Results 2/3Puppies_On_Acid: Imogen Heap
First impression:
Lovely and intimate but doesn't feel very unique imoOk that first impression is sort of inaccurate as I confused it with the next bunch of songs. There's a nice variety here, from the synths and electronics on 2-1 mixed with the acoustic instrumentation, to the xylophone and beats on Have You Got it in You?, and the more minimalist The Moment I Said It, ending with a very pop-ish track, I'm God. These are very nice songs that somehow I don't find particularly memorable for some reason - they're not generic at all, yet I find it hard to remember any of their main melodies after listening.
So yeah, pretty cool songs, but I don't feel they resonate that close to me.
3.5/5Tomislav95: Phoebe Bridgers
First impression:
A bit more varied than expected, has a nice warmth to itI've seen people rave about her last record, which I listened to a song from but wasn't blown away. So this was a nice surprise, maybe I'd dig her with a closer listen. The first song, Smoke Signals, is quite nice and minimal, kinda has a bit of a Twin Peaks vibe to it. Motion Sickness is definitely more into indie rock territory while keeping the warm, almost ethereal atmosphere. Funeral has some pretty sad lyrics and the instrumentation goes along really well, might be my favorite of the bunch. But Kyoto is quite close there, and also seems to be most bombastic of your selection. I love the trumpet there, and the chorus is very memorable.
I think I'd score these a little higher had it had more songs in the vein of the last two, but these are all pretty nice tracks. I might check out Punisher in the end.
3.5/5Anguyen92: SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]
First impression:
Stronger songwriting than what I was expectingThese could also qualify as having an anime sort of sound, considering the guy seems to write soundtracks for those chinese cartoons. These are mostly pop-rockish tracks with different singers, and from your description I expected something a bit less well-crafted but all of the tracks are pretty solid. My fav track is probably Into the Sky for the lovely vocals and the electronic instrumentation, but I also dig the energy the other songs bring. I like how Glory -into the RM- brings both the guitars and the strings in a way that feels kinda unique actually.
Nothing I'd really listen much on my own these days but might have dug a lot during my teens.
3.5/5OpenYourEyes311: Linkin Park
First impression:
I love the strings hereWell I think I prefer these to the originals, at least the ones I'm familiar with, which are... Crawling, basically
. There's plenty of cool beats and glitchy vocals here, and surprisingly, strings. And it really kind of works quite well. I quite like H! Vltg3 as it feels like a regular hip-hop track with good beats, I wouldn't know it's a remix of these guys
Not much to say, never been a big fan of Chester And The Linkin Parks but this was very cool to listen to. Might make me check out Hybrid Theory though, never listened to it in full.
3.5/5kingshmegland: Fleet Foxes
First impression:
Warm and lush, but does it stand out? We'll seeI'll admit that these tracks seemed deceptively simple at first but a closer listen reveals plenty of layers to their songwriting - the many vocals harmonies interspersed with the muted guitars on Montezuma, the vague but colorful lyrics of White Winter Hymnal, the lovely piano and more vocal harmonies on He Doesn't Know Why (my favorite of the bunch), and the many parts of The Shrine / The Argument. All of the songs have a very lush quality, an almost ethereal yet very grounded feeling. I think only the last track drags on a bit much but it's forgivable.
I've meant to listen to these guys for a while and I can kind of see why they're so influential, as I can hear bits of this style in more modern records. Good stuff.
4/5Cyril: Mae
First impression:
Quite lovely, although it might go on for a bit too longI'm always a fan of lovely piano pieces, as it's one of my favorite instruments, and this hits the right spots most of the time. I mean, it's not the most unique piece ever, and it is kinda too long for what it's trying to achieve, but it's pretty lovely and goes through several moods - exuberant, joyful, melancholic, sad, adventurous. It'd fit quite right into an emotive indie game.
Not much to say, it's a pretty song.
3.5/5