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

Trollheart · 12-24-2017, 04:23 PM

Album title: Residente
Artist: Residente
Genre: Alternative Hip-hop/World Music
Nationality: Puerto Rican
Release date: March 31
Position in Discography: Debut solo
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 3.39
That's one hell of a high rating for a debut album. Let's see if in my opinion it deserves it. Given that this is mostly not in English, I won't be able to comment on the lyrics, but then, as far as hip-hop is concerned I tend not to do that anyway, so it won't make that much difference. Nevertheless, the opener is in English and I love the rhythm of the music, plus Residente seems to really know what he's about. But now we're into the Spanish songs, so I'll have to rely mostly on the music and the structure of the songs. I like the idea that he travelled to various countries (all of which he was said to have DNA from) and worked with mostly unknown musicians to produce this album. It's certainly got a lot of energy, from tribal rhythms to Gabrielesque hypnotic percussion.

There's certainly a lot of what is generally referred to as “World Music” (sorry Frown!) here, with ethnic instruments and rhythm patterns, some even sounding like chants or prayers or ritual music, and it's a very different album than I had expected. Honestly, if this guy were American (and not from Puerto Rico; what a difference a few hundred miles makes) and this was in English I think this could have been a major hit. There's a short acapella track, children singing, lots of exuberance and joy and a whole hell of a lot of talent. What's really great about this is that these other musicians don't just form a kind of backing band or support to Residente, but make their own statement, and he allows them to, at times stepping completely back and opening the floor to them. This is not only unexpected, but refreshing and admirable in any musician. We all know there are few things larger than a musician's ego, so it's nice to see someone prepared to allow others the limelight. And it really works too.

Residente says that this is not his most organic album, and not having heard any from his band I can't comment, but it's certainly one of the most organic records I've heard in a long time. Very much more than a hip-hop album, very much more than a solo album, this is collaboration at its very finest and its very humblest too. “Desencuento” is a beautiful ballad, on which Residente shares the microphone with French singer SoKo, “Guerra” features a choir, its melody reminding me both of the African chant “Senzeni Na?”, which forms the intro to Peter Gabriel's “Biko” and the hymn “O Come All Ye Faithful”, and “Apocaliptico” is almost desperate in its intensity, then slows down on a female vocal before picking up again.

Dammit, if you want to hear an album that's the perfect synthesis of hip-hop and world music, I think you may have found it. Certainly deserves its high rating, no question about that. I'll look forward to an English version, which is in the works at the moment. Maybe then Residente may receive the praise and fame he deserves. For now, this album certainly proves one thing: that music is without question the universal language.

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

Actual Rating:

OccultHawk · 12-24-2017, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Honestly, if this guy were American (and not from Puerto Rico; what a difference a few hundred miles makes) and this was in English I think this could have been a major hit

I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt about the America PR comment. We cared more for Haiti under Obama than we do for PR under Trump. Maybe by next hurricane season we’ll get the water and power back on for the AMERICANS down there.

2nd: “hit” according to whom? Did you check the numbers for this and Calle 13?

Trollheart · 12-24-2017, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OccultHawk

I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt about the America PR comment. We cared more for Haiti under Obama than we do for PR under Trump. Maybe by next hurricane season we’ll get the water and power back on for the AMERICANS down there.

2nd: “hit” according to whom? Did you check the numbers for this and Calle 13?

Well Puerto Rico is an independent commonwealth is it not? Maybe: I don't profess to be that knowledgeable about it, but people refer to Puerto Ricans where they don't refer to Virginians or Californians, leading me to believe they see Puerto Ricans as less than Americans? Maybe; I can certainly stand to be corrected about that.

As for charts, yes, LATIN albums they've done very well, but I'm talking about overall commercial appeal, not just one ethnic group or demographic. Hit in the sense that it's in the Billboard Top 100, not the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart.

Edit: just like you to take a compliment to the guy and turn it into a perceived slur. Happy Christmas!

OccultHawk · 12-24-2017, 06:27 PM

Quote:

: just like you to take a compliment to the guy and turn it into a perceived slur. Happy Christmas!
__________________

That’s not my typical MO.

Trollheart · 12-24-2017, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OccultHawk

That’s not my typical MO.

Sorry: meant to add, and blame it on Islam.

Trollheart · 12-24-2017, 08:14 PM

Album title: Close Ties
Artist: Rodney Crowell
Genre: Country/Folk
Nationality: American
Release date: March 31
Position in Discography: Twenty-first
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No but I've certainly heard of him
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? A very little
Average RYM Score: 3.32
A real legend in country music, Crowell has won two Grammys, worked with Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill and Bob Seger among others, and I hope will here show the young guns how it's done. A mixture of folk and country here, which is not surprising as he was influenced in his early writing by Townes van Zandt and Guy Clark. Rather surprisingly, “Reckless” is a folky ballad with some real nice violin and soft acoustic guitar, and I could see “Life Without Susanna” appearing on a Seger album with no problem, while “It Ain't Over Yet” features the daughter of the Man in Black, and Roseanne Cash gives a fine performance on one of the catchiest songs on the album so far. Sort of an early Eagles feel to it. Shut up.

“I Don't Care Anymore” has a hard edge and almost comes across as country's answer to a hip-hop song. No, seriously. Sheryl Crow lends her talents for “I'm Tied To Ya” which for some reason puts me in mind of a Pendragon song. Yeah, well, go figure, as they say. And then “Forgive Me Annabel” is straight Beatles with a shot of David Gates, and some totally gorgeous violin. “Forty Miles From Nowhere” is another standout, great melody, but then “Storm Warning” gives it a real run for its money. In fact, there are no bad tracks on this album, and it's easy to see why Crowell has lasted as long as he has in this scene, and thrived, and can justifiably tell the young hotshots to watch how the master does it.

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

Actual Rating:

The Batlord · 12-25-2017, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Well Puerto Rico is an independent commonwealth is it not? Maybe: I don't profess to be that knowledgeable about it, but people refer to Puerto Ricans where they don't refer to Virginians or Californians, leading me to believe they see Puerto Ricans as less than Americans? Maybe; I can certainly stand to be corrected about that.

Puerto Ricans are technically Americans but to Americans they're foreigners. It doesn't help that they're not white.

OccultHawk · 12-25-2017, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Puerto Ricans are technically Americans but to Americans they're foreigners. It doesn't help that they're not white.

Plus their toilets haven’t flushed for months.

Trollheart · 12-26-2017, 06:33 AM

Album title: Opus Mar
Artist: Sumo Cyco
Genre: Alt-Rock/Alt-Metal/Hard Rock
Nationality: Canadian
Release date: March 31
Position in Discography: Second
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? Somewhat
Average RYM Score: 3.07
The vocals make this sound a little more metalcore, or at least post-hardcore to me, but whatever. Whatever indeed. I'm now seven tracks in and I could not find one thing to recommend this album. It is, as Occulthawk would say, hot garbage. Definitely not my thing. I hate the raw, scratchy vocals, the songs don't seem to have any real sense of melody to them, and there hasn't yet been one I could distinguish from the others, never mind pick out as half decent. Yeah, I've had it with this.

Check out more from this artist? Absolutetly not
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Probably

**Frownland** · 12-26-2017, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

Alfa Mist - Antiphon

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

Porter Ray - Watercolor

Will come back with two more when I have more time to think about it.

Noosefiller - Noosefiller

That's 3 for March.

12-24-2017, 04:23 PM	#1361 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Album title: Residente Artist: Residente Genre: Alternative Hip-hop/World Music Nationality: Puerto Rican Release date: March 31 Position in Discography: Debut solo Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Average RYM Score: 3.39 That's one hell of a high rating for a debut album. Let's see if in my opinion it deserves it. Given that this is mostly not in English, I won't be able to comment on the lyrics, but then, as far as hip-hop is concerned I tend not to do that anyway, so it won't make that much difference. Nevertheless, the opener is in English and I love the rhythm of the music, plus Residente seems to really know what he's about. But now we're into the Spanish songs, so I'll have to rely mostly on the music and the structure of the songs. I like the idea that he travelled to various countries (all of which he was said to have DNA from) and worked with mostly unknown musicians to produce this album. It's certainly got a lot of energy, from tribal rhythms to Gabrielesque hypnotic percussion. There's certainly a lot of what is generally referred to as “World Music” (sorry Frown!) here, with ethnic instruments and rhythm patterns, some even sounding like chants or prayers or ritual music, and it's a very different album than I had expected. Honestly, if this guy were American (and not from Puerto Rico; what a difference a few hundred miles makes) and this was in English I think this could have been a major hit. There's a short acapella track, children singing, lots of exuberance and joy and a whole hell of a lot of talent. What's really great about this is that these other musicians don't just form a kind of backing band or support to Residente, but make their own statement, and he allows them to, at times stepping completely back and opening the floor to them. This is not only unexpected, but refreshing and admirable in any musician. We all know there are few things larger than a musician's ego, so it's nice to see someone prepared to allow others the limelight. And it really works too. Residente says that this is not his most organic album, and not having heard any from his band I can't comment, but it's certainly one of the most organic records I've heard in a long time. Very much more than a hip-hop album, very much more than a solo album, this is collaboration at its very finest and its very humblest too. “Desencuento” is a beautiful ballad, on which Residente shares the microphone with French singer SoKo, “Guerra” features a choir, its melody reminding me both of the African chant “Senzeni Na?”, which forms the intro to Peter Gabriel's “Biko” and the hymn “O Come All Ye Faithful”, and “Apocaliptico” is almost desperate in its intensity, then slows down on a female vocal before picking up again. Dammit, if you want to hear an album that's the perfect synthesis of hip-hop and world music, I think you may have found it. Certainly deserves its high rating, no question about that. I'll look forward to an English version, which is in the works at the moment. Maybe then Residente may receive the praise and fame he deserves. For now, this album certainly proves one thing: that music is without question the universal language. Check out more from this artist? Yes Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-24-2017, 08:14 PM	#1366 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Album title: Close Ties Artist: Rodney Crowell Genre: Country/Folk Nationality: American Release date: March 31 Position in Discography: Twenty-first Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? No but I've certainly heard of him Familiar with the genre or subgenre? A very little Average RYM Score: 3.32 A real legend in country music, Crowell has won two Grammys, worked with Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill and Bob Seger among others, and I hope will here show the young guns how it's done. A mixture of folk and country here, which is not surprising as he was influenced in his early writing by Townes van Zandt and Guy Clark. Rather surprisingly, “Reckless” is a folky ballad with some real nice violin and soft acoustic guitar, and I could see “Life Without Susanna” appearing on a Seger album with no problem, while “It Ain't Over Yet” features the daughter of the Man in Black, and Roseanne Cash gives a fine performance on one of the catchiest songs on the album so far. Sort of an early Eagles feel to it. Shut up. “I Don't Care Anymore” has a hard edge and almost comes across as country's answer to a hip-hop song. No, seriously. Sheryl Crow lends her talents for “I'm Tied To Ya” which for some reason puts me in mind of a Pendragon song. Yeah, well, go figure, as they say. And then “Forgive Me Annabel” is straight Beatles with a shot of David Gates, and some totally gorgeous violin. “Forty Miles From Nowhere” is another standout, great melody, but then “Storm Warning” gives it a real run for its money. In fact, there are no bad tracks on this album, and it's easy to see why Crowell has lasted as long as he has in this scene, and thrived, and can justifiably tell the young hotshots to watch how the master does it. Check out more from this artist? Yeah Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-26-2017, 06:33 AM	#1369 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Album title: Opus Mar Artist: Sumo Cyco Genre: Alt-Rock/Alt-Metal/Hard Rock Nationality: Canadian Release date: March 31 Position in Discography: Second Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? Somewhat Average RYM Score: 3.07 The vocals make this sound a little more metalcore, or at least post-hardcore to me, but whatever. Whatever indeed. I'm now seven tracks in and I could not find one thing to recommend this album. It is, as Occulthawk would say, hot garbage. Definitely not my thing. I hate the raw, scratchy vocals, the songs don't seem to have any real sense of melody to them, and there hasn't yet been one I could distinguish from the others, never mind pick out as half decent. Yeah, I've had it with this. Check out more from this artist? Absolutetly not Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Probably __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018 Last edited by Trollheart; 12-28-2017 at 03:03 PM.