Peak romance!

I absolutely loved this show. I've been looking for some nice romance in the past few weeks, and this really hit the spot. It's a classic really, there's a reason this gets recommended every single time anyone asks for romance recs.

The way Lovely Complex explores insecurity is simply beautiful, the constant hesitation, the fear that you might not be enough, and the certainty that begins to come over you as you fail over and over again at achieving your goals. Your fears manifest, a confirmation that your own body, that which you were born with and cannot change, is wrong. But through all that, the persistence of the characters, the way they persevere through these tribulations, is truly inspiring.

The setting is very adolescent, and this is a love comedy so even the most emotional moments are somewhat light-hearted. I think that's good, actually, it keeps the story flowing; the show is incredibly well-paced. I said adolescent, because it is set in high school and that's what the characters life revolve around, but the themes are very mature. I mentioned the insecurity, which the main theme of the show, but many episodes also touch on what it means to be in love, to be in a committed relationship, and what sacrifices one must make to maintain healthy relationships with those they care for.

It's beautiful.

The production quality is top notch, though very much outdated. It's Toei, the animation and music are both great, and the voice acting is fantastic too. Especially Nobu-chan, Higashi Saori might just be the GOAT. I'm not even joking, this was an all time performance by her.

What do you think?

Rating: 5/5

Watch on CrunchyRoll!
Arr🏴‍☠️!!

Dumb fun!

TikTok has been repeatedly and forcefully shoving GTA gameplay-attached clips of the movie Tag (2018), directed by Jeff Tomsic, down my throat. Perhaps my watching of this modern masterpiece is symptomatic of my as of now undiagnosed Stockholm syndrome, and a direct consequence of an easily influenceable mind. Regardless of my personal psychological shortcomings, this movie is surprisingly good.

I came in with VERY LOW expectations, but turns out it's just dumb fun. Ed Helms, Jon Hamm, Jake Johnson, and Hannibal Buress (hunk alert, wee-oo) all delivered good performances if you close your eyes, plug your ears, and pretend you're watching another movie, that is. Jeremy Renner and Isla Fischer, however, did actually pull off some pretty nice scenes. They didn't overplay the slow-motion shots, and I think they were pretty humorous. The action was well-choreographed and creative.

After the movie was over, I started immediately scouring the internet for self-hypnosis techniques in order to forget the incredibly odd Rashida Jones love-triangle arc. I was unsuccessful, but I believe I can keep on living through the sure-to-come recurring nightmares of bad, senseless plot lines.

The main plot, on the other hand, was decent. Nothing too special, but it's a whimsical concept! Really, isn't that what movies are all about?! ^(No.)^ Regardless, knowing it was based on a true story made it way more fun for me than it otherwise would've been, and the constant suspicion of basically anything Jerry did was very funny, IMHO.

At the end of the day, I think a relatively short movie that makes me laugh and occasionally flashes some cool visuals is worth watching.

What do you think?

Rating: 4/5

Pretty good!

Ovrkast. hits us with some nice delivery every time, it's clear this dude really knows his way around a beat. His voice is very interesting too, he puts tons of emotion in every word, and I love it!

The lyrics are nice too, he talks about his insecurities as an artist, his confidence, his goals and ambitions, his life and his art. He's passionate about music, and he says it with his chest. It's inspiring really, it feels great.

The beats are pretty good too, some nice samples... But they're a bit flat, and the drums are just fine. Nothing to write home about really, but they do their job I suppose. The focus is the vocals, so it's not a big issue.

Overall, it's a nice EP. It doesn't have the depth I would like, it's rather short too, even for an EP, so it feels more like a sample of what ovrkast. could do than a full-fledged project. There's some really good stuff in here, but also some very mediocre stuff. Still, I'll be looking out for what he does next.

What do you think?

Best song: RESET!
Worst song: SHUTUP!
Rating: 3/5

Listen on Soundcloud!

Brilliant lyricism with better production.

This album is, simply put, incredible. Earl didn't disappoint on any level, his bars are emotional and packed full of meaning. He really is a word-smith. Topics of depression, loneliness, colonialism, and reflections on culture. And he manages to do all this with his signature flows and delivery; I think there's nobody out there right now that sounds quite like Earl Sweatshirt. He's unique, and that's fantastic.

That being said, the production is just on another level. The Alchemist might be the greatest producer right now. If you don't believe that, I beg you to check out this record, because he really knocked it out of the park. He did a bit of everything, more rhythmic beats, more melody, but all of them with incredible, soulful samples.

This album has 2 versions, the original and the streaming version, which have 3 different tracks. Both are very good, but the original version is a bit better. my brother, the wind is way better than Mancala.

Overall, this is a fantastic project that you should definitely check out, if you haven't yet. The lyricism just blows damn near every other album released this year out of the water, and the production is on another plane entirely. What's there not to love? But hey,

what do you think?

Best song: Vin Skully
Worst song: Mancala
Rating: 5/5

Streaming version.

Beautiful and emotional!

I really liked this show. I was sceptical at first... I think it's very easy for shows that surround something seemingly inconsequential (such as a high-school club) to severely overplay how much people actually care about these things. Hibike! Euphonium did this very well though, from the onset. I guess it's about managing expectations, and what the audience can expect from the characters by showing what the characters expect from each other. I really liked the set up.

I love how distinct each character is too. They have unique personalities and interests, though a bit cliché (the big silent guy, the bubbly girl, the cold beauty). The main character though was just something else. I really, really liked her! I love how she treats the people around her, it felt very human, I think this was just excellent writing. She's cold sometimes and bursting with emotion in the next scene, but it never feels out of place. We really get to explore how she sees the world and what she values in relationships, as well as how much she's willing to sacrifice in her personal life to achieve her goals. I just love Kumiko.

The animation was very good too. I guess that's to be expected from KyoAni. What I really appreciated, as someone who has played in a band for many years (trumpet), is that they didn't try to make the performances magical. A lot of sports and art anime (Haikyu!!, Blue Lock, Blue Period) depict their subject as sort of nigh-magical, with colours flying everywhere and cool names for special moves. Hibike! Euphonium leans more into realism, it doesn't try to make music seem magical, it just lets the music be magical, if that makes sense. I thought it was beautiful; in a way, it's the animation holding back, but it's just really well done.

The music of course was just fantastic. Don't have much to say on this subject in particular, it's a music anime, it has great music. I will say that I loved how much silence there was. Especially before and after an emotional performance, they just let the notes hang, letting the emotion build. Beautiful, I say!

The one criticism I have is that it's very short. It's only 13 episodes, and there's too many loose ends. I WANT MORE!!! Well, there is more of course but it's in the next season, which I haven't gotten to YET. This show is definitely worth a watch.

What do you think?

Rating: 4/5

Watch on CrunchyRoll!
Arr🏴‍☠️!!

This is a pretty cool movie.

The plot is very interesting, and there's tons of tension! Definitely keeps you on your toes as the pressure mounts for the main characters, especially in the undercover scenes. There wasn't really a point where I thought anything in the main storyline didn't make sense; the motivations of the characters are as clear as they should be, and the emotional weight of the story is perfectly translated every time. The immense stress that they're under is very compelling, and the inner struggle of the characters is fantastically depicted.

That being said, I thought some of the side characters and side plots were superfluous, not developed enough, or just straight up didn't make sense. Inspector Lau's fiancé's novel is a bit on the nose, and Yan's relationship with his psychiatrist came out of nowhere.

The acting was pretty good, especially for the two main characters and their respective handles. Some side characters were also pretty cool, I really loved Chapman To in particular.

The cinematography had some highs for sure, but also some lows. There were some shot transitions that looked like someone just pulled up WMM.

Overall, it's a cool film. I decided to watch it because it's highly rated and from Hong Kong. I'd previously watched Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love and absolutely loved them, but Infernal Affairs simply doesn't compare. It's OK, and definitely worth a watch, but it didn't blow me away.

What do you think?

Rating: 3/5

Good music.

This is a nice project. I really like the vocals, Cody's more masculine voice and Juli's very feminine tone mix perfectly, and their harmonies are divine. That being said, individually they're both pretty good singers, though Juli is quite a bit better than Cody. The rhythms are pretty cool too, they mostly sing in a very "traditional" way, very melodic, but they also go for weirder rhythms once in a while, like in the song Muriel's Big Day Off, which I thought was cool. Regardless, they always sing their hearts out.

The lyrics are also pretty interesting. The songs strike me as rather spiritual in nature, even when they don't mention religion or spirituality. They're pretty abstract, which I think is pretty nice and matches well with the ethereal vocals. Some songs tackle themes of hope, continuing despite things not going your way, loneliness... It feels nice to listen to this, at least on that level.

The instrumentals are where this album falls short. There's some passages where they go for something a bit different and it goes great, but there's just a lot of strumming guitars and muted drums basically all the time. It stars to feel like a background hum, and it just gets annoying. I guess it has a sort of lo-fi charm to it? I don't know.

Overall, I think it's a nice album with great vocals, interesting lyrics, and lots of emotion.

What do you think?

Best song: The Great American Picnic
Worst song: Oklahoma Nova Scotia
Rating: 3/5

Listen on YT Music!

Insane and interesting production!!

The production really is the crowning jewel of this project. There's quite a bit of variety; some are very melodic, some get pretty loud and distorted. There's a lot of different sounds used in the beats too, reminiscent of those singer-songwriter songs, bedroom pop. There's some very nice vocal chops spliced in, there really is a bit of everything, and it's really nice.

The rapping and singing is great as well. Beenzino himself can pull off some nice flows, but I don't really like most of the features. I must admit that I do not know Korean ~(I~ ~just~ ~translated~ ~the~ ~lyrics)~, so maybe it's actually really awkward, but it sounds good at least. Maybe a bit too much ad-libbing going on though. Still, he sounds very good on every track.

The lyrics are interesting too. The whole album just has this odd melancholic vibe to it. Beenzino talks about desperation, how boring he thinks his life is, and about making it big. He reflects on his past mistakes, particularly at the end of the album when he talks about his addiction and getting a second chance to do things right. There's also a lot about the overwhelming anxiety that comes with trying to make it in the industry, and the pressure that comes with the prospect of failing.

Overall, I'd say this is a nice album, definitely worth checking out. Still, there's a lot that doesn't quite work.

What do you think?

Best song: In Bed/Makgulli
Worst song: Change
Rating: 3/5

Listen on SoundCloud!

Iconic for good reason!

It's a bit of an old-school style, which makes sense considering it's a 29 year old project, but I wouldn't even say it sounds particularly dated.

The production is simply put: ICONIC! Very melodic, heavy on keys, and tons of vocal samples as well. Very chill. It's just very pleasant and easy-to-stomach, which actually really contrasts with more recent hip-hop, which can get pretty industrial and loud with it's production. Not Illmatic. I think it's what they call boom bap, but I'm not particularly knowledgeable about genres/styles.

The rapping is also immaculate, of course, it's Nasty Nas after all. He's very technically proficient and pulls out a few different flows, though I must say he goes for a very 1994 style every time. The lyrics don't fall behind either. Plenty of fun and sharp similes every verse; notable exception being the one about being bisexual.

The message is great too. A lot of love for New York and talking about living and growing up in New York, a lot of bragging and talking about his success. He talks of his struggles, but also finds time to brag about his abilities and success.

One thing I will say is that the chorus are usually not very good. They're not horrible or anything, just not as good as everything else.

What do you think?

Best song: N.Y. State of Mind
Worst song: One Love
Rating: 4/5

Listen on YT Music!

Visually stunning and a brilliant cast!

The visuals are by far the most striking aspect of this movie. They're absolutely brilliant! I'm sure the black and white color-scheme and the odd aspect ratio play into this, but it's more than that; it's incredible cinematography, and it really helps tell the story and explore the intense emotions of the characters.

More than that, the acting is incredible, especially Frances McDormand, she really blew me away, though Denzel Washington was also fantastic. And Kathryn Hunter as the three witches was absolutely ridiculous, especially that scene where she continuously contorts her body... It really freaked me out, I loved it!

I thought the plot was great, but the pacing was a bit odd. The series of events, and the escalation of the situation felt somewhat rushed and disconnected. I've never read the original play, so I can't say if this is just how Macbeth is or if it's the movie.

What do you think?

Rating: 4/5

Arr 🏴‍☠️!!!

Great punk.

This didn't blow me away, but it's certainly good music.

It's intense, with lots of guitars and charismatic vocals. The lyrics also have lots of personality. Some songs have a more introspective tone, while others take more of a critical look at the world and at people, like in the song Big Dick.

Overall, I think this is a rather poignant project, because it's 34 years old and so much of what is criticized in the songs is still very much alive. Some has even gotten worse, like the mass surveillance depicted in The Tower.

I got tired of waiting because I found out there's only a very very fine line between biding one's time and wasting one's time. Do you know what I mean?

• Tired of Waiting

This album is about how fucked things are, the lies everywhere, the injustice that festers everywhere. More than that, it's about patience running out, time running out, and disillusion. It's very emotional, and I like it.

What do you think?

Best song: Tired of Waiting
Worst song: The End of All Things
Rating: 4/5

Listen on YT Music!

BRILLIANT!

I absolutely loved this!

It can be so loud and overwhelming, the guitars ringing in your ears, the drums and the bass pounding at your skull... But then there's soft melody and peace.

The lyrics are great, each song is a different story written very poetically. These songs aren't written anything like typical pop or hip-hop lyrics, it feels so intimate. Like you're being told a story by the campfire, or just an account of events, except there's blaring guitars. The vocal delivery matches the instrumentals: overwhelming and intense, or quiet spoken-word.

It's hard to put into words exactly how I feel about this album. I think the song Don, Aman is the best example of what makes this album so great. It's like the calm before the storm when you're alone on a rocking boat, that intense feeling of tension, expectation, waiting for things to fall apart when there's nothing there yet. And it's lonely.

What do you think?

Best song: Nosferatu Man
Worst song: Washer
Rating: 5/5

Listen on SoundCloud!

Hilarious and action-filled!

Finally managed to watch this movie, and the wait was worth it!

The music is impeccable (as usual), and the comedy is on point. The action is great as well, with tons of thrilling sequences with interesting character designs and well choreographed fights. The environments were also fantastic, with disgusting, slimy scenes everywhere, which really drove home the whole idea of "perfecting" the world being a complete sham.

The plot doesn't leave anything to be desired either. It's interesting and thrilling. The main villain does a fantastic job of being hateable! I thought it was great acting by Chukwudi Iwuji, really outstanding job.

The only thing I didn't like too much was the very notable lack of stakes. Well, obviously there were stakes, but I never got the feeling they could actually fail to get the job done. I never thought that they might actually lose, for once. On one hand, that kinda sucks, on the other hand, it's a comedy-action movie that has great comedy and action. I don't think the lack of tension is a big deal.

What do you think?

Rating: 4/5

Arr 🏴‍☠️!

Witty lyricism and biting commentary.

This is a nice album. By far the best part is the lyricism and commentary. Open Mike Eagle is extremely witty and pulls off some great one-liners and very creative and nerdy rhymes on basically every song on this EP. More than that, he manages to also provide great commentary on politics, the economy, and the entertainment industry, as well as his personal struggles with the systems that rule our societies.

That being said, nothing else really stands out on this project. The beats are good, most of the time, but can also fall flat and feel mute. Mike's vocal delivery isn't the best either, his singing is mediocre at best.

I really liked the features though! MC Paul Barman and Milo really nailed it on Trickeration.

What do you think?

Best song: Dark Comedy Late Show
Worst song: Raps for When It's Just You and the Abyss
Rating: 3/5

Listen on SoundCloud!

A bloody smile, forced.

This album sounds beautiful. The guitars are great, and the vocals are really great. The screams just pierce your soul and shake your bones! There's plenty of similarity between each song, but they manage to make every track feel distinct and separate, yet connected. Some songs get beautifully melodic too.

Sometimes the line delivery leaves something to be desired, though. It feels weirdly unnatural, the way some lines are read individually regardless of whether or not they're a continuation of the previous line.

I really appreciate how every track flows into the next, like a tape. It makes the project feel like a single entity rather than a collection of tracks. It's almost like they're playing the songs back-to-back and we're just in the room listening in.

The lyricism is brilliant, if a bit unhinged. This album is written with viscera and splattered across the walls like the guts of a dead whale. It's disgusting, and a bit horrorcore, but it's just so emotional. It never feels overdone or nasty for the sake of shock, it's just raw emotion portrayed in a grimy sludge of words.

The lyrics really are the best part about this album. The themes of failure, regret, depression, indifference, and of taking part in life and community despite not wanting to and having to deal with the consequences... It's loud and powerful. The absurdity of continuing on despite all the horrible things that happen every day permeates this album; it's just fantastic.

These lyrics really stuck with me:

We were fed our first communion
But the bread turned to flesh
As we chewed, and boy we chewed

• lily pad pupils

What do you think?

Best song: floral organs
Worst song: 9/12
Rating: 4/5

Listen on YT Music!

Beautiful and emotional!

Such an endearing story, told in such a marvelous way. This is what animation is for, I mean, everything is so beautiful and fluid and whimsical. I particularly liked the mice, but the bears are cool too.

The music is also stupendous, gorgeous strings and piano throughout the film. The little sections when Ernest plays piano and violin for Célestine are so adorable, and it actually sounds great. The voice acting is incredible as well, so much emotion in every word!

I'm a big character guy, and the varied cast really sells this movie. I suppose one could argue that characters outside of Ernest and Célestine are a bit one-dimensional, in that they're stuck in their ways and consumed by prejudice, blind to the world and obsessed with the otherness of the other species. Still, I feel that they serve their purpose perfectly, and they're all HILARIOUS! Once again, the animation shines here, granting these characters a certain absurdity of movement to match the absurdity of their ideologies. It also lets Célestine show how persistent and determined to change Ernest she is with more than just her words, namely with her ability to appear from anywhere after being tossed out, which also makes for some absolutely hilarious scenes.

The messaging is on point, of course. This movie is from 2012, which is more than a decade ago, but things really haven't changed. The characterization of society as divided yet equal, and of how, fundamentally, the great divider is class rather than anything else (for which species is a catch-all stand-in), strikes hard. The pervasiveness of hatred rooted in fear, and the initial scenes showing how this fear is nurture rather than nature really struck a chord with me. Ernest and Célestine both struggling with authority figures and their expectations of them, of the role they were meant to take in their respective societies, really pushes this idea that the system is flawed and broken.

The ending was a bit underwhelming, perhaps. That's really the only negative thing I can point out. It felt like things were resolved very easily. It's a metaphor, and really it's a bit on the nose, but I guess I just wanted another chase scene...

What do you think?

Rating: 5/5

Great concept, poor execution.

Everything that relates to the production value of this movie is subpar: the voice acting, the sound design, the animation... There's nothing excellent here, there's really nothing good here.

The voice acting sounds awkward at times. Japanese voice acting is known for being great, but here nearly every line feels emotionless, and the main characters sound like they're whispering very loudly instead of just talking. Which is something I can only assume is an artistic choice? I suppose it fits the theme of the movie, but it sounds bad. Notably, Anzai Chika's performance as Kobayashi was actually pretty great.

The music and sound design on this thing are also not great. It sounds so quiet, so empty. Once again, this must have been by design, as it fits the theme, but it sucks! It makes the whole movie feel bland and faceless. Just because it's about a secret and escaping others doesn't mean the movie should be empty.

The animation is somewhat decent. It's not a very distinct style, and some frames look horrible. There's also some scenes with 3D animation that are very not good. Still, for the most part it's OK.

That being said, this is definitely not a bad movie. It's a very interesting concept. Personally, I love time-related movies (like Tenet and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time), and the idea of being able to stop time for a short duration is cool.

The relationship between the two main characters is also great, and very engaging. Murakami's whole personality, or lack thereof, really made me think... I wonder if there really are people that act this way. Personally, I related to Moritani WAY more, feeling overwhelmed and just wanting to run away. Murakami's whole ordeal felt very odd to me, but it was still very emotionally compelling. I think it was conveyed in a very nice way.

The conclusion was a bit underwhelming though, probably as a consequence of this running for only 1 hour. Still, it didn't leave a sour taste in my mouth or anything, I just wish there was more to the story. I suppose that's actually a compliment to the plot, in a way.

^I^ ^related^ ^to^ ^Moritani's^ ^perverted^ ^tendencies^ ^too.^

What do you think?

Rating: 3/5

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Arr 🏴‍☠️!!!

A lovely story with incredible art!

The visuals really carry this one. The lines are beautiful, and the shading is very well done, it really gives every single page lots of depth. I love how Nakamura used empty space to give some pages this feeling of letting the words float in the air, while some others feel horribly cramped. It really enhances the reading experience.

The plot is nice too. There's a very sad backdrop to every interaction, and the way the main character (Mizushima) talks about life and death is a bit cringe, but there was still plenty of emotional weight.

It's a one-shot, so there's not much time to properly develop the characters, but I felt that things weren't particularly rushed.

I love the themes of loss, trauma, and depression, and I really appreciated how much everyone around the main character cared for him. Especially Hanamori, of course. Mental health is a very serious thing, and seeing how much Mizushima struggled with his personal trauma really touched me, but I think a lot of authors, when they try to tackle these issues, end up putting their struggling characters in seemingly hopeless situations where everyone is against them, and it's up to the main character to break out of their misery. Not here. The people around him care about him, and they try to help and support him, even if Hanamori was the main catalyst for his recovery.

I think that was really beautiful.

What do you think?

Rating: 4/5

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Read on MangaPark!!!

It's not good.

The lyrics are interesting, and I like a lot of the themes that the songs approach, but this album is just so boring.

The production is weird, not that unique in the genre really, but still. Being weird and different isn't enough to make good music.

I feel like there's nothing to hold on to, every song feels so similar, like a never-ending buzz. The album isn't even that long, but it feels like HOURS...

There are some nice cuts, like FaceTime, but most of the songs are just billy rapping with that monotonous tone of his, non-stop. And there's 17 tracks on this thing, yikes. His lines aren't even that good, he keeps rhyming every fucking line. Makes everything sound like that lyrical miracle stereotype. Ew. DOOM from Wish.

This album feels like staring at a wall while the washing machine is running.

What do you think?

Best song: FaceTime
Worst song: Soft Landing
Rating: 2/5

Listen on SoundCloud!

There's so much good music in the world...

This album is pure emotion. It's beautiful in every way and in all the ways.

From the production, to the performances, to the lyrics. Everything flows together and dances in perfect harmony.

Really, this feels more like a movie than an album. Every line paints a picture, and the gorgeous music completes a masterpiece. And the story is great; it's personal, emotional, meaningful.

Really, the beauty of this project is indescribable. Do yourself a favour and go listen to this album if you haven't yet.

What do you think?

Best song: Dedicated to Tar Feather
Worst song: Tyler, Forever
Rating: 5/5

Listen on YouTube Music!

One of the wittiest movies I've ever watched! It's hilarious!!

The animation is gorgeous, and the soundtrack is also incredible. The voice acting by Chloë Grace Moretz and Riz Ahmed is also spectacular, and even Eugene Lee Yang (of The Try Guys fame) does a very decent job.

The story doesn't leave much to be desired either. It tackles themes of isolation, not finding your place in the world, and discrimination, both on an individual and systemic level.

Though it doesn't actually address the problem of systemic oppression, preferring instead to scapegoat a single character.

Actually, that single element of the story really stung. It's clear that they went to great lengths to have a very diverse cast of characters, and it's obvious they're trying to be progressive, and this is meant to be a progressive story. However, I can't help but think that it's all posturing, if in the end all the systems that allowed such horrible mentalities to fester still remain intact, with only the "top dog" being taken down. You can't fix a system by removing an individual.

There's so much more I'd like to say about this, but I feel this isn't the place. Plus, this is clearly a kid's movie, a very good one with a deep message and complex characters, but still. I suppose the message is still a net positive despite such a massive blunder.

Additionally, there's a dance sequence in the middle that feels so painfully out of place I almost cringed myself to death. Thankfully it was very short.

Overall, I think this movie was good. It's not really gonna blow anyone's socks off, but it might make some people think, and it's very easy on the eyes and ears.

What do you think?

Rating: 4/5

Watch on Netflix!
Arr 🏴‍☠️!!!

Just a good album.

The vocals are great, and the lyrics are pretty interesting at times.

It really starts off on the wrong foot though... Swing (In A Dream) is one of the worst songs on the project, and the intro portion of that song in particular is just horrible.

After that though, the album only really dips in After the Flash, and even that is fine.

This album makes me feel rather despondent, for some reason. I would say this project sounds like an internal spiral, the feeling of letting go of control of your own life, things falling apart and ripping at the seems.

I don't really have much to say, but it's certainly enjoyable.

What do you think?

Best song: Siphon Song
Worst song: After the Flash
Rating: 3/5

Listen on YouTube!

After having listened to their most recent album and having loved it, this is a huge let down.

I suppose it's on me to expect a band to hit the nail on the head every time, but I really had high expectations for this project and they were simply not met.

Every song sounds the same, it's just a bunch of strumming electric guitars and vocals singing about some shit I don't care about. I mean, no offence, but full offence. This is just bad.

It's not the worst thing in the world, I suppose, because after 3 songs everything starts sounding like just one big boring hum in the background, and when you dissociate completely form the music it doesn't even bother you.

^I^ ^wish^ ^I^ ^could^ ^pull^ ^a^ ^Beehaw^ ^on^ ^this^ ^album.^

That's really the best I can say about this though. One song is fine, but they have 41 minutes of the same song over and over and over again, and THAT is what sucks.

I'm not gonna listen to this again.

What do you think?

Best song: Rain Dance
Worst song: Opportunity is Knocking
Rating: 1/5

Listen on SoundCloud!

This album just oozes happiness. Except when it doesn't. It's still good though.

The instrumentals are really nice. Lots of guitars and keys. They get pretty dirty at times, but not all the time. It's very cool really, I like what they did here.

I love the lyrics too. They can be hopeful and soulful, and so vivid! That really got me, you can really picture everything they're singing, and it's all so pretty. But there's also some exploration of religion and trauma and loneliness, which actually turn pretty dark.

A cold summer breeze, laying on the grass. Smoking alone in an empty bar.

They're not afraid to get weird too. Some songs on this thing really go off the rails and feel like they aren't even on the same project. That's not necessarily a bad or good thing. I like the variety, but it's also a bit jarring.

The most striking part of this album is the vocals though. I mean, this dude can SING! His performance is very good, there's a lot of personality and emotion, it's incredible. Such a powerful voice. There is a lot of screaming though. Thought I should mention that.

Overall, definitely worth checking out. I'll give their first album a try as well, though I've heard it sounds not at all like this one.

What do you think?

Best song: Cowboy Nudes
Worst song: Domoto
Rating: 4/5

Listen on SoundCloud!