Recommend me some 2022 albums +1000th album halp

[Trogdor!!!!]

Re: Meh, let's do it again, this time for a year

After a cool opening track, this album is very meh.

Best Track: That first track
Rating: 5/10

This is exactly how I felt about it except replace the first track with Wave Step. The whole album feels really low quality, even for vaporwave standards.

[rayword45]

Re: Meh, let's do it again, this time for a year

Day 144: Cautella by Richard Devine (Album Choice: Contrapasso)

First off, NEVER download Super Media Converter. That program is pure ass malware. Screw you eHow.

Now, onto this album. If I'm correct this is my first flashcore album let's see if I like.

For a genre that's meant to be abrasive that was incredibly dull. A bunch of extratone drum patterns that quickly get repetitive on top of dark ambient backgrounds which are admittedly cool, but the lack of melody up until near the end on this album drags it down due to the sheer repetition of the songs. Perhaps melody isn't the point of flashcore, but then these drum patterns don't really seem that abrasive. Seriously, they're fast but they're also somehow kinda quiet and that is definitely not working to the albums' favor.

The dark ambient bits are quite nice and all, but the breaks do nothing for me. The album gets a bit better towards the end with more in the way of musical notes but only for so long before it's over.

Best Track: Timach, which also should've been where the album ended.
Rating: 5/10

[rayword45]

Re: Meh, let's do it again, this time for a year

Day 144: Cherry Bomb by Tyler, The Creator

Uh, yeah, I realize I'm probably about 3 years too old and 13 shades too dark for this album, but I gotta stay hip to the Hip Hop Circle Jerk, right?

Besides the rare female vocals, everything about this album is unfathomably awful. Fucking Young has some personal humor value for me, but the song itself is an abject failure on all levels possible. And that was probably the most redeeming moment.

Best Track: I Wanna Be BasedGod
Rating: 2/10

[rayword45]

Re: Meh, let's do it again, this time for a year

Day 146: A Thousand Suns by Linkin Park (Album Choice: SkullDevil)

Lemme admit my biases right now. I'm trying to get the shitty music out of the way on this flight to Puerto Rico.

That was ass.

Best Track: Well, the first two weren't necessarily GOOD but they were tolerable
Rating: 2/10

[rayword45]

Re: Meh, let's do it again, this time for a year

Day 147: Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey (Album Choice: Curly)

Yep, just getting through the ones I'm loath to listen to now. Not gonna have these lurking on my phone when I'm cruising.

Well, actually, I quite like this first song. My bias was and is based on my not huge fandom of her previous album, mainly due to the rather gross lyricism with such vivid prose as "My pussy tastes like Pepsi-Cola" and due to the fact that she can't rap. Putting my defenses up, that first problem isn't a misogynistic thing. I loathe Nickelback and The Weeknd too. The lyrics on this album are more of the same as last time. And being honest, the vocal performance is even more affected than the last album, which, no doubt about it, is still pretty damn grating. She's hitting more of the right notes this time, but what she now lacks in amateurishness (which I honestly believe can be a very charming trait, God make me project my own insecurities) she now more than fills the shitvoid with bombast and decadence.

What makes this album better than the last one? Mainly the production. Whereas the last album was bland chamber pop, this album is much dreamier. Everything is lush, laden with reverb and loaded with guitar licks lifted from equal parts Latin music and desert rock. Shame I couldn't find a synonymous genre for desert rock that started with L, alliteration game too weak. Not to forget, the orchestration on this album is syrupy as hell.

The overblown instrumentation has gotten this album a reputation as "theatrical", some calling it "Kubrick-esque". While it is definitely cinematic I wouldn't compare it to Stanley Kubrick. Those people just got lazy with the title. No, this album is far more akin to a made-for-TV collaboration between early David Lynch and John Waters. Smoky, noirish, but with a kitschy edge. I'm not sure if the camp factor was intentional, in fact I highly doubt it, but I don't care, it's the end result that matters, right? If I was rating solely by how seriously I can take the album, this would get a flat zero. As it stands though, it's both musically enjoyable and pretty funny.

And I don't think cheesy is necessarily an insult nor is it always a detractor. Sure, sometimes, such as the case with Bright Eyes or (shoot me) early Cocteau Twins, the ridiculousness can detract from the songs, but oftentimes unintentional humor derived from silly lyrics or overblown mood, like the works makes what would be an exercise in eye roll inducement far more enjoyable, like the best works of Dio. This albums falls squarely in the latter camp. I honestly would DESPISE this album if wasn't in a jaunty mood, because although instrumentation is okay (and only such), I'd fail to see the humor value and immediately write the whole thing off as a self-indulgent pile.

As it stands though, this album is actually pretty wonderful, as long as you look at it with satirical eyes. Color me somewhat impressed, and I'll admit to being somewhat wrong. I say somewhat because there's also a somewhat high chance that I'll never listen to this thing again, and I have to be somewhat cautious of what I doubt was a deliberate result.

But end product rules supreme.

Best Track: Toss up between Money Power Glory and The Other Woman, both are hilarious.
Rating: 7.5/10

[rayword45]

Re: Meh, let's do it again, this time for a year

Day 148: Because The Internet by Childish Gambino (Album Choice: Fresh)

My reluctance to do this one stems from the fact that Camp remains one of the worst goddamn rap albums I have ever heard. I dunno if that one is a 1/10 or a 2/10, but it's definitely not a 1.5/10 because something that unfathomably awful needed a solid number rating. That didn't make much sense... I'm going with 1/10. I do like the juvenile humor of Derrick Comedy though. Lowbrow skits that represents early YouTube strikingly well in their 240p glories.

Every time this album has a good line, 6 or 7 cringeworthy lines accompany it, along with far more lines that don't affect (as most lines, so that's not a complaint moreso than a plain fact). The lyrics aren't as glaringly awful as Camp, but I'd rather listen to something I enjoy (another plain fact). Delivery does not interest me. Most of these beats are trash as well, all this instrumentation is blatantly attempting to be fresh and interesting while completely failing. Sometimes I think the beats are vaporwave songs,* but that doesn't have the camp appeal nor the dream appeal. And then you realize that the music was genuinely composed for purposes outside of hotel lounges and weather channels.

I just recognized 3005. That is an awful song.

Crawl, No Exit and Zealots of Stockholm are the tracks I found to be enjoyable, especially the first one. Those tracks all exert a certain agressiveness that wonderfully compliments their electronic backgrounds. Unfortunately, every other track that attempts to be menacing comes off as corny. And every track that tries to be introspective, world-weary, playful or worst of all romantic comes off as shudderingly awful. And that makes up the majority of this hour long album.

Nope. Me no rikey.

Best Track: Crawl
Rating: 3/10

[rayword45]

Re: Meh, let's do it again, this time for a year

Day 149: I Love You by The Neighbourhood (Album Choice: Trevor P.)

I keep rolling along
Deep in my heart is a song
Here on the ranch I belong
Drifting along the Tumblr Tumbleweeds

Best Track: Alleyways
Rating: 5/10

[rayword45]

Re: Meh, let's do it again, this time for a year

Day 150: Terrorhawk by Bear Vs Shark (Album Choice: Xtreme2252)

99 percent of bands labeled post-hardcore that formed in the 21st century are objectively awful.

I'm not quite so sure that this is objectively awful. It probably isn't, thanks to a decent amount of Fugazi worship. That screaming is grating as hell though, and things don't stay that interesting for very long.

No Best Track for you.

Rating: 5/10

[rayword45]

Re: Meh, let's do it again, this time for a year

Day 151: Harmony In Ultraviolet by Tim Hecker (Album Choice: EzExZeRo7497)

My fairly decent vacation is coming to a close very soon and I need some catharsis to top it off. I chose this because I saw it described as cathartic.

Actually that's a partial lie, I rang up like 8 albums on random.org (including this one) a couple of weeks ago and this one happens to look like it's potentially cathartic. Plus I have about an hour before it's time to head to the airport.

That was good. That was very good, without a single boring second. However, whoever called this cathartic needs to be shot. This music is equal parts stress and fever dream, and it is certainly not emotion purging nor a good vacation ender.

But a good album nonetheless.

Best Track: Whitecaps of White Noise and I'm counting both parts as one song
Rating: 8.5/10

[rayword45]

Re: Meh, let's do it again, this time for a year

Day 152: Illinois by Sufjan Stevens

Drifting along the Tumb- nah I'm not gonna abuse that non-joke in the same week. Besides this is far more Pitchfork than Tumblrcore so that doesn't even make sense. Man I suck.

The peoples say I'll like this album even if Carrie and Lowell brought about equal parts anger and narcolepsy for me. Should I trust the peoples? The same peoples who said "Smashing Pumpkins are a quality band" and "if you like Neutral Milk Hotel then you'll LOVE Bright Eyes" and more crap that ended up being wrong? I dunno I'm just venting for filler.

And this is certainly different. Is this supposed to be ironic? I'm not trying to be negative or anything, but this is so ridiculously overdone it seems like it's meant to be something along the lines of Frank Zappa. It's not bad so far, I'm neither angry nor bored so that's a plus.

There are some moments of glistening beauty where the whispery pretty boy vocals work perfectly. There's an equal amount of moments that seem awfully smirky. For example, no indie folky singer-songwriter ever needs

-High school choirs
-Banjos accompanied by high school choirs
-Lyrics about murdering Native Americans accompanied by high school choirs
-Song titles that exceed 50 words in length
-22 goddamn tracks
-A 40 second track dedicated to isolating and repeating the string section from the prior song (and if it's meant to be a coda it's a sucky coda)
-A 6 second track that consists of applause (actually, nobody ever to exist needs that)

On the other hand, if he's not taking himself too seriously, his irony is superfluous to what are some amazingly gorgeous and/or catchy tunes, and I'm impressed with anyone who can write a song about Religious teenager sexual tension without making me want to die.

I want to judge this album differently if he's being sincere or if he's just pissing out some wimpy hipster jokes, but then I don't know which one is worse. And besides, I shouldn't let the artist affect my perception of the art. Except in the case of Billy Corgan. Screw Billy Corgan.

So, for what it is, this album has maybe 40 percent moments of stunning beauty and then a bunch of filler or songs that are impossible to do anything but groan at. That 40 percent is really good though. Peaks or consistency?

Well, it certainly surpasses both Carrie and Lowell and that atrocious cover art. Also, I realize I'm very likely to return to this. I'll be generous.

Best Track: Jacksonville
Rating: 7/10

[rayword45]

Re: Meh, let's do it again, this time for a year

Day 153: Karuki Zamen Kuri No Hana by Shiina Ringo (Album Choice: Lord of Sushi)

I've always prefered coffee.

Best Track: ha
Rating: 2/10

[rayword45]

Re: Meh, let's do it again, this time for a year

Day 154: In Absentia by Porcupine Tree (Album Choice: noname219)

I am currently sweltering in a car in the middle of a parking lot with no water. Somebody save me. My battery is running oh so low. Guess I'll listen anyways.

A good chunk of this album is prog metal which sounds meh.

And another good chunk sounds like a meh version of Grandaddy.

IT'S TOO HOT IN HERE.

Best Track: Collapse The Light Into Earth
Rating: 6/10

[rayword45]

Re: Meh, let's do it again, this time for a year

Day 155: Immunity by Jon Hopkins (Album Choice: Trogdor!!!)

Music for airplanes. Or so I hope.

That was okay dance music. Maybe better with the 3rd relisten.

Best Track: Immunity
Rating: 6.5/10

[Surt]

Re: Meh, let's do it again, this time for a year

Have a few suggestions:

かめりあ (Camellia) - [diffraction]
Metome - Phreatic Surface
mouse on the keys - an anxious object
Azargabra - Zebrafish
t+pazolite - 異聞伝承アラカルト (Ibun densho A la carte)
Arts The Beatdoctor - Lost Track of Time; Unreleased 2002-2012 (highly recommend for nighttime listening)
Caravan Palace - Panic
Hifana - 24H (spotify version is missing a track)

[rayword45]

Re: Meh, let's do it again, this time for a year

Day 155: Trans-Europe Express by Kraftwerk

Stuck in a cramped car again with spine problems from sitting too much.

I almost wrote album choice then realized this is my own choice. Soon I'm gonna listen to the Grandaddy discography minus The Sophtware Slump.

This album mostly sucked. No good hooks like The Model, thus any attempts at pop songs were ass (making the whole first side redundant). Nothing really atmospheric, and things got quite repetitive. A disappointment.

Best Track: Franz Schubert
Rating: 4/10