Thriller by Part Chimp
Had zero expectations, and this turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable stoner album. Noisy, sludgy, heavy and at least 95% my style. You're thrown in medias res with the first track, it's immediately fuzz and distortion fest. Some of the songs were more punk and hardcore, others were more stoner metal, all of them easy to get into and well-written. There weren't many moments that truly blew me away though, that's my only gripe. Then again, the whole thing is so solid that you don't need any particular standouts. Such a fun listen, 8/10
Couldn't think of anything interesting to give you, but maybe you'll like the more abstract side of Songs: Ohia
Only the second Jason Molina album I've heard after The Magnolia Electric Co., and this sounds totally different. Instead of alt-country, we get something closer to The Microphones. Quirky, depressive, more or less solo folk with instrumental and compositional variety. Ghost Tropic is interesting from start to finish, including all of both 12-minute songs, but nothing fully clicked on this first listen. Quite good and no doubt an album that I will be returning to at some point. 3.5/5.
Totally on board with the purpose of this comp, which is to preserve the unsung heroes of country during it's most revelatory time. I knew a couple of artists but most of these tracks were new, so it was a great listen. Will have to check out more from this record label.
Future Me Hates Me by The Beths
This was a lot of fun. Not bringing anything spectacular or new to the table, but the energy is infectious, the songwriting's solid. It leans a bit towards punk and pop punk at times, which gives a certain "edge" to The Beths' very enjoyable sound. The lyrics are surprisingly self-deprecating for such an upbeat indie style. Although the album title kinda implied it. Unsurprisingly, the biggest issue with this is that there's a ton of bands which sound similar. Also unsurprisingly, I still liked this album as it's a blast. 7.5/10
Let's see what you think of one of my recent additions to the 00s chart
Instrumentally, Chore Of Enchantment contains a number of inspired songs, and the rest are solid. While the sound is mostly country, there are a good deal of curveballs. When it comes to the vocals and lyrics, I am less impressed. They range from pretty good to just okay. The lead vocalist stays in a very low register and maintains a mostly flat affect throughout. Combined with the lethargic mood and pacing, the album ultimately feels quite a bit longer than its one-hour runtime. Despite these critiques, I still think this record has more good than bad, although I'm definitely not enthusiastic about it. 3/5.
African music is clearly one of my biggest blindspots so it's a good thing I'm finally listening to this.
It's a really cool album, it has infectious rhythms and great arrangements. There's not a bad moment and even though I don't get half of what he says, I'm pretty sure lyrics have their own importance too.
My main complain is the duration: it's way too short. I'd see it going well over 1 hour before getting boring.
I'm going to have a listen at those other Fela Kuti albums in your chart as soon as I have the time.
In return I give you this much overlooked (and also probably divisive) jazz-funk album:
The Ice Man Cometh by Jerry Butler
This was coooool. Bay's got enough great soul picks to keep me occupied for the whole month lol, love it. Philly soul is apparently a lush, orchestral version of soul, which, in theory, sounds like it could be either fantastic or cheesy as hell. This was at times borderline cheesy in its maximalist approach, but it never crossed the line fully. I found that to be a very positive quality, it was indeed lush and upbeat while never feeling old, slow or outdated like some old school American pop and soul (for example that Dionne Warwick comp that I had some quarrels with, unfortunately). The biggest complaint is that every song is 2-3 minutes long and sounds basically the same. They're all good though, the style is enjoyable and the length of 30 minutes is perfect, so that turned out not to be a big concern for me. I'm currently on the soul hype train after seeing Summer of Soul, so keep 'em coming Bay 😁 7.5/10
This one's the best record of 2022 currently. You'll probably dig its screamo, post hardcore and violins mix, Chief.
This album is somehow still out of print in the streaming era, which should give you an idea of its reputation in McLean's discography. After listening, I can understand the viewpoints of both those who think it's an underrated hidden gem and those who think it's an all-time dud, so I fall somewhere in the middle. I like jazz-funk, and while this is not a musically outstanding effort in the genre, on the instrumental tracks it's pretty good stuff. The problem is that the instrumental tracks are in the minority, and most songs have ill-conceived, cheesy vocals that ruin them. Averaging it all out, Monuments is an okay listen, but not one I expect to return to. 2.5/5.
To whoever ends up below me, I'm doing a Black History Month listening project in February and a Women's History Month listening project in March, so if your pick doesn't fit, it will be a while until I post in this thread again. _________________ Join us in the canon game :) / Add me on RYM
Yep, I do enjoy this. And thank you for making me listen to a newer album, because I've failed on that front for the last few years. I think I've listened to something from this group before, but I don't remember being this engaged by it, so I think they've had some growth with their songwriting.
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