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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/2586788 *** Good music.

This is a nice project. I really like the vocals, Cody's more masculine voice and Juli's very feminine tone mix perfectly, and their harmonies are divine. That being said, individually they're both pretty good singers, though Juli is quite a bit better than Cody. The rhythms are pretty cool too, they mostly sing in a very "traditional" way, very melodic, but they also go for weirder rhythms once in a while, like in the song Muriel's Big Day Off, which I thought was cool. Regardless, they always sing their hearts out.

The lyrics are also pretty interesting. The songs strike me as rather spiritual in nature, even when they don't mention religion or spirituality. They're pretty abstract, which I think is pretty nice and matches well with the ethereal vocals. Some songs tackle themes of hope, continuing despite things not going your way, loneliness... It feels nice to listen to this, at least on that level.

The instrumentals are where this album falls short. There's some passages where they go for something a bit different and it goes great, but there's just a lot of strumming guitars and muted drums basically all the time. It stars to feel like a background hum, and it just gets annoying. I guess it has a sort of lo-fi charm to it? I don't know.

Overall, I think it's a nice album with great vocals, interesting lyrics, and lots of emotion.

What do you think? *** Best song: The Great American Picnic Worst song: Oklahoma Nova Scotia Rating: 3/5

Listen on YT Music!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/2350702 *** Insane and interesting production!!

The production really is the crowning jewel of this project. There's quite a bit of variety; some are very melodic, some get pretty loud and distorted. There's a lot of different sounds used in the beats too, reminiscent of those singer-songwriter songs, bedroom pop. There's some very nice vocal chops spliced in, there really is a bit of everything, and it's really nice.

The rapping and singing is great as well. Beenzino himself can pull off some nice flows, but I don't really like most of the features. I must admit that I do not know Korean _{(I just translated the lyrics)}, so maybe it's actually really awkward, but it sounds good at least. Maybe a bit too much ad-libbing going on though. Still, he sounds very good on every track.

The lyrics are interesting too. The whole album just has this odd melancholic vibe to it. Beenzino talks about desperation, how boring he thinks his life is, and about making it big. He reflects on his past mistakes, particularly at the end of the album when he talks about his addiction and getting a second chance to do things right. There's also a lot about the overwhelming anxiety that comes with trying to make it in the industry, and the pressure that comes with the prospect of failing.

Overall, I'd say this is a nice album, definitely worth checking out. Still, there's a lot that doesn't quite work.

What do you think? *** Best song: In Bed/Makgulli Worst song: Change Rating: 3/5

Listen on SoundCloud!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/2195729 *** Iconic for good reason!

It's a bit of an old-school style, which makes sense considering it's a 29 year old project, but I wouldn't even say it sounds particularly dated.

The production is simply put: ICONIC! Very melodic, heavy on keys, and tons of vocal samples as well. Very chill. It's just very pleasant and easy-to-stomach, which actually really contrasts with more recent hip-hop, which can get pretty industrial and loud with it's production. Not Illmatic. I think it's what they call boom bap, but I'm not particularly knowledgeable about genres/styles.

The rapping is also immaculate, of course, it's Nasty Nas after all. He's very technically proficient and pulls out a few different flows, though I must say he goes for a very 1994 style every time. The lyrics don't fall behind either. Plenty of fun and sharp similes every verse; notable exception being the one about being bisexual.

The message is great too. A lot of love for New York and talking about living and growing up in New York, a lot of bragging and talking about his success. He talks of his struggles, but also finds time to brag about his abilities and success.

One thing I will say is that the chorus are usually not very good. They're not horrible or anything, just not as good as everything else.

What do you think? *** Best song: N.Y. State of Mind Worst song: One Love Rating: 4/5

Listen on YT Music!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1894549 *** Great punk.

This didn't blow me away, but it's certainly good music.

It's intense, with lots of guitars and charismatic vocals. The lyrics also have lots of personality. Some songs have a more introspective tone, while others take more of a critical look at the world and at people, like in the song Big Dick.

Overall, I think this is a rather poignant project, because it's 34 years old and so much of what is criticized in the songs is still very much alive. Some has even gotten worse, like the mass surveillance depicted in The Tower.

>I got tired of waiting because I found out there's only a very very fine line between biding one's time and wasting one's time. Do you know what I mean?

• Tired of Waiting

This album is about how fucked things are, the lies everywhere, the injustice that festers everywhere. More than that, it's about patience running out, time running out, and disillusion. It's very emotional, and I like it.

What do you think? *** Best song: Tired of Waiting Worst song: The End of All Things Rating: 4/5

Listen on YT Music!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1851009 *** BRILLIANT!

I absolutely loved this!

It can be so loud and overwhelming, the guitars ringing in your ears, the drums and the bass pounding at your skull... But then there's soft melody and peace.

The lyrics are great, each song is a different story written very poetically. These songs aren't written anything like typical pop or hip-hop lyrics, it feels so intimate. Like you're being told a story by the campfire, or just an account of events, except there's blaring guitars. The vocal delivery matches the instrumentals: overwhelming and intense, or quiet spoken-word.

It's hard to put into words exactly how I feel about this album. I think the song Don, Aman is the best example of what makes this album so great. It's like the calm before the storm when you're alone on a rocking boat, that intense feeling of tension, expectation, waiting for things to fall apart when there's nothing there yet. And it's lonely.

What do you think? *** Best song: Nosferatu Man Worst song: Washer Rating: 5/5

Listen on SoundCloud!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1729745 *** Witty lyricism and biting commentary.

This is a nice album. By far the best part is the lyricism and commentary. Open Mike Eagle is extremely witty and pulls off some great one-liners and very creative and nerdy rhymes on basically every song on this EP. More than that, he manages to also provide great commentary on politics, the economy, and the entertainment industry, as well as his personal struggles with the systems that rule our societies.

That being said, nothing else really stands out on this project. The beats are good, most of the time, but can also fall flat and feel mute. Mike's vocal delivery isn't the best either, his singing is mediocre at best.

I really liked the features though! MC Paul Barman and Milo really nailed it on Trickeration.

What do you think? *** Best song: Dark Comedy Late Show Worst song: Raps for When It's Just You and the Abyss Rating: 3/5

Listen on SoundCloud!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1596931 *** A bloody smile, forced.

This album sounds beautiful. The guitars are great, and the vocals are really great. The screams just pierce your soul and shake your bones! There's plenty of similarity between each song, but they manage to make every track feel distinct and separate, yet connected. Some songs get beautifully melodic too.

Sometimes the line delivery leaves something to be desired, though. It feels weirdly unnatural, the way some lines are read individually regardless of whether or not they're a continuation of the previous line.

I really appreciate how every track flows into the next, like a tape. It makes the project feel like a single entity rather than a collection of tracks. It's almost like they're playing the songs back-to-back and we're just in the room listening in.

The lyricism is brilliant, if a bit unhinged. This album is written with viscera and splattered across the walls like the guts of a dead whale. It's disgusting, and a bit horrorcore, but it's just so emotional. It never feels overdone or nasty for the sake of shock, it's just raw emotion portrayed in a grimy sludge of words.

The lyrics really are the best part about this album. The themes of failure, regret, depression, indifference, and of taking part in life and community despite not wanting to and having to deal with the consequences... It's loud and powerful. The absurdity of continuing on despite all the horrible things that happen every day permeates this album; it's just fantastic.

These lyrics really stuck with me: > We were fed our first communion > But the bread turned to flesh > As we chewed, and boy we chewed

• lily pad pupils

What do you think? *** Best song: floral organs Worst song: 9/12 Rating: 4/5

Listen on YT Music!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1137491 *** It's not good.

The lyrics are interesting, and I like a lot of the themes that the songs approach, but this album is just so boring.

The production is weird, not that unique in the genre really, but still. Being weird and different isn't enough to make good music.

I feel like there's nothing to hold on to, every song feels so similar, like a never-ending buzz. The album isn't even that long, but it feels like HOURS...

There are some nice cuts, like FaceTime, but most of the songs are just billy rapping with that monotonous tone of his, non-stop. And there's 17 tracks on this thing, yikes. His lines aren't even that good, he keeps rhyming every fucking line. Makes everything sound like that lyrical miracle stereotype. Ew. DOOM from Wish.

This album feels like staring at a wall while the washing machine is running.

What do you think? *** Best song: FaceTime Worst song: Soft Landing Rating: 2/5

Listen on SoundCloud!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1113079 *** There's so much good music in the world...

This album is pure emotion. It's beautiful in every way and in all the ways.

From the production, to the performances, to the lyrics. Everything flows together and dances in perfect harmony.

Really, this feels more like a movie than an album. Every line paints a picture, and the gorgeous music completes a masterpiece. And the story is great; it's personal, emotional, meaningful.

Really, the beauty of this project is indescribable. Do yourself a favour and go listen to this album if you haven't yet.

What do you think? *** Best song: Dedicated to Tar Feather Worst song: Tyler, Forever Rating: 5/5

Listen on YouTube Music!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1096922 *** Just a good album.

The vocals are great, and the lyrics are pretty interesting at times.

It really starts off on the wrong foot though... Swing (In A Dream) is one of the worst songs on the project, and the intro portion of that song in particular is just horrible.

After that though, the album only really dips in After the Flash, and even that is fine.

This album makes me feel rather despondent, for some reason. I would say this project sounds like an internal spiral, the feeling of letting go of control of your own life, things falling apart and ripping at the seems.

I don't really have much to say, but it's certainly enjoyable.

What do you think? *** Best song: Siphon Song Worst song: After the Flash Rating: 3/5

Listen on YouTube!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/929040

> Actually pretty pleasant. I wasn't really vibing with this at the start, but it's not that bad. I think you need to be in a certain mental state to enjoy this, it's very... Odd... _{I think that's just Art Pop/Neo-Psych really.} > > The vocals are horrible, though. I'd never heard of John Cale before, but I'm aware he's rather old. Maybe he's lost his hearing in his advanced age, on the other hand, Beethoven, so I'm just gonna say John Cale's vocals are trash. > > The production is fine. It's nothing special, there's not much distinguishing each track, but there's some nice passages, occasionally. The drums are bad, the guitars on I KNOW YOU'RE HAPPY are really nice though. It's a bit of a hit or miss on whether any given song lands on the good or bad side of mediocre. > > The lyrics are garbage. Maybe I just don't get it, I'm willing to admit that, but honestly I didn't care about anything he was saying, and honestly I'd rather he hadn't said anything. I'll remind you the vocals suck, there was really nothing he could've said that would've made his piss poor performances worth it, but still, I'd appreciate something more than repetitive repetition, repeatedly. > > He does ask some very hard hitting questions, though. Namely on this song called THE LEGAL STATUS OF ICE. I recommend you listen to it. You'll regret it! > > It was hard to put THE LEGAL STATUS OF ICE as my least favourite song on this album. It's hilarious. It's ACTUALLY so fucking funny (which is why it's also my favourite track on the album), everything, every single word, the instrumentals, the performance. It just cracks me up! It sounds horrible, it's just so bad I can barely comprehend why anyone would ever put that in a serious album. I think it's a troll, honestly. And that just makes it better. > > >What is the legal status of ice? > Where does it come and where does it go > > Comedy gold. > > Listening to this album almost gave me an aneurysm. > *** > Best song: THE LEGAL STATUS OF ICE (feat. Fat White Family) > Worst song: THE LEGAL STATUS OF ICE (feat. Fat White Family) > Rating: THE LEGAL STATUS OF ICE/5 > > Listen on SoundCloud!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/861908

> # A brilliant musical journey. > > I've listened to a lot of music. A lot of great music. And I can tell you, this is special. > > It's one thing to infuse your art with a message, another thing to actually convey it properly, and a whole other debacle to manage to do that while creating something truly enjoyable. Little Simz made something magical. This album is way more than just music, it's a whole experience. And one that I'm sad I won't be able to experience again for the first time. > > Being a woman, being black, her culture, her desires and aspirations. Little Simz shows all of herself for us to see. This album is incredibly personal, and one of the most majestic things I've ever listened to. > > I already knew she was a brilliant rapper; her lyricism is nigh unmatched, and her delivery is second to none. Of course, the production leaves nothing to be desired either. > > But really, the message is what elevates this to the next level. > > There's a nice variety of sounds too, some hardcore hip-hop cuts, some jazzy tracks, pop, soul, and plenty of time to cleanse your palate before the next stop on the Introvert train by way of several interludes. Some spoken word passages as well, which I really appreciate. > > I tend to dislike longer albums; 30 minutes is plenty, 60 minutes is pushing it. But this is different, I can't have enough of this!! I wish it would last forever... > > If I could tattoo this album on my brain, I would. > *** > Best song: Rollin Stone > Worst song: Never Make Promises (Interlude) > Rating: 5/5 > > Listen on SoundCloud!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/466792

> A very interesting sound! > > This was majestic, beautiful, mystical! Both the vocals and the instrumentals are ethereal, and the lyrics are inspiring, sweet and sour, all the right things. > > The production remains interesting throughout. You can hear something weird nearly every second of every track, but it never gets boring or repetitive, it's just good production. > > The seemingly ubiquitous vocal harmonizations really remind me of Aoba Ichiko. It's just an image I can't shake when listening to this. Normally, that'd be a great compliment, but I feel like it's not done very well actually, like a poor man's Ichiko... > > As the track list progresses, it feels as if the album keeps winding down. It starts so strong, but by the time we get to Hopedrunk Everasking we've slowed to a halt. > > How long can she stay floating in harmonic clouds? I'd argue not 45 minutes, gee. And yet, that's what she tries to do. > > She picks it back up a little bit in Smoke, but too little too late. > > The album never crosses the dreaded threshold from "interesting" to "bad" that so many alternative projects do. It manages to stay tolerable throughout. It starts incredible, but it loses steam. > > If she'd cut it off at Track 5 this would've been a brilliant EP, but alas, it's a mediocre LP. > *** > Best song: Sunset > Worst song: Fly To You > Rating: 3/5 > > Listen on SoundCloud!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/462089

> Extremely emotional. The feelings of being lost, hurt, depressed... slowthai screams his misery at the top of his lungs. He opens up about his struggles with addiction and relationships, and that makes this album feel really personal. > > There's a nice variety of sound on this project; every song feels decently distinct, even if they have a lot of thematic overlap. There's a lot of guitars and heavy bass, very punk, but also a strong beat and artificial sounds. There's some hip-hop slices too. I love it! > > The sounds on this album really jump out at you though, there's no two ways about it. Really, what jumps out the most is slowthai's vocal performance. He puts his all into nearly every word, you can really feel his emotion, his desperation, his despair. He's lost, and he'll make sure you know it, and that you won't do a thing to help. > > This album feels like a trip down a tortured mind. > > Still, the lyrics make the album, no question. The instrumentals are great, the vocals are strong, but the lyrics... He really has a way of keeping your attention, of pulling you in with melodies and punching you square in the jaw with total hopelessness and drug-fuelled spurts of vague happiness. The emotion is almost overwhelming at times. > > I'd heard of him before, and I've even listened to one of his songs before, which I liked quite a bit. This is the first full-length project of his I've listened to though, and I'm looking forward to finding more of his stuff. This was great. > *** > Best song: Selfish > Worst song: Falling > Rating: 4/5 > > Listen on SoundCloud!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/445942

> This is horrible. The industrial style... It's so heavy, I feel like I'm drowning. It's crushing, overwhelming, uncomfortable, > > grating. > > There are definitely things here that are interesting, I liked passages from basically every song. But the vast majority of this album is just unadulterated trash. It doesn't even feel like music, just a random assortment of sounds barely "arranged". > > I suppose that's the thing with experimental albums; if you want to listen to innovation in music, you have to be ready to listen to all the failures. Most of the stuff on this album doesn't work, it's horrible, actually. Occasionally, a nice melody plays, an interesting beat shines through... And that's it. > > I'm trudging through shit in hopes of hearing gold. > ^{Maybe I'm giving this shit too much credit...} > > Also, this album is 2 years old, so I guess I've already listened to the good stuff in other songs, from artists that took inspiration... Really, it's unfair. > > The lyrics are interesting sometimes. The flow, when there is a flow, is usually pretty cool. The spoken word sections are nice. > > I mean, all things considered, this wasn't torture. But it did feel like Injury Reserve are unable to avoid ruining a perfectly good song with awful production and ridiculous vocal performances. > > I don't have it in me to recommend this to anyone, ever. Their knees hurt 'cause they're growing, my ears hurt 'cause I'm listening to this album. > *** > Best song: Bye Storm > Worst song: Superman That > Rating: 1/5 > > Listen on YouTube!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/437553

> This is a short reminder to leave your hopes and dreams behind. > > A beautiful project. I love the mostly instrumental nature of the album! The vocals are very welcome though, and the vocal chops add a lot to the texture of the tracks. And the vocals feel mostly like just another instrument, really. > > This album feels like bubblegum and depression. I'm a big fan of hyperpop, so this really scratches a particular itch for me. It's weird in all the right ways, and it manages to have this connecting thread throughout the whole thing that makes it feel somewhat grounded. The spoken portions of the album add a special human flare to the otherwise very alien production, but they're not exactly great. > > The Bandcamp entry states this was mostly made in-transit. I feel like the feeling of constant motion, of a rushing landscape, really permeates every note. > > I wonder if Europa was travelling exclusively between 2 places though, as every song feels rather similar. It's nice, as I mentioned before, to have a connecting thread throughout a project, but there's not enough to distinguish every track, to make every entry unique. > > Overall, I like it quite a lot. The laugh in Toxibaby is horrible. > *** > Best song: Absentia > Worst song: Toxibaby > Rating: 4/5 > > Listen on SoundCloud!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/241374

> Guitar heavy production punctuated nearly every track by a face-punch bass on the chorus. Honestly, I vibe with it. > > There's a decent amount of synths, the percussion is a bit deaf but it does its job. > > Everything is a bit blown-out, which is definitely not for everyone, but I'm a huge hyperpop fan so this is really not an issue for me in the slightest. > > Here's what is an issue: every track is the same. What I said applies to every track, everything sounds the same. I appreciate cohesion in an album, I do, but COME THE FUCK ON MAN, EVERY TRACK?! > > Not to mention, every song is so short that this project really just feels like 30 minutes of Aries' vaguely whiny voice talking about some hypothetical lover and his success in the industry over blown out pop guitars. There you go, that's the album. It's a sludge of mediocrity... I felt like I was drowning the whole way through. > > His flows are OK, I guess. His singing is OK, I guess. > > But really, the production and the performance aren't the worst... The lyrics, god. A couple of highlights follow. > *** > Song: ETA > >Prada shades I can't see through > >Hello, mamacita > >How long can I breathe for, under > >So sentimental, zoom, zoom > > Song: ONE PUNCH > >You took a shot for the magazines, yeah > >Another shot, John Kennedy > *** > It feels to me like Aries wrote a bunch of cool (?) choruses, produced the same beat 12 times, and just put them together, filling them out with whatever words he could pluck out of his brain. I mean, this dude is very talented, but this is NOT IT. > > Perhaps I'm misjudging his music, I'm willing to admit that. Is this a compilation of stand-alone songs mislabelled as an album? > *** > Best song: HOW RUDE > Worst song: ETA > Rating: 1/5 > > Listen on YT Music!

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/147270

> Brilliant production by Danger Mouse. Incredible rapping by Black Thought. I can't shake the thought of a certain villainous duo from my mind, listening to this album. If that's not the greatest compliment in hip-hop, I don't know what is. > > The features are on point, from Joey to Russ to RTJ to Rocky to... DOOM HIMself. And more! > > The beautiful melodies in each track contrast beautifully with the hardcore rap style. You might think they'd clash, but they dance with each other, it's like the beat bends to fit the sharp edges of the lyrics and the stiff rhythm of the bars, like water filling a cup with the oddest of shapes. > > Well, Danger Mouse plays good, Black Thought talks sweet, but what does he spit? The struggles of the street life, death, despair, drugs and violence. His home town, his success, his talent, his religion, his doubt. It's deep, it's honest... And it hits. > > Overall, this is stupendously stupendous. Brilliantly brilliant. They did kill it, but it took just over 38 minutes. Bolt runs 100 meters in less than 10 seconds, so Black Thought was inaccurate there. > > --- > > Best song: Strangers > > Worst song: Saltwater > > Rating: 5/5 > > Listen on YT Music!