Album Rating: 3.5

Keep expecting to get sick of Ottavia, but I haven't yet.

The one I feel like skipping is Lewis in Pomona.

Album Rating: 4.0

Ooooh that's one of my faves!



Finished this again just now, I could do without Oh Thom! (definitely!) and Iron Bones, they don't really fit I think. Bones could be a nice b-side.

Album Rating: 4.0

I think this is excellent but deleting the last 3 tracks, Ottavia, Sweet Lands, and maybe Burst of Laughter and this would be a much better experience imo. Still prefer the Drift Sampler to this, as well as the overall Drift collection, but this album further cements them as one of the greats

You have to laugh, these geezers are approaching seventy years old but can still deliver the youthful essence.
Love Gene Pool.

Album Rating: 4.0

My abridged version is now tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 12 - it’s on repeat at the moment. And it’s top tier Underwold.

Album Rating: 4.0

"Still prefer the Drift Sampler to this, as well as the overall Drift collection"

Same.



Agreed zak, approaching seventy and my goodness there's such a sense of urgency and energy, both in their records and especially in their live shows. Peerless!



Will check that tracklist too Watchman, sounds interesting and really fits the 'do not shuffle' thing they were going for. Although I'd definitely include Lewis and the closer.

Album Rating: 4.0

It does feel wrong to slaughter a piece of work into a shortened playlist but I suppose that is the age we are in now - where streaming makes this all to easy - compared to tape to tape high speed dubbing when I was a kid. But there are quite a few tracks here that a) I don’t like or b) don’t seem to fit. My much shortened album just hits the sweet spot and it’s such a great listen. I did the same for Drift.

Album Rating: 4.0

Gene Pool is such an album closer if ever I’ve heard one. Missed opportunity. And the final 3 tracks just feel so at odds with the album. Such a frustrating ending to the album.

Album Rating: 3.7

Agreed, Gene Pool could've been the final song, the tracks that follow don't do much

Album Rating: 4.0

Yeah Gene Pool would work really well as a closer. But I love Stick Man Test too much!



Oh Thorn! really needs to not be here though (dislike that one), agreed, and Iron Bones feels very out of place tonally as well.

Album Rating: 3.7

Stick Man Test could be moved somewhere else in the second half.

Album Rating: 4.0

"My abridged version is now tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 12 - it’s on repeat at the moment. And it’s top tier Underwold."



Haha this is almost exactly mine just switch 8 for 9, and tbf King of Haarlem does sort of grate on me a little bit, so I get the omission, but overall i love the vibe. This edited version is closer to 4.6 territory.



After 4 spins I can confidently say Ottavia is the worst song I've heard all year. If someone's heard something that's worse (like, actually worse, not some kind of a troll song that's trying to be bad), please hmu, because I'm so curious.

Album Rating: 3.5

lmao check Boundaries, Northlane, and rejam the new Vampire Weekend w/ lyrics

Album Rating: 4.0

Haha that Vampire Weekend album was bad enough without focusing on lyrics, I can't even imagine how shite that must be reading along to it. Will check those other 2

Album Rating: 3.5

Aaahhh... Vampire Weekend Derangement Syndrome is alive and kicking on Sputnik this year - great album.

Last three songs on this are a little superfluous, agreed, but Stick Man Test is still nice.

Mercury Revs ‘Mood Swings’ for stinker of the year.

Apologies, I meant ‘Patterns’
‘Mood Swings’ is half decent.

Album Rating: 4.0

lol Zak



‘And Jackson Pollock Paints Patterns’ wins ‘hardest lyric to sing along to without spraying saliva everywhere’ of 2024



That is one off the funniest lines on the album along with half of ‘I have a bird in me’ or whatever the closer is called.

Fucking awful

Album Rating: 4.0

Is that better or worse than awful fucking?