Round 8 Results part 2 Getting NostalgicThe Antlers - HospiceParama
Indie Rock
United States(bonus point band)
First Impression - Occasionally lyrics and music come together just right.The first two tracks here were a promising start, but the album falls almost completely flat for me until I get to the last two tracks.
The intro track and Kettering were both so beautiful, with some heart wrenching lyrics. I can forgive some of the vocal problems I hear because the lyrics are so good and the music fits so well. Sylvia is where I start to lose interest in the album. It's actually an OK song, but I was expecting so much more from this album. It's also from this point on where I lose any emotional connection to the lyrics. Atrophy is too long and the noise section just makes me want to skip the song. Bear makes no sense from a lyrical standpoint, although the vocal melodies are fine and so is the music. Thirteen is skippable. Two is going to be moshed to if I ever see The Antlers at a show. Mostly because I don't get it. There is just no emotional connection to the story or the music. How the music, vocals, and lyrics fit so well together on Kettering is not found anywhere else on this album. It's quite aggravating for me. I'd seen this album hyped up by many people that I share a lot in common with musically, how it was heart wrenching emotional journey. This is just.....there....A few good tracks drowning in a sea of mediocrity. Wake is another of the good tracks. Well, I should say, better than the previous handful. It's too long and the lyrics are nonsensical for the most part. Epilogue is possibly the best track here, with the exception of maybe Kettering. It has that emotional connection that I was expecting for the whole album, even though the lyrics are still a little bizarre. The simple acoustic guitar works here.
This was a grand disappointment. Sorry. I was expecting something else completely. Perhaps I just don't get it. Perhaps I'm missing the point of the lyrics. Perhaps I'm just crazy. Although this still doesn't hit me nearly as hard as I thought it would. I saw Soundscape mentioned on RYM that he hears similarities to Jeff Buckley.......with the exception of the last track in like one spot, that's a big nope. I also still prefer this bands Burst Apart album.
5.8/10 - (1) = 4.8/10
Massive Attack - MezzanineRomdrums
Downtempo Trip Hop
United KingdomFirst Impression - Sinister, brooding, beautiful, atmospheric, bold.This album went about how I expected it to, based on the song from it that was sent in my last roulette. I think I would have to be in a very specific mood to thoroughly enjoy this. It doesn't really hit any of my enjoyment buttons fully.
The first song is, as my first impression points out, a darker toned brooding atmospheric track that I actually grew to enjoy more and more each time I listened to it. From then on out I feel like the album is a bit inconsistent. Risingson has a cool groove, but I don't particularly like the vocals and it doesn't maintain any of the same thick atmosphere as the first song. The exception being the cool transitions between each vocalists parts. The song overstays it's welcome to my ears, which is pretty hard for a less than 5 minute song. Teardrop was the song I got last roulette. In the context of the album I actually like it quite a bit more. The vocals are still super smooth to me and the song is super chill. Much better atmosphere than the last track. My enjoyment drops again with the next 2 tracks, Inertia Creeps and Exchange. The former not doing much and going on for a bit too long. And again I don't really like the vocals on this one either. I like the beginning of Exchange. The opening melody is pretty cool, but it's ruined a bit by the rhythm section that comes in. I feel it doesn't fit. Dissolved Girl is another highlight for me. Great vocals and melodies. The vocals to Man Next Door cracked me up until I looked up the lyrics. There's a line in there that sounds like he's saying "Always a fussy fart." Apparently that isn't the line. Either way the vocals are distracting on this track and I cant really get in to it, even though the groove and atmosphere is pretty cool. Black Milk picks up the album again with another infectious groove and lovely vocals, but is over long. The rest of the tracks are very meh to me.
As you can see this album is pretty much a roller coaster ride, with constant peaks and low valleys. The best tracks here being Angel, Teardrop, and Dissolved Girl. The rest can take a hike for the most part. This would be a great album to put on in the background to just lounge and relax to, but active listening not so much.
7/10
Public Service Broadcasting - Every ValleyAriich
Story-Time Electronica Post-Rock?
United KingdomFirst Impression - Reminds me a bit of Hibernal only the music is more diverse.This is a tough one to review/rate/write-up. The music is pretty much brilliantly beautiful throughout. I like the use of spoken word clips mixed with a bit of sung vocals here and there. There are quite a few changing dynamics throughout the album as well. I love the use of orchestral music, post-rock, electronica, ambient, classic prog, and lots of other genres. The problem lies in the story itself, but I'll get to that in a minute.
The first track is fantastic, as is the second. The latter having some great post-rock passages mixed with some brass instruments. People Will Always Need Coal starts off really cool, but it's here that you realize that this album is really just about mining coal and how it will lead humanity in to the future. It sounds like a propaganda album. Maybe that's the point. Maybe it's a metaphor. I'm not sure what it would be a metaphor for, but I digress. The rest of the album follows a similar pattern, although they mix it up on each song so it never becomes repetitive musically. Progress starts off sounding a little like an 80's pop rock song, but quickly switches to a more shoe gazey post rock track. You + Me stands out because you have the vocals sung in two different languages. I quite enjoy it. There's cool little musical flares all over this album and a lot of build ups to cool climaxes. So I guess the only problem I really have with it is the subject matter. It seems like a boring subject to cover.
I do think I will dive in to the rest of their discography. They sound a bit more interesting, at least story wise. Overall it's a fantastic album musically and even vocally. I may just be hung up on the story too much, oh well.
7.9/10
The Alan Parsons Project - Eye in the SkyKattelox
Progressive Rock
United KingdomFirst Impression - I'm not sure what I was expecting here, but it wasn't this.So at last we come to the other album that struck a major chord (haha major chord....get it?
.....) with me emotionally.
The album started off beautifully with the instrumental Sirius, a short but sweet intro to what would end up being a short but sweet album. It has a definite 80's pop rock vibe to it, but it's extremely well performed, with a cool guitar solo all leading in to the title track. Here is where my story of this album begins. As soon as this track started I knew I had heard it before. I just didn't know where or when I had heard it. It wasn't until I got through a few more tracks that a massive wave of nostalgia, sentimentality, and many great childhood memories all came flooding back to me. My dad had this album when I was a little kid. I remembered the first time I heard it. My dad use to take me on the cool little road trips in Northern California when I was around 6-10 years old. This one time we drove from Santa Rosa up to Point Arena via highway 1 along the coast and he popped this album in. Incidentally this road trip was also the first time I heard Dire Straits Love Over Gold, another album I love. But this Alan Parsons album for whatever reason never stuck with me as I got older. I'm not sure why, it's a great album. The title track for instance is a classic rock hit and for good reason. Children of the Moon has a bit of a King Crimson vibe to it. Silence and I has a bit of a jazzy feel with some great vocals and cool orchestral elements and another emotional guitar solo (this album is full of them). The quality of the album does drop a tad with You're Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned and Psychobabble, although the latter is sort of catchy. The beginning of Mammagamma makes me chuckle. It sounds like they are going to break in to a disco song or something. It's actually a really cool instrumental track, with a groovy bass line. Step by Step is a cool catchy song. Old and Wise is another highlight of the album. A great ballad type track, with more great vocals and an awesome saxophone solo at the end. Fitting way to finish an album I'd say.
So first of all I have to say thanks for bringing back many happy childhood memories of spending time with my dad. This just brought me back and put a smile on my face and reminded me of that awesome road trip I took with my dad. It doesn't hurt that it's also a top notch album. I think the only song I don't really care for is You're Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned.
9.5/10
Scores
Ariich - 9.5, 7, 7.8, 8, 20.2, 9.7, 9.8, 7.9 = 79.9
TAC - 7.6, 8, 9.1, 8.8, 19.5, 9, 7.1, 9.9 = 79
Romdrums - 7.7, 8.5, 8.7, 9.5, 20.1, 8.7, 7, 7 = 77.2
Elite - 7.8, 7.4, 8.3, 9, 16.2, 9.5, 8.8, 8 = 75
Lethean - 6.8, 7.8, 6.6, 6.8, 21.7, 8.5, 8.5, 7 = 73.7
Kattelox - 9, 9, 9, 6.8, 15.5, 5.5, 9.6, 9.5 = 73.9
Parama - 9.1, 8.7, 6.7, 8.9, 17.7, 8.5, 9, 4.8 = 73.4
Jingle - 8.3, 6, 8, 7.7, 19.9, 7.2, 7, 9.3 = 73.4
Evermind - 8.2, 7.5, 8.5, 6, 21.5, 9.4 = 61.1
Sacul - 8.5, 8.5, 5.9, 8.4, 15.4 = 46.7
Indiscipline - 7.5, 8, 5.8, 7, 18.1 = 46.4
Stadler - 6.4, 7, 6, 6.5, 18.1 = 44
Shadow Ninja - 5.5
Lordcost - 4.5
Topic: Puppies Crazy Album Roulette (Jingle & Kat Bonus Round...spoiler...Jingle wins) (Read 113192 times)