LogFAQs > #976288898

I probably won't be able to keep up for long but we'll see how it goes

Billy Talent - Dead Silence
- I too had never heard of Billy Talent and was surprised to find they pull a million-plus monthly listeners on spotify. There's a style of singing and drumming here that both put me off, the emo power-belting and splashy double-time choruses aren't my thing. That said, it's effective high-energy listening produced with clarity and I can see why they retain an audience. For me it works better as background music than active listening - peripheral foot-tappers. I thought the standout tunes were Runnin' Across the Tracks for the groovy verse and bridge, Stand up and Run for the less typical chord progression (some half-diminished ii action in there?), and Don't Count on the Wicked for another cool bridge. The title track has a fun Knights of Cydonia vibe. For the most part, I can get into each song until the chorus hits and then it's too in-your-face and smothering, like the track runs out of space to breathe.

Taylor Swift - folklore
- The production imbues the tracks with a lot of textural detail and subtle dynamics to appreciate, but I don't find myself captivated much by the songwriting either lyrically or melodically. It's pleasant soundscapism, often successfully affecting a Sigur Ros-type of intimacy and tenderness (seven, epihpany, hoax) in the instrumentation. But I don't think the tunes all warrant their length, and at sixteen tracks the album feels stretched beyond its substance. Favorite tracks were hoax - good example of the sensitive production with the little string touches and soft, slightly detuned piano that sounds like you're sitting right next to it (+ a humanizing mistake at 3:19? That is so real, we're all imperfect and I relate because she is literally me), and I liked invisible string for the catchy palm-muted guitar figure. This is the first Taylor Swift record I've listened to, it was...okay.

100 Gecs - 10,000 Gecs
- Right away this benefits from the list order, providing a much-needed burst of energy after Swift's mellow selection and appropriately chasing her sheepish 'golly I didn't know anything at 17' self-deprecation with Dumbest Girl Alive. There's an aggressive slacker vibe throughout that smacks of the Pixies to me, although there's broader genre interests here ranging from ska punk and arena rock to hip-hop and grindcore. It comes across as a simple novelty party record but one that's cleverly constructed and, crucially, entertaining. Favorite track was the hangover banger Doritos and Fritos for the weird guitar harmonics bouncing between the channels.

Electric Light Orchestra - Time
- I have passing familiarity with some of this, I'm fond of the single Ticket To the Moon and I know I've heard Yours Truly, 2095 but I always thought it was a Supertramp song. Apparently, this is the first ELO record that's more Electric than Orchestra and I dig the retrofuturist aesthetic/time travel concept. Side A's largely instrumental closer Another Heart Breaks delivers a Hotline Miamiesque tropical electro vibe that has me grooving. The Lights Go Down mixes a little reggae with classic doo-wop harmonies for another recognizable chorus that I'm certain I've heard in commercial use. Overall a solid listen.

Lights - The Listening
- Smooth and relatively forgettable synth pop, with a few interesting sonic choices sprinkled throughout. The zipper bass on Februrary Air is a nice effect and the title track has some fun stereo interplay with the phaser in the right channel fading in and out. Wasn't too impressed by the full album experience though.

They Might Be Giants - John Henry
- TMBG is a band I only enjoy sparingly but respect for their longevity and persistence. It's one thing to do a band with a shtick, but to have it churn out some ~20 records across 4 decades requires a commitment to the bit. I could see John Henry growing on me if I were to spend more time with the Giants canon, for now it's been more miss than hit with the hits being Snail Shell, which seems clearly positioned as the 'lead single', AKA Driver for the Pixies-esque high energy, and O Do Not Forsake Me for adding a different color with the bassy acapella arrangement. And to rlwh's point about the album not having a strong enough sense of personality, I thought the same thing except the previously mentioned song actually did work on that front.

Miracle Musical - Hawaii Dream
- It's bound to be a little too theater kid for me in places but this was pretty cool texturally. Black Rainbows is definitely the winner with the froggy vocals. Sometimes the whole scratchy radio filter and crooner affectation comes off hokey but I can't deny that it's it's generally done well on this album and effectively renders an atmosphere of faded ghostly nostalgia, especially on the bookend tracks.

Younha - END THEORY: Final Edition
- It took a second listen on decent headphones to get into any of it. Tik-Tok does slap on the good cans, then I find the album gets somewhat repetitive until the piano ballad Here, which is a lovely break with some nice chord voicings and melodies, then Event Horizon brings the tempo back up with big opening theme song energy. The Joey-inspired closer How U Doin has some cool guitar layers. But the k-pop thing doesn't do it for me enough to get invested in a whole special edition record...I'd be good with the original 11 song 40-minute package here.