Review Albums in the TH Love or Hate Style

YorkeDaddy · 11-18-2015, 10:13 PM

I mean, it's a pretty great template. It's very easy to get the overall opinion of the album on a quick glance but the writer can put a lot more depth into the reviews as well for people that care more deeply about the results. It's quick to write up too so not a whole lot of stress on the writer. So props to Trollheart and credit for the whole idea goes to him.

Basically the style is to list out album information and go track-by-track with a simple color system: red if you hate it, white if its meh, orange if you like it, green if you love it, and blue if you truly love it. A recent example with several of the colors can be viewed below:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Title: Emotion
Artiste: Carly Rae Jepsen
Genre: Pop
Familiarity: Zero, though I have heard of her

1. Run away with me: Nice catchy pop song. No autotune which is nice, and the bass is supercool. Pleasant song, nice beat. Her voice is very sexy indeed.
2. Emotion: This one's a little more Janet Jacksonesque when it opens, but it changes into a more solid melody when it hits the chorus. Kind of reminds me of acts like Johnny Hates Jazz and Curiosity Killed the Cat, only, you know, better. Yeah, I'm that old. Touches of Kylie in there too.
3. I really like you: This sounds very like early Miley, but has a nice sort of semi-rock backing. It's cute. Oh cool: she writes her own songs. Good for her.
4. Gimmie love: Ballad? Got a slower feel to it, nice synth, very sort of dark. But not a ballad. Slower certainly than the other tracks. Sort of a marching beat. Catchy if a little simplistic.
5. All that: This is the first ballad. And it's pretty damn beautiful. Sense of 70s soul in it. The descending keyboard riff is cool.
6. Boy problems: The spoken bit at the start is cringeworthy; song's a bit throwaway. Is that brass?
7. Making the most of the night: This one's a lot better. I like the juxtaposition between the verses (soft and laidback) and the chorus (pumping and dancing)
8. Your type: Almost a striding, swaggering, rocky beat to this. Interesting guitar work. Like the lyrical idea too, quite refreshing. Yeah, went downstairs after this track and it was playing in my head, and not in a bad way.
9. Let's get lost: Started out quite lightweight but then kicked up. This may be another blue. Yeah it is. Wolves at the end?

10. L A Hallucinations: Oh god no! I don't like this at all. The kind of almost videogame pop song I hate. Make it stop!
11. Warm blood: Yeah, don't like this one either. What's the ****ing vocoder bit? Jesus. This album has taken a terrible turn at the end. Yuck.
12. When I needed you: Well the final track rescues it. Assumed this would be a ballad. Was wrong. Good closer, quite powerful.

End result: A decent pop album, and I'd probably listen to her other stuff now. I have a sort of inbuilt distrust of and disdain for X-Factor/Idol pop stars, but I could be persuaded to listen to this one some more, and she certainly seems to be finding her own identity and existing outside of and independent of the powerful forces of manipulation many of these often one-album-wonders end up struggling under.

So, Love or Hate? Give this one a Love.

I plan on doing some reviews in this style in the near future so figured I'd make an overarching topic for anyone else that's potentially interested in doing the same.

Spoiler for bonus:

Norg · 11-19-2015, 01:10 AM

colors is to much work

the ***** 5 star system is the best of the best to rate a album

Trollheart · 11-19-2015, 06:14 AM

Oh God no! I've created a monster!!!!

Seriously, the idea behind the colour-coded ratings is to give an overall idea of how well or badly the album is put together, how it progresses/regresses as it goes along, and a star system does not do this, only gives a general idea of whether you thought it was good or not. Of course, I'm responding to Norg here so I don't know if I should expect him to get it, but that's the idea anyway.

May as well be the first to drop in a rec then:

Oceanic --- Vangelis --- 1996
Since you're someone who likes ambient instrumental music, you should probably enjoy this, and as it's basically a concept album based around the sea, it could be interesting for you, but I'd be intrigued to see what you think of it.

bob. · 11-19-2015, 08:39 AM

i don't think he is asking for requests....but rather created a thread for anyone to use your format to review albums

which personally i think is a great idea

YorkeDaddy · 11-19-2015, 09:39 AM

Yeah as bob said this wasn't specifically intended to be a rec thread but I will still happily take a few if they sound interesting, which TH's does. I'll definitely do a review of that soon!

**Frownland** · 11-19-2015, 09:51 AM

^I'd like to hear your thoughts on the new OPN record if you're down for that.

YorkeDaddy · 11-19-2015, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

^I'd like to hear your thoughts on the new OPN record if you're down for that.

Oh yeah that's a good one for a review, I'll do that too

Norg · 11-19-2015, 10:57 AM

Uhh the star system does exactly that if u review every song come on bra u can't beat the star system trollheart

YorkeDaddy · 11-19-2015, 11:03 AM

I don't really agree Norg, giving a track/album the blue rating just feels more impactful than a 5/5 for some reason. I personally greatly prefer the color system

**Frownland** · 11-19-2015, 11:04 AM

There are also a ****load of threads on here where you can use the star system if you like.

11-19-2015, 06:14 AM	#3 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Oh God no! I've created a monster!!!! Seriously, the idea behind the colour-coded ratings is to give an overall idea of how well or badly the album is put together, how it progresses/regresses as it goes along, and a star system does not do this, only gives a general idea of whether you thought it was good or not. Of course, I'm responding to Norg here so I don't know if I should expect him to get it, but that's the idea anyway. May as well be the first to drop in a rec then: Oceanic --- Vangelis --- 1996 Since you're someone who likes ambient instrumental music, you should probably enjoy this, and as it's basically a concept album based around the sea, it could be interesting for you, but I'd be intrigued to see what you think of it. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

11-19-2015, 08:39 AM	#4 (permalink)
bob. Still sends his reguards. Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Trying to get out of the cat town.... Posts: 5,039	i don't think he is asking for requests....but rather created a thread for anyone to use your format to review albums which personally i think is a great idea __________________ A kiss is the beginning of cannibalism. Reach out, pierce the fine fabric of the sheltering sky, take repose.

11-19-2015, 09:51 AM	#6 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	^I'd like to hear your thoughts on the new OPN record if you're down for that. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

11-19-2015, 11:04 AM	#10 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	There are also a ***load of threads on here where you can use the star system if you like. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.* d e a f b o x

11-19-2015, 01:10 AM	#2 (permalink)
Norg Music Addict Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,358	colors is to much work the ***** 5 star system is the best of the best to rate a album

11-19-2015, 10:57 AM	#8 (permalink)
Norg Music Addict Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,358	Uhh the star system does exactly that if u review every song come on bra u can't beat the star system trollheart