here you go, THE RECKONING. also featuring my thoughts on yesterday's albumz, culled from my silly special thread!
JULIANNA BARWICK Nepenthe - Ummm I can't make my mind up about this after 2 and a bit trax - it flirts with the sublime, perhaps at points achieves it, but at other moments appears to be prettily blathering its Sigur Rossy way to dirgeville. Give it a couple more trax. *time passes* Kinda done with J Barwick tbh - getting a similar vibe from this as from - hold yr noses - God Is An Astronaut. She purveys what I'd call cheaply-won bliss, and I don't find it blissful, sorry. Eluvium is another example of this sorta thing, except I think Eluvium v occasionally had better songs.
FALL OUT BOY Save Rock and Roll - Ahahaha omg this Fall Out Boy! Such ridiculous synth-orch heavy-handed disco-mallpunk emo - I think I can respect the humour of it all at least, doesn't appear to be taking itself remotely seriously. Goodness what if I end up *liking* this stuff in 2 or 3 trax time? Yeah I'm...not minding this at all. *time passes* FOB are getting real *time passes* I...can't....turn....this...offffff *time passes* It's put together really quite skilfully - I won't go outta my way to rly listen to FOB but they're obviously a much, much, much better band than I may have lazily assumed they were.
MELT-BANANA Fetch - We all already acknowledged the greatness of this album, surely
BILL CALLAHAN Dream River - O gosh the Bill Callahan track ciderpress linked...I was all ready to be all 'BOOORING' but this is frankly rly rly excellent music, superb wibbly freakout drone-folk. One to check out, clearly.
LORDE Pure Heroine - Oh, Lorde's been at the Bladerunner soundtrack. Not too awful (Dan otm, 'Buzzcut Season' the highlight) but i'm done with it. *time passes* Still listening to Lorde, call it inertia, call it the album not being *too* bad rly.
THEE OH SEES Floating Coffin - Right now it's Thee Oh Sees, but it won't be for long (zing!) The sort of frantic faux-punk that's nervously checking to see if its drainpipes are tight enough. Ban. *but then...* Ohhh they got lucky. Was about to kill it and track 2 began, which was a gr8 improvement. Track 4 best yet! Hmm, no clunkers so far in albumzpoll. Yeah not bad, but next.
FÖLLAKZOID II - Follakzoid are nay bad but K3rr how the flaming fuck did u allow this in the metal poll? :D This just isn't metal in any way at all, my god! But it's not bad for a completely derivative Krautabout. *time passes* Bit bored of Follakzoid - strikes me as excellent background music but doesn't reward intense listening too well for me. Like, Circle do this stuff wayyy better.
GORGUTS Colored Sands - We all already acknowledged the shining, astronomical greatness of this incredible album, surely
KELELA Cut 4 Me - Some v interesting production on this! She's not a v engaging presence at all tho. Listening for the beats, everything else just kinda washes over me. *time passes* Sorry Kelela, u ain't doin' it for me any more. U never rly were altho u got some dece production contacts clearly.
CUT COPY Free Your Mind - *vomits blood, dies* Going to play the first 10 seconds of every song on this album. Did they just sing "shine brother shine on, shine brother in the sun"? Permaban. Oh, this music makes me ill.
f(x) Pink Tape - f(x) give me the idea of bandname mashup f(n+x) and tbh I think that this would also sound kinda rad :D They're p good fun I gotta concede, and the music's well put-together, got a bit of depth n craft, not all major-key harmonisin'. Somewhere, somehow, Frank K0gan is otm about this lot. (EDITOR'S NOTE: I ended up really fucking liking this - it's a really great pop album and I have thought of its goodness at diverse points today)
DANNY BROWN Old - (EDITOR'S NOTE: everything I said on the thread about this was basically bullshit & involved the scales falling from my eyes quite slowly and gloriously. Suffice it to say that this album is a FUCKING MASTERPIECE and BRILLIANT and INCREDIBLE and would have stood a clear chance of cracking my top 10, maybe even top 5. Just such fierce, hard, tight, crazy, arresting, otherworldly, indulgent, chaotic, verge-of-cracking genius insanity that kept getting better the further along it went. HOW DID I NOT KNOW OF THIS MAN. Gonna listen to XXX real fucken soon.)
FACTORY FLOOR Factory Floor - Can't follow up Danny Brown and reeks of James Murphy and uh no. 'Fall Back' as feat. in the traxpoll definitely the best thing here by a fair way on a rapid skimthru.
CIARA Ciara - Is this Ciara a concept album about her new romance? Opening track, just over breakup, gonna 'have us a good time', can see where this is going. I guess the fact it has a *concept* (according to this quick interpretation) means I'll have to listen to all of it. *time passes* Think I get this more than I once might have. 'So Turnt Up' is kinda amazing! *finishes the goddamn album, as promised* Yeah that was a super solid album with elements of euphoric self-celebration that I won't deny. Told a nice li'l story there has Ciara, a story of her heart. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Yeah I fucken really enjoyed this so so much more than I thought, weird huh?)
PARQUET COURTS Light Up Gold - This halfasses the raggedy garage-indie thing. Needs to be muuuch raggedier. Way too zine-ready, too prepackaged. Eugh. Enough. I think I would find this music less loathsome if I wasn't listening to it; hence, bring on K Michelle
K MICHELLE Rebellious Soul - Pleasingly off-kilter so far, the first two tracks have both got weird production elements that play against her relatively straight vocal bat rly intriguingly - waiting to see how she develops. Comes off as delightfully schizophrenic (sorry if that's an insensitive use of language erryone). LOL this next track is a fkn quasi-Beatlesy chamber-R&B thing :D Also her lyrics are much weirder than her delivery - kinda mad, but deadpan. 'Pay My Bills' :D *vague emoticon shower at Coochie Symphony, which is AWESOME btw, and coming off the back of the legit-incredible 'Sometimes', too (probably the best song on the album - totally goddamned epic)* Ah so she's a reality TV star from outside the usual canon, or at least her star has been made unconventionally. It shows, and I think it's to her benefit - this follows no formula except her own extremely idiosyncratic dream-logic. *time passes* Well, that was...something. Faded a bit in last 2 trax but had already made its point. Good record!
ARCTIC MONKEYS AM - Haha fuck listening to the Arctic Monkeys :D nah ok, one song...but if u displease me then by god. *about 40 seconds pass* *slumps face into hand* Ok you guys, seriously now.
~~~this is where today's countdown beginz, and I develop a neat if somewhat crude technique for getting into the *guts* of a record~~~
DONATO DOZZY Plays Bee Mask - This was a nice listen, and the final track is indeed an absolute fucken beauty, everything I wanted from Ulrich Schnauss this year but didn't get. I don't know how much more I can say as the record drifted by fairly subliminally, but it was a very pleasant experience, with a wonderful sting in the tail.
JOHN GRANT Pale Green Ghosts - Oh I like this. Has a really tense and unpredictable aesthetic. Got a sorta Brendan Perry-esque darkwave thing going on, except a bit more frenetic, a bit more funky. Actually (3 songs later) this has incredible range and is wondrous :D omg why didn't anyone tell me about this? It's like an infinitely-better version of Sea Change-era Beck or something. Very fine album. I'm going to be a bit naughty and skip from track 7 to Glacier because there's a lot more albums to hear, but I *will* be back. GMF was especially amazing. Oh, Glacier is lovely too.
RHYE Woman - Just not registering with me, sorry. Let's try track 8. Oh this isn't too terrible actually. Still a bit mundane but...nah ok enough of this. You can be someone else's ride, Rhye.
YOUNG GALAXY Ultramarine - Oh this is kinda horrid. Actually sounds a bit like Graceland during this second track. Actively pissing me off. Let's try track 8. Nah, not for me - this one comes off like Fever Ray with all the songwriting ability and ingenious sound design slain.
KA The Night's Gambit - Intriguing. Really well put-together, gorgeous production. Two songs in, I can see this getting kinda dispiriting after a while though. Makes me want to listen to Dälek, tbh, or Cunninlynguists or something along those lines.Track 3 is much better, has a more electrifying air about it. Think I'm starting to get it. Very dark, controlled music. I think the (deliberately) suffocating control and constancy is what prevents me from really going wild for it, but it's a good listen. Heard first four trax, now let's try track 8...yeah, much like the earlier songs, subtle hardass realtalk streetrap that plays it low, not gonna quibble. Oh, track 9 is kinda lovely, hurrah for inertia.
DJ SPRINKLES Queerifications and Ruins: Collected Remixes by DJ Sprinkles - I'll hear this at some point, but its inaccessibility gives me an excuse to eat thru the list more quickly. SORRY DJ SPRINKLES. Plaxico's fevered stanning for u will ensure I hear u @ some point!
NEKO CASE The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You - Whoa, what just happened during this first track? Here I was thinking vaguely dismissive thoughts, and then WHAM. Let's see how often this happens throughout this album. It happens quite a lot, as it turns out. Really skilfully-written record. OMG "she died having a child by her brother, he died because I murdered him" :D This hasn't regained the momentum those first three songs established, though - a small issue but one that will probably prevent me checking this out much further. I'll listen until track 8. Hmm.
CARCASS Surgical Steel - already heard, pretty kickass. Rampaging motherfucker of an album.
SAVAGES Silence Yourself - Absolutely no more of this music, except for track 8. Oh god, BAN. You have no face? You have no SONGS
ASHLEY MONROE Like a Rose - It's a country thing, I get it. *starts with track 8* *decides not to waste any more of anyone's time* *track 8 is not terrible* *decides to persevere* OK, ILX. You got me listening to country. There's a hefty dollop'a songwritin' goin' on here. 'Used' is kinda moving! Righto, respect to this album. I gotta move on though. It can be someone else's epiphany. Oh lol, Weed Instead Of Roses just began, haw @ these lyrics tbh. Bonus bonus points for the album being only about 30mins if that, may even return to it. Someday...
WAXAHATCHEE Cerulean Salt - I have nothing to say about this, sorry. Not even about track 8. Except 'I bet Pitchfork really likes this boring nonsense!'
WILLIAM ONYEABOR Who is William Onyeabor? - Good Name kinda kills it, aye. Would go insane if I happened to be dancing in its vicinity, not that I'm often dancing in any vicinity, but you knooowwwww. Holds up its intensity really well. Obviously it's a compilation of very old music so I'd never have voted for it, but this is very, very impressive indeed and I love those synths a heckuva lot. Oh the breakdown 8m in! Oh! Will probably come back to this guy.
YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN UZU - I have already really liked about four of the songs on this album! You might argue I was negligent not to vote for it, and you'd possibly be right. I will give it a thorough listen now. Ah fuck this is MIGHTY, why DIDN'T I vote for it? Well, at least a lot of people did. I think that even though there's been a lot of good stuff today, it's not been, for me, great stuff, and I was getting a little bit of music fatigue, so this comes as a massive fucking widescreen kick up the ass. All is well once more! Shit, yeah, this is AMAZING. OMAFG 'Hall Of Mirrors' jeeeesus this'd be close to my top 5 for fuck's sake. Wow. SO much better than its individual tracks - it has a monstrous cumulative effect! OMG YES. YESSS! AAARGH THIS IS INCREDIBLE WHY DIDN'T I LISTEN TO THE WHOLE THING BEFORE this is a masterpiece MASTERPIECE *jumps for joy*
LAUREL HALO Chance of Rain - idk what this is really, it's kinda indistinct, which is dangerous territory with me as I'm more likely to stop listening to something if this is the case. Intro and opener proper aren't really arresting me too much - there's *something* here, though. Dare I say a somewhat simplified Autechre? That should turn the hounds loose. At least it's sorta developing, going somewhere slowly. Ach, enough. Track 8, save us! O o o in fact this is quite good! Why wasn't THIS the opening track, huh, Halo? You could have had a CUSTOMER. Yeah, decent song. I might MIGHT be persuaded to hear more Halo but I got a lot on my plate and she's well down the priority list.
QUADRON Avalanche - I think I tried to listen to this when compiling my ballot in case it was her more classical material - found it very dull tbh. Track 8 is...the one with Kendrick Lamar, lol. OK, lay it down, Quadders. O this is kinda sweet actually. Kendrick adding a 'contrasting element' I guess. Chill boring vibez 2013 ^_^ *lazes on a beach during the summer like every ILXor ever*
ARCADE FIRE Reflektor - rotkelfeR ERIF EDACRA
MATMOS The Marriage of True Minds - absolute fucking genius and so so thrilling but I already said that
JON HOPKINS Immunity - This album seems very long and I don't have tiiiime. And I can already tell it'll be quite good without ever quite blowing me away - it's very Drowned In Sound, very worthy-techno-dross. Track 8 is ten fucking minutes long but a promise is a promise. *4 minutes pass* OH WILL YOU FUCK OFF NOW. Sorry. Lashed out there. It's not bad dullwave, seriously, just not even remotely what I want, now or ever.
MAYA JANE COLES Comfort - Oh this is PROMISING! What is this BANGINGNESS? I like this a lot - not quite str8 club music, got some soul and some craft, good vibez. But really good vibez this time, not forgettable Quadron vibez. I mean, I'll forget this too, in time, but while I play it, it continues to be, y'know, pretty real. If only it wasn't 2am! I'd keep it on! But I need to get this done, and so after this track (3) ends, it's 8 and out. 8 is AWESOME :D v deep vibez here, wd dinnerparty
FUCK BUTTONS Slow Focus - Go on then, hit me with yr finest axework, gentlemen. Oh dear, Brainfreeze is...........quite good. Much better - much fucking better - than the first couple of albums. I mean, it's not mindblowing, but by turning down the noise a bit they've allowed the music to breathe and I don't think it's necessarily playing to formula as much as before, plus the synth tones are lovelier. And the guitars! Sexy strummin', lads. I, uh...yeah. A bit embarrassed to say the least. This doesn't deserve a kicking at all, far less a placement in the same clause as the Arctic Monkeys. Can someone explain to me perhaps why I might be liking this more - is it all me and a more open mind, or has the band really improved this much since last time? JESUS. This is crazier, jazzier, madder and just far less post-rock dull than before. They're NOT playing the build'n'bust formula this time, or at least, playing it much more subtly. The instrumentation is WAY more developed, the TUNES are present and correct. This is pretty much the fastest I've had to u-turn about a band in my goddamned life for fuck's sake! Prince's Prize is simply SENSATIONAL (Dan otm again). ARGH. Combination of musical ecstasy and deep, deep shame here, folks. But then, I wasn't accounting for such a monumental improvement. AAAAGGH THESE SYNTHS IN 'STALKER' WHY ARE YOU PUNISHING ME FOR MY CRUDE & IDIOTIC PRONOUNCEMENTS ARGH *goes catatonic* AAAAAARGH AAAAARGH AAAARGH AAAAAAARGH AAAAAAAAARGH WHY FUCK BUTTONS WHY oh look I'm on the final track. It's also the longest. Maybe on this one they'll finally revert to type! I think the shorter track-lengths have been much to their benefit. And indeed, this song, thus far, is the least interesting on the album. It had better have some shrewd moves. A canny drumbeat enters, but I still think that this might be the one bum note. A high, keening synth-tone enters - how you taunt me! I'm going mad! I might have gone mad! HURRAH FOR RIDICULOUS ABSTRACT SONIC PYROTECHNICS (also, yeah, this final track is kinda shit, but EVERYTHING ELSE was really good and would have quite possibly made my ballot) IS THIS AN ACCEPTABLE APOLOGY YO TELL ME IS THIS ACCEPTABLE *falls on sword*
― in fact, do read if you hate me (imago), Wednesday, 29 January 2014 02:49 (twelve years ago)