| 4.5 superb |
| Circa Survive Blue Sky Noise |
| Converge Axe to Fall |
| Crosses Crosses |
| Deafheaven Sunbather |
| Deafheaven New Bermuda |
| Disasterpeace Fez OST |
| Joyce Manor Joyce Manor |
| A damn near perfect album IMO. One of my favorite things about this album is the guitar tone, and to add to that - the production. "Never Hungover Again" went with much cleaner production and a pretty standard guitar tone, so I appreciate the contrast in sound on this debut, as the guitars are gritty, distorted, and have a very full sound. The bass tone is also pretty sweet and very audible, giving songs a real punch when the band comes in full force strumming chords with all the force they can muster. I don't think the drum sound is perfect but I do enjoy the rawness of it. The drums have a very "live" sound to them, like it was recorded in the very same room you are in. As for the songwriting, most tracks on this album are relatively simple with riffs, chords, and a few leads here and there to capitalize on a buildup or progression. The vocals are kind of clean sounding but Barry tends to hit notes that give his voice a nice gritty rasp to them to add to the intensity of the songs. Another thing I love about this album is the lyrics, and although they can be pretty random at times there are songs that tell little stories or describe thoughts from a certain perspective, so there's plenty of emotion in the words that I can relate to. I also enjoy the short length of the songs but I admit it makes listening to the album a fast experience, so repeat listens can become repetitive faster than a longer album that may have a bit more variety. |
| Modest Mouse The Moon & Antarctica |
I may eventually 5 this, I find it to be their most consistent album (after listening to all
of them). It's an interesting album because it's kind of that bridge connecting their old
sound to their "Good News" sound that they seem to have stuck with; basically a transitional
album, cause this was the last we'd hear of their more raw side (save EP's and comps that
followed its release). rI find the sound of TM&E to be unlike anything they've done before
or have done since. A good 60% of the lyrics seem more generalized, less "I,I,I.." and more
universal themes and observations of life. I don't read to much into the lyrics but rather
derive the meaning from the way the sound makes you feel, and it's uplifting while being
very melancholy. But it's true that MM has always utilized that dichotomy, giving hope and
that stealing it away soon after.rQuick comment on guitars: they're certainly not technical,
but damn I love Isaac's playing style. On epics like "Life Like Weeds" or "The Stars Are
Projectors" there are these extended instrumental sections where he just riffs off himself,
taking his simplistic chord progressions further or just bending the hell out of some
distorted, echoey chords because it just felt right. rP.S. Learning these songs are
fun but you really get to see how simple they are. It's the band's nuances along with cool
production tricks that add that extra layer to bring it all to the next level.r |
| Modest Mouse Building Nothing Out of Something |
| Phantogram Nightlife |
| Radiohead A Moon Shaped Pool |
| Say Anything ...Is a Real Boy |
| Say Anything In Defense of the Genre |
| The Dear Hunter Migrant |
| The Story So Far Under Soil and Dirt |
| Tigers Jaw Tigers Jaw |
| tsosis Red Version |
