#16: Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea(1998)Indie folkI can already see some of you calling me crazy for putting this so high
but that's the charm of this album, some love it, others hate it. I think I heard one song off this album (King of Carrot Flowers pt1?) in summer 2014 when friend sent it to me. And I was like: wtf is this? And I wasn't into indie music at all at the time. Almost a year later I asked a friend what band that was because I wanted to expand my music horizons. When I listened to whole album I was fascinated. It was like nothing I heard before (I'm not saying it is special or unique but I never heard anything similar so I don't know). Intentionally bad sound(lo-fi) may be off-putting at first but if you can get over it, this album is fantastic. I love good melodies and there are plenty of those here. It may be weird but when I got used to these vocals I started to love them. And objectively, vocals are bad(probably intentionally). It's really hard for me to describe or explain this album because I really can't. It sound like something I'd throw in garbage few years ago and now I love it. Maybe this albums arouse emotions I never knew I had(this is something my sister would say to me, she thinks I'm cold-blooded and unemotional
). But really, try to listen to this album with open mind, it's worth it.
Recommended songs:
King of Carrot Flowers pt1,
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea,
Two-Headed Boy#15: Opeth - Ghost Reveries(2005)Progressive death metalAnother is one not so controversial pick, Opeth's fan favorite album and IMO peak of their career. Ghost Reveries wasn't always my favorite Opeth's album but looking my other favorites on this list it isn't surprise I love it. It is full of progressive moments and have ballads that are among best I heard. Ghost of Perdition is song I give my (non-metal) friends to listen and they like first few seconds
but then, demonic growls. And this song is one of the best examples what Mikael can do with his voice: growls, nice clean singing, some falsetto. But of course, instrumental is my favorite part of this song and one of best instrumentals in Opeth's catalog. I have same opinion about Reveries/Harlequin Forest – one of the best songs I ever heard. It's work of genius and transitions between brutal and calm parts are so smooth I can't believe it
. Ballads Hours of Wealth and Isolation Years are among my favorites. I'm not sure but I think many don't like those songs(I read that somewhere) but those people may be metal-only fans or whatever. Chorus in Isolation Years is really something. If I heard that song live I would probably melt on:
„And as I read: "I'll die alone", I know she was aching“. As whole this album is one of the most perfect things I heard, not one bad moment in whole album
(and now I'm thinking about putting it higher but I promised myself I won't change list after I start with it)
Recommended songs:
Ghost of Perdition,
Reverie/Harlequin Forest,
Isolation Years