Forum Member Album Reviews

~~MicShazam~~ · 01-02-2019, 11:23 AM

I said I would, so I have to, but I don't want to...
Apologies in advance, but honesty is necessary if this isn't just to be some lame circle jerk thread.

Trouble Salad - The Red Candle Fiasco

https://troublesalad.bandcamp.com/al...-candle-fiasco

An album made by none other than Mondo Bungle in 2018. I don't pretend to get the title. Maybe he was in a christmas mood.

So the album is an assemblage of generally pretty neat sounding beats, synths and various bleeps and bloops and other noises. As such, you could zoom in at almost any given moment on the album and it would sound fine, but I've got to take this from my personal perspective, so here's where this album does not work for me:

It's all down to the structure of these musical pieces, really. The general formula is that a beat is toyed around with for a minute or so, then modified a lot or a little for another segment, but eventually entirely discarded for a totally unrelated musical idea. This means that there is precious little that holds each individual track together as any kind of unified musical idea. The album basically plays like a very long ramble of very short segments that mostly have little to nothing to do with each other. There's no riffs, chord progressions or melodic or even rhythmic themes that are held onto enough to constitute some sort of backbone for any of the tracks. Ideas are introduced and entirely discarded at a fast pace and as a result, each track doesn't really feel like a finished piece of music, but like a sort of demo tape full of randomly paired ideas in varying stages of completion.

YMMW

But this lack of any real long form development of ideas makes the album a chore to sit through for me. Expertly assembled sounds as always, but in terms of the actual compositions, this album doesn't hold my interest at all.

Sorry for being rude

But I know you don't want be to lie and kiss your ass either.

Mondo Bungle · 01-02-2019, 02:22 PM

oh well

~~MicShazam~~ · 01-02-2019, 02:25 PM

Everyone else in here would disagree with my take, so you can always warm yourself by that thought.

I hate everything.

Mondo Bungle · 01-02-2019, 02:42 PM

I really thought you would like it. It's probably the most cohesive and structurally sound and easily the most thoughtful thing I've put together but I guess that isn't saying much.

~~MicShazam~~ · 01-02-2019, 02:48 PM

I think I'm particularly difficult when it comes to that.
Like I said though, there's lots of really well made individual segments.

Mondo Bungle · 01-02-2019, 02:54 PM

well what if it was just those separated into like 60 tracks

~~MicShazam~~ · 01-02-2019, 03:00 PM

lol

well, at least then I'd complain less about it not making any sense.

Mondo Bungle · 01-02-2019, 05:58 PM

but there'd be absolutely no difference

either way I'm not gonna ask you to subject yourself to any more of my aural torture tactics

~~MicShazam~~ · 01-02-2019, 11:36 PM

It will still be fun to check out your music now and then, but I don't think I'm the right person to review them.

Key · 01-26-2019, 09:05 AM

Machine+ (Machine) - BIRDS CAN SING

I can't quite remember if I've listened to your stuff before, but I genuinely like what I've hearing for. It's nice to see someone at this site go for that alternative / experimental rock. The only gripe is that sometimes the sound quality is a bit hit or miss but maybe that's just me. I like the tracks otherwise. I totally get why you made some track a little shorter as well as I do the same thing. I mostly do that if I want to make a transition track or something. The vocalist here is also amazing. If that is you Machine, you've got a great voice. Very calming.

I legitimately do like every track because each one adds its own flavor. I would say that TIRED and WOLF are my favorites so far. I love the beat you have going in WOLF. Good **** man.

01-02-2019, 11:23 AM	#921 (permalink)
~~MicShazam~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Aalborg Posts: 7,636	I said I would, so I have to, but I don't want to... Apologies in advance, but honesty is necessary if this isn't just to be some lame circle jerk thread. Trouble Salad - The Red Candle Fiasco https://troublesalad.bandcamp.com/al...-candle-fiasco An album made by none other than Mondo Bungle in 2018. I don't pretend to get the title. Maybe he was in a christmas mood. So the album is an assemblage of generally pretty neat sounding beats, synths and various bleeps and bloops and other noises. As such, you could zoom in at almost any given moment on the album and it would sound fine, but I've got to take this from my personal perspective, so here's where this album does not work for me: It's all down to the structure of these musical pieces, really. The general formula is that a beat is toyed around with for a minute or so, then modified a lot or a little for another segment, but eventually entirely discarded for a totally unrelated musical idea. This means that there is precious little that holds each individual track together as any kind of unified musical idea. The album basically plays like a very long ramble of very short segments that mostly have little to nothing to do with each other. There's no riffs, chord progressions or melodic or even rhythmic themes that are held onto enough to constitute some sort of backbone for any of the tracks. Ideas are introduced and entirely discarded at a fast pace and as a result, each track doesn't really feel like a finished piece of music, but like a sort of demo tape full of randomly paired ideas in varying stages of completion. YMMW But this lack of any real long form development of ideas makes the album a chore to sit through for me. Expertly assembled sounds as always, but in terms of the actual compositions, this album doesn't hold my interest at all. Sorry for being rude But I know you don't want be to lie and kiss your ass either.

01-02-2019, 02:25 PM	#923 (permalink)
~~MicShazam~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Aalborg Posts: 7,636	Everyone else in here would disagree with my take, so you can always warm yourself by that thought. I hate everything.

01-02-2019, 02:48 PM	#925 (permalink)
~~MicShazam~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Aalborg Posts: 7,636	I think I'm particularly difficult when it comes to that. Like I said though, there's lots of really well made individual segments.

01-02-2019, 03:00 PM	#927 (permalink)
~~MicShazam~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Aalborg Posts: 7,636	lol well, at least then I'd complain less about it not making any sense.

01-02-2019, 11:36 PM	#929 (permalink)
~~MicShazam~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Aalborg Posts: 7,636	It will still be fun to check out your music now and then, but I don't think I'm the right person to review them.

01-26-2019, 09:05 AM	#930 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	Machine+ (Machine) - BIRDS CAN SING I can't quite remember if I've listened to your stuff before, but I genuinely like what I've hearing for. It's nice to see someone at this site go for that alternative / experimental rock. The only gripe is that sometimes the sound quality is a bit hit or miss but maybe that's just me. I like the tracks otherwise. I totally get why you made some track a little shorter as well as I do the same thing. I mostly do that if I want to make a transition track or something. The vocalist here is also amazing. If that is you Machine, you've got a great voice. Very calming. I legitimately do like every track because each one adds its own flavor. I would say that TIRED and WOLF are my favorites so far. I love the beat you have going in WOLF. Good **** man.