Tag Archives: Rock

Charlotte Gainsbourg – Rest

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★★☆☆☆ = Eh, fine

Sounds like?
Pop balanced with dramatic string arrangements. Production is very French and feels like a mature Justice meets Sebastian night driving.

Moods
Feeling like a French movie star in a cemetery on an overcast day.

Thoughts
There’s something distinctly French about this album. I really want to like this, and do enjoy the texture and overall vision she’s crafting. I think a lot of that is due to Sebastian’s production which has matured quite a bit since the days of Ed Banger. It’s as if someone watered down Air’s ‘cherry blossom girl’ and added pop focused songwriting.

There’s a few great tracks. ‘Sylvia says’ features big production and personal memorable lyrics. Love the instrumentation that closes the album on ‘les oxalis’, wish that could’ve been expanded upon.

Overall felt it a little dense and serious, stylistically great but the songwriting was lacking in memorableness.

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/Charlotte-Gainsbourg-Rest/release/11204819

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Charlotte Gainsbourg – Rest

Description: Album Review of Charlotte Gainsbourg – Rest


Rating: 2 out of 5

 

Galaxie 500 – Today

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★★☆☆☆ = Eh, fine

Sounds like?
Guitar driven pop rock

Moods
Overly sophisticated college kid

Thoughts
Textbook college rock, not my thing. Dragged and lacked energy.

The one exception is ‘Don’t let our youth go to waste’, classic track.

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/Galaxie-500-Today/release/671150

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Galaxie 500 – Today

Description: Album Review of Galaxie 500 – Today


Rating: 2 out of 5

 

Curtis Knight & The Squires – You Can’t Use My Name – The RSVP / PPX Sessions

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★★☆☆☆ = Eh, fine

Sounds like?
R&B / electric blues

Moods
Rainy day woman take me away

Thoughts
There’s effectively two parts to this: R&B tracks written by Curtis Knight and a handful of instrumentals written by Hendrix. I like the instrumentals but wasn’t into the vocal tracks written by Curtis. Stick with Hendrix’s main catalog.

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/Curtis-Knight-The-Squires-You-Cant-Use-My-Name-The-RSVP-PPX-Sessions/release/6942436

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Curtis Knight & The Squires – You Can’t Use My Name – The RSVP / PPX Sessions

Description: Album Review of Curtis Knight & The Squires – You Can’t Use My Name – The RSVP / PPX Sessions


Rating: 2 out of 5

 

Vashti Bunyan – Just Another Diamond Day

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★★☆☆☆ = Eh, fine

Sounds like?
Acoustic folk

Moods

Shepherd’s pie

Thoughts
Some nice instrumentation with a good use of strings but this is just far too pleasant for me

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/Vashti-Bunyan-Just-Another-Diamond-Day/release/711475

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Vashti Bunyan – Just Another Diamond Day

Description: Album Review of Vashti Bunyan – Just Another Diamond Day


Rating: 2 out of 5

 

Dawn People – The Star Is Your Future

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★★☆☆☆ = Eh, fine

Sounds like?
Instrumental sample / synth based electro with influence from early Beck or The Avalanches.

Moods
Energetic studio adventures

Thoughts
An album of ideas rather than songs exploring rich instrumental productions. I liked the general approach just felt it would have benefited from polishing and structure.

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/Dawn-People-The-Star-Is-Your-Future/release/11221994

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Dawn People – The Star Is Your Future

Description: Album Review of Dawn People – The Star Is Your Future


Rating: 2 out of 5

 

Colin Stetson – All This I Do For Glory

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★★★☆☆ = Good!

Sounds like?
Deep brooding sax laid on top of repetitive songs.

Moods
David Lynch

Thoughts
Colin Stetson is an impressive player. His distinct approach to the sax utilizing circular breathing and tiny microphones creates sounds and textures that go beyond a typical saxophone; like the opening and closing of flaps and squawking dissonance.

These qualities don’t always make-up for the loose songwriting and his albums kind of feel like he’s just wanking off (felt this way when I saw him live too).

Ultimately it’s hard to deny the effectiveness of the textures he creates and those interested in experimental dark jazz should check him out. Stetson has a vision he’s able to perfectly articulate and in that way he’s a master at his craft.

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/Colin-Stetson-All-This-I-Do-For-Glory/release/10212933

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Colin Stetson – All This I Do For Glory

Description: Album Review of Colin Stetson – All This I Do For Glory


Rating: 3 out of 5

 

Kneebody – Anti-Hero

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★★★★☆ = Quality release and suggested listening

Sounds like?
Rhythmic modern jazz with rock chops

Thoughts
This record is a very successful marriage of jazz and rock, listening notes:

* Like the drum player a lot here, uses the full range of his kit. Keys too, layers well.
* ‘Uprising’ is a good track, the 2nd half I could see extending into a tension building jam live.
* ‘Drum battle’ takes that and builds it into something a bit heavier.
* The sax player has great solos on drum battle and profar. Good use of distortion but otherwise the playing isn’t quite soulful enough.
* Album has a good flow. Almost has a classical like sway to it. Notes are long and melodic. I’d say this is where the ‘cool’ could be upped with this band..

More Info
https://www.discogs.com/Kneebody-Anti-Hero/release/10046749

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Kneebody – Anti-Hero

Description: Album Review of Kneebody – Anti-Hero


Rating: 4 out of 5

 

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever To Tell

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★★★★☆ = Quality release and suggested listening

What’s it sound like?
Crunchy punky early aughts NYC indie rock.

Thoughts
Fantastic album. Short potent songs that capture a jagged balance of guitar and Karen O’s strength as a leader.

Feels like a seminal LES album of the times. Cleaner than NY in the 80s but still a bit dirty.

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/Yeah-Yeah-Yeahs-Fever-To-Tell/release/407278

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Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever To Tell

Description: Album Review of Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever To Tell


Rating: 4 out of 5

 

Shocking Blue – At Home

by ·

★★★☆☆ = Good!

What’s it sound like?
Taken from popmatters: the Shocking Blue seem like they set out to be the Dutch Jefferson Airplane, with acid-rock guitar, a full-throated Grace Slick wannabe in Veres, eclectic instrumentation, and semi-hallucinatory lyrics about free love, voodoo, California, and the like. But unlike the Airplane, the Shocking Blue never succumb to pretentiousness through either diffuse experimentation or ponderous songwriting. Instead the band churns out pseudo-psychedelic bubblegum, with all the precision and eagerness to please.

Thoughts
I like this, it’s like well written 60s psychadelica played efficiently by totally sober people.

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/Shocking-Blue-At-Home/release/6587647

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Shocking Blue – At Home

Description: Album Review of Shocking Blue – At Home


Rating: 3 out of 5

 

Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino

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★★☆☆☆ = Eh, fine

What’s it sound like?
an indie rock band doing drunk late night lounge

Thoughts
Remarkably different than I remember the arctic monkeys, there’s something intriguing about the direction. After reading the wikipedia its clear Alex Turner is clearly inspired by all the right people. Production is gorgeous with that modern style where everything is turned up in the mix and makes for a rich listen.

I think the lyrics are the weak point: self indulgent, forced poetry that’s trying too hard to be weird. Its not bad but at best like a cult record I’ll enjoy as passive listening; unnecessary at worst.

I want to love this record, and believe I haven’t given it the full chance, but after two listens it still hadn’t set in.

More Info

https://www.discogs.com/Arctic-Monkeys-Tranquility-Base-Hotel-Casino/release/11952906

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Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino

Description: Album Review of Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino


Rating: 2 out of 5