Album Review Thread

[Il Medico]

This is where one post reviews of albums if they feel so inclined.


On that note:



False Priest- of Montreal
Cover Art:
http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/OfMontreal_FalsePriest_600-260x260.jpg

Tracks:
1. "I Feel Ya' Strutter" - 3:40

2. "Our Riotous Defects" (feat. Janelle Monáe) - 5:15

3. "Coquet Coquette" - 3:44

4. "Godly Intersex" - 3:31

5. "Enemy Gene" (feat. Janelle Monáe) - 3:37

6. "Hydra Fancies" - 3:25

7. "Like a Tourist" - 4:02

8. "Sex Karma" (feat. Solange) - 4:02

9. "Girl Named Hello" - 4:14

10. "Famine Affair" - 3:49

11. "Casualty of You" - 2:59

12. "Around the Way" - 4:33

13. "You Do Mutilate?" - 6:52


Review:
I've been a fan of of Montreal and Kevin Barnes for quite a while now. And one of the best things about this band is that it never gets dull. They change their style with nearly every album. They make it fresh and new, yet keep what works from the past.

This album mixes up the glam pop and psychedelic rock of Montreal has become famous for (ever since the album "The Sunlandic Twins) with a smooth injection of R&B and even a little soul. The album starts out with "I feel ya strutter', an upbeat song that set the tone for most of the album. The album really launches however with the second track "Our Riotous Defects". which juxtaposes humorous monologues peppered into soulfully sung vocals.

The skillful combination of R&B flavor with of Montreal's usual glam pop and rock currents along with brilliant lyricism continue though the rest of the album. Creating such instant classics as "Enemy Gene" and "Girl named Hello". I can't recommend this album more highly.




Also, side note of trivia: Both this album and Skeletal Lamping are named after lyrics from this song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmEtpLn77nE) in their (imo) best album.

[¿Que?]

http://www.deadprez.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn_Off_the_Radio_Vol._4:_Revolutionary_But_Gangs ta_Grillz

Turn Off the Radio Vol. 4: Revolutionary But Gangsta Grillz


Not exactly an LP, but actually a "mixtape," this album proves that M1 and stickman, now well into their thirties, are still capable of producing great lyrical content. For those who don't mind, and may actually prefer, leftist sloganeering in their music, and if you happen to like hiphop, this album will not fail to impress.

Dead Prez broke through as the last gasp of mainstream political hip hop. In 2003, Dave Chappelle debut Chappelle's Show, which featured the synth-bass line from Dead Prez's most recognized single, Hip Hop, at the start of every show. By that time, Dead Prez had amassed a devoted and loyal fan base, although their moment in the sun had passed. Like most every other political hip hop group, they had moved, or been moved, underground.

I'll admit, when I heard pulse of the people, I thought the end was nigh for Dead Prez. Originally, I attributed it to DJ Green Lantern, who's beats where a sharp departure from anything that the duo had done previously. But then I started thinking, and it occurred to me that RBG did not resemble Let's Get Free in terms of beats, either. I've listened to Pulse of the People, and while there are moments when either of the group pulls off some wonderful verses, there is not one song on the album that is captivating all the way through.

But this mixtape restored my faith in Dead Prez. Whatever went wrong with Pulse of the People is fully rectified here. A word of warning: You might recognize some of the music on this album. In some ways, it is a throwback to the days when samples provided the main ingredient for hip hop beats. However in some way it is not. A lot of the album is harshly critical of the music industry, not least of which is the way that they "expropriate" mainstream hip hop music and sing their own lyrics over it. This time, the lyrics do not disappoint.

Finally, in keeping with Dead Prez stylistics, many songs feature samples from speeches and talks of notable figures in black culture. My favorite is the Malcolm X speech over a sample of Coltrane's Psalms. I liked it so much, I downloaded a Malcolm X speech, and Psalms, and listened to a whole Malcolm X speech in this way.

I thought they were falling off. What the hell was I thinking!

EDIT: Forgot to mention. IT'S FREE!!!

[fa2991]

The Beatles: Let It Be

Review: Sucks. Don't bother.

[fa2991]

The Beatles - The Beatles (White Album)

Review: Good. Bother.

[fa2991]

Damn I'm good! I should do this professionally!

[Widerstand]

Damn I'm good! I should do this professionally!

You're better than Robert Christgau at least :lol:

[fa2991]

You're better than Robert Christgau at least :lol:

I don't know, I doubt that I could match the in-depth analysis exhibited in his review of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel.

http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=3719&name=Simon+%26+Garfunkel