Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
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Released!
Originally posted by Wayward Vagabond
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
an hour of your life wasted on memeComment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
God bless.
May 20th, 2014
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Heartstrings by Serph (recommended by AlexDest)
Heartstrings is Serph's third album. Generally IDM, but there are quite a couple of cinematic elements in here too. I've heard of Serph for a while, but I wasn't too fond of his sound at first. I'm not sure if it'll be the same for this, but I'm willing to give this a shot.
Most of the tracks here are very twinkly. Shine, true to its name, is one of the most upbeat tracks I've heard in a while. The symphonic elements do compliment it nicely, it makes it feel quite majestic. Normally I would stay away from tracks like these, but this is actually quite pretty. It doesn't feel too trite, although it's a very familiar sound. I can't pinpoint any artists in particular, but it does feel very similar to some. It's a little bit too long though. It feels a little long-winded towards the end, but not a big deal.
Most of the other tracks are fine for the most part, some have a greater emphasis on IDM than others. Missing, for example, is generally glitchy. It's not as bright as Shine, but it's still quite bright. Perhaps a sky similar to late afternoon? Anyway, the track doesn't do much for me. It sounds like it's moving, but there's very little movement actually taking place. Actually, this would apply to a good majority of the album. I can't help but feel that this is an album that's only meant to sound twinkly and upbeat. It's a tad bit too crowded to see a particular picture, let alone a simple colour to work with. It's fine to have IDM albums that doesn't create landscapes, of course. The problem is that I think it's a bit too... hollow. I feel like these tracks are missing something. These sounds are best accompanied with environments, I believe.
All of the tracks generate similar atmospheres. They're almost always sweet, usually a bit too sweet. This problem is pertinent in every track. Not only that, but since they create similar atmospheres, I did get quite bored. By the 7th track (Cityscape), I was hoping for a change. Although there is a noticeable amount of variation (there's some jazz in here), the mood doesn't change. Or at least, it didn't change enough. I usually wouldn't be bothered if the tracks were engaging, but they weren't in this case. The album to me is like a straight line. Although it's a little neat at first, it does get boring quick.
To be fair, none of the tracks here are "bad". I can imagine most of them being interesting in small doses, but it's a bit too much here. 13 tracks is simply excessive - I was close to just skipping the last 3 tracks. More variation in terms of mood would be fantastic. The same mood for nearly an hour is way way way too much. Especially if it's not really attention-grabbing to begin with. I could see that Serph has potential, most of the tunes are actually quite intriguing. Take Chamber for example. It's just so intricate in detail, it's beautiful. Although the soundscape isn't as clear as I want to be, I can feel that it's there. It's a bit of a shame that they're generally made to be bright to begin with though. It really made the album feel way longer than it already is.
Doesn't work for me. Sorry Alex.
Album Highlights: Shine, Chamber
Track Average Rating: 2.69/5
Overall Rating: 5/10
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I am a terrible man. by Med Lin (recommended by Trogdor!!!!)
Oh sweet, an EP. I Am A Terible Man is generally ambient, with hints of IDM. Four tracks, so I might as well talk about each one individually.
Wake starts off pretty small, with its subtle and constant sound. The introduction does build some suspense, though the waves of synth does ruin it. It's a little too excessive, it's better for the subtle sounds to do the work by itself. Adding constant waves of synth don't really add on to it. In fact, it probably detracts from it. It progresses more to form this larger being, but not too big. It doesn't do much at its peak though. It just walks slowly with its prominent synth sound. It doesn't click with me, the synth doesn't seem to do anything. It feels like it's just there the whole time.
Drone is well, a drone. I feel like I'm in a large but empty space. A light flickers and I try to follow the light. By the time I reach the spot of light, I realise that the light is coming from something much larger. The atmosphere changes from subtle to eerie pretty quick. Twisted sounds of a female voice further enhances this. Even after the voices are gone, it's still a little frightening. The lights are flickering, more erratically than before. I'm a little too afraid to move closer to the light now, but the view is... actually nice. It does last a little longer than it should though.
I Am A Terrible Man takes a step away from ambience and is more IDM driven. It's very subtle in its approach - usually one step front and back. Though I said that ambient isn't in the center here, it's still there. It's floating to create this thin mist or aurora to make it feel more surreal. While the sight is pretty, nothing much happens. I can't say that it's a bad thing though, I could probably watch this for a long time.
The Days Without You is probably the most melodic of the four. It takes the same subtle movement that IAATM has, but it doesn't work as effectively. The sounds are too crowded here. Instead of a thin mist, it looks as if there's a lot of traffic going on. Not really a pleasant thing to watch. It does wind down at the last 30 seconds, which was quite the nice change. It lasted so short though, it would've been nicer if it was longer.
Now although I could elaborate on these and how I feel about them, it doesn't mean that I feel them strongly. All of these tracks don't really create too much of an effect on me. The sounds are decent, but they're not too engaging. I couldn't see myself listening to these again, especially since there are other artists that did better. The soundscapes are rather blur and simple, but it's better than nothing. Overall, not a very good EP. It's nothing offensive though, so I can't give this too low of a rating.
2.0/2.5/3.0/2.5
Album Highlights: I am a terrible man.
Track Average Rating: 2.5/5
Overall Rating: 5/10Last edited by EzExZeRo7497; 05-29-2014, 07:57 AM.Comment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
May 21st, 2014
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Plume by Loscil
Loscil is the ambient (techno) project of Canadian musician Scott Morgan. He is most known for his conceptual albums, namely Triple Point, Submers, First Narrows and Plume. I've only listened to Submers, which is an album based on deep waters. While the drones are beautiful, it feels very unfocused. The kickdrum makes it difficult to concentrate, it detracted from the experience greatly. Didn't like it as much as I should've liked. Anyway, Plume is, to my knowledge, an album based on the sky. Or at least, pillars of gas in the sky.
The music is quite light, which mirrors the density of gas. It constantly feels like it's floating the entire time, which I'm a little mixed about. Compared to Submers, this album sounds far more mature. It loses its playfulness and it delves right into more sentimental music. Motoc is a fast-paced ambient (pardon the oxymoron) track, inducing fear and anxiety. It's not a very aggressive type of anxiety, instead it's creeping on you. I didn't feel it too much, but I could see that it's there. Not only that, but other than evoking an emotion, the landscape was quite nice. It was like a cloud of gas spiraling around you, it was quite pretty.
Rorschach is slightly heavier, emulating a bit of an industrial atmosphere. It's a nice contrast to Motoc, which painted a whitish-grey atmosphere. This one is just bleak as a whole. I see the slow motions of gas coming out of engines, similar to the album cover. It's a little intriguing that something so mundane would interest me, but it did. Loscil did a good job.
Ahh, there's really so much to talk about in this album. Steam reminds me of Submers, minus the playfulness. The kickdrum is gone, all it's left with is the eerie yet serene sounds of the vast abyss. It doesn't even feel like you're struggling to breathe, it just feels like you're walking normally. You don't feel like you're underwater, but you ARE underwater. The distant shadows of marine animals move swiftly as you continue your walk in the sea is a plus as well. It really captures the details of the sea and does so in quite an engaging manner. Very good track.
This album is really lulling me to sleep. I'm not sure if it's because I'm already tired (but I always am) or the music is just so relaxing. This is an ambient album that you open up and do something else, from what I've been doing anyway. You can read an article online or something while you listen to this. It seems to be the best way to like this album anyway. Although there are some vivid pictures here, they're not overly significant. They're mainly there to set off the mood.
When it comes to ambience this light, it becomes difficult to make them memorable. Plume has this problem. You would need something quite extravagant to make these thin drones memorable. The latter half of this album generally feels a little too empty for me to enjoy. I could still see pictures - Halcyon for example feels like a journey to the sky or something, but they're translucent. I really have to concentrate to see these pictures vividly, but I don't really want to concentrate for this. It's nothing too engaging. Again, it's probably an album that's better to listen subconsciously.
Album's good, but I think there are some albums that did better. It does have quite the unique sound though, so I can't compare this to any other album sonically. But although it has a unique sound, it doesn't always that it's excellent. Loscil as a whole has quite the intriguing sound, but I rarely find his music memorable. Which is a shame, because I think he has the ability to make something more substantial and memorable. Oh well, all I know is that this will be a great album for sleep. If only I still slept with music on...
Track Highlights: Motoc, Steam, Mistral
Track Average Rating: 3.5/5
Overall Rating: 7/10
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Dark Side by Reizoko Cj (recommended by Nick Skyline)
Reizoko Cj is a breakcore/lolicore/dancecore artist from Ukraine. His music is heavily influenced by anime and meme culture in general. Other than that, I can't quite say that I like Reizoko Cj's music as a whole. It's a very mixed bag, especially his earlier works. Tracks like Autoprocess are just amazing, with its stealthy yet aggressive approach. However, tracks like Japan Style Breakcore 2 don't really do as much for me. Dark Side is 2 hours long, including remixes.
Anyway,   follows the same approach Autoprocess did. However, it's nowhere as aggressive. In fact it's rather subtle, which does reinforce the dark atmosphere. It does feel a little aimless at points, but the sound is nice. I can't complain too much about the track, I like it.
Most of Reizoko Cj's longer tracks, particularly mashcore ones, have the same problem. They're interesting only in some moments, but feel long-winded in others. CirnoRHTL, All your base are belong to ME, Use the force Reizoko! are just a few examples. I go like "hey, I recognise this!" for 20-30 seconds and the rest just feels like track fodder. These sounds don't really create anything overly interesting. There are some exceptions of course, but they're pretty far and wide.
Variation is generally mediocre. City and Acoustic are neat little dark ambient tracks, but they don't do much. Most of these are breakcore/mashcore. They generally sound the same, with different samples. It normally wouldn't be a problem, but the album has... 30 of these tracks. Along with the problem I mentioned above, it makes it really really hard to like this album. Why is the album so long? There is absolutely no reason to make this album 2 hours long if most of the tracks sound almost alike, aside from sampling.
I couldn't listen to the rest of it fully after the 12th track. Most of these sound too similar to each other to really comment on. I like breakcore and all, but this is just... bland. There's too much emphasis on hard hitting sounds and too little on variation. An 10-track album filled with just hard hitting sounds would be decent at best, but this is excessive. Most of these tracks are just too long and bland to like. If I'm listening to this as a full album, I'll probably give it a 2 or 3. But the thing is that individually these tracks are generally okay. There's also the fact that there's actually a couple of fantastic tracks here and there. Dysnomia is fantastic, for example. It's so structured and intimidating in size, it's wonderful. The fast speeds really compliment the track, emulating a bit of a high-speed chase. Tracks like these are the reason why I can't give it a lower rating than I want to. Considering the fact that it'll sound exponentially better in small doses (i.e. 3-4 tracks), but the quality of the tracks still aren't that good, 4/10 is probably fine.
Track Highlights:  , Dysnomia (off the top of my head)
Track Average Rating: -
Overall Rating: 4/10Last edited by EzExZeRo7497; 05-29-2014, 07:57 AM.Comment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
Thanks for the review anyway. I honestly found Heartstrings to be pretty weak from Serph (agreed that it does get a bit draggy with the lack of mood variety), but his sound is still really cool to me nonetheless.
Comment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
time to rep my gurl Cher
Cher Lloyd - Sorry I'm Late
also I think you'd also enjoy MONSTER CAT
MONSTER CAT - The Violet HourComment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
Added your albums, mochers.
No album review today, I think reviewing 40 albums in 20 days is good enough for now. I'll resume tomorrow or Saturday.Comment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
I want to see some more 8+ reviews. :3Comment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
We'll see if there would be more, haha. I've heard a preview of an album and it might be an 8.5, all I need to do is find it digitally...
May 23rd, 2014
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Engaged Touches by Celer
Part One
(This is my first listen.)
A train station in the distance. A sight of happy families walking in and out of trains. Isn't that beautiful? I wonder what it'd be like. The sun is setting. I'm here sitting directly outside the train station, watching swarms of people move in one swift movement. It becomes difficult to keep track of what's going on at points, even though it's just a patch of people in one area. Are they comfortable there? I wonder what it'd be like.
A train passes by from another direction, so I turned around to see where it's going to. I see that the sky is now orange. The occasional breeze passes by me. Normally I'd shiver, but for some reason they're welcoming in this instance. I walk away from the train station, only to realise that the winds are actually following me. They're eager to follow me. Is this what it's like to have a family? The winds are so gentle, it makes me feel comfortable. I continue to move forward to the blank orange sky, only to realise the winds are dancing happier than before. It seems like they're happy because I'm doing what they want to do. It seems almost childish, but all so real. I feel like a father, but I'm really not. I'm just a man who has no goal nor future. All I'm doing... is just bringing these winds to where they want to go.
This feeling is so surreal. I've never felt like this before. The gentle warmth of being together with... family. Is this what it's supposed to feel? It honestly feels really nice. I don't think I've ever felt this before - even as a child. The sounds of winds laughing in the distance, the grass is greener than usual, and the sky is just as bright as it ever was. I want this feeling to last forever... it's so comfortin-
Flash.
Huh? Where did they go? Where am I?
The warm sky I once knew is now bleak. The winds I've felt? They don't exist anymore. I have absolutely no idea where I am at the moment. What... happened? Where did I get here? I was curious, so I walked a bit more to where I was facing. My feet were getting sore - I don't think I've felt this while I was walking. Was I even conscious at the time? I felt like I zoned out or something.
My train of thought was snapped by the sounds of machines cranking and working. I felt like my eyes were open again. Desolate buildings, emotionless factories and mundane piles of scrap metal in the distance. As unpleasant as it looked to me, I felt connected to it. It feels like I've been here before. This is almost where I was before I started watching trains. I lost everything, I was nothing. I should've stayed in that heap, I wouldn't be into this situation if it weren't for this. Maybe I should do what I'm supposed to do years ago. I should actually stay in that heap and never leave. It feels like the best option anyway.
As I walked closer to the bleak patch of land, another train passed by. It was far longer than I anticipated. I don't even know any train that was this long, let alone any train that came from this direction. What is this trying to tell me? I don't belong here? This place isn't for you? Whatever it is, I'm not letting that change my mindset. It's going to take a lot more than just a mere interruption to-
The sun was shining, the sky is blue again.
The winds that left me came back to me. They were happier than ever. It almost feels like they missed me. I could feel its sadness, but they were ultimately happy that I'm there with them. I'm... tearing up. It's like someone gave me another chance. Someone gave me everything I've lost - although it isn't much. But these winds... feel like people I care about. It almost feels like they care for me, so it's only fair to care for them back. I feel... human again. It's almost wonderful. Hold on... is that a city in the distance? Maybe I could live there. Yeah... it'd bring something more interesting in my life. Come on wind, let's go.
A train passes behind me, there's no turning back now. This is my future. This is something that I want. Something that truly matters to me.
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Phew, I'm exhausted. Where was I... oh yeah. Engaged Touches. I forgot to explain what this album is. Celer is the drone/ambient project of Will Long and Danielle Bauqet-Long. From 2009 afterwards, Will was working on the project by himself, due to the death of Danielle. Regardless, Celer has made tons and tons of albums. Arguably the most prolific drone/ambient act out there. A total of 129 albums, including EPs and singles. Obviously not all of their albums are great, or even good - but there are a couple of gems. Capri and Discourses of the Withered are some of my favourite ambient albums. It's to be expected though, usually prolific artists has that one or two albums that really click.
Engaged Touches consists of two tracks, both uninspiredly named, Part 1 and Part 2. I've already given my thoughts of Part 1 in a narration. If you scrolled all the way down here, I'll give you a summary. It's varied, it's sombre, it's tragic, it's beautiful. What really struck out to me was the variation, although the transitions felt very iffy. I wasn't quite sure whether it was supposed to show that you snapped out of a dream state, or just a bad transition altogether. Going with the latter though. Even then, it varies between warmth and bleakness well enough to keep it fresh throughout. Although these drones aren't really nothing new, they are still beautiful nonetheless. There isn't much I can complain about, but I can't say that I really like it. It is one of Celer's most beautiful works for sure, but I don't think I enjoy it as much as I should.
Part Two is much darker, with its lower-pitched drones. Even the brighter points of the track feels very melancholic. It almost feels like happiness that came from sorrow. Reminds me a bit of the last movement of the first track, in fact. The rest of the track just becomes darker and far more depressing. It's more familiar territory for me, as I'm more used to tracks that are dark. Unfortunately, as dark as it is, it's not as dark as it wants to be. While the subtle sounds of field recordings amplify the creepy atmosphere, it doesn't help much. There are other artists, in fact other tracks Celer has made that executed it better. A track like The Carved God Is Gone; Waking Above the Pileus Clouds from Discourses of the Withered felt way darker. It's more visceral, more aggressive in its approach. This track feels a bit too... underwhelming. When I close my eyes and relax the effect becomes far more surreal, however. I'm guessing this is more of a track that you should listen while you're asleep.
There really isn't a reason for the track to be 40 minutes though. It does get darker for sure, but the difference isn't significant. Most tracks from Discourses of the Withered outmatch this in the depression category. I think this track could be way shorter, maybe 25-30 minutes at most. It's just too long-winded otherwise. Although I think most long drone tracks should be really long (Darkest Before Dawn, etc.), this is an exception. The feeling isn't as visceral as many other tracks. At least, the dark parts are. The uplifting bits are actually really beautiful. It's just a little bit of a shame that the dark bits take most of the spotlight though.
Celer has made better albums, but this is one that any ambient/drone enthusiast should get. Part 1 is a great experience throughout and Part 2 is still quite good, despite its flaws. It might be a little too long at points, but taking it in parts would still be effective. Not really recommended if you're not quite interested in drone though.
Album Highlights: -
Track Average Rating: -
Overall Rating: 7.5/10
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Boston by Boston (recommended by rushyrulz)
Boston is a classic rock band from well, Boston. From I've read, Boston is a bit of a one-hit wonder. Boston is their most successful album, and their other albums seem to be rather weak in comparison. Their self-titled album, seems to be generally hard rock.
Before I start, let me just say that I have a pretty strong distaste for "classic" rock. Most of them seem to be too trite, too slapstick. These songs haven't really aged well, they just become too bland overall. Of course there are a few songs that stand out (I still like RHCP quite a bit), but they're pretty far and wide. It's not really something that I'd listen to, mainly because I feel that the main enjoyment comes from nostalgia. Another interpretation of "I'm born in the wrong generation", basically. It's also the reason why Gamma is recommending me Pantera. Fuck you Gamma.
Sigh. Anyway, More Than A Feeling is actually quite nice. At least, for hard rock standards. It's a bit cliche with its generic "boy meets girl" lyrics, but it's honestly not bad. It's catchy and it's a very fun tune. Not really something that I'd like, but I could see why many others would like this. Most of the other tracks don't do much for me, they're too unmemorable. Even if they're memorable, they're usually too cheesy. Seems to be a problem with hard rock, honestly. I'm guessing you're supposed to like music like this just like how you like power metal. Unfortunately neither genre are my cup of tea.
Yeah... I'm at the fifth track and I'm still feeling this way. I really don't get the appeal of hard rock, other than just nostalgia. I don't think this album would be as well received if it's released 3 or 4 years ago instead. The lack of variation doesn't help much either. Hitch a Ride is mainly acoustic, but it's just as cheesy as the other tracks, if not more so. The rest of the album is the same old pop rock/hard rock filler. Even if I liked hard rock, I could still imagine myself wanting to have more variation than just this. It's not just bland, it's also kinda unpleasant to listen to. There's something uncomfortable to me about listening to music this joyful and cheesy, not sure what.
I didn't listen to the entire thing, I can't really stomach most of these. None of these tracks really interest me at all, in fact I'd much rather stay from them. I can't quite say that I hate the album though, I just don't think it'd be a good idea to listen to this again.
And that's about it. I don't like classic rock.
Album Highlights: More Than A Feeling
Track Average Rating: 1.81/5
Overall Rating: 3/10Last edited by EzExZeRo7497; 05-29-2014, 07:58 AM.Comment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
You didn't like "Peace of Mind"?
Originally posted by Wayward VagabondComment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
Peace of Mind is one of the better tracks, but that's not really saying much. It's probably the second best track in the album though, first being More Than A Feeling.
May 24th, 2014
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Blake by Lowercase Noises
Lowercase Noises is the project of American musician Andy Othling. Contrary to the artist name, Andy does not make either lowercase or noise. Instead, he makes post-rock with very strong ambient influences. Blake (along with Vivian) are albums dedicated to their expected children. I'm personally not sure if I can think too positively of Lowercase Noises, though. Ambient Songs is a wonderful album, despite its lack of coherency (it's essentially a compilation of tracks). On the other hand, his other albums like Carry Us All Away feel generic and uninspiring. It just feels like it's been done before, more than anything else.
Will You Catch Me If I Blow Away is split into two tracks, Part 1 and Part 2. Part 1 is pre-dominantly ambient, and it's quite warm too. It's actually around the same feeling I get from Engaged Touches from Celer. If not, it's like the feeling of someone protecting you. I'm not sure who, but it feels more paternal/maternal more than anything else. Not bad, but the feeling I get is quite thin. The textures aren't really there, but it slightly works.
Part 2 is a little less conservative, with more prominent guitars. It's more towards post-rock than ambient this time round. It's a little odd to listen to, although I've listened to many post-rock projects like this. The thing about Lowercase Noises' music is that it generally has that warmth to it that I can't put my finger on for the most part. Other than the first track of Blake, I've never been able to explain what atmosphere it's trying to portray. The atmosphere does become clearer 4 minutes in, with the Sun just shining right at my face. I feel like I'm in the middle of the beach, just watching the Sun move from dusk to dawn. It's actually... quite beautiful. I feel welcomed here. It's like they've been waiting for me. I could probably stay here forever.
There's no denying that the atmospheres Andy evoke are beautiful. However, it does feel a little uninspired. It's something that I've seen time and time again, I eventually want something different. The longest track - The Windows of You, feels completely aimless. The first and second tracks have accomplished much more in their shorter lengths than this. It's fine to have a generic atmosphere, it's just that it won't be that memorable. But to be generic AND aimless, is a different story altogether. But I digress. The album as a whole just seems unmemorable. The album is too safe - too little experimentation. Actually, I don't think I've actually heard a single LN album that's rather experimental. Most of them tend to create the same sound, maybe with a denser/dreamier atmosphere. I think he could do a lot better if he makes his sound more... explosive or bleaker. I've honestly wished that there was more the entire album. Not that it says much though, the album is actually quite short. 5 tracks long, total of 30 minutes.
In conclusion, beautiful sounds but too cookie-cutter. It leaves a lot more to be desired, honestly. Almost as predictable as Explosions in the Sky, if not slightly more so. Lowercase Noises does bring in quite a couple of emotional aspects though, which is a plus. Unfortunately, it's not enough for me to hold my attention. Andy could do a lot more with this album than just typical emotional post-rock. Neat dedication, but nothing special.
Album Highlights: Will You Catch Me If I Blow Away (Part 2)
Track Average Rating: 2.7/5
Overall Rating: 5/10
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Polarize EP by Seven Lions (recommended by Coolboyrulez0)
EDM. Seven Lions is the brostep/complextro/drum and bass project of Jeff Montalvo. Polarize is his first EP. It's hard for me to talk about genres like these because I don't listen to them at all. I've been too busy listening to IDM and ambient and all, but I forget about the more accessible part of electronic music. So, I'm a little uncertain how to review music like this.
This album is essentially 4 tracks, along with 2 remixes. Below Us is a bit of an atmospheric track, with the dreamy vocals and drop in the background. The drop is a little prominent here, but I don't think it's really in the forefront. The vocals and drop actually compliment each other well. The second half is kinda neat, with its breakdown and all. It feels a little too flashy though, so I didn't really enjoy it. The track doesn't provide anything else, other than that. Have to say though, it's not bad. I wouldn't listen to it again if I had the chance, but I wouldn't mind listening to it if it was playing. The drum and bass remix isn't as atmospheric. In fact, it's considerably worse than the original. Maybe I just find DnB as a whole a bit of a hilarious genre, with its signature kick, snare, kick-snare sequence. The track isn't really catchy, it just feels like music made for a rave more than anything else. It's just too bland for me to like.
Tyven is more complextro more than anything else. It starts off atmospheric, then takes a more aggressive approach. The build-up is pretty sudden and hits right you in the face quick. Its variation is actually quite good, the rapid changes in atmosphere are a nice touch too. It becomes a little too upbeat for me to like in the last two minutes, but I could see others liking this. Just not my cup of tea. It's alright, I just wouldn't listen to it again.
Polarized is more hard hitting. Far more aggressive than the previous tracks I've mentioned, and I think it works well. The drop and vocals still aren't as forefrontal, but it fits. If it becomes the center of the track, it becomes too prominent. It's quite catchy as well, which is always a plus. Especially for EDM. The breakdown is wonderful, it really shines in comparison to the rest of the album. I like this, but it's a little too short. The extended mix doesn't quite do it justice. It just adds filler instead of the elements that made Polarized great. It's alright though, but I'd much rather listen to the original mix.
Isis is quite different from the other tracks. The sampling is a lot more tribal and the drop is in the center this time. A little too overwhelming for me at this point. The samples in the background create this odd atmosphere though, it's futuristic yet so foreign to me. I would really like this atmosphere to develop though, but the drop is too much. It's too powerful, it destroys most of the progression the tribal sampling had. Can't say that I like this one, although some of the sounds here are neat.
For EDM standards, this is a good EP. It's varied, although not all of the tracks are ones that I like. I could see many people who are into EDM to really like this since there's so much variation here. It's probably one of the most accessible albums too, since the energy variation here is very good. Unfortunately genres like these aren't my cup of tea, so I can't say that I've enjoyed listening to it throughout. I really have to be in the mood to like albums like these, and I'm rarely in that type of mood. It's a respectable attempt, however. Seven Lions did a good job.
Album Highlights: Polarized, Below Us
Track Average Rating: 2.75/5
Overall Rating: 5.5/10Last edited by EzExZeRo7497; 05-29-2014, 07:59 AM.Comment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
Unbelievable TBH. Boston is in no way shape or form a "one-hit wonder" band (maybe only in the sense that they have one standout album with several hits on it). The thing I find most shocking is that you weren't even able to finish the album. It's 38 minutes long... Dream Theater can top that with one song. The first 5 tracks are all solid hits too (More than a Feeling, Peace of Mind, Foreplay/Long Time, Rock'n Roll Band, Smokin'), I'm just astounded that you could dislike it that much.
Oh well, to each their own ;/Last edited by rushyrulz; 05-24-2014, 01:46 PM.
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
It's more believable if you look at it from the perspective of someone who doesn't like the genre.Comment
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Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge
Yeah. There are some genres that just grate on me, yet thousands of other people could fall asleep to it. Like how I can fall asleep listening to hardstyle or dubstep.Comment
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