Logo

Album and Song Reviews

Register Log In Back To Forums

Post #41 · Posted at 2016-01-24 07:33:47pm 8.1 years ago

Offline Quickman
Quickman Avatar Member+
6,041 Posts
United Kingdom
Reg. 2013-08-17

"Yuuki Mishima for Tekken"
The full album is also on YouTube.

(sadly they never topped get equipped)
Quote: Ty
Why are we booting up a Master System?
Quote: Quick Man
Because God isn't real and if he was he'd hate you.
https://card.psnprofiles.com/1/DWN012Quick_Man.png

Post #42 · Posted at 2016-01-25 01:44:28am 8.1 years ago

Offline SoulEdge5000
SoulEdge5000 Avatar Member
229 Posts
United States
Reg. 2014-01-26

"Simfiling"
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/95/Charice_-_Infinity_Album_cover.jpg

INFINITY - CHARICE

I'm obsessed with Charice. Needless to say, this particular limited edition album, has been on loop for weeks! I play this album when I'm gaming, when I'm working out, when I'm in the shower (tmi), and so on! The songs on here are beautiful and I thought I might give my input on each individual track.

---

1. Louder (3.8/5)
The album opens up with this catchy, teen-pop track. The lyrics empower the listener: "Dance right through the pain", "Let my heart speak louder than my head", etc. The melody is comprised of a steady drum beat, a bright piano, orchestral strings in the pre-chorus, and a backing synth within the chorus. Overall formulaic, and suppresses Charice's full vocal power. None the less, 'Louder' is a radio friendly song that will get stuck in the listener's ears.

2. New World (from Final Fantasy XIII-2) [5/5]
A beautiful masterpiece. This lovely song was featured in the video game 'Final Fanasy XIII-2'. The song empowers the listener to move forward in their life, with 'nothing but the love you (perhaps the listener's loved one) gave me'. A simple, yet powerful melody, comprised of orchestral strings, a bell pad-type synth, a soft piano score, all coming together in harmony with Charice's powerful vocals.

3. Bounce Back (4/5)
'Louder, pt. 2'. The lyrics share the same message as 'Louder'; however, 'Bounce Back' offers a more mature, emotional sound. A majority of the song focuses more on Charice's vocal power, as opposed to 'Louder', where it was overshadowed by the instrumentals. The melody is comprised of a hip-hop style drum beat, a piano loop, and a slight synth score in the chorus. In short: A down-tempo hip-hop song, ensuring the listener that they can recover from a break up.

*4. Far As The Sky (5/5)
Charice plays the role of a guardian angel, to the listener. She will 'reach out to those who cry', and 'share her love, to help you through the deepest nights'. 'I am always here to sing a song for you' - Charice offers her voice as a form of healing. Or perhaps, she wants the listener to echo her words, and take the role of the guardian angel themselves. None the less, this is personally one of my favorite songs to listen to, whenever I'm in a dark place.

5. Lost the Best Thing (3.5/5)
A song dedicated to shaming an ex lover. Not really much else to say. The melody itself is quite simplistic/deconstructed. Similar to 'Bounce Back', 'Lost the Best Thing' utilizes very few instruments, to showcase Charice's power vocals.

6. Heartbreak Survivor (3/5)
A heavy synth-driven song, about fully recovering from a break up. Not much else to say about this song, either. Not the best song about empowerment, on the album, but not the worst - the melody sounds generic, and one-dimensional.

*7. Before It Explodes (5/5)
A song that speaks of a break up proposal. This song was written by Bruno Mars, for Charice. The song starts out with a harpsichord, and fades into the melody, throughout the song. The 'it' about to explode, refers to a relationship that's not going well. Charice proposes to break up before things get worse (I wish I would have heard this song, before I was in a toxic, on and off relationship. Where was this song, during that time?!?!?!). A personal favorite of mine, because it reminds the listener to diffuse their metaphorical bomb, before things get worse.

8. Lesson for Life (4/5)
Another catchy teen-pop song, that preaches an altruistic message: Continue moving on through life, no matter how many obstacles you have to face, for they are lessons for life. Encouraging, catchy, and powerful in its message, I could imagine hearing this song in a religious context.

9. Never Always (2.9/5)
'Never Always' speaks of a long-term relationship, that might not last any longer. Similar to 'Bounce Back', the melody is comprised of a Hip-Hop style beat, and a soft synth score. Personally, not one of my favorite songs, so I can't offer any more feedback for it.

*10. One Day (5 ~6, if I could~/5)
My personal favorite on this album. A steady hip-hop beat, a (relatively) true display of Charice's vocals, and runs the message of the album home: empowerment. Personally, I felt the album could have ended on this track. Charice encourages herself, and the listener, to make a name for herself/themselves. 'YOU'RE GONNA KNOW WHO I AM', 'BE ORIGINAL', 'I'LL MAKE YOU A BELIEVER'. Powerful vocals, powerful message, powerful synths - this song is the gem of the album.

11. Lighthouse (4/5)
The album ends on this Indie-style tune, that says "There is no place like home". Charice sings of loneliness/the feeling of being lost. In her journey, she finds 'the light at the end of the tunnel', or in this case 'the glimmer of hope, in a sea of emptiness'. The light will guide her home - The tune is very story-driven. Personally, I'm a sucker for songs with a story behind them. This tune satisfies my craving.

---

Final thoughts: Charice is an amazing singer. 'Infinity' enforces that statement, with empowering tunes. Some are generic pop tracks, while others are hidden gems. I listen to this album on loop, constantly. I can't say the same for any other album (Not yet, at least). Is it perfect? Not at all. Do I like the album as a whole? Most definitely.

FINAL VERDICT: 45.2/55 = 82%

https://zenius-i-vanisher.com/simfiles/Soul%27s%20Vault%202ndMIX/How%20You%20Like%20That%20%28WAP%20Remix%29/How%20You%20Like%20That%20%28WAP%20Remix%29.png?t=1609148570https://40.media.tumblr.com/8fe57356cd4c197c56f908e8e3cf30b9/tumblr_nplbhbBS981tgr9uxo1_400.png

Post #43 · Posted at 2016-02-06 04:29:36am 8.1 years ago

Offline Sigrev2
Sigrev2 Avatar Member+
4,159 Posts
United States
Reg. 2009-10-17

Nintendo Network ID: Sigrev2Nintendo Switch Friend Code: SW-2884-7660-37993DS Friend Code: 3883-7652-3160
"suffering from success"
Tremolo EP / My Bloody Valentine
http://i.imgur.com/D45vEkj.jpg
To Here Knows When - 5/5
Swallow - 3.5/5
Honey Power - 5/5
Moon Song - 4/5

Overall: 7.5 swirling guitars/10

Post #44 · Posted at 2016-03-07 07:01:45pm 8 years ago

Offline Quickman
Quickman Avatar Member+
6,041 Posts
United Kingdom
Reg. 2013-08-17

"Yuuki Mishima for Tekken"

Last updated: 2016-03-08 08:58pm
Quickman wants to sing you a lullaby...

To paralyze.

ALBUM REVIEW #11

I've been giving out 5/5s and 4.5/5s like they're nothing. It's time to change that. From now on, I'm switching to a score-out-of-ten system and I'm going to be less overly generous than before.

With that being said...


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/df/Queens_of_the_Stone_Age_Lullabies_to_Paralyze.jpg

Lullabies to Paralyze - Queens Of the Stone Age

This Lullaby + Medication - 9.5/10 (The intro to this album, as pretty much every QOTSA album, has been forever engraved into my memory chip. I count them both as one song because, combined, they're about the length of a song. This Lullaby is fucking briliant and Medication is also fucking brilliant. Ergo, fucking fucking brilliant brilliant.)

Everybody Knows That You're Insane - 9/10 (I listened to this album AFTER Like Clockwork, so imagine my surprise when I find what is almost like I Appear Missing before I Appear Missing. The downbeat intro is followed by a thumping chorus, and the song very suddenly amps up from there. It's a real thrash.)

Tangled Up In Plaid - 6.5/10 (This song is... sort of dull, if I'm honest. I grew used to skipping it, but it's not a BAD song. Just not one I want to hear everytime I play through the album. At least the lyrics are interesting, despite the fact that, like a quarter of the songs in QOTSA library, it's about death/suicide.)

Burn The Witch - 8/10 (While the beat is funky and Josh Homme, as usual on his studio work, makes expert use of his voice, the song doesn't go anywhere, sort of ending abruptly with no climax at all. Still a song worth listening too, though.)

In My Head - 8.5/10 (Known to many as 'that song from Need For Speed Underground 2', this song is basic rock at it's finest. Guitar, bass, drums and vocals. And a tinny bit of keyboard but shush. However, I feel like the vocals in this song are the weakest on the album, even if the instrumentals are damn fine. This'll go down as one of their 'older hits', for sure, but Little Sister tops it in that regard for this album.)

Little Sister - 10/10 (Fucking hell, here we go. It's hard to not feel excitement as soon as those cowbell hits cue the catchy-as-fuck guitar riff, and then the vocals come in. It's the sing-along song of the album. The chorus is unexpectedly heavy with snares on every beat, and the bridge features a BRILLIANT guitar whine and those all-too-familiar-by-now low harmonies from Josh. Another verse and chorus follows, and the song ends in a climactic guitar solo. It goes without saying that this is the best song on the album. Yes, for once, the hit song of the album is actually my favourite.)

I Never Came - 9.5/10 (After the mosh that was Little Sister, I Never Came pours the water on the flames and mellows things the fuck out. A soft guitar riff and a basic-but-effective beat lay the groundwork for a song that's all about the voice. Homme, as usual, nails the 'crying' style of voice. Well, that's what I call it anyway. It's emotional and it's impactful. The fuzzy solo that follows is nice without breaking the softness of the song. I love this track. A very underrated one of theirs.)

Someone's In the Wolf - 4.5/10 (There's not a lot nice to say about this song. It's haunting, I like the chorus, but the guitar outside of the verse is just... grating. Painfully grating. Also, THIS SONG DRAGS ON WAYYYYY TOO FUCKING MUCH. I seriously wish after the first 'glad you could stay forever bit', it cut to the ending. You should probably skip this one.)

The Blood Is Love - 6.5/10 (This one, while a song for easily listening, is another 'not a lot to say' song. Again, it's too long for what little happens in it. Stuff like Song For the Dead deserved 6 minutes. This does not. It's not a bad song, but it's not a particularly amazing one, either.)

Skin On Skin - 8/10 (This sort of reminds me of Smooth Sailing from Like Clockwork. And that's a good thing. It's repetitive, but not as repetitive as Tangled Up In Plaid, or Burn the Witch. There's some nice wah-wah guitar in there to keep the song going and Homme warbles along to it as per usual. Then there's another verse. Because apparantly it needed that. Ah, well. Pretty good song.

Why does a person keep fucking with their pants zipper, by the way?)

Broken Box - 7/10 (The keyboard would make you think so, but In My Head, this is not. Again, it's not bad, but the second half of this album is simply FULL of 'it's okay' songs that never have a change up. Thankfully, the heavy and satisfying tone to it redeems it somewhat, and Homme telling us what we can 'for-fucking-get' is a lyric that never gets old. Parental advisory? Fucking neveeer.)

You've Got a Killer Scene There, Man... - 8/10 (A mellow as fuck song that basically a round of shots in audio. Not that I'd know. Because I'm A Fucking Robot, Son, but anyway, this song is going for a darker-style of the same tone that I Never Came set. It's almost as good, but AGAIN, it's hampered by being a couple of minutes longer than necessary.)

Long Slow Goodbye - 7/10 (Another mellow song, another mellow song that isn't as good as I Never Came. Disappointing ending to the album. But wait...!)

Track 15 - mosquito/song (There's a hidden track! And it's... nothing, really. At least it sounds cool. Could probably use this in a final boss cutscene in a video game and get away with it.)

Overall - 8.4/10

I don't know if it's just me having a short attention span, but this album suddenly plummeted around the second half. For I Never Came, there's Someone's In The Wolf, and for In My Head, there's Blood Is Love. With the exception of Tangled Up In Plaid, this album started uber-strong. This album can't be summed up in a couple of sentences. It swings from a dull, long, soft rock song to a duller, longer, softer rock song to ...

Little Sister.

I'd recommend listening it to yourself. It's probably the more polarizing of the Queens of the Stone Age albums, but maybe you'll love it. Just don't expect another Songs For the Deaf.

Because, y'know, that won't ever be topped.

Except by Like Clockwork.


SHUT UP AND LET ME LIVE IN 2002.

Quote: Ty
Why are we booting up a Master System?
Quote: Quick Man
Because God isn't real and if he was he'd hate you.
https://card.psnprofiles.com/1/DWN012Quick_Man.png

Post #45 · Posted at 2016-03-08 09:18:19pm 8 years ago

Offline -Viper-
-Viper- Avatar Member+
2,407 Posts
United States
Reg. 2007-10-26

3DS Friend Code: 1091-8797-8693

Last updated: 2016-03-08 09:21pm
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/811t8tV743L._SY355_.jpg
Caravan Palace / <I°_°I>

The frontrunners of the electroswing movement over in France include names like Parov Stelar and Caravan Palace. The latter has released their third studio LP, the first since 2012's "Panic". "<I°_°I>" (pronounced phonetically as "Robot") takes a different direction from the group's previous efforts. Gone are is the gypsy dance style of 'Brotherswing' and the hardstyle grind of 'Clash'. Instead this might be their most volatile work yet, which is saying a lot with Caravan Palace. On one hand we have the bounciness and indecipherable lyrics of 'Comics' and the thumping 'Tatoos', and the other we have have the mellow chugging along funk of 'Wonda' and 'Human Leather Shoes for Crocodile Dandies'.

Caravan Palace have been pros of mixing catchy dancable beats with soul catching melodies and it shows on this record. My favorite moments are the instrumental breakdowns such as the backmasked vintage sounding synth on 'Comics', the beautiful piano chords in the bridge of 'Tattoos', and the chopped and manipulated saxophone on 'Lay Down'. As always it is difficult to tell whether certain instrumental layers are live playing or electronically sequenced, as well as whether theyre even performed or sampled. It's one of the groups little fun mysteries. '<I°_°I>' is also much more pop friendly, with more emphasis on bombastic vocals than Panic or their self titled debut. While this could easily be offensive to a longtime fan, here it is done rather tactfully and done with restraint, as most of the album is fairly sparse vocally aside from subtle vocal bits that are difficult to make out.

With its highly unconventional name, <I°_°I> is a fantastic third effort from Caravan Palace. No complaints here.

Lone Digger - 7/10
Comics - 10/10
Mighty - 8/10
Aftermath - 7/10
Wonderland - 8/10
Tattoos - 10/10
Midnight - 6/10
Russian - 7/10
Wonda - 8/10
Human Leather Shoes For Crocodile Dandies - 7/10
Lay Down - 9/10

Final - 8/10

Post #46 · Posted at 2016-03-08 11:02:04pm 8 years ago

Offline xXMokou98Xx
xXMokou98Xx Avatar Member
2,461 Posts
United States
Reg. 2010-07-07

Nintendo Network ID: pinkscones
"meme school"
http://i.imgur.com/bYVEeBO.jpg
Kendrick Lamar / untitled unmastered.

The best rapper in the game right now, with several stellar albums under his belt already, Kendrick recently dropped this collection of demos left off To Pimp A Butterfly, most of which were performed live at one point or another in the past year. You could almost think of them as B-sides. All of the usual elements are here; soul, funk, jazz, grimy hip-hop, and it continues that feeling that TPAB gave us with the mixture of those elements being present in each track. A muddy recording can't hide the brilliance of the lyrics in each song, What comes off as a collection of leftovers is a delectable gem of an album that is a must-listen for any K-Dot fan, definitely something any big time hip-hop fan should check out. Kendrick can do no wrong.

1. untitled 01 l 08.19.2014. - 8/10
2. untitled 02 l 06.23.2014. - 7/10
3. untitled 03 l 05.28.2013. - 8/10
4. untitled 04 l 08.14.2014. - 8/10
5. untitled 05 l 09.21.2014. - 9/10
6. untitled 06 l 06.30.2014. - 9/10
7. untitled 07 l 2014 - 2016 - 8/10
8. untitled 08 l 09.06.2014. - 9/10

8.5/10

Yiss ©Ayumi Promotions, 2012
http://imgur.com/Gly172P.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/alUsLeu.jpg

Post #47 · Posted at 2016-03-22 01:47:58am 8 years ago

Offline Sigrev2
Sigrev2 Avatar Member+
4,159 Posts
United States
Reg. 2009-10-17

Nintendo Network ID: Sigrev2Nintendo Switch Friend Code: SW-2884-7660-37993DS Friend Code: 3883-7652-3160
"suffering from success"
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/21/SmileySmileCover.jpg

Okay, um.
Well...
First things first, let me just say that I am a recent sprouting fan of The Beach Boys. I've always had an interest in their work and an admiration in their technique, but I never really had the chance to dive into their catalog until recently. First item I ever bought was a 10 song Greatest Hits package, the second - several years later - was the Pet Sounds Sessions box set. Needless to say, I was ready to start big.

And, well...
If you're not aware of the Smiley Smile/SMiLE project backstory, I advise you to do a bit of research on it, because it's fascinating stuff. I'm not gonna bore you with the details when you could find the information in a more cohesive form elsewhere.
All I'm gonna say is that it's some wacky, wacky shit.
And, um...
If you're familiar with this band through their earlier singles, I'm gonna have to warn you that, uh...
This ain't no Surfin' USA.
In fact, aside from a chunk of Good Vibrations (because, hey, that made an appearance on here!), very little of this album draws from the surf styling of their earlier work.
In fact, I don't think any of it could be compared to any of their earlier work.

And, uh... Well...
I know I keep breaking up the flow of my review and it might be getting a touch annoying, but in all honestly, I don't know how I can tackle this album. It's a fascinating little piece of work, clocking in at under 30 minutes, but its fascinating quality isn't because the songs are so good. It's because they're so absolutely weird. Maybe a little too weird. And when I'M saying this, then it's pretty fucking weird. And there's good weird, and there's weird weird. And then there's... this. I don't know where to rank this in the weird scale. It'd be above bonkers, just touching insane, but below "desperate need of psychiatric help", if I had to ballpark it, but that's a pretty decent sized gap there in wacky.
I think the weirdest thing about all of this is that this is the first main album to be released after Pet Sounds. A massively inspiring, creative, experimental landmine of greatness. And this is the follow up.
The thing is... I don't know whether I love this album or I hate it. This might be the first time I'm conflicted so strongly in my opinion of an album. Let's try getting this thing started anyway. Maybe I'll get my thoughts straight as I go along.

Heroes And Villains: 5/5
A wacky and zany and experimental track in its own right, but still grounded in reality just enough to attempt to ease people into the rest of the tracks. Love the whistle action going on in the verses.

Vegetables: 4/5
Cute and quirky little tune. Features Brian Wilson on celery.

Fall Breaks And Back To Winter (W. Woodpecker Symphony): 2.5/5
The lore behind this one is an interesting read. The song itself is very, very unsettling. And given the song's history, it's exactly warranted. Probably the creepiest track the band has ever put to record, and Brian Wilson had every reason to be terrified of its original incarnation.

She's Goin' Bald: 1.5/5
Very little about this song appeals to me. Especially the middle section where everything starts sliding up in pitch. Not good.

Little Pad: 3/5
Sounds like a band that stumbled into the studio after smoking a few too many hits of ganja. Middle of the road.

Good Vibrations: 5/5
The iconic tune that was originally attempted back during the Pet Sounds sessions. Good of them to hold it off and place it on here. Pretty sure it was why most people even bought the thing.

With Me Tonight: 4.5/5
Nice harmony work, helps make it feel like a completed tune, unlike most of the rest of the album.

Wind Chimes: 3/5
Slow and lethargic tune about wind chimes. Not a bad tune by any means but it's definitely weak.

Gettin' Hungry: 4.5/5
Pretty much a combination of what I said about Little Pad and With Me Tonight. Great tune.

Wonderful: 2/5
Snoozer. A weaker Wind Chimes.

Whistle In: 1/5
The epitome of filler. Harmony bits are okay, but that doesn't excuse the literal half-assed everything else.

OVERALL: Smiley/Smile

It's a fascinating listen, to see where this band was at mentally and sonically at this point in time. But this album, aside from a few tracks, is really nothing more than a curious listen. Suffers from its overwhelming attempts at being psychedelic and a good chunk of the album sounds like filler because of it. Which honestly would explain a few of these songs, because I refuse to think that a band that created works of art like Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) and Wouldn't It Be Nice? and the like also thought that She's Goin' Bald and Whistle In were of good quality. If you wanna give some weirdness a shot, be my guest and crack open this album. If you're looking for a cohesive album grounded in reality, this is not the place to go. I encourage going in with ready ears, because if you're not ready, this album is going to catch you off guard. It might even dissuade you from checking out the band's other works, which I don't condone as they're a phenomenal band, singles and deep cuts alike.

New album review soon. Don't be a stranger.

Post #48 · Posted at 2016-04-05 03:39:58am 7.9 years ago

Offline DDR Addict
DDR Addict Avatar Member
1,464 Posts
United States
Reg. 2009-09-23

Nintendo Network ID: RimeTM3DS Friend Code: 3454-0657-8756
"Let's Do the Rain Dance"

Last updated: 2016-04-13 09:31pm
Weezer (2016) (a.k.a. the White Album)
http://cdn2.pitchfork.com/albums/22905/e95ebca3.jpg

1. California Kids - Great intro, though I'm not fond of the crowded production. Doesn't kill the song's vibes though, love the Beach Boys-esque harmonies. 8.5/10
2. Wind in Our Sail - Once again, nice mood, the piano and harmonies make it feel like a classic track. However, once again the drums overpower the mix to migraine levels at several points. 8/10
3. Thank God for Girls - Has the feeling of an anthem. Even with the relatively simple part, the flourishes of the guitar help. Don't know how to feel about the word-salad lyrics though. Drum production is airy and powerful while not being overdone like the previous songs. The ending sort of feels anticlimatic though. 8/10
4. (Girl We Got a) Good Thing - I love the production and the general happy-go-lucky feel to the song...except the Christmas bells, which literally last half the song, overstaying their welcome, and seemingly gone, only to come back for the final third. Solo's rather fun though, and that ending is really punchy! 8/10
5. Do You Wanna Get High? - The sardonic lyrics mix really well with the mood presented through the instrumentation. It's not the most complex song, but it's extremely effective. 8.5/10
6. King of the World - OK, this is back to migraine territory, which is a shame because I like the rest of the structure (especially the verses) and the actual progressions. 8/10
7. Summer Elaine & Drunk Dori - Good mix, oddly engaging story, great progressions, this is one I might come back to for a while. 9/10
8. L.A. Girlz - Neat progressions, strong mix while not feeling overblown, and what feels like a natural change of pace. Did end kind of anticlimatically though. 8.5/10
9. Jacked Up - I like the instrumentation, but those vocals...that falsetto doesn't fit Cuomo in the prechoruses. The delivery of "Over you" also sounds like a boy-band pose, which just sounds silly because it also doesn't fit. 7.5/10
10. Endless Bummer - I know I've criticized overproduction in this album, but this takes it so far into the opposite direction that it kills the pace and doesn't leave the best leaving impression. The vocal work, especially the harmonies, keep the song from being totally mediocre though. There's also a buildup about halfway, but it doesn't feel all too natural in its introduction, and comes a bit too late, even though it has a neat solo. 7.5/10

Well, that wasn't exactly the most even album ever, but I personally think it's far from being a dud, and it's not a bad followup to EWBAITE. I give it an 8 of 10, or a light 4 stars of 5.

Rating: 8 of 10 / ★★★★☆
Recommended Tracks: Summer Elaine and Drunk Dori, Do You Wanna Get High?, California Kids
Anti-Cherry-Pick: Jacked Up (could be a guilty pleasure though), Endless Bummer

Post #49 · Posted at 2016-05-22 04:41:08am 7.8 years ago

Offline Sigrev2
Sigrev2 Avatar Member+
4,159 Posts
United States
Reg. 2009-10-17

Nintendo Network ID: Sigrev2Nintendo Switch Friend Code: SW-2884-7660-37993DS Friend Code: 3883-7652-3160
"suffering from success"

Last updated: 2016-05-22 04:43am
http://i.imgur.com/zy6XEZl.jpg
Songs From An American Movie Vol. One: Learning How To Smile
Everclear

For fans of the band, this is definitely a divisive album. Up until this album, the band was mostly post-grunge, alternative rock, garage rock leaning. And this album, while definitely maintaining a rock edge, is well versed in a pop rock frame of mind. The album was one half influenced by the songs the band members would listen to on the radio while growing up in the 70s. One of the songs on the album, AM Radio, is essentially a love letter to these times and to this music, complete with a sample of "Mr. Big Stuff" by Jean Knight. Another song embracing that warm nostalgic feeling, found immediately after the previous song, is a cover of Van Morrison's 1967 classic "Brown Eyed Girl". Other songs dive right into this nostalgia haze as well and this influence helped create lots of bubbly, hooky, poppy goodness.
However, the other half of the influence was from lead singer Art Alexakis' second divorce, and this shows up very heavily in the lyrics department. While the songs have bright and poppy instrumentation, the lyrics for a good portion of the album are bitter and cold and... well, longing - longing for better times, longing to be loved, longing for something he could not have. This is most prevalent in songs like Now That It's Over and Wonderful, the latter song being about a divorce told through the eyes and mind of a child.
The album is full of whiplash, but still maintains a baseline of blissful grace throughout the emotionalism. Going from the playful The Honeymoon Song, which is to my knowledge the only song written and sung by original drummer Greg Eklund in the band's original span, to the negative and bitter [aforementioned] Now That It's Over, to the melancholy Thrift Store Chair. All crafted with pop love in mind. The songs will stick in your head, and they might even stay with you for a minute. This album did what it set out to do with what it had; invoked that warm nostalgic feeling while getting its message across.
I only have two gripes with this album. Unfortunately, this album isn't all perfect. First issue I have is with the mixing. I do not know or understand why this album was mixed as loudly as it was, but at first listen, I thought I had acquired a defective copy. But no; this album was mixed and mastered very loudly, to the point where it was hurting my eardrums even at a low volume. The second issue I have is with the lyrics. Some songs have great lyricism, others come off somewhat amateurish. This fluctuation in quality is understandable, given Art's state of mind at the time, but is still a bit unforgivable.
If you're looking for some hard-edged pop rock, I recommend this album a lot. Songs like Learning How To Smile, AM Radio, Now That It's Over, Unemployed Boyfriend, Wonderful, and Otis Redding are highlights not only for this album but for the band itself. And the cover of Brown Eyed Girl, while very divisive among the fanbase, is a great listen and gets a lot more flak than it deserves. I cannot say you should check this out enough. As for the sequel album, Songs From An American Movie Vol. Two: Good Time For A Bad Attitude... well, we'll get to that when the time is right, my friends.

Track Ratings:
Song From An American Movie Pt.1: 4.5/5
Here We Goes Again: 4.5/5
AM Radio: 5/5
Brown Eyed Girl: 5/5
Learning How To Smile: 5/5
The Honeymoon Song: 4.5/5
Now That It's Over: 5/5
Thrift Store Chair: 4.5/5
Otis Redding: 5/5
Unemployed Boyfriend: 5/5
Wonderful: 5/5
Annabella's Song: 5/5

OVERALL: 9.5 thrift store chairs/10


Next Review: no idea. probably the sequel album to this or Oracular Spectacular / MGMT or maybe even the DDR X soundtrack. we'll see.

Post #50 · Posted at 2016-09-10 02:25:13pm 7.5 years ago

Offline Quickman
Quickman Avatar Member+
6,041 Posts
United Kingdom
Reg. 2013-08-17

"Yuuki Mishima for Tekken"
https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3275127365_16.jpg

No Cure - All These Worlds Are Yours

Oh, you know it.

Beneath The Surface - Obligatory Not Actually Music Intro/5 (Okay, you've got my attention.)

Where The Wind Goes - 3/5 ("She knows where the wind goes. Ooh." Well, fair enough. This is very chippy and upbeat and I quite like it despite how I'm against happy music. Perhaps it goes on a bit too long for something that doesn't really change much, but who am I to complain about that? A little glitchy section leads into the hook again, and fun times are had. Breakdown ending. Good start.)

Fun Time Feather - 4.5/5 (So Sig made a song about his favourite ASMR artist... or something. Honestly, this is super fucking strange and abstract and it's for that reason I love it. The sound of this makes it sound like this Fun Time Feather is a drug, so that's a plus. Also Sig rapping makes this an instant yes. That's right, motherfucker, it's the fun time feather.)

Starlight Snowstorm - 3/5 (While this song starts off slow, it ramps up about a minute in. There's not much I can actually say about this. It's fairly barebones, but for what it is, I enjoyed it. Also it has those samples from Trip Machine.)

I Need You (In My Life) - 4/5 (Am I weird for saying this sounds a little like Anamanaguchi? 'cuz it does. I think that's Sig singing, can't tell, but it's enjoyable all the same. Again, chirpy and upbeat.)

Stock (Twisting) - 2.25/5 (Couldn't find much in this one. Doesn't really fit the album so far, repetitive, sounds like stock background music for RPG Maker. It's not that interesting until the last minute and a half. Meh.)

The Road To Nowhere - 3.5/5 (Not much to talk about in this one either. While it's also repititve, it outclasses the previous song by at least being ambient and foreboding. And some kind of poem kicks in later.)

The Last Day - 2.5/5 (I swear, I didn't steal this name. Anyway, this is okay. More ambient stuff, a nice little guitar in the background, it's alright.)

Untitled [somnolence] - Okay/Sure (Mhmm.)

Breathe/Breathe - 3/5 (More ambience, more soothing stuff, there's not a whole lot to say. I like this kind of stuff, most people don't, but fuck them.)

Kami In the Sky With Diamonds - 3.5/5 (We're getting a little less simple now. I enjoyed this one. It actually felt like it was going somewhere unlike the last few songs.)

Special Relativity - 3.75/5 (This one's pretty good too. It's fast-paced electronic, and I am often a sucker for that. Sounds like something that might be off SuperNOVA2, actually*.)

*i hate supernova 2

September - 4.25/5 (A slow start leads into a darker, more ambient song despite still being very much electronic. I enjoyed the vocals in the back especially. Just don't think it needed a minute of nothing before it.)

The Last Day (Reprise) - Last/Day (Alright. Sure.)

You Don't Have To Believe - 3/5 (It's an alright outro, but it's a kind of dull song. I don't mind it being here, though, as it works as a closer.)

OVERALL - 3.35/5 average score, let's round to 7/10
Quote: Ty
Why are we booting up a Master System?
Quote: Quick Man
Because God isn't real and if he was he'd hate you.
https://card.psnprofiles.com/1/DWN012Quick_Man.png

Post #51 · Posted at 2016-10-14 05:56:09am 7.4 years ago

Offline Sigrev2
Sigrev2 Avatar Member+
4,159 Posts
United States
Reg. 2009-10-17

Nintendo Network ID: Sigrev2Nintendo Switch Friend Code: SW-2884-7660-37993DS Friend Code: 3883-7652-3160
"suffering from success"

Last updated: 2016-10-16 11:20pm
I have been tasked to review not one, not two, but THREE songs by Zepha Telex. Also known as -Viper- in our very own community. After receiving support from another highly regarded member of the community, Lord Toon, I figured I'd give this user's material a shot.
Also, since we're on the topic of reviewing material from other users, shoutouts to Quickman above for reviewing my No Cure album.

First song I listened to was a brand new song titled Karma ChameleonCartesian Chameleon.
Unfortunately, it's the worst one of the lot. There is a lot going on in this one at once. Different melodies and synths and sounds all around the board, but none of them are connected in any way. A lot of good ideas, yet nothing to make them feel like they belong in the song. Some patterns appear once and then don't show up again, other patterns last a lot longer than they need to. All being done over a highly repetitive wobble bass and empty drum loop that does not stop at any single point throughout the song.
All in all, it's got good ideas but suffers from a very questionable execution. If there was something tying the ideas together, and the dough was kept in the oven for just a bit longer, I'd say we'd have a winner.
2/5

However, things immediately picked up with the next song, The Art Of Secrecy.
A smooth and mystical electro tuned romp with dark pads, acid bass, pounding drums, grinding synths, and weird robotic voice samples glitching in and out all over the place (I didn't realize Quickman did vocals, but good on him for finding work). It's got a bit of a creepy and unsettling vibe to it, being mostly tension with very little release. But it sounds so very excellent. My only gripe with this is how thick the reverb got laid on with most of the instruments. Makes things sound a bit murky at times, but it's not overwhelming (like some songs I know that ended up absolutely drenched in reverb).
I could see someone do a nice stepchart for this, by the way. Someone should get to doing that.
4.5/5

Last up, we have Aurora BorealisOuroboros.
This one is also quite repetitive in nature. But in this case, it works. This sparkle synth line (which is ever so slightly off in quantization, throwing me for a loop every time in a good way) is looped throughout the entire song and everything builds on top of it. Quickman is back to do vocal work again, it seems (:eyesSmile, and it adds a gritty texture to the otherwise sparkly and bright tune. Sounds like a dance number from a Sega Genesis, strangely enough. I have no real qualms about it, but I have to admit that it certainly won't be for everyone. Personally, I enjoy (or at least have built a tolerance to) repetitiveness in music, so I can take this for what it is.
4/5

Viper also has a few albums under his belt with some great material on it, I recommend you check his work out. Guy has a lot of potential, and I look forward to seeing where he goes.
Have a great day, and don't be a stranger.

---
http://i.imgur.com/FrP5dj5.png

13 Voices / Sum 41

I've always had an interest in this band, despite only ever owning a copy of All Killer No Filler. I enjoyed the hell out of that album, though. I loved the pop and I loved the punk, I felt as though it was a very great blend. However, it alludes me as to why I've skimped out on the rest of the band's catalog for all these years. Knowing they existed, but never seeking them out.

Information about this album came about at a weird time, and I almost didn't catch it. Completely flew under the radar for me for at least a week after its announcement. Needless to say, once I caught wind of it, I was pretty hyped. Not as hyped as I was for other albums being released or announced near that time, but I was certainly interested. There was a song released around the time the album was announced, Fake My Own Death, but I decided to save my listening of the song until the whole album was ready to be consumed. I didn't wanna spoil myself like I did with Weezer's new album (and their previous one too, funny enough).

So today, a good few days or so after the album dropped, I decided to do what some people in fan groups like to do and binge all past material, in order, leading up to the experience of the new album. I decided to skip the Half Hour Of Power EP, even though it has one of my favorite songs from the band on it (I'll give you 3 guesses, the first 2 don't count). Went onto Google Play and bought everything from Does This Look Infected? up until the brand new album. Was surprisingly cheap, by the way. $6 for each album.

And I've gotta tell you guys.

If you're only familiar with the band's first album.

You will not be prepared for their later albums.

Does This Look Infected? is a lot more dark and raw sounding than its predecessor, almost feeling like an entirely different band at times. The pop punk is still there, but more sinister, angrier influences are clearly taking precedent here. Right from the get-go with The Hell Song, you know you're in for a heavy ride. There's a lot of melodic hardcore and horror punk vibes on this album, and the band manages to pull it off well.

Chuck, if you can believe it, manages to get even darker and angrier. And a lot more political, given how this came after horrific experiences the band went through while on a visit to Congo. Probably my favorite album of the band up until this point (spoilers: that didn't last long). Tons more heavier influences about, even managing to take pages from thrash metal, and hey - since I've been on a Metallica kick as of late, this is more than welcome. The album is relentless and constantly throws you for loops left and right, with the slow and melodic Pieces immediately followed by the dark, stomping There's No Solution. It's clear the band had been through some shit, and they wanted to make it known.

Underclass Hero goes through a completely different change and becomes a much lighter and softer and poppier affair. It's still in-your-face and snarling, but it's clear the band was in a better frame of mind when approaching this one. However, the album kinda suffers as a result. It's not a bad album by any means, but there's a very obvious lack of inspiration for this one. It seems to suffer from similar issues I have with blink-182's newest album, California; it wants to be pop punk, so it strives for the bare minimum. It doesn't try anything remarkably new, and it just leaves things a bit stale in the end. I still had a good time with it, though. Just so jarring to hear a bootleg-Fat Lip with the title track, Underclass Hero, being followed after an album as heavy and emotionally driven as Chuck. Basically, this is your Teenage MySpace Scene Era Sum 41. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Screaming Bloody Murder feels like a missing My Chemical Romance album, not like a Sum 41 album. I do not say this as a bad thing - I love to spin Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge just as much the next teenage rebel (shut the fuck up, I can be a teenage rebel at 20) - but this is not what I expect from a Sum 41 album. With that out of the way, it's actually a very solid listen. The band decided to go back into the angry, heavy style, but also added a bit of a cabaret vibe to things. Just a sliver. It's noticeable. Especially in the first track Reason To Believe. This album is worth it just for What Am I To Say, but songs like Jessica Kill and Scumfuk (yeah, that's how they spelled it) are not ones you should miss out on.

And now, for the album I've waited to listen to for over 2 and a half hours now. The album this whole review is about. Does it live up to the hype? Does it make the whole binge worth the time?

You already read the spoiler earlier.

Yes. This album is fucking amazing.

Right from the start with the opening track, A Murder Of Crows, I knew this album was going to be an absolute blast. And I was right. The songs are energetic, hooky, heavy... Probably the band's heaviest album to date, and with good reason. This is the first album the band created after lead singer Deryck Whibley almost died from alcohol poisoning (multiple times, allegedly). So it's obvious his mindset was in a dark place. But even in this darkest place, the lyrics are still poignant and triumphant. He's not upset that he almost died; he's still alive and feeling almost heroic.

The lyrics are probably some of the best and most captivating the band has put on an album to date, and they way they work with the hooks on each song is just magic. The title track, 13 Voices, is so strong from a lyrical and a composition standpoint that I don't think I'll be able to get the chorus out of my head for a long while. Another song that easily manages to get stuck in your head is the track War, the only song on this album that seems influenced by something outside of a punk realm - hip-hop. However, a very loose inspiration. The track is very bouncy and focused more on the beat than anything else, with the melodies and instrumentation dancing around the drums in a glorious manner.

The fun continues on tracks like God Save Us All (Death To POP), which jukes you out in the beginning with a faux-pop leaning intro that immediately dives into the heavy punk the rest of the album loves to enjoy, and Goddamn I'm Dead Again, with two face-melting guitar solos you would probably expect to find on a Yngwie Malmsteen record and not from a band like Sum 41.

The album ends on the powerful Twisted By Design, which was easily the perfect way to end an adventure like this. From start to finish, you get perfectly crafted punk/melodic hardcore/whatever you want to call it. There's not a single dull moment on this release. This is the band grabbing you by the collar and screaming into your face that nothing's going to stop them. Band member roulette, close death, marriage dissolution; nothing's going to stop this band from firing on all cylinders.

I never thought I would say this, but this album might actually become my favorite album of the year. I've listened to many great releases in 2016. I've listened to the best Weezer album in (now) over two decades, I've listened to a Lemon Demon album 8 years in the making that made me weep tears of joy after I first heard it, I've listened to a collection of outtakes from one of the best pop albums of all-time by Carly Rae Jepsen, I've listened to the return of Green Day who also had bad experiences due to alcohol abuse. But this one is very dangerously close to taking the cake for me.

It's a very welcome album in my collection, and I cannot recommend enough it becomes a part of yours as well. If you're new to the band, this might not be the best starting point, but it certainly is a rewarding listen regardless. If you're well acquainted with the band, you're not doing yourself any favors by missing out on this one.


This album gets a goddamn 10/10, no questions asked & no answers needed.

Post #52 · Posted at 2016-11-18 09:00:42pm 7.3 years ago

Offline Mozata
Mozata Avatar Member
36 Posts
United States
Reg. 2016-10-08

I'd like to bring attention to something maybe most people haven't seen before.



The group is called Too Many Zooz, consisting of a trumpet, a bari sax, and a custom-made drum kit. They mostly play in and around the NYC subways, but have starting doing tours last year. What I think is really cool about them is the sheer talent they have together; If you're familiar with either instrument, you might be able to attest to this.

They're the pioneers of a genre they call "Brasshouse," which is a mix of House and Hardcore as performed by this mini-ensemble, with a little Jazz thrown in as well. It is something truly unique, and is best experienced live (or you could find one of many recordings of them playing).

The video I shared include 3 of their songs: To the Top, F.W.S. & Maritza.
It's a good show of their virtuosic skills and how in sync the 3 are. The sound they produce is primal (in a good way, the same way that a drop in any dubstep songs feels), and their style is very much a product of their influences.

To the Top: 4/5
F.W.S.: 5/5
Maritza: 5/5
blep

Post #53 · Posted at 2016-12-27 08:53:08pm 7.2 years ago

Offline Quickman
Quickman Avatar Member+
6,041 Posts
United Kingdom
Reg. 2013-08-17

"Yuuki Mishima for Tekken"

Last updated: 2016-12-28 09:34pm
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8671807/ZENIUS%204%20U.png
JUMP, JUMP, JUMP, Z-4-U!

Z4U -ZENIUS 4 U-

Let's rapid-fire this shit. I'm going to give each song one listen - one time, and you'll get my very initial thoughts on each of them. If I dump on your song, feel free to tell me why I'm wrong in the PMs.

01 - Stargazing / Azaliate - I like the piano, I like the lead synth and the bass synth, but... Sorry, this just sort of feels empty. Don't know why. The voice samples were a bit odd and I feel like there should be more of an "oomph" to the track. ALSO I'M NOT A FAN OF HOW A LOT OF THESE TRACKS ARE GOING TO BE >2:30, LET'S JUST GET THAT STRAIGHT IMMEDIATELY. Eh, whatever. It's alright, but I wouldn't listen to it again. 2.5/5

02 - No Man's Land / project 縁 - Chippy d'n'b? I'm intrigued. And... wow, this is actually really cool. It should be quite a bit longer, though. Sort of feels like you only had one thing going and couldn't think of a "part 2" or whatever. However, I like this one a bit more than Stargazing. 3/5

03 - J.J.O. / 5l1n65ho7 - J.J.O sounds a bit too similar to "D-D-R", doesn't it? Anyway, this is alright. Nothing amazing, melody feels cheap but works. I'm glad this one was only 2 minutes long. Take the clap out and remove it with a real snare for a +0.25 on this rating. 2.5/5

04 - Growlix / typeMARS - OOOOOOOOOH. Okay, now this is good. This is the first of the songs in the game I would consider "BEMANI worthy". I do question the tag of "hardcore", though... like, come on, you've got a heavy kick, that doesn't make this hardcore. Still, it's got nice variety, makes the most of its short length, and leaves me pretty happy. 4/5

05 - Belt Parkway Nights / DJ BOR - Er... well, the melodies could be cool if there was ANY DECENT PERCUSSION IN THE BACKGROUND WHATSOEVER. Seriously, the Generic TikkaTikkaPsshTikkaTikkaTikkaPssh just doesn't cut it for a melody like this. And, again, the use of the clap instead of a proper snare wounds me. This could've been a good mid-three if it weren't for the sorely lacking percussion. 2.25/5

06 - re-routing / かめりあ remixed by lee ium - Lee ium is here, bitches. I haven't heard the original track but this is nice. It's got a proper "oomph" to it... aside from - what I really hope doesn't become a reoccurring theme - the lack of snare. Instead it feels like a percussion sample from Beach Side Bunny. Again, add a real snare instead of that for +0.25 on the rating. 3.5/5

07 - Rinnegato (Z4U Edit) / Densetsu.EXE - I'm liking this build up for the first 25 seconds, will it disappoint me like they seem to be doing lately? Okay, weird voice... is this you, Densetsu? You're a creepy bastard if it is. Anyway, more build up, oh boy, is it gonna be...?! IT'S A GUNSHOT, OH FUCK, HERE WE--

... oh.

Well that was fucking disappointing. Yeah, I mean... It sort of anti-climaxed there. It picks up afterwards, at least. I feel like you're trying too hard to create a good build-up that it's eating up ALL of the song - about 75% of it is a "get ready for it" moment. However, this doesn't mean it's bad. It's good. Just not that good. Bass Bass In Your Face. +0.25 bonus points for being a full-length track (longer than 3:00). 3.5/5

08 - Infinite Factory / midone - The first 10 seconds of this sort of sounds like Standing Still In Time by Neuropa. Anyone else hear that? Yeah, it's kind of weir-- oh, yeah, the song. Err... it's some sort of chiptune thing with really bizzare instrument choices. Like some kind of... cat sample? I don't know, but the "doo doo doo doo DOO doo doo doo" from 0:45 to 0:59 sounds like a cat so that's what I'll call it. It's a Cat Sample(TM). This one's weird and not all that good. 2/5

09 - Candyman (SZ64 Hardcore Mix) (DJ Edit) / Aqua - I already feel like I'm going to dislike it judging from this intro. And indeed, I don't really like it. Song fades out at 0:47 and... is this a different song entirely?! What the fuck just happened?! Well, this is a bit better. It's still rather underwhelming, but it's getting there. Unfortunately, it doesn't go any further. My favourite part of the song is actually the little break from 0:54 to 1:05. Something about that drum beat wins me over. Something tells me it's not worth listening to the original after this. 2.5/5

10 - Parfait (Original Mix) / Derrix - Ooh, this is nice. See, if you're not TRYING to be Le Epic Hardcore Rave, I won't mock you for not being Le Epic Hardcore Rave. Something tells me the maker of this song WANTED to make something chill, and it seems to have been a success. One problem - IT'S TOO SHORT. DAMN IT, I was really hoping this would go further. Oh well. Please do more with this, I really like it. 3.5/5

11 - かわいい・ピンク・ダイヤモンド (Remaster Version) / midone - Well, er... This is not good. Midone seems to have issues actually making his songs sound like they were ever planned and weren't just made in fifteen minutes... 1.5/5

12 - かわいい・ピンク・ダイヤモンド (Chiptune Version) / midone - It's the exact same thing but a chiptune version. I'll give you +0.25 for this being less shit to listen to, but then retract it again for being obviously a cop out to get yourself more time on the album. 1.5/5

13 - Invader's Club (feat. ZSB410) (Short Edit) / Densetsu.EXE - Did this ZSB410 work on My Baby Mama, by any chance? Jokes aside, the vocals are... er, okay, I guess. But WOW, this bridge at 0:44 is REALLY funky. I have a soft spot for this Daft Punk-esque voice modulator, especially. It happens again so I guess it's a chorus, but it doesn't feel like one, so whatever. This might be my favourite so far. 4/5

14 - 月光の影 / 白黒 - SIX MINUTES, HOO BOY. We start off with some nice ambiance in the background and in comes the funky bassline, the beat, and a widdle-widdle-woddle-woodle medley. More stuff kicks in and switches out, and... I'm not going to lie, I am digging the fuck out of this. I don't feel like it SHOULD be six minutes long - somewhere around 4/4:15 would've done. Regardless, we've hit a new high! Hats off, you weeb. YOU'RE NOT JAPANESE. PROBABLY. 4.25/5

15 - LIFE SCROLLING (Densetsu.EXE Remix) / HIROSHI WATANABE - Not much to say about this, to be honest. It's just sort of... there. It's sort of funky. Don't like the vocal samples. Blah. The best bit is in the middle. I guess. Yeah, this is okay. 2.75/5

16 - KEEP ON MOVIN' (Midone's TTS Remix) / N.M.R - Oh, boy. Midone has yet to impress me with his outings so far, and now we've got a remix of Keep On Movin'... wait... oh, fuck ME, TTS stands for Text-To-Speech, doesn't it? This is just... Wacky? Yeah, I'm... No. 0.75/5

17 - PARANOiA HRX -LEGACY- / 5L190 - OBLIGATORY PARANOIA REMIX IS OBLIGATORY. I've heard two "PARANOiA HRX"-es before, so I sort of know what to expect. This honestly isn't too bad, but there's a lot of vocal samples and other assorted samples thrown in just for the sake of being more like Paranoia. And, honestly? It could've done with a lot less shit happening. Average. 2.5

18 - era (midnight mix) / TaQ remixed by 5GB - Who doesn't love era(nostalmix)? Very little is different in this "mix". There's different percussion and it's quite a bit slower, and that's basically your lot aside from a few minor things. Still good though. Would give it a 3.25 but I'm going to give it a deduction for the fact that it's barely changed. 3/5

19 - The Graveyard in the Back of 505 / Quick Man - Don't know who made this, but it's shit. 1/5. Blargh. n/a, i made the fucker

20 - 赤いクリスマス / デヨムリ - Sort of generic, not much to say. Genre tag is "RED CAROL", whatever the fuck that means. FYI it's sort of hard trance...? Whatever it is, it's okay. 2.5/5

21 - HOLD / 5l1n65ho7 - Speedcore? Er... no? Don't know if this was 5l1n65ho7 himself who tagged the song as speedcore, but I wonder if whoever did it actively knows what speedcore is. Onto the song itself, I kind of get the impression this is very "beginner" in production. None of the things going on seem to know that they're working with other things to form a song. While I wouldn't say this was bad, I'd say it's a little below average. 2.25/5

22 - Cold Macleod / SONGMASHER - What the fuck... Wow, er, this is weird. Why do I like this? I literally don't have words for it. It's a thing. Moving on. 2.75/5

23 - Clear / lee ium - This is sort of... er... I think it's safe to describe it as d'n'b. Glitchy d'n'b. I would say this is calm due to the backing melody, but it's hectic as all hell aside from that. lee ium does it again, making another standout track. This should've been the closing track, frankly. 4/5

24 - Stargazing (Densetsu.EXE Remix) / Azaliate - Both the opener and closer are taken up by the same artist, ain't that classy. Anyway, we started with an underwhelming track, and we end with an underwhelming remix of that underwhelming track. It is the superior of the two versions, I suppose. 3/5

OVERALL - I guess I'll give it a 6/10. :shrug:
Quote: Ty
Why are we booting up a Master System?
Quote: Quick Man
Because God isn't real and if he was he'd hate you.
https://card.psnprofiles.com/1/DWN012Quick_Man.png

Post #54 · Posted at 2016-12-27 10:58:52pm 7.2 years ago

Offline Sigrev2
Sigrev2 Avatar Member+
4,159 Posts
United States
Reg. 2009-10-17

Nintendo Network ID: Sigrev2Nintendo Switch Friend Code: SW-2884-7660-37993DS Friend Code: 3883-7652-3160
"suffering from success"

Last updated: 2017-04-10 07:24pm
Stargazing - 3.5/5
shows promise, but very obviously sounds like someone using default presets on fl studio
effort was made, so points were given

No Man's Land - 4/5
17:14:27 · AnonyWolf: No Man's Land has promise but it['s] immediately neutered by the midway point

J.J.O. - 5/5
underrated jamb. some questionable VST choices, but very nice and atmospheric and i like it.
17:16:24 · AnonyWolf: J.J.O is pretty damn jamby tbh
17:16:35 · AnonyWolf: kinda reminds me of something from Technic Beat

Growlix - 3.5/5

Belt Parkway Nights - 1.5/5
17:18:58 · AnonyWolf: OH BOY FL STUDIO DEFAULT PRESET TRAP

re-routing - 5/5
goddamn, i need a full version in my life

Rinnegato (Z4U Edit) - 3/5

Infinite Factory - 1/5
it appears midone has learned some new tricks since the last zenius music collection.
unfortunately, they're not applied very well
17:27:57 · AnonyWolf: when the fuck did a cat get into my room???
17:28:03 · AnonyWolf: OH THAT'S THE SYNTH IN THE SONG
17:28:28 · AnonyWolf: and now my laptop fan is acting up
17:28:34 · AnonyWolf: oh wait no that's the ending to the song

by the way, some of y'all really need to learn how to properly mix your shit

Candyman (Please God Make It Stop Mix) - 2/5
interesting idea, interesting execution. went on for much longer than necessary, and those vocals annoyed the shit out of me very quickly.
17:29:17 · AnonyWolf: [heavily brickwalled] am i dead yet?

Parfait (Original Mix) - 4/5
damn shame this was not longer.

Weeble Wobbles Don't Fall Down (Remaster) - 0.5/5
christ almighty

Weeble Wobbles Don't Fall Down (Chiptune) - 0.5/5
i almost didn't even bother rating this since it's literally just a chiptune version of the previous song
why is it here
what is it doing here
what does it want from me
is it threatening me?
am i the threat to it??

Invader's Club (MASTERBITS VOCAL PACK EDITION) - 1.5/5
haha cute

the least 6 minutes and 8 seconds - 3/5
went on for much longer than necessary but i did not dislike it
17:43:18 · AnonyWolf: that generic af chinese tune melody
17:43:26 · AnonyWolf: ray cyst

LIFE SCROLLING (Densetsu.EXE Remix) - 2/5

KEEP ON MOVIN' (Midone's TTS Remix) - 0/5
it's at this point i stopped listening to the album
i think midone has rendered me unable to appreciate or care about music
i used to refrain from ever rating anything below 1/5, since even the worst songs have some clear effort thrown in
there was none of that here, and now i have my first 0/5 rating
i'm done, fuck my life

4/10 Update: this was before i finalized my "jamb" rating scale so take these ratings with a grain of salt (just like the majority of this album, hey yo!)

Post #55 · Posted at 2016-12-27 11:03:37pm 7.2 years ago

Offline Quickman
Quickman Avatar Member+
6,041 Posts
United Kingdom
Reg. 2013-08-17

"Yuuki Mishima for Tekken"
http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/closeup-of-woman-reporter-holding-microphone-picture-id596746660?s=170667a

anonywolf can we please get your opinions on keep on movin midone's tts mix
Quote: Ty
Why are we booting up a Master System?
Quote: Quick Man
Because God isn't real and if he was he'd hate you.
https://card.psnprofiles.com/1/DWN012Quick_Man.png

Post #56 · Posted at 2016-12-27 11:13:23pm 7.2 years ago

Offline Sigrev2
Sigrev2 Avatar Member+
4,159 Posts
United States
Reg. 2009-10-17

Nintendo Network ID: Sigrev2Nintendo Switch Friend Code: SW-2884-7660-37993DS Friend Code: 3883-7652-3160
"suffering from success"
Quote: Quickman
http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/closeup-of-woman-reporter-holding-microphone-picture-id596746660?s=170667a

anonywolf can we please get your opinions on keep on movin midone's tts mix

Post #57 · Posted at 2016-12-27 11:29:35pm 7.2 years ago

Offline Quickman
Quickman Avatar Member+
6,041 Posts
United Kingdom
Reg. 2013-08-17

"Yuuki Mishima for Tekken"
https://scontent.flhr4-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15741027_10157878452295577_2496802792128874905_n.jpg?oh=b3bc5bf166bcc673d59bae8203db410a&oe=58E9C436
Quote: Ty
Why are we booting up a Master System?
Quote: Quick Man
Because God isn't real and if he was he'd hate you.
https://card.psnprofiles.com/1/DWN012Quick_Man.png

Post #58 · Posted at 2017-01-20 06:44:37am 7.1 years ago

Offline Sigrev2
Sigrev2 Avatar Member+
4,159 Posts
United States
Reg. 2009-10-17

Nintendo Network ID: Sigrev2Nintendo Switch Friend Code: SW-2884-7660-37993DS Friend Code: 3883-7652-3160
"suffering from success"
http://i.imgur.com/5tqOjNY.jpg
The Search For Everything - Wave One
John Mayer

(long review warning)

John Mayer finally makes his triumphant return. His last album, Paradise Valley, unfortunately left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. It seemed misguided and empty and unnecessarily tried to recreate some of the magic that was had in the preceding album, Born And Raised. His attempt backfired, resulting in what I believe is his worst album to date, containing several tracks I consider to be less than mediocre. Which is surprising, as Mayer is a musician who I felt could do no wrong. Every album he released had solid gold on it and nothing ever felt out-of-place. I found myself going back to those releases time and time again. It was such a cerebral shock to receive an album such as Paradise Valley. I found myself doubting Mayer, worried that he would never recover from this, worried this was the path he was going to stay on from now on.

So when Love On The Weekend dropped in late 2016, I admit that I was hesitant. And at first, I didn't really know what to think about the song. I felt like it was lacking in many departments, almost empty in spots. I was confused by the track as it felt like it was going to pick up and gain energy and become a true pop hit like his earliest material, but it kinda stagnated in this weird middle ground. At first it turned me off, and I stepped away from the track for a while. This new album wasn't looking to be forming in a pleasing shape.

I'm happy to inform you all, however, that I was wrong. I admit that I was wrong, and I take pride in admitting I was wrong. When I played the track again for the second, third, fourth, fifth time, I realized that the song was never trying to be this big pop jamb reminiscent of his earlier material. It was never about the energy or the pop sheen. It was all about that atmosphere. The tone of the guitar, the reverb, the smooth drum line never cracking louder than necessary, the warm embrace of the bass. And Mayer's vocals as whisper-y and sultry as ever perfectly complimenting the rest of the meal I was given. To know that Mayer still sounds as great as ever after his lymph node scare in 2012 makes me genuinely happy. I feared for the guy, and as an outsider looking in, it's rewarding to see him come miles from that low point.

Needless to say, through all the word mumbo jumbo I'm giving, the song ended up being fantastic and I found myself letting it get stuck in my head from time to time.

Later on, Mayer announced his intentions on releasing a double album entitled The Search For Everything. He proudly proclaimed that he had so much material he was proud of that he simply couldn't dwindle it down to a simple 12 track album. A first for Mayer, as none of his studio albums ever made it past more than a single disc (several live albums, however, have). And as a fan, I found myself ecstatic over this announcement. More Mayer to indulge means more material I get to love. Why Mayer ended up going down the route of releasing an EP every month with 4 songs instead of just dropping the album outright is a mystery to me. Maybe it helps give the fans a chance to digest the material before getting a chance to enjoy more. Maybe it takes a load off the performers who don't have to worry about playing so much extra material all at once. Maybe it's just an easy cash grab as 12 EPs at $6 each certainly adds up compared to a double album likely to be sold for $14. Who knows? No matter what, I'm biting.

Okay, so I've gone on with prose long enough. I've practically written a biography on the guy at this point. What's this EP like?

So very good.

The EP begins with Moving On And Getting Over. It's got a nice and smooth groove to it. Some light funk influences shine throughout the entire track, especially the guitar. The instrumentation focuses more on the space between notes which is something mostly underappreciated in modern music. The vocal performance, as well as the harmonies, are simple and effective. The percussion's taking a backseat to the warm atmosphere being crafted, and I appreciate that. One of my main worries going into this EP was that the percussion was going to be more than necessary, and I'm appreciating that they're restrained here, coming in when most necessary. This track is definitely the closest thing to Continuum you'd get in a modern Mayer track; hell, you could tell me it was originally tracked from the Continuum sessions and I would believe it if I didn't know any better. Near the end of the track, things pick up and the vibe shifts from Continuum to an almost Room For Squares feel, with an additional xylophone (or it might be a glockenspiel, I don't quite know) chiming along to a fade out conclusion. This song gets a 5/5.

Next up is Changing. It starts off with just piano and vocals, maintaining a nice and slow pace. Things pick up a minute or so into it and it's such a relaxing listen. We're headed back to the Born And Raised feel again, but this time it doesn't feel misguided at all. The nice Americana twang to the electric guitars adds an extra dynamic to the track, one I never felt was necessary but never knew I needed like I did here. John's harmonies are top notch once again, the whisper voice getting a bit more pronounced this time around as Mayer sings about his, well, ability to change. Suddenly near the end, Clapton-esque guitar licks wade their way through the ocean bed backing, and everything in the instrumentation gets bigger than before. It's more than effective here, and I managed to get a little bit of goosebump action near the end there. And no, I'm not crying, I just have something in my eye. The song gets a 5/5.

Third is the lead single for the entire project, Love On The Weekend. I already discussed this track in the opening section, so I don't really need to go over it again. But for completion's sake, it's a neat atmospheric track that sounds like something I'd throw on while driving around the city at night in the rain. ie., it's nostalgic to me, even though it has no nostalgic connection to me in the slightest. Only the best artists can do that. Sweet to taste, not too sweet. Just right. 5/5.

Last but not least, we have You're Gonna Live Forever In Me. A slow piano and vocal track coming up again, this time staying that way through the entire track. Mayer's vocals even more whispery and quiet than usual, making the song focus on the piano activity. A string section comes up not too far into the track and definitely help compliment the track. If I gathered anything from this EP, it's that the people behind it were certainly engaged in making a beautiful sounding release, and the lush strings help prove that. Not overbearing, but like the little other things on the previous songs, they help serve as a nice compliment to the already great backing. A garnish, if you will. Also, there's whistling. I'm not turned off by this, despite the fact that whistling in music is just not a trip to Sound Town I want to go back to. And as a final twist, the song hangs on an incomplete resolution, blueballing you, having you wait for that resolution to come with Wave Two. 5/5.

Overall, I just have to give this release a 5/5. Everything about this makes me happy. Not only sonically, but mentally as well. Not only can I let go of my doubts for the final release, I can let go of my doubts for Mayer's future in general. The bad taste Paradise Valley left has been washed away by the refreshing sampler platter that is The Search For Everything - Wave One. When Wave Two comes out, I don't know. But I certainly hope it comes around soon. Because I can only feast on this treat for so long before I hunger for something bigger, something brighter.

EP is available on all major digital retailers, I purchased my copy on Google Play for $5.19, comes in 320kbps MP3.

Have a great day, don't be a stranger.

Post #59 · Posted at 2017-02-05 04:18:51am 7.1 years ago

Offline DDR Addict
DDR Addict Avatar Member
1,464 Posts
United States
Reg. 2009-09-23

Nintendo Network ID: RimeTM3DS Friend Code: 3454-0657-8756
"Let's Do the Rain Dance"
So, after a year of barely any turnover on the charts (We had a 9-week leader, a 10-week leader, and a 12-week leader all in rather close succession to one another, only interrupted by a month at most), January 2017 finally heralded massive change on the charts, as we got a different leader every single week! (one of them's a returning #1, but whatever) Thus, I'm reviewing them all in my old style!

(Also, because I feel bad that Sig's posts keep chaining)

1/7: Starboy / The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk


This song's a challenge of expectations. On one hand, this is a rather basic beat for Daft Punk, and even if you assume Weeknd's production was more responsible, their vocal contributions don't amount to much. On the other hand, this is a bold way for Weeknd to try out a new style compared to Beauty Behind the Madness, a sleek, darker take on his prior image with increased focus on the hedonism, but retaining the fun wordplay and eerie atmosphere. In terms of his leaders, it's not quite as danceable as Can't Feel My Face or as broody and menacing as The Hills, but I think it still strikes a decent balance between.

Rating: 4/5

1/14: Black Beatles / Rae Sremmurd feat. Gucci Mane


If there's one thing I've got to give this duo credit for, it's that they're finally not as obnoxious as they used to be. Unlike braying pseudo anthems like No Flex Zone or Come Get Her or the droll empty beatwork in songs like No Type, here we finally have a hit for the group that keeps the beatwork nice and busy (did you know the "guitar sample" is actually just a normal synth effected? I wouldn't have realized) and the vocals don't end up being grating. As for keeping on topic, that's another story entirely, but at least they peppered in a few references and didn't fall flat with any really embarrassing lines. Gucci's verse isn't that much, but it is pleasing to the ear with his cadence and again, nothing really cringe-inducing, so it's fine.

Rating: 3.5/5

1/21: Bad and Boujee / Migos feat. Lil' Uzi Vert


If you told me either of these rap groups would top the charts just 2 years ago, I would've thought the notion laughable. Anyway, as for the song, the beatwork is a little boring to be honest, the usual sort of twinkly synth quarter-note progression with NES-esque synth backing. The topic is admittedly more consistent between the group about being part of a new generation that is redefining rich culture to accommodate their gangster lifestyles. There are some off lines, namely the intro to the first verse and the obscure literature reference that ironically just makes Quavo sound immature, especially with the punchline. However, where the song really falls apart is on Uzi's verse, where there's so much wasted space along with some really nonsensical lines (You fall asleep in a jacuzzi, you drown or at least get some burns), severe straying from the topic (which kills the pretense of rich culture for a more simple "Let's blow some money the trite usual way!"; the Jacuzzi line by the way is the only line that even tries to connect), and an especially bad rhyme right near the end to sour the experience ("We are winnin', yeah, we is not losin'"). Even without these problems...it just doesn't even feel like a topper. It's not outrageous or exciting or weird enough to become a meme like Panda (and even the weirdest parts of the song aren't the basis for the meme, just the chorus, which, while okay, doesn't feel that memetic), and it's not really polished in the writing (e.g. The Monster) or production (e.g. Gold Digger) to warrant traditional attention (and it's worth noting that its radio lags hard behind its streaming...).

Rating: 2/5

1/28: Shape of You / Ed Sheeran


Finally, after a few close-calls (writing on Love Yourself, #2 for Thinking Out Loud), Ed Sheeran finally has a leader to call his own...and of course, it's riding a trend, typical. In this case, it's the tropical sound (though not house, like everyone keeps alleging, this is far too restrained a beat for house) that has been doing so well in Europe for the past 2 years or so. Still, with Sheeran at the helm, this does bring some nice writing, and though once again it bites from modern trends (a fixation on sexual attraction on first sight, a more traditional topic compared to his other hit attempts which covered everything from looking at the prospect of marriage holding through aging, the conflicting feelings of a adultery-fueled breakup, to the outcome of a burnt puppy love; yes, they all still revolve around love, but less trite variations on the topic), his attention to detail and the way that he evokes a sense of authenticity despite probably being years away from these events if they ever happened make for a fun listen. Also, I really like how the end of chorus' "Oh I"s sound, just a personal little preference.

Rating: 3.5/5

Post #60 · Posted at 2017-04-06 07:53:49pm 6.9 years ago

Offline Quickman
Quickman Avatar Member+
6,041 Posts
United Kingdom
Reg. 2013-08-17

"Yuuki Mishima for Tekken"

Last updated: 2017-04-06 08:02pm
Today, I finally listened to an album by Twenty One Pilots. Here's how I found it.

Blurryface

Heavy Dirty Soul - 4.375/5
Stressed Out - 4.75/5
Ride - 2.25/5
Fairly Local - 3.25/5
Tear In My Heart - 2.5/5
Lane Boy - 5/5
The Judge - 4.5/5
Doubt - 4/5
Polarize - 3.25/5
We Don't Believe What's On TV - 3.125/5
Message Man - 4.5/5
Hometown - 4.625/5
Not Today - 2.75/5
Goner - 2.5/5

ALBUM RATING: 73%

Despite the good-but-not-great overall rating, some unforgettable tunes like Stressed Out and Lane Boy are here and it's well worth the listen I gave it.

SAVES: Heavy Dirty Soul, Stressed Out, Lane Boy, The Judge, Doubt, Message Man, Hometown
Quote: Ty
Why are we booting up a Master System?
Quote: Quick Man
Because God isn't real and if he was he'd hate you.
https://card.psnprofiles.com/1/DWN012Quick_Man.png
Register Log In Back To Forums

0 User(s) Viewing This Thread (Past 15 Minutes)

©2006-2024 Zenius -I- vanisher.com -5th style- IIPrivacy Policy
Web Server: 6% · Database: 4% · Server Time: 2024-03-28 19:17:06
This page took 0.021 seconds to execute.
Theme: starlight · Language: englishuk
Reset Theme & Language