: N/A
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dapper~Blueberries Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 21 2024 at 14:13


The Microphones - Mount Eerie (2003)

Genres: Avant-Folk, Psychedelic Folk, Drone, Tribal Ambient, Field Recordings, Musique concrète, Experimental

Rating: 4/5

One man bands have become a lot more realized with the advent of new technology and recording techniques within the late 20th century, to the point of finding a “band” that has only one member has become a lot more common nowadays. One of the more popular of these single artist bands comes in the form of The Microphones, helmed by Phil Elverum. While Microphones has had past members, they were mostly for backup vocals, whereas Phil practically does all the work. The project would stop in 2003, being sort of replaced by Mount Eerie as Phil’s main project, though he would go back to the Microphones name in 2020 with the apply titled ‘Microphones in 2020’.
I do quite like this project honestly. It may not be my favorite of the whole indie folk scene, as Sufjan Stevens takes more of the cake in that regard, but Microphones do have quite a lot going for Phil and his musical output that I enjoy, with most of my enjoyment stemming from his, before 2020, last record under the Microphones name, that being Mount Eerie.

So, for starters, this is an album I’d classify as a “dark side” which means it is an album that is practically one big track, but split into multiple songs, just like Dark Side of the Moon. Now don’t be mistaken as this isn’t a prog rock or prog folk record. In fact, it is a stark departure from the other works Phil has made before this. Comparing this to his other big record of The Glow Pt. 2 is like night and day. It is a very unique record in all facets, still primarily folk, but it does have more roots in genres like drone, musique concrète, ambient, and krautrock to name a few. This uniqueness does make it stand out from the other stuff Microphones has put out, and possibly from other records in the indie folk scene. I really like this, if you haven’t guessed. It feels like a proper last hooray for The Microphones project. It is a reconstruction into a completely new project, while still containing the familiar beats and movements that made The Microphones into a well renowned musical escapade.

I feel like the musical elements here work quite wondrous within the more lo-fi soundscape that Mount Eerie offers. While Microphones have always been shown to have a lot more lo-fi textures and elements, especially with his debut of Don't Wake Me Up, Mount Eerie showcases a realization of his musical odyssey, using the noisy lo-fi textures into account when making the music. The starting track, the 17 minute The Sun is a good example of this fact, blending pops and crackles of the audio recordings, as well as ambience with flavors of Faust-like krautrock, and a very cryptic ending monologue at the tail end showcases a level of understanding within the more disorienting world of avant-garde techniques. Another example of this is the title track of the record, which has moments where Phil’s vocals seem to dissolve into the underlying static.

However, I feel like Phil doesn’t quite put these soundscapes to their full power. Aside from the examples I have told, the album feels barren, but not too empty to encapsulate the melancholic energy, which I think is a very missed opportunity. While I may not really like albums that feel too depressing, like Kid A or Closer, I think Mount Eerie would actually benefit greatly from the desolation those records provide. It feels too warm in a lot of ways, especially with Solar System and the first Universe. They’re not bad songs, but they feel like a stretch where the album doesn’t quite know whether it should be cold and lifeless, or be filled with a strange sense of energy. Perhaps it's the inherent uniqueness of the album that is its double edged sword, stabbing itself occasionally when it has nothing else to fight for.

As well as this, I find the finale of the album to be quite lacking, as the second Universe track just doesn’t excite me all too much. Perhaps it is because of me being spoiled with other “dark side” records having quite amazing endings, but I find the second Universe track to be a lacking ordeal that doesn’t quite end the album on a strong note. While listening to the record I was sure I would get a very strong closing track that’d blow my socks off, much like how Eclipse or Louise Louisa did for me, but all I got was a good, but not stellar closing.

While I wouldn’t call this record a masterpiece in any way, I think it is up there with my favorites of The Microphones’ discography. There is quite a lot to love about it, and even the songs I had complaints towards are still quite good. I definitely suggest checking this one out if you can, especially if you enjoy a good mix of avant-garde folk with droning krautrock stylings.

Best tracks: The Sun, Mount Eerie

Worst track: Universe (2)     
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dapper~Blueberries Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 07 2024 at 14:31


My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)

Genres: Shoegaze, Noise Pop, Dream Pop, Neo-Psychedelia

Rating: 4/5

I have sort of wanted to review a My Bloody Valentine album for a bit. Originally I wanted to review m b v first, but due to an album swap giving me Loveless, I guess I’ll start my endeavors with what is commonly coined as the best shoegaze record ever made.

Released in 1991, Loveless was sort of an experiment for the band, trying out new guitar vibratos and tunings to see what they could produce. This is why the record cover has a picture of a guitar on it, as all of the songs revolve around it.

In fact, I’d say this is one of the few records that actually sounds like the cover, as the guitars on Loveless sound distorted, colorful, and washed over in a mysterious light, much like the cover presents. It is as noisy as I described, but it is a good noise, for the most part. The noisiness the record advertises is certainly a highlight for me, weaving through dynamics the songs provide. While past, and even some future projects My Bloody Valentine has made did show off the distortion to great effect, Loveless is definitely where they put it to its most ripe use.

However, I do find the noise to get sort of overbearing a bit, and at points not in a particularly good way. When it works, like on Only Shallow and I Only Said it is quite amazing, but sometimes like on Loomer, Touched, and To Here Knows When...it kind of makes me want to file a noise complaint. I feel like previous My Bloody Valentine projects, like the EPs and Isn’t Anything do a far better job with the noise then Loveless in my personal opinion. Sure they were very raw, and more punky, but they had a much stronger handle upon the noise than what Loveless loves to show-off. You Made Me Realise is a good example of this, as they work in the raw, unfiltered production into account for the EP. While Loveless certainly has good production, I sometimes feel like the guitars are too up in my ears for me to notice any of the other elements. I love noisy shoegaze, but sometimes I also want to hear more than just guitars blaring in my ears. At that point I will just turn on a Boris album.

However, the elements this record can showcase are quite superb! Kevin Shields and Bilinda Butcher are both excellent vocalists for the music. Bilinda especially has such a wonderful singing voice that I think complements the heartfelt lyrics incredibly, especially on the opening track of Only Shallow. Oh, and Colm O'Ciosoig is quite a great drummer here too, giving a lot of oomph in the wake of the distorted guitars. He is really strong in Only Shallow too! Actually, speaking of such, Only Shallow really is the best song on here in my opinion. It is an amazing opener, with a strong, almost proto-blackgaze hook with the guitars, perfectly showcasing what the album is about.

However, again, there is a part of me that finds this to be their weakest effort, at least in terms of the studio. Sure, it is still very, very strong in terms of the whole shoegaze mythos, but I feel like maybe this record is a bit...overrated. I hate using that word, but I just find this record to not be as amazing as some people say it is. Whenever I listen to the album, I sometimes ask myself “This is pretty good, but shouldn’t I be listening to m b v instead?” or “This song is great! But wouldn’t it be even better if it sounded more akin to the stuff on Isn’t Anything?” in a sort of vicious cycle. A part of me DOES want to view this as a five star, in fact it hurts me that I am giving something like this a low four, but the more I hear it the more I just find the other two records the band has made to be far more rewarding. I know this take is as hot as the pink upon the cover, but I cannot deny my feelings for this album. It is probably my least favorite My Bloody valentine project ever. None of their projects are bad, mind you, but out of any and all of their releases, I much rather listen to something like Feed Me With Your Kisses than Loveless again.

However, I do not want to end this review on a low note, so I do wanna give one final positive remark on this album, by saying thank you to it. Due to its popularity with the public, it practically created a movement for more of the shoegaze style of music. Because of Loveless, I can enjoy groups like Alvvays, Parannoul, Candy Claws; Groups that might’ve never gotten their sound if it wasn’t for Loveless. In fact, maybe some great blackgaze bands like Alcest and Asunojokei wouldn’t be around if it wasn’t for the love that Loveless has garnered since its release. So, if anything, it deserves praise for that, right? So, yeah, thanks Loveless.

I do suggest at least trying this out if you haven’t. You probably have, I mean it is one of the most celebrated records of the 90s, but still if you haven’t then maybe give it a spin to see what you think. Who knows, maybe it can be a masterpiece for you.

Best tracks: Only Shallow, I Only Said

Worst tracks: Loomer, Touched, To Here Knows When
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Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Wild God (2024)

Genres: Singer-Songwriter, Art Rock, Gospel, Baroque Pop

Rating: 4.5/5

This year’s pop music has been very stellar in probably most, if not all facets! Of course we’ve gotten Kyros’ Mannequin and Joanna Wang’s Hotel La Rut, but also some rather unique approaches to the genre like Mahōgakkō by Hakushi Hasegawa, 毛布’in by pppppfffffuuuuuiiiii, Imaginal Disk by Magdalena Bay, and probably one of the most vibrant pop releases so far, Wild God by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

Despite their massive influence and popularity, my love for Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds is more of a recent kind of thing for me, all starting with this album. However, I have been loving this rather enigmatic art rock band, and just how good Nick Cave’s voice is. My favorite from this group so far probably has to be their debut of From Her to Eternity. It is so experimental yet such a fun listen, sounding kinda like if no wave era Sonic Youth made a David Bowie album. Their eclectic mix of records proves them to be a new favorite of mine, and I cannot wait to listen to more of this kinda music in the future! However, that is for a different time, because we need to talk about Wild God.

With an incredible voice that Nick Cave has, I am very surprised he hasn’t made a gospel record yet in his entire career, but I guess better late than never, right? In fact, that’s probably one of the best things about this album for me, the vocals. They feel incredibly emotional, tender, and vibrant that I cannot help but just feel the energy deep within my soul as Nick Cave pours his heart out. Joy, probably the best track of this album, shows this off in spades, focusing on his beautiful vocals and range in an impressive display of piano lead beauty. It feels like I entered into a church from an alternate universe whenever this song plays, and I absolutely love the feeling.

Another thing I really enjoy is how the subject matter of the album does feel religious, but not in an overtly pretentious way. The album definitely has themes of God and love, but they are presented in the usual Nick Cave style of vibrancy and coolness, and not like in the usual shorthanded exhibition that a lot of Christian rock and pop stuff delivers. As a Christian myself, I often get tired of a lot of media distributed for my religion since they’re either the same old bible studies that everyone already knows of, or radicalized propaganda hidden under a Jesus shaped blanket. Wild God is a breath of fresh air for me for that reason, as it does its own complete thing.

Though this record isn’t quite the masterpiece as I hoped it could be. It is still absolutely amazing, but some tracks on here certainly are stronger than others. Tracks like Frogs, Final Rescue Attempt, and As the Waters Cover the Sea are fine, good tracks that I do quite like a decent amount, but they never quite wowed me to the same extent as stuff like Joy or Cinnamon Horses. They made me abandon my masterpiece status that I originally thought this album had during my first listen, and a part of me feels like they should’ve been reworked a tiny bit to fit a bit closer with the consistently great tracks all around them. As the Waters Cover the Sea especially feels like the weakest of the bunch. It's pretty, but I think the big and loud chorus overdone it quite a lot, and the song feels just a bit too short for my liking.

Despite that one, admittedly more minor complaint, Wild God proves to be a stand out album of this year! It is a beautiful art rock and baroque pop endeavor from quite a long standing band, and it is clear that Nick Cave’s range and creativity hasn’t aged a day. Certainly a must listen from me, and a great highlight for this year’s stream of consistently good pop music.

Best tracks: Wild God, Joy, Cinammon Horses

Worst tracks: Frogs, Final Rescue Attempt, As The Waters Cover The Sea
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dapper~Blueberries Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 22 2024 at 19:51


The Microphones - Little Bird Flies Into a Big Black Cloud (2002)

Genres: Singer-Songwriter, Indie Folk, Poetry

Rating: 5/5

When you ask someone what the best Microphones album is, most often you'll hear people say The Glow Part 2, and perhaps in some cases Mount Eerie. However I say his best actually comes in between those two albums, Little Bird Flies Into a Big Black Cloud.

Odd choice to consider a masterpiece from Phil’s project, but there is something quite personally masterful about it. Sure it may not be as experimental as Mount Eerie, nor as expansive as The Glow Part 2, but Little Bird just has something that just clicked right for me when I first heard it.

Perhaps it is the very lite instrumentation, focusing more on Phil’s very somber sounding voice. Most songs here utilize an organ or piano in the mix, giving the backing a very personal quality, benefitting from the lo-fi quality the record has. Heck, sometimes there is no instrumental, and instead just pure silence with Phil’s poetry to comfort the listener. It is weirdly mystical, and I adore it in all aspects. It's sparse and introspective, but without the abundant faults such descriptors could show within an album.

The poetry on this record is also incredibly well put together. Microphones songs have good songwriting a lot of the time, but there is a sense of enigmatic beauty within Little Bird that no other album has shown. Stuff like Phil Elvrum’s Will, or Painful Storms Will Always Come to Blur My Way just has this incredibly detailed writing that both soothes and irks the core of my being in a way that no Microphones album has ever done. I feel as though I see a fraction of what Phil saw whilst making this album, and in some retrospect what he saw while making his, then, finale record of Mount Eerie.

But I actually think the biggest reason why I personally love this album is that it came to me at a time when things were changing very quickly. I listened to this album on a car ride, leaving a home I grew up in. You see, a month or so back me and my family were moving away from Wyoming to Texas, and for a lot of people moving is a massive change. It didn’t help that I was gonna be turning 18 years old in a few days, so I myself was experiencing a change that was pretty great. So, with all that in mind, you can see why I have become adoring for this extremely retrospective, and personal album.

I know for a fact I won’t make people feel the same way for this album as I do. After all, in a more objective light The Glow Part 2 and Mount Eerie are 10x better than this record, I can admit that, but in my more subjective oriented ways, I find this record to just be pure magic. Just an amazing piece of music that came at a time when I needed it most.

Best tracks: I Got Stabbed, Phil Elvrum’s Will, Three Steps, Painful Storms Will Always Come to Blur My Way

Worst tracks: N/A
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dapper~Blueberries Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 05 2024 at 20:21


Charly García - Yendo de la cama al living (1982)

Genres: Art Pop, Pop Rock, Progressive Pop, Synthpop, New Wave, Sophisti-Pop

Rating 4.5/5

Charly García is one of the most popular musicians to come from the woodwork in Argentina. Not only was he quite the huge figurehead of the Latin American progressive rock scene with his involvement in Sui Generis, La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros, and Serú Girán, but also the pop scene, at the very least from his first three records. While Clics modernos and Piano Bar are his more popular works, I will be instead reviewing his debut solo record, Yendo de la cama al living.

This record came out a good year after the disbandment of Serú Girán, after the more pop oriented Peperina. A lot of sound traits from Serú Girán arrive on this album, like the bouncy progressive pop sound, and the more jazzy swing a lot of the music has. As a fan of Serú Girán, it was quite enjoyable hearing these sounds, especially when they’re put in a more new wave oriented context. Obviously Charly abandoned the trademark progressive rock sound he had been using in the 70s, but I can see why he did so since he probably wanted to try out some brand spanking new synths, and or probably wanted to go on to newer genres, which I can respect.

Though the more Serú Girán-ish sound design does kind of make it feel less original than what he would make afterwards. While the only other album I heard from Charly is Clics modernos, I find that record’s more original sounds give it a bit of an edge against Yendo de la cama al living. Other than that though, the record is extremely great!

Every song, in my opinion, all has this very satisfying drive and rhythm with the reverberated drums, and those amazing synths. I’d say the moment where such drives arrive at their peak is with my favorite track of No bombardeen Buenos Aires, a song that has a more jazzy swing to it, with Charly almost rapping his verses in a fun and stylish way! It is all so quirky and fun, and even though I do not know a lick of Spanish, I can certainly understand how much fun he must’ve had while recording the track.

His vocals too are a treat. They have been, and from small dashes of his stuff from today his voice seems to have aged quite well. He is like the Ian Anderson of Argentina, just without the nonsensical flute playing (though with Charley being a multi-instrumentalist I bet he can at least deliver a few wind solos if he wanted too).

Nothing more left to say other than that this is a great and fun record to check out. Charly takes the best bits of the early 80s new wave sound, and adds in his own twists and turns into it, creating a very stylish art pop vinyl. Definitely an album to check out, especially if you like Serú Girán.

Best track: No bombardeen Buenos Aires

Worst track: N/A
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