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

Trollheart · 02-08-2018, 10:39 AM

Album title: The Days We Had
Artist: Day Wave
Genre: Indie Rock/Indie Pop
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: 3.25
Very pleasant, catchy stuff, very listenable with some really nice melodies. “Ordinary” has a very synthpop feel to it, and most if not all of this is just very high-quality pop, though it's kind of hard to pick out real highlights on the album. Nothing I don't like though. Mostly very bright and breezy. “Promises” is a little twee though, and the production seems to be very weak on this one track. Generally, really good without kind of my being able to put into words quite why.

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

Actual Rating:

Trollheart · 02-08-2018, 02:10 PM

Album title: Turn Up the Quiet
Artist: Diana Krall
Genre: Jazz
Nationality: Canadian
Release date: May 5
Position in Discography: Thirteenth
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No but I have heard of her
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 3.32
I've been hearing this name around and about, and it seems she's quite respected in her field, but this is the first time I've listened to Diana Krall. Apparently this is another of those albums of standards that appeal to the artist, and even though they're jazz standards and so generally should mean nothing to me, I think I recognise the odd title. Certainly, Cole Porter's “Night and Day” is one I know, obviously. When it starts I have to be honest: I find this crushingly boring. Obviously these are old standards, so they're going to have that 40s/50s/whatever feel, but I'm just not getting into it. Well, “Isn't it Romantic” is a lot better. I think maybe the fact that the first one seemed to have only bass as accompaniment coloured my view of it. The piano on this one is cool, very smooth and laid back. “L-O-V-E” is a song I really don't like but she does a good job of it. Mind you, on this one at least the credit goes more to the band (combo?) as they really breathe new life into it. She sings well, but, yeah. She does a good version of the aforementioned “Night and Day” too. Her voice is very smoky and sultry, but I would like to hear her sing something with a bit more life in it maybe.

That sexy, purring style comes through best perhaps on “Moonglow”, which positively sizzles under her voice, and there's some really nice guitar work on Irving Berlin's “Blue Skies”, which finally kicks a little action into proceedings with a boppy bass line and gives Krall the opportunity to push up the tempo. Speaking of upping the tempo, I realise I know “Sway” and it should be a fast-ish track but she has slowed it right down here. I mean, I don't necessarily have a problem with that and I know she's doing her best to put her own spin on these classics, but so much of it is slow and languorous, I just feel if a song is known to be played usually at a faster tempo, then it would have been better to have kept it that way, to maintain some sort of decent balance of tempos. Slow and easy has definitely the upper hand here, and to me, it's like playing, I don't know, maybe “Satisfaction” as a slow, lazy blues number.

Another one which raises the tempo slightly is “No Moon at All” - I have no idea how this goes originally; the song is not known to me – with some really nice piano runs, apparently also played by Krall. Did not know that. A nice mostly laid back album of jazz standards. I don't have any experience of vocal jazz, so I couldn't say whether Diana Krall is a good exponent of the genre or not, but she seems to do a good job here. Not certain I'd be that interested in hearing more though.

Check out more from this artist? Probably wouldn't be in a rush to, no
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Again, vocal jazz, kind of no

Actual Rating:

Trollheart · 02-08-2018, 03:13 PM

Album title: Fresh Air
Artist: Faust
Genre: Krautrock
Nationality: German
Release date: May 5
Position in Discography: Thirteenth
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? Heard one album
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 3.13
Back in the days of “Love or Hate?” I believe Frownland may have recommended me one of this band's albums – think it was Faust IV. Can't honestly remember how I reacted, so this may be kind of new to me. A mixture of live and studio recordings, it kicks off with a seventeen-minute plus track which seems to have someone speaking in (presumably) German through most of it. The track begins with just speech, but the music slowly seeps in – sort of like feedback maybe – and eventually all but drowns out the speaker by the fourth minute. Now we have an operatic singer for a few moments, percussion and bass cut in at around the ninth minute (as the speaking voice returns) and it sounds like the music might be about to take over properly as guitars also slice in. Got to admit, there's something quite hypnotic about the music here. It's not a drone, but it's very enthralling.

In complete contrast, the next track is a mere two and a half minutes long, which is nothing compared to the next one, which is twenty seconds of basically wailing or whooping. Weird. “Chlorophyll” has a very evocative bass pattern, with a female singer. It's interesting stuff, sure, but I couldn't say it's my particular cup of Tetley's. Mind you, I certainly don't hate it. But I don't love it either and I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry to hear more.

Check out more from this artist? I might, possibly
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes

Actual Rating:

**Frownland** · 02-08-2018, 03:16 PM

Hypnotic is right. That's a really excellent record, the strings on it are especially great.

Trollheart · 02-08-2018, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

Hypnotic is right. That's a really excellent record, the strings on it are especially great.

I could feel that maybe it might be something I could get into, given time. As I say, I certainly didn't hate it, but it took me a little by surprise. Not that I know anything about krautrock of course.

**Frownland** · 02-08-2018, 03:27 PM

First lesson: that hypnotic drum and bass lock was invented (or popularized, if there was a predecessor I don't know about) by Faust and is pretty common in the genre.

Trollheart · 02-08-2018, 03:29 PM

I wonder what I said about Faust IV, all those years ago? I bet I hated it and couldn't understand it.

**Frownland** · 02-08-2018, 03:30 PM

And I probably informed you of that fact at the time.

Trollheart · 02-08-2018, 03:34 PM

Now this is interesting!

Title: Faust IV
Artiste: Faust
Genre: Krautrock
Familiarity: Zero
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faust_IV#Track_listing

Track 1(Love) Bit harsh to start with, and I see it's over eleven minutes long. No easing into this one, then! Meh, it kind of settles down after about three or four minutes and I can start getting into it. Not as bad as I had feared it would be. And it went by faster than expected. Yeah, pretty good really.
Track 2(Hate) Not mad about this; kind of reggae feel to it I don't care for
Track 3(Love) This is nice; quite relaxed and low-key, piano at the end is pretty cool.
Track 4(Love) Meh, it's okay, nothing that great
Track 5(Love) Very progressive rock here; like the bass. Great sax too. Oh and some wonderful keyboard work. Yeah, really like this one.
Track 6(Love) (Tracks 6 and 7 are merged on the Spotify copy I have) Nice gentle track, though the French singing is a little weird
Track 7(Love) This is nice, a good closer. Lovely piano and fine guitar.

End result: I don't know what it is about this album; I almost feel as if I haven't heard enough to form an opinion. It seems a little disjointed to me. But what I heard I mostly liked. I just kind of feel like I've been short-changed in some way. Odd.

So, Love or Hate? For the record though, it's a Love.

Chances of a full review: 0/10
__________________

Frownland

Here I was about to post The Sad Skinhead in the Songs Everybody Loves thread. Glad you generally liked it though, even if you hated my favourite track on the album.

Trollheart · 02-08-2018, 05:18 PM

Album title: Compassion
Artist: Forest Swords
Genre: Electronic/Experimental
Nationality: English
Release date: May 5
Position in Discography: Second
Estimated Rating:

Familiar with this artist? No
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No
Average RYM Score: 3.44
Some very nice almost ambient electronic music, with samples, loops and fractured vocals going through it. I would probably have been happier without the latter, but he's trying to make a point about communication here, so I guess it works. The music's pretty nice on its own though. Mind you, the sort of choral thing on “Panic” is good. There's some really nice orchestral work on “Arms Out”, and the vocal works nicely here too. Not a bad album. Decent enough.

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

Actual Rating:

02-08-2018, 10:39 AM	#1811 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: The Days We Had Artist: Day Wave Genre: Indie Rock/Indie Pop 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: 3.25 Very pleasant, catchy stuff, very listenable with some really nice melodies. “Ordinary” has a very synthpop feel to it, and most if not all of this is just very high-quality pop, though it's kind of hard to pick out real highlights on the album. Nothing I don't like though. Mostly very bright and breezy. “Promises” is a little twee though, and the production seems to be very weak on this one track. Generally, really good without kind of my being able to put into words quite why. Check out more from this artist? Yes Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-08-2018, 02:10 PM	#1812 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Turn Up the Quiet Artist: Diana Krall Genre: Jazz Nationality: Canadian Release date: May 5 Position in Discography: Thirteenth Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? No but I have heard of her Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Average RYM Score: 3.32 I've been hearing this name around and about, and it seems she's quite respected in her field, but this is the first time I've listened to Diana Krall. Apparently this is another of those albums of standards that appeal to the artist, and even though they're jazz standards and so generally should mean nothing to me, I think I recognise the odd title. Certainly, Cole Porter's “Night and Day” is one I know, obviously. When it starts I have to be honest: I find this crushingly boring. Obviously these are old standards, so they're going to have that 40s/50s/whatever feel, but I'm just not getting into it. Well, “Isn't it Romantic” is a lot better. I think maybe the fact that the first one seemed to have only bass as accompaniment coloured my view of it. The piano on this one is cool, very smooth and laid back. “L-O-V-E” is a song I really don't like but she does a good job of it. Mind you, on this one at least the credit goes more to the band (combo?) as they really breathe new life into it. She sings well, but, yeah. She does a good version of the aforementioned “Night and Day” too. Her voice is very smoky and sultry, but I would like to hear her sing something with a bit more life in it maybe. That sexy, purring style comes through best perhaps on “Moonglow”, which positively sizzles under her voice, and there's some really nice guitar work on Irving Berlin's “Blue Skies”, which finally kicks a little action into proceedings with a boppy bass line and gives Krall the opportunity to push up the tempo. Speaking of upping the tempo, I realise I know “Sway” and it should be a fast-ish track but she has slowed it right down here. I mean, I don't necessarily have a problem with that and I know she's doing her best to put her own spin on these classics, but so much of it is slow and languorous, I just feel if a song is known to be played usually at a faster tempo, then it would have been better to have kept it that way, to maintain some sort of decent balance of tempos. Slow and easy has definitely the upper hand here, and to me, it's like playing, I don't know, maybe “Satisfaction” as a slow, lazy blues number. Another one which raises the tempo slightly is “No Moon at All” - I have no idea how this goes originally; the song is not known to me – with some really nice piano runs, apparently also played by Krall. Did not know that. A nice mostly laid back album of jazz standards. I don't have any experience of vocal jazz, so I couldn't say whether Diana Krall is a good exponent of the genre or not, but she seems to do a good job here. Not certain I'd be that interested in hearing more though. Check out more from this artist? Probably wouldn't be in a rush to, no Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Again, vocal jazz, kind of no Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-08-2018, 03:13 PM	#1813 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Fresh Air Artist: Faust Genre: Krautrock Nationality: German Release date: May 5 Position in Discography: Thirteenth Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? Heard one album Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Average RYM Score: 3.13 Back in the days of “Love or Hate?” I believe Frownland may have recommended me one of this band's albums – think it was Faust IV. Can't honestly remember how I reacted, so this may be kind of new to me. A mixture of live and studio recordings, it kicks off with a seventeen-minute plus track which seems to have someone speaking in (presumably) German through most of it. The track begins with just speech, but the music slowly seeps in – sort of like feedback maybe – and eventually all but drowns out the speaker by the fourth minute. Now we have an operatic singer for a few moments, percussion and bass cut in at around the ninth minute (as the speaking voice returns) and it sounds like the music might be about to take over properly as guitars also slice in. Got to admit, there's something quite hypnotic about the music here. It's not a drone, but it's very enthralling. In complete contrast, the next track is a mere two and a half minutes long, which is nothing compared to the next one, which is twenty seconds of basically wailing or whooping. Weird. “Chlorophyll” has a very evocative bass pattern, with a female singer. It's interesting stuff, sure, but I couldn't say it's my particular cup of Tetley's. Mind you, I certainly don't hate it. But I don't love it either and I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry to hear more. Check out more from this artist? I might, possibly Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018 Last edited by Trollheart; 02-08-2018 at 03:30 PM.

02-08-2018, 03:16 PM	#1814 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	Hypnotic is right. That's a really excellent record, the strings on it are especially great. __________________ 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

02-08-2018, 03:27 PM	#1816 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	First lesson: that hypnotic drum and bass lock was invented (or popularized, if there was a predecessor I don't know about) by Faust and is pretty common in the genre. __________________ 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

02-08-2018, 03:29 PM	#1817 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	I wonder what I said about Faust IV, all those years ago? I bet I hated it and couldn't understand it. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-08-2018, 03:30 PM	#1818 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	And I probably informed you of that fact at the time. __________________ 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

02-08-2018, 03:34 PM	#1819 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Now this is interesting! Title: Faust IV Artiste: Faust Genre: Krautrock Familiarity: Zero https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faust_IV#Track_listing Track 1(Love) Bit harsh to start with, and I see it's over eleven minutes long. No easing into this one, then! Meh, it kind of settles down after about three or four minutes and I can start getting into it. Not as bad as I had feared it would be. And it went by faster than expected. Yeah, pretty good really. Track 2(Hate) Not mad about this; kind of reggae feel to it I don't care for Track 3(Love) This is nice; quite relaxed and low-key, piano at the end is pretty cool. Track 4(Love) Meh, it's okay, nothing that great Track 5(Love) Very progressive rock here; like the bass. Great sax too. Oh and some wonderful keyboard work. Yeah, really like this one. Track 6(Love) (Tracks 6 and 7 are merged on the Spotify copy I have) Nice gentle track, though the French singing is a little weird Track 7(Love) This is nice, a good closer. Lovely piano and fine guitar. End result: I don't know what it is about this album; I almost feel as if I haven't heard enough to form an opinion. It seems a little disjointed to me. But what I heard I mostly liked. I just kind of feel like I've been short-changed in some way. Odd. So, Love or Hate? For the record though, it's a Love. Chances of a full review: 0/10 __________________ Frownland Here I was about to post The Sad Skinhead in the Songs Everybody Loves thread. Glad you generally liked it though, even if you hated my favourite track on the album. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-08-2018, 05:18 PM	#1820 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Compassion Artist: Forest Swords Genre: Electronic/Experimental Nationality: English Release date: May 5 Position in Discography: Second Estimated Rating: Familiar with this artist? No Familiar with the genre or subgenre? No Average RYM Score: 3.44 Some very nice almost ambient electronic music, with samples, loops and fractured vocals going through it. I would probably have been happier without the latter, but he's trying to make a point about communication here, so I guess it works. The music's pretty nice on its own though. Mind you, the sort of choral thing on “Panic” is good. There's some really nice orchestral work on “Arms Out”, and the vocal works nicely here too. Not a bad album. Decent enough. Check out more from this artist? Might Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018