Quick rundown of my recent album listens...
NEW LISTENS:
Aesop Rock - The Impossible Kid (2016) -
What always strikes me about Aesop is his fantastic lyrical abilities, and that's on full display here.
Sampha - Process (2017) -
-
Great alternative R&B album. Not much else to say though. I might have overrated it just slightly, but that might be because I really liked the production and songwriting. This was my introduction to Sampha, and I'm glad to see he is rising in popularity. The dude deserves it.
Mount Eerie - 'A Crow Looked at Me' (2017) -
+
This rating will easily go up to a five in time. This is the one album of all of these I can't stop thinking about. A surprisingly conceptual album, in more ways than is immediately obvious. It's so damn sad, I genuinely got a lump in my throat and I know there are plenty of people who straight up cried listening to it. Wouldn't be surprised if this ends up as the album of the year.
Swans - To Be Kind (2014) -
Swans are revered and for damn good reason. I haven't listened to most of their discography but I absolutely love their first album,
Filth. This one was even more of an experience. Very hypnotizing.
Alcest - Souvenirs d'un autre monde (2007) -
I liked this a lot, but don't have much to say about it. These guys manage to have a unique yet equally familiar sound, if that's possible.
Xiu Xiu - FORGET (2017) -
I've struggled with Xiu Xiu. I've listened to a lot of
Fabulous Muscles before - I have it digitally - but this was my first full listen of one of their albums. While I can definitely say I appreciated it a lot, it was a challenge enjoying it, and I hope that is represented by my very good - but not great - rating.
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Flying Microtonal Banana (2017) -
+
Lots of fun! I really loved this one. One of the most purely enjoyable albums listed here, for me.
Angel Olsen - MY WOMAN (2016) -
*Ducks and hides from Minio*
It's not bad, but after a while I got bored. I am open to revisiting it and coming to appreciate it in the future, but as it stands, it just didn't do much for me.
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree (2016) -
Amazing album. I love Nick Cave and this was one of my best Cave listens.
Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels (2016) -
+
I would say along with King Gizzard's recent LP, this is the most purely fun album I've listened to of this lot. These guys are great, but I feel I haven't come to appreciate them on a level a lot of people do. It'll happen.
Black Flag - Damaged (1981) -
Reminded me of
Filth by Swans a little bit, which is only a good thing so long as they didn't mimic it completely. Which they didn't. Cool.
REVISITS:
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool (2016) -
Definitely a great album, but I do feel the first two songs stand out above the others, as solid as those ones are. I just love "Daydreaming," and the rest of the album doesn't quite reach those heights for me.
Telefon Tel Aviv - Fahrenheit Fair Enough (2001) -
This has been a favorite album of mine for a while now, and listening to it just the other day was not only the best listen of the album itself I've had yet, but the best listen of any album recently. I just relaxed in bed and put this on, and went to another, meditative place. Haven't done that in a while, I'm ashamed to say.
Nails - Unsilent Death (2010) -
Fantastic album. My old guitar teacher's band opened for these guys, I believe, and that's how I found out about them.
Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012) -
+
Almost as sad a listen as the Mount Eerie album, but an entirely different kind of sadness. The one thing that sucks about music is after you've heard something so freaking much it can start to feel stale. I have always loved this album, and while I still do, I didn't feel the excitement about it I once did. I still love Kendrick though, and am glad he puts new material out relatively regularly so I don't get bored. As far as I know, I'm still not bored with
To Pimp a Butterfly, either.
Nails - Abandon All Life (2013) -
+
Almost as good as
Unsilent Death (some would say better), but not quite there, for me. I love the unpolished production of their first album, and this is a little more professional-sounding, which isn't a bad thing but takes away from the grit a little bit. Still an awesome album to get your heart racing.
Pig Destroyer - Prowler in the Yard (2001) -
Best grindcore album ever. JR Hayes is my favorite lyricist. Ever.