AURORA - All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend

AURORA - All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend (2016)

Genre: Art Pop, Electropop

This Norwegian singer turned some heads in her native country, as well as some other European countries with the release of her debut EP back in 2015 and some well received singles leading up to this album. 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 with a lot of young female artists to come out with a pop record these days, I was initially very indifferent about this one, but that has since changed after a few replays. For one, I have to point out that AURORA has a great voice, and she lends herself well with not only the more laid-back slow songs, but also tracks like Conqueror and Runaway, where she shows off some commendable range. The former song happens to be my favorite, with its tastefully upbeat chorus. 

As an art pop record, there isn't much innovation here. AURORA seems to play it very safe and relies heavily on her voice to drive most of these songs forward, as most are founded on simple, but catchy piano melodies/chords and some heavy beats. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as I did enjoy most of the songs here. In particular, I absolutely love how prominent her voice sounds in I Went Too Far. There's a fine line between her normal singing voice and her falsetto that is really pleasant and enjoyable. 

It's really hard to not consistently talk about anything other than her voice, believe it or not. I keep reminding myself of other tracks where she really shows off. Home features an incredibly haunting chorus, that often reminds me of Gregorian chants, if the music hadn't been there. AURORA surely shows promise as a singer, and it would be great to hear her branch out in the future with some more ambitious compositions. As it stands right now, this album doesn't necessarily bring anything new to the table, but it's an overall fun, often beautiful record.

A-

Favorite Tracks: Runaway, Conqueror, I Went too Far, Warrior, Home, Black Water Lilies

Least Favorite Track: Through the Eyes of a Child

Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food

Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978)

Genre: New Wave, Post-Punk, Avant-Pop, Psychedelic Funk

While the title may suggest that this is simply leftovers from their debut, it just isn't so. With a slightly more organized flow and a slightly more mature sound, this is arguably one of their finest records. 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.

In 1978, Talking Heads were still very much an underground act. With this record, they had the advantage of actually having a hit single, which came in the form of a very funky cover of Al Green's Take Me To The River. With a Top 30 hit to drive them forward, the group started to enjoy some respectable success. Though, it's only fair to cite Brian Eno's tight production on this record. While not as experimental as their next few albums, Brian Eno certainly played a role in developing the band's sound here, and faint traces of their experimentation can be found scattered throughout. There's a nice blend of avant-pop and psychedelic funk, most prominently showcased on the song Artists Only.

Overall, there is arguably a larger emphasis on dance beats on here (as compared to their debut) that lend well to the always funky grooves that they became known for. The opening track, Thank You for Sending Me an Angel, is a powerful exercise in tight drumming and precision guitar/bass riffs. It's incredibly simple in its compositional style, but is so incredibly catchy, and sets up the presentation and mood for the rest of the record up quite nicely. The Good Thing and Warning Sign, presented back-to-back, provide an ironic contrast in themes and happen to be among Talking Heads' best songs in their entire discography, personally. 

It's honestly quite hard to get much more in-depth about this album, as it really isn't too different in its style as their first one. The songs I have mentioned up to this point are simply highlights, but there certainly aren't any bad songs on here. The album closer, The Big Country is a shining example of David Byrne's seemingly more mature songwriting advancements, and while certainly not falling into the spectrum of "dance" music, it's still an enjoyable, and somewhat thought-provoking piece of Americana themes. It would be difficult to decide which one of their first two albums is better, but this one certainly has the better pacing. And as always, expect Byrne's nervous stammering, albeit, to a more subtle degree than their debut. 

A+

Favorite Tracks: Thank You for Sending Me an Angel, The Good Thing, Warning Sign, Artists Only, Take Me to the River

Least Favorite Track: Stay Hungry

SOPHIE - OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES

SOPHIE - OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES (2018)

Genre: Art Pop, Avant-Pop, Bubblegum Bass, Electronic, Post-Industrial, Ambient

After their well-received compilation album "Product" in 2015, there was substantial hype for this DJ's true commercial album debut. For the most part, they delivered. 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.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly what's so interesting about this record. I admire some intricate experimentation in this day and age, and this album goes beyond that, capturing the essence of avant-Garde and electronic music into one carefully constructed record. And indeed, while the album does lay down some wonderful and weird compositions, there could have been a better flow in regards to its presentation. 

 The album starts off with somewhat of an oddity among the rest of the track listing. It's Ok To Cry lends itself to instances of traditional modern pop ballads, with not many indications of the sonic experimentation that awaits one's ears later on. It's certainly pretty, but I tend to displace it in my mind among the rest of the more imaginable songs. As hypocritical as I may sound, the following two songs, Ponyboy and Faceshopping, as interesting as they are, sound a bit too similar to each other to warrant much creativity points.

Probably the most haunting track on here, Pretending, is an instrumental that plays out more like some eerie background ambience effects for a horror film, which, as intense and sonically interesting as it is, may overstay its welcome just a bit, at nearly 6 minutes. And that's not the only instance of a track that's may be too long for its own good. The closing track Whole New World/Pretend World is an avant-garde fever dream, which at 9 minutes, is borderline insanity for comforts sake. To be fair though, there seems to be an overwhelming sense of dread that illuminates most of this record, and I can appreciate that as an aesthetic choice. 

The most cheerful track, Immaterial, sometimes sounds like it could fit right into a Kero Kero Bonito project, with it's strangely up-beat, bubblegum like presentation. It's certainly the only song I could imagine being danced to on this record. That said, while much of this album approaches borderline noise music, there are some interesting ideas that balance this out for the most part. This is definitely not a traditional pop album, and while I do believe it would have benefitted from some better pacing, it's still great for anyone that enjoys moody experimentation and is looking for a creative electronic album.

A-

Favorite Tracks: It's Okay to Cry, Faceshopping, Infatuation, Not Okay, Pretending, Immaterial

Least Favorite Track: Is It Cold In The Water?

Mitski - Be the Cowboy

Mitski - Be the Cowboy (2018)

Genre: Art Pop, Indie Rock

Indie rock singer/songwriter Mitski returns with her 5th full length LP, embracing the soft piano pop/rock of her earlier albums to much critical praise. 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.

Considering that Mitski has been a pretty underground name within the industry over the past few years, it's nice to see that this album has been getting a lot of attention. Granted, while I did enjoy this album, there seems to be a lot of unwarranted praise coming from professional critics and the general public which I frankly don't really understand. For one, while the songs on here are certainly pretty, Mitski seems to just play it safe for the most part. With a 32 minute run-time and 14 tracks, there's a lot of really short and sweet tracks on here that seem to end before they can really grow on you.

This even applies for some of my favorite tracks. Old Friend is probably the track that resonated with me the most, and I was fully enjoying it, but then it just fizzled out suddenly. Lonesome Love is another great track, which ends with a long, sustained note that, sonically, is kind of unsatisfying. And I'm not trying to nitpick, because the tracks' short length and less than pleasant endings don't necessarily detract from the songs' appeal overall. I just wish that Mitski had executed them in a better way. Nobody, while being one of my favorite songs on this record, isn't exempt from these weird, cut-out endings either. That said, all the songs here are quite pleasant and enjoyable, and as one critic pointed out, it's nice to hear her move on to "more conceptual themes" in her lyrics pretty effectively.

As I stated previously though, she plays this record very safe from a musical standpoint. There's almost no experimentation or enough variation in the structuring of these songs, and because of that, this album actually benefits from being relatively short as it is. The most interesting songs on here actually come in the form of the more rock-oriented tracks. Why Didn't You Stop Me and Remember My Name are good examples of this. The former making great use of synthesizers to push it forward. The more standard soft piano tracks scattered throughout are decent in their own right, but they just don't resonate as well with me. 

Honestly, it's kind of hard to flesh out my thoughts too much on this record. Yes, I do believe it's a good album, but I don't really understand the immense praise it's getting. And I am fully aware that you don't need to reinvent the formula to make something great, but as it is, the album as a whole isn't as exciting as critics were hyping it up to be. There's just not enough here to allow me to feel the same. When it comes to indie rock, this is a much more subtle, at times lovely album, but it could have been a bit "more."

B

Favorite Tracks: Why Didn't You Stop Me?, Old Friend, Lonesome Love, Remember My Name, Washing Machine Heart

Least Favorite Track: Geyser

Paul and Linda McCartney - Ram

Paul and Linda McCartney - Ram (1971)

Genre: Country Rock, Folk Rock, Blues Rock

Acknowledging the criticisms he received from critics for his debut album, Macca used them to whip up a better sophomore effort. Ironically, critics at the time did not agree. 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 will do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade.

As previously stated, this record was not very well received by most critics back in 1971. I've always wondered what these critics were smoking back in the day, because this record is such a great improvement over his debut. For one, the production here is noticeably better as a direct result of criticism aimed at the production of his first album. As charming as the "homemade mixtape" aesthetic of his previous effort was to me, I admit that this time around, it actually sounds more like an actual professional release, which is a much better fit for a musician of such high rank. Aside from that, Macca also hired actual studio musicians this time, including his future Wings drummer, Denny Seiwell. 

Seeing as this record is credited to his wife as well, it's cute to hear more vocal contributions from Linda this time around. There's a sense of greater sonic experimentation here as well. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey combines stormy sound effects, distorted vocals and dabbles in baroque to paint a story, and it makes for one of the more amusing tracks on the record. As much as Paul is known for writing "silly love songs," it's amazing to note that there aren't that many obvious ones on here. Long Haired Lady and Back Seat Of My Car are the most direct approaches to writing a love song here, with the former including a strangely hypnotic, almost psychedelic outro that, admittedly drags on for a bit too long, but is quite interesting.

Let me not forget to mention the more straightforward rock tracks. Smile Away is a nice throwback to the "swing beat" style of 50's and early 60's rock. It's also notable for featuring lyrics about "stinky feet, stinky breath, and stinky teeth." Eat at Home is one of my favorite on here. It's simply catchy as hell. Monkberry Moon Delight on the other hand is an odd specimen on this record, if not for its purely non-sensical lyrics, but also for Paul's incredibly heavy, growly, and at times screechy vocal performance. It's also catchy in it's own right, though.

Every time I go back to this album, I catch myself smiling throughout most of it. Objectively speaking, I wouldn't call this a masterpiece, but I never seem to get bored of replaying it. Within Macca's discography, I'd be hard-pressed to consider any of his albums to be "perfect," but this may very well be the closest he'll ever get to that (as a solo act). It's just an incredibly upbeat, sweet, and at times, comedically amusing album. I seriously have yet to understand what critics back in 1971 thought was so bad about it. There is just so much charm here that's hard to deny and not enjoy.

A

Favorite Tracks: 3 Legs, Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey, Smile Away, Heart Of The Country, Monkberry Moon Delight, Eat At Home, Long Haired Lady

Least Favorite Track: Dear Boy

Kero Kero Bonito - Bonito Generation

Kero Kero Bonito - Bonito Generation (2016)

Genre: Electropop, J-Pop, Synth-pop, Bitpop, Japanese Hip-Hop, Bubblegum Bass

After the meme sensation that was their song Flamingo back in 2014, which admittedly had me intrigued, this indie pop trio released their first proper studio album in 2016. 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 will do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade.

I instinctively put off on listening to this album for a while. Reason being, I really dislike most of the J-Pop I've been exposed too. Yes, this is an English group, but if Flamingo was any indication of what to expect sonically, then I had mixed feelings. As I mentioned previously, Flamingo was an interesting song, quite catchy. However, I didn't expect anything else they release to match its charm and upbeat catchiness. I can finally admit with relief, that I was very wrong. This has to be one of the most refreshing modern pop records I've heard in a while.

There's an overwhelming sense of girly pep on this record which some people who prefer more serious songwriting and musical structure may not be a fan of, partly because of Sarah Bonito's cutesy vocal performances, in which she sings "Engrish" and the occasional Japanese phrases about such mundane topics as being too lazy to wake up (Waking Up), and graduating from an institution in which you feel like you learned nothing at all (Graduation). The whole record plays out like some sort of statement on the conscious state of most teens and young adults in this modern age. It's incredibly silly at times, but oh so catchy. 

Try Me is a great example of the comedic irony that this group has established. In it, this young character decides to basically lie on their resume and ends up admitting that they can't do anything. I know I keep making light of this, but it really is such a quirky album, that I find it hard to not be engrossed by the simplicity of its themes mixed in with such fun electro-pop and J-pop influences. Every song on this record has charisma and humor (even if subtle at times). Most importantly, they were all pretty catchy. If you don't consider yourself easily amused by J-Pop, I urge you to still give this a try. You may come away pleasantly surprised like I did.

A+

Favorite Tracks: Waking Up, Heard a Song, Graduation, Fishbowl, Lipslap, Try Me, Paintbrush, Trampoline

Least Favorite Track: Big City

Camila Cabello - Camila

Camila Cabello - Camila (2018)

Genre: Pop, Latin Pop, R&B

Camilla Cabello of Fifth Harmony fame released her debut album in early 2018, featuring blend of Latin rhythms and pop ballads. 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 will do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade.

Look, I can see the appeal, I honestly do, but personally speaking, I don't find Camila to have that sexy of a singing voice. Her raspy vocals are rather pretty on here, I can admit, but she's not distinctive enough from a lot of other young female pop artists to get me excited. I'd already heard Havana far too many times before I listened to this record. I used to not care for it, but I eventually came around. Most of the songs on here took some time to grow on me. The one song I enjoyed right from the get-go was the opening track, Never Be The Same. There's just something so oddly satisfying about the way she hits those high notes and how she delivers the chorus. It's a shame how quickly the album's spark started to die off.

There's plenty of Latin musical fusion to be found here, thanks in part of Camila's heritage. Maybe I'm biased because I grew up in a Spanish-speaking household, but the influences here are appreciated. In Inside Out, Camila sprinkles in some Spanish lyrics, just to remind people that she's Hispanic and proud. Like most of the other songs on this record though, I found it to be lacking a bit in charm. For the record, I generally enjoyed this album for the most part. The songs here are effectively pretty and at times, even beautiful. There just seems to be a great lack of standout tracks.

Honestly, besides Never Be The Same and Havana, one of the few other songs I would pick as a standout is Real Friends, which is probably the simplest on here, musically. The most prominent output on this song is Camila's voice, which again, is quite pretty, but nothing spectacular. I was finding it increasingly more difficult to decide what I really think of this record, because while there weren't many songs that hooked me, there weren't any real stinkers on here. At the end of the day, I believe that this is one of those feel good pop records that's good for what it is, but there definitely is some room for improvement here. If Camila could somehow recreate the formula from her two biggest hits on this record, then I'd gladly like to hear the result.

B-

Favorite Tracks: Never Be The Same, Havana, Real Friends

Least Favorite Track: In The Dark