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

Trollheart · 02-21-2018, 02:46 PM

Album title: Loopyness
Artist: Lee Burridge and Lost Desert
Genre: Deep House/Techno/Electronic
Nationality: English
Release date: May 19
Position in Discography: Thirteenth (kind of: he's a producer who works with other artists so it's hard to say for certain)
Estimated Rating:

Have I heard of this artist? No
Average RYM Score: 3.00
More techno and house music; three tracks only on this album, and to be fair none of them are mega-long, with the longest coming in just shy of ten and a half minutes. It's that one, the title track in fact, which opens the album and it's a bouncy, dancy but not too harsh techno track that's very repetitive, though with a ten minute running length I'd hope it will have some variation over its span. Well, it really kind of didn't. I mean, they brought some guitars in, but essentially it seemed to me as if it stayed more or less the same all the way through. Still, it didn't drag, so that's something.

I guess people more into this music will see all the little nuances and differences, but to me it seems to be still the same song although we're now onto track two. Not that it's bad music, but I didn't realise that we had segued into the next one. Third one does sound a little different, but while this is surely good music to dance to, decent background music and will satisfy those into making this kind of music, who will be able to see all the little tricks being used, it's hard to review. So I can't. But I did enjoy what I heard.

Check out more from this artist? It's not beyond the bounds of possibility
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Actual Rating:

**Frownland** · 02-21-2018, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

I guess people more into this music will see all the little nuances and differences, but to me it seems to be still the same song although we're now onto track two. Not that it's bad music, but I didn't realise that we had segued into the next one.

I haven't listened to it and I probably won't, but do you think that maybe they intended for it to work best as a full album?

Trollheart · 02-21-2018, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

I haven't listened to it and I probably won't, but do you think that maybe they intended for it to work best as a full album?

You're probably right. It's actually all right, just hard to write anything about it. But yeah, prob works better if you listen to it all the way through.

Edit: you should give the Jin album a shot. I think you'd enjoy it.

**Frownland** · 02-21-2018, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Edit: you should give the Jin album a shot. I think you'd enjoy it.

I have, it was neat. Surprisingly understated for a footwork record.

Trollheart · 02-21-2018, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

I have, it was neat. Surprisingly understated for a footwork record.

I guess once you saw I hated it you thought "that's for me" eh?

Well, glad you enjoyed it. It was certainly clever, but not anything I could enjoy.

Trollheart · 02-21-2018, 04:52 PM

Album title: One More Light
Artist: Linkin Park
Genre: Pop/Pop Rock/Electropop
Nationality: American
Release date: May 19
Position in Discography: Seventh
Estimated Rating:

Have I heard of this artist? Yes
Have I heard anything by this artist? No
Average RYM Score: 1.45
Linkin Park get a lot of hate here. Personally, I've never even heard a song by them up to now, but when this began I thought I had accidentally cued up an Imagine Dragons album (the only legitimate way, of course, to cue up an Imagine Dragons album is accidentally) but no, it's them. Well knock me down with a sixteen-ton weight. And now we have Pusha T getting in on the act. And Stormzy. Not a bad song, to be fair. I read that the lead singer died after recording this, so perhaps I should cut the band some slack. Yeah, I won't be doing that.

Seems a lot of people were accusing Linkin Park of selling out on this album, though I can't comment because, as I already noted, I haven't heard anything else by them. The lead singer, Chester Bennington, did seem to go on a tirade against the fans, and ended up committing suicide, though whether the two are connected or not I can't say. It does seem a pretty weak album though, however I have to question why this would be seen as a deliberate act of selling out, given that their last two albums hit number one and three respectively. It doesn't appear as if they needed to sell out. But sure what do I know?

“Battle Symphony” is a good, anthemic song, and “Invisible” is another good one, also kind of marching, anthemic in its way. Kiiara adds her talents to “Heavy”, not one of the best tracks to be honest and perhaps an odd choice for a single, but there it is. Listening to the lyric to “Sorry For Now” I do kind of wonder if he was telegraphing his intentions? Possibly not, but it's a little chilling when you hear lines like “I'll be sorry for now that I couldn't be around/ There'll be a day when you will understand” considering what happened later. The title track is another one - “Who cares if one more light goes out in a sky of a million stars?” Indeed. Lovely song, but again, scarily prophetic quite possibly. Guitar on this reminds me of something, but I can't place it.

But look at the titles of the songs: “Good Goodbye”. “Nobody Can Save Me”. “Invisible”. “Sorry For Now”. All could be interpreted as relating to someone considering ending it all. And then my theory falls apart as I notice that Bennington didn't write any of those songs. Well, I guess I won't be opening up that detective agency just yet, then.

As someone coming to Linkin Park without any previous history, the contempt and dislike they're held in here doesn't mean anything to me, and as for this album, I'd say it's decent and listenable, if not anything particularly special. Nothing, however, deserving of the pitiably low RYM score given above. I guess it's a case of how sharper than a serpent's tooth, huh? The fans, it would appear, have spoken.

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

Actual Rating:

Trollheart · 02-22-2018, 12:02 PM

Album title: Connect the Dots
Artist: Misterwives
Genre: Indie Pop
Nationality: American
Release date: May 19
Position in Discography: Second
Estimated Rating:

Have I heard of this artist? No
Average RYM Score: 3.21
Fairly inoffensive dancy pop for the most part. “Revolution” has a harder, darker edge and about the first time the album takes a slower turn, warps into something of a gospel anthem as it goes along. Pretty good, and the first time I've felt compelled to take notice of this album. Picking up a little now. The next track is good too, and “Out of Tune Piano” is a lot of fun, even if it does use the basic melody or structure from “Itchy-Coo Park”. It's all right I guess, but I don't see or hear anything here that's that particularly interesting or different.
Check out more from this artist? No
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Actual Rating:

The Batlord · 02-22-2018, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Album title: One More Light
Artist: Linkin Park

If you want to know why everyone hates them then look no further than their first single. Latter era Linkin Park was at least not as embarrassing. It's like the late-90s threw up all over your shoes.

Trollheart · 02-22-2018, 02:51 PM

Album title: Goths
Artist: The Mountain Goats
Genre: Indie Rock/Indie Folk/Gothic Rock*
Nationality: American
Release date: May 19
Position in Discography: Seventeenth
Estimated Rating:

Have I heard of this artist? Yes
Have I heard anything by this artist? No
Average RYM Score: 3.37
A very good start. Apparently they based this album on music by The Cure, Siouxsie, Bauhaus and Joy Division, and I can hear at least some of The Cure in the opener, but I'm really hearing more Sisters of Mercy. Interestingly, I wrote that before I saw the title of the second track, which is “Andrew Eldritch is Moving Back to Leeds”.

Kind of more a psych/folk feel to that one though, perhaps ironically? I really like the third track, has that real breezy, laid back thing going on and “We Do it Different on the West Coast” is brilliant. Nothing here I don't love so far. I hear a lot of Beautiful South in “Stench of the Unburied”, and the superbly smoky sax in “Rage of Travers” just washes over you like morning mist or something. Probably something else. But damn it is sweet. “Shelved” is another masterpiece, and I just can't get over how (and I hate to use this word but it's apt) awesome this album is. I don't know what I had been expecting, but I was not expecting this. Absolutely first rate, not a bad song on it, not even one that is less than great. A new fan, right here.

Check out more from this artist? Oh good holy ****, yes!
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Actual Rating:

* Got to take issue with this tag. Gothic Rock? Not even close, not one single track; at least, not as I understand gothic rock.

**Frownland** · 02-22-2018, 02:58 PM

They sound like Sisters of Mercy but don't sound like gothic rock? Hmm...

02-21-2018, 02:46 PM	#1941 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,970	Album title: Loopyness Artist: Lee Burridge and Lost Desert Genre: Deep House/Techno/Electronic Nationality: English Release date: May 19 Position in Discography: Thirteenth (kind of: he's a producer who works with other artists so it's hard to say for certain) Estimated Rating: Have I heard of this artist? No Average RYM Score: 3.00 More techno and house music; three tracks only on this album, and to be fair none of them are mega-long, with the longest coming in just shy of ten and a half minutes. It's that one, the title track in fact, which opens the album and it's a bouncy, dancy but not too harsh techno track that's very repetitive, though with a ten minute running length I'd hope it will have some variation over its span. Well, it really kind of didn't. I mean, they brought some guitars in, but essentially it seemed to me as if it stayed more or less the same all the way through. Still, it didn't drag, so that's something. I guess people more into this music will see all the little nuances and differences, but to me it seems to be still the same song although we're now onto track two. Not that it's bad music, but I didn't realise that we had segued into the next one. Third one does sound a little different, but while this is surely good music to dance to, decent background music and will satisfy those into making this kind of music, who will be able to see all the little tricks being used, it's hard to review. So I can't. But I did enjoy what I heard. Check out more from this artist? It's not beyond the bounds of possibility Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-21-2018, 04:52 PM	#1946 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,970	Album title: One More Light Artist: Linkin Park Genre: Pop/Pop Rock/Electropop Nationality: American Release date: May 19 Position in Discography: Seventh Estimated Rating: Have I heard of this artist? Yes Have I heard anything by this artist? No Average RYM Score: 1.45 Linkin Park get a lot of hate here. Personally, I've never even heard a song by them up to now, but when this began I thought I had accidentally cued up an Imagine Dragons album (the only legitimate way, of course, to cue up an Imagine Dragons album is accidentally) but no, it's them. Well knock me down with a sixteen-ton weight. And now we have Pusha T getting in on the act. And Stormzy. Not a bad song, to be fair. I read that the lead singer died after recording this, so perhaps I should cut the band some slack. Yeah, I won't be doing that. Seems a lot of people were accusing Linkin Park of selling out on this album, though I can't comment because, as I already noted, I haven't heard anything else by them. The lead singer, Chester Bennington, did seem to go on a tirade against the fans, and ended up committing suicide, though whether the two are connected or not I can't say. It does seem a pretty weak album though, however I have to question why this would be seen as a deliberate act of selling out, given that their last two albums hit number one and three respectively. It doesn't appear as if they needed to sell out. But sure what do I know? “Battle Symphony” is a good, anthemic song, and “Invisible” is another good one, also kind of marching, anthemic in its way. Kiiara adds her talents to “Heavy”, not one of the best tracks to be honest and perhaps an odd choice for a single, but there it is. Listening to the lyric to “Sorry For Now” I do kind of wonder if he was telegraphing his intentions? Possibly not, but it's a little chilling when you hear lines like “I'll be sorry for now that I couldn't be around/ There'll be a day when you will understand” considering what happened later. The title track is another one - “Who cares if one more light goes out in a sky of a million stars?” Indeed. Lovely song, but again, scarily prophetic quite possibly. Guitar on this reminds me of something, but I can't place it. But look at the titles of the songs: “Good Goodbye”. “Nobody Can Save Me”. “Invisible”. “Sorry For Now”. All could be interpreted as relating to someone considering ending it all. And then my theory falls apart as I notice that Bennington didn't write any of those songs. Well, I guess I won't be opening up that detective agency just yet, then. As someone coming to Linkin Park without any previous history, the contempt and dislike they're held in here doesn't mean anything to me, and as for this album, I'd say it's decent and listenable, if not anything particularly special. Nothing, however, deserving of the pitiably low RYM score given above. I guess it's a case of how sharper than a serpent's tooth, huh? The fans, it would appear, have spoken. Check out more from this artist? Might Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-22-2018, 12:02 PM	#1947 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,970	Album title: Connect the Dots Artist: Misterwives Genre: Indie Pop Nationality: American Release date: May 19 Position in Discography: Second Estimated Rating: Have I heard of this artist? No Average RYM Score: 3.21 Fairly inoffensive dancy pop for the most part. “Revolution” has a harder, darker edge and about the first time the album takes a slower turn, warps into something of a gospel anthem as it goes along. Pretty good, and the first time I've felt compelled to take notice of this album. Picking up a little now. The next track is good too, and “Out of Tune Piano” is a lot of fun, even if it does use the basic melody or structure from “Itchy-Coo Park”. It's all right I guess, but I don't see or hear anything here that's that particularly interesting or different. Check out more from this artist? No Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-22-2018, 02:51 PM	#1949 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,970	Album title: Goths Artist: The Mountain Goats Genre: Indie Rock/Indie Folk/Gothic Rock* Nationality: American Release date: May 19 Position in Discography: Seventeenth Estimated Rating: Have I heard of this artist? Yes Have I heard anything by this artist? No Average RYM Score: 3.37 A very good start. Apparently they based this album on music by The Cure, Siouxsie, Bauhaus and Joy Division, and I can hear at least some of The Cure in the opener, but I'm really hearing more Sisters of Mercy. Interestingly, I wrote that before I saw the title of the second track, which is “Andrew Eldritch is Moving Back to Leeds”. Kind of more a psych/folk feel to that one though, perhaps ironically? I really like the third track, has that real breezy, laid back thing going on and “We Do it Different on the West Coast” is brilliant. Nothing here I don't love so far. I hear a lot of Beautiful South in “Stench of the Unburied”, and the superbly smoky sax in “Rage of Travers” just washes over you like morning mist or something. Probably something else. But damn it is sweet. “Shelved” is another masterpiece, and I just can't get over how (and I hate to use this word but it's apt) awesome this album is. I don't know what I had been expecting, but I was not expecting this. Absolutely first rate, not a bad song on it, not even one that is less than great. A new fan, right here. Check out more from this artist? Oh good holy **, yes! Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating:** * Got to take issue with this tag. Gothic Rock? Not even close, not one single track; at least, not as I understand gothic rock. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-22-2018, 02:58 PM	#1950 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,548	They sound like Sisters of Mercy but don't sound like gothic rock? Hmm... __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x