Average Rating: 3.09 Rating Variance: 0.98 Objectivity Score: 97% (Very Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicIngrid Michaelson Slow the RainThe Oh Hellos The Oh Hellos' Family Christmas AlbumThis album is absolutely incredible. Not only does it approach Christmas in an incredibly classy manner, it's among the best music I've ever heard. Even as a non-religious person, the religious story-telling and eclectic elements in The Oh Hellos' third release is unmatched and outstanding. While remaining largely unknown, The Oh Hellos manage to completely dominate folk music.4.5 superbBear's Den Without/WithinPulls off catchy and authentic incredibly well. Really a great piece of work.Bear's Den IslandsHans Zimmer InterstellarIngrid Michaelson Girls And BoysIngrid Michaelson Be OKIngrid Michaelson EverybodySufjan Stevens IllinoisThe Oh Hellos The Oh HellosThe Oh Hellos Through The Deep, Dark ValleyThe Oh Hellos Dear WormwoodThis puts together the most outstanding musical talent I've ever heard. They've returned with a distinctly authentic sound and done a phenomenal job expanding on the ideas of Through the Deep, Dark Valley. Previous albums, when listened sequentially, were impeccably mixed together, which acted as fantastic bit of shine, but that didn't appear to be a goal with this one. The diversity of sounds was probably the catch, but still a detail I think I miss. Overall I'm beyond pleased. A truly great delivery.The Oh Hellos NotosI have to stop pretending like I know how to objectively rate music, but I definitely like this more than Dear Wormwood4.0 excellentAndrew Belle Black BearEclectic and emotional. There is a fine diversity of sounds, but sometimes it doesn't feel like enough. Most importantly, the progression from The Ladder is executed surprisingly well.Andrew Belle Black Bear (Hushed)I was waiting for the potential lead of another to perhaps ground my apparent bias towards this EP, but after months of waiting I still have nothing but praise for Belle's work on this. This takes the theme of Black Bear a step further. It's difficult to pinpoint what it is, but there's something uniquely emotional that really shines with these particular songs. This predates Oh Wonder, which I would say is the closest band I've heard to this, but Belle's approach feels more mature. His growth with each release shows nothing but promise.Churchill The War WithinColdplay A Rush of Blood to the HeadEmma Ruth Rundle Some Heavy OceanFeist Let It DieFeist The ReminderGreg Laswell LandlineHozier HozierIngrid Michaelson Lights OutLucy Rose Like I Used ToMatthew and the Atlas Other RiversI was initially swayed by the idea that they lost their "folk touch," but after deliberation I think their direction was well executed and result was quite good.Norah Jones Feels Like HomeRacing Glaciers Caught in the StrangeTyphoon (USA-OR) White Lighter3.5 greatColdplay Viva la Vida or Death and All His FriendsGrace VanderWaal Perfectly ImperfectGreg Laswell Take a BowGreg Laswell I Was Going To Be An AstronautThe remakes were very well executed, but it's worth mentioning how blatant the melancholy tone is throughout. Several songs seem to go more appropriately in this direction -- notably What A Day which, personally, shines superbly; but there's also a fair argument that the depression is near excessive.rWhile there is only one new song in the album, I am very fond of the idea to remake older tracks. A mature sadness (for reasons unknown) is the overpowering tone, and I would imagine be very divisive to some.Ingrid Michaelson Human AgainJoy Williams We Mapped the WorldTaking the lessons learned from her barely-tolerable Christian Pop albums of years past, Williams turned down the bubbly attitude for more sorrowful and genuine theme in her last EP before forming The Civil Wars. Songs "We Mapped the World" and "Tightrope" gleam brightly while "Woman of a City" and "Lover, Find Your Cover" feel like secondary picks. All around a markedly impressive evolution from her previous work.Lord Huron Mighty EPMat Kearney Young LoveMat Kearney Just KidsMilo Greene ControlMumford and Sons Sigh No MoreOh Wonder Oh WonderSelf described as alternative rock, the debut album has a rather unusual combo of electronic indie-sounding pop. Is repetitive at times, but many songs manage some level of sophistication.Phillip Phillips Behind the Lightthe Soil & the Sun MeridianMost of this was truly awesome, but a few like "Lost Lovers" ventured outside bearable.Water Park PerspectivesWild Child Pillow Talk3.0 goodAdele 19Adele 21Bear's Den Red Earth & Pouring RainIt seems like they went down the same path as Mumford and Sons and the outcome was predictably not greatDaft Punk Random Access MemoriesDeadmau5 4x4=12El Ten Eleven El Ten ElevenGreg Laswell Everyone Thinks I Dodged A BulletHop Along Painted ShutImagine Dragons Night VisionsJoy Williams One of Those DaysJoy Williams Songs from ThatIf you can't tolerate cutesy, you'll hate every moment of this. "Songs from That" presents the emergence of a more genuine sound from Williams. "Doesn't Get Better Than This" falls a little short, but "You're My Favorite" offers a more folksy direction backed by the chilling and seemingly out-of-nowhere "Speaking a Dead Language."Michael Buble Crazy LoveWild Child The RunaroundI don't know if you could call it their slump, but Pillow Talk was markedly better.2.5 averageAvicii TrueColdplay Ghost StoriesDeadmau5 >album title goes here<El Ten Eleven It's Still Like a SecretIngrid Michaelson It Doesn't Have to Make SenseI like Ingrid a lot, but oh dear. If Rachel Platten's horribly overused and shallow "Fight Song" were a marginally more mature and depressed album, it would be this. Also, "Celebrate" sounds like it came straight out of a Hillary Clinton rally.Joy Williams Songs from ThisUnlike its slightly more diverse counterpart, "Songs from That," the cheesy upbeat nature becomes a little excessive, but manages to avoid overly obnoxious pop influence.Katy Perry Teenage DreamKaty Perry PrismMumford and Sons BabelMumford and Sons Wilder MindNicki Minaj The PinkprintSteam Powered Giraffe Mk IIIThey tried something new (relatively) and it's so-so. I respect their boldness, but I don't think it worked. The lack of production quality comes across in synthesized sounds. My continual (and I guess subjective) problem is how the steampunk characters lead to sloppy lyrics. They're not genuine -- they're for a show, and it doesn't sit well.The Alternate Routes Lately"Carry Me Home" stands out well (and I admittedly have a sentimental attachment to the song), but the rest just doesn't do it for me. It's not bad, but it's not that good either.Train Save Me San FranciscoVance Joy Dream Your Life Away2.0 poorAWOLNATION Megalithic SymphonyCalvin Harris MotionColdplay A Head Full of DreamsGoo Goo Dolls MagneticJoy Williams GenesisMichael Buble To Be LovedMumford and Sons Live From Bull MooseSeryn Shadow ShowsIt starts okay, but quickly turns into a jumble of uninspiring noise.Steam Powered Giraffe The 2-Cent ShowThe obvious talent, vocal harmony and theme are catastrophically overshadowed by hardly bearable pointless repeating melodies like Ju Ju Magic and Saturday Night. Steamboat Shenanigans is also irritatingly childish. The only song I can really stand behind is Honeybee, and even it's not flawless. The first three minutes of Automatonic Electronic Harmonics are also pretty good, but the last two are made of unbearable filler, largely due to the incredibly sloppy "epic and cool" repeating line with a terrible melody and just horrible literacy. "Spine"'s bassy feature in the middle is fantastic, so you know they can do great things, but for whatever reason that's nothing something they want to show off.The Fray HeliosZedd True Colors1.5 very poorAmerican Authors Oh, What a LifeAvicii The Days/NightsFall Out Boy American Beauty/American PsychoImagine Dragons Smoke + MirrorsI found Night Visions mostly enjoyable when I put the shallowness aside, but this has to be one of the most obnoxious albums I've ever heard at any level.Joy Williams By SurpriseNicki Minaj Pink Friday: Roman ReloadedTrain California 37Train Bulletproof Picasso1.0 awfulJoy Williams Joy Williams (album)If you were to imagine what a standard Christian Pop album sounded like in the late 90s -- imagine no more.rThe only tolerable thing in this album is her future award-winning voice. Synths and shallow beats plague most every track.Rachel Platten Wildfire
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