I was originally kinda worried going into this one, considering I wasn’t really head over heels for the singles – „Seaforth“ actually grew on me quite significantly, but „If Only It Was Warmth“ I never really got. So knowing that I was kinda scared of whether or not I’d enjoy this one. Turns out I still did quite a bit.
The album opens up with the beautifully haunting „Filmsier“, another single to this album, one I’ve come to really really love. It’s also just the perfect album opener – the opening chords hit you right away and then as fast as they came the fade away into the main melody that starts slowy creeping in – it’s a really impressive way to easy the listener into the album experience. The song is really melancholic and chill, the guitars are super smooth and the electric guitar with all the synths and everything is also a nice touch, makes the song feel like it’s progressing somewhere – overall just a really solid opener front to back, sets the mood pretty well. This song is followed by the fast-paced „Pink Shell“ that is centered more around this hi-hat/bass combo beat with some nice guitars in the background and some really pleasant brass inclussions. It kinda comes and goes but it’s a really solid banger – the chorus is surprisingly agressive, I enjoy it a lot. Also for some reason this song really sounds like how a song titled „Pink Shell“ would sound, I don’t know, it’s all just very fitting. The aforementioned „Seaforth“ is the song after, and this one REALLY stuck with me. I’ve come to absolutely love the different melodies here and the sea feeling that’s just seeping through this song. It’s just so calming and almost puts me in a trance every time it comes on – definitely one of my favorites here. „That Is My Life, That Is Yours“, the next song, starts off with a slowed down version of what I think is essentially the Seaforth melody, or at least a really similar one. It slowly transforms into it’s own song with the brass section coming in with some more crisp and sharp drumming all appearing out of nowhere, until it slowly eases you back into that innitial calmness – this album’s sense of dynamics is really strong. As for the song as a whole, it’s alright, fits nicely after „Seaforth“. Next up is the song „Tortoise of Independency“, a short but sweet little track, almost interlude-like. I really like the chords on this one, it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome and the little freak-out towards the end is also nice, although besides that the song doesn’t really bring anything all that intresting nor memorable to the table. It does transition waay too smoothly into „Empty Stomach Space Cadet“ though, which has this really spacey ethereal sound that I really enjoy. It has this feeling of floating through space that I really like – everything is so reverbed and atmospheric, I kinda wish this one was a bit longer but also it’s kinda the perfect length, this one’s really neat, all the saxophones and what not are super clean on here. „Flimsy“ is an actual interlude to the next big song „Hamburgerphobia“ and yeah, this one is also pretty solid, the fast beat feels really urgent, the main riff sounds kinda scary and it all collides together really beautifully Also one of the more memorable songs on here + the name is funny, so it’s the whole package. „From The Swamp“ is another one of my favorites on here, just something about the main melody really grabbed me – I also like all the different guitar and brass licks in the background, especially the little solo in the middle of the song where they both play off of each other, that’s a really nice moment honestly. Yeah, this one is really up there as one of the best on the album for me, the instrumentation is just really good and Archy’s voice is also top notch here. „Seagirl“ is another one of my favorites (yeah I really like this portion of the album), the female vocals are super nice here, the little ad-libs she does are heavenly, I really love them. The instrumentation works here too, this whole song is easily one of the best on the album, feels like a shorter more depressed continuation of „Seaforth“. And man the instrumental outro with the synths… That’s like the cherry on top. A really strong moment for sure. „Our Vacuum“ has the little leitmotiv repeated from the first song „Filmsier“ – the song itself isn’t as crazy, but it’s a powerful emotional moment and makes the album feel more tight. The title track „Space Heavy“ starts off very lowkey, but starts really building up after a while and becomes one of the most intense moments on the album – the build up is done very naturally without it feeling out of place in the context of this overall lowkey album. The instrumental palate is really tasteful here, with different heavy guitars, shar drums and pretty keys – then the song comes back to it’s more calmer state and slowly finnishes. Not my favorite on here but definitely a good song. „When Vanishing“ is this really gorgeous orchestral piece with some really nice sax inclussions, a really pretty instrumental moment in my eyes. Following that is the song „If Only It Was Warmth“ which I’m still not all that crazy about, however it doesn’t hurt the album in any way, it’s just sort of there. It does lead pretty well into the last song „Wednesday Overcast“ though. The song starts of really ominously and keeps that tone throughout. The soundscapes are really dark here and super intresting – the orchestral elements return towards the end of the song making it feel really final. The lyrics are definitely the main focus on here and they do pretty well in closing the whole thing off – overall a really solid closer.
And there you have it, King Krule’s newest album while maybe not his most exciting at first is definitely one of his most cohesive and complete records. I have to be in a very specific mood for this album but I think it definitely succeeds at what it does. Maybe a bit boring at points, but it has it’s charm, a really really solid record.
-favorite songs: Filmsier, Pink Shell, Seaforth; That Is My Life, That Is Yours; Empty Stomach Space Cadet, Hamburgerphobia, From The Swamp, Seagirl, Our Vacuum, Space Heavy, When Vanishing, Wednesday Overcast
-least favorite songs: Flimsy, If Only It Was Warmth, Tortoise Of Independency (kinda)
I mean it’s obvious that the members are just having fun with this one and I can’t hate on that too much. This album was my introduction to this musical project that is Queef Jerky consisting of members Dev Lemons, nickisnotgreen and for this album also Hivemind’s Riley. And it’s kinda exactly what you’d expect from these 3, just some goofballs having a blast with some really mixed musical results.
I’ll say one thing though, the openig track „20“ I actually unironically kinda enjoy – yeah it’s stupid but so is Die Lit and I love that album to death. The production sounds like if Death Grips met lofi hip-hop jazz beats and it’s honestly the highlight of not only this track but this entire album – the lyrics are really dumb though. The opening drums are absolutely unhinged and really caught me off guard the first time I heard them, they seriously slap. And the jazz out-of-nowhere switch is nice too, it’s really smooth and I don’t know, sue me but I just enjoy this one, it’s been on constant repeat for like the last week. Next up is the song „TAKE THE PILL, FAINT“ and this one features some glitched out instrumental with some samples, really all over the place trap beat and some HEAVY bass. The production on here is actually kinda insane here once again + the „I’m The Weeknd fan, I’m an ableist“ bar is unironically just so hard. This one is also just dumb fun at the end of the day but there is some seriously impressive production here aswell. „FARWARD“ is another one of my favorites, it has this realy sweet glitchy fast-paced beat + the autotune on this one at points REALLY comes through sounding absolutely heavenly. By this point on the album I realised that this album works best when you ignore the lyrics for the most part, because there are some legitemately strong songs burried underneath all the obnoxious bars – like the humor is definetly ment for a certain demographic but not every bar works. „LLC“ has some cool production moments once again, but this one is honestly just painfully unfunny and by this point on the album the lyrics really start getting to you. Far from the best on the album, also a strange choice for a single imo, overall an alright song. „THE MICHIGAN LEFT“, the next song, unfortunately continues in this really unintresting path the last song went for – I’m really getting tired of saying that but the production really carries this project, because besides that there really isn’t all that much of value. The hook is kinda bad but also kinda catchy? It’s alright overall. The second to last song „HURRICANE BLIZZARD“ is probably my least favorite here, even the production isn’t enough to save this one honestly. It just sort of comes and goes, the jumpy beat is just really corny as are the lyrics, on this song especially. Yeah this one really ain’t it tbh. And finally the last song „LEFT RIGHT CENTER“ has some really nice piano passages and some nice synth work aswell, like DJ Grant really killed production here. Kinda reminds me of the first song with how it constantly switches between some crazy passages here and there but always going back to that really smooth and chill centerpiece of the song. Better than the last few tracks.
And yeah, that was THE MICHIGAN LEFT by QUEEF JERKY – if this album shows anything it’s that these guys at least really care about how the song themselves sound even though the comedic qualities just aren’t always there, at least for me, comedy is subjective after all as is music. There are some really cool moments here, like I said especially the first song I just keep coming back to for some reason and honestly it’s a nice change of pace to listen to something more down to earth like this instead of the 2 hour long Swans record lol. But yeah, great potential, but a lot of room for improvement, especially in the comedy department for me.
-favorite tracks: 20; TAKE THE PILL, FAINT; FARWARD; LEFT RIGHT CENTER, parts of THE MICHIGAN LEFT
-least favorite tracks: HURRICANE BLIZZARD, LLC, parts of THE MICHIGAN LEFT
So I finally sat down and decided to listen to the whole thing and man what a journey this one is. Out of all the Swans albums I’ve heard so far I feel like this one takes the most patience to get the most out of but it definetly rewards you for that plenty. An even though it may not be the most action packed album in Swans discography it still has lot to offer – mostly with it’s lyrical themes that are actually really thought-provoking and filled with existentialism in your typical Swans fashion but I feel like Michael Gira took it up another notch with this album. And yeah don’t get me wrong this one DEFINITELY isn’t for anyone, like even I find myself kinda falling out of it at points due to just how incredibly long-winded it can be, but I really appriciate that this album can be besides haunting and depressing also just surprisingly beautiful.
That being said the album opens up with the song „The Parasite“ that has these haunting and mystical guitar plucks over which Gira ponders over various topics until the song divolves into this synthy mess with a repeating sound in the background that sounds kinda twisted like a siren going off in the distance, it’s a chilling opener that leads into the even more chilling „Paradise is Mine“ which is probably like the closest we’ll get to a typical Swans song within this first half, with the instrumental slowly building up until there are these absolutely fantastic guitars brought in that sound really primal and make this whole song feel like it’s just marching towards you but surprisingly the song doesn’t explode into like anything super crazy, it just carries on with this with Gira repeating the chant „is there really a mind?“ and it feels really meditative and ritualistic, I really like this one. The song slowly fades away into the next song „Los Angeles: City of Death“ which is probably the most straight to the point song on this whole album clocking only at around 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Within that relatively short time range the song still manages to leave a pretty strong impressions with these punchy guitars and really catchy melodies and chants, it feels like the next step in the ritual. Next up is a song I originally really wasn’t all that crazy about „Michael is Done“ because it just really wasn’t what I expected. It feels almost like a lullaby for the first few minutes and the big crescendo feels like really beautiful and hopeful, like the shining sun in musical form, it caught me really of guard the first time I heard it but the more I return to this one I grew to enjoy it a lot and actually found it really fitting. „Unforming“, the next song, is more of an interlude than a song really, but it continues the atmosphere and vibe of the album relatively well, but I still could have probably done without it even though it isn’t inherently bad per se. Not much to say about it, although it does serve really well in that it eases the listener out of the vibe of „Michael is Done“ into the next song and also the title track „The Beggar“ which feels really similar to „Paradise is Mine“ in the sense that it slowly builds up with minimal things happening at first with just some bass, distant drums and typical post-rock guitars in the background slowly adding some orchestration elements until the song finally explodes into this final segment that once again is pretty good but still feels relatively tame compared to some other Swans cuts, but it just has this overwhelming energy to it still, once again like ritualistic is probably the best way to describe it, that I really like, even though I understand how it may perhaps not be like that big of a pay-off for many typical Swans listeners. With the next song „No More Of This“ we get this like surprisingly chilled out and really pretty piece of music that has a really similar vibe to „Michael is Done“ but somehow even more happy sounding but still in like a weird twisted way – I’m finding it really hard to explain the aesthethic of this album, because it’s just so unique, but yeah this song is like the prime example of that, I actually kinda like it. It also leads smoothly into the next big song „The Ebbing“ which starts of with just a simple guitar strumming and some ascending and descending keys that feel almost like from some sort of video game, before it all kinda clashes into each other and we once again get this really sunny crescendo, this honestly even more so than the previous two, it’s really punchy really powerful, kinda reminds me of like if the „Bring The Sun“ part of that song from To Be Kind was less like larger than life and more grounded or whatever (look I’m trying my best here, this is music you gotta experience yourself to be honest). The first disc ends with the song „Why Can’t I Have What I Want Any Time That I Want?“ that is actually one of my favorite songs from the first half – the main guitar riff is like strangely mezmerizing and the last two minutes of the song really feel like all of the hope of the previous songs kinda just slipping away – the guitars on here are really trippy and close of the first half in almost prefect fashion. And yeah, obviously the 44 minute song „The Beggar Lover (Three)“ is kinda out of this world. Don’t get me wrong, this one is like the definition of slow but man does it reward you for being patient with it – I was drawing some stuff along side with it and I had like an almost spiritual eperience. It’s one of those tracks that the atmosphere that it builds feels like a whole movie. It undergoes so many phases and feels like the definitive Swans eperience. I mean I could really sit here for hours and talk about how this song alone carries this whole album (because it kinda does in a lot of ways) but you kinda get the picture. I don’t think it’s perfect but it definetly takes you on a journey that much you can’t deny. The closing track „The Memorious“ expands on that perfectly as it feels very final and wraps the whole thing together nicely.
Honestly I really enjoyed this album overall – sure, it isn’t anything close to how explosive Swans usually are, in fact I don’t think there is a single instance of this album going like super crazy explosive, but is still has it’s charm, especially in the lyrics/aesthethic department. I don’t think I’ll be coming back to it anytime soon as it has a very specific atmosphere for a very specific mood but when in the mood for it this album is exceptional at what it tries to do. And yes, I do prefer the I guess more off the wall sound Swans typically strive for the past decade or so, but this was nonetheless still a really nice experience, definitely not for everyone though.
-favorite tracks: The Parasite, Paradise is Mine, Michael is Done, The Beggar, Why Can’t I Have What I Want Any Time That I Want?, The Beggar Lover (Three), The Memorious
So I’ve been REALLY binge watching hivemind the last few days and with that I also watched a lot of Dev Lemons content. I knew that she has made music in the past but I haven’t really checked if there was anything new she had under her belt recently. So I said why not, decided to look her up on Spotify and what do you know – not even 2 months ago a new EP, her first ever in fact! And look I’ve never really been like a big Dev fan, up to that point I’ve heard like maybe three songs and all of them were you know listenable, but I did really like the song „One Whole Me“ I think she really came into her own with that one. All of this is to say that I was at least familiar with the style Dev usually de(l)ved (get it) into going into this one, so I wasn’t like completely blind.
But yeah, this EP honestly went kinda hard not gonna lie – it’s only 6 tracks but besides one I’m not all that crazy about it’s basically a hit after a hit. It opens up with the song „Cyberpunk Fairy“ which has these just gorgeous piano keys that open it up feel almost distant and kinda mysterious. The beat is really bassy and full of these swirling strings that I really adore, they make the mix sound really rich. But honestly the thing that just kept me coming back to this album is at the end of the day the lyricism – I really find Dev’s lyrical abilities to be genuinely great. Maybe it’s because I find myself relating to A LOT of what she has to say on these songs, but either way it’s conveyed in a really mature way without it being corny and it’s all also delivered very whole-heartedly, it feels super personal and I can’t help but be drawn to that. Anyways, got a little side-tracked there – the opening track is really good. The second song „NIghtstand“ has this really simple plucky repeating catchy beat that I think is very charming and Dev’s vocals just melt like butter over it. The song doesn’t go in like a crazy direction but it’s just so catchy and playful that I still like it a lot, I only wish there was more done with it. The third track „Dizzy Vision“ is one of the more out-there songs on the album – it opens up relatively tame with a snappy calm piano beat that is however very quickly replaced by this almost hyper-pop sounding instrumental with heavy-hitting drums and huge synthy bass hits. And the chorus in this one is just chef’s kiss, it’s catchy, simple yet super effective as are the lyrics, this one is honestly one of my favorites here hands down. „If You Wanna Reach Me“ the 4th song on here is the one I’m probably least crazy about – it just sort of fills the track-list for me, besides the lyrics there isn’t all that much that stands out about it. And honestly something about the chorus just rubs me the wrong way at times, I don’t know, I can’t really explain it. The hyperpop ending feels kinda out of place aswell even though it’s admiteddly kinda cool. „You Tear Me Apart“ does pick things up pretty substantially though, I really like the chorus on here and the melody after it is just heaven to my ears. Not much to else to say here, I do appriciate the Tame Impala-esk finnish to the track, it’s honestly a really nice touch and the few guitar licks sound great. „Think About It“, the closing track, is almost the perfect finnisher for this album – the electric guitar is an excellent choice and it is honestly executed really well, the way the audio is cut out at first and then brought back in and it all just melts beautifully, Dev really shined here, but once again WHY ISN’T longer.
Like seriously, this album is LOADED with great ideas, most of which are executed really well, but the longest song on here isn’t even 3 minutes long. Just stretch it out a bit, some of these songs were essentially just two choruses on top of each other – fantastic chorus with really great lyrics, but still. But yeah, that’s mostly a nitpick, at it’s core, this EP is a huge dub for Dev, at least in my eyes – I really can’t wait for where she goes next. To summarize, good but not enough Eminem impressions, so automatically a 0/10.
-favourite songs: Cyberpunk Fairy, Nightstand, Dizzy Vision, You Tear Me Apart, Think About It
So there have been a few updates in my 10/10s lately, some I have docummented here on this very page and some changed over time, mostly it’s been additions. Before we continue I’d just like to say that the numbering of these numbers is in no particular order even though I tried to do so, all of these records I hold very close to my heart.
15. Injury Reserve – By the Time I Get To Phoenix (strong 9 – light 10)
Yeah this album is still kinda out of this world. The biggest problem I have revisiting this one is that it kinda looses me at points, especially with songs like „Wild Wild West“ and „SS San Francisco“ a little bit as well, those just don’t really do it for me as much as the other songs on this one, but even then they still fit nicely in the aesthethic of the album so I don’t really mind it all that much. Besides that yeah I still can’t wrap my head around this album. It feels like a complete mess and it makes literally no sense yet so much sense at the same time. It feels like a panic attack in musical form and is filled with this just absolutely depserate and sorrowful mood throughout it’s entire runtime, like it’s definetly an album for a specific mood, but when you let yourself get immersed by it, you get transported into a whole different messed up universe. At the same time the really specific nature of this album makes that a lot of the times this album just doesn’t do it for me because of x or y. But when I manage to get into that specific headspace, yeah, this one is just completely out of this world.
14. Deafheaven – Sunbather (light 10)
Yeah I’ve cried several times when I first heard this. With time this album doesn’t show me much more than it already did but MAN does it pack a serious punch even after all these albums, like this is a black-metal album and it’s easily the most bright and sunny thing on this entire list. It feels so hopeful yet hopeless at the same time, I can’t get enough of the aesthethic this one builds – and the sound of it is just so incredibly over-bearing, it really is too much to handle sometimes. There is no miss on this album, the interlude tracks maybe don’t do all that much for it, but I’ve still grown to enjoy them a lot as I think they serve as brief breathing point in the middle of all the madness. Yeah, another incredible record right here, definetly deserving of the 10/10 rating.
13. Death Grips – The Money Store (light 10)
Oh yeah I still recall the first time I heard „Get Got“ over at my friend’s house during a sleepover when I was around 12 to 13 years old – if Meteora and Sempiternal opened me more to music, then this album broke EVERYTHING I thought music could be. With more time this album isn’t AS unreal as it felt the first few times I’ve heard it, but even to this day the production on this one is still just unbelievable. The crazy synths, the fast-paced drumming, the barely intelligible rapping from MC Ride that all mashed together on paper really awkwardly but also somehow absolutely perfectly, this album had it all. I don’t think there is a single song on this project that I don’t enjoy to some degree – sure there are few ideas here and there that aren’t maybe as innovative or just don’t do it for me as much as others do, but man, songs like „Lost Boys“, „Hustle Bones“ or the to this date absolutely massive „Punk Weight“ are absolute bangers. An abslute classic in the underground experimental hip-hop scene and a really important project for me.
12. Radiohead – In Rainbows (light 10)
This is the most album that just sounds like it’s album cover. There is one Radiohead album I overall prefer more to this one, but don’t get me wrong, this one still has it’s undeniable charm – as many people have already stated before, this one is definetly Radiohead’s most human, that’s for sure. It’s also their most colorful and I’d argue the one most packed with bangers – like the first 5 tracks are just absolutely insane, how is this even real. „Bodysnatchers“ always sends shivers down my spine with it’s climac, „Nude“ is chillingly beautiful as is „Weird Fishes/Arpeggi“ and it doesn’t end there. „Videotape“ as simple as it is probably one of my favorite album-closers ever, I always get teary-eyed listening to it. This one is just so much fun – like with the Injury Reserve record though this one is this low because honestly, there are times where it doesn’t hit me as hard as other times, but once again when in the right mood, this album does wonders.
11. Danny Brown – Atrocity Exhibition (light – decent 10)
My most recent realisation of an album being a 10 is definitely this Danny Brown one over here – man I haven’t listened to this in AGES. But recently I’ve bought this album’s vinyl for a really solid price and decided that well, I haven’t heard it in a long while, might as well give it another shot. And I gotta tell you, these songs BANG. They do everything right. I just LOVE the aesthethic of this album, it’s so captivating throughout. And the production, like don’t even get me started on that. Some of the most craziest, most out-there beats created the last decade. And it all just sounds sooo good, like this album’s soundscape is almost edible I feel like. I had this one at a strong 9 for years but in reality I have virtually zero complaints about it.
10. The Microphones – The Glow Pt. 2 (decent 10)
I had this album at a 9/10 for a REALLY long time aswell, but man, recently it was just hitting in a way I can’t recall an album hitting in a long time and I could just no longer see any problems with it – in fact my last few listens of this thing have been so good that it skipped right here to this spot on this list. „The Moon“ is probably in my top 5 songs of all time. „Headless Horseman“ I’ve learned on guitar in it’s entirety, and the transition between „I Felt Your Shape“ to „Samurai Sword“ is probably one of the most brutal and defeating musical experiences I’ve had in a while. And the lore and story behind this one… Look I could at this point probably go for hours talking about it, it just resonates with me for so many different reasons that I can’t even begin to tell you, so I’ll just leave it with that, a really important album for me.
9. Swans – To Be Kind (decent 10)
Oh yeah this one is a given. I’ll admit I heavily borrowed this one from Fantano at first, because I just thought he had really cool takes, but the more and more I listened to this album, the more it REALLY started clicking even for me – and now this is like one of the most intense musical experiences I’ve ever had. Every song is so just primal, so ritualistic, so heavy, I can’t get enough of this album’s feel. The musical peaks on this album are some of my favorite moments in all of music period. The 34 minute long „Bring the Sun / Toussain L’ouverture“ always goes by like it’s nothing and the whole project doesn’t feel like 2 hours long at ALL. Yeah, just another absolute masterpiece, there are a few moments on here that kinda get me out of the vibe a little bit, but besides those few nitpicks, this album is an absolute journey.
8. Black Country, New Road – Ants From Up There (decent 10)
Yeah this album came out during what was probably the happiest era of my life and I have many many dear memories linked with it – not only that, but this might as well be my album of the decade so far. The emotional gutpunch I recieve every time I hear this thing is unmatched. Isaac Wood’s voice is filled with sorrow throughout this entire project and I can’t get enough of it – this album also may not be as instant as the band’s previous efforts, but it definitely rewards you ten times as much for being patient with it. Yeah there just isn’t a track on here I don’t at least really like from „Concorde“ to what’s probably the song of the decade for me so far „The Place Where He Inserted the Blade“. No yeah, this album is just fire front to back, enough said.
7. Parannoul – After the Night (Live) (decent 10)
My latest addition to my 10/10 list, this album grows on me with every passing day – I have a review on this one written where I go into more detail why I think this album is an absolute masterpiece, so go check that out if you want, but to keep the long story short, this album is just magical – probably the best live album I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. Every song is just so warm and comforting, it all feels like a big, heartfelt, magical hug. I love every single performance on here, not a single song ruins the experience in the slightest. And don’t even get me STARTED on the last 40 minute song on this thing – that might as well be in my top 10 songs of all time by this point. Also it really sounds a LOT like the album cover, just an explosion of color that is so over-bearing yet so beautiful and feels really just… Peacefull. I don’t know, I’m just really gratefull this musical project, and by extension, this album exists.
6. Radiohead – OK Computer (decent 10)
Now don’t get me wrong, I love In Rainbows to death, but this album is just something else – the vibe it creates was, and still to this date is, quite literally revolutionary. And yeah the first few listens I didn’t get this one all that much, it definitely took some time to get adjusted to it – but when it clicked, oh man it clicked. It’s also kinda crazy how greatly this album ages with each passing day, the lyrical themes are so ahead of their time it’s kinda scary – and don’t even get me started on the absolutely beautiful musical soundscapes this album creates with it’s sound. It feels so depressed yet so hopefull, so harsh and yet so gentle, I still can’t to this day quite put my finger on it, all I know is that I just really love it. Songs like the opener „Airbag“, the ambitious „Paranoid Android“ and one of my favorite jams „Let Down“, which is an underated masterpiece, all the songs here just sound so futuristic and like they are from another planet. Everyone should hear this album at least once during their lifetime, it’s an absolute must-listen.
5. My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (strong 10)
This is like the musical definition of what taking drugs must feel like. From the very moment the first song „only shallow“ kicks you immediately get transported to a whole nother dimension. It’s all so serene and so in your face, like pure euphoria or ecstacy or something, it’s really hard to eplain the feeling of this album. Songs like „to here knows when“, „when you sleep“ and probably my personal favorite „sometimes“ are all just so magical and beautiful, like really out of this world levels of beauty. This album is perfect for me, there are only a select few I think out-do what this album does for me.
4. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven (strong 10)
This is the album that I think is the most perfect musically. There isn’t a single NOTE on this 4 track hour and a half long album that I don’t like. It really is all larger than life and I don’t use that term lightly. The highs on this album are incomprehensibly high – the climaxes of instrumentation and the way everything plays off of each other is like nothing I’ve ever heard before and believe me I’ve heard a lot of stuff, I get PHYSICAL CHILLS during those moments, like it doesn’t even feel like it was made by actual living humans at points. I love this album to death, it’s so beautiful, I could write a whole essay on each song on here.
3. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly (strong 10)
So many good memories linked with this one. Look, there are way more people who are way more skilled in writing who wrote almost entire seminar works around this album, so I’m not gonna go too in-depth to why this is the album of the century or whatever – for me this is just a perfect story-based conceptual rap album with beautiful lush jazz instrumentations and really introspective and profound lyrical themes. This album is essentially for me just everything I want a rap album to be. Kendrick really went above and beyond when creating this thing, like this album has a SOUL. So many great songs on this thing, such as „Weasley’s Theory“, „King Kunta“, „How Much A Dollar Cost“, just to name a few. Definitely in my top 3 for sure, no questions about it.
2. Daughters – You Won’t Get What You Want (strong 10)
Look I know about the allegations and all that and I in no way whatsoever respect any of the heinous stuff the lead singer did… BUT this album is just… Brutal. No but actually like BRUTAL. I like to seperate the art from the artist here, because I just love this thing. It’s one of the most intense things I’ve ever heard, if not THE most. I hate listening to it because it just feels like I’m getting beaten up by the music and yet I can’t get enough of it. And trust me there is NO breathing room on this album – every single song is a different kinda of beatdown. The production on this album is like… So clean and so mezmerizing, I don’t understand how this album exists. It would be my number one if not for one album that not only dfined my growing up years but still to this date holds up as my favorite album of all time. Which is, as last time…
1.My Chemical Romance – The Black Parade (strong 10)
Yeah I’ve got no words, this is the perfect rock opera album. Not a single dud. Perfect from to back. Powerfull instrumentation and performances, powerfull vocals and lyrics, powerfull concept and it’s execution, this album feels like a whole movie. I like to just close my eyes and imagine the story of this album in my head as I listen to it. And what a story it is – every single song tells a story and they all connect into one huge theatrical performance of grief, hopelessness, denial and so much more. I also like how you can essentially decide for yourself how the concept of the album ends – if the so called „patient“ or the protagonists of the album lives or dies. Also yeah, „Mama“ is probably my favorite song of all time, just though I’d mention that. So yeah, this album is my favorite album of all time and the only other album besides Sempiternal of which I have a poster hung up on my wall if that counts for something.
I mean to call this a mixed bag doesn’t even cut it for this album – there are somehow some of the best songs I’ve heard all year on this and at the same time some of the unironically worst pieces of music I’ve heard like this entire decade so far. With that being said even with those you at least can’t say it wasn’t entertainingly bad and at the end of the day I think Uzi is just doing whatever he wants to do on here and I really can’t hate on that even though it doesn’t always result in the best song quality.
The album opens up with the ethereal and surreal „Flooded The Face“ which has hands down not only the best beat on this whole album but one of my personal favorite Uzi beats ever, the synths are just out of this world, the parts where you can clearly hear the bass are just super funky and when the beat drops… It really drops. And Uzi sounds amazing over it too – really starting this project on as strong of a foot as you can get. Just an absolute jam. Anyways Uzi IMMEDIATELY does a 180 with the next also amazing song „Suicide Doors“ produced besides others also by the legendary „Arca“ and you can clearly hear that in the mix with the guitars, the chainsaw sounds constantly going from left to right, the punchy synths – long story short, this song is an absolute rage bop. Easy gym playlist song. So yeah, to say this album opens up strong is an understatement. However things really take a nose dive from this point on kinda fast. Next is the song „Aye“ with none other than Travis Scott and for such a promising beat this song REAAAALLY underdelivers, like Travis is barely even present on here and the beat is like REALLY good but just misses some final touches, because like this it’s just all over the place and honestly Uzi is kinda what really drags this song down – overall a really promising song with some really cool parts that kinda just doesn’t go anywhere. After that is the song „Crush Em“ which is where the filler REALLY starts to settle in. I mean this song in particular is fine to be honest – and I like the way the synths are introduced later on in the song and admiteddly it is really catchy, but it just once again doesn’t leave much of a lasting impact like the first song. The song „Amped“ is overall also kinda filler BUT I just LOVE the beat on this one – the guitar beats on this album just work so much for me. Honestly I just can’t hate this song because if Uzi is kinda underdelivering at points I just zone him out and just focus on the amazing beat and then he also starts sounding amazing + the main hook is pretty hype I won’t lie. Speaking of really amazing beats with some weak deliveries from Uzi the next song „x2“ is like the definition of that. The beat is this glitched swirling set of synths and some heavy hitting hi-hats that all just come together absolutely amazingly. After this point however the songs REALLY start to just blend together, so I’ll only be mentioning the stand-outs whether good or bad. „Died and Came Back“ has a nice beat. „Endless Fashion“ with Nicki Minaj is this absolutely HORRENDOUS „Blue (Da Ba Dee)“ type beat that somehow butchers the original song more than that one other song from last year. Nicki’s chorus is I’m sorry but just absolutely horrible as is her verse – like what the hell happened Nicki? Uzi’s harmonizing is also just… I can’t I’m sorry, this song just ain’t it. „Nakamura“ is the first song in a looong while that’s like REALLY good, like the first two songs quality good. The main melody is really well constructed and surprisingly even sung, it feels super full of life after the couple of last soulless songs. Just a really good song overall, really picks up the momentum of this album by a bit and it sure as hell needed it. After that is the infamous single „Just Wanna Rock“ aka the song that just never really starts. I mean… It definetly fits the album and there are times where I can absolutely mindlessly enjoy it but when I said some of the songs on here don’t really go nowhere, it’s like this song doesn’t even start going like ever. Still there are parts of it I for some weird reasons really like so. After that is the surprisingly really hard „Fire Alarm“ (mostly for the „Justice“ sample“ but yeah) and what can I say, this song just kinda goes. The alarm type beat just really works for some reason and the intro to this song REALLY gets you hyped. So yeah, this one goes, sue me. Wow, 3 kinda really good songs in a row, is this album finally starting to pick up again? Can’t wait to see how the next song continues thi- oh… So yes, the rumours have been true, the next song simply titled „CS“ as in „Chop Suey“ as most of you probably already put the pieces together, is indeed a thing. Honestly nothing I could write here would really describe how absolutely just… Yeah see what I mean, I just CAN’T explain how this thing made it onto the album, he literally just gives up singing halfway throughout the song and just let’s the instrumental play out. This is easily like top 10 worst songs of the year, how is this real, like you’re telling me NOBODY in the studio said anything about it? Fortunately things do go basically from a 0 to a 100 with the next and also my favorite song on the album „Werewolf“ with Bring Me the Horizon, yes this is also a real thing. Even though it’s basically a BMTH song featuring Lil Uzi, his metal vocals area ctually surprisingly fitting and BMTH just do their thing and yeah it just work even though it really shouldn’t, I just can’t get enough of this song, the chorus, the instrumentals, even Uzi is just fire on this song. This one’s a certified hood classic. „Pluto to Mars“ has once again a really nice beat and honestly a really nice vibe, it’s a good kinda slow down after the BMTH song, I quite like this one as well. And „Patience“ with Don Tolliver as much as it’s kinda slow and drab, I can’t help but really like this one too – it scratches that R&B itch in my brain just the tiniest bit. And yeah, Don Tolliver really is barely there, his background vocals aren’t half bad honestly. It’s not the most well-made song on the album but it’s really pleasant to listen to. The second to last two songs „Days Come and Go“ and „Rehab“ are passable, definitely better than some of the song in the middle, but I’m still not as crazy about these though. However the finnisher „The End“ with BABYMETAL is REALLY something. It’s not on the same level as the BMTH song however it still absolutely rules. Not much to complain about with this one as much as it is just all over the place but like in a good way.
So that was… confusing to say the least. I mean don’t get me wrong, this album DEFINETLY has it’s moments, but at the same time there is just so much absolute CRAP burried underneath all of the greatness. It honestly just all evens out, but I still overall enjoyed myself, it was definetly an experience. I really wouldn’t mind Uzi experimenting like this more, because it usually still results into something pretty decent.
-favourite songs: Flooded The Face, Suicide Doors, parts of Amped, parts of x2, parts of Died and Came Back, Nakamura, Werewolf, Pluto to Mars, Patience, The End
-least favorite songs: Endless Fashion, CS, parts of Aye, rest is forgetable
Man it’s been a while since some new QotSA music and honestly I really missed these guys. Albums like „Songs for the Deaf“ and my personal favorite album of theirs „…Like Clockwork“ really solidified themselves as one of my personal favorites rock albums basically ever. So when the first single to this album „Emotion Sickness“ came out I was through the roof with excitement to how it would sound and I gotta say, at first I was honestly kinda disappointed with it. Don’t get me wrong, the song isn’t bad but I just found it a bit… Forgetable? I don’t know something just wasn’t working for me with it and that’s honestly been my first experience with this entire album. I think that what’s at fault mostly is that I was expecting another „…Like Clockwork“ which this album is very much not, it has it’s own identity and even though I don’t really enjoy this album as much as that one, with time I still found a great deal of stuff that’s worth coming back to on here.
Let’s start at the beginning. The opening track „Obscenery“ is one I actually enjoy quite a bit, lyrically it’s very existential, hollow and kinda empty which is a running theme throughout this entire album. The random orchestral switch in the middle of the track is well kinda out of nowhere but somehow works really well, the chorus is really memorable and I really like the guitars on this track in particular, they are really dark and twisted and really sound like something straight out of „…Like Clockwork“. Overall a great opener and tone-setter, I really like this one. The next song and the last released single to this album „Paper Machete“ is a really straight-to-the-point rock jam that kinda comes and goes but in a good way, I can see why it was released as a single, the main guitar riff is really catchy and it just sounds like your typical QotSA single. The solo was a nice touch though and I’m especially fond of like the last 30 seconds of this song, the synths or whatever they are, even though they appear for a really short period of time sound super cool, I really wish there was more done with them on this song, I would even go as far as to say they should have been the centrepiece of the song but I digress, still a really good tune. Next is the slower „Negative Space“ on which I once again have to praise the guitar work, especially on the chorus part, QotSA always had really pleasant guitars and this album only proves that more. Besides that I also really enjoy the nihilistic lyrics, they have been really resonating with me with lines „There’s gotta be someway back to earth“ and „stare into oblivion, oh, it hurts“, just some good stuff. I’m not as crazy about the verses though, they are maybe a bit too slow for my liking, even though the bass here is kinda neat. Next is the song „Time & Place“ that has a really nice little guitar lick always in the chorus and some cool guitar effects and little solos here and there, but the core song is kinda all over the place even though I think there is a really good song hiding in there. Really the thing that remains consistenly excellent throughout this entire album really are the lyrics, they are once again just really great here, I only wish they were sung more in a way that I could understand them without having to read them along, but I guess that’s also part of the beautiful messiness of this album. After that is the song „Made to Parade“ which is the second longest song on here and definetly the slowest one. I like some of the guitar parts in the background, like they way they are all layered on top of each other actually really comes together by the end of the song, but I just think it’s such a drag for it to get there and i’m not even like that crazy about it, this one’s probably the one I would skip the most on like a casual listen, even though it’s by no means bad. However next is one if not my personal favorite song from this album „Carnavoyeur“ – I just think everything about this song works. It’s once again really slow but it has those chunky bassy guitars that I absolutely love from QotSA a nice atmospheric synthy (if that’s even a word) intro and a memorable chorus that leads into a really catchy main melody that is just the cherry on top. Plus yeah, once again lyrics just only add onto the already miserable atmosphere, on this one especially as it deals with many themes and especially the theme of mortality and how futile everything at the end of the day kinda is. And if all that wasn’t enough just the drums getting louder at like the last 5 seconds of the songs are just a super neat nice little touch at the end. „What The Peephole Say“ is another really solid song, I really like the energy of this one, it’s kinda bouncy and honestly just super fun. The „Tonight is the night“ chant repeated all over again in the second half of the song is another really catchy moment. Guitars once again top notch, just a really good song, not much else to say about it. The song after that „Sicily“ is another one of my personal favorites, it’s one of the longer and slower songs on here but I just absolutely LOVE the main synth or guitar or whatever it is line on this, I seriously can’t get enough of it, it’s super dark and haunting, feels like you’re arriving at some sort of twisted circus or something. There really isn’t all that much to the song other than that but this one melody repeated throughout the entire song is just that good in my eyes. And now we arrive to the dreaded „Emotion Sickness“ and I have to say… Yeah it grew on me. I think it definetly works much better in the context of this album, it fits very much right in and makes a lot of sense as the second to last song on here. Now I would honestly maybe even call it one of my favorites on here. I still have my little nit-picks with it, but it’s mostly just that I was expecting something else than what I got, even though what I got is still really really good. And we arrive at the end with the 9-minute closer „Straight Jacket Fitting“ and yeah this is a really long but very rewarding song. It just keeps on going and going and feels like the „I Appear Missing“ of this album, the writing, the atmosphere, Josh Homme’s vocals, everything just comes together beautifully on here, about as good of an album closer as you can get.
So there you have it, I think this album overall is really solid even though it took me a couple of listens to really appriciate it for what it is. There are moments where this album kinda drags and moments where it feels like it doesn’t know what it really wants but at the same time the core ideas are usually really good and the sharp lyricism is what carries heavily in those few weak moments. Not their best but far from their worst, a really solid release overall.
-favorite songs: Obscenery, Paper Machete, Negative Space, Carnavoyeur, What The Peephole Say, Sicily, Emotion Sickness, Straight Jacket Fitting
Look, if you’ve followed this page for a while now you will know that Parannoul is a project that I’ve been passionate about since it’s inception – from their debut album „To See the Next Part of the Dream“ which ranked I think number 3 at my year end list of best albums of 2021 to their colaborations with Asian Glow and their latest full length LP „After the Magic“, Parannoul’s output has been one hit after another. So when I saw that this, an hour and a half long live album with a 40 minute closing track, which also happens to be one of my personal favorite tracks from the band, I knew that this was gonna be something just out of this world. And well I got basically exactly what I expected – nothing could have prepared me for that last track though, that one deserves a whole review in of itself.
Going through this track by track is kinda pointless since all the songs are basically already existing songs just played live, however I will still say a few things about those before I get to the cream of the pie (that being the final track) – first of the song choices are absolutely brilliant here – not a single song on here feels like it shouldn’t have been here, everything flows into each other almost seemlesly and it all feels super lively and vivid, the live setting really brings these songs to new heights. Like the opener „Polaris“ just sounds absolutely beautiful and out of this world and immediately immerses you in this spacey other-worldly atmosphere that never leaves throughout the entire journey that is this album. It is immediately followed by one of my other personal favorite songs from Parannoul „Beautiful World“ that is really brought to exceptional heights here. The pianos are as beautiful as ever here and the guitars just have this extra power to them that the studio recordings are just missing. I think the only song I wasn’t like immediately instantly in love with was the song „Imagination“ not a bad song in any way, it just didn’t grip my ear as instantnly as some of the other songs here and the more I listened to it the more it clicked with me, I just think it’s the only song here without any like instantly recognizable qualities to it, it’s still fantastic and magical while it’s on but I don’t really find myself having this one stuck in my head as often as some of the others.
… Ok well let’s get to the reason I’m actually talking about this project. Don’t get me wrong, all the live songs up to this point have been if not anything else really great and all of them sound spetacular but what the last 40 minute song on this album accomplishes I haven’t heard since maybe the „LONG SEASON“ live song by Fishmans. And yeah If you’ve been on the internet anywhere where this album is discussed this comparison is right about the first thing that gets thrown in your face and even though I do think it’s valid, the emotional connection I get with this song is honestly more than I get with that Fishman’s song. I mean if there ever was to be an 11/10 it would honestly be this song for me, it’s really that good. Not good, it’s just… Unreal. Like I get chills everytime I’m hearing it. It evokes so many feelings at once and I just can’t help but absolutely love it for that. It undergoes so many phases and transitions yet still remains unmastikably itself and I think that’s kind of beautiful. And yes, it requires a lot of patienece but the multiple pay-offs this song has are more than worth it. And the guitars on this oh my GOD the guitars are the reason I wake up in the morning, like there are so many things happening at one but the guitars still stand out as just absolutely insane. Like sitting just through this entire song at once is a JOURNEY. Like legitemately I don’t get an experience like this from many movies and this is just a one song on a live album. The strings towards the end of the song are also just… No I can’t with this song, if you haven’t heard it yet just do yourself the favor of at least once sitting through it, I guarantee you you won’t regret it.
Now here comes the real dilema… Because this album is undoubtedly in my eyes AT LEAST a strong 9/10… BUT do I really think it’s a 10 overall? I mean the last song alone is basically like an 11 but this isn’t just that last song no matter how spectacular that one is… But the more I think about it, this project’s music has just been one of my favorite things I discovered in the last few years throughout the mountains on mountains of new music I discovered and to be perfectly honest, this album feels like the amalgamation of all of that into one cohesive emotionally powerful larger-than-life project that just delivers on all fronts and has literally no duds whatsoever. If that isn’t a 10/10 than I don’t know what is. So with that being said…
-favorite tracks: all, ESPECIALLY Into the Endless Nights
-least favorite tracks: Imagination (IF I HAD TO CHOOSE)
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