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-   -   Recommend me some 2022 albums +1000th album halp (http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/vbz/showthread.php?t=137263)

rayword45 11-30-2020 11:29 AM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
Day 777: Visions of Bodies Being Burned by Clipping

I miscapitalized the artist name. Oh well, who gives a shit? These guys are way better than Death Grips even though I don't think they're all that comparable. This album is even better than the one I heard last year.

I don't feel like writing more. Master's classes and COVID quarantines are a motherfucking bitch.

Best Track: Pain Everyday or Enlacing
Rating: 9/10

rayword45 11-30-2020 12:48 PM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
Day 778: Dwellers of the Deep by Wobbler

TBH I don't even know how the fuck I found this album or why I'm listening to it. I don't know why, but it vaguely reminds me of Comus despite being nowhere near the same genre. I respect the craft, but for the most part I find this kinda dull. The exception, oddly enough, is the mega-long ending track, which falls victim to all the same things that make me find the rest of the album boring, but somehow when you expand it even more it goes from boring to majestic? Dunno, whatever, meh.

Best Track: I just said it motherfucker
Rating: 6/10

rayword45 11-30-2020 02:09 PM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
Day 779: Long Haired Locusts by Godcaster (Album Choice: robertsona)

Yet again, there's something in here that VAGUELY reminds me of Comus and I don't know why. Maybe it's just my mindset today. Maybe it's just all these harmonized vocals. I don't know.

Anyways, that's really only slightly, because again but even moreso than that wanky album I just listened to, this really sounds NOTHING like Comus. I don't know what band I'd compare this to really, but this shit is actually 100% my jam when it all comes together. Weird, janky guitar work mixed with slight pop sensibility and a whole lotta art pretension (I mean that in a good way, I promise), all with a feeling that it could all fall apart at any second (I read that this was recorded live-to-tape, giving it a lo-fi sensibility that I really enjoy). I can't say I loved every track on here, some of them just came and go without leaving much of an impact, but when this one clicks, it CLICKS HARD. I will definitely return to this to see if it deserves to be one of my year end favorites.

Best Track: Escape from the Challenger Deep
Rating: 7/10

rayword45 11-30-2020 03:39 PM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
Day 780: Love + Light by Daniel Avery

Quote:

Originally Posted by rayword45 (Post 4617123)
Day 449: Song For Alpha by Daniel Avery (Album Choice: internet music nerds)

"Yo somehow this music is blending in PERFECTLY with the pop music blasting in this car. They don't contrast at all, which is scary... okay that's probably just a first track thing.

Sensation is great."

That was all I managed to write down on my first go through with this album, before slinking off into half-sleep. I've listened to this album about five times now. Before, I would shit out a review towards the end of an album to get it over with, but this one caused me to lose words. "Before" was the absolute wrong word to use considering I still do that, it's just that this album is specifically difficult to shitpost out a review to. That's a good thing!

Geogaddi is one of my all-time favorite albums, and this album seems to capture that same vibe that I love in large part, although this one definitely isn't as dark and there are more "danceable" moments here, using that term lightly (basically where the albums house flavor shows up). Either way, a great, great album and rivaling Kali for my current favorite of 2018 spot. Unlike Boards of Canada though, I can confidently say that the short tracks here really don't have shit on the long tracks.

Best Track: Quick Eternity
Rating: 8.5/10

This was in 2018, I still really enjoy that album, but only at really specific moments, it's not something I jam every month to be quite honest. And in retrospect, 8.5/10 was probably 1-1.5 too generous.

Should I compare the two albums or should I review this one on its own merits? I'm not actually going to decide, I'm just gonna barf out my thoughts like normal and see what happens. Compared to Song For Alpha (okay yup we're going that way already) this album is way more accessible feeling, songs seem a lot less understated and things are a lot more upbeat and in-your-face. I assume the first disc is supposed to be Love and the second is supposed to be Light, but honestly they should switch titles if that's the case, as the songs on the first disc are a LOT more danceable and aggressive with percussion than the frequently angelic-sounding (I mean that as neither a compliment or pejorative) second half.

I... I'm really stumped at this point to be quite honest as how to rate this. With the exception of the consecutive annoyances of Depth Wish and Searing Light, Forward Motion, combined taking up less than 4 minutes of this 60 minute album, there is nothing less than pleasant to my ears here. I'm also fond of the pseudo-double album (is it pseudo?) structuring, as it prevents any singular mood or style from becoming overly repetitious. But... I don't know, there's some kind of magic missing that I'm just not sure how to word it. I can honestly say I LOVED at least a good half of this album, and of the remaining 26ish minutes of music it's never anything worse than "okay, this exists and is chill enough" but I'm just not sure if this fully clicks as an album for me.

Fuck it, remind me to re-evaluate this WITHIN A MONTH because I really am stumped.

Best Track: Darlinnn on side one, A Story in E5 on side two
Rating: 7/10

rayword45 11-30-2020 05:01 PM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
Day 781: Atlas Vending by METZ

I bet if it wasn't for COVID this shit would slap live. However, I'm not that into this kinda anthemic garage punk stuff recorded for some reason. Seems kinda derivative. Not writing more.

Best Track: Hail Taxi
Rating: 5/10

rayword45 12-1-2020 11:44 AM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
Day 782: Róisín Machine by Róisín Murphy

Can you tell by how many albums I've been reviewing in a short span that I'm cramming the fuck out of finals right now? Undergrad wasn't that bad, but accelerated Master's programs are something fucking else I'll you that right now, I really hate my life. Thank god for being autistic, ADHD and having on-and-off hemicrania because it means I can get some nice fucking extensions.

When I looked at the cover of this album I thought that this was going to be an album by a drag queen or trans woman, but then I googled it and this is a cis woman. Is this cultural appropriation? I really have no idea, and the disco vibe of this whole thing makes that question even more confusing. Nothing from this album comes off as mocking or like she's stealing from a culture or anything, and apparently she has a hardcore gay fanbase so I guess that makes it all okay. I dunno, I'm just a cis male. Is this a music review or a Tumblr post?

Anyways, I'm going to compare this to the most obvious choice from this year, that being What's Your Pleasure by Jessie Ware. Both are throwbacky disco-influenced albums, both are being hyped up by the usual corners of the internet you'd expect and both are a similar total run length. Anyways, this album isn't as good, but it's still pretty good I suppose. These tracks are stupid long and not all of them are hits, so it's nowhere near as consistent as that last album. But when it hits, it's great fun. Anyways, back to not doing my research!

Best Track: We Got Together
Rating: 7/10 (can I pull a Fantano and say a "light 7")

rayword45 12-1-2020 06:11 PM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
Day 783: The Ascension by Sufjan Stevens

It's been 5 years since I last reviewed this guy, because he hasn't put out a relevant album in 5 years. All he's released has been outtake collections, remix bullshit and some collaborations that people didn't pay attention to. I remember Carrie and Lowell made me irrationally angry when I first heard it, but it doesn't do that any more, it just kinda bores me besides like the first track and 4th of July.

This also bores the shit out of me. And it's 80 minutes what the fuck.

Best Track: Landslide
Rating: 4/10

James Somers 12-3-2020 07:45 AM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by rayword45 (Post 4751929)
Day 783: The Ascension by Sufjan Stevens

It's been 5 years since I last reviewed this guy, because he hasn't put out a relevant album in 5 years. All he's released has been outtake collections, remix bullshit and some collaborations that people didn't pay attention to. I remember Carrie and Lowell made me irrationally angry when I first heard it, but it doesn't do that any more, it just kinda bores me besides like the first track and 4th of July.

This also bores the shit out of me. And it's 80 minutes what the fuck.

Best Track: Landslide
Rating: 4/10

It happens when you are waiting, waiting for something, but it does not meet your expectations. After all, 5 years is a significant period of time, during this time people can change a lot, their view of things changes, their thoughts change. As a result, the new product will no longer suit the audience that it used to be.

rayword45 12-3-2020 02:21 PM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
Day 784: Loops of Infinity (A Rave Loveletter) by DJ Metatron

Scrolling through the RYM charts and I find this thing, which only had a very limited physical release on vinyl and otherwise can only be streamed from Soundcloud or YouTube. I started streaming it on SoundCloud, then saw that it cut off a half-hour early compared to YouTube and switched.

This is nothing like the other stuff I've reviewed in that I can't really pick out individual moments as highlights or lowlights. This is just one long DJ set, but it was fucking beautiful to me. I can see someone finding this too long or boring but it's giving me rave flashbacks and in the era of COVID this is exactly what I need.

Best Track: The whole damn thing
Rating: 9/10

rayword45 12-3-2020 03:04 PM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
Day 785: Inner Song by Kelly Lee Owens

Alright awesome reviewing two things I really like in a row, that's a rarity! I meant to review her self-named debut 3 years ago but never got around to it, and now I'm feeling like that was a massive mistake because this oscillates perfectly between cute synth-pop stuff and atmospheric dance tracks. Never a boring minute to me. Also the song with John Cale reminds me of Cannibal Holocaust for some reason.

Best Track: Melt! or Jeannette
Rating: 9/10

rayword45 12-4-2020 12:25 PM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
Day 786: GAIA by Blank Banshee

This is a lot better than the last thing I reviewed by this guy, in that it's at least more consistent, but it rarely reaches the point of actually amazing. Actually, it pretty much never does. It's all just pleasantly boring.

Is this still considered vaporwave?

Best Track: blah find out for yourself man this one is short
Rating: 5.5/10

choof 12-4-2020 05:23 PM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
https://kevinandthebikes.bandcamp.co...m/ironic-songs

pls

it's actually quite good for a band whose legacy thus far is musical ed edd and eddy shitposts

rayword45 12-6-2020 03:19 PM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
Day 787: Ironic Songs by Kevin & The Bikes (Album Choice: choof)

Thanks for pointing out that this dropped on Bandcamp, nerd. Dorkcore 101 is still one of the strangest yet best experiences I've ever had listening to an album, and even if I don't love every minute of its four hour length I love it as a whole.

I'm surprised at how... not ironic this sounds. I mean I get that's the joke, and some of these songs are still goofy, but for the most part this is pretty well-written lo-fi rock music. And... I like it a lot. Listened to it twice already and liked it even more the second time. SO again, thanks nerd.

Best Track: Salamia
Rating: 8/10

robertsona 12-6-2020 03:35 PM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by rayword45 (Post 4751847)
Day 779: Long Haired Locusts by Godcaster (Album Choice: robertsona)

Yet again, there's something in here that VAGUELY reminds me of Comus and I don't know why. Maybe it's just my mindset today. Maybe it's just all these harmonized vocals. I don't know.

Anyways, that's really only slightly, because again but even moreso than that wanky album I just listened to, this really sounds NOTHING like Comus. I don't know what band I'd compare this to really, but this shit is actually 100% my jam when it all comes together. Weird, janky guitar work mixed with slight pop sensibility and a whole lotta art pretension (I mean that in a good way, I promise), all with a feeling that it could all fall apart at any second (I read that this was recorded live-to-tape, giving it a lo-fi sensibility that I really enjoy). I can't say I loved every track on here, some of them just came and go without leaving much of an impact, but when this one clicks, it CLICKS HARD. I will definitely return to this to see if it deserves to be one of my year end favorites.

Best Track: Escape from the Challenger Deep
Rating: 7/10


hell yea. it's a bunch of like ~22 year olds too. I essentially agree with you that some of the tracks dont leave a great impression but the whole is so bombastic and creative that its like eh Ill give em a pass hahaha

rayword45 12-8-2020 11:43 AM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
Day 788: Nightmare Vacation by Rico Nasty

If I recall correctly, I actually quite enjoyed Anger Management last year. I remember the exact day I listened to that mixtape while studying like a madman. I had been hip to Rico for quite a while prior to listening to that but never really bothered giving her a shot beyond whenever she featured on something I was listening to, but found myself admiring the energy, personality and the performances on that release.

Now Rico Nasty has dropped her first official album, and... I'm disappointed. The same delivery and energy seems to be there for a lot of these tracks but this whole thing is just kinda boring, which for less than 40 minutes is kinda disturbing. There are some good cuts in here, but there are a fair amount of duds and just a lot of boredom to be found here for me. The lyrics? Mostly fine, a corny line here or there. Beats? Yet again a mixed bag. Features? I would say "mixed bag" but also 100 gecs produced one of these tracks and I feel obligated to dock off a point for that alone.

Man... This is just sad to write.

Best Track: Let It Out
Rating: 4.5/10

rayword45 12-8-2020 12:40 PM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
Day 789: Savage Mode 2 by 21 Savage and Metro Boomin

The only review I've ever posted from the rapper/mumbler/Brit on this release I believe was I Am > I Was which was actually way better than I expected. I never reviewed it but I heard and hated INNIT... I mean ISSA. Okay I'm just referencing old memes at this point and that's just fucking stupid let's move on.

Wait he actually references that whole controversy in some of the lyrics on this release, I... should've expected that actually, but it's still amusing to me. Comparing this to the release I literally just reviewed, this falls into many of the same traps of repetition (does this dude EVER change his delivery? When I saw him live he was screaming over backdrops which felt horribly unfitting, if he's gonna do that live then he needs to make some fucking screaming tracks) but overall I feel this one is at least a bit more consistent. I'm way more fond of the beats here (the repetition complaint is only in terms of delivery, these beats oscillate between sparkly pretty crap, dark shit and party bangers more than often enough), the lyrics are surprisingly way better than I would've expected (lots of good one-liners) and I felt LESS bored by this than Nightmare Vacation which is... uhhh.... weird? My only qualms with this release really are some of the love and sex songs which don't really please me (especially that one with Aubrey Graham's Grooming Parlor) but they at least add variety I guess? Maybe someone wants to hear this mumbly British dude murmur about how he wants the pussy wet?

Anyways, ignoring those, this is remarkably consistent. I'd be lying if I said I liked it as much as the last one I review but this is pretty good stuff. Not top album of the year stuff, works more as something I'd just toss a few of the best cuts into a playlist or something, but pretty damn good.

The only thing I'm not really fond of at all are all the features here, none of which really stand out, but I see them as necessary considering just how monotonous this guy's delivery is. And although I hate Drake as much if not more than I hate 100 Gecs I don't feel like knocking a point off for that since he's not nearly as intrusive when he grossly features.

Best Track: Many Men
Rating: 7/10

rayword45 12-8-2020 01:42 PM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
Day 790: 333 by Bladee (Album Choice: Hazel H.)

I know that Cloud Rap is a pretty diverse genre, but did this guy actually rap ONCE on this release? It all seemed like autotuned singing. I'm not saying that to knock on it, I'm just surprised that this is classified as hip-hop.

And now I'm knocking on it. This shit is boring. Once again, the descriptor "pleasantly boring" works perfectly for this album. ALL OF IT.

Best Track: Don't got one
Rating: 5/10

rayword45 12-9-2020 12:45 PM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
Day 791: アダンの風 (Adan no kaze) by 青葉市子 [Ichiko Aoba]

Hey look I put Japanese characters in the title section! Yay copy-paste! I'm reviewing this because as of right now it's the number one album on RateYourMusic for the year and I'm PRETTY damn sure that it wasn't ranked anywhere near there a few days ago.

...Oh wait, this only came out a week ago. I mean, I guess that explains that. Still, is this really gonna remain on top of The Microphones? I'm doubtful, and that's before I listen to this, I'm saying that because lol internet music virgins.

Well anyways, now I've listened to this and... I like it? But I don't love it. This is a mix of brief ambient interludes and floral, almost mystical-sounding folk songs that remind me of that one release that ninjaKIWI recommended to me what must be over 5 years ago at this point. I haven't listened to that one in... what must be over 5 years... but anyways the flashbacks must mean something? God I'm using so many ellipses in this post it's infuriating.

This is really pretty stuff, and I can definitely see the appeal this holds over music nerds, but I'm just not seeing this as MY personal favorite, and I am certainly not against folksy stuff as I have made pretty clear since like 2013. I actually prefer the ambient bits over the heavily orchestrated vocal songs, but either way nothing really sticks out good or bad, why is that a problem I have with seemingly EVERY ALBUM?! Is it an ADHD thing? Whatever, I know that no matter how many times I listen to this before January, I'm not gonna fall in love with it enough to agree with this being the best album of the year or even in the top 10.

But don't let that discourage you! I've come to the realization that ratings are fucking meaningless considering I usually just pull a number out of my ass, but I'm gonna rate this high enough that it might encourage you to listen to it, because maybe you'll love it! I really do see the appeal of this album, and I think that it's a wonderful effort with a lot of love put into it, so just because I'm kinda like "eh... good enough" it doesn't meaFUCK ANOTHER ELLIPSIS GODDAMNIT.

So anyways, just because I think this album is just good enough, doesn't mean you're gonna feel the same way! Please, PLEASE listen to this and tell me what you think in a reply, I'd like to see how people differ in opinion with me.

Best Track: Parfum d'étoiles
Rating: 7/10

choof 12-9-2020 03:18 PM

Re: Recommend me some 2020 albums halp
 
I can't help but feel like the response to adan no kaze has a small element of musical yellow fever

iirc in my time spent perusing the doujin music scene I've heard loads of albums with this same aesthetic

rayword45 12-9-2020 03:45 PM

Re: Recommend me some 2019 albums halp
 
Day 792: Good News by Megan Thee Stallion

Quote:

Originally Posted by rayword45 (Post 4707626)
Day 697: Fever by Megan Thee Stallion

I mean it's a lot of fun, but the whole sexual atmosphere can get a little overbearing at times when it's the same fuckin topic every song.

No pun was intended there.

Best Track: Simon Says
Rating: 7/10

I have literally the exact same opinion on this album as that "mixtape". How the fuck is this a debut album and that's a mixtape? Is it because it's like 9 minutes longer? Because that's fucking stupid.

Actually, I wanna amend what I just said, I didn't find the sexual atmosphere overbearing for the most part at all, except maybe like one or two songs. Otherwise, it's totally fine! What does it mean when it doesn't bother me here that much but it just weirds me out when it's Ariana Grande being horny? Nickelodeon effect?

Best Track: Go Crazy
Rating: 7/10


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