Flash Flash Revolution - View Single Post - An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

EzExZeRo7497 · 06-25-2014, 11:14 AM

June 25th, 2014
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

Sorry I'm Late by Cher Lloyd (recommended by moches)
Cher Lloyd is an English pop singer who rose to fame from her part in The X Factor. She has made a couple of singles which topped the charts, like Swagger Jagger. Since then, she has signed into a label and released a couple of albums. Sorry I'm Late is her most recent album.

Guuuuh... hmm. Just Be Mine has a pretty decent beat admittedly - but the vocals. They're not particularly intrusive, it's the content that bothers me. I guess it's just one of those albums that you shouldn't take seriously. The track is fun sure, but not quite intriguing to me. I feel that Utada Hikaru has made better dance-pop tracks, like Travelling. Given they aren't too comparable, this is more fun-loving. Just not my cup of tea I guess.

Bind Your Love is a dance-pop ballad, which is nice. Definitely a more engaging track than Just Be Mine. I am a sucker for ballads like these - I used to bop my head to Umbrella all the time. A little repetitive, but that isn't too much of a problem. It's actually one of the better pop tracks I've heard in a while. Pretty catchy, both vocally and instrumentally - quite fresh throughout. Solid.

Like most pop albums this does by having a couple of bad tracks. This album... does have more bad tracks than good. Bind Your Love is great and all, but that's it. I'm not too fond of tracks like I Wish and Sirens - too poppy and slapstick. A little too energetic for me, basically. I'm not too big on dancey music like this - I'd much have trance. Maybe poppy isn't the right word, now that I think about it. It's too fun at points. Tracks like Dirty Love are infectiously dancey and all, but it doesn't appeal to me. It's too jovial.

Not overly bad though. I do enjoy this more than most mainstream pop albums. Not that it's saying much, but still. Yes, it's generally mindless - but it's fun. It's definitely not the type of music I like, but it's nice. Tracks like Killin' It are great every once in a while. The ballads are actually pretty good too. Goodnight is a pleasant little ballad - Cher Lloyd's voice does complement the naive and child-like atmosphere. The instrumentation is wonderful in the second half. Definitely not tear-jerking, but it's a keeper. Would listen to it again.

I don't really have much else to talk about. I can't think too much of the album. I don't think I should anyway, this album is mainly about fun. All in all, alright. There are many pop cliches here that I'm not a fan of, but they're generally minor. While I can't wholeheartedly say that I like this album, it's something. I do feel that the bad attitude edge does create a detriment for me, but not all musicians would do well being saints. This does appeal to the general public a lot more. She should make more ballads though - they are quite good. Not as good as Hikaru's, but still a commendable effort.

Album Highlights: Bind Your Love, Alone With Me
Track Average Rating: 2.55/5
Overall Rating: 5/10
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

Princess Mononoke Original Soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi
Studio Ghibli! Joe Hisaishi is the composer of over 100 film scores and albums, dating back to 1981. His most notable soundtracks include Spirited Away, Ponyo on the Cliff, My Neighbour Totoro, Ghibli movies. I'm assuming that everyone knows what Studio Ghibli is, so I won't elaborate on them. I'm going to review Princess Mononoke's soundtrack today. I have not listened to any soundtrack from Joe Hisaishi, he's a composer I have overlooked for a while. I guess it's time to find out whether his work is really as good as others mention it is. I would also like to note, I have not watched Princess Mononoke yet. Thus, I'm judging this album as an individual entity.

Joe Hisaishi's ability to evoke emotions through an entire orchestra is really something else. From the grandiose The Legend of Ashitaka, to the intimidating The Demon God, to the serene Journey to the West. It's really interesting to me, not many composers could mend orchestration so well. At least, not in such a fluid manner. I really can't help but think of Stella at its sombre moments, to be honest. Not just because of the similar melodies, but how cohesive it is. It is a smooth experience throughout each track, although some tracks do end abruptly. Some of them just felt too short.

The tracks here create quite solid landscapes as well. As someone has not watched the movie yet, it definitely is intriguing. The Land of the Impure reminds me of a post-apocalyptic barren land. Void of life, but there are signs of deceased life here. Something quite grotesque and tragic happened here. I don't know what in particular... but it's depressing to think about.

I have to admit, some of the tracks here do evoke a nostalgic feeling. The weirdest part is that I haven't watched any Ghibli movies, aside from Spirited Away. The track The Demon God II - The Lost Mountains just reminds me of... action movies I've watched as a child. It's hard to describe it, it's similar to the work of Randy Newman at points. Whatever it is, I felt as if I've heard it before. I don't mean it in a bad way, in fact the fact that Hisaishi is able to do that is commendable.

I'm halfway through the album as I'm writing this. The album so far has been very consistent. The tracks are very visceral, and at the same time atmospheric. They're nothing short of breath-taking at its most serene, and definitely tense/anxious at its scariest. Requiem II is just amazingly large to me. The content of the track is just so spacious and grotesque. The looming tracks are not like any track I've heard from any soundtrack before. They're really really interesting, quite replayable for the most part too.

Speaking of replays though, I do have to repeat the track sometimes to capture the mood of it. This is my biggest gripe with the soundtrack by far - the lengths. Very few tracks here last for over 2 minutes. There are so many tracks here that I wished are much longer. Requiem III, The Young Man From The East... so much more. These short lengths do end up creating abrupt endings and a lot more to be desired. Comparing the first and last track... the last track just destroys it. The thing is that they're the same melody, but the last track is 3 minutes longer. I'd personally love to see most of these tracks to be much longer, but it's a movie soundtrack. With 33 tracks, I can't see how these tracks will be used in the movie if they're longer. Too many tracks, too little substance basically. Does get a little exhausting too, but maybe that's because I'm sleepy.

Regardless, it's a very solid soundtrack. One of the best I've listened to, for sure. The soundtrack covers so much, from tragedy to anxiety to serenity. I do wish that it did cover more ground on the tragedy component, but it's great as is. It stands on its own extremely well, with its variation and brilliance. It's definitely not a perfect soundtrack - not even close. Most of the tracks are too short. However, it makes up for it by constantly having fantastic and memorable tracks. The Legend of Ashitaka, Requiems II and III, Ashitaka and San and so many more. Most of the tracks here are great, to different extents of course. I'm really surprised with the fact that most of the tracks were as strong as they are. Usually soundtracks have 5-6 tracks that I'd listen to again, this has... well over fifteen. Along with the fact that I haven't even watched the movie nor know the concept of it just makes it even more special. It is a wonderful experience, but I think I'm missing out a lot without watching the movie. This makes me want to watch the movie now, but it's midnight and I'm sleepy. Thus the incohesive review.

But yeah, superb soundtrack. Going to watch the movie tomorrow. Highly recommended for any soundtrack enthusiast, or anyone into orchestral music. You won't regret listening to the soundtrack of Princess Mononoke. I think 8/10 is a fair rating. I'll have to give this a few more listens when I'm fully awake to ensure that I'm rating it properly. Might be overrating this slightly.

EDIT (June 27th, 2014): I think it might be a tad bit overrated. It wasn't as good the second round, but it's still quite a magical experience. Just not something I'd listen to often, I guess. I'll just reduce it to 7.5, it's still quite good. Just not as good as I remembered.

Album Highlights: Too many to list - have my track ratings instead.
Track Average Rating: 3.71/5
Overall Rating: 8/10 7.5/10

06-25-2014, 11:14 AM	#188
EzExZeRo7497 ⠀ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Singapore, SG Age: 26 Posts: 6,858	Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away \| 365 Album Challenge June 25th, 2014 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Sorry I'm Late by Cher Lloyd (recommended by moches) Cher Lloyd is an English pop singer who rose to fame from her part in The X Factor. She has made a couple of singles which topped the charts, like Swagger Jagger. Since then, she has signed into a label and released a couple of albums. Sorry I'm Late is her most recent album. Guuuuh... hmm. Just Be Mine has a pretty decent beat admittedly - but the vocals. They're not particularly intrusive, it's the content that bothers me. I guess it's just one of those albums that you shouldn't take seriously. The track is fun sure, but not quite intriguing to me. I feel that Utada Hikaru has made better dance-pop tracks, like Travelling. Given they aren't too comparable, this is more fun-loving. Just not my cup of tea I guess. Bind Your Love is a dance-pop ballad, which is nice. Definitely a more engaging track than Just Be Mine. I am a sucker for ballads like these - I used to bop my head to Umbrella all the time. A little repetitive, but that isn't too much of a problem. It's actually one of the better pop tracks I've heard in a while. Pretty catchy, both vocally and instrumentally - quite fresh throughout. Solid. Like most pop albums this does by having a couple of bad tracks. This album... does have more bad tracks than good. Bind Your Love is great and all, but that's it. I'm not too fond of tracks like I Wish and Sirens - too poppy and slapstick. A little too energetic for me, basically. I'm not too big on dancey music like this - I'd much have trance. Maybe poppy isn't the right word, now that I think about it. It's too fun at points. Tracks like Dirty Love are infectiously dancey and all, but it doesn't appeal to me. It's too jovial. Not overly bad though. I do enjoy this more than most mainstream pop albums. Not that it's saying much, but still. Yes, it's generally mindless - but it's fun. It's definitely not the type of music I like, but it's nice. Tracks like Killin' It are great every once in a while. The ballads are actually pretty good too. Goodnight is a pleasant little ballad - Cher Lloyd's voice does complement the naive and child-like atmosphere. The instrumentation is wonderful in the second half. Definitely not tear-jerking, but it's a keeper. Would listen to it again. I don't really have much else to talk about. I can't think too much of the album. I don't think I should anyway, this album is mainly about fun. All in all, alright. There are many pop cliches here that I'm not a fan of, but they're generally minor. While I can't wholeheartedly say that I like this album, it's something. I do feel that the bad attitude edge does create a detriment for me, but not all musicians would do well being saints. This does appeal to the general public a lot more. She should make more ballads though - they are quite good. Not as good as Hikaru's, but still a commendable effort. Album Highlights: Bind Your Love, Alone With Me Track Average Rating: 2.55/5 Overall Rating: 5/10 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Princess Mononoke Original Soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi Studio Ghibli! Joe Hisaishi is the composer of over 100 film scores and albums, dating back to 1981. His most notable soundtracks include Spirited Away, Ponyo on the Cliff, My Neighbour Totoro, Ghibli movies. I'm assuming that everyone knows what Studio Ghibli is, so I won't elaborate on them. I'm going to review Princess Mononoke's soundtrack today. I have not listened to any soundtrack from Joe Hisaishi, he's a composer I have overlooked for a while. I guess it's time to find out whether his work is really as good as others mention it is. I would also like to note, I have not watched Princess Mononoke yet. Thus, I'm judging this album as an individual entity. Joe Hisaishi's ability to evoke emotions through an entire orchestra is really something else. From the grandiose The Legend of Ashitaka, to the intimidating The Demon God, to the serene Journey to the West. It's really interesting to me, not many composers could mend orchestration so well. At least, not in such a fluid manner. I really can't help but think of Stella at its sombre moments, to be honest. Not just because of the similar melodies, but how cohesive it is. It is a smooth experience throughout each track, although some tracks do end abruptly. Some of them just felt too short. The tracks here create quite solid landscapes as well. As someone has not watched the movie yet, it definitely is intriguing. The Land of the Impure reminds me of a post-apocalyptic barren land. Void of life, but there are signs of deceased life here. Something quite grotesque and tragic happened here. I don't know what in particular... but it's depressing to think about. I have to admit, some of the tracks here do evoke a nostalgic feeling. The weirdest part is that I haven't watched any Ghibli movies, aside from Spirited Away. The track The Demon God II - The Lost Mountains just reminds me of... action movies I've watched as a child. It's hard to describe it, it's similar to the work of Randy Newman at points. Whatever it is, I felt as if I've heard it before. I don't mean it in a bad way, in fact the fact that Hisaishi is able to do that is commendable. I'm halfway through the album as I'm writing this. The album so far has been very consistent. The tracks are very visceral, and at the same time atmospheric. They're nothing short of breath-taking at its most serene, and definitely tense/anxious at its scariest. Requiem II is just amazingly large to me. The content of the track is just so spacious and grotesque. The looming tracks are not like any track I've heard from any soundtrack before. They're really really interesting, quite replayable for the most part too. Speaking of replays though, I do have to repeat the track sometimes to capture the mood of it. This is my biggest gripe with the soundtrack by far - the lengths. Very few tracks here last for over 2 minutes. There are so many tracks here that I wished are much longer. Requiem III, The Young Man From The East... so much more. These short lengths do end up creating abrupt endings and a lot more to be desired. Comparing the first and last track... the last track just destroys it. The thing is that they're the same melody, but the last track is 3 minutes longer. I'd personally love to see most of these tracks to be much longer, but it's a movie soundtrack. With 33 tracks, I can't see how these tracks will be used in the movie if they're longer. Too many tracks, too little substance basically. Does get a little exhausting too, but maybe that's because I'm sleepy. Regardless, it's a very solid soundtrack. One of the best I've listened to, for sure. The soundtrack covers so much, from tragedy to anxiety to serenity. I do wish that it did cover more ground on the tragedy component, but it's great as is. It stands on its own extremely well, with its variation and brilliance. It's definitely not a perfect soundtrack - not even close. Most of the tracks are too short. However, it makes up for it by constantly having fantastic and memorable tracks. The Legend of Ashitaka, Requiems II and III, Ashitaka and San and so many more. Most of the tracks here are great, to different extents of course. I'm really surprised with the fact that most of the tracks were as strong as they are. Usually soundtracks have 5-6 tracks that I'd listen to again, this has... well over fifteen. Along with the fact that I haven't even watched the movie nor know the concept of it just makes it even more special. It is a wonderful experience, but I think I'm missing out a lot without watching the movie. This makes me want to watch the movie now, but it's midnight and I'm sleepy. Thus the incohesive review. But yeah, superb soundtrack. Going to watch the movie tomorrow. Highly recommended for any soundtrack enthusiast, or anyone into orchestral music. You won't regret listening to the soundtrack of Princess Mononoke. I think 8/10 is a fair rating. I'll have to give this a few more listens when I'm fully awake to ensure that I'm rating it properly. Might be overrating this slightly. EDIT (June 27th, 2014): I think it might be a tad bit overrated. It wasn't as good the second round, but it's still quite a magical experience. Just not something I'd listen to often, I guess. I'll just reduce it to 7.5, it's still quite good. Just not as good as I remembered. Album Highlights: Too many to list - have my track ratings instead. Track Average Rating: 3.71/5 Overall Rating: 8/10 7.5/10 Last edited by EzExZeRo7497; 06-27-2014 at 11:28 AM..