I had five of these to do, and here they are!
From bob.:
Jarboe - Anhedoniac
I listened to this album probably eight or nine times through, and enjoyed it thoroughly each listen. The overall tone on this album is overwhelmingly dark, resplendent with moments of complete horror in addition to times of exceptional beauty. Jarboe's vocal control and utilization of her voice is completely remarkable, going from a whisper to a snarl to more traditional vocal work with an expertise I have seldom heard from an individual artist. The instrumentation between Jarboe's exquisite vocal work is interesting, effective, and superb. Definitely a top notch album.
Lydia Lunch - Queen Of Siam
My first listen to this one wasn't a completely mind-blowing experience. I thought it was solid, but it didn't really seem to strike any particular chord with me. I put it aside for a few days, then listened to it once again and was almost surprised to note that my feelings towards the recording were much more positive the second time around. Lyrically, it really is a masterpiece. Musically, it is far more interesting than I gave it credit for on the first listen; the jazz sounds are perfectly layered within the songs, and it truly is a well done album as a whole. Songs like "Atomic Bongos" almost make me envision a smokey bar, an audience reeking of whiskey and cheap beer, all nodding their heads and watching Miss Lunch through the smokey haze in appreciation. Definitely some good stuff. I think I preferred the Jarboe album of those two, but this one is rapidly growing on me.
Current 93 - Imperium
I definitely enjoyed this album. While I do prefer
Crooked Crosses For a Nodding God over this one, I still very much appreciate it. Absolutely superb minimalist work, wonderful mood music, and lyrical godliness abound on this recording.
Current 93 - Earth Covers Earth
I do believe that this is my favorite Current 93 album I've heard, and I thank bob. so much for sending it to me! It's absolutely mind-blowing stuff. I've only listened to this one twice total, but I already know that I'll be listening to it a lot more. It's really a great album, and again, thank you for sending this to me, bob.!
Of the four you sent,
Anhedoniac and
Earth Covers Earth were definitely my favorites.
From James:
Karl Blau - Beneath Waves
Wow! This one, I am disappointed that I'd not heard up to this point in my life. Very interesting soundscapes on this album, perfect instrumental layering, and pleasing vocal delivery. Definitely an album I really got into. It's certainly more on the indie side of things, and that's not a bad thing in my book, particularly when it's this darn well done! "Into the Nada" and "Ode To the Ocean" certainly stand out to me as particularly superb tracks, along with the opening track "Crashing Waves" and the the closing track, "The Dark Magical Sea", this is a pretty exceptional album.
Thank you, James and bob.!
And sorry that it took me forever to get these write-ups done.