Trollheart Listens to Every Album on Wiki's List for 2017

Trollheart · 02-11-2018, 11:29 AM

Album title: Time and Emotion
Artist: Robin Trower
Genre: Blues Rock
Nationality: English
Release date: May 5
Position in Discography: Twenty-second solo
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? Heard of him
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 3.53
I don't know: sometimes ageing rockers still have it, sometimes they just sound like, well, ageing rockers. So far, this falls into the latter category. I could be listening to Clapton or Knopfler, or even Gary Moore to an extent. Don't see anything standing out about Trower, and I'm just bored here. Some blues albums have this effect on me. There are only four tracks left so I won't bail, but I won't pretend I haven't been tempted to. Get this far though, you might as well tough it out. Yeah, to be fair, there are some good tracks here, but I kind of just don't really care.

Check out more from this artist? Unlikely
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Actual Rating:

Trollheart · 02-11-2018, 04:18 PM

Album title: There's Really A Wolf
Artist: Russ
Genre: Hip-hop/R&B
Nationality: American
Release date: May 5
Position in Discography: Debut
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 1.91
Sounds all right I guess, but twenty tracks? It will need to be more than just all right for me to get through all those. “Act Now” has something about it, and on “Cherry Hill” he sings rather than raps. Another point in his favour is a total lack of guests. None. Not a one. That seems to be quite rare, especially for debut albums, so fair play to him for making it on his own terms. “Ride Slow” is almost funereal in its pace, great organ on it, like a church organ or something. Yeah, there's some good stuff here. The sentiments expressed in “Family and Friends” are refreshing, “Saved” has a nice slow, lazy rhythm to it and “One More Shot” recalls reggae and the Caribbean sound. I like “Pull the Trigger” too. Pretty impressive.

Check out more from this artist? Yes
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Actual Rating:

**Exo** · 02-11-2018, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Album title: No Shape
Artist: Perfume Genius

The production on this album alone is worth the listen.

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard · 02-11-2018, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Artist: Russ

lol russ sucks

Quote:

Originally Posted by elphenor

was waiting for this one

did not disappoint

pretty disappointing album tho

Trollheart · 02-12-2018, 06:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ol’ Qwerty Bastard

lol russ sucks

I disagree. Thought he was pretty good to be honest.

Trollheart · 02-12-2018, 10:21 AM

Album title: Slowdive
Artist: Slowdive
Genre: Shoegaze/Dream Pop
Nationality: English
Release date: May 5
Position in Discography: Fourth
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? I've heard one album and loved it
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No but slowly getting more into it
Average RYM Score: 3.63
Souvlaki was, I think, the album that made me think more deeply about shoegaze and recognise the fact that the vocal is often so seemingly muddy. Up to then, I had assumed it was just bad singing/production (as with MBV, yeah yeah I know). So I've been looking forward to doing this one. It's their first album, I'm somewhat surprised to hear, in twenty-two years, and some people have remarked it's not as good as previous efforts. I can't comment on that, as I've, as I say, only heard the one album and that several years ago, but I do remember loving it. So far, there's nothing I don't love about this one either. I think – and I'm only relying on my faulty memory here so I could well be wrong – that this seems to be a moderately faster album than Souvlaki, which was mostly slow songs I think. Just as good though.

“Sugar For the Pill” is the first song where they really slow down, and really there's not a bad track on this. Another triumph, and I look forward to hearing more of Slowdive's music. Worth waiting two decades for? Hell yeah.

Check out more from this artist? Yes
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Actual Rating:

Trollheart · 02-12-2018, 11:13 AM

Album title: Tajmo
Artist: Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo'
Genre: Blues
Nationality: American
Release date: May 5
Position in Discography: Twenty-seventh; first collab
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 3.25
Now this is how I like my blues! To hell with Robin Trower: this is the real stuff! Engaging and absorbing from the first riff, a growly, raspy voice that just drips the blues, some fine brass, and of course that mainstay of the bluesman (other than his geetar), the harmonica. Sweet. Taj Mahal has been around since the sixties, whereas Keb' has only been playing since the nineties, so I guess we're talking an old master teaming up with a young whippersnapper, and we get the benefit of that collaboration. Got some soul and gospel too in “All Around the World”, and country in “That's Who I Am”. I will say “Shake Me In Your Arms” gets a little boring and repetitive, and given that it runs for less than four minutes, that ain't good, but I feel like it's been going for about eight by the time it winds up.

The simplicity of the acoustic “Diving Duck Blues” is followed by The Who's “Squeeze Box”, with some nice accordion and organ. “Soul” has a nice Caribbean feel to it, bouncing along with timbales, congas, shakers and ukulele; great sense of exuberance in it. That leaves “Waiting On the World To Change”, a cover of the John Mayer song, and a very good version of it too. Decent album, lots to recommend it certainly.

Check out more from this artist? Yes
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Actual Rating:

Urban Hat€monger ? · 02-12-2018, 11:31 AM

Why?

Trollheart · 02-12-2018, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban Hat€monger ?

Why?

Why not?

Urban Hat€monger ? · 02-12-2018, 11:35 AM

You have waaaaay too much free time.

02-11-2018, 11:29 AM	#1841 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Album title: Time and Emotion Artist: Robin Trower Genre: Blues Rock Nationality: English Release date: May 5 Position in Discography: Twenty-second solo Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? Heard of him Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Average RYM Score: 3.53 I don't know: sometimes ageing rockers still have it, sometimes they just sound like, well, ageing rockers. So far, this falls into the latter category. I could be listening to Clapton or Knopfler, or even Gary Moore to an extent. Don't see anything standing out about Trower, and I'm just bored here. Some blues albums have this effect on me. There are only four tracks left so I won't bail, but I won't pretend I haven't been tempted to. Get this far though, you might as well tough it out. Yeah, to be fair, there are some good tracks here, but I kind of just don't really care. Check out more from this artist? Unlikely Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-11-2018, 04:18 PM	#1842 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Album title: There's Really A Wolf Artist: Russ Genre: Hip-hop/R&B Nationality: American Release date: May 5 Position in Discography: Debut Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Average RYM Score: 1.91 Sounds all right I guess, but twenty tracks? It will need to be more than just all right for me to get through all those. “Act Now” has something about it, and on “Cherry Hill” he sings rather than raps. Another point in his favour is a total lack of guests. None. Not a one. That seems to be quite rare, especially for debut albums, so fair play to him for making it on his own terms. “Ride Slow” is almost funereal in its pace, great organ on it, like a church organ or something. Yeah, there's some good stuff here. The sentiments expressed in “Family and Friends” are refreshing, “Saved” has a nice slow, lazy rhythm to it and “One More Shot” recalls reggae and the Caribbean sound. I like “Pull the Trigger” too. Pretty impressive. Check out more from this artist? Yes Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-12-2018, 10:21 AM	#1846 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Album title: Slowdive Artist: Slowdive Genre: Shoegaze/Dream Pop Nationality: English Release date: May 5 Position in Discography: Fourth Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? I've heard one album and loved it Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No but slowly getting more into it Average RYM Score: 3.63 Souvlaki was, I think, the album that made me think more deeply about shoegaze and recognise the fact that the vocal is often so seemingly muddy. Up to then, I had assumed it was just bad singing/production (as with MBV, yeah yeah I know). So I've been looking forward to doing this one. It's their first album, I'm somewhat surprised to hear, in twenty-two years, and some people have remarked it's not as good as previous efforts. I can't comment on that, as I've, as I say, only heard the one album and that several years ago, but I do remember loving it. So far, there's nothing I don't love about this one either. I think – and I'm only relying on my faulty memory here so I could well be wrong – that this seems to be a moderately faster album than Souvlaki, which was mostly slow songs I think. Just as good though. “Sugar For the Pill” is the first song where they really slow down, and really there's not a bad track on this. Another triumph, and I look forward to hearing more of Slowdive's music. Worth waiting two decades for? Hell yeah. Check out more from this artist? Yes Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-12-2018, 11:13 AM	#1847 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Album title: Tajmo Artist: Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo' Genre: Blues Nationality: American Release date: May 5 Position in Discography: Twenty-seventh; first collab Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Average RYM Score: 3.25 Now this is how I like my blues! To hell with Robin Trower: this is the real stuff! Engaging and absorbing from the first riff, a growly, raspy voice that just drips the blues, some fine brass, and of course that mainstay of the bluesman (other than his geetar), the harmonica. Sweet. Taj Mahal has been around since the sixties, whereas Keb' has only been playing since the nineties, so I guess we're talking an old master teaming up with a young whippersnapper, and we get the benefit of that collaboration. Got some soul and gospel too in “All Around the World”, and country in “That's Who I Am”. I will say “Shake Me In Your Arms” gets a little boring and repetitive, and given that it runs for less than four minutes, that ain't good, but I feel like it's been going for about eight by the time it winds up. The simplicity of the acoustic “Diving Duck Blues” is followed by The Who's “Squeeze Box”, with some nice accordion and organ. “Soul” has a nice Caribbean feel to it, bouncing along with timbales, congas, shakers and ukulele; great sense of exuberance in it. That leaves “Waiting On the World To Change”, a cover of the John Mayer song, and a very good version of it too. Decent album, lots to recommend it certainly. Check out more from this artist? Yes Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018 Last edited by Trollheart; 02-14-2018 at 06:36 AM.

02-12-2018, 11:31 AM	#1848 (permalink)
Urban Hat€monger ? The Sexual Intellectual Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Somewhere cooler than you Posts: 18,605	Why? __________________ Urb's RYM Stuff Most people sell their soul to the devil, but the devil sells his soul to Nick Cave.

02-12-2018, 11:35 AM	#1850 (permalink)
Urban Hat€monger ? The Sexual Intellectual Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Somewhere cooler than you Posts: 18,605	You have waaaaay too much free time. __________________ Urb's RYM Stuff Most people sell their soul to the devil, but the devil sells his soul to Nick Cave.