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

Trollheart · 03-06-2018, 09:46 AM

Album title: Return of the Don
Artist: Kool G Rap
Genre: Hip-hop
Nationality: American
Release date: June 2
Position in Discography: Tenth
Estimated Rating:

Have I heard of this artist? No
Average RYM Score: 3.04
Hey this is pretty decent stuff. Like the flutes (whatever) in “Mack Lean”, and the way it sort of shuffles along with a kind of lazy menace. I love the angry energy in “Wise Guys” and “Times Up” is pretty frenetic. “Running” is great too. I'm quite impressed by this.

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

Actual Rating:

Trollheart · 03-07-2018, 03:17 PM

Album title: Is This the Life We Really Want?
Artist: Roger Waters
Genre: Progressive Rock/Art Rock
Nationality: English
Release date: June 2
Position in Discography: Fifth
Estimated Rating:

Have I heard of this artist? Yes
Have I heard anything by this artist? Yes
Average RYM Score: 3.34
Love him or loathe him (and I know for many of you it's the latter), you can't be unaware of the existence of Roger Waters. The man who co-founded Pink Floyd, who was responsible for the masterpiece or ego-fest, depending on your opinion, known as The Wall, and without whom, to many, Floyd struggled to retain their identity as a band. His solo material has been a mixed bag, as far as I'm concerned: Radio Kaos and Amused to Death were superb, Ca Ira was pure ****e and The Pros and Cons of Hitch-hiking was just, well, there. So this could go either way. Nevertheless, it's his first album in over ten years and I'm looking forward to it with hope and a sense of expectation.

The first thing I notice, before even pressing play, is that the cover of the album closely resembles that of 1987's Radio Kaos. Whether that's a good or a bad omen I don't know, but as it begins there are muttered and distant voices, which grow louder as the track begins, and again remind me of that album. “Deja Vu” recalls very distinctly “Pigs on the Wing” from Pink Floyd's classic Animals album. Is this a good sign? I don't know again, but there's some really nice orchestration, which always helps, and as per usual Waters' voice ranges from the murmured to the manic howl, and he uses the old Floyd tricks, such as sound effects – glass breaking, gunshots, taped voices, radio broadcasts, the usual thing. Perhaps it's a little predictable, perhaps a lot, but so far I love it.

You get his often annoying socio-political commentary all through the album, and sometimes it gets a little wearing, like being preached to by some old man in a pub who's too tired to do anything about the world but advises you to. But that's Waters, and he'll never change. The music certainly makes up for any annoyance at finding yourself trapped in the Church of Waters for almost an hour, and makes the time fly by. It is though VERY Floyd, with lots of Animals and Dark Side in there – much more so than his previous albums, which makes me wonder either a) is it a deliberate nod back to the past or b) is he running out of ideas? I also hear much that could have been on The Final Cut, and there's a lot of gentle acoustic guitar pieces, though the title track brings out angry Roger, with a snide little dig at Trump, among others, and a very ominous melody. I would venture to say that “Bird in a Gale” relies way too much on the sound effects though. Dogs barking have been overused by the Floyd machine at this point too. We get it: dogs of war, dogs of Wall Street. Stop. Just, you know, stop. Dog-gone it. Sorry. I'm dogged by bad puns. I'll stop now. Heel, boy! Heel. No, I'll really stop now. Bitch. Sorry, sorry. My bark is worse than my – ow! Okay, okay! I get the message!

I think I would have to admit that this album is almost a snapshot of Waters' entire career, with influences taken from the albums mentioned as well as his previous Radio KAOS and Amused to Death. Seen that way, perhaps it might be viewed as a rip-off a la Floyd's swansong album, but I don't think so. There's a lot to enjoy here, but let's face it, if you're not a Waters fan, this is not an album that's going to change your mind. If you are, then you'll be glad to see him back in the game. Most likely, you won't care. More likely, I don't care that you don't care. I've been waiting for this album for almost a quarter of a century, and it's been more than worth it. Go listen to your hippity-hop.

Check out more from this artist? Always, though by the time he releases another album I may be dead.
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Always and forever

Actual Rating:

Trollheart · 03-08-2018, 05:15 PM

Album title: Home Counties
Artist: Saint Etienne
Genre: Alt-Dance
Nationality: English
Release date: June 2
Position in Discography: Ninth
Estimated Rating:

Have I heard of this artist? Yes
Have I heard anything by this artist? No
Average RYM Score: 3.28
Interesting start: a radio broadcast from Radio 4 – reminds me of the opening of Sean Filkins' War and Peace and Other Short Stories. I like this when it gets going though I would call it more synthpop than dance music. Really nice; sort of reminds me of Swing Out Sister in a way. Okay, well, “Dive” brings in more dance elements, quite funky too with some great brass and a kind of Mexican/mariachi feel to it. Love this. Despite being less than two minutes long, and basically a choir, “Church Pew Furniture Restorer” is excellent, not that there has been anything here so far that hasn't been. An indication of how good this is is that when I originally saw there were nineteen tracks on the album, I groaned and rolled my eyes. Now, having heard so far eleven tracks, it's not a problem at all.

“Heather” is another standout, but then I love “Train Drivers in Eyeliner” too. I was trying to think who she reminds me of, and on “Unopened Fan Mail” I get it: Sharleen Spiteri from Texas. Very similar, at least on this track, and a few others. Not that she's in any way copying or ripping her off, but the style is quite similar. But then, I love Texas, so that's not a bad thing. All right, there's absolutely nothing on this I don't love. “Sweet Arcadia” is one part spoken word, one part proggy organ extravaganza and one part haunting vocal coda. I could do without the little interludes – don't get the point, although given the album title, a look back to gentle English societal norms might cover that – but everything here is gold, and there's much platinum too. Consider me a new fan.

Check out more from this artist? Downloading their discography now
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes but I still maintain this is more pop/synthpop

Actual Rating:

Anteater · 03-08-2018, 07:07 PM

Is This the Life We Really Want? is an album that has a production approach and quality which I love but songwriting that doesn't really work for me from track to track. Waters really should bury the hatchet with Gilmour...'cause he needs him badly.

Never heard of Saint Etienne before, but this album you featured come across as a better, more English version of Haim's latest. And that's definitely not a bad thing.

Trollheart · 03-09-2018, 03:21 AM

Album title: The Future in Whose Eyes?
Artist: Sikth
Genre: Progressive Metal/Mathcore/Avant-Garde Metal
Nationality: English
Release date: June 2
Position in Discography: Third
Estimated Rating:

Have I heard of this artist? No
Average RYM Score: 3.18
Not sure what to make of this really. The vocal is almost an angry rap, kind of reminds me of some of that post-hardcore I've heard, but the music does seem to stay within the general area of prog metal. Yeah, I don't know: the album has its moments but mostly it's not appealing to me. The vocal is far too hysterical-sounding for what I would consider prog metal, and to be honest most of the songs are not that great anyway. There are some nice interludes, passages and even the odd decent track, - the spooky, mostly spoken-word “The Moon's Been Gone For Hours” is a case in point, and if more of the album was like this then I'd have a different opinion of it - but overall not something I'd be interested in revisiting. The closer is really nice too, but again more an exception than the norm on this album. Pretty much a disappointment, I'd have to say.

Check out more from this artist? Probably not
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes (prog metal)

Actual Rating:

03-06-2018, 09:46 AM	#1 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Return of the Don Artist: Kool G Rap Genre: Hip-hop Nationality: American Release date: June 2 Position in Discography: Tenth Estimated Rating: Have I heard of this artist? No Average RYM Score: 3.04 Hey this is pretty decent stuff. Like the flutes (whatever) in “Mack Lean”, and the way it sort of shuffles along with a kind of lazy menace. I love the angry energy in “Wise Guys” and “Times Up” is pretty frenetic. “Running” is great too. I'm quite impressed by this. Check out more from this artist? Yes Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

03-07-2018, 03:17 PM	#2 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Is This the Life We Really Want? Artist: Roger Waters Genre: Progressive Rock/Art Rock Nationality: English Release date: June 2 Position in Discography: Fifth Estimated Rating: Have I heard of this artist? Yes Have I heard anything by this artist? Yes Average RYM Score: 3.34 Love him or loathe him (and I know for many of you it's the latter), you can't be unaware of the existence of Roger Waters. The man who co-founded Pink Floyd, who was responsible for the masterpiece or ego-fest, depending on your opinion, known as The Wall, and without whom, to many, Floyd struggled to retain their identity as a band. His solo material has been a mixed bag, as far as I'm concerned: Radio Kaos and Amused to Death were superb, Ca Ira was pure ***e and The Pros and Cons of Hitch-hiking* was just, well, there. So this could go either way. Nevertheless, it's his first album in over ten years and I'm looking forward to it with hope and a sense of expectation. The first thing I notice, before even pressing play, is that the cover of the album closely resembles that of 1987's Radio Kaos. Whether that's a good or a bad omen I don't know, but as it begins there are muttered and distant voices, which grow louder as the track begins, and again remind me of that album. “Deja Vu” recalls very distinctly “Pigs on the Wing” from Pink Floyd's classic Animals album. Is this a good sign? I don't know again, but there's some really nice orchestration, which always helps, and as per usual Waters' voice ranges from the murmured to the manic howl, and he uses the old Floyd tricks, such as sound effects – glass breaking, gunshots, taped voices, radio broadcasts, the usual thing. Perhaps it's a little predictable, perhaps a lot, but so far I love it. You get his often annoying socio-political commentary all through the album, and sometimes it gets a little wearing, like being preached to by some old man in a pub who's too tired to do anything about the world but advises you to. But that's Waters, and he'll never change. The music certainly makes up for any annoyance at finding yourself trapped in the Church of Waters for almost an hour, and makes the time fly by. It is though VERY Floyd, with lots of Animals and Dark Side in there – much more so than his previous albums, which makes me wonder either a) is it a deliberate nod back to the past or b) is he running out of ideas? I also hear much that could have been on The Final Cut, and there's a lot of gentle acoustic guitar pieces, though the title track brings out angry Roger, with a snide little dig at Trump, among others, and a very ominous melody. I would venture to say that “Bird in a Gale” relies way too much on the sound effects though. Dogs barking have been overused by the Floyd machine at this point too. We get it: dogs of war, dogs of Wall Street. Stop. Just, you know, stop. Dog-gone it. Sorry. I'm dogged by bad puns. I'll stop now. Heel, boy! Heel. No, I'll really stop now. Bitch. Sorry, sorry. My bark is worse than my – ow! Okay, okay! I get the message! I think I would have to admit that this album is almost a snapshot of Waters' entire career, with influences taken from the albums mentioned as well as his previous Radio KAOS and Amused to Death. Seen that way, perhaps it might be viewed as a rip-off a la Floyd's swansong album, but I don't think so. There's a lot to enjoy here, but let's face it, if you're not a Waters fan, this is not an album that's going to change your mind. If you are, then you'll be glad to see him back in the game. Most likely, you won't care. More likely, I don't care that you don't care. I've been waiting for this album for almost a quarter of a century, and it's been more than worth it. Go listen to your hippity-hop. Check out more from this artist? Always, though by the time he releases another album I may be dead. Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Always and forever Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

03-08-2018, 05:15 PM	#3 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: Home Counties Artist: Saint Etienne Genre: Alt-Dance Nationality: English Release date: June 2 Position in Discography: Ninth Estimated Rating: Have I heard of this artist? Yes Have I heard anything by this artist? No Average RYM Score: 3.28 Interesting start: a radio broadcast from Radio 4 – reminds me of the opening of Sean Filkins' War and Peace and Other Short Stories. I like this when it gets going though I would call it more synthpop than dance music. Really nice; sort of reminds me of Swing Out Sister in a way. Okay, well, “Dive” brings in more dance elements, quite funky too with some great brass and a kind of Mexican/mariachi feel to it. Love this. Despite being less than two minutes long, and basically a choir, “Church Pew Furniture Restorer” is excellent, not that there has been anything here so far that hasn't been. An indication of how good this is is that when I originally saw there were nineteen tracks on the album, I groaned and rolled my eyes. Now, having heard so far eleven tracks, it's not a problem at all. “Heather” is another standout, but then I love “Train Drivers in Eyeliner” too. I was trying to think who she reminds me of, and on “Unopened Fan Mail” I get it: Sharleen Spiteri from Texas. Very similar, at least on this track, and a few others. Not that she's in any way copying or ripping her off, but the style is quite similar. But then, I love Texas, so that's not a bad thing. All right, there's absolutely nothing on this I don't love. “Sweet Arcadia” is one part spoken word, one part proggy organ extravaganza and one part haunting vocal coda. I could do without the little interludes – don't get the point, although given the album title, a look back to gentle English societal norms might cover that – but everything here is gold, and there's much platinum too. Consider me a new fan. Check out more from this artist? Downloading their discography now Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes but I still maintain this is more pop/synthpop Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

03-09-2018, 03:21 AM	#5 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Album title: The Future in Whose Eyes? Artist: Sikth Genre: Progressive Metal/Mathcore/Avant-Garde Metal Nationality: English Release date: June 2 Position in Discography: Third Estimated Rating: Have I heard of this artist? No Average RYM Score: 3.18 Not sure what to make of this really. The vocal is almost an angry rap, kind of reminds me of some of that post-hardcore I've heard, but the music does seem to stay within the general area of prog metal. Yeah, I don't know: the album has its moments but mostly it's not appealing to me. The vocal is far too hysterical-sounding for what I would consider prog metal, and to be honest most of the songs are not that great anyway. There are some nice interludes, passages and even the odd decent track, - the spooky, mostly spoken-word “The Moon's Been Gone For Hours” is a case in point, and if more of the album was like this then I'd have a different opinion of it - but overall not something I'd be interested in revisiting. The closer is really nice too, but again more an exception than the norm on this album. Pretty much a disappointment, I'd have to say. Check out more from this artist? Probably not Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yes (prog metal) Actual Rating: __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018