Never heard of this artist (apparently named after Syd + [W]atters), and between that, the genre, and the year of release, I almost certainly wouldn't have heard this album in the next decade or so without prompting. In terms of sound, it's very pleasant aughts indie folk, rock-solid both instrumentally and vocally. The mood is rather depressive, which makes it a bit of a downer to listen to on a gray almost-winter afternoon. When it comes to the songwriting, most of it is very good, but there aren't any major highlights to my ear. There is a clear dud with the violent fantasies of Flow Backwards. Because the likely target is a romantic partner, I have very low tolerance for it. Someday We Will Foresee Obstacles closes with a hidden track after a bunch of preceding silence, which is a pet peeve. It was a tough call between a low 3.5 and a high 3, but Syd Matters squeaks through with the former on this first listen.
Digable Planets - Reachin' (A New Refutation Of Time And Space)
Yes, Digable Planets are great. I had discovered them relatively early in my hip hop explorations, but didn’t spend much time with them and they never made it to my favourites, with the exception of Rebirth Of Slick, which I’ve always loved, what a banger. In the past few months, I’ve been listening to more jazz than ever, so I was curious whether I’d like them more than before, thanks for bringing them up. Right now I’m thinking this is slightly better than their sophomore album, which I had listened for the last time during the hip hop tournament last winter, meaning before I jumped on the ‘60s train. Based on that, I guess it’s fair to assume that my relationship with them has improved, though I’ve added Blowout Comb to my listening queue in order to have a better picture of it all.
So, they follow the trends of their time, namely jazz rap, but do so in a highly creative way that allows them to stand out. The way the album unfolds is extremely impressive, it remains super smooth throughout, few albums are so consistent in creating and maintaining a specific atmosphere. Weird rapping that shouldn’t work, but somehow does. Lyrics that lie in the balance of witty/playful and conscious– slightly closer to the former, which is a good choice in my book – though it has to be said that they rarely, if ever, spur me to pay close attention to what they are talking about.
Another pleasant European aughts listen with a hidden track that I wouldn't have heard otherwise. I Am Kloot is a retrospectively unfortunate band name because of how much it evokes Guardians of the Galaxy, but that's neither here nor there. The music is a breezy blend of rock, pop, and folk with solid songwriting throughout. The vocals remind me of Spoon, which is not a bad thing by any means. I prefer this to the last assignment, although it doesn't feel destined to be a personal favorite either. 3.5/5.
That's an album I've listened multiple times and consider it close to a favourite of mine, or at least an album I really like.
I'd be happy to write a thing or two about it, but since you had no access to this information beforehand, I think it's only fair to let you know just in case you want to change it for something else. It's fine either way, no worries. _________________ Bob Dylan Charles Mingus
baystateoftheartNeil Young as a butternut squashProfile Massachusetts
That's an album I've listened multiple times and consider it close to a favourite of mine, or at least an album I really like.
I'd be happy to write a thing or two about it, but since you had no access to this information beforehand, I think it's only fair to let you know just in case you want to change it for something else. It's fine either way, no worries.
Solid Ether by Nils Petter Molvær
I absolutely love jazz and electronic, and the combination of the two is often a hit for me. And sure enough, this was fun. No serious complaints here, except maybe the lack of highlights. But this is nu jazz done right. The diversity is a major plus, there's everything from ambient-ish pieces to short vocal jazz interludes to typical nu jazz and ECM style extravaganza to some combination of drum n' bass and nu jazz that's apparently called jazzstep. I've heard this term before, but never bothered to find out more about the genre - turns out it's an unlikely hit. At one point there's a dub background in the 8th track Tragamar, which caught me completely off guard. The title track feels like it captures all of the ideas the best, it's a jam. Comparisons with Amon Tobin are unavoidable, feels like his fingerprints are all over this, especially in the more electronic parts. And when it comes to this crossover of genres, he's definitely one of the main guys you need to listen to (along with Squarepusher, St. Germain, Jagga Jazzist...), but I'm glad I've expanded my 90s and early 00s nu jazz knowledge. Nils Petter is cool. 7.5/10
This Solid Ether/jazzstep thingy threw me in the uncharted territory, where I stumbled upon the genre "Coctail Nation" and this album. The genre's an ironic take on lounge music, which might explain the the terrible Aque-type cover. So, they're making good lounge stuff while making fun of the genre, which is absolutely my type of humor. It's not too great of an album, but it's so chill, pleasant and fun that I have to share it. One RYM user says "the more you focus on the album, the less you hear" and that might be one of the better reviews I've read. It might be right up your alley Bay, with its space pop sounds.
My first Cocktail Nation album also, and the sound is indeed right up my alley. There are some truly gorgeous instrumentals on here. Unfortunately, the ironic vocals bring down the tracks they appear on. There are also a couple instrumental tracks that I would have trimmed from the track listing. Quibbles aside, this is a well-composed and well-orchestrated album in which The Gentle People take you on a languid and beguiling lounge journey. 3.5/5.
I just re-listened to this yesterday and it grew on me tremendously. Lots of religious imagery, but apparently it's also allegorical for her personal struggles.
Judee Sill by Judee Sill
Had no idea who she was beforehand, but this got me hooked right away from the very first second. It helps that the opener is one of the best, if not the best song of the bunch. Similar to what Townes Van Zandt's s/t did, just not nearly as much. I used that comparison because it's essentially a singer/songwriter album with a lot of country, folk, even proto-Americana influences, and Judee even introduces some orchestral chamber folk/pop elements on certain songs like The Archetypal Man. My enthusiasm didn't last too long, unfortunately. As the album went on, I was feeling more like it's a typical singer/songwriter album rather than something really special. The religious imagery was cool (except maybe Jesus Was a Cross Maker which is a bit silly), didn't pay too much attention to the lyrics the first time though. All things considered, I liked it and am now listening to it for the second time, reading some of the lyrics along the way. By the way, despite the Christian imagery, Judee was a rebel, openly bisexual, "lived a difficult life of crime, drug-use and prostitution" as Genius puts it. Unfortunately, she died of a drug overdose in 79' before finishing her 3rd album and didn't live to see the cult status her music has achieved over the years. All of that got me really interested in her lyrics about love, devotion and redemption both in earthly and spiritual context. High 7.5/10
This post-punky and forward-thinking 80s gem is next in line, Bay.
I knew nothing about this group going in, and I still don't know much after listening to the album. It was an interesting approach to House-style music, but with more rock band instrumentation and krautrock flourishes. It was primarily instrumental, and it was kind of one note, but it managed to have a niche 90s sounding appeal.
My first time listening to Tuxedomoon, and it's not quite like anything else I've heard, which I guess is appropriate for an album tagged with experimental rock. Beautiful and strange, and a bit too abstract and far-removed from my musical points of reference for me to really grasp on first listen. However, what I can tell is that it's an appealing collection of sounds built on a post-punk skeleton, and a record I'll return to. 3.5/5.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
baystateoftheart
LedZep
Tha1ChiefRocka
