Listed below are the overall rankings for the best albums in history as determined by their aggregate positions in over 59,000 different greatest album charts on BestEverAlbums.com! (Chart last updated: 1 hour ago).
"With 'Boces' (the follow-up to their debut masterpiece, 'Yerself Is Steam') Mercury Rev's Dave Fridmann and Jonathan Donahue have proven to be arguably the most creative artists to have emerged on the scene since Mayo Thompson. Beautiful pastoral sounds of the flute merge with sonic collages, fre...""With 'Boces' (the follow-up to their debut masterpiece, 'Yerself Is Steam') Mercury Rev's Dave Fridmann and Jonathan Donahue have proven to be arguably the most creative artists to have emerged on the scene since Mayo Thompson. Beautiful pastoral sounds of the flute merge with sonic collages, free-form jazz elements and guitar distortions underpinned by Fridmann's directed orchestration, to create a unique surreal dissonant fairytale atmosphere. Mercury Rev have produced some of the most imaginative music of all-time. "[+]Reply
"SOUNDS LIKE A stressed out drunk Australian slurring his grievances It starts with a noisy 30 second eruption, embraces a brief gasp for breath, and then unloads again. A deep roaring bass and slow smash of the drum kit sets the foundation while the vocals and guitars present an unnerving bit of ...""[Maniacal Aussie rock]
SOUNDS LIKE
A stressed out drunk Australian slurring his grievances
It starts with a noisy 30 second eruption, embraces a brief gasp for breath, and then unloads again. A deep roaring bass and slow smash of the drum kit sets the foundation while the vocals and guitars present an unnerving bit of chaos. As Gareth Liddiard pleas for a free private execution, the furious noise of the guitars could potentially let loose at any given moment. “Private Execution” is a demanding re-introduction to one of Australia’s finest rock bands, and everything that makes them tick.
The tension continues on “Tamad Shud”, which has a dance pop vibe in the type of way Deerhoof does it. Less dense and threatening than the lead track, it unassumingly becomes more and more demanding as the pace gradually increases, and open space constricts.
A shift occurs with “Then They Came For Me”. It begins minimally, relieving some of the preceding tensions. Over the plodding bass and drums, Liddiard sounds relatively relaxed and reflective. Waves of guitars sweep through occasionally. Over the course of the song, that sense of relaxation gives way to frustration. Everything comes crashing together, no longer speaking with predictability.
It gives way to scorned ballad, “To Think I Once Loved You,” a genuinely biting tale of broken heartedness. Opening with a transitional electronic hum, “Tailwind” follows with further contemplation. It’s an exploration of the aftermath of prior devastation. The song ends with an odd little aching piano and organ.
“Boredom” restores the energy, delivering the closest thing to an infectious Drones pop song. It’s virtually new jack swing, highlighted by Liddiard’s paranoid political rants. On “Sometimes” Fiona Kitschin takes the lead, singing the dreamy ballad about witness protection. Liddiard returns to front the powerful finale “Shut Down SETI” which builds its way towards a loud cataclysmic end.
Following their tremendous 2013 release I See Seaweed, The Drones sound even more ambitious on Feelin Kinda Free. Gareth Liddiard remains a central focus with his volatile vocal presence which often commands with an air of “Shut the fuck up! I’ve got something to say!” And he does have something to say. Liddiard holds nothing back, setting sight on his targets and then unloading with the unhinged attack that makes The Drones such a rare presence. While it’s not the conventional fast paced three chord rock we often think of with punk, this is punk rock as it should be. The Drones are dynamic, noisy, impassioned, and threatening in all of the right ways.
FAVORITE SONGS
Boredom, Shut Down SETI, Tailwind"[+]Reply
"One of the more curiously produced albums of 2025. Just wild and well-written enough to not sound amateurish. Imagination and strong compositions can make up for a lot!"Reply
"A very good album, you could say surprisingly good. The best tracks are the ones where "Su Tissue" sings. Not that "Vex Billingsgate" is bad as the lead - far from it. But Su's voice/style adds that certain something that makes those tracks half a star better. Unfortunately, if you want anymore t...""A very good album, you could say surprisingly good. The best tracks are the ones where "Su Tissue" sings. Not that "Vex Billingsgate" is bad as the lead - far from it. But Su's voice/style adds that certain something that makes those tracks half a star better. Unfortunately, if you want anymore than this album, all you have is "Gidget Goes to Hell" and the 5-track "Baby" EP, and that's all they made. But some of these tracks (or even all of them) are a great addition to your mp3 rotation."[+]Reply
"Many artists have refashioned themselves under a pop-dance music mold. The stylistic shift has worked or not to varying degrees. Speaking of just the last 20 years, the first example that comes to mind is the dizzying plummet of liz phair from indie rock grace to major label puppet. That also bri...""Many artists have refashioned themselves under a pop-dance music mold. The stylistic shift has worked or not to varying degrees. Speaking of just the last 20 years, the first example that comes to mind is the dizzying plummet of liz phair from indie rock grace to major label puppet. That also brings to mind jewel's transformation from folk poet to her blatantly saccharine "0304". When it comes to rock music, U2's "pop" succeeded in places of blending the techno sound of the time with their patented stadium rock. The biggest success story in dance pop transformations is ben gibbard joining forces with dntel for the superb Postal Service album. But of course, others like Bright Eyes ("digital ash..") have attempted the same to a far less successful degree. For the most part, the dance infusion is problematic for an artist who already has an established pop/rock sound. It sounds forced and/or phony.
I discovered tegan and sara opening for ryan adams circa 2000. I loved their upbeat acoustic tales of love's complications and scorns in support of their "if it was you" album. That was the first (and only) time i exited a concert wanting to immediately purchase the album of the opening act. It was sold out at the venue but i picked it up the next day and wasn't disappointed in the least. "monday monday monday" and "underwater" were/are my favorites on an album replete with catchy upbeat pop/rock songs bouncing atop the twins' personalities. They make simple music based upon not-so-simple relationships and the emotions involved.
They've transformed their sound in small increments over time, from the acoustic pop/rock "if it was you" to a more "new wavey" pop/rock sound infused with more electric guitars and aggressive musical approach. Those increments left me unprepared for what i heard on "heartthrob", a full indoctrination to today's dance music. On first listen, the album immediately made me think of "pink meets robyn" but with a hollow liz phair center. Any actual instruments used are buried under a drum machine and (at times, wall of) synthesizer. The charm of a tegan and sara album is derived from what feels like their authentic tales of relationship trials and woes. On "heartthrob", these woes sound artificial, concocted for a quick, freeze-dried plastic packaging to mass market to teenagers and your mom alike. I can't hear their personalities well, if at all on some songs. ("drove me wild" is one of the exceptions.) Most of these songs could be sung by anyone. And that's the danger of converting to dance music (and auto-tune, for that matter) -- your sound is instantly synthesized into a form where the performers and personalities don't matter as much as simply feeling good, having a good time and dancing. Without the organic feel of HUMANS making music and a proper palette for expressing human concerns, heartbreak and other subjects of the human heart, then such emotive topics, even if they're still being expressed, are lost.
That's the main problem i have with "heartthrob". Instead of hearing the heart throbbing and aching for men in their lives, i instead imagine a poster of a male heartthrob on tegan and sara's wall and they're singing to a dance soundtrack songs they think that hunky paper doll might want to hear. It's that detachment from real emotions that keeps me from liking this album as much as their others. It's that reality of life and love that i hope they bring back on their next album, while abandoning the artificial sound which subtracts from a warmth of personality that i know they have, which i've seen first-hand nearly 13 years ago."[+]Reply
""Indigo" is an ethereal experience. Even better than "Nocturne" from 2012. 11 powerful songs perfectly arranged with great sound quality. My favorite tracks are "Letting Go" and "Through Windows"."Reply