The "Recommended by" thread
 

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An idea I had, based on a post in Briks' journal this week. Everyone gets recs from people but how do they turn out? Do you even listen to the albums/tracks that are recommended to you? And who is the best, for want of a better word, recommender?

Here I'd like to place any albums or music I've seen recommended and my thoughts on what I thought of it. Once I get a chance I'm planning to listen to that Harmony album Ki recommended and also the ambient one off Anteater's list, forget the name but he was really enthusiastic about it.

In the meantime, this is a thread for anyone to post so go ahead. Just make sure you say who recommended the music to you, give them credit (or blame!) --- you can review, comment, throw in a few lines but I'd ask for no one-Youtube posts. Write a little about the music, let us know how you felt about it. A YT won't do that, as it will affect people differently. So it's your reactions I'd like to see here, if anyone wants to do that.

If not, I'll be back with my first review in a few days.

I think this is a good spot for me to (once again) thank Surrell for getting me into Animal Collective back in June and, by extension, several other current bands.

This was the song that first got my attention.

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Goofle got me into this album and it pushed me to expand my tastes into hip hop. Gave some other great recommendations as well such as Madvillainy and Labor Days that really helped me get into the genre.

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Okayyy then, guess it'll just be me. Not a problem.
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David Helpling and John Jenkins --- Found --- Recommended by Anteater

I really liked this album. I mean, a lot. It's got a whole lot going for it, though as ever the problem with purely instrumental albums is they often fail to keep the interest. My problem is that generally music like this is laidback and relaxing, so I tend to, well, lay back and relax. This often means I fall asleep, which is no bad reflection on the music, but does make it hard to review!

I've listened to this several times now (fell asleep once) and as I say I really like it. However I don't really feel the same love for it that Anteater does. He put this at number four on his albums of 2013, but it would not be so high on mine, had I made one: I'm not even sure it would be on it.

It's not that it's not a good album; it certainly is. But is it any better than, say, Carbon Based Lifeforms, Dreamfire, or even Caves of Glass's debut which I reviewed last year? Hell, even solo instrumentalist Illusive Mind's "Alternating scenes" can claim to be as good as this. And again, I'm not putting the album down, but I just don't see where the one who munches small insects is getting all this enthusiasm for it. But of course, taste is relative and personal. I like it, but I don't love it. Well maybe I do love it. But I don't think it's any better than a dozen instrumental albums I've heard this year.

There's some great percussion on it, which really gets the attention, and the musicianship is flawless throughout. There are big cinematic epics like “Edge of tomorrow” , a Floydian opening circa “Dark side” but the larger percentage of the album is made up of quieter, gentler tracks such as “Through and through” and the lovely “Only ashes”. Still, there's nothing to me really stands out head and shoulders here. This is, I think, the fifth time I've played it though and while I really do like it, I don't see myself constantly returning to it. I had hoped, on the basis of Ant's writeup, to have “found” (sorry!) something totally amazing, and while it is a great album and I like it a lot, it's not amazing. It's just really good.

But so are a lot of albums I've listened to this year.

Rec Rating: a solid 7, but I had expected more. Nevertheless, I trust Ant so I will be returning to some of his recs later, with hopefully more success.

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Desert call --- Myrath -- Recommended by Ki

This was recommended to me by Ki about a year or more ago, but I never got around to listening to it. When he featured it in his journal I thought I may as well have a shot at it. When it started I was impressed/dismayed to find it was not in English, but I thought that at least makes it different, and they are from Tunisia! However shortly after the opening "chant" or whatever it became English, so the "mystery", as it were, was lost.

Sadly, from that point on it was strictly a case of meh for me. I listened, expecting to hear what Ki had heard, how this had impressed him, but I failed. It's not, again, that it's a bad album, but to me it's just ok. I don't really like the singer: I find him a little lost in the mix most of the time, and the music is pretty generic prog metal. It's good, but that's about it.

Halfway through the album and I still couldn't honestly point to anything I would remember later. The ballad "Memories" was a nice change, and I liked "No turning back", then the closer was a bit of all right again. But nothing I would go mad over.

In the end, very very generic despite the little eastern tinge in their music. I respect Ki immensely and would never laugh at his choice or say he was wrong. If he loves this album he's obviously hearing something I can't. But for my money, Orphaned Land do this a thousand times better. Not one I'll be coming back to, I'm afraid.

Rec Rating: A low 5. Sorry Ki.:shycouch:

Ah...did I seem overly enthusiastic in my review? As with anything, the level of immediacy an album has will vary between listeners methinks. This is especially true of instrumental stuff, because we are all drawn to different aesthetics and patterns. Something that appeals immediately to me may take you 20 listens to see where I'm coming from, and vice versa. :)

Nice review in any case. I think I have a more emotional connection with Found because its the third album in a trilogy that David Helpling & Jon Jenkins started back in 2006. So, in that regard, my enthusiasm from it stems partly because these two guys have a fairly unique sound when they're working together (they both do work in television & film music, but have different approaches) and partly because I'm glad they've completed the cycle of music they started together after nearly a decade of writing and collaboration. :D

Not a problem, TH! Half the battle is giving an album a shot. I'm always a bit over the top when it comes to albums that I like because well...they're albums that I like. It's of course not everybody's cup of tea.

Well, this one wasn't a direct recommendation, but since Trollheart gave it such a good review I thought I'd check it out and then give my own impressions. :afro:

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Hypothetical --- Threshold -- Recommended by Trollheart

In all honesty, even as someone who thoroughly enjoyed the first few Threshold albums and then 2012's March Of Progress, I've never really taken the time to get into the albums they did with vocalist "Mac" McDermott. I had heard songs from albums like Clone from 1998 and Dead Reckoning from 2007 but wasn't really drawn in by the material.

Much to my surprise, 2001's Hypothetical seems to be the album I really needed to hear from the "Mac" lineup. Even after only a few run throughs I'm convinced this is one of the best progressive metal albums of the last twenty years or so. All of the songs are interesting and don't overstay their welcome with needless noodling, especially opening cut 'Light And Space' and the moody but fantastically constructed 'The Ravages Of Time'. Despite being constructed to where each song sort of leads into the next one, no two songs are in the same key or built too similarly. In particular, I love the keyboard runs from Richard West throughout: he does just enough to embellish the songs with atmosphere without going into tedious Keith Emerson levels of wankery.

In any case, I think I may actually like this one overall more than March Of Progress, and that particular release was a prog-metal monster of pure awesome. I'm always a big advocate of albums in this genre that put the songs before everything else, and that makes it easy for a new listener to jump right in too. A pleasant discovery to be sure, so thanks for bringing it to my attention TH!

Rec Rating: 9/10

Hey man you're more than welcome! Delighted you liked it and stoked that someone actually posted one of my recs! :tramp:

And now, back to The Worker Bee...
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Epicloud --- The Devin Townsend Project --- Recommended by Ki (God bless 'im!)

I knew, and to some extent still know, very little about Mr Townsend, but even to someone like me it's obvious the man is either as much a workaholic as Ki, or has one or two clones running about. You just seriously can't release that much material and be human, can you?

But Ki had been raving about this and it had been sitting on my computer for some time before I decided what the hell, I'll see what all the fuss is about ho hum.

I began sitting on my bed and suddenly found myself in the neighbour's garden, wondering how I got there and who would have to pay for the broken window! Yeah, I was completely blown away!

The thing about this album is --- and I know it's a cliche but it's true --- there's not one bad track on it. Not only that, every successive track is better than the one that preceded it. You wait in a sort of mounting sense of dread as it goes on. You love it, are in love with it, but you know --- you just know --- there's a turkey coming somewhere. But you'll forgive DT because the rest is so awesome. So where is the turkey? That track was amazing, that one was double-amazing. That has to be the standout -- no, the next one --- no, the NEXT one!

And on it goes. And the album runs out finally and there is no turkey in sight. Every single track is a gem. From the Queen/Steinman tiny but punchy opener "Effervescent" (well named because this album fizzes, pops and buzzes!) to the closer there's no way to choose a best track, because it's every track. Cliches would abound if I really got into it, but there's really only one cliche I care to use, and seems to fit: you NEED to hear this album! Like now! Beg, borrow, steal it or ask me for it! If you're really brassic someone has kindly uploaded the whole album to YouTube I see! It won't quite change your life, but it sure will make it seem oh so much sweeter!

If you really pushed me, I mean if you stuck a Glock in my mouth and said you had better come up with some favourite tracks or you'll be looking for a new head, then, "Lucky animals", a stomping rock rhythm if there ever was one, the almost pop/AOR "Save our now", pure rock opera goodness "Liberation", heads-down rockout Heaven where Devin almost channels, er, Noddy Holder (!) and pulls Meat Loaf along for the motorbike ride, the swaying power ballad "Where we belong", where you can just see the crowd filling the stadium with lighters and waving their arms, the anthemic "Angel", surely the best closer to an album that you wonder how it could end any better than it's been so far -- look, you could literally drop your stylus anywhere on this record (old codger reference # 1,490) and love what you hear. There is no point at which this album should be or can be skipped. It's bursting with the kind of quality I haven't seen in a very very long time. I literally can say nothing bad about it, except that it has the bad taste to not last forever.

Rec Rating: A perhaps unbelievable but very deserved 10/10. Honestly, if I could flout the laws of mathematics I'd give it an eleven. Really.

Thanks Ki! I'll forever be in your debt for pointing me in a direction I'd have been unlikely to have headed on my own.

^Man, TH! I'm very happy to hear how much you enjoyed it. it's one of my all time favorites of his.

Oh it is friggin' amazing Ki! Like the first album in years (other than the next one coming up, again kindly rec'd by Ant) where I've literally sat talking to myself going "I love this album! How can this be so good??"

Oh, and I've just heard the extra demos on the second CD for the first time. Even they're excellent! Jesus! I may just be in love with this guy! I hope I don't find out this was one diamond in a pile of fake pearls! Is the rest of his stuff this good? You are required to say yes or I may have to kill myself in disappointment. And then you. No, that wouldn't work. Other way round.
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^His other work is pretty fantastic as well. Epicloud I dare say is not even his best album, though it's certainly a great one to start. He goes into many different modes with his music;

For example, with Ki and Ghost, he's more mellow and smooth:



And then we have his heavier side with Deconstruction and of course, Epicloud:



And there's still so much more, like with his solo project titled Devin Townsend, there's albums like Ziltoid The Omniscient, Physicist, and Ocean Machine.

Then we have his other project "The Devin Townsend Band" who have only released two albums, one of which is a personal favorite, Synchestra:



Now if you really want his older stuff, check out Strapping Young Lad. He's the lead vocalist/growler in that project.

It's hard to say for me personally which I choose as my favorite Devin Townsend album as it changes constantly depending on my mood. He's a master of his own craft and it shows throughout his entire catalog. It's worth a look through, that's all I can say, really.

Love the write up on Epicloud TH. I was introduced to Devin a couple years ago while being a contributing member to an Album of the Month club (I believe our member Ki was a part of that too). It was when I first heard "Ki" by Devin and I have been enamored by the man ever since, and my infatuation grew even stronger when I found out he sang for Steve Vai which pretty much fueled what we hear from him today.

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The tall ships --- It Bites --- Recommended by Anteater

It may seem like everything I'm posting here is recommended by two people, and to some extent it is, but nobody has really recommended anything else to me at least that I can remember. If anything comes to mind I will post it. Actually, now I think of it as I'm typing this there were a few from The Batlord, so I'll try to include one of those next.

For now, this was It Bites' first album in almost two decades, such a long gap that you could be forgiven for thinking they had split up. In some ways they had. Original singer and guitarist Francis Dunnery had left, and he was the heart and soul of the band. He was eventually replaced (after being asked back and hmming and hawing over it) by John Mitchell, late of Arena, Kino and Frost* among others, and the band has never sounded better.

I've already extensively reviewed this in my journal, and it featured in the Prog Rock Album Club --- which was where the rec from Ant came from --- so I won't go into it in too much detail here, except to say that if you approach this album with an open mind you may be surprised. Like already-featured "Epicloud" above, this album just gets better with every track. Unlike Devin's effort though, it is very slightly let down by the odd below-par track, but only one or maybe two.

It Bites have always described themselves as "Progressive Pop", and that's what you get here in abundance: hooky melodies that could easily grace any airwave, while still retaining the prog rock goodness we all love. Closer "This is England" clocks in at nearly fourteen minutes, while "The wind that shakes the barley" is over eight, so there's no shortage of epics. But it's in shorter, snappier songs like "Ghosts", the opener "Oh my God", "Lights" and "The memory of water" that this album really shines.

My favourite though is the title track; just can't praise it enough. A celtic-infused melody with a hook to die for and some sterling axework from Mitchell, it's the jewel in this gem-laden crown. And that's to say nothing of the ballads which flow as easily as water over stones in a gentle brook, all ushered on by Mitchell's underappreciated vocal talents. Just special.

If you thought "It Bites" were all about "Calling all the heroes", or you have never heard of them or never tried their music, this is the album that could very well convert you. The comeback of all comebacks, as far as I'm concerned. As I featured in my journal, "Gobsmacked."

Rec rating: 9.5/10 (only fails to get full marks because of a few tiny little niggles that aren't an issue with "Epicloud")

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Listening to because: http://www.musicbanter.com/album-rev...ml#post1400194

It's not so much a recommendation as it is finding it in someone's thread and listening to it. Though, I give credit to Anteater for posting about the album, because as much as I did know they did release a new album, I never got around to listening to it. Seeing him put it in a list of top albums made me want to listen to it.

Being one of the few Queensryche fans at this forum, I figured it'd be a good idea to finally give this a listen, and what a fantastic album it is. Right away, you know that you're listening to a Queensryche album and not some try hard wishy washy prog album that sounds like everything else. The vocalist is Todd La Torre on this album, and as much as I like Geoff Tate a lot more, he really does add his own individuality on this album, and it's done in a way that makes it sound fresh and new, but still remaining to keep that good ol' QR sound. The guitarist puts so much into what he wants to portray on this album in a way that he sounds heavier than ever, at least in my opinion. I mean, the opening chord to this song really shows what to expect:



Coincidentally, I found Spore to be the stand out track to me as it really has that great chorus I look for in a progressive metal album. However, that's not saying the rest of the album sucks, it's fantastic. It's a beautifully crafted progressive metal album. Definitely a step forward for Queensryche, and i'm interested to hear more of Todd La Torre, because if he keeps the sound that he has on this album, i'll be far more open minded with him.

Fantastic album, Anteater. I know you didn't recommend this directly, but I see why this made your list.

Rating: 8.5/10

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Random access memories --- Daft Punk --- Recommended by everyone

Yeah yeah I know: it's about bloody time you old progger you! Get with the program etc. First of all, I know or knew nothing of this band, second all I heard (other than knicker-melting praise from every quarter) was that it used a lot of vocoders and was like seventies disco, two things I do not like. So I thought it ain't for me. You all probably know by now I'm not one to just jump on the bandwagon and say I like an album just because everyone else digs it (cough) Loveless (cough)!

But flash forward a few months and I'm watching TV and an ad comes on for this album. They play "Get lucky" and I think hell that ain't bad at all! So I take the chance and download the album and ... well, read on.

The thing that perhaps got me over my hatred of vocoders was listening to YorkeDaddy's album, "Frownland". When I listened to the opener on this I just sort of thought of "Welcome to the party" (whaddya mean, you haven't heard cloudcover's album yet? Get to their website asap!) and things began to slot into place. I really enjoyed the first track and then was surprised at how mellow it all went. I was expecting dancy, disco vibes and what I got, er, wasn't. It was all a lot slower, mostly, and more ambient than I had been prepared for.

Even the faster tracks, such as "Lose yourself to dance" and of course "Get lucky" I found I really liked, though you can keep "Doin' it right", and as for "Giorgio by Moroder"? Come on: the idea's cool but do you really want to hear our Giorgio talk about his dreams about being a musician and how he discovered synthesisers when you're playing the album for the eleventh time? It wears real old real quick. The problem is that the music backing it is so good that I can't just skip it. Bah. Maybe there's some way to strip out his vocal?

Everything else I like, and this is, rather belatedly admittedly, becoming one of my most spun albums of the last week or so. I love the closer too: the energy and sense of fun in "Contact" is just a perfect one to end on. Overall I'm extremely impressed, and though as I say I held out for a good while I'm now down with all you guys and girls and may even buy a robot mask.

Note: I will not be buying a robot mask.

Rec rating: 9/10 (Only loses out because of Giorgio bloody Moroder and his waffling....)

^That quickly got onto my top list for 2013 upon first hearing it. Lose Yourself To Dance slowly became my favorite track off the album. I just find that the first track really opens up what the whole album is about. "Give Life Back To Music". I mean, you can't be any more straight-forward than that. Really happy to see someone as yourself enjoy what it has to offer as it really impressed a lot of people with how they conveyed the whole 70's/80's era while still maintaining the good ol' Daft Punk sound that we all have come to know and love. Although I know you aren't too familiar with the duo, you should listen to more of their stuff. Truly fantastic music. Anyway, good review :)

Glad you dug it amigo! Keep your ears to the ground if you like what La Torre brings to the QR table, because they're already recording for the next album...and based on the info they've released, it's going to be a doozy. :D

P.S. Daft Punk are schmexay

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... And the cannons of destruction have begun --- Warlord --- Recommended by The Batlord

I'm currently sitting in a chair with my foot raised and bandaged, in a cast. Why> I'll tell you why. Because in his journal, said Batlord enthused so much over this album that he said I should drop whatever I was doing and check it out. Trusting his recs I hastened to do so, unfortunately the thing I was doing at the time was transporting some heavy paving slabs. Dropping one on my foot has, however, given me the opportunity to listen to this find that so impressed he who sits on the Bat-throne. So, was it worth it? Let's see. And may I say also, ow?

The first thing I noticed was a decent atmospheric build up but it's very overblown; not so much portentous and pretentious --- and yes, I know making that comparison is the height of pretension anyway, but I doubt the universe will implode just yet --- bringing us into the real opening track. Now it's good, heads-down heavy metal with a lot of melody, but there's just one thing bugging me about it: it follows a little too closely the melody and riffs from Gary Moore's "End of the world", and that was released two years prior. Don't believe me? Have a listen.
(Check from about 2:10 on)

I'm not saying they're exactly the same but there are definitely correlations with the melodies and riffs. Coincidence? Maybe. But these guys are the band Doomsword worship and model themselves on, and to quote The Batlord, Doomsword rock! So surely it'll pick up, yes? Well let's see.

So it's a good track but the similarities are too much for me to believe Warlord have not been listening to "Corridors of power" in their spare time. Then they go all Bon Jovi with "Lost and lonely days". Again, listen to this track from the New Jersey lads' self-titled debut, which was at least released the same year so I won't accuse them of copying Jon and the boys, but again it's close and a little uncomfortably so.


And so we're on to "Black mass", with a suitably Sabbath doomy opening but which quickly switches up into a cross between Ten and Manowar. Nothing wrong with any of these tracks but they're hardly coming across as original. Plus the production is awful. Where did they record this: someone's bathroom? The vocalist often sounds flat and the music seems almost muffled at times. "Aliens" is laughable. It's just terrible, almost like a metal band doing a song about aliens because they feel they should. I laughed at Neonfly's "I think I saw a UFO" last year, but this is worse.

Luckily, they rescue it at the death. For the last two tracks, one of which is split into an instrumental called 1984 (but in Roman numerals) and the other half is, as His Batness reminded us, a song that was covered by Hammerfall, "Child of the damned", and it's pretty damned good. The closer is "Deliver us from evil", the last of four tracks that appear on their original EP, so named, and it's brilliant, a great closer.

So then, what do we have? A band who Batty now worships but I see a lot of flaws in. Basically, they seem not to really know what direction they want to go in --- the keyboard intro to "Soliloquy" is almost AOR or even pop, but I'll be kind and say it's symphonic rock/metal --- with pretty dull and flat production and certainly enough self-belief to equip the armies of four continents, plus the talent to back it up. But songs that do not in my opinion display their expertise to its fullest. I say again, "Aliens". Good god.

I have to admit, I expected a whole lot more given the trouser-creaming comments of The Batlord, but as for me, with this album my own skirt is very much still in place and I doubt I'll be pushing further into their short discography. Or if I do it'll be via Spotify. I bought this album --- only cost 35 cents, and who is gonna miss 35 cents? --- as I wanted to give it a few spins before making my decision and I also expected it to be one I would want to keep playing. I'm not saying it was money wasted...

Anyway, that's how I feel about this album. No doubt Batty will call me a stupid clueless little girl, but despite expecting it to be really something of a revelation I'm left with mostly a sense of meh.

And may I also add once again, ow!
Sorry Bats!
:shycouch:

Rec rating: rather surprisingly to me, all I can muster is a tentative 6/10

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Chasing locusts --- Strawfoot --- Recommended by Goofle

As ever, I'm a magpie and I love cool covers and cool names. When I saw this mentioned in Goofle's journal and heard it was "gothic country" I had to have a listen. I've only heard it through the once, but there are only three words I can now use to describe this album, and quite possibly this band:

DAMN GOOD FUN!

Chock-full of fiddles, pedal steel and harmonicas, it opens like one of those old western movies, like something the cowboys would sing as they rode across the plains in search of cattle, or possibly a career, or waited for a train to rob. Then it just jumps into a rip-roarin' fest of reels, jigs, barn and sqaure dances and hoedowns and just about everything else associated with country and maybe folk. I don't to be honest see the gothicity in it; seems pretty upbeat to me. But then I haven't really paid too much attention to the lyrics and this is my first listen, so perhaps on further spins (which there will certainly be) I may change my mind. Kind of puts me in mind of what Nick Cave would sound like if he made a Country album...

The voice of founder and singer Marcus Eder, also known as the Dapper King of Libertine, fits these songs perfectly, and I think it's so cool that Wiki tells me he's some distant relation to Mark Twain. How much more "Southahn" can you get?

I would single out favourite tracks but as I say I've only heard it the once, but there's nothing here I don't like. Great rec Goof! Have to start paying more attention to your journal in terms of the actual music. :thumb:

Rec rating: gotta be in the area of 8/10, and may increase after I've listened a few more times. Now to un-Spotify this and go buy the thing!

If you're interested in the genre, some asshole made a thread about it yonks ago.

Thanks Pete. I'll definitely have a look at that. Probably check out more of Strawfoot's stuff first though. Man, I really liked that! :thumb:

Although I started this thread as a way for people to talk about the albums that were recommended to them, I don't suppose it would do any harm to drop in the odd rec from time to time, so here are two for Anteater, since he seems to like good ambient instrumental music.
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Final breath --- Break my fucking sky --- Recommended for Anteater

I have no idea who these guys/girls/this guy/girl is/are but he/she/they have crafted an album of sheer brilliance here, with catchy melodies, luxurious soundscapes and a real feel for something special happening. If you liked "Found" so much man you should love this!

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Caves of Glass --- Caves of Glass --- Recommended for Anteater

Not entirely instrumental but mostly, with some pretty cool metal licks added in. Bit of an unsettling vocal but it sort of fits in a weird way. Certainly different.

Lemme know what ya think ok?

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Canyon candy --- Javelin --- Recommended by Junkyard Donner

Having listened to, and enjoyed, as above, Strawfoot I thought this would be a good way to continue my odyssey into a different side of Country Music. I remembered Steph posting about this in her journal a little while back and thought I'd give it a go. Started off well, with "Fievel goes west" sounding very, er, western-y, and then "Cowpoke" was good too, but a little bit in they started using these bloody phased samples --- I don't know what you call them: where the sound seems to come and go and warp, stop and start, that sort of thing ---which quickly becomes very annoying.

It's not the worst album, but it soon becomes apparent these guys are not serious and are just arseing around. Look, maybe they are serious but they don't come across that way. To me, this sounds like some college kids who broke into a studio on the way home from some frat party and decided to see what they could create with the equipment there. It's got a vaguely western/cowboy theme but it's very heavy-handed in nature, with lots of pedal steel, fiddles and sounds of horses walking, plus those deep-voiced vocals many Country singers utilise.

It's clever in its way, but it starts to become a case of Javelin beating you over the head with their "cleverness" and it wears old rather rapidly. By halfway through the album I had decided to give it up but persevered to the end just so I could say I did. But it's honestly at times like listening to parts of the soundtrack to every old cowboy movie you ever saw. Doesn't help that the tracks all come in around one to two minutes long, so any decent ideas don't hang around long enough to develop into anything.

I know Steph loved this, but well maybe it sounds better when you're drunk. I'm not drunk. I'm just glad I Spotified this, because if I had paid for it, no matter how little, it would have been too much. There's such a thing as being too clever guys. Not for me.

Rec rating: Honestly I can only manage a poor 4/10, and that's being generous. Won't be listening to this again.

After reading your review I decided to try listening to this album for maybe the 4th or 5th time ... and it still doesn't work for me. I really just don't get it. It's like being transported back to somewhere in the 70's or 80's (depending on the song) and getting some second-rate band played in a cheap club.

What am I missing. :confused:

You are supposed to look at it like a journey through time for dance music starting up in late 70s and working it's way up to a glimpse of the future that's what you get from the last track Contacts.

Personally I don't go that deep. My own criteria is and has always been that if I enjoy an album, like the music and end up often singing the songs in my head, it's a hit with me. Doesn't really matter what anyone else says or thinks of it. Could be the most popular album on the planet or I could be the only person who even knows of its existence (cough) Erinsaga (cough) --- I'm happy once I like it. Sometimes people make these things too complicated. I'm a simple kind of guy...

Music touches people in different ways. Some people end up liking albums for their lyrical content or the overall theme of the album while others just like a few songs here and there that are catchy and sticks with them similar to what you said.

I don't feel like it's a complicated/simplicity thing. It's just subjective and listeners take away from it whatever they want.

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Indirectly recommended by Trollheart

I've seen TH endorsing this album multiple times, including this thread but also in one of his journals I believe. It was difficult for me to find, but based on the descriptions Trollheart wrote of the album I just had to find it and give it a shot. I was not disappointed.

This is just a gorgeous album. I love the hell out of piano-based post-rock, and this does it almost perfectly. The album by this person/band/whoever (it's basically impossible to find info about this artist!) does nothing groundbreaking by any stretch, it just serves to be a peaceful, beautiful work of art.

I gotta give it a 9 out of 10 if I'm being honest. I just love music like this.

Yeah you're right there. I'm just saying he was asking "what am I missing?" I didn't hear anything on the album that made me go "Oh so THAT'S what it's all about!" I don't particularly care that it evokes the music of the 70s/80s; I just thought I wouldn't like it and then having heard a snatch of it decided to go for the whole thing, and found I did like it. A lot.

Of course people approach albums and music differently. I'm just saying sometimes it may click, sometimes it may not. No matter how good the album is generally seen to be. Case in point: me with "Loveless" and more recently with "Close to the edge".

ahh okay. I understand ya.

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The bones of what you believe --- Chvrches --- Recommended by DJ Chameleon and YorkeDaddy

I saw how YorkeDaddy enthused over this album and I have a lot of respect for his music taste, so decided to give it a go. Then I realised I really owe the rec to the chameleonic lifeform, as it was he who reviewed it much earlier in his journal as one of his "Razor's Edge" postings. Going on what I read there, and here, I assumed this would be a really great album. But I was mistaken. It is not a good album at all.

It is an effing EXCELLENT album!!! :thumb:

I'm not one for pop per se --- I don't tend to listen to much of it and generally lump most/all pop in as "chart rubbish", but I may have to start thinking about changing my attitude if even some of the pop albums are this good. Mind you, I thought I was off to a bad start with the sort of sampled voice opening, but then the beat kicked in and I just fell instantly in love. YD is right: Lauren's voice is sexy and beautiful, kind of like Hazel from Lanterns on the Lake in a way, but that's only part of it. The jumping guitar work, the smooth and boppy synths, and the whole feel of the album is just upbeat and fun, something which probably belies the lyrics, many of which seem to speak of breakups and pressures.

Making potentially sad or angry songs cheerful is quite a talent, and while I don't mean in any way to denigrate any personal experiences Chvrches (how do you pronounce that anyway? Ch-veer-ches? Oh no wait: the Gods of Wiki tell me it's pronounced "churches", but they changed the u to a v in order to thwart Google searches bringing their fans to pages about actual churches. Nice one! Using the head, unlike the UnGoogleable band 3!) put into this album, it's hard not to tap your fingers and bop your head to songs, even if they're about breakups and jealousy and rage and revenge.

Standout tracks? Hard to say really, as I don't think there's a bad one here. Even when there's a male voice singing --- I assume that's one of the other band members though it doesn't say --- there's no sense of disappointment, though I do prefer Lauren's voice. My only real gripe is that this band have the bad taste to only have one album so far, as if they had a discography stretching back a few years I'd be seriously hammering my balance at my local album vendor! Oh well, maybe next year there'll be another?

One thing is for sure, Chvrches are here to stay!

Rec rating: A solid 9.5/10. Pure gold.

I knew you'd like it despite you usually not being a huge pop guy. I think you genuinely seem to have an appreciation for good songwriting which is why I respect your music taste and I think this album has superb songwriting for a pop album.

There's no word of a new album yet, but I will certainly be watching for it and you will definitely see posts from me when a new album is announced!

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Has been --- William Shatner --- Recommended by ? and now re-recommended by Trollheart

Someone, I can't remember who, recommended this album a while back and pleaded for anyone to look beyond the obvious sniggery reactions to Shatner's music, which I (eventually) did. I was impressed. I've reviewed the album in my journal for anyone who wants to check it out, but let's just say that this album is different.

Of course our Bill don't sing; he talks in spoken-word fashion that is really quite poetic, and you know his voice instantly. He's helped by Ben Folds on the piano and guitar, and also drags in the likes of Joe Jackson, Aimee Mann and Brad Paisley to help. Even Black Flag's Henry Rollins is up for it! The songs are not all great; some are downright awful but the good ones far outweigh the bad and on this album when Shatner is good he is VERY good!

Have a listen if you're someone who prides themselves on having an open mind musically, and f you don't come away with something from this album I'll be very surprised. It's unlikely you've ever heard anything like it.

I think that Loathsome Pete posted about that one, it pushed me to check out the album as well. It definitely was not what I was expecting, but to be honest I was expecting it to sound like the Star Trek soundtrack :laughing:.

If you guys liked that album, you will ADORE prog-Shatner. :rofl:

Snapped that up as soon as I could. Just waiting now to get the right ambience to luxuriate in it! :thumb:

Myself and Pete have talked about it quite a bit. Really good album.

That's actually an interesting way to look at it. Though I already enjoy the album a lot, I may try this out and see how it goes.

Trollheart, I'd post in this thread, too, but I'm busy ripping you off in my journal, and I have the dilemma of whether I should fill said journal with the recommended albums I have yet to listen to, or if I should post them here. So far I've went with the first one.