| Darren Hayes Secret Codes and Battleships | 4.0 |
| Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues | 3.5 |
| The National High Violet | 4.0 |
| Blonde Redhead Penny Sparkle | 4.0 |
Disliked it on the first play-through, the sounds seemed all to wash together. After hearing
it a few times its stuck in my head. Makino's vocals are as strong and ethereal as ever, but
the production and lyrics really put this album over the top. There are so many layers of
carefully constructed sound to delve into, and the dreamy atmosphere created by the hazy
vocals and lyrics create an immersive atmosphere I have not felt on any other album this
year. This is a cohesive, intricately crafted album that completes the evolution hinted on
23. Highly recommended.
Top Picks: My Plants Are Dead, Oslo, Penny Sparkle, Black Guitar |
| Alcest Écailles De Lune | 3.5 |
| Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend | 3.5 |
| Vampire Weekend Contra | 3.0 |
| Minus the Bear Omni | 2.5 |
| Harry Connick Jr. Blue Light, Red Light | 4.0 |
| Circa Survive Blue Sky Noise | 4.0 |
| Paul Dempsey Everything Is True | 4.0 |
| Bjork Medulla | 4.5 |
| Jeff Buckley Grace | 5.0 |
| Jeff Buckley Grace (Legacy Edition) | 5.0 |
| Bat For Lashes Two Suns | 4.0 |
| Muse Hullabaloo Soundtrack | 4.0 |
| Muse The Resistance | 3.5 |
| Shugo Tokumaru Exit | 4.0 |
| The Rural Alberta Advantage Hometowns | 4.5 |
| The Antlers Hospice | 4.0 |
| Grizzly Bear Veckatimest | 4.5 |
| Margot and the Nuclear So and So's Animal! | 4.0 |
| Margot and the Nuclear So and So's Not Animal. | 4.0 |
| Margot and the Nuclear So and So's The Dust of Retreat | 3.5 |
| Anohni and the Johnsons The Crying Light | 4.0 |
| Radiohead Amnesiac | 4.5 |
| Sholi Sholi | 5.0 |
| Sholi Dreams Before People | 4.5 |
| Fleet Foxes Sun Giant | 4.0 |
| Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes | 5.0 |
| Bjork Vespertine | 5.0 |
| Bjork Volta | 4.0 |
| Bjork Debut | 4.0 |
| Bjork Post | 5.0 |
| Thrice Vheissu | 4.5 |
| The Shins Oh, Inverted World | 5.0 |
| The Shins Chutes Too Narrow | 4.0 |
| The Shins Wincing the Night Away | 4.5 |
| Yes Close to the Edge | 5.0 |
| Arcade Fire Neon Bible | 4.0 |
| Arcade Fire Funeral | 5.0 |
| Frou Frou Details | 4.0 |
| The Blood Brothers Crimes | 4.0 |
| Radiohead OK Computer | 4.0 |
| Radiohead The Bends | 4.5 |
| Radiohead Kid A | 5.0 |
| Radiohead Hail to the Thief | 4.0 |
| Radiohead In Rainbows | 4.5 |
| Bright Eyes Fevers & Mirrors | 4.0 |
| Bright Eyes Lifted or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground | 4.0 |
| Bright Eyes Cassadaga | 4.5 |
| Bright Eyes I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning | 5.0 |
| Circa Survive Juturna | 3.5 |
| As Tall As Lions As Tall As Lions | 3.5 |
| Bjork Homogenic | 4.5 |
| The Blood Brothers ...Burn, Piano Island, Burn | 4.0 |
| Seal Human Being | 4.0 |
| Seal Seal II | 4.5 |
| Seal Seal | 5.0 |
| Seal Seal IV | 3.5 |
| Seal System | 3.5 |
| Kenna Make Sure They See My Face | 3.5 |
| Kenna New Sacred Cow | 4.0 |
| Savage Garden Affirmation | 3.5 |
| Savage Garden Savage Garden | 4.0 |
| The Mars Volta Amputechture | 4.0 |
| The Mars Volta Frances the Mute | 3.5 |
| The Mars Volta De-Loused in the Comatorium | 5.0 |
| Tears for Fears Elemental | 3.5 |
| System of a Down Steal This Album! | 3.0 |
| System of a Down Mezmerize | 4.0 |
| System of a Down Toxicity | 4.0 |
| System of a Down System of a Down | 3.5 |
| Porcupine Tree Lightbulb Sun | 4.5 |
| Porcupine Tree In Absentia | 4.5 |
| A Perfect Circle Thirteenth Step | 3.0 |
| A Perfect Circle Mer de Noms | 4.0 |
| Muse Showbiz | 3.5 |
| Muse Origin of Symmetry | 5.0 |
| Muse Absolution | 4.5 |
| Muse Black Holes & Revelations | 3.5 |
| Coldplay Parachutes | 4.0 |
| Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head | 4.0 |
| Coldplay X&Y | 3.5 |
| Coldplay Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends | 4.0 |
| Darren Hayes Spin | 3.0 |
| Darren Hayes This Delicate Thing We've Made | 4.5 |
| Brazil A Hostage and the Meaning of Life | 4.0 |
| Nightmare Of You Nightmare Of You | 3.5 |
| System of a Down Hypnotize | 3.5 |
| Bright Eyes Digital Ash in a Digital Urn | 4.0 |
| Lovedrug Pretend You're Alive | 4.0 |
| Imogen Heap Speak For Yourself | 4.0 |
| Circa Survive On Letting Go | 4.0 |
In my opinion this is an incredible album...much better than their debut.
The lyrics are excellent and thought-provoking (as always), Anthony Green's singing is far more impressive and ranged than the last album and anything hes done in Saosin/Sounds of Animals Fighting.
As far as song structure goes...the songs vary largely from each other...upon first listening things do sound a bit 'sameish'...the guitarwork still is largely very distorted (as they intended)...but theirs still a lot of good noodling (In The Morning/Amazing, The Greatest Lie, Kicking Your Crosses Down, and On Letting Go are very interesting) and melody is much more present than the last album.
Drumming is far better than Juturna and is quite good throughout...check out The Difference Between Medicine and Poison Is In The Dose.
Overall, this is an incredible album which I can recommend highly if your looking for something different too listen too or if you dig anything from Radiohead to The Mars Volta to The Shins.
+'s - Lyrics, Anthony Green's singing, far more varied and more melodious song structures than Juturna, Drumming, some excellent guitarwork.
-'s - Can seem 'sameish' on first listening, Guitarwork is often distorted/muddy,
Note: The entire album is streamed on the bands myspace.
Recommended Songs: In The Morning And Amazing, The Greatest Lie, The Difference Between Medicine And Poison Is In The Dose, Kicking Your Crosses Down, On Letting Go, Your Friends Are Gone
|
| Darren Hayes The Tension And The Spark | 5.0 |
