Love or Hate?

Machine · 07-06-2015, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Sorry. Done now.

Cool cool.

TechnicLePanther · 07-06-2015, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

So, Love, Hate or Meh? This will be the first Meh.

Hmm. Yeah, about what I expected. It really sucks because this album starts out so promising, and then it just drops off.

Trollheart · 07-06-2015, 01:51 PM

Title: Kill for love
Artiste: Chromatics
Genre: Electronic/Synthpop
Familiarity: Zero
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_for_Love

Track 1(Love) The guitar opening of this sounds very familiar. Oh right, it's Neil Young's song, of course. Love this. Good version too.
Track 2(Love) Ooh! I like this already! And it's only ten seconds in.
Track 3(Love) Love the vocals in this one, bass is great too. Oh and when the keys come in properly ...

Track 4(Love) This has a really nice sense of new-wave about it. Like the guitar a lot.
Track 5(Love) Another great track; sort of bleak with a stripped-down sound
Track 6(Love) Guitar sound here reminds me of Stevie Nicks's “Edge of seventeen” (reused and sampled by Destiny's Child in “Bootylicious”, to my eternal shame), and the vocoder work here is great. Slower song with a kind of lonely, yearning feel about it. Interesting solo synth line about halfway through
Track 7(Love) This is just beautiful. Is it an instrumental? At seven minutes long, probably not. Great fade out and subsequent buildup in the third minute, really gentle percussion coming in now, getting stronger. You know, I think this is an instrumental after all. We're now five and a half minutes into it. Great stuff.
Track 8(Love) Sort of a dark, marching beat to this. Reminds me a little of Depeche Mode and Annie Lennox. Kind of a bare bones vocal, very effective.
Track 9(Love) Gorgeous cello opening this, joined by some really lovely piano then a fantastic little pulsing bass takes the tune solo to the end, and it's another instrumental.
Track 10(Love) Unfortunately there's autotune on this. Fortunately it doesn't ruin the song. Again, some beautiful piano, again somewhat reminiscent of Prefab. Great ending.
Track 11(Love) Bit minimalist but very good.
Track 12(Love) Beautiful little piano-driven ballad with some orchestral-style keyboards
Track 13(Love) Another ballad, this time more percussion-heavy with a lovely angelic high vocal
Track 14(Love) Back to the more slightly upbeat synthpop now
Track 15(Love) Sort of a feeling of Vangelis about this one. Another instrumental except for a taped voicemail message (!)
Track 16(Love) Stunning, wistful closer. Almost made me cry.

End result: I had no idea what to expect going into this, having never even heard of these guys before. But this album was a serious surprise in a good way, and I liked everything about it. Pretty amazing to think they started off as a No Wave band back in 2003. They've certainly come a long way.

So, Love or Hate? Ah, no doubt about this one. Has to be True Love.

Chances of a full review: 8/10

Trollheart · 07-06-2015, 03:32 PM

Title: Channel Orange
Artiste: Frank Ocean
Genre: R&B/Soul
Familiarity: Zero, other than by reputation. I've heard a lot about of this album.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channe...#Track_listing

Track 1 Can't really rate it as it's just some effects
Track 2(Love) Oh what? This is not as expected! This is really, really nice. And I mean really. Somehow I thought this guy was hip-hop? Is that him doing the falsetto too?

The soft synthy music is gorgeous.
Track 3(Love) OK, forty seconds of clicking around on the radio then a little kind of jingle. Didn't think I'd be able to rate this, but you know...
Track 4(Love) Wow. This is really nice too. Like the best seventies soul you've ever heard. Bit of rapping but it's ok.
Track 5(Love) Talk about a smooth groove! Love the piano, and the backing vocals. Great bit of guitar there at the end. Pity it cuts off so abruptly.
Track 6 Just someone talking, possibly in a car. Meh.
Track 7(Love) Sort of a slow, pounding rhythm to this. The rap is nice and slow and I can understand what he's saying, which I often can't with some rapping.
Track 8 Lot of finger-clicking, acapella singing; not mad about it though the chorus is really nice.
Track 9(Love) Much better. Soft piano then it kicks up but not too much
Track 10(Love) Okay, this one is just shy of ten minutes, could be interesting. Well it's more dancy/funk than anything that has gone previously, but it's still pretty good. Some great instrumentation for certain. Where are we now? Hey: third of the way through. And now into the seventh minute. This isn't dragging as I had worried it might. It might be a little overlong but it's sure not bad. Nice guitar bit at the end.
Track 11(Love) Yeah, another decent song. Quite a summery feel to it.
Track 12(Love) Just a tiny guitar piece, but nice. John Mayer??
Track 13(Hate) Not mad about this one at all. Quite annoying in fact.
Track 14(Love) Much, much better. Love the organ.
Track 15(Love) Yeah this is really nice too, although it sounds like someone is clearing out his sinuses in the background, and not having too easy a time of it! The string section is great. Now we have the kind of rap I dont like. Too fast and too much in it. Gorgeous guitar though.
Track 16 This one's okay. Nice funky guitar, but I can't say I love it.
Track 17(Love) And the closer is a short one, appropriately titled “End”, as the opener was titled “Start”. Yeah, it's quite nice. Bit odd the way it fades, then comes in again, strange noises ... yeah a bit weird. Sounds like he's getting out of his car and locking it. Interesting idea.

End result: Another huge surprise. I did not expect to like this at all, and was not looking forward to listening to it. Mind you, I was under the impression that Frankie was a rap artist, that he played hip-hop, and though there is the odd rap here it's generally more a soul/funk record and I must say I really quite enjoyed it.

So, Love or Hate? I would not have expected it, but it's a Love.

Chances of a full review: 3/10

Justthefacts · 07-06-2015, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Title: Channel Orange
Artiste: Frank Ocean
Genre: R&B/Soul
Familiarity: Zero, other than by reputation. I've heard a lot about of this album.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channe...#Track_listing

Track 1 Can't really rate it as it's just some effects
Track 2(Love) Oh what? This is not as expected! This is really, really nice. And I mean really. Somehow I thought this guy was hip-hop? Is that him doing the falsetto too?

The soft synthy music is gorgeous.
Track 3(Love) OK, forty seconds of clicking around on the radio then a little kind of jingle. Didn't think I'd be able to rate this, but you know...
Track 4(Love) Wow. This is really nice too. Like the best seventies soul you've ever heard. Bit of rapping but it's ok.
Track 5(Love) Talk about a smooth groove! Love the piano, and the backing vocals. Great bit of guitar there at the end. Pity it cuts off so abruptly.
Track 6 Just someone talking, possibly in a car. Meh.
Track 7(Love) Sort of a slow, pounding rhythm to this. The rap is nice and slow and I can understand what he's saying, which I often can't with some rapping.
Track 8 Lot of finger-clicking, acapella singing; not mad about it though the chorus is really nice.
Track 9(Love) Much better. Soft piano then it kicks up but not too much
Track 10(Love) Okay, this one is just shy of ten minutes, could be interesting. Well it's more dancy/funk than anything that has gone previously, but it's still pretty good. Some great instrumentation for certain. Where are we now? Hey: third of the way through. And now into the seventh minute. This isn't dragging as I had worried it might. It might be a little overlong but it's sure not bad. Nice guitar bit at the end.
Track 11(Love) Yeah, another decent song. Quite a summery feel to it.
Track 12(Love) Just a tiny guitar piece, but nice. John Mayer??
Track 13(Hate) Not mad about this one at all. Quite annoying in fact.
Track 14(Love) Much, much better. Love the organ.
Track 15(Love) Yeah this is really nice too, although it sounds like someone is clearing out his sinuses in the background, and not having too easy a time of it! The string section is great. Now we have the kind of rap I dont like. Too fast and too much in it. Gorgeous guitar though.
Track 16 This one's okay. Nice funky guitar, but I can't say I love it.
Track 17(Love) And the closer is a short one, appropriately titled “End”, as the opener was titled “Start”. Yeah, it's quite nice. Bit odd the way it fades, then comes in again, strange noises ... yeah a bit weird. Sounds like he's getting out of his car and locking it. Interesting idea.

End result: Another huge surprise. I did not expect to like this at all, and was not looking forward to listening to it. Mind you, I was under the impression that Frankie was a rap artist, that he played hip-hop, and though there is the odd rap here it's generally more a soul/funk record and I must say I really quite enjoyed it.

So, Love or Hate? I would not have expected it, but it's a Love.

Chances of a full review: 3/10

Trollheart · 07-07-2015, 10:30 AM

Title: Dummy
Artiste: Portishead
Genre: Trip-hop
Familiarity: Zero
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dummy_...#Track_listing

Track 1(Love) Nice opener, slow, sort of sensual with a rolling drumbeat and some sort of spooky keys. Nice female vox
Track 2 This one's ok. I find it hard to get excited about it though.
Track 3 Yeah it's okay I suppose. Again not too bothered.
Track 4 I'll make an effort here, though I'm not sure it's deserved. This is not bad, nice kind of soul-ish laidback groove but it's very whiny. No, sorry, can't Green it. I tried.
Track 5 Maybe it's just that trip-hop and me are not a good fit. I don't hate this but it's just boring me.
Track 6 Nice organ but bored, bored bored....

Track 7 “Numb”: apt title. When is this going to be over?
Track 8(Love) Okay, this one is actually really, really nice.
Track 9 And now we're back to boring again
Track 10 This isn't boring, just very annoying
Track 11(Love) Surely I know this? Certainly sounds familiar. Well, a good closer then. Eventually.

End result: That was probably one of the most boring things I've ever had to sit through. Sorry DC, but this is definitely not a genre I'd be into if it's all like this.

So, Love or Hate? Neither: it's a solid Meh

Chances of a full review: 0/10

DwnWthVwls · 07-07-2015, 10:32 AM

Is it me or is it hard as hell to see the white "meh" stuff? Maybe yellow or purple would be better?

Surprised you didn't like Portishead more

Trollheart · 07-07-2015, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DwnWthVwls

Is it me or is it hard as hell to see the white "meh" stuff? Maybe yellow or purple would be better?

Surprised you didn't like Portishead more

I don't know: white on blue should not be too hard to see. If everyone else is having this problem let me know and I'll consider another colour, though white being the neutral colour it does fit. Grey? Pink? A much lighter green? Blue? Surely not? Can't do Black...

grindy · 07-07-2015, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

I don't know: white on blue should not be too hard to see. If everyone else is having this problem let me know and I'll consider another colour, though white being the neutral colour it does fit. Grey? Pink? A much lighter green? Blue? Surely not? Can't do Black...

It's not like it's important info written in white, so who cares.

Trollheart · 07-07-2015, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grindy

It's not like it's important info written in white, so who cares.

True, but then I'd prefer everything can be read by everyone. Admittedly, all it's gonna say is WHITE and MEH, so you could guess I suppose, but still...

07-06-2015, 01:51 PM	#1263 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,970	Title: Kill for love Artiste: Chromatics Genre: Electronic/Synthpop Familiarity: Zero https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_for_Love Track 1(Love) The guitar opening of this sounds very familiar. Oh right, it's Neil Young's song, of course. Love this. Good version too. Track 2(Love) Ooh! I like this already! And it's only ten seconds in. Track 3(Love) Love the vocals in this one, bass is great too. Oh and when the keys come in properly ... Track 4(Love) This has a really nice sense of new-wave about it. Like the guitar a lot. Track 5(Love) Another great track; sort of bleak with a stripped-down sound Track 6(Love) Guitar sound here reminds me of Stevie Nicks's “Edge of seventeen” (reused and sampled by Destiny's Child in “Bootylicious”, to my eternal shame), and the vocoder work here is great. Slower song with a kind of lonely, yearning feel about it. Interesting solo synth line about halfway through Track 7(Love) This is just beautiful. Is it an instrumental? At seven minutes long, probably not. Great fade out and subsequent buildup in the third minute, really gentle percussion coming in now, getting stronger. You know, I think this is an instrumental after all. We're now five and a half minutes into it. Great stuff. Track 8(Love) Sort of a dark, marching beat to this. Reminds me a little of Depeche Mode and Annie Lennox. Kind of a bare bones vocal, very effective. Track 9(Love) Gorgeous cello opening this, joined by some really lovely piano then a fantastic little pulsing bass takes the tune solo to the end, and it's another instrumental. Track 10(Love) Unfortunately there's autotune on this. Fortunately it doesn't ruin the song. Again, some beautiful piano, again somewhat reminiscent of Prefab. Great ending. Track 11(Love) Bit minimalist but very good. Track 12(Love) Beautiful little piano-driven ballad with some orchestral-style keyboards Track 13(Love) Another ballad, this time more percussion-heavy with a lovely angelic high vocal Track 14(Love) Back to the more slightly upbeat synthpop now Track 15(Love) Sort of a feeling of Vangelis about this one. Another instrumental except for a taped voicemail message (!) Track 16(Love) Stunning, wistful closer. Almost made me cry. End result: I had no idea what to expect going into this, having never even heard of these guys before. But this album was a serious surprise in a good way, and I liked everything about it. Pretty amazing to think they started off as a No Wave band back in 2003. They've certainly come a long way. So, Love or Hate? Ah, no doubt about this one. Has to be True Love. Chances of a full review: 8/10 __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

07-06-2015, 03:32 PM	#1264 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,970	Title: Channel Orange Artiste: Frank Ocean Genre: R&B/Soul Familiarity: Zero, other than by reputation. I've heard a lot about of this album. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channe...#Track_listing Track 1 Can't really rate it as it's just some effects Track 2(Love) Oh what? This is not as expected! This is really, really nice. And I mean really. Somehow I thought this guy was hip-hop? Is that him doing the falsetto too? The soft synthy music is gorgeous. Track 3(Love) OK, forty seconds of clicking around on the radio then a little kind of jingle. Didn't think I'd be able to rate this, but you know... Track 4(Love) Wow. This is really nice too. Like the best seventies soul you've ever heard. Bit of rapping but it's ok. Track 5(Love) Talk about a smooth groove! Love the piano, and the backing vocals. Great bit of guitar there at the end. Pity it cuts off so abruptly. Track 6 Just someone talking, possibly in a car. Meh. Track 7(Love) Sort of a slow, pounding rhythm to this. The rap is nice and slow and I can understand what he's saying, which I often can't with some rapping. Track 8 Lot of finger-clicking, acapella singing; not mad about it though the chorus is really nice. Track 9(Love) Much better. Soft piano then it kicks up but not too much Track 10(Love) Okay, this one is just shy of ten minutes, could be interesting. Well it's more dancy/funk than anything that has gone previously, but it's still pretty good. Some great instrumentation for certain. Where are we now? Hey: third of the way through. And now into the seventh minute. This isn't dragging as I had worried it might. It might be a little overlong but it's sure not bad. Nice guitar bit at the end. Track 11(Love) Yeah, another decent song. Quite a summery feel to it. Track 12(Love) Just a tiny guitar piece, but nice. John Mayer?? Track 13(Hate) Not mad about this one at all. Quite annoying in fact. Track 14(Love) Much, much better. Love the organ. Track 15(Love) Yeah this is really nice too, although it sounds like someone is clearing out his sinuses in the background, and not having too easy a time of it! The string section is great. Now we have the kind of rap I dont like. Too fast and too much in it. Gorgeous guitar though. Track 16 This one's okay. Nice funky guitar, but I can't say I love it. Track 17(Love) And the closer is a short one, appropriately titled “End”, as the opener was titled “Start”. Yeah, it's quite nice. Bit odd the way it fades, then comes in again, strange noises ... yeah a bit weird. Sounds like he's getting out of his car and locking it. Interesting idea. End result: Another huge surprise. I did not expect to like this at all, and was not looking forward to listening to it. Mind you, I was under the impression that Frankie was a rap artist, that he played hip-hop, and though there is the odd rap here it's generally more a soul/funk record and I must say I really quite enjoyed it. So, Love or Hate? I would not have expected it, but it's a Love. Chances of a full review: 3/10 __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

07-07-2015, 10:30 AM	#1266 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,970	Title: Dummy Artiste: Portishead Genre: Trip-hop Familiarity: Zero https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dummy_...#Track_listing Track 1(Love) Nice opener, slow, sort of sensual with a rolling drumbeat and some sort of spooky keys. Nice female vox Track 2 This one's ok. I find it hard to get excited about it though. Track 3 Yeah it's okay I suppose. Again not too bothered. Track 4 I'll make an effort here, though I'm not sure it's deserved. This is not bad, nice kind of soul-ish laidback groove but it's very whiny. No, sorry, can't Green it. I tried. Track 5 Maybe it's just that trip-hop and me are not a good fit. I don't hate this but it's just boring me. Track 6 Nice organ but bored, bored bored.... Track 7 “Numb”: apt title. When is this going to be over? Track 8(Love) Okay, this one is actually really, really nice. Track 9 And now we're back to boring again Track 10 This isn't boring, just very annoying Track 11(Love) Surely I know this? Certainly sounds familiar. Well, a good closer then. Eventually. End result: That was probably one of the most boring things I've ever had to sit through. Sorry DC, but this is definitely not a genre I'd be into if it's all like this. So, Love or Hate? Neither: it's a solid Meh Chances of a full review: 0/10 __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018