Welcome To My Album Review Blog

SwitSwat's Album Reviews

Welcome to my blog! It's nothing fancy, but I just wanted to put my small little hobby into effect somehow. Music has always been a passion of mine and while I don't have the credentials of a professional music critic or even experience in journalism, I still find it fun to talk about the albums I listen to and my personal thoughts on them. Obviously, I'm just a regular guy on the internet and my reviews are to be taken with a grain of salt. However, I myself find it refreshing to hear some fleshed out opinions on music from friends and family and not just the media, so I'm hoping a few of you will enjoy my "general public" take on these albums and enjoy the simplicity of it.

How to Navigate the Site

Seeing as this is a blog, of course all my posts will show up from most recent to oldest. That's obviously not a very effective means of finding specific artists, or albums that you want to read up on. There's a search bar at the top you can use to make navigating easier. I add tags to all my reviews so that you can search for them using any of these factors:

- Album Title

- Artist
- Release Year

My Grading System

I like to use a typical letter grade scoring system, ranging from F- to A+ (E's are not included). It would probably help if I gave a rough explanation of what each letter grade means to me. So here they are:

A+ = This is pretty much my idea of a masterpiece. It doesn't necessarily mean that every song on the record takes my breath away, but rather every song is great and there is almost never a dull moment on the record.

A = An album that just missed the mark by mostly being an excellent album, but lacked that extra bit of "pizzazz" that a masterpiece would have.

A- = A great record that mostly keeps a consistent flow of quality. It may not exactly leave a big impact, but it's a very enjoyable record throughout.

B+ = This is a pretty good record. There may be a few songs that don't exactly meet the high standards set by the rest of the album, but I would rarely think that there's a "bad" song on here.

B = This is a very competent record that has its great moments, but falters at times, or maybe it's just a good album with no overbearing unique qualities.

B- = This is a good record that may simply lack a huge wow factor. Fans of said album's genre may very much enjoy this to a great extent.

C+ = A commendable effort that may still hold up well for fans of the genre, but it mostly falters for the rest.

C = An average record. You may start to find a few stinkers on here, but it balances out with a few other good tracks. Either that, or there wasn't anything particularly special about the album as a whole.

C- = A below average effort. Most of the album may just be filler or a handful of tracks drag down the momentum a bit for the rest of the already mediocre album.

D+ = At this point, I can't say that I would recommend an album that gets this score or lower for any reason. One begins to note a strong lack of innovation, creativity and or a sense of coherence.

D = I question why anyone would unironically buy this.

D- = I question why the artist bothered to make this.

F+ = I question the thought process behind releasing this record.

F = This is borderline noise. There's nothing redeemable about this record at all.

F- = If I ever give an album this score, then approach with caution, because this record could ruin your life.

With these scores in mind, it's important to note that just like everyone else out there, I have certain preferences when it comes to music genres. However, I still try to be objective when writing any reviews. Because of said preferences, however, an A record may not necessarily be something I would prefer listening to more than a certain A- record. The factors that come into play when deciding an album's score may fluctuate based on the genre. But with that said, please enjoy my simple reviews.

Consider donating to my patreon. It keeps me motivated to review music.

Emma Blackery - Villains

Emma Blackery - Villains (2018)

Genre: Synth-pop, Dance-Pop

I'll admit that I would have never reviewed this if it weren't for a friend's love for this album, because admittedly, I don't really care for YouTube content creators' music... As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade. 

Prior to my friend recommending me this album, I had never even heard of this girl, hence I had absolutely no expectations going into this. And yet somehow, my non-existent expectations were still slightly shattered. Let me explain though, because sonically, this ain't half bad. Emma actually has quite a nice singing voice, which is not to say that it's very distinctive, but she exhibits a spunky quality to her vocal delivery, which feels welcome given the lyrical themes throughout most of the album. Themes of relationships, social life issues, and exes, all with a hearty dosage of aggression. I honestly don't care much for the lyrics, but my main gripe with this album lies more with the core musical ideas.

I can honestly tell that Emma was putting some soul into this release, I truly do. The problem here is that a lot of the content seems very generic. Dirt starts off with one of the most cliché-sounding and obnoxious synth hooks that I can only describe as "electronic-muzak fluff,' which carries on throughout the track. Petty is also guilty of having a pretty irritating sound. The other songs still lack in creativity and flair, however. Some highlights for me, such as Villains Pt. 1 and Icarus, are only fun thanks to their catchy and pronounced beats, but otherwise, there's nothing overtly interesting about them.

One thing I want to mention is that, although I did compliment Emma's singing, there is one painful outlier here, and that's on the track Villains Pt. 2. Near the end, she tries to hit these wailing high notes, but they come off seemingly forced and awkward. It did make for some ironic comedic relief, though. I do applaud Emma for certainly trying, but this album is just not that compelling to listen to, save for a few mildly catchy tunes here and there. I can bet that this album would appeal to a lot of angsty teenage girls, however, so if that was Emma's intention, then well done.

D

Favorite Tracks: Villains Pt. 1, Icarus, Take Me Out

Least Favorite Track: Dirt

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (2007)

Genre: Indietronica, Indie Pop, Synth Pop

Now a well established duo in the indie pop scene, their debut record showcased a gorgeous atmosphere of electronic influences and self-aware, true to life songwriting. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade. 

Starting off with a bold testament on the life of stardom through the use of tongue-in-cheek humor and sarcasm, Time to Pretend is a perfect introduction to this album from a musical standpoint, but also serves as a statement of the duo's state of mind. They had ambition, and whether they took off was only a matter of time. There's nothing wildly experimental about their sound, but instead, they make it work by creating an intoxicatingly catchy atmosphere of fun synth melodies and occasional haunting vocals.

Songs like Weekend Wars and Kids are care-free throwbacks to years long past, serving as anthems for childhood imagination and childhood innocence, respectively. The latter song features what I believe to be one of the most uplifting synth riffs to come out of a pop record. It's fitting, as it's almost child-like in nature; simplistic and cute. There's also other highlights that slightly shift away from the synth pop influences, such as Of Moon, Birds & Monsters, which more often than not plays out more like an indie rock evaluation of the human psyche, slowly evolving into a psychedelic electronic jam session near the end. Make of it what you will.

Admittedly, Pieces of What is a song that initially feels out of place on this record, maintaining an acoustic aesthetic throughout. It's quite nice though, and it shows that MGMT were certainly capable of branching out a bit, even if it's for more traditional forms of composition. It was probably a sign of things to come, such as in their second album, Congratulations, which featured the gorgeous title track. There's no shortage of lovely tracks on here though, mostly of the neo-psychedelia variety.

The strength of this album is measured by its varied and eclectic mix of trippy soundscapes and melodies that make for a consistently beautiful experience. 4th Dimensional Transition is one of the few songs where I have ever truly felt like the title means what I felt, if that makes sense. It's a great experience. Sure, there were a couple songs that I didn't feel as strongly for, most notably, Electric Feel, which for being a hit, I expected a bit more outside of its basic groove and muddled disco influences. Nevertheless, this is certainly one of the better debuts of 2007, and one that is mostly a spectacular (pun intended) listen from start to finish.

A

Favorite Tracks: Weekend Wars; The Youth; Kids; 4th Dimensional Transition; Pieces of What; Of Moons, Birds & Monsters

Least Favorite Track: Electric Feel

Iceage - New Brigade

Iceage - New Brigade (2011)

Genre: Post-Punk, Art Punk

While not exactly breaking new grounds, Iceage show some promise on their debut, mixing various genres to create a solid post-punk album. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade. 

I understand that objectively speaking, a good punk record needs to have healthy doses of aggression, attitude and energy. This band definitely has all three, but I can't help but feel like the amount of praise this album received upon release was due to hard-rock deprived critics who were quenching for something a bit more hardcore among the soft rock flooding the market. Granted, I can somewhat sympathize, and at the end of the day, this is still a solid record.

Excluding the minimalist intro track, there are 11 hard hitting tracks here, all wrapped up in a cozy 23 minute package. Something to be noted is the impressive mix of genres that can be heard. While this is very much a post-punk album at heart, there's plenty of influences of no wave, noise rock and hardcore punk. Rotting Heights is a clear example of these genres molding together to create a raw, crunchy and dissonant sound that distinguishes this band's sound from a lot of other art punk groups. White Rune is another highlight, but conversely so for its more subdued pacing while still maintaining the same aesthetic.

The album's strengths are greater exemplified by it's short length, but while this band has established themselves well with this release, I can't help but feel like they still lacked a bit more. As it stands, this is a great album to listen to as a whole, very much short and sweet, but outside of a technical standpoint, there weren't many tracks that really hooked me. But to end on a positive note, the loud, muddled and abrasive production stand to this album's benefit for a short, but powerful listening experience.

B

Favorite Tracks: New Brigade, Total Drench, Count Me In, You're Blessed

Least Favorite Track: Collapse

Daughters - Hell Songs

Daughters - Hell Songs (2006)

Genre: Mathcore, Noise Rock

Daughters' follow up to their grind-influenced debut saw a somewhat radical departure from their formula, and personally, it was for the better. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade. 

Gone are the screaming, indiscernible vocals. Gone is the absurdly repetitive structuring. Daughters were reborn with this album, and it was the beginning of something truly great as far as where their musical direction was going. At only 23 minutes, I was honestly kind of hoping for a bit more, which is a complete 180 from my thoughts on Canada Songs. Let me start my complimenting the compositional styling, which is still very much rooted in mathcore.

The technical intricacies and dissonant distortion is still very much present, but without the intensity and overtly loud and aggressive delivery that was present on their debut. This makes for a much more sonically interesting listen, as not only can one appreciate the technicality of the instrumentation, but also the nuances of Marshall's vocals, which can come off as intriguingly awkward, but subtly aggressive. Honestly, he sounds like a very enthusiastic drunkard mostly throughout, but that's not a bad thing in the context of this album. It's quite fitting. I love the raw and intense noise fiddling and brutal tone that is achieved by every single one of the songs on this record.

Hyperventilationsystem features Marshall singing the line, "Love is a disgusting thing," for two minutes straight, which does wear on you a bit, but I wanted to mention it simply because of how ironically comedic it was. The technicality of the piece is still something to appreciate, just like the rest of the album. As far as highlights go, I feel like I did with their first record, in that all the songs seem to compliment each other. It was a thoroughly enjoyable album, albeit somewhat short, but one that laid the groundwork for Daughters' successful formula. I really don't have much to say about this record except that it was certainly better than I expected it to be.

A-

Favorite Tracks: Daughters Spelled Wrong, Recorded In A Pyramid, Providence by Gaslight (These are just highlights. The rest are still great.)

Least Favorite Track: Hyperventilationsystem

Massive Attack - Mezzanine

Massive Attack - Mezzanine (1998)

Genre: Trip Hop, Electronica

House M.D. introduced me to Massive Attack, which sucks, because for the longest time I disregarded Massive Attack as a generic EDM project. Well, better late than never. This album is being reviewed per request. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade. 

As this is the first album I have listened to by this group, I have nothing to compare it to, but I am aware that this seems to have been a departure from their previous two albums. One thing I really loved about it is the atmosphere that it creates. The intense bass and electronic pulses that are present throughout give a sense of dread; an almost claustrophobic feeling. The irony from this is that it's borderline mechanical sounding, while still sounding very much human at heart.

The lyrics establish this sort of disconnected relevance, most prominently on Inertia Creeps. Its lyrical content deals with a very human, emotional activity of sex, but is reduced to a metaphorical, robotic sort of meaning, with the line, "two undernourished egos, four rotating hips,” serving as an example. The nuances that comes with creating such an atmospheric tension has some downfalls, though. For one, while I was very much a fan of this record, a lot of songs could be borderline unmemorable for a lot of people, because of its favoring towards experimentation rather than creating an established and memorable melody.

Personally, a lot of the tracks did stick out to me though, as I for the most part I did enjoy the intricate sound textures and samples scattered throughout, like in the song Risingson, using a sample of I Found a Reason by The Velvet Underground. But, the aspect that really solidifies a lot of these songs for me are the vocals, especially from the female guests. Listening through Teardrop all the way through as opposed to just an edited snippet on House, was a beautiful experience, which further haunts me after reading up on some backstory. Dissolved Girl is another fantastic song with some great vocal deliveries and hard rock aesthetic. And not to take away from the male voices on here either, as they're all generally very good as well. Man Next Door is just chilling.

For the most part, I did enjoy this album pretty thoroughly, though I did feel like it slogged a bit during a handful of songs I didn't find as enjoyable. I loved this album for its sonically dark, moody vibes and how well it blended together with some of its themes and varied vocal performances. I'm glad to say that it has opened the floodgates for me when it comes to the rest of Massive Attack's discography. 

A-

Favorite Tracks: Angel, Teardrop, Inertia Creeps, Dissolved Girl, Man Next Door, (Exchange)

Least Favorite Track: Mezzanine 

Lana Del Rey - Born To Die

Lana Del Rey - Born To Die (2012)

Genre: Baroque Pop, Trip Hop

With a new image and much controversy regarding it, Lana Del Rey amassed a huge following after the release of sophomore effort, thanks in part to its well received single, Video Games. This album is being reviewed per request. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade. 

After listening to this, I feel very conflicted. I can understand the appeal here, truly. There's some rather gorgeous orchestration to be found on some tracks that lend themselves well to the whole baroque aesthetic that Lana was going for. Hence, I really don't have much issue in the way of instrumentation, but rather the production and at times, even the songwriting. Let's start with the former, though.

There's lots of ambition here, and that ambition is further emphasized on a lot of the records' final cuts, which more often than not, seem to prioritize the volume and scale of the string arrangements, rather than Lana's actual voice. Million Dollar Man was enjoyable enough, but its overproduced sound killed some of its vibe for me. And it wasn't just the instruments, but Lana's voice on this track was off as well, as it came off as hissy and awkwardly loud. And this has nothing to do with her actual ability as a singer, because for the most part, she seems to be a solid vocalist. 

I found Off To The Races to be quite interesting, if only for Lana reaching for a higher register, almost sounding like a cutesy young teen girl. It's also a prime example of the hip-hop elements that are infused throughout this record, as is heard in other songs like National Anthem and Diet Mountain Dew, which come about due to heavy beats and basslines. To mention some highlights though, I loved Blue Jeans. Lana's vocal delivery on the lyrics, "I will love you till the end of time," is sort of haunting. Video Games is understandably popular for its beautiful baroque arrangement, but I can't help but laugh at the subject matter, which sort of leads into my second main issue with this record.

The lyrics here are completely uninspired. It relies way too heavily on tried and true clichés to deliver mixed messages about broken relationships and some cringe-inducing lyrics about being a "bad girl." It seems that when Lana's image changed, this record shows she was trying too hard to pass herself off as a sort of "rebel." It just doesn't work very well on here. That said, I applaud the clear ambition that is present on the album. More often than not though, the ideas that come with said ambition aren't effectively communicated. It might be cheating, but a couple of the tracks found on the "Bonus Tracks" version of this album, Lolita and Lucky Ones, prevent me from giving it a lower rating than I originally was going to.

C-

Favorite Tracks: Blue Jeans, Video Games, Dark Paradise, Lolita, Lucky Ones

Least Favorite Track: Carmen