(As the genre descriptors indicate, this is indeed a chiseled, smooth, beautifully produced and sophisticated pop album. There is a shadowy vibe here that I like. For my tastes, it may be a bit too clean and spotless. Yet, it is a nice nocturnal, sensual sophisti-pop album.)
This album sounds like a 2am dance with that special someone. No one can know of this fling. But as you dance, in the shadows and far away from all possible prying eyes, you start wondering if this secrecy is worth it.
The sounds here are smooth, dark, sensual, and all the sounds add up to a complete album experience that gets you in a particular oh so cool vibe. The rhythms are lively, the female back up singers consistently come in and steal the show, the bass lines are clean and, in their own way, someone groovy if not funky, the strings are dripping with atmosphere, the saxophones do the same. The vocals are consistently sensual and add to the mood of the album.
From listening to this album a few times after having never heard any prior Balthazar albums, its clear to me these musicians know their business. Every aspect of the music and production is calibrated to create these detailed and rich sophisti-pop songs. From what I have read about their earlier music it seems they were a bit more Indie ROCK, a bit more dirty, in the past. So, if that is true, and I will go and listen some and verify, then this is indeed a massive change. There is very little rock aggression or attitude here. The entire album is set to 11 on smoothness, mystery, and slyly romantic 80s pop. It works, just not really where my head is or where my tastes are, so it never really moved me or impressed in any major way.
2.
@Purplepash, this one is the 1st or 2nd best album of that decade in my book, so maybe you'll like it too...
top 10 2021 albums that I want to hear. They are the top albums on my self-made list of albums Iโve been circling.
1. The Art of Losing by The Anchoress (art pop I think, cool cover)
2. The Cyclic Reckoning by Suffering Hour (Death/Black Metal)
3. Deep Fried Grandeur by Ryley Walker & Kikagaku Moyo (Psychedelic Rock)
4. I Became Birds by Home is Where (Post Hardcore, Midwest Emo)
5. Etemen รnka by Dvne (Sludge/Progressive Metal per RYM)
6. WE ARE by Jon Batiste (apparently R&B/Soul/other cool stuff. also dope album cover.)
7. Songs for the Enamel Queen by Black Sheep Wall (Atmospheric Sludge/Doom metal)
8. Youth Novel by Youth Novel (Emoviolence...lol that genre name cracks me up)
9. Flock by Jane Weaver (Psych Pop, Art Pop)
10. No Fun by Jexno (Noise Pop, Singer/songwriter) _________________ -Ryan
This album has been on my to-do list for a while, so I'm glad for the nudge. It's all I expected it would be: a gorgeous, dreamy, shoegazey haze with complementary vocals. Total musical comfort food. A great first listen, but I really only have a feel for the atmosphere (though that's arguably the most important part of dream pop or shoegaze). I expect my esteem for it to grow as the details of the sound design and songwriting move into focus on future listens. 4/5.
~~~~~
2. Have heard nothing by any of those artists, but I have a Ryley Walker album on my to-do list, so go with this next:
85. ABC Music: The Radio 1 Sessions - Stereolab
94. Sleepy Buildings: A Semi Acoustic Evening - The Gathering
106. Floating Into The Night - Julee Cruise
131. Live At The Annandale Hotel - Life Without Buildings
137. Two Airships / Exploder Falls - Candy Claws
143. BBC Sessions - Cocteau Twins
174. Is This Desire? - PJ Harvey
220. Washing Machine - Sonic Youth
233. Weighing Souls With Sand - The Angelic Process
241. Dirty - Sonic Youth _________________ Join us in the canon game :) / Add me on RYM
Wave Notation 1: Music For Nine Post Cards by ๅๆๅผ [Hiroshi Yoshimura]
This is a very fine ambient and new age experience. Not anything mindblowingly great, but it was tranquil, sparse and a perfect background for some last minute coding at 2 AM. I was slightly disappointed because it's one of the highest rated ambient albums (looking at the RYM list, there's actually a solid amount I haven't heard yet which is embarrassing considering my love for the genre). Like Bay said, it might be a grower. 7.5/10
(2)
Ooh several of my favourites. Love that list. Is This Desire? is my favourite PJ album apart from Let England Shake, it may be a good one to get you hooked on her music.
(3)
Midori - Aratamemashite, hajimemashite, Midori desu.
Meridian Brothers - Desesperanza
Still Corners - The Last Exit
Henry Flynt - You Are My Everloving / Celestial Power
The Coasters - The Coasters
Wanderwelle - A State of Decrepitude
Lawrence - The Absence of Blight
Bismuth - The Slow Dying of the Great Barrier Reef
The Goats - Tricks of the Shade
Sonny Sharrock - Ask the Ages _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
3. Luigii Top 100 (3 Picks Left)
14. Older by George Michael
15. The Ascension by Sufjan Stevens
19. ๆจๆดฉ้ฝ้ใใซใฆ [At Komorebi St.] by Lamp
23. Returnal by Oneohtrix Point Never
24. Heaven And Earth by Kamasi Washington
25. Bridges by Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson
27. The Epic by Kamasi Washington
28. 98.12.28 ็ท้ใฎๅฅใ (98.12.28 Otokotachi no Wakare) by ใใฃใใทใฅใใณใบ [Fishmans]
6. Chiastic Slide by Autechre
7. The Velocity Of Love by Suzanne Ciani
The list is me cleaning up my queue, mostly albums that have been there for 6+ months and those where I've forgotten why they were here in the first place.
(1)
Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.
ใใใใใพใใฆใใฏใใใพใ...ช [Midori]
My friends who are into weeb shit rn (half jokingly) loved the cover. I should probably find new friends. It's hardcore punk and experimental/art rock combination with some interesting songwriting ideas. I did not like the "cute" vocals at all, but I loved the hardcore punk vocals. Also it's very unique and has a lot of jazz piano for some reason which actually fit well. Maybe a weird comparison, but it sounded like Aladdin Sane at times due to the piano. I probably think that because I've revisited Aladdin Sane earlier today. The album has a lot of potentially brilliant ideas, but there's some drawbacks too. 7.5/10
(2)
Bridges is a good one
(3)
Leftovers list
Meridian Brothers - Desesperanza
Still Corners - The Last Exit
Henry Flynt - You Are My Everloving / Celestial Power
The Coasters - The Coasters
Wanderwelle - A State of Decrepitude
Lawrence - The Absence of Blight
Bismuth - The Slow Dying of the Great Barrier Reef
The Goats - Tricks of the Shade
Sonny Sharrock - Ask the Ages
Ruth White - Flowers Of Evil _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
Yeah, if there's going to be a PJ Harvey album that finally fully clicks for me, I think this might be the one. A beautiful slow burn with some interesting production choices. I like the incorporation of electronic elements, and Harvey does a good job of creating musical tension. The back half of this is mostly great, but for the album as a whole, I'd say slightly less than half really hits, at least on first listen. Definitely an enjoyable record, and I would not be surprised at all if this ends up clicking on my next listen. 3.5/5.
~~~~~
2. There are plenty of essential doo-wop singles that reach greater heights, but this might be the best LP in the genre. That's not to say it's cohesive. About half of the LP is actually The Robins (uncredited) and not The Coasters.
17. Alison Kraus & Union Station Live - Alison Krauss & Union Station
21. At The Ryman - Emmylou Harris & The Nash Ramblers
59. Live @ The Fillmore - Lucinda Williams
69. Blacklisted - Neko Case
90. Essence - Lucinda Williams
103. Sweet Old World - Lucinda Williams
115. Diary Of A Mod Housewife - Amy Rigby
123. Other Voices Other Rooms - Nanci Griffith
131. Short Sharp Shocked - Michelle Shocked
136. World Without Tears - Lucinda Williams _________________ Join us in the canon game :) / Add me on RYM
RoundTheBendI miss the comfort in being sadProfile Ground Control
2. Alison Kraus & Union Station Live - Alison Krauss & Union Station - When You Say Nothing at All probably first 20 songs I learned on bass for a thing.
3. Luigii Top 100 (2 Picks Left)
14. Older by George Michael
15. The Ascension by Sufjan Stevens
19. ๆจๆดฉ้ฝ้ใใซใฆ [At Komorebi St.] by Lamp
23. Returnal by Oneohtrix Point Never
24. Heaven And Earth by Kamasi Washington
27. The Epic by Kamasi Washington
28. 98.12.28 ็ท้ใฎๅฅใ (98.12.28 Otokotachi no Wakare) by ใใฃใใทใฅใใณใบ [Fishmans]
6. Chiastic Slide by Autechre
7. The Velocity Of Love by Suzanne Ciani
8. Celestial Vibration by Edward Larry Gordon
Go with the best Pink Floyd album (and that's non-negotiable!)-LedZep
I don't know about that Led. While I do think this was an excellent album from Pink Floyd, there is a certain quality about it that doesn't make me gush about. But I can't pin point what that is. Like I love Wish You Were Here somewhat more. Maybe it's the small opener and closers of the album that on a sound level feel a bit uncharacteristic compared to the meat of the album. Or wishing the album uppercut me of just being a grand statement. I do believe 77 and the rest of the 70's have that certain itch I want. But this is a record people do need to hear. And Dogs is so good. Grade:90 But is in a strong 8 to light 9 range.
Also I do need to go into the lyrics since reading a bit of the liner notes on Apple music mention that this was a critique on how humans were dogs, pigs and sheep.
(2)
Bend listen to Celestial Vibration's
(3)
BEA's Top 110 of 1993
(95) Elements Of Crime-Weibes Papier
Last one for 1993.
BEA's Top 100 of 1977
(3) Television-Marquee Moon
(5) Sex Pistols-Never Mind The Bollocks
(6) Steely Dan-Aja (R)
(7) The Clash-Self Titled
8 David Bowie-Heroes (R)
(9) Billy Joel-The Stranger (R)
(10) Kraftwerk-Trans-Europa Express
(11) Bob Marley and The Wailers-Exodus
(12) Wire-Pink Flag
baystateoftheartNeil Young as a butternut squashProfile Massachusetts
Great vocals from Krauss and Tyminski, and technically airtight musicianship from the whole band. I really like both discs, despite the fact that bluegrass isn't exactly my thing. That explains why I don't hold this in higher esteem, and why the tracks without vocals feel inessential. Also, I'm not sure how much difference it makes that this is a live album, as neither the musicians nor crowd seem to have a particularly elevated energy level, and Krauss' attempt at stage banter is just weird. That said, I don't have a studio point of comparison yet, and I'm sure the setlist is a benefit. I definitely recommend this to people who are actually fans of bluegrass as a genre. I'm sure I would have loved this if I were, but it's still quite nice. 3.5/5.
21. At The Ryman - Emmylou Harris & The Nash Ramblers
59. Live @ The Fillmore - Lucinda Williams
69. Blacklisted - Neko Case
90. Essence - Lucinda Williams
103. Sweet Old World - Lucinda Williams
115. Diary Of A Mod Housewife - Amy Rigby
123. Other Voices Other Rooms - Nanci Griffith
131. Short Sharp Shocked - Michelle Shocked
136. World Without Tears - Lucinda Williams
143. Infamous Angel - Iris DeMent _________________ Join us in the canon game :) / Add me on RYM
Purplepashranker, rater, & music list makerProfile Western Australia
I find it interesting playing this game seeing what album gets selected for me to listen to. So far for 2000 I've had the three albums from this list that I would not have chosen for myself (so if that continues I'm guessing RTB will give me U2 next ๐คฃ ). This is the third Ryan Adams album I've listened to, the others being Gold, and Prisoner, and it is better than those two, although Gold is not far behind. Unfortunately, rightly or wrongly, I don't really feel comfortable listening to or discussing Ryan Adams any more, and that may play a part in my reaction, where sure, I think he is talented, and I see the quality, but I'm not personally enjoying it. So that's all I'm gonna say. 7/10, and 38/47 for 2000.
11. Rated R by Queens Of The Stone Age
13. Hybrid Theory by Linkin Park
14. Figure 8 by Elliott Smith
15. All That You Can't Leave Behind by U2
16. De Stijl by The White Stripes
17. The Sophtware Slump by Grandaddy
18. Dopethrone by Electric Wizard
21. Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished by Avey Tare & Panda Bear
22. And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out by Yo La Tengo
25. Felt Mountain by Goldfrapp
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RoundTheBend
Purplepash
