Hello, everyone! So, first of all, yes I know it’s been a while since I’ve made a mini review post. In fact, it’s been over two months. If you want a bit of an update on where I’m at regarding the near future of my music reviews, you can check out the update that I posted recently.

These reviews aren’t as high-effort as I was hoping they’d be, but I’ve been working on so many things over the past few months (and also taking a bit of a break from reviews), and at the end of the day it’s not like this is a job or anything. I’m not required to be ‘objective’ or anything like that, I’m just giving some quick thoughts on these albums, some of which I only listened to a few times and didn’t analyze super deeply.

Anyway, let’s get these reviews started with …

You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To by Knocked Loose:

Knocked Loose are an American metalcore band who have been getting a lot of critical acclaim for this new album of theirs. In fact, I can’t remember the last time a metalcore album has gotten this much critical acclaim!

And I really thought I was going to at the very least like this … but after giving their first two albums each one listen all the way through—albeit just listening to them in the background—my expectations for this album were lowered, and yet somehow I’m still disappointed after listening to this album a few times.

This album is a little under a half hour long, and it’s very heavy and intense, and there’s a lot of emotion here, with the lyrics seeming to be about an endless battle with depression and trying to find a way out of it but constantly running into demons along the way—with the occasional moment that doesn’t really seem to relate to that theme.

I don’t know whether or not the lyrics are about a personal experience with depression, but either way I don’t want to be insensitive or anything, but I just personally don’t find this album all that interesting. There are a few moments I like, such as “Moss Covers All”, a very short track with some super fast, intense drumming, and there are some really good guitar melodies in “Slaughterhouse 2”.

But for the most part, beyond the theme of the lyrics and the fact that this is some super heavy metalcore which has the sonic fundamentals of a really strong metalcore album, aside from the production sounding rougher than I would have liked (although the rough sound was probably intentional, and I get why it could work) … well, to me it doesn’t seem like there’s a lot more to it.

I very well could be missing something—maybe there’s a lot more to this—but I’m just not wowed by this at all. Light 6/10 for me.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 6/10
Favourite Tracks: “Moss Covers All”, “Slaughterhouse 2”, “Blinding Faith”
Least Favourite Track: “The Calm That Keeps You Awake”

From the Other Side of the Mirror by Glassing:

This is the fourth album by the American post-hardcore band Glassing, who I only heard of once this album came out. But I decided to check out their first three albums in preparation for this review, and I ended up really liking all of them. I didn’t give them a ton of time and attention, but they’re definitely albums I want to listen to more, and I was really excited going into this album!

And aside from a really underwhelming opening track which has some really rough production in my opinion, this ended up being a really strong post-hardcore album that does a lot of things really well and doesn’t have a lot of super notable flaws in my opinion!

And there are so many strong moments here! The intense drumming is incredible on “Defacer”, a track which seems to show someone on the verge of escaping demons, but there’s a subtle sense of hopelessness which makes the song really heartbreaking. And I love the eerie vocal effect on “Ritualist”, as well as that spectral bass in “As My Heart Rots” that fits really well with the bleak lyrics. And the ending of “Circle Down” is absolute madness, and I mean that in the best way! The ending of that song with headphones on is absolutely insane!

And there seems to be a theme throughout the album of a toxic relationship, although it could potentially be a metaphor for any of a plethora of things. But excessive submission is a topic that is reoccurring on this album, and I really like the arc that shows moments where the narrator nearly breaks free, but it doesn’t feel like it ever really happens, although there are some ambient pieces that feel like a calm within the storm. And at the end of the album, we realize the narrator’s demons may actually be guilt, and whether or not it’s all just unfair humility is open to interpretation.

And “Nominal Will” has some of the best lyrics here in my opinion, as it seems to possibly be framing FOBO and determination as two sides of the same coin. And whether or not I agree with that is something I’ve barely even thought about, and we could be here all day if I go down that rabbit hole right now, but the emotional aspect of this dawns really well, and I especially love the line, ‘Consoling what I can’t change, still I remain lost to spirit and emotion.’ It’s really powerful stuff, even though sonically I think it’s one of the weaker tracks here.

So, overall, I’m really surprised how much I ended up liking this album! It’s a really strong post-hardcore album that doesn’t get off to a great start but really picks up quickly and has a lot to unpack! What a great surprise! I’m going to give this an 8/10!

Final Thoughts
Rating: 8/10
Favourite Tracks: “Nothing Touches You”, “Defacer”, “Nominal Will”, “Ritualist”, “As My Heart Rots”, “Circle Down”
Least Favourite Tracks: “Anything You Want”

Under Sound by Prize Horse:

So, this is the official debut studio album from this band I’d never heard of until recently, and it’s kind of like a shoegaze grunge album, with a bit of a dreamy vibe to it but not too much that it takes away from the very noticeable guitar distortion and hard-hitting snares.

And speaking of those snares, I really like them in certain parts of this album, such as “Your Time”, which has to be my favourite track here with the way the snares alone pretty much make the entire instrumental feel way more hard-hitting and vigorous than it actually is—and I mean that as a compliment!

And if I’m being totally honest … this meshing of styles can lead to a really rough sound at points, and it’s a big part of the reason why this album isn’t really clicking for me.

And a lot of this has to do with the lyrics, which kind of feels like a sequence of events where it’s not entirely clear what the story of the album is. And while I’m not super gripped by the lyrics, probably in large part because I don’t really understand them—and that’s not necessarily a bad thing—the music could really give this a lot more meaning for me to make the lyrics stand out more!

And thus, maybe if there was an amalgamation with more atmosphere that really gave this a much foggier yet tantalizing blanket in the album’s sound, I could get into this a lot more. I know that’s oddly specific, but I’ve heard albums do things like this musically which fit incredible well with the lyrics and the vibe it’s aiming for; if you want a recent example, Playground by House of Harm, which was released late last year!

Now, that album is nothing like this one, but I’m just giving an example of how this kind of ‘conspicuous bleakness’ in the production can be done in a way that I really like. I’m not even sure if ‘bleakness’ is the right word, but there’s a certain enchanting vibe this seems to be strongly aiming for, and I don’t think it fully coalesces for me.

With all this being said, there are moments here that I really like—I like the guitar melodies of “Your Time”, “Know Better” has the intensity of a post-hardcore track in the guitar and drums and I think it mostly works with the watery production, and the drumming is really strong on “Stone”!

So, as a whole, I don’t think Under Sound is a bad album. There’s enough here to keep me somewhat intrigued to hear more from this band, even though I can’t really see this album having much replay value at all for me.

Still, though, I mostly enjoyed this record, I’d say enough to give it a 6/10. If you can get past some inconsistent mixing and some roughness to the production and you’re just looking for a 90s-esque rock album that feels like kind of like a cryptic TV show, this might satisfy you.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 6/10
Favourite Tracks: “Your Time”, “Reload”, “Know Better”
Least Favourite Track: “Under Sound”

Maze Envy by Civerous:

This is the second studio album from death metal band Civerous. In preparation for this review I very briefly checked out their 2021 debut Decrepit Flesh Relic, and by that I mean I gave it one full listen in the background, and it didn’t really seem like it was for me.

But this new album has been getting lots of critical acclaim, although I’ve never been a big fan of death metal, so I can’t say my expectations were super high …

And I actually like this more than I thought I would. I don’t love it, and there are some moments such as “Shrouded in Crystals” which just feel overly intense without much that makes it stand out, but some of the non-metal moments such as the intro of “Labyrinth Charm” actually really work for me, and “Endless Symmetry” is another example with its eeriness.

And some of the metal moments are pretty strong, too, such as that black metal passage in the second half of the title track and the way the kick drum is amazingly well miked in “Levitation Tomb”.

I’m not going to pretend I understand the lyrics (which I’m pretty sure include a lot of references to Greek mythology), but I mostly like the production here, and it’s got a nice balance of heavy and mellow, and overall I’m feeling a 7/10 on this album! But it is a death metal album, and that might be a big part of the reason why this didn’t fully click for me. But for fans of death metal, there’s a good chance you’ll love this!

Final Thoughts
Rating: 7/10
Favourite Tracks: “Endless Symmetry”, “Labyrinth Charm”, “Levitation Tomb”
Least Favourite Track: “Shrouded in Crystals”

Flyin by Wade Bowen:

This is my first time listening to a Wade Bowen album, although he’s been releasing albums since the early 2000s. And as someone who’s gotten into country music in recent years, I was very excited to hear this …

And don’t get me wrong, I think this is very good. In fact, I don’t really have any major complaints with it, as I think it’s an album that does pretty much everything really well … but there’s not much about it that I find exceptional.

I mean, yeah, there are some moments where I don’t really like the production, like the watery texture of “Friday Night” and the airiness of “When I Wanna Be Wanted”, but for the most part I think the guitar and drums complement each other well, and the vocal production gives the vocals just enough emphasis without taking away from the powerful instrumentation.

And there are some good lyrics, too. Wade Bowen describes a lot of things really well here, especially in a song like “Someone Else’s Now” with lines such as ‘Loves her music country, but her boys rock and roll’ and ‘the wildest flower out of Pasadena.’ And there’s some good wordplay in “Two Hurts, One Stoned”.

But I’m also not going to pretend I find the lyrics super deep or anything … I mean, maybe there’s more to them than I realize, but most of it feels pretty surface level, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I’m just not all that eager to go back to this any time soon, aside from some individual songs.

And the vocal melodies, while mostly good, aren’t super catchy and definitely aren’t among the best I’ve heard this year.

So, overall, I mostly like this Wade Bowen album, but I’ve heard quite a few country albums in recent years which have stood out to me a lot more. I’ll give this album a 7/10. I think it’s quite good, but I wouldn’t call it great. But still, if you’re looking for some really solid country music which does a lot of things really well, I’d recommend this.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 7/10
Favourite Tracks: “Rainin On Me”, “Two Hurts, One Stoned”, “Someone Else’s Now”, “Love Does What It Wants To”, “The Hardest Part”
Least Favourite Track: “Friday Night”

post weaning by pinniped:

So, I came across this fifteen-minute ambient album online, and I had never heard of this artist before.

And it wasn’t until I’d already started listening to it that I found out this is literally just noises made by a seal … at least it appears that way, based on what I’ve read.

Well, no, it’s not just noises made by a seal, because there is this ambient synth (or at least what sounds like a synth) in the background.

And I hate being the one to give a negative review to an album by a smaller artist … but I’m struggling to even call this art. I mean, technically it is, but it doesn’t feel like it. I’m pretty sure it’s literally just noises made by a seal with a drone synth in the background that doesn’t change at all.

Now, I will say this: I think the album is better in reality than it is on paper. But that’s really not saying much since it sounds like about the most unappealing album ever—and that’s an exaggeration, but not a huge one.

And I was considering whether or not to even review this, but the mindset I usually have when reviewing smaller artists is that it might give the album more attention, even if I don’t like the album, and that’s probably a win for the artist. And besides, I highly doubt this artist is really trying to make high quality art here. And if this artist is really trying to make it big, I don’t think this kind of music is the way to do that. And maybe I’m wrong about all that, and if I am, my apologies. But I honestly can’t help but wonder if this was just made as a joke.

I guess there might be an audience for this—there probably is—and I do think the ambient drone synth in the background is kind of pleasant for a little bit, even though I wish it had more variety … but I’m struggling to get the appeal of this album. Just being honest.

I can’t give this a higher rating than a strong 3/10. Again, I’m surprised I don’t dislike it more, but especially considering how short it is, it could be a lot worse. And I’m not even sure I’m as much actively annoyed by it as I am baffled by it.

Now I honestly kind of want to listen to more by this artist just so I can hopefully find an album I like and give it a more positive review. We’ll see, maybe I’ll do that.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 3/10
Favourite Tracks: N/A
Least Favourite Tracks: N/A

Let’s Start Degeneracy by Microwave:

I’ve heard of this band quite a bit, but I haven’t really listened to them much, so I didn’t have much of an idea what to expect going into this new album … and unfortunately it’s not really doing much for me.

I’m going to keep this brief as I’ve been in a huge time crunch recently with my reviews, mostly due to spending a lot of time on other things, but I want to get a bunch of reviews posted and this album just doesn’t give me a whole lot to say.

This album isn’t really doing much for me, so instead of trying to find a bunch of things to say about it, I’ll just admit I didn’t give this album the time of day that I wanted to, so take this review with a huge grain of salt. (Honestly, that can all be said about quite a few of the reviews in this post.) But the melodies aren’t really grabbing my attention much and the production often sounds a lot more watery than I would have liked.

I do think the groovy instrumentation of “Strangers” is pretty fun, and and I like the guitar distortion and punchy drums of “Bored of Being Sad”. But the vast majority of this album just isn’t really doing anything for me at all, and I wouldn’t say I love a single track here.

Overall, this just feels like a pretty by-the-numbers alternative/pop/rock album designed for alternative rock radio. I’m not saying it was only made to do big numbers, I’m just saying it has that sound to it. For me, this is a 5/10.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 5/10
Favourite Tracks: “Bored of Being Sad”, “Strangers”, “Huperzine Dreams”
Least Favourite Track: “Ferrari”

Tidal Memory Exo by Iglooghost:

Iglooghost is an electronic music producer who I don’t think I’d ever heard of until very recently when I found out about this album. And this album has been getting a ton of critical acclaim, arguably one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2024! And thus, I was quite excited to hear this!

And I am so happy to say I absolutely get the hype with this album! This is a chilling electronic album with so many riveting details which intricately connect in ways that can’t really be understood without hearing it. And while I’m not going to pretend that I fully ‘get’ this album, I think that may partially be the point, although there’s a lot more to it than that … and I think this is easily among the best albums I have heard from this year! Seriously, this is INCREDIBLE!

And a big part of this is the production, which really gives this album such a chilling vibe, while sounding quite futuristic, almost like I’m listening to the end of humanity—yes, that’s a strange way to describe it, but considering how glitchy it sounds, it kind of feels like everything is just fading out during the apocalypse. And some of the lyrics feel like they really fit with that vibe, such as in “Alloy Flea”.

And I’m not even sure how to accurately describe this album beyond that … I mean, it’s such a strange, experimental album which blends genres like EDM, hip hop, maybe a bit of post-punk, maybe some disco … it’s really hard to explain, but if you listen to it there’s a very good chance you’ll end up really loving it like I did!

Overall, I think this album works a lot better as a whole, and while I wouldn’t say it has any of my favourite individual songs of the year, as a whole album it is such an incredible experience that is unlike anything else I’ve ever heard! Strong 9/10, and easily one of my favourite albums of 2024!

Final Thoughts
Rating: 9/10
Favourite Tracks: “Blue Hum”, “Alloy Flea”, “Spawn01”, “Flux•Cocoon”, “Pulse Angel”, “Echo Lace”, “Germ Chrism”, “Dewdrop Signal”, “Geo Sprite Exo”
Least Favourite Track: “Nemat0de”

Neon Pill by Cage the Elephant:

This is album number six from American alternative rock band, Cage the Elephant, and it’s their first in five years.

I relistened to the rest of their discography in preparation for this review, starting with their self-titled debut album from 2008, one that really didn’t do much for me at all, arguably their least catchy album. And while 2011’s Thank You Happy Birthday had better melodies and showed more potential, to me it’s still nowhere near great. And despite all the critical acclaim, 2013’s Melophobia felt a lot less gripping to me than I think it’s supposed to, and 2015’s Tell Me I’m Pretty was a new low for the band in my opinion.

But their 2019 album Social Cues actually surprised me a lot! I don’t think it’s a great album, but it’s a very good one with the most standout tracks on any Cage the Elephant album in my opinion, which made me excited to hear this new album … and it’s probably my second favourite Cage the Elephant album, only behind Social Cues. I’m not really a huge fan of a lot of the psychedelic production which has a much more watery texture than I would have liked, and some of the lyrics can feel a little overly cliché at points, but there are some good grooves here, and a couple great songs.

The biggest standouts to me on the album have to be “Rainbow” and “Out Loud”. The former might be about drug addiction, and if it is, the sort of faux-happy sound fits really well, with that squealing guitar in the chorus feeling like a hint that something’s wrong. And “Out Loud” was written about band members Matt’s and Brad’s father who passed away, and it seems to be about them wishing they’d been there for him more, even though they chased their dreams of being musicians. There are a lot of complicated emotions here, and I love the gorgeous strings which really help the emotion shine through even more!

Outside of that … I mean, I like the blazing guitar in “Metaverse”, and the dramatic tension in the instrumental of “Good Time” with those elegant synths that shimmer in the background of the chorus, and I like the chorus melody in “Same”.

But there’s also a song like “Ball and Chain”, which has quite a clunky chorus that I don’t like at all, and a sort of spoken delivery in the verses which sounds really awkward over the bouncy instrumental.

I feel like this is the kind of album that would probably hit a lot harder for me if I related to it more—and considering a lot of the subject matter, I’m glad I don’t relate to it more—but I still generally like this album more than I don’t. I’m gonna give this a 6.5/10, as it’s got its moments that I like, but I don’t think I’ll be returning to it much as a whole.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 6.5/10
Favourite Tracks: “Rainbow”, “Metaverse”, “Out Loud”, “Good Time”, “Same”
Least Favourite Track: “Ball and Chain”

Anniversary by Adeem the Artist:

I was convinced this was only the third studio album by Adeem the Artist, and I gave their 2021 album Cast Iron Pansexual a few listens in preparation for this review, as well as relistening to their 2022 album White Trash Revelry, and I can’t say I’m really a huge fan of their music. I respect it a lot, and there’s clearly a lot of emotion that’s gone into the song writing, but a lot of it just didn’t really click for me, and I felt a strange feeling of distance from those albums.

I still mostly liked White Trash Revelry, though, even though I do think it was maybe a bit overhyped. I wouldn’t call that album great in my personal opinion, just really good.

And when I was almost done making this review, I found out they released quite a few albums even before Cast Iron Pansexual, and I just decided not to take all the extra time listening to those albums in preparation for this review. So, this is the third Adeem the Artist album that I’ve listened to …

And unfortunately, once again, I’m struggling to fully get into an Adeem the Artist album. But while White Trash Revelry still felt mostly enjoyable as a whole, this album was much more difficult to get through. And I’m not saying I think this is bad, because I don’t. But it’s just not really grabbing my attention all that much.

And it’s especially frustrating in moments such as “Wounded Astronaut” in which they admit to mistreating women in the past and apologize for it, trying to figure out what it was that made them the person they were in the past, while also moving forward and trying to be better. And I like the honesty of it, and it feels like it should be a really nice song that I should really like, but everything other than the lyrics feels super boring and bland.

And there are some moments where this just doesn’t work for me at all, like “Socialite Blues”, with the noisy background sounds that don’t fit at all with the main instruments in my opinion—and I get that it’s probably supposed to be meta with the ‘out of tune songs’ line, but it just feels more forced than anything.

Also, kind of off-topic, but “Rotations” reminds me a lot of “Heritage of Arrogance” in the vocal melodies, except I don’t think this song is nearly as good.

And the thing is, White Trash Revelry and Cast Iron Pansexual, while not being albums that fully clicked for me as a whole, both had strong moments that really stood out to me … whereas here, I don’t think there’s a single great song. I mean, there’s some that get kind of close but are usually held back by the production. For example, there’s “One Night Stand” which has really good storytelling seemingly about a one night stand that turns into a relationship, although the relationship described at the end could be with someone else, so it’s open to interpretation … but the drums totally overpower the mix. And there’s “Nightmare” which comments on how some ‘safe spaces’ really aren’t as safe as they should be, but I don’t like how the vocals are drowned out in the mix. And “Carry You Down” feels like it should really click for me, but some of the guitar moments just stick out like a sore thumb in the production.

“White Mule, Black Man” is probably my favourite track here, and if there is a great song here I’d say it’s that one. I really like the lyrics about the Knoxville Riot of 1919, and this song seems to be pointing out the bad excuses people find to cover up acts of racism, talking about the legend of the white mule curse in Knoxville. And I’m no history expert, so I’m not sure if the white mule legend and the riot are related or not, but either way it’s a really good use of wordplay with the double-meaning of ‘white’. But the combination of the sung and spoken delivery just doesn’t quite work for me, and I’m not entirely sure why.

So, overall, while there are some things I like about this album, and I respect it a lot, it’s just not really clicking for me personally. I really wish I liked it a lot more, but I’m going to have to go with a 6/10. It’s just not really for me.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 6/10
Favourite Tracks: “One Night Stand”, “Nightmare”, “Carry You Down”, “Plot of Land”, “White Mule, Black Man”
Least Favourite Track: “Socialite Blues”

A Dream Is All We Know by The Lemon Twigs:

The Lemon Twigs are a duo of brothers Michael and Brian D’Addirio, formed in New York about a decade ago, and they’ve become famous for their very 60s-like sound, which doesn’t only sound very heavily influenced from that time, but honestly sounds like it was released then! If you don’t believe me, try listening to their music and tell me otherwise!

I personally didn’t really love any of their first three official studio albums, but last year’s Everything Harmony was significantly more critically acclaimed, and I mostly liked it but didn’t really love it. It’s probably my favourite of their first four albums, though—I reviewed it last year, and after relistening to it in preparation for this review, I stand by my original score of 6.5/10.

And this new album is also getting a ton of critical acclaim … and unfortunately I don’t like it as much. I can respect what The Lemon Twigs do with this throwback sound and how well they make it sound like it was from decades ago, but it doesn’t really sound like a great 60s album … to me it sounds like a mediocre 60s album.

Case in point, “Peppermint Roses”, which despite not having seen much discussion about the individual songs online I pretty much know is going to be a favourite for lots of people, to me sounds like a bad Beatles song. I like The Beatles, but there are certain eras of their music that I don’t really like much and this sounds like it was from one of them.

I know people often talk about how music production has gotten way better over the years, and while it’s definitely gotten more advanced and there’s way more you can do with it, there are very well-produced albums from the 60s and this to me sounds worse overall. I don’t hate the production here, but I wish the vocal layering did more to really make the melodies stand out, and it just sounds kind of messy in a way I don’t really know how to describe well. And overall, this album doesn’t have the same polish that made Everything Harmony as good as it is—and this is coming from someone who’s not even a huge fan of Everything Harmony, although I’ll admit the production is great on that album!

There are moments here I really like such as “Sweet Vibration” and especially “If You and I Are Not Wise”—the Christmas song vibes on the latter sound immaculate, and I love it!

But overall, I wish I liked this a lot more than I do. I think I’m gonna have to go with a 5.5/10 to be totally honest.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 5.5/10
Favourite Tracks: “A Dream Is All I Know”, “Sweet Vibration”, “If You and I Are Not Wise”, “Rock On (Over and Over)”
Least Favourite Track: “Peppermint Roses”

Fearless Movement by Kamasi Washington:

Kamasi Washington is an artist I’ve heard of quite a few times but hadn’t really listened to until this album, and while I still haven’t listened to any of his other albums, I do know he’s received a lot of critical acclaim, including for this new album which is nearly an hour and a half long.

Now, I’m not super familiar with a lot of jazz music, but I wanted to give this a shot, and I was quite curious about it …

And I can’t help but feel a bit of a disconnect from this album. It’s very impressive and there was clearly a lot that went into it, but at the same time I’m not going to pretend it really keeps my attention all the way through for the whole running time, and even the moments that do still feel like they’re missing something to fully click for me as much as I’d like.

And yet I can’t help but feel like there’s something connecting this all together that I’m just not quite understanding. I mean, a track like “Interstellar Peace (The Last Stance)” feels like a part of a larger statement, and it doesn’t even have lyrics!

“Asha the First” is definitely a song that has a lot to say lyrically, and I love the line, ‘Anything can become your everything in the moment.’

And I really like the penultimate track “Lines in the Sand”, which has some really nice keyboards and is really groovy and fun, and the lyrics which seem to represent delicacy fit really well with a song which is so unpredictable musically.

But I just can’t help but feel like this isn’t really for me. It’s an album that feels like it’s trying to make some larger statement than what appears on the surface, and while sometimes that sort of thing can really click for me, what I personally hear when I listen to this is an overly long, occasionally boring album with a few moments here and there that I really like and a lot that feels like filler. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think there’s anything more to it than that.

In other words, while music is not ‘objectively’ good or bad, if I had to try to be as ‘objective’ as possible I would say this is a very, very good album, probably deserving of a higher score … but based on my personal taste, I think a 6/10 is appropriate.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 6/10
Favourite Tracks: “Asha the First”, “Dream State”, “Road to Self (KO)”, “Interstellar Peace (The Last Stance)”
Least Favourite Track: “Computer Love”

lava operation by betesk:

I recently reviewed another album by betesk, Focus. Although that album shows the name Betesk capitalized, which leads me to wonder if this is the same artist, because on Bandcamp it kind of makes it seem like this might be a different artist. But I am pretty confident this is the same artist, so I’m just gonna assume that for now.

And while Focus definitely made me curious to hear more, I didn’t really like it all that much. In fact, I didn’t really like it at all, and I actually mostly dislike it. It was the sort of sound collage album that felt like nothing really fit together and it ended up feeling like a bunch of random noise. And while there were moments that I got the appeal of—and even moments I kind of liked—it’s nowhere near one of my favourite sound collage albums I’ve heard in recent years, and I’m not even much of a fan of sound collage albums.

This album, on the other hand, feels less like a sound collage and more like just a very experimental ambient album. And I’m quite surprised how much more I like this! It creates a really eerie vibe that really brings up the question, ‘Is there some sort of hidden meaning here?’ And there very well could be, although it’s very much up to the listener what that is.

And the funny thing is, if I were to recommend either this or Focus, I’m not sure which one I’d pick. Because it feels like they were made for very different audiences. It’s hard for me to describe why I like this as much as I do, but there are certain moods I can think of where this would hit so goddamn hard for me! “textures”, especially, it kind of reminds me of the Radiohead song “Kid A”, and that’s a huge compliment! 

But what mood is that that I was talking about? Honestly, it’s hard to describe, because I’m the only one who really knows what it’s like to be me. But I guess what I’ll say is that I can imagine this hitting really hard on an evening in the Summer when I’m having a slight existential crisis—I know that was very oddly specific, and that circumstance doesn’t happen very often for me, and I haven’t listened to this album under those circumstances … but even without the existential crisis thing, I can see this album just being a very enjoyable listen on a Summer evening, and I don’t entirely know why! At least for a specific mood, which, once again, I am having a hard time describing.

So, when it comes to a rating … honestly, I think I’m gonna go with an 8/10 on this album, a huge step up from the 4/10 I gave Focus. Again, it’s hard for me to fully figure out why, but this album really hits hard for me. What a great find! And stay tuned for my next mini review post to find out what I think of the other of the three betesk albums from this year, strain LP.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 8/10
Favourite Tracks: “dark fog”, “textures”, “spoils”, “storm wave”
Least Favourite Track: “residue”

To All Trains by Shellac:

I had never heard of the band Shellac until this album came out earlier this year, and it wasn’t until I had given this multiple listens that I found out Steve Albini was a member of this band up until his tragic passing less than two weeks before the release of this album. And it put me in a bit of an awkward situation with this review, because if I’m being honest I’m not really liking this album all that much, and I felt kind of bad posting a mostly indifferent review of the album so soon after his passing.

And thus, I was having second thoughts about whether or not I wanted to post this review. I mean, I did want to, it was just a question of whether or not it was too insensitive. And while in my opinion there wouldn’t have been anything all that wrong with posting this review earlier, I just decided to wait a bit, and once again, unfortunately I can’t really call myself a fan of this album.

The production has a sound to it which almost works for me, but it sounds too rough and messy to really hit as hard as I’d like, despite the sharp snares and the guitar distortion which feels like it should totally click for me on paper.

And often it feels like this album is kind of meandering compositionally, without really making the hooks all that memorable, and the bass can be overpowering in moments such as “Scrappers” and “Tattoos”.

And lyrically this isn’t really doing much for me, either, with a lot of these songs feeling like they don’t really have a lot to say. I could be missing something, but that’s how I hear it. For example, there’s “How I Wrote How I Wrote Elastic Man (cock & bull)” which feels like it’s describing a song writing process without much detail to make it compelling, or “Chick New Wave” which just feels like the most basic female empowerment anthem ever.

There are some kind of catchy moments such as “Scabby the Rat” with its pummeling drums, and “Tattoos” has some nice building intensity with the guitar and drums, even if I don’t find it all that gripping, but the vast majority of this album just feels really forgettable to me.

Rest in Peace, Steve Albini. It’s super tragic that he passed this year, especially so suddenly, and I really wish I liked this album more, but I can’t pretend to like it.

If you’re looking for a post-hardcore/indie rock album that is slightly ‘out there’ while still mostly sounding like a typical indie rock album, this might be up your alley. But I just couldn’t get into this at all, and I’m going to give it a 5/10. I don’t think it’s bad, but it’s not for me.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 5/10
Favourite Tracks: “Tattoos”, “Scabby the Rat”
Least Favourite Track: “I Don’t Fear Hell”

Eleven Fugues For Sodium Pentothal by Adam Wiltzie:

I don’t think I’d ever heard of Adam Wiltzie before this album came out, but I was looking for a critically acclaimed ambient album I could review, and while there hasn’t been a lot of that in 2024, this was getting a mostly positive reception, and instrumental ambient albums are usually pretty quick and easy for me to review …

Well, maybe not ‘easy’, but usually quick, at least if they’re short albums like this one is, running for less than forty minutes. But it’s often hard for me to describe why I do or don’t like ambient albums, because they often don’t really give me a lot to say. And thus, I feel like my reviews are more ‘valid’ in that case because I’m not leaving out any important information about the albums … and really, I think it’s mostly stupid that I worry about that, because my role as a music critic isn’t to ‘objectively’ review albums and all important aspects of them. It’s not like this is my job or anything, I’m just some guy who writes about music online, and my personal experience with that music. And yes, I try to analyze it more ‘objectively’ sometimes, but at the end of the day it’s all subjective, and everyone listens to music differently.

But still, that doesn’t change the fact that when I’m super busy with lots of reviews, I’ll often try to find some instrumental ambient music because I feel more ‘valid’ reviewing it and not really saying much about it … and as someone who’s gotten into ambient music in recent years, it’s not too rare I’ll find an album in the genre that really clicks for me, such as this album!

And like with most instrumental ambient albums, there’s not really a whole lot for me to say. Yes, I could comment on some of the imagery it brings to mind—a lot of this has a slightly futuristic vibe to it, like it’s sending some sort of message from the future but only fragments of it are getting through—but even though when I find a ‘meaning’ in an album and describe it on this website it’s often probably wrong, with instrumental music it’s almost definitely wrong, almost all of the time. Or maybe you could argue it’s just as accurate as anyone else’s interpretation.

What I can say is that there are a lot of gorgeous synth timbres which blend together super well and the layers fit together almost perfectly, and the higher frequencies are ‘off-putting’ enough to stand out and add some variety and eeriness without totally taking away from the vibe.

And the album sequencing is really strong, too! It feels like it gets a bit more eerie as the album goes on, albeit only slightly, like hope is being lost while trying to untangle a mystery.

I’m not a big fan of the sort of staticky sounds toward the end of “Stock Horror”, and this album overall isn’t doing anything all that revolutionary, but it still does what I think it’s trying to do really, really well! It’s an 8/10 for me, and I highly recommend it to fans of ambient music!

Final Thoughts
Rating: 8/10
Favourite Tracks: “Buried At Westwood Memorial Park, In An Unmarked Grave, To The Left Of Walter Matthau”, “Tissue Of Lies”, “Pelagic Swell”, “Dim Hopes”, “We Were Vaporised”
Least Favourite Track: “Stock Horror”

Hex Dealer by Lip Critic:

This is the second studio album from Lip Critic, following their 2020 album Lip Critic II. I still haven’t heard that album, but I decided to check out this new album after seeing some critical acclaim for it online.

And it’s definitely interesting, that’s for sure! I don’t know what genre to describe this as. Is it hip hop? Kind of, but it’s also got elements of hardcore punk, and maybe even some post-punk elements. And there are a lot of hyperpop elements here, too!

“Love Will Redeem You”, for example. What genre is this song? It’s got a Danny Brown esque vocal delivery, with the sort of intense instrumental with the breakbeat percussion and the awesome bass that feels like it would fit in a club song or some kind of EDM music!

And honestly I’ve got to say I’m very curious to hear this band’s debut album now … because this is great!

There’s a lot packed into this lyrically, and while I’ve never been the best at accurately analyzing lyrics, there is still a lot that I really like here. There seems to be an overall theme of cynicism, and the metaphors make it hard for me to really figure out what’s going on, but I often think that kind of helps the album. “Spirit Bomber”, for example, seems to be about someone feeling like they’re giving way more than they receive, and the frustration that comes with that, with a bit of paranoia as well which makes the song’s lyrics a lot more haunting.

And what I really like about a lot of this album is that as far as I can tell it’s not particularly clear whether or not the narrator is actually facing any sort of oppression or if it’s just supposed to represent someone who thinks the world should revolve around them, or maybe it’s somewhere in between. Now, take this all with a massive grain of salt, because my lyrical interpretations are almost always wrong, probably here as well. But if you want to know what I really like about a lot of these lyrics, that’s my explanation.

And I really love a lot of the instrumentation and production as well, which gives this a lot of real intensity. The drums are super hard-hitting and they complement the dramatic synths super well, and the mixing gives it a really fine-edged sound that feels like it blurs the line between fiction and reality. And considering everything I said about my interpretations of the lyrics (even though they’re probably wrong) this makes perfect sense!

So, yeah, if you want a genre-blending album that’ll pull you into its world of fear that’s still got enough catchy moments to be a ton of fun despite all the madness, this could be exactly what you’re looking for! This is an 8/10 for me, what a great surprise!

Final Thoughts
Rating: 8/10
Favourite Tracks: “It’s the Magic”, “Love Will Redeem You”, “The Heart”, “Spirit Bomber”, “Death Lurking”, “I’m Alive”, “My Wife and the Goblin”, “In the Wawa (Convinced I Am God)”, “Toxin Dodger”
Least Favourite Track: “Sermon”