Trollheart

Album title: Coming Home
Artist: Falling in Reverse
Genre: Pop Punk/Electropop/Space Rock/Prog Rock/Hard Rock
Nationality: American
Release date: April 7
Position in Discography: Fourth
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? N/A; too many subgenres to answer this question
Average RYM Score: 2.12
Now that is a lot of subgenres! I don't know what to expect at all from this, so I've just gone with a general mid-range predicted rating of 5, but the real rating could be anything either side of that, good or bad. I like the first, and title, track anyway: sort of elements of post-hardcore possibly in there, good singable chorus, decent melody. Second track's good too, more post-hardcore while “Loser” has more of that pop punk feel, and a great energetic angry tone to the frenetic “**** You and All Your Friends”. Some of the songs are just funny - “I Hate Everyone” couldn't be more in your face or literal – and “Superhero” is amusing while being also very catchy. There's a rather nice half-ballad in “I Don't Mind” and really, few if any bad tracks on this. Quite surprised, though as I stated at the beginning, I wasn't sure what to expect. Don't think I expected this though.

Footnote: Interesting. When I went to check a YouTube to post for this album, I see the guys onstage and the lead singer has a swastika on his back. I don't actually care, but there was no mention of Nazi sympathies, either in the lyrics or on the Wiki page. Odd.

Oh, and most of those genre tags are bull****: Prog rock? My hole. Space rock? As if. Electropop? Do me a favour, mate! Don't know who wrote that Wiki page but their ability to spot genres is up their arse.

Check out more from this artist? I might
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Again, too many genres and subgenres to answer this.

Actual Rating:

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Trollheart

Album title: Pure Comedy
Artist: Father John Misty
Genre: Indie Folk/Indie Rock/Baroque Pop/Orchestral Folk
Nationality: American
Release date: April 7
Position in Discography: Third
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No but I've heard him being discussed around MB
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? Not much, no
Average RYM Score: 3.21
So this is the famous Father John Misty. Hey! He's not even a priest! What a swizz! I like his style, anyway – reminds me of Harry Chapin crossed with Jackson Browne in a more folky setting. Quite a seventies feel to this, very relaxed but with a hard edge. He sounds a little like McCartney at times too. This is only the first track, and already I'm really impressed. It's a morose kind of opening, though very engaging, and then the second track kicks up the tempo with some fine piano and brass. Let's be honest: most of this is downbeat and even at times depressing, but when you can pair that feeling with a track that runs for over thirteen minutes and doesn't dip once, you know you have something pretty special here.

Yeah, I really can't praise this highly enough. Some amazing songwriting, great singing and some really atmospheric, evocative but at heart quite simple instrumentation for the most part. I guess taking the clerical title for his name was a good move, because this is about as close to a religious experience you'll get with music. As for Misty? Well, a few tears did develop, I won't lie. Another ten minute track just adds to the enjoyment I've got from this album. For some reason, the end section of “So I'm Growing Old On Magic Mountain” puts me in mind both of the Eagles on “The Last Resort” and Ovo-era Peter Gabriel. I see why people rate Misty so highly. I think I've just become a fan.

Check out more from this artist? To the Download Lab!
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Actual Rating:

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Neapolitan

This is soooooo last year.

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rubber soul

Father John Misty might be the best artist out there right now. I really love Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings (a non-album single).

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Trollheart

I've definitely become a fan.

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Trollheart

Album title: Inviting Light
Artist: The Flatliners
Genre: Punk Rock
Nationality: Canadian
Release date: April 7
Position in Discography: Fifth
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 2.90
I'm constantly having to re-evaluate my attitude towards punk. Well, not with every band, but some of them have really changed my mind, and opened it to the various strains of punk rock there is. Most sites don't seem to be able to agree on what genre this album falls under – I have melodic hardcore, punk, ska punk, rock – but the band appear to identify as a punk rock band, so I'm going with that. It's not nearly as harsh or aggressive as I had expected though, and very melodic, so either it's not punk or I have a lot to learn about punk. Possibly both.

Well, it's a decent album so far but I can't see anything that really stands out and makes me want to hear it again. A lot of it, to be fair, blends together and while the tracks are all pretty good - “Unconditional Love” and “Infinite Wisdom” being cases in point – I've yet to come across one which really stops me in my tracks. There are only four left, so I'm kind of assuming this won't happen. Well, I am impressed with “Chameleon Skin”, a slower, more intense kind of song that punches in the gut before it picks up tempo. Overall though, a decent album but nothing to get too excited about I feel.

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

Actual Rating:

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Trollheart

Album title: The Far Field
Artist: Future Islands
Genre: Synthpop
Nationality: American
Release date: April 7
Position in Discography: Fifth
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? I've heard one album
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? A little
Average RYM Score: 3.19
I remember listening to Future Islands a few years back and hating the vocalist. It's very hard for me to get past a singer I don't like, which is why I've estimated this with a lower rating than usual. Listening now, I'm not sure I hate the vocalist still, but there is something about him that grates on me. Not bad synthpop though. I mean, not great synthpop, but not bad. But oh yeah, I remember now: I really do hate this guy's singing voice. I mean, he sounds East European, but a quick check reveals he was born in North Carolina, and while his parents may have been from the old Soviet Bloc, there's no mention of this, so whether his accent is an affectation or what I don't know, but it gets on my tits no end. Yeah, not impressed with this much at all. All right, but just that.
Check out more from this artist? No; two albums is enough
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Actual Rating:

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Trollheart

Album title: Dubtopia
Artist: Gentleman's Dub Club
Genre: Reggae
Nationality: English
Release date: April 7
Position in Discography: Third
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: N/A
So far, all the reggae I've heard has been very cheerful and upbeat. Maybe there's a subgenre called Depressive Suicidal Black (sorry) Reggae, but if so I ain't come across it yet, and every reggae song evokes images of golden sands, pretty women, sea breezes and bright sunshine. Can't be bad, right? Interested to see these guys are English: the only English reggae band I know of (and I know ****-all about the genre anyway) is UB40, and they really annoy me mostly. But this is good so far. Love the bright organ on “Let a Little Love”. You can't not love “Fire in the Hole” either, the instrumental “Gridlock” is class, and “Hotter” sounds like it might be ska? Possibly with a hint, almost, of techno at times? I'd say I enjoyed this pretty much all the way through.

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

Actual Rating:

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Trollheart

Album title: August by Cake
Artist: Guided by Voices
Genre: Indie Rock/Alt-Rock/Lo-Fi
Nationality: American
Release date: April 7
Position in Discography: Twenty-Fourth
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No but I have heard of them
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 3.26
Oh give me strength! Thirty-****ing-two tracks! And they have another album released this year (as in, 2017) so I hope I don't hate this. Well I don't, not as such, but eight tracks in (a quarter of the way, only) and I can't honestly say anything has really stood out to me. Nothing's terrible, either, it's all quite acceptable, but though there's still a whole lot to go I do wonder if it's going to get any better than this. Maybe there are just too many tracks to allow me to concentrate on any potentially superior ones, I don't know, but facing taking on an album of this size is a daunting task in itself, so perhaps I'm unconsciously dismissing some good music. Or not. Okay, “Warm Up to Religion” is fairly decent, but most of this is pretty unremarkable to me. On “Golden Doors” it seems like he forgets how to sing, honestly. I think I'm just glad to be at the end of this.

Check out more from this artist? No; well I'll have to, as they have another album released this year, though hopefully there'll be a few months between the two...
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Actual Rating:

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

rubber soul

That doesn't sound too bad actually. They were low-hi heroes in the nineties. Try Bee Thousand or Alien Lanes. They're a little crude and the songs are short, much like this album, but they're pretty good indie pop imo.

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