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

Trollheart · 01-29-2018, 11:42 AM

Album title: Solid State
Artist: Jonathan Coulton
Genre: Alt-Rock
Nationality: American
Release date: April 28
Position in Discography: Ninth
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? A little
Average RYM Score: 2.99
Well this is a surprise. When it starts it's just powerful and dramatic and I really like it. And I keep liking it. He's got a really good voice and there's a nice mix of styles here – bit of rock, bit of pop, bit of country – and the songs are all mostly short and snappy, very little over the four minute mark, and many hover around or just slightly over two, so you're not likely to lose interest, even though there are seventeen tracks here. “Pictures of Cats” is a really sweet little ballad with some nice accordion (well, sounds like it) while “Don't Feed the Trolls” is a bouncy and happy upbeat number.

Get a kind of Randy Newman/Paul Simon feel from “Ball and Chain”, “Pull Down the Stars” is an acoustic folky little thing, and “All to Myself” has a sort of vaguely psych-pop aura about it. Really an impressive album, must get some more of his stuff.

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

Actual Rating:

Trollheart · 01-29-2018, 04:23 PM

Album title: Gute Nacht
Artist: Kontra K
Genre: Hip-hop
Nationality: German
Release date: April 28
Position in Discography: Seventh
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: N/A
Well I've had Spanish rap, Italian rap and even, I think, Portugese rap (who knows anymore?), and now here comes some German rap. Well, hip-hop (are they the same?) - it's not bad when it starts, a sort of dark trap feel to the opener and then “Diamanten” sounds like it gets a little ethnic, with flutes and accordions and things, presumably in the samples, but as usual information is hard to come by so I have to guess. I definitely recognise the sample in “Mehr Als Ein Job”, but again I can't place it. Might be “Alone” by Heart, not sure. “Einfach” is pretty catchy, with a good pounding beat, and then the title track (which I assume translates to “good night”) is a slow, traplike thing, also quite good. “Lass Mal” is very bouncy too. Not bad really, not bad at all. Sehr gut!

Check out more from this artist? Nein
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Jawohl

Actual Rating:

Trollheart · 01-30-2018, 04:01 PM

Album title: Places
Artist: Lea Michele
Genre: Pop
Nationality: American
Release date: April 28
Position in Discography: Second
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? A little
Average RYM Score: 2.45
With a career on Broadway at an early age behind her, this is not one of your X-Factor/American Idol Jenny-come-latelys; this woman knows how to sing and has been through the whole process of being a star. Her talent is evident right from the beginning, with the powerful and soulful “Love is Alive”, and the quality is maintained throughout. My only gripe would be that she doesn't write any of the material here, other than sharing a credit on the closer; it's just me, that's one of my bugbears. Those who have seen Glee or Scream Queens will apparently know Lea, as she starred in both, and has gone on to make the natural step from Broadway to film, and she's also an author. So, a lot of irons in the fire, and it's a fire that seems to be burning brightly.

Another slight niggle is that this is basically an album of ballads. Some are power ballads, some piano ballads, but there's hardly a boppy or even fast song among the eleven tracks here. For all that though, hard to pick out a standout track, but “Heavenly” comes close, so does “Proud” and “Anything's Possible” - kind of nearly everything here really. Excellent album. Just needs a few faster numbers to bump it to top rating.

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

Actual Rating:

The Batlord · 01-30-2018, 04:12 PM

As a moderate Glee fan I'm down with her releasing a good album. Will check it out. She's also dumb fine btw.

**Frownland** · 01-30-2018, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

As a moderate Glee fan I'm down with her releasing a good album. Will check it out. She's also dumb fine btw.

'Glee' Star Mark Salling Dead at 35 From Suicide by Hanging (UPDATE) | TMZ.com

The Batlord · 01-30-2018, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

'Glee' Star Mark Salling Dead at 35 From Suicide by Hanging (UPDATE) | TMZ.com

Oh good, he was a pedophile. Always liked him.

Trollheart · 01-30-2018, 06:04 PM

Album title: Unexpected
Artist: Levina
Genre: Pop
Nationality: German
Release date: April 28
Position in Discography: Debut
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? A little
Average RYM Score: 3.50
Opener sounds like “Turn It On Again” by Genesis, but that soon fades out and it's a decent start. Nothing too overly dancy, nothing that annoys me. Mature pop I guess; it's really quite good. It's better balanced than Lea Michele's one, though I still prefer the former. Coming hard on the heels of that opus though, this is by no means a disappointment.

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

Actual Rating:

Trollheart · 01-31-2018, 09:43 AM

Album title: Letterbox
Artist: Marie Miller
Genre: Country/Folk/Pop
Nationality: American
Release date: April 28
Position in Discography: Second
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? A little
Average RYM Score: N/A
There is literally no information on this in the usual places – Wiki, Discogs, even RYM. Nobody has it. A pity really, cos it's now the third album in a row by a female artist that has impressed me. “Lost at Sea” is a particular highlight, with a hurried, pounding beat and a great hook. I guess in terms of musical style I'd maybe compare this to the likes of Faith Hill; faintly country but a lot more in the pop spectrum. Certainly, I don't expect to hear any fiddles, harmonicas or mandolins. Doesn't make it bad, by any means. In fact, it's really good.

“Angeline” is a little too bouncy, happy pop for my tastes, but the exuberant “Two to One” makes up for it. I see there's a mention of her doing CCM as well; that could very well be, but I haven't seen any overt references to god or Jesus or anything, so if she does go down that road, at least on this album, the signposts are very small and unintrusive. It's very much an adult contemporary/pop kind of feel I get from this. No real country, no real folk that I can hear and if there's CCM there it's very much in the background.

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

Actual Rating:

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard · 01-31-2018, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

As a moderate Glee fan I'm down with her releasing a good album. Will check it out. She's also dumb fine btw.

early on in the show (first two seasons maybe) i would watch just because i had a gigantic crush on her. still think she’s very pretty, just not enough to justify watching the rest of that stupid show.

Akai · 01-31-2018, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

As a Glee fan

01-29-2018, 11:42 AM	#1711 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Album title: Solid State Artist: Jonathan Coulton Genre: Alt-Rock Nationality: American Release date: April 28 Position in Discography: Ninth Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? A little Average RYM Score: 2.99 Well this is a surprise. When it starts it's just powerful and dramatic and I really like it. And I keep liking it. He's got a really good voice and there's a nice mix of styles here – bit of rock, bit of pop, bit of country – and the songs are all mostly short and snappy, very little over the four minute mark, and many hover around or just slightly over two, so you're not likely to lose interest, even though there are seventeen tracks here. “Pictures of Cats” is a really sweet little ballad with some nice accordion (well, sounds like it) while “Don't Feed the Trolls” is a bouncy and happy upbeat number. Get a kind of Randy Newman/Paul Simon feel from “Ball and Chain”, “Pull Down the Stars” is an acoustic folky little thing, and “All to Myself” has a sort of vaguely psych-pop aura about it. Really an impressive album, must get some more of his stuff. Check out more from this artist? Aye Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

01-29-2018, 04:23 PM	#1712 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Album title: Gute Nacht Artist: Kontra K Genre: Hip-hop Nationality: German Release date: April 28 Position in Discography: Seventh Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Average RYM Score: N/A Well I've had Spanish rap, Italian rap and even, I think, Portugese rap (who knows anymore?), and now here comes some German rap. Well, hip-hop (are they the same?) - it's not bad when it starts, a sort of dark trap feel to the opener and then “Diamanten” sounds like it gets a little ethnic, with flutes and accordions and things, presumably in the samples, but as usual information is hard to come by so I have to guess. I definitely recognise the sample in “Mehr Als Ein Job”, but again I can't place it. Might be “Alone” by Heart, not sure. “Einfach” is pretty catchy, with a good pounding beat, and then the title track (which I assume translates to “good night”) is a slow, traplike thing, also quite good. “Lass Mal” is very bouncy too. Not bad really, not bad at all. Sehr gut! Check out more from this artist? Nein Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Jawohl Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

01-30-2018, 04:01 PM	#1713 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Album title: Places Artist: Lea Michele Genre: Pop Nationality: American Release date: April 28 Position in Discography: Second Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? A little Average RYM Score: 2.45 With a career on Broadway at an early age behind her, this is not one of your X-Factor/American Idol Jenny-come-latelys; this woman knows how to sing and has been through the whole process of being a star. Her talent is evident right from the beginning, with the powerful and soulful “Love is Alive”, and the quality is maintained throughout. My only gripe would be that she doesn't write any of the material here, other than sharing a credit on the closer; it's just me, that's one of my bugbears. Those who have seen Glee or Scream Queens will apparently know Lea, as she starred in both, and has gone on to make the natural step from Broadway to film, and she's also an author. So, a lot of irons in the fire, and it's a fire that seems to be burning brightly. Another slight niggle is that this is basically an album of ballads. Some are power ballads, some piano ballads, but there's hardly a boppy or even fast song among the eleven tracks here. For all that though, hard to pick out a standout track, but “Heavenly” comes close, so does “Proud” and “Anything's Possible” - kind of nearly everything here really. Excellent album. Just needs a few faster numbers to bump it to top rating. Check out more from this artist? Yes Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

01-30-2018, 06:04 PM	#1717 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Album title: Unexpected Artist: Levina Genre: Pop Nationality: German Release date: April 28 Position in Discography: Debut Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? A little Average RYM Score: 3.50 Opener sounds like “Turn It On Again” by Genesis, but that soon fades out and it's a decent start. Nothing too overly dancy, nothing that annoys me. Mature pop I guess; it's really quite good. It's better balanced than Lea Michele's one, though I still prefer the former. Coming hard on the heels of that opus though, this is by no means a disappointment. Check out more from this artist? Yes Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

01-31-2018, 09:43 AM	#1718 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Album title: Letterbox Artist: Marie Miller Genre: Country/Folk/Pop Nationality: American Release date: April 28 Position in Discography: Second Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? A little Average RYM Score: N/A There is literally no information on this in the usual places – Wiki, Discogs, even RYM. Nobody has it. A pity really, cos it's now the third album in a row by a female artist that has impressed me. “Lost at Sea” is a particular highlight, with a hurried, pounding beat and a great hook. I guess in terms of musical style I'd maybe compare this to the likes of Faith Hill; faintly country but a lot more in the pop spectrum. Certainly, I don't expect to hear any fiddles, harmonicas or mandolins. Doesn't make it bad, by any means. In fact, it's really good. “Angeline” is a little too bouncy, happy pop for my tastes, but the exuberant “Two to One” makes up for it. I see there's a mention of her doing CCM as well; that could very well be, but I haven't seen any overt references to god or Jesus or anything, so if she does go down that road, at least on this album, the signposts are very small and unintrusive. It's very much an adult contemporary/pop kind of feel I get from this. No real country, no real folk that I can hear and if there's CCM there it's very much in the background. Check out more from this artist? Yes Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018