30 in 30: Lazersword – Lazer Sword [86/100]

By request I’m putting line breaks between track descriptions. Sorry about that. Notes: “Tar” opens up with chiptunes aplenty, transitioning into a moody electronica sound, definitely on the experimental side, a lot going on that I wouldn’t be able to really explain but that’s typical of the genre, not bad at all though you do [...]

30 in 30: Eric Clapton – Clapton [94/100]

Notes: “Travelin’ Alone” opens up the album with a tricky little blues run and organs, Clapton’s vocals are as inspired as ever, he may even be improving with age. Maracas and bongos give character to what might be a pretty sterile Lil’ Son Jackson cover without it. High hopes for the album after this opener. [...]

30 in 30: 10 Years – Feeding The Wolves [84/100]

Notes: “Shoot It Out” starts out feeling much darker than their past releases, dissonance and repetition used effectively. Angrier lyrics and vocals have me quite intrigued if their sound has changed drastically. “The Wicked Ones” is downtempo rock in 4/4 that reminds me of Switchfoot more than anything, in a good way. Chorus is in [...]

30 In 30: Linkin Park – A Thousand Suns [90/100]

Notes: “The Requiem” is a slow fade in, industrial sounds and echoes transition into piano and vocal harmony, then a vocoded female, “God Save Us Everyone” which I’ve heard on the single towards the end of the album. Progresses into “The Radiance”, very industrial techno sound, Oppenheimer’s “I am become death, the destroyer of worlds” [...]

30 in 30 Club, You’re Invited

I’m going to listen to and review 30 albums, nearly all of them new releases, over the next 30 days. Each Tuesday will feature a new release from that day. I’ll warn you in advance, the selections are quite varied, this will be a challenge for someone that considers themselves only to be a fan [...]

Kings of Leon – Come Around Sundown [56/100]

Preface: I’m listening to the new Kings of Leon album with a few preconceived notions. Mainly, I dislike the stuff they put on the radio, like, a lot. I found it insincere, sexist and generally not to my palate at all (too much pop in my rock). That said, I’ve heard plenty of bands that [...]

N.E.R.D. – Nothing [86/100]

Notes: “Party People (feat. T.I.)” is a solid opening with a sound more reminiscent of The Neptunes than N.E.R.D., though the sound that keeps coming to mind is The Chemical Brothers, or maybe Q-Tip. No accusations here, just a comparison, but Pharrell does admire both and he’s talented enough I’ll consider it a hat-tip. “Hypnotize [...]

Ray Charles – Rare Genius: The Undiscovered Masters [78/100]

Released yesterday, this album is a set of 10 never-before-heard songs that cover the whole range of the Genius’s abilities, from country-western to blues to funk. It was a bit of a sentimental rollercoaster to listen to, but I enjoyed it very much. Below are my notes and scores for the album. Notes: Sound quality [...]

Winter Is For Writing

Most of you know I thrive on projects. The more ambitious, the more I toss and turn over it, the better. Sometimes I remember projects with more fondness than I honestly had for them at the time. Writing projects can be like that, but I remind myself that this could just be important practice, training [...]

Remembering August

Rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated. This month has been the best, busiest and most life-changing month I’ve ever experienced. Let me bring you up to speed. Back in early August, Diana and I moved in together, which involved moving out of our respective cities and into a new town. We knew where we [...]