Trollheart Listens to Every Album on Wiki's List for 2017

Trollheart · 01-02-2018, 08:30 AM

Album title: Strange Attractor
Artist: Alphaville
Genre: Synthpop
Nationality: German
Release date: April 7
Position in Discography: Ninth
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? I've heard the singles
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? Not really no
Average RYM Score: 2.91
I know of Alphaville only from the charts: “Big in Japan” and “Forever Young” being their two big hits that I remember, and I've never listened to an album from them. It actually came as a surprise to find they're German! Interesting opener, quite sort of darkwave to a degree (or it would be, if I fully understood what that entailed!) then it bops on with an uptempo rocker which reminds me very much of Bowie's “Fashion”. I mean, very much. “House of Ghosts” on the other hand has a very a-ha feel to it with some very eighties sounding synth lines, then “Around the Universe” has very much the ghost of Morten Harkett flitting through it; if the previous track was reminiscent of a-ha, they might actually have a case against Alphaville for this one! Not that that makes it a bad track; far from it. When these guys do dark ballads they really shine, if that's not a contradiction, which it is. Appropriately, “Enigma” is a good example of this.

It's really, really hard to get away from the a-ha comparisons though. The singer sounds so much like Morten most of the time, and even the rhythms, the melodies, the structure all remind me of Norway's most famous pop export. It's not quite a criticism, as I adore a-ha, but it does come across as slightly less original, though of course Alphaville have been going almost as long as Morten, Pal and Mags. “A Handful of Darkness” would definitely stand out, though, as being not only different but also my favourite track so far. I have to say, I'm a lot more impressed with this than I had expected to be. Good stuff.

Check out more from this artist? I think I will
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Actual Rating:

Trollheart · 01-02-2018, 03:17 PM

Album title: Arca
Artist: Arca
Genre: Electronic/Experimental
Nationality: Venezuelan
Release date: April 7
Position in Discography: Third
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 3.31
There's certainly a lot of feedback on this first song, which does lend it a certain atmosphere but also annoys my ears, but it seems to settle down fairly quickly. The vocals are all in Spanish, so I can't tell you anything about them, but I kind of get the feeling that his voice is being used as just another medium through which to express his music. It's pretty ethereal mostly, though I think his music might be an acquired taste. I certainly wouldn't dismiss it, but I think it's a little hard to get too excited about it on just the one listen. May come back to this at some point. Some very nice soundscapes in there, some good ideas, but it's hard to take it all in at once. On one song, “Couraje”, he seems to be making cat noises. “Whip” on the other hand is, well, the sound of multiples whips. Indeed. Lots to take in, for sure, and a bit too much for one meal, but could provide some serious sustenance once the taste was acquired.

Check out more from this artist? No, but I might listen to this again
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Actual Rating:

Trollheart · 01-02-2018, 03:43 PM

Album title: Silver Haze
Artist: Aye Nako
Genre: Indie Rock/Punk
Nationality: American
Release date: April 7
Position in Discography: Second
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 3.10
I find the vocal very hard to make out on the first track; I don't know whether that's deliberate, it's the production or the singer is just terrible. Okay well it's not the production, as the second track hits hard and she can obviously sing loudly enough to be heard – whether I consider her a good singer or not I'll reserve judgement on for now – so I guess it was a deliberate attempt to be “edgy”. Didn't really work for me. Third track has a little more about it, more the indie rock side of them I guess, but most of this seems to me to be out of tune, and yer wan's vocals don't help. Meh. Had enough of this. Cue elphenor checking it out. You're welcome, mate.

Check out more from this artist? No
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Trollheart · 01-02-2018, 06:10 PM

Album title: Starlight
Artist: Bethel Music
Genre: CCM/Worship
Nationality: American
Release date: April 7
Position in Discography: Ninth
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: N/A
Why do these Christian groups seem to release so many live albums? And what's the point? They don't sound live. I suppose most of their audience is in religious raptures anyway, but they sure don't show it. Anyway, apparently Bethel Music are some sort of collective, and there's a mention of Brian and Jenn Johnson, whose album I seem to remember I rather enjoyed one of the previous months, so maybe there's hope. Decent enough start anyway; I think they may even be using some of the Johnsons' songs here. Some of them look and sound familiar, but then maybe they all do. It's all decent enough pop/rock with a serious helping of God, but it's kind of like, heard one CCM album – especially live album – heard them all. It's a bit like eating too much chocolate (something I know a lot about!) - it's great for a while but soon you get sick of it.

Check out more from this artist? No way
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Not by choice

Actual Rating:

Trollheart · 01-03-2018, 10:09 AM

Album title: Story Songs
Artist: Betty Buckley
Genre: Dunno: showtunescore?
Nationality: American
Release date: April 7
Position in Discography: Eighteenth
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: N/A
Oh, just what I need: showtunes!

Apparently Buckley is a well-known actress in the US, and has starred in shows such as Eight is Enough and Oz, as well as guesting in many more. This is all well and good, and I'm sure she's a fine actress, but do I want to hear her sing? More to the point, do I want to listen to a double album of her singing? There's a beautiful piano intro, it has to be said, to the opening track, but when she starts to sing I find she has that annoyingly aggressive sound a lot of stage performers have (I guess because they often have to act while singing, or project their voice towards the back row so everyone can hear, who knows) and it grates on me. Sadly, this also seems to be another live album which is just basically a studio album with some polite clapping edited on, or so it sounds. Her voice is better used in the next track, Radiohead's “High and Dry”.

Generally, this is pretty much like what I assume listening to a Barbra Streisand album is like. I mean, there's nothing wrong with the music but it's not my thing, and I'll be damned if I'm a-gonna listen to a whole double album of this. It doesn't help that most of the songs break the six-minute barrier. Nah, I've had enough now.

Check out more from this artist? No
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? No, unless I have to

(Sorry: it's the only video I can find. Who's going to click it, anyway, if we're being honest here?)

rubber soul · 01-03-2018, 10:24 AM

Oh my god. Not Eight is Enough Betty Buckley.

Trollheart · 01-03-2018, 10:50 AM

Album title: Love in the 4th Dimension
Artist: The Big Moon
Genre: Indie Rock
Nationality: English
Release date: April 7
Position in Discography: Debut
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 3.21
So far I wouldn't call this bad, necessarily, but it's pretty average. Certainly not giving me anything to get excited about. Yeah, there's nothing new here. I guess it's all right if you're into that sort of thing, but these guys could be any of a hundred similar indie bands, and I don't need to hear another that has really nothing new to offer.

Check out more from this artist? No
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? I guess; oh look! The very next one!

Actual Rating:

Trollheart · 01-03-2018, 12:58 PM

Album title: That's Your Lot
Artist: Blaenavon
Genre: Indie Rock
Nationality: English
Release date: April 7
Position in Discography: Debut
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 3.19
It's weird: in complete contrast to the last band, who are also an English indie rock band releasing their debut, I'm immediately more drawn to this album from the beginning than I was through the whole length of the other. There's just more energy, interest and I don't know what here, but it's caught me from the first track. Maybe that will fade as it goes along, but it's at least a far better start than The Big Moon's effort. The vocalist has a much more engaging voice (I found the other one to be more rooted in punk/garage styles. Maybe) and there is a nice mix of ballads and harder rockers on here. A lot more impressed overall. “Alice Come Home” has a great sense of building up into something, which it certainly does, and “Ode to Joe” is another fine track with a great extended instrumental section at the end.

Even the longest track, the just shy of eight minutes “Swans” doesn't get boring or seem overstretched in any way, and is something, to be fair, of a tour-de-force, perhaps even the centrepiece of the album, certainly one of the standouts. Yeah, so different to The Big Moon it's like night and day. Stupendous stuff, very impressed indeed.

Check out more from this artist? Oh yes
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Actual Rating:

Trollheart · 01-03-2018, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubber soul

Oh my god. Not Eight is Enough Betty Buckley.

Luckily, as an Irishman I've never had to endure that so it means nothing to me. Other than this.

Trollheart · 01-03-2018, 05:47 PM

Album title: Memories ... Do Not Open
Artist: The Chainsmokers
Genre: Electronic/Pop
Nationality: American
Release date: April 7
Position in Discography: Debut
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist?No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 1.20 (I think we have hit a new low! Is this even lower than G-Eazy and Carnage?)

What is it with April? Everyone wants to release their debut in this month? And on the same day? Here we have three debuts, one after the other, released on the same day. Still, with the memory of The Big Moon behind us, this one, too, impresses me from the beginning. There are a lot of conventional, even cliched pop tropes used, but somehow this album seems to avoid being relegated (by me, anyway) to the status of just another pop album. It definitely has something. Apparently, that something is Coldplay. Well, on one track anyway: “Something Just Like This” is written by them, and sung by Chris Martin, so essentially that's a Coldplay song with the members of Chainsmokers merely providing a backing band really. Actually, not even that, as all of Coldplay are on it too. And helped write it. Well then, even more a Coldplay song. Whether that loses respect for them in your eyes or not is up to you; it is a disappointment to me. But then, it's only one track so maybe I won't hold it against them.

“It Won't Kill Ya” and “Paris” soon help me to forget that though, and the album continues the upswing in quality it was enjoying up to then. Not that the Coldplay song isn't a good one, but, well, it's just, you know, Coldplay, and doesn't belong here at all. “Young” kind of comes across as a lot Train, some Deacon Blue, then they do it again by closing with another collaboration, this time with Florida Georgia Line. “Last Day Alive” is a good song, but again, it's not this band but another one playing it. I'm afraid this will reflect in the rating.

Check out more from this artist? Maybe
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Actual Rating:

01-02-2018, 08:30 AM	#1451 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Strange Attractor Artist: Alphaville Genre: Synthpop Nationality: German Release date: April 7 Position in Discography: Ninth Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? I've heard the singles Familiar with the genre or subgenre? Not really no Average RYM Score: 2.91 I know of Alphaville only from the charts: “Big in Japan” and “Forever Young” being their two big hits that I remember, and I've never listened to an album from them. It actually came as a surprise to find they're German! Interesting opener, quite sort of darkwave to a degree (or it would be, if I fully understood what that entailed!) then it bops on with an uptempo rocker which reminds me very much of Bowie's “Fashion”. I mean, very much. “House of Ghosts” on the other hand has a very a-ha feel to it with some very eighties sounding synth lines, then “Around the Universe” has very much the ghost of Morten Harkett flitting through it; if the previous track was reminiscent of a-ha, they might actually have a case against Alphaville for this one! Not that that makes it a bad track; far from it. When these guys do dark ballads they really shine, if that's not a contradiction, which it is. Appropriately, “Enigma” is a good example of this. It's really, really hard to get away from the a-ha comparisons though. The singer sounds so much like Morten most of the time, and even the rhythms, the melodies, the structure all remind me of Norway's most famous pop export. It's not quite a criticism, as I adore a-ha, but it does come across as slightly less original, though of course Alphaville have been going almost as long as Morten, Pal and Mags. “A Handful of Darkness” would definitely stand out, though, as being not only different but also my favourite track so far. I have to say, I'm a lot more impressed with this than I had expected to be. Good stuff. Check out more from this artist? I think I will Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

01-02-2018, 03:17 PM	#1452 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Arca Artist: Arca Genre: Electronic/Experimental Nationality: Venezuelan Release date: April 7 Position in Discography: Third Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Average RYM Score: 3.31 There's certainly a lot of feedback on this first song, which does lend it a certain atmosphere but also annoys my ears, but it seems to settle down fairly quickly. The vocals are all in Spanish, so I can't tell you anything about them, but I kind of get the feeling that his voice is being used as just another medium through which to express his music. It's pretty ethereal mostly, though I think his music might be an acquired taste. I certainly wouldn't dismiss it, but I think it's a little hard to get too excited about it on just the one listen. May come back to this at some point. Some very nice soundscapes in there, some good ideas, but it's hard to take it all in at once. On one song, “Couraje”, he seems to be making cat noises. “Whip” on the other hand is, well, the sound of multiples whips. Indeed. Lots to take in, for sure, and a bit too much for one meal, but could provide some serious sustenance once the taste was acquired. Check out more from this artist? No, but I might listen to this again Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

01-02-2018, 03:43 PM	#1453 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Silver Haze Artist: Aye Nako Genre: Indie Rock/Punk Nationality: American Release date: April 7 Position in Discography: Second Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Average RYM Score: 3.10 I find the vocal very hard to make out on the first track; I don't know whether that's deliberate, it's the production or the singer is just terrible. Okay well it's not the production, as the second track hits hard and she can obviously sing loudly enough to be heard – whether I consider her a good singer or not I'll reserve judgement on for now – so I guess it was a deliberate attempt to be “edgy”. Didn't really work for me. Third track has a little more about it, more the indie rock side of them I guess, but most of this seems to me to be out of tune, and yer wan's vocals don't help. Meh. Had enough of this. Cue elphenor checking it out. You're welcome, mate. Check out more from this artist? No Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

01-02-2018, 06:10 PM	#1454 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Starlight Artist: Bethel Music Genre: CCM/Worship Nationality: American Release date: April 7 Position in Discography: Ninth Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Average RYM Score: N/A Why do these Christian groups seem to release so many live albums? And what's the point? They don't sound live. I suppose most of their audience is in religious raptures anyway, but they sure don't show it. Anyway, apparently Bethel Music are some sort of collective, and there's a mention of Brian and Jenn Johnson, whose album I seem to remember I rather enjoyed one of the previous months, so maybe there's hope. Decent enough start anyway; I think they may even be using some of the Johnsons' songs here. Some of them look and sound familiar, but then maybe they all do. It's all decent enough pop/rock with a serious helping of God, but it's kind of like, heard one CCM album – especially live album – heard them all. It's a bit like eating too much chocolate (something I know a lot about!) - it's great for a while but soon you get sick of it. Check out more from this artist? No way Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Not by choice Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

01-03-2018, 10:09 AM	#1455 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Story Songs Artist: Betty Buckley Genre: Dunno: showtunescore? Nationality: American Release date: April 7 Position in Discography: Eighteenth Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Average RYM Score: N/A Oh, just what I need: showtunes! Apparently Buckley is a well-known actress in the US, and has starred in shows such as Eight is Enough and Oz, as well as guesting in many more. This is all well and good, and I'm sure she's a fine actress, but do I want to hear her sing? More to the point, do I want to listen to a double album of her singing? There's a beautiful piano intro, it has to be said, to the opening track, but when she starts to sing I find she has that annoyingly aggressive sound a lot of stage performers have (I guess because they often have to act while singing, or project their voice towards the back row so everyone can hear, who knows) and it grates on me. Sadly, this also seems to be another live album which is just basically a studio album with some polite clapping edited on, or so it sounds. Her voice is better used in the next track, Radiohead's “High and Dry”. Generally, this is pretty much like what I assume listening to a Barbra Streisand album is like. I mean, there's nothing wrong with the music but it's not my thing, and I'll be damned if I'm a-gonna listen to a whole double album of this. It doesn't help that most of the songs break the six-minute barrier. Nah, I've had enough now. Check out more from this artist? No Check out more from this genre or subgenre? No, unless I have to (Sorry: it's the only video I can find. Who's going to click it, anyway, if we're being honest here?) __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

01-03-2018, 10:50 AM	#1457 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Love in the 4th Dimension Artist: The Big Moon Genre: Indie Rock Nationality: English Release date: April 7 Position in Discography: Debut Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Average RYM Score: 3.21 So far I wouldn't call this bad, necessarily, but it's pretty average. Certainly not giving me anything to get excited about. Yeah, there's nothing new here. I guess it's all right if you're into that sort of thing, but these guys could be any of a hundred similar indie bands, and I don't need to hear another that has really nothing new to offer. Check out more from this artist? No Check out more from this genre or subgenre? I guess; oh look! The very next one! Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

01-03-2018, 12:58 PM	#1458 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: That's Your Lot Artist: Blaenavon Genre: Indie Rock Nationality: English Release date: April 7 Position in Discography: Debut Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Average RYM Score: 3.19 It's weird: in complete contrast to the last band, who are also an English indie rock band releasing their debut, I'm immediately more drawn to this album from the beginning than I was through the whole length of the other. There's just more energy, interest and I don't know what here, but it's caught me from the first track. Maybe that will fade as it goes along, but it's at least a far better start than The Big Moon's effort. The vocalist has a much more engaging voice (I found the other one to be more rooted in punk/garage styles. Maybe) and there is a nice mix of ballads and harder rockers on here. A lot more impressed overall. “Alice Come Home” has a great sense of building up into something, which it certainly does, and “Ode to Joe” is another fine track with a great extended instrumental section at the end. Even the longest track, the just shy of eight minutes “Swans” doesn't get boring or seem overstretched in any way, and is something, to be fair, of a tour-de-force, perhaps even the centrepiece of the album, certainly one of the standouts. Yeah, so different to The Big Moon it's like night and day. Stupendous stuff, very impressed indeed. Check out more from this artist? Oh yes Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

01-03-2018, 05:47 PM	#1460 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Memories ... Do Not Open Artist: The Chainsmokers Genre: Electronic/Pop Nationality: American Release date: April 7 Position in Discography: Debut Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist?No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Average RYM Score: 1.20 (I think we have hit a new low! Is this even lower than G-Eazy and Carnage?) What is it with April? Everyone wants to release their debut in this month? And on the same day? Here we have three debuts, one after the other, released on the same day. Still, with the memory of The Big Moon behind us, this one, too, impresses me from the beginning. There are a lot of conventional, even cliched pop tropes used, but somehow this album seems to avoid being relegated (by me, anyway) to the status of just another pop album. It definitely has something. Apparently, that something is Coldplay. Well, on one track anyway: “Something Just Like This” is written by them, and sung by Chris Martin, so essentially that's a Coldplay song with the members of Chainsmokers merely providing a backing band really. Actually, not even that, as all of Coldplay are on it too. And helped write it. Well then, even more a Coldplay song. Whether that loses respect for them in your eyes or not is up to you; it is a disappointment to me. But then, it's only one track so maybe I won't hold it against them. “It Won't Kill Ya” and “Paris” soon help me to forget that though, and the album continues the upswing in quality it was enjoying up to then. Not that the Coldplay song isn't a good one, but, well, it's just, you know, Coldplay, and doesn't belong here at all. “Young” kind of comes across as a lot Train, some Deacon Blue, then they do it again by closing with another collaboration, this time with Florida Georgia Line. “Last Day Alive” is a good song, but again, it's not this band but another one playing it. I'm afraid this will reflect in the rating. Check out more from this artist? Maybe Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018