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Album title: The Last Text Artist: Jacob Sartorius Genre: Pop/Teen Pop/EDM Nationality: American Release date: January 20 Position in Discography: Debut Fear Factor: Pretty High Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Check out more from this artist? No ****ing way Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Nah-huh! Jesus Christ! What age is this guy: twelve? This is going to be fun. With a title like that you can guess at the lyrical content pretty easily, and with songs like “Jordans”, “All My Friends” and “Sweatshirt”, well, let's just say he's unlikely to be proposing solutions to the crisis in the Middle East, unless it's “Oh kant we all jst get along dude” or a Britneyesque “He's our president so we should support him” (probably with attendant bubblegum). Ah, it's like listening to a boyband but with real boys, ie kids. Hard not to be super-critical about this. The one plus I'll give him is that he doesn't seem to use or need the dreaded Autotune. Ah **** it: there's only eight tracks but I'm halfway through and I need to clean up all this vomit. This is like listening to some whiny kid sing about ... oh wait. That's exactly what it is. This may in fact be the only thing on Earth that could make me wish to be listening to a Justin Bieber album. Can I get a big **** THIS? Hit that button, commander! http://i.imgur.com/jC6K4gi.gif Expectation Index: 0 |
You stick it to those teenage boys.
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Album title: The Search for Everything: Wave One Artist: John Mayer Genre: Blues/Soul Nationality: American Release date: January 20 Position in Discography: Seventh Fear Factor: Low Familiar with this artist? Haven't heard any of his music but of course I've heard of him Familiar with the genre or subgenre? A little Check out more from this artist? Yes Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Ah this is more like it! Pure class from one of the legends of the twenty-first century blues, a man who has played with the late BB King, Clapton and The Grateful Dead. This is just another EP, only four tracks, but total quality all the way through. http://www.trollheart.com/speed9.jpg Expectation Index: 0 |
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Album title: Dragonfly Artist: Kasey Chambers Genre: Country Nationality: Australian Release date: January 20 Position in Discography: Eleventh Fear Factor: Moderate Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? Somewhat Check out more from this artist? Downloading her discography now Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes The same old dilemma with country albums, and non-American country albums can be a stretch, because like it or not, Americans do country best, and I reckon they invented it, so an Australian lass singing country? Could be a ready-made disaster. But a banjo at the start is an encouraging sound, and her voice reminds me of Nanci Griffith, so we're off to a good start. It's a double album too, so I'm glad we're getting off on the right foot. Sort of bluegrass feel with some nice organwork there, could be a good one. Holy ****: a blues/gospel powerhouse? Superb. This just gets better, and we're only two tracks in. Sweet. So far the only track I kind of don't like is “Talkin' Baby Blues”, bit annoying, but we're soon right back on track. As it goes on – as is not surprising in an album with twenty tracks – there are a few which fall below the high standard the album sets for itself, but overall it's still one of the best I've heard recently, and along with Miranda Lambert's The Weight of These Wings. definitely my favourite country album of this year, though admittedly that list is pretty small at the moment. ****: the Miranda album was last year. Well, an even smaller list, then. This is in the running however for my AOTY overall this year. Suck it. http://www.trollheart.com/speed9.jpg Expectation Index: 4 http://www.trollheart.com/aotyth.jpg |
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Album title: Dear Avalanche Artist: Lights and Motion Genre: Post Rock/Instrumental Nationality: Swedish Release date: January 20 Position in Discography: Fourth Fear Factor: Very Low Familiar with this artist? Yes Familiar with the genre or subgenre? Yes Check out more from this artist? Yes Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes For those who don't like post rock (and I know there are a lot of you) this is post rock, but to some extent post rock but not as we know it. I don't know: I've always got a more cinematic, dramatic vibe from this Swedish one man outfit's music than I do from, say Explosions in the Sky or Pg.Lost (sorry, Ki, if you're reading somewhere). Of course it's all instrumental, and those who hate post rock may hate it, but it's worth giving a chance. You may have heard some of his work already, as it has been used on telly and in films, and on apparently your Superbowl and the Oscars. I guess you'll either love it or hate it. No prizes for guessing which side I come down on! http://www.trollheart.com/speed10.jpg Expectation Index: 0 |
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Album title: Yesterday's Gone Artist: Loyle Carner Genre: Hip-Hop Nationality: English Release date: January 20 Position in Discography: Debut Fear Factor: High Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Check out more from this artist? Yes I would Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Maybe; the English version seems to be a lot more, well, civilised than the American one. I really want to give hip-hop a chance, and the fact that this is English rather than American recalls to me The Streets album I enjoyed, so you know, maybe it won't be so bad. Well, kicking off with an African gospel chant and some pretty cool music, a rap I can understand that doesn't go a mile a minute and does not, for now, seem to be obssessed with the usage of four-letter words: this is all a good start. I'm (cautiously) optimistic. Yeah, this is damn good. Kind of more like soul (and in some cases, jazz) with a rap spoken over it. Like this a lot. “Ain't nothin' changed” is my favourite so far, but I've yet to hear something I don't like. Even the spoken ones (skits?) are good. And I usually hate them. I love the low-key mood of this: Loyle hardly ever raises his voice and he never spits angrily. Much prefer this kind of hip-hop. The music is excellent too. I could be a fan of this. I could. This goes between funk, soul and jazz. Nice. http://www.trollheart.com/speed9.jpg Expectation Index: 10 |
Small note: I'm going to move the last two questions to after the review, as it occurs to me that the answers there are giving away my reaction to the album. Not that anyone cares. But yeah, I'm doing that from the next album.
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Album title: Lemon Memory Artist: Menace Beach Genre: Surf Punk (?) Nationality: English Release date: January 20 Position in Discography: Second Fear Factor: High Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Again, two of my least favourite genres come together: no fan of punk as everyone knows (though Frank and his Rattlesnakes are challenging that long-held stance) and as for surf rock? You can keep it. But here we are with the two together, and listen I must. Unless ... unless the album can't be found? Ah. No such luck. Well then, let the banquet begin. I hate lemons. :( Meh, it's not terrible so far. Only two tracks in, mind you, but I don't feel like blowing my brains out just yet. Yeah, you know, this isn't too bad. The instrumental “Can't Get a Haircut” is pretty righteous. Oh, it's not quite an instro – close though. Check out more from this artist? I wouldn't be rushing to, but I wouldn't totally rule it out Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Same. This was an interesting experience. http://www.trollheart.com/speed7.jpg Expectation Index: 8 |
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