Average Rating: 3.93 Rating Variance: 0.57 Objectivity Score: 61% (Fairly Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicBT These Hopeful MachinesSo wow, this is gorgeous. A mix of trance, glitch, and just general electronica. I think I'm going to buy this when I get money, I could see myself throwing this on for a two hour car trip and just being in heaven the whole time. Definitely recommend to anyone.Can Tago MagoOkay, well...this...was...incredible. I realized within the first couple minutes of Peking O that it all was really nearly perfect. I loved the effects, the sounds, the different styles of singing, the use of the channels, the instrumentation, everything. The one thing that I didn't like was the random finger-up-and-down-lips-babbling in the middle of Peking O that made me draw back, blink a few times, and settle back into it. It just sounded kinda out of place in an otherwise jafklsjf awesome record. Just...seriously. Since they're all really five-star tracks, I couldn't recommend a few "best" ones. But Peking O and Aumgn were probably my favourites.Emilie Autumn OpheliacOn the surface it may seem like another gothic record, but inside it's (to me) a serious masterpiece. Opheliac - The Deluxe Edition is the best version of this album because of the remastering of the tracks, plus the addition of several amazing ones.rWhether she sounds subdued and angry on 'I Want My Innocence Back', hopeless and defeated on 'The Art of Suicide', or both at times on 'Shalott', Emilie Autumn's vocals and production talent are nothing to scoff at. She writes the lyrics, sings the songs, plays the instruments and produces the records herself. That, in turn, makes for a very personal experience.rWhile the premise is under the guise of a Victorian-era girl, all of the anger and sadness is very real. When she sings about depression, suicide, rape, and anger it's because she's got very personal experience with each one.rIt's hard to place what exactly makes me love this album so much, but it's somewhere between the honesty, Emilie's voice, and her production work. Because of that, I have to give this a 5.Emilie Autumn Fight Like A GirlWow. Just wow. I was scared this couldn't live up to Opheliac, but Goddamn was my worry misplaced. I can't decide if it's equal to it or if it's better. It's a different album, and weaker in some ways, but the story, coherency, emotion and realness of it makes up for the (very few) missteps. It also makes up for The Midsummer Station, so hurray for that! Seriously, though, this is something worth listening to no matter what. It encompasses rock, electronica, classical...so many genres, and she owns each one. My particular favourites are "Time for Tea", "Take the Pill", "Girls! Girls! Girls!" (such old-fashioned vaudevillian cabaret that it's fun), "Gaslight", "The Key", and "Goodnight, Sweet Ladies". I wish it ended with something better than One Foot in Front of the Other, but maybe it'll grow on me.Godspeed You! Black Emperor Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to HeavenRandom side-note, this album was apparently a huge inspiration for Adam Young. I can see why, and I can kind of see some of it in some of his work, especially as Port Blue. The focus on creating a gorgeous soundscape rather than a catchy rhythm or melody you're supposed to be focusing on is incredible, and honestly some of the tracks almost felt like they took my breath away. I loved Storm, then I loved Static even more, but I think Antennas to Heaven is my favourite. The whole latter half of it was just afjksdl. I could not be in a bad mood with such incredible...incredibleness. There really was not a moment on this record I didn't like, but the ambient bits really got to me.Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted FantasyA lot of people have said "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" is this generation's "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". I think they're right.rKanye gets a lot of flak, constantly. A lot of people hate him. But if there's anything that shows just because someone's a prick doesn't mean they're not a genius, this is it.rThis album is perfect. Everything about it. It's nuanced, it's huge, every little sound has a purpose. There won't be another album that sounds like this for a long time. Many will try, but genius isn't something you can imitate. Now, I don't think Kanye's perfect. He's had bad songs, done stupid things. But what he did with this record is incredible.rMy personally favourite song is 'Power', but that doesn't mean it's the best song. I don't think there *is* a best song. Every song is too good to name a best.Koji Kondo The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time OSTI don't know how much is nostalgia and how much is about how good it genuinely is, but it's hard to call this album anything but 'classic'. It's long, but not for one moment was I bored. Just brilliant.Port Blue The AirshipThis is the first album that made me cry from joy.r"The Airship" is, in my eyes, an amazing work of art. I'm not going to claim my opinion is final, that's just what it is to me.rFrom the first track to the closing sound, there's not a single track that didn't hold my full attention, not a single track that I didn't find to be absolutely gorgeous. This album (along with not-officially-released "Arctic") is the reason that Port Blue is my favourite 'artist' or 'project', and why I can't go a day without at least some Port Blue in my ears.rI really do recommend this to everyone. In my eyes, it's truly flawless.Talk Talk Laughing StockThis was a lot like Tago Mago, just awesome from start to finish. I had it playing while I did other things, and it seemed to be absolutely perfect for something like that. The only two tracks I didn't think were as great as the rest were Myrhhman and Taphead, for some reason, but everything else was just spectacular. They made a good move in making that change, even if it did sadly only end up in this album and nothing more. I would've liked to see what else they would do like this.4.5 superb65daysofstatic We Were Exploding AnywayThis is the album that helped ease me into instrumental music. At first the concept of music without a singer baffled me (I only really started caring about music at all in 2010). This changed that.rThe songs that have stuck with me on my playlist the most are 'Dance Dance Dance', 'Debutante' and 'Tiger Girl'. I especially love the last one of those. It's a 10- minute track, but the buildup and climax all make it worth it. 65daysofstatic is fantastic at drawing it out and making it feel like it's slowly building up into something huge, then letting it reach that peak without it being disappointing or overwrought.rAll-in-all, the album is just superb. Instrumental rock with an electronic tinge. I love it to this day.Dan Deacon BromstThis was really amazing, there was literally not a single song on it that I didn't love. I love songs where there's a lot going on at once, a whole bunch of layers assailing you from all sides and just forming one gorgeous piece of music. This whole album was pretty much just that. It's hard to pick favourites and it really sucks that I don't have enough space to just keep all the songs, but if I had to I'd say my favourites were Red F, Snookered, Wet Wings, Woof Woof, and Baltihorse. But that's making it seem like they were way, way better than the rest, which isn't necessarily true. I really did love every track.fun. Aim and IgniteEverything about this is well-crafted. I love that fun. knows how to keep something catchy and enjoyable while still making sure it's complex and that there's a lot more to it than most music. 'Be Calm' is probably the best example, managing to be both really downtempo and simple but also bombastic and complex in the space of a few minutes.rI would say fun. is at their best when their epic bombast shows, but The Gambler just very well may be one of the best tracks on the album. That's little more than Nate Ruess singing a catchy track with a piano in the background gliding him along.rAim & Ignite is an LP more than worth checking out. No two songs are the same, and it makes for one of the most well-produced records in a while.Greg Laswell LandlineThis album was actually pretty eclectic compared to what I thought it was going to be. It swung between folk, balladry, alternative rock, pop, etc. It was pretty awesome. Not to mention he had collaborations with another indie-folk artist whose work I particularly love?Ingrid Michaelson. Sia was also on there, as was Sara Bareilles, but the song featuring her was the one that made me decide to check this out in the first place when it was free on iTunes. Anyways, yeah, awesome album. Favourite songs were probably Come Back Down, Another Life to Lose, Dragging You Around, and Landline.Imagine Dragons Night VisionsNow this was awesome. It's alternative rock, but they dabbled in a whole bunch of genres in the ~50 minutes it lasted. I wasn't sure what to expect and got to be pleasantly surprised. I love the fact that they managed to be the kind of catchy that would manage to be popular while also being seriously talented and crafting fantastic soundscapes and lyrics around it. The catchiness was either a pleasant side effect or the result of an incredibly talented group of musicians. There were only two songs on the album that weren't great, but everything else was that or better. Totally worth a listen.Koji Kondo The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask OSTKoji Kondo is a genius. Majora's Mask has always been my favourite Zelda game, but I never got to play it as much as Ocarina of Time, and so the soundtrack wasn't embedded in my mind like OoT's was. So when I decided to listen to it again, it was partly like a new experience.rEven from the standpoint of someone who wasn't just being nostalgic, the songs are fantastic. I would enjoy this as more than just a Zelda soundtrack; it's more complex than OoT's and varies in style much more widely.rI don't know how Koji does it.Lights SiberiaI very much disliked this album the first time I heard it. I knew her from "The Listening" about half a year before this was released, and I was expecting more of the same. That's the complete opposite of what "Siberia" gave me.rThis album marks her change from bubbly synthpop to more of a heavy electronic style, and that alienated me at first. However, after a while a song or two was stuck in my head...then another...until eventually "Siberia" became one of my favourite albums.rThere really isn't a bad song here. 'Siberia' starts you off right away with her new style, and the only tie it lets up is for 'Toes' and 'Cactus in the Valley', which have actually managed to be two of my *least* favourite tracks.rLights took a huge risk here and it paid off by being better than "The Listening" ever was. Even crazier, she finished the album off with 'Day One', a freestyle ambient electronic track, *and it worked*. She outdid herself with this album, and whatever comes next is going to have a hard time living up to it.Marina The Family JewelsIn my opinion, Marina doesn't get the attention she deserves. She's got one of the quirkeist-yet-beautiful styles of music out there at the moment, and it's overlooked because it *is* kind of weird. Marina doesn't hold back on that. She's not afraid to chant along with animal screeches like on "Mowgli's Road' or, well, make a song called 'Hermit the Frog'.rBehind the titles and weirdness is a beautiful singer with beautiful music. 'Obsessions' is my personal favourite track off of the album, but even on songs with more production like 'Are You Satisfied?' or 'Numb' manage to be honest and beautiful.rOn this album, Marina knows what she's doing and she does it well. When she's got something to get across, she does it with style. The tracks manage to be a lot more than just simple pop yet still incredibly catchy. This is a rare feat, and one worthy of 45 minutes of your time.Miles Davis In a Silent WayI actually liked this one a lot more than Kind of Blue. It felt a lot more varied and experimental, both things I absolutely love in music. Like the former it's really awesome to have this playing in the background, and time seemed to fly by. A lot of the time slower stuff manages to drag time a bit (which doesn't mean they're bad, at all), but it slid right by while I had this playing. I just wish the tracks weren't so long. I have no real problem with long tracks as long as they're good, but they take up a lot of space and I can't have even one of the two on this on my iPod without losing a bunch of space so I can't put other songs on.Muse Origin of SymmetryThis was glorious. I wasn't sure at first, but I was completely sold by the second half the album. Matthew Bellamy probably has the second best falsetto (in my opinion), his singing is just amazing. I don't know why I didn't check them out earlier. Micro Cuts, Screenager, and Feeling good were probably the highlights for me. Definitely need to hear more.My Chemical Romance The Black ParadeWith how much I love this album, I wish I could give it a 5/5...but that would require everything about it being perfect. Sadly, there are a few songs that don't quite fit and aren't as great as the others, but for the most part, "The Black Parade" is the best thing My Chemical Romance has ever done.rThe whole thing's a concept album, about a man who finds out he has cancer and goes through all the stages of fighting and anger and grief until finally realizing that life's been a gift and he was lucky to live it at all.rTracks like 'Dead!' or 'Mama' where he directly deals with the anger are some of the highlights, featuring the whole band letting loose and causing chaos. 'Teenagers' deals with, well, how adults see teenagers, while the album even features a ballad about the cancer called...well...'Cancer'.rThis is an amazing album and it deserves the great reputation it has. It's clear that My Chemical Romance put a whole lot of work and soul into it.Owl City Maybe I'm DreamingWhile 'Fireflies' has given Adam Young somewhat of a it's-cool-to-hate-him reputation based on its similarities to indie electronic group The Postal Service, before 'Fireflies' was even an idea there was this album.r"Maybe I'm Dreaming" is my personal favourite Owl City album, as it best captures what Adam Young is best at: dreamy synth melodies that carry you off to another world.rThis is most evident on tracks like 'Air Traffic' and 'Early Birdie'. The former is slow and simple, but melodically and vocally gorgeous. The latter is more of an upbeat glitch-inspired track about seeing sights and enjoying the world.rEven the romance of the album is far different from contemporary artists. 'The Saltwater Room', 'The Technicolor Phase' and 'I'll Meet You There' manage to combine abstract poetry with honest love (whether romantic or not) to create something much more honest and pure than the calculated love songs of today.rThen there are tracks that are just pure fun and joy. 'Rainbow Veins', 'Super Honeymoon', 'West Coast Friendship' and so on show Young's over-joyous approach to life and the world, which makes it incredibly hard not to just feel happy and blissful when you get swept up in them.rAll that being said, the album's naïveté and abstract lyricism turns a lot of people away, so you have to come at it with an open mind. But for everything above, I give it a 4.5/5, even though few will agree.Panic! at the Disco Vices & Virtues"Vices & Virtues" is the culmination of everything Panic! at the Disco had done leading up to it. "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out" teased at the idea of an alt. rock band bigger than itself, willing to experiment and "Pretty. Odd." toyed with the notion of classical baroque stylings.rOn this album, the new Panic! at the Disco embraces a bit of both sides. Mixing their rock with their baroque, you get things like the hard rock 'Let's Kill Tonight', the blues-influenced 'Sarah Smiles', and the nearly indescribable mash-up of styles that is 'Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met)'.rThis is what Panic! should be. This is what they're best at. Alternative rock with a baroque twist, not trying to be anything that they aren't. If this is where they stay, that's fine by me.Port Blue The AlbatrossI give this a 4.5/5...but really, the only thing stopping it from being 5/5 is the length. The EP is 10 tracks long, but only lasts a little over 15 minutes. Each song is such a huge concept and beautifully and brilliantly made, but each is so filled with potential and overflowing with layers that the short length is honestly not enough, and leaves it feeling unfinished, without closure. It leaves you craving a lot more, really. Where "The Airship" gave a lot of time with a lot of perfection, "The Albatross" gives you a taste and then leaves you hanging.rBut really, my only disappointment with this album could be taken as the ultimate concept: its only flaw is that there's not enough of it.Sky Sailing An Airplane Carried Me to BedWhere Owl City is abstract pop, Sky Sailing takes that with an acoustic turn. This is what is, in my opinion, an incredible album that's consistently enjoyable from start to finish. The best tracks are the ones that tell tales, such as 'Explorers' or 'Brielle', while the more uptempo tracks are still easy to get into and enjoy.rThe instrumentation is beautiful, which can be expected, seeing as Adam Young's production talents aren't often questioned. The result is an album that's slipped under the radar but is deserving of far more.Swans Soundtracks for the BlindThis album was really awesome. I wasn't sure at first, but after a little bit into the second song it started getting a lot better, and I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of it. Innovative, all over the place and experimental; everything you could ask for in an album. It's a bit overlong, but if you don't mind the length it's very worth it.The Beta Band The Three EPsI really wasn't sure what I was supposed to expect going into this one, but was happy when I realized I'd already heard the first song from it (Dry the Rain). It's a long album (which makes sense seeing as it's three EPs put together [hence the title]), but not a second of that length was unbearable (hush). I was glad to find that there wasn't a song on there I didn't enjoy. The best part, though, was the experimentation in the sounds. There was no consistent one rhythm instrument to keep everything going; it varied from song to song, sometimes changing mid-song, such as in Monolith. My favourites from it are probably Dry the Rain, Inner Meet Me, Monolith, and Dr. Baker.4.0 excellentAdam Lambert TrespassingThis is what his first album should've been. So much attitude, such a freaking powerful voice. This is the Adam Lambert that should have been. It's obvious so much more work was putting into this, and after the last album I'm glad the critics agree. The dance songs have all the attitude and uniqueness needed for them to stand out among a pop soundscape that prides itself on generic club tracks, and the slower songs have more emotion and integrity than most of his contemporaries could muster from all of their being.Against Me! New WaveThis one interested me because the lead singer, Tom Gabel, identified as transgender recently and plans to transition to living as a woman. Their next album is going to feature her as Laura Jane Grace and is called Transgender Dysphoria Blues. Hearing what they're like now and how masculine his voice is, I'm really curious to hear that album and what it'll be like. That out of the way, I was pleasantly surprised by the album. I don't know a whole lot of punk rock bands, but Tom seems to have a pretty unique singing style/voice. That plus the fact that his intelligence shows makes it hard not to like this stuff. I like what he talks about. The Ocean addresses his gender dysphoria as well, which was really cool. My favourite tracks from this are probably Stop!, Thrash Unreal, The Ocean, and Piss and Vinegar.Bon Iver Blood BankThis is only 17 minutes long with 4 tracks, but 3 of the 4 are really good. Blood Bank is probably my favourite to just listen to, but Babys and Woods are gorgeous and really different. Woods is a good (acapella) example of how auto-tune can be used beautifully.Carly Rae Jepsen CuriosityI think this EP shows a lot of potential for some polished pop that doesn't pretend to be more than it is, but it has the problem of being rather redundant and still *too* simple. Curiosity is the highlight, being catchy with good production, while the rest vary between good and incredibly generic.Darren Hayes This Delicate Thing We've MadeThe main review is right: this album could have been a lot better as a single-disc album. As it is, there are a whole bunch of highlights but also a lot of filler.rOn the other hand, I forgive it because it had a lot of good and Darren wanted to experiment. There are story songs like 'How to Build a Time Machine', touching ones like 'Listen All You People', sad, dark ones like 'Neverland' and then pure catchy (but smart) electropop like 'Me, Myself and I'. Sure, there's also terrible tracks like 'Bombs Up in My Face', but there's enough good to make up for it.rThis album is only for someone who's a fan of Darren and can take all the good with the bad, otherwise it is, honestly, rather skippable. If you like his work though, it's worth a listen.Dragonland AstronomyVery...epic. I like it. Some of the tracks feel a bit less inspired than the others, but I really love the energy of the whole album. The instrumentals were some of my favourite parts because they did much different things with the rhythm and instrumentals, but the vocals were actually really good too. Very good.Edgard Varese Varèse: The Complete WorksThis is another one that felt a bit too long for me, but I think that was in part because it was really quiet in my headphones. I had my iPod on full volume and still it sounded like silence punctuated by quiet instrumentation (with the occasional increase to semi-loudness at points). That aside, it was still beautiful. I still had an awesome time listening to it, and time went by relatively quickly.Enter Shikari A Flash Flood of ColourThis was one of the first times I'd heard a post-hardcore album. And I'm glad it was this one, because it drew me in during every second.rFrom the acoustic-to-electronic balladry of 'Stalemate' to the political-rant-turned-dubstep 'Gandhi Mate, Gandhi' to the spoken-word 'Constellations', the album absolutely captivated me. I loved the mix of genres, I loved it when it was at its slowest and when it was at its white-knuckled rampage pace.rIt's a brilliant fusing of electronica and metal, and I can't wait to check out their other stuff after this.Faust Faust So FarWell, during the first two songs I was a little underwhelmed. After Merzbow and Swans I was kinda expecting something more, though they weren't really bad. But then from No Harm forward, it was all amazing. I loved No Harm, Mamie is Blue, I've Got My Car and My TV, and ...In the Spirit. Well, everything from No Harm forward was awesome, but those ones were the awesomest of the awesome.Frank Zappa Jazz From HellMy first experience with Zappa ever. Going in I was a little hesitant (as I am with any artist that's hugely hyped and claimed to be "the greatest"), but that fear was pretty much quelled as soon as the first song started. And it was brilliant. I loved the old-school sound of the electronics, and I loved the way he used them. St. Etienne felt a bit out of place, though. That aside, I pretty much loved everything on it, G-Spot Tornado in particular.Helios MoietyThis is the first I've heard of Helios, so maybe I'm biased, but I thought "Moiety" was a gorgeous work. Driven by panio and mixed with electronica, it's slight but strong.rI can easily say I enjoyed every track on the album, although some were more impressive than others. Yet, I think it's best to listen to from start to finish, because it's all worth it. There's nothing that's particularly "bad" here, Helios clearly knows what he's doing and how to make gorgeous ambient music.rMaybe I'll feel differently when I hear his other work if it's as disappointing compared to those as people say, but for now, I like it a whole lot.Holy Fuck LatinImprovisational electronica. How they manage to improvise music this great on the spot will forever be a mystery to me. All I know is that I love it. Knowing that they're doing it on the spot somehow makes it that much more gripping.Ingrid Michaelson Human AgainOh how I love this album. It was one of those where, on my first listen, there was not a single moment where I was bored with it. Most tracks are superbly done, with strings and orchestration to complement Ingrid's voice. Some of the best tracks from the album would be "Fire" with its uptempo strings and tone, "This Is War" and its haunting melody, and the mix of the two that is "Palm of Your Hand".KMFDM AttakThis one was a recommendation from a friend, and I am liking the awesome streak of albums I'm on (minus Visions). This is basically Industrial Rock, and it was glorious. The only let-down was that sometimes, on certain tracks, they went a pretty much heavy-rock route that felt more generic than the rest of the record, but that was only for a couple of tracks. A few of the ones I especially love, however, are Attak/Reload, Yohoho, Sturm & Drang, and Preach/Pervert.Knife Party 100% No Modern TalkingLove this EP so much. Four tracks, but each is really fun to listen to and way different from the others. Internet Friends is a semi-cinematic dancey electro track, Destroy Them with Lazers is more of an electro-house sort of thing (reminds me of Benny Benassi's track "House Music" a little), Fire Hive sounds almost like someone doing a take on Skrillex, whereas Tourniquet reminds me of Deadmau5 in more ways than one. But what I love is that it doesn't sound like they're copying them, it sounds like they're making tracks inspired by them, because they take what each of the respective artists does and breaks out of the "pattern" they usually have set.Lynyrd Skynyrd Second Helping Let it be known that I am very tired of Sweet Home Alabama. After hearing it approximately 453,462,721 times in my life I can't honestly say I enjoy listening to it. So I'm glad they got that out of the way first. It had me a little cynical about the rest of the album since I've heard it more than I Gotta Feeling, Tik Tok, and Teenage Dream combined times ten, but the rest was much more pleasant to sit through. I loved Workin' for MCA, and Don't Ask Me No Questions and The Needle and the Spoon were awesome as well. It's also worth noting that I like Simple Man as well, though I'm not sure what album that's from.Marina Electra HeartIt's not "The Family Jewels", but why does it have to be? Marina's huge shift in style scared me at first, but after hearing the album I was more than satisfied. Change is only bad when it's not done well. This change was done very well.rThe most fascinating thing about this album is the story it tells. A lot of the songs are satirical (such as 'Primadonna') and a lot more straightforward (like 'Living Dead' or 'Teen Idle'), but all of them have a story. The record takes on love from about 10 different angles and every one is interesting to hear.r'Bubblegum Bitch' is glorious pop-punk, 'Primadonna' flits between minimalism and all-out electro, much of 'Homewrecker' is spoken-word...it's amazing how there's not one single style consistent through the album and how well it meshes. Despite the negative reviews, "Electra Heart" is more than it seems to be.Miles Davis Kind of BlueI wasn't really sure what to expect since I have admittedly very little experience with jazz, but I was pleasantly surprised with that album. It ended up being a very nice backing soundtrack to me blowing up a lot of oddly geometrical spaceships, and it was strangely soothing enough to help me focus and be accurate and all. I love music that I can just have playing in the back of my head while I do things. That was awesome.My Chemical Romance Three Cheers for Sweet RevengeWell, I had pretty low expectations for this...and I'm kind of glad I did, because it blew them out of the water. It's kind of messy and chaotic at points, but that's what I love about it. It sounds so raw, kind of in an anarchistic way. My favourites were easily Give 'Em Hell Kid, You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison, Hang 'Em High, and I Never Told You What I Do for a Living. So much chaos and it feels so good. Kind of cathartic, really.Owl City Ocean Eyes: Deluxe EditionWhile 'Fireflies' has caused a lot of an it's-cool-to-hate-him towards Owl City's Adam Young, nobody bothers to listen to the rest of the album and realize how little he sounds like The Postal Service.rThat said, Ocean Eyes is far from a perfect album. It can't seem to find a sound it wants to use, and certain songs (such as 'Dental Care' or 'The Bird and the Worm') will only be loved by serious fans and a few others.rThe album's strength is in its production and in Young's unwavering heart in his music. It's clear this isn't manufactured pop (there's a reason 'Fireflies' was his only big hit) and the abstract lyricism will cause both massive fans and serious detractors.rIt's strange how much better a second disc of material makes the album, but that second disc contains some of his best work?to the point that it's baffling why it was relegated to some "deluxe edition".rAll-in-all, Ocean Eyes is a bit of a hit-or-miss album for most, but for me personally it was great. A step down from 2008's "Maybe I'm Dreaming", but still great. The deluxe disc redeems it somewhat, however.Sara Bareilles Once Upon Another TimeThis was an EP, so it's only about 25 minutes long, but it was a good 25 minutes. The album is exactly the opposite of what I expected. I thought it was gonna be fun pop like Love Song or Gonna Get Over You or something. Instead, it starts out with a track of which the whole first half is acapella...and remains just completely classy from there on out. This is a wonderful way to show off her magnificent vocals. Though she did take a moment to have more fun than any of her songs have ever been (while remaining classy) with Sweet As Whole, which just be my favourite track. Aside from that, the title track and Stay were magnificent too.Ulver Perdition CityAs soon as I realized these were the ones that made Kveldssanger I got excited. I loved that album. This one was totally different but just as good. I really loved the mixing of so many genres, so I was basically listening to jazzified ambient electronica at points. It was all over the place in an awesome way. The best of it, to me, would be Lost in Moments, Porn Piece or The Scars of Cold Kisses, The Future Sound of Music, and Dead City Centres. Basically all the ones where they experimented and used weird combinations and styles. But overall just a lot of win.3.5 greatAlesana A Place Where the Sun is SilentPretty awesome post-hardcore album. I can't say it was anything really new, but it was definitely enjoyable to listen through. I like it most when they let the female singer take over and when they try more strange-sounding things rather than kind of generic heavy rock sounds. Overall, though, I liked it.Bal-Sagoth Starfire Burning Upon the Ice-Veiled ThroneFirst, the raspy growls the main 'singer' does does not appeal much to me at all. I don't mind the voice itself, but he always punctuates it with random growls that make me think he's Baraka from Mortal Kombat and it's kind of off-putting. That aside, I love everything else. I love love the instrumentals, it's a lot more than just pounding away at a guitar and shredding to see how fast you can play it. There's a real quality to it that enhances what's being sung or said. Which brings me to the second thing I love: the writing. It plays out a lot like telling a story, and the music does a great job of enhancing the mood. The lyrics are fantastic as well; the writer has a hell of a vocabulary and a penchant for making almost anything sound epic. Honestly, my favourite parts were the ones without vocals, but at least the story/lyricism made them worth dealing with.Blackfoot StrikesI was coming off being in dance music mode so at first I was kind of bored, but then I started to snap out of it and I restarted the album actually able to focus on it. I'm glad I did, because I really loved it afterwards. Road Fever, Wishing Well, Train, Train and Highway Song were easily my favourites. I wish I hadn't delayed that so damn long, I didn't realize I'd like it so much. Lots of win in this album.Darren Hayes Secret Codes and BattleshipsI wanted to love this album, I really did. I managed to, for a while. But at its heart, Secret Codes and Battleships is just...too normal. It sounds like Darren made it under the direction of someone who could guide him towards the 'mainstream' so he can be popular again.rAnd it almost works. The album *sounds* good. The production is brilliant, Darren's vocals are incapable of being bad, yet the album doesn't have much heart. As all-over-the-place as This Delicate Thing We've Made was, I'd rather he went back to that than churning out radio-friendly work.rThat said, there's still good on this. 'Taken By the Sea' is beautiful, as are his amazing vocals on 'Bloodstained Heart'. 'Stupid Mistake' is my personal favourite, and if you have the deluxe edition you get 'Glorious', which is a close second. But as a whole...let's hope for better next time.fun. Some NightsThis album had so much potential. Upon listening, from 'Some Nights (Intro)' to 'Carry On', I was hooked. I was sure that this LP would be every bit as complex as Aim & Ignite (their debut) was. It wasn't.rfun. is an incredible band with a lot of talent who know how to write lyrics and be original. However, their misstep with this record was going for that hip-hop sound, the huge drums, huge production. rIt works well, at first. 'Some Nights (Intro)' sounds like old fun., and like something out of a musical. 'Some Nights' almost sounds like something from the Lion King, 'We Are Young' is full of epic bombast, 'Carry On' gets slower while still being fun. rThen 'It Gets Better hits'...and 'Why Am I the One' and 'All Alone' and 'All Alright' and 'One Foot'...they all start to blend together with how they all sound like generic midtempo pop covered by a talented group. It's not *bad*, it's just...less than fun. is capable of.rThen the album closes with 'Stars'. Another slow one, but this one with more twinkles and...autotune. Contrary to what you think I'm about to say, it was brilliant. After the last five tracks, experimentation is exactly what was needed and it works out beautifully.rAll-in all, really, the album is worth a listen, if only for tracks 1-4 and 10.Jay-Z and Kanye West Watch the ThroneI have just as mixed feelings about this album as the reviews. Sometimes it's brilliant, sometimes it's terrible, sometimes it's only carried by Jay-Z and Kanye's combined egos.rIt starts with 'No Church in the Wild', which is *fantastic*. Then 'Lift Off' which is not quite so. Then 'Niggas in Paris' comes in and it's deliciously pop, followed by 'Otis' which is a bit better. 'New Day' shows the duo laying out the lives they'd want their children to live, and many songs and a ridiculous amount of silence later, the album is over.rIt's such a strange event, listening to "Watch the Throne". It could have been so much better, but it seems like the two got carried away and felt that the fact that it was two legends rapping together would justify its existence. But the sparks of greatness that shine through on it are dimmed by the rest of it.Molly Hatchet Flirtin' With Disaster I was confused at first since I thought the 'Molly Hatchet' was the name of the singer, didn't realize it was a band. But nonetheless, awesome. There were only a couple tracks I thought were really awesome and worth keeping on my iPod (which is good, since I have limited space for songs), but still the rest were definitely great. I wish I had one with more than 6GB of space so I didn't have to cut songs like that. Whiskey Man, Boogie No More, Flirtin' with Disaster, and Long Time were the ones I decided to keep.Owl City Ocean EyesWhile 'Fireflies' has caused a lot of an it's-cool-to-hate-him towards Owl City's Adam Young, nobody bothers to listen to the rest of the album and realize how little he sounds like The Postal Service.rThat said, Ocean Eyes is far from a perfect album. It can't seem to find a sound it wants to use, and certain songs (such as 'Dental Care' or 'The Bird and the Worm') will only be loved by serious fans and a few others.rThe album's strength is in its production and in Young's unwavering heart in his music. It's clear this isn't manufactured pop (there's a reason 'Fireflies' was his only big hit) and the abstract lyricism will cause both massive fans and serious detractors.rAll-in-all, Ocean Eyes is a bit of a hit-or-miss album for most, but for me personally it was great. A step down from 2008's "Maybe I'm Dreaming", but still great.Savage Garden Truly Madly Completely: The Best of Savage GardenThis is the only experience I've had with Savage Garden, and it was a pretty nice one. There weren't a whole lot of songs on the album that stuck out to me, that I *had* to have, but the ones that did were fantastic. Tracks like "I Want You", "Truly Madly Deeply" and "Affirmation" make listening to it worth it. I think there'll be something here for everyone, one way or another, so if you like pop it's definitely something you should check out.The Killers Battle BornThis was simultaneously disappointing and awesome. Disappointing because most of it wasn't all that great. Awesome because when it was good it was very, very good. They seem to be really uneven when it comes to slower tracks, because it was higher-energy ones driven by energetic guitar riffs that shined the most. Runaways was just amazing, my favourite song off of it by far, followed by the title track. One good slow song that they did, though, was Heart of a Girl. It was simple and melodic. So hopefully they either work on their slow tracks or make sure to have the next album more filled with energy, because there's a lot of potential there.The Presidents of the United States of America The Presidents of the United States of AmericaSo...right from the first track I knew I was in for a really weird album. And it was a really weird album. A really weird awesome album. I think it was at its best with shorter songs where they just got to be weird and have that quick burst of energy, but overall the whole thing was just fun. I had a stupid smile on my face for a lot of them. Some of my favourites were Kitty, Lump, We Are Not Going to Make It, and Back Porch.Vintersorg The Focusing BlurThis was great! I didn't mind the growling on this one like I did on others, and the tracks deviated a lot more instead of having one sound throughout the album, which I loved. I even liked it when there was just talking over the music, the singer(?) has a really nice voice. Some of my favourites were A Sphere in a Sphere? (To Infinity), A Microscopical Macrocosm, Curtains, and Epilogue Metalogue - Sharpen Your Mind Tools. I really loved the names of some of the tracks, too. Microscopical Macrocosm is fun to say!3.0 goodBob Dylan TempestNow I was kind of excited for this for two reasons. One, I'd never really heard Bob Dylan before save for a song or two when I was younger, and I knew he's a legend and all. Two, the reviews were mostly praise. Now that I've finished it, though...I like the writing, but I'm not a big fan of Dylan's performance on it. The lyrics are incredible, as in seriously gripping (especially on Tin Angel, and Tempest), but his singing is just a bit too simple and predictable, same with the music. Once you've heard a couple bars, you know exactly how the rest of the song is going to flow and sound. Has his voice always been so raspy? He sounds like he's about to die at some points. I mean, the album's not horrible, I'd even say it's good because of the lyricism and delivery on some tracks, but overall...there's not much I'd want to listen to again. Really disappointing.Grimes VisionsWell, that was a let-down. I'd been all excited and waiting to get around to this because it was supposedly dark ambient/dreampop stuff. It was indeed, but most of it sounded like it was done by an amateur. Which it probably was, but it doesn't excuse the fact that a lot of the music sounded like basic default tools off of MixCraft or something. That said, not the whole album was bad, just 6 out of 13...which was a lot more than I expected. Some of the best, though, were more atmospheric ones like Circumambient, Colour of Moonlight (Antiochus), and Skin.Linkin Park Minutes to MidnightI only own this CD because a friend gave it to me for free. It should be noted that I really do not like Chester's screaming. I really enjoy his singing, but his screaming does not sound very good because he sounds so wimpy when he does it. Also to my displeasure, this CD is censored. I would much prefer if it was just Mike Shinoda rapping and Chester singing. As a whole I think the album's pretty mediocre, but I adore Shadow of the Day. I love the production and Chester's voice. Hands Held High is all Mike and is a nice downtempo rap song. Valentine's Day has a nice melody, this is the kind of rock they should do (and Breaking the Habit, love that song). Less screaming and growling and more singing and rocking out. All-in-all a pretty good album. Not anything amazing, but it's not horrible.Owl City Of JuneI think this album is a pretty good listen, but only a couple tracks really stand out?particularly 'Hello Seattle', 'Fuzzy Blue Lights' and 'Swimming in Miami'. It's a sign of things to come.rThe lyrics are typical Adam Young, wavering between poetic and abstract (often a combination of the two). For some people this is a turn-off, but I enjoy it quite a bit.rFor that reason, I give it a 3/5. It's soft, soothing, but clearly by an inexperienced artist. Yet at the same time, that gives it a bit of its own charm.Panic! at the Disco A Fever You Can't Sweat OutA Fever You Can't Sweat Out could have been really great if Panic! had waited. The problem is that their youth and lack of experience shows, big time. The instruments are all over the place, the production doesn't sound particularly great, but the biggest offender is Brendon's vocal work. To be completely frank, he sounds like a teen getting really into singing along with a song in the car. To be fair, that still sounds good with him, but it's a far cry from his voice in later work.rThere aren't many stand-out tracks on this record, but almost everything is at least a bit catchy. Panic!'s baroque style makes this more than just some amateur rock release, making sure it's at the very least still a good album.Panic! at the Disco Pretty. Odd.After "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out" Panic! picked the most baffling direction to move in possible. They'd set up a good alternative rock fanbase and showed that they weren't some throwaway act that was going to make generic rock songs for money. And then...they became The Beatles.rThat's not even a joke. "Pretty. Odd." is, at its heart, a Beatles homage. From the tongue-in-cheek attitude of the whole album to the catchy singalong sound to the baroque classical instrumentation, it's The Beatles. It's not bad, but it's not Panic!.rThere are some highlights?'Nine in the Afternoon' is a catchy, fun song, for example?but "Pretty. Odd." is mostly a strange chapter in the history of a talented band. It's not bad, it's not great, it's just 'Pretty. Good.'Two Door Cinema Club BeaconThis was better than I expected. It was disappointingly a step down from previous album Tourist History, but it was still a nice listen. Thankfully, rather than all the tracks being average, it varied more or less between meh songs and great ones, meaning I've still got some good tracks to take away from it. They've got a lot of potential that I hope they can put to good use in a future release, because as of yet they've failed to really utilize the talent they've got and, like I said, this was a step in the wrong direction. Better luck next time, I guess?2.5 averageCarly Rae Jepsen KissWhile the Curiosity EP showed potential, this is easily one of the most generic albums I've ever heard. It's pretty much all "poppy synths + crush/breakup/cute guy + catchy chorus = song". There were a couple alright parts, like Almost Said It, but for the most part I'm not impressed at all. She even took the best song from the EP, the title track Curiosity, and made it worse and more generic.Owl City All Things Bright And BeautifulIt was hard to give this a 2.5/5. Not because I think the album's amazing, but because the few songs on there that I really enjoy truly *are* amazing.r"All Things Bright and Beautiful" was step 1.5 of Owl City's departure from dreamy synthpop. 'The Real World' entices you into thinking otherwise, with beautiful abstract poetry about living in your imagination, but right after that 'Deer in the Headlights' hits you with a much more commercial approach to music. After that the album switches between rock, alternative rock, folk, dance, rap(???), and even ballads.rSadly, most of this album is very skippable. However, there are some real gems on here. 'The Real World' is gorgeous if you know what it's like to get lost in your imagination; Plant Life is mostly just Young and his piano, strewing about metaphors for being in a hopeless place and getting out; How I Became the Sea is pure abstract lyricism combined with beautiful production (plus an Ocean Eyes reference); and Shy Violet is...something else, but very enchanting.rMy recommendation would be to just listen to those songs. If you like them all, maybe check this album out. Otherwise...you could probably leave this one alone.2.0 poorOwl City Shooting StarI'd said before that Owl City is the opposite of calculated pop, and that "All Things Bright and Beautiful" was step 1.5 (continuing off of Ocean Eyes) in his move *towards* calculated pop. Well, this is where it becomes it.r'Shooting Star' is pure euro-dance pop, with generic lyrics about shining brighter than a shooting star, etc. Which is fine if you like that sort of thingr'Dementia' isn't terrible, but it's nothing special. Pop-rock with Blink-182's Mark Hoppus lending his vocals to it.r'Gold' is probably the most pure pop song on this album. Featuring all the clichés of a pop single (especially during the chorus) and simple lyrics.r'Take It All Away' is, however, the most boring. It brings nothing to the table.rThe most jarring change is that from abstract lyrics to really simple generic ones. And it's probably the worst. So for those reasons, this EP is not even worth a listen.Owl City The Midsummer StationWell, the worst has come to pass. I didn't particularly enjoy this album. There were two songs on it I thought were great, not a single one that I thought was more than that. The rest were what I was worried the whole album would be: generic dance/pop tracks with lyrics fit for radio consumption. Bleh. I tried really hard to give it a chance, but it's really not very good. The only stand-out tracks on it are Speed of Love and Silhouette. Actually, the iTunes version includes Bombshell Blonde, which is quite honestly incredibleness. I thought it'd be a generic throwaway bonus track, but holy shit. I've always wondered what it would sound like if Adam tried making dubstep, and Goddamn do I love the result. If he was going to change direction and style, why didn't he go this way?1.5 very poorDrake Thank Me LaterI was excited to hear this album at first because of all the acclaim Drake got in general. I was disappointed, though, because it sounds like he just casually drifted his way through this whole thing.rThe album is bogged down by filler and packing it on with guest stars as if that could save it. Where Drake should be defining himself as a rapper and showing audiences who he is, he spends most of the time playing second fiddle to other already-established rappers who flaunt themselves about.rIt was an incredibly disappointing release, and has not aged well in the slightest.
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