Album of the week

Poll...

🙂

analogbear40 said:As a massive Slowdive fan since back in '91, I Beg to Differ.

Souvlaki doesn't feel close to their debut in terms of quality to me... plus, let's be honest, Pygmalion absolutely crushes it... though it still sits in a league of its own.

I’m incredibly fond of Just for a Day—it’s emotional, maybe even a bit too much at times for my taste.
Souvlaki feels more polished, both aesthetically and musically, so that's where we diverge a little.
Then there's Pygmalion, which is a whole different beast entirely because it's nowhere near similar to those two; if anything, it shares way more DNA with Kid A.😁

Dennis Hall41 said:It wasn't Ride, at least I don't think so. And it definitely didn't win out.

Which documentary are we talking about, and what was the critical consensus? Isn't Souvlaki highly regarded? Even that recent one from three or four years ago got huge praise.

What really blows my mind about this album is the headspace it puts me in—I can't remember the last time music landed me in such a perfectly harmonious state. I wouldn't even call it depressing. Honestly, it's just made me crave that dream-pop/shoegaze sound even more.

Back when the album first dropped, it got trashed, just like Just for a Day did. It took Pitchfork about ten years to dig it out of the ashes.
Plus, you had Creation breathing down their necks, demanding they make a Britpop record, but instead, they dropped Pygmalion and basically got the boot.
😁
I actually find it pretty refreshing that they stayed true to themselves through all that chaos and didn't "sell out" like some of their contemporaries.

Here’s a quick breakdown of each album; which one wins really depends on the specific topic at hand.

Paul Simon - Rhythm of the Saints (1990)
It feels similar to Graceland and is roughly just as good. There’s a noticeable dip in the pop influence here, as it seems Paul focused less on chasing the mainstream this time around. While Graceland relies on those African rhythms for its percussion, TROTS leans more heavily into a Brazilian sound. VOTE CAST.

Primus - Sailing the Seas of Cheese (1991)
Most tracks fluctuate between slow and fast tempos, but they never lose that signature quirkiness or funky edge that defines most Primus albums. The lyrics are typically humorous, aided by Lesov’s exaggerated, almost Elmer Fudd-like vocals. A very solid record. VOTE CAST.

Jay - Ko se s' nama druži (1991)
The man is a legend. VOTE CAST.

John Carpenter - Lost Themes II: Alive after Death (2021)
There’s a certain beauty in its simplicity, but what I love most is how the atmosphere carries both the film and the music. VOTE CAST.

The other albums didn't get a vote. Some are decent enough, but not quite strong enough for me to commit.

Slowdive - Souvlaki (1993)
I wouldn't call it a terrible album, but let's be honest—there’s a reason it never truly blew up. It lacks structure and a sense of cohesion. Plus, the lyrics are barely perceptible; once the album ends, you're often left with a sense of indifference or even forgetting what you just heard. While I think 'When the Sun Hits' is a great track, the rest of the album feels like a one-off experience. It’s the kind of music we used to listen to during recess back in elementary school.

Generally speaking, dream pop/shoegaze and pop contain a lot of filler—in my opinion, probably over 90% of it is junk. There are gems, though. Michael Jackson is the king and a master of pop, and I enjoy listening to Julee Cruise from time to time too. However, the difference between Cruise and Slowdive is that Slowdive just delivers melancholy without much atmosphere, whereas Cruise provides the atmosphere first, followed by the melancholy.

David Behrman - On the Other Ocean (1977)
It sounds like a very pleasant electronic/ambient record, which it is, but the core material actually uses acoustic instruments like cello and flute. Interestingly, it sounds a bit like old-school Yamaha keyboards with synthetic patches, which highlights a flaw in so-called "modern" electronic music: it doesn't stay modern for very long. A more than solid album.

Palace Music - Lost Blues & Other Songs (1997)
The quality is pretty inconsistent. However, tracks like 'Come In', 'West Palm Beach', and 'Horses' elevate the whole thing to a different level. Will Oldham is a talented songwriter with a unique vocal style, even in these "early days."

Red House Painters - Down Colorful Hill (1992)
Pretty weak. This is some of the worst Slowcore I've ever listened to. To me, it sounds like Kozelek and his buddies tried to whip up something resembling The Smitsa while they were under the influence. Every melody feels overly melodramatic and self-important. Musically, there isn't much happening—just constant monotony.

The Teardrop Explodes - Wilder (1981)
Surprisingly, most of the songs on the album are somewhat interesting, but they all seem to lack that final finishing touch.

Nathan Murphy said:Generally speaking, dream pop, shoegaze, and even mainstream pop are drowning in filler. If you ask me, probably 90% of what comes out in those genres is absolute garbage. Don't get me wrong, there are gems in there. Take Michael Jackson—the man is a legend and a total master of pop. I also find myself drifting toward Julee Cruise every now and then. But there's a distinct nuance between her and Slowdive. With Slowdive, you just get this sense of melancholy without much atmosphere to ground it. With Cruise, it’s different; she builds that thick, immersive atmosphere first, and only then does the melancholy settle in.

Even though I Beg to Differ with what was said above, I have to say hats off to anyone who actually took the time to sit through all those weekly suggestions. 😉

Man, this week is actually wild—I felt like I had something to say about pretty much everything. None of these albums are perfect, obviously, but honestly? Almost all of them are worth a deep dive.

So close, yet so damn far. We were right on the edge of having the first turbo-folk album of the week 🤣

edit: right on cue, someone goes and votes for Jay 🎉

cosmiccobra2 said:So close, yet so far. We almost had the first big country-pop crossover album of the week 🤣

edit: right on cue, someone votes for Jay 🎉

I couldn't help myself, honestly—just pure morbid curiosity 😁

But looking at the rest of it, this week's lineup is actually pretty beautiful and diverse.

quietbison86 said:I really love Just for a Day—it's emotional, maybe even a bit too much at times.
Souvlaki feels more polished, both musically and aesthetically, so that's where we differ a bit.
Pygmalion is its own thing entirely, though—it's nothing like those first two.😁 It actually shares way more DNA with Kid A.

Back when it dropped, people absolutely trashed it just like they did with Just for a Day, but then Pitchfork basically resurrected it about ten years later.
They were under all this pressure from Creation to deliver a Britpop record, but instead, they dropped Pygmalion and basically got kicked to the curb.😁

Honestly, I respect that they stayed true to themselves and didn't "sell out" like some of their contemporaries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souvlaki_(album)

Check out the ratings. Sure, some are retroactive (looking at you, Pitchfork—though they probably would've hated them even more if it were 1993), but those 3s and 4s definitely aren't a sign of total failure. Besides, critics often go overboard with high scores too. Personally, I don't think I'll ever give more than maybe 20 or 30 perfect scores across everything I've ever heard. That's like... 1% of my library.

cosmiccobra2 said:So close, yet so far—we could've had the first turbo-pop album of the week 🤣

edit: someone actually voted for Jay right at the last second 🎉

The irony is this is probably Jessica Morris6's worst suggestion ever, but honestly, I’d still love to see this album win. My absolute least favorite, obviously. Sorry, Jessica Morris6.

Crow89, solid review! 👍 I used to be the type to make these kinds of textbook overviews of every single album, or at least the ones that stood out, but then I started getting distracted. I'm still listening to everything, though... it's been a pretty great week overall.

I'm a little bummed that Paul Simon didn't make the cut. It's an amazing album. I definitely spin 'Graceland' way more often, and this one only really made it through my speakers a few times before. But today? I couldn't stop playing it. Thanks, cosmiccobra2. 👍

I gave Jay a shot too, but I honestly couldn't even finish the whole album... sorry, Jessica Morris6. It's decent enough, I guess! 😁

Still waiting on Gerald Jackson48 and Amanda Robinson4 to weigh in and give their verdict. 😛

Nathan Murphy said:We were basically listening to this kind of stuff during recess back in elementary school man

Generally speaking, dream pop/shoegaze and pop produce the most garbage—probably over 90% of it is trash if you ask me. There’s good stuff, obviously. Michael Jackson is the king and top-tier pop, just like how I love listening to Julee Cruise every now and then, but the difference between Cruise and Slowdive is that Slowdive just hits you with melancholy without any atmosphere, whereas Cruise gives you the atmosphere first and then

Where'd you go to elementary school, Fifth Avenue? Were you guys just scrawny little kids hanging out at recess blasting shoegaze? Maybe you got these "idealist" takes by speed-listening to twelve albums in a day and a half, but honestly, this kind of nonsense just pisses me off. But hey, whatever, if you don't give a damn, that's fine too...

I listened to a few albums while at work today. Since I'm already so familiar with Paul Simon, Carpenter, and Primus, I didn't bother unless they were absolute classics. I checked out the rest, though. So, out of eight albums, I skipped one.

When I get critical, I tend to be pretty sharp, so I understand why some people might find it a bit stinging—but hey, nothing personal. 👍

Regarding all that middle school drama, back in my day, indie rock was really starting to take off alongside Britpop, and in most cases, the girls were the ones putting playlists together. Dream pop was huge back then, and even though they aren't strictly dream pop, The Cranberries were played constantly. I get that kids nowadays aren't really in the habit of digging deep into music, but we had this ritual where we actually talked about albums and bands. We’d record stuff from the radio just to make sure we remembered what we heard. It was just part of the culture.

Nathan Murphy said:I checked out a few of the home albums at work. I already know Paul Simon, Carpenter, and Primus pretty well—so I didn't bother unless it was their absolute best stuff. Listened to the rest, though. So, out of 8 albums, I skipped one.

When I get critical, I tend to be pretty blunt—so I get why some people find it a bit stinging, but hey, nothing personal 👍

As for the middle school drama, back in my day, indie rock and Britpop were really blowing up, and girls were usually the ones curating the playlists. Dream pop was huge then, and even though they weren't strictly dream pop, The Cranberries were everywhere. I get that kids today don't really have that habit of digging through music, but we had this ritual where we actually talked about albums and bands—we'd record songs off the radio just so we could remember them. It was just part of the culture.

What dream-pop bands were you guys listening to back in middle school?

Dennis Hall41 said:The irony here is that this is probably Jessica Morris6's absolute worst suggestion, but honestly, even I would be thrilled if this album took the win. It’s the worst one for me, obviously. My apologies, Jessica Morris6.

Personally, out of all my picks, I think Shemsa and the idea of huliti are the strongest. Shemsa is quite simply a goddess and deserves her own religion—just like that user who started her thread on the forum pointed out...

I asked Jay for an album that packs in the most recognizable hits. "Sunday" and "You Extinguished Me" are top-tier. The first two tracks are pretty famous, though they lean a bit towards the pathetic side, so maybe as a cohesive album, it isn't actually that great...

Nathan Murphy said:As for the chaos back in elementary school, indie rock was really hitting its stride right alongside Britpop, and most of the girls were the ones curating the playlists. Dream pop was massive back then, and even though they weren't strictly dream pop, The Cranberries were playing everywhere. I get that kids today don't really have the habit of digging deep into music, but we had this ritual where we actually talked about albums and bands; we’d record stuff off the radio just so we could remember what we heard. It was just part of the culture.

That whole indie rock wave dominated for a while, and anyone with a pulse was listening to it—Interpol and all that nonsense. Personally, I steered clear because I found it completely soulless and boring. Mind you, by that point, I was already well into my college years.

One of the big hits we used to blast back then was that song by those Russian lesbians... 😁

I'm happy for her, honestly. I never listened to that stuff and I have zero desire to start now, but hey, if that's what she's into, fine.

I haven't had a chance to check out any of the suggestions this week. 😁

Even though I recognize some of these artists, it wouldn't be fair for me to vote without hearing what else is out there. I'm staying neutral, just like Switzerland.

Jason Mendoza said:That whole indie rock wave totally ruled for a minute—everyone was listening to it. Interpol and all those other things. Honestly, I stayed far away because it felt completely soulless and just plain boring. Though, to be fair, I was already pretty deep into college back then.

One of the big hits we were blasting back then was that Russian lesbian track 😁
.
Glad this person is happy, though—I never listened to that stuff and don't plan on ever touching it, but hey, whatever works.

Man, what does Interpol even have to do with indie rock? They’re basically the opposite. True indie is about not taking yourself too seriously—unlike those stuck-up, ego-driven kids.

It's official! 🙂 The threads were kicked off by quietbison86 and Jessica Morris6. I was actually about to nominate two debut artists, but since it's been a minute since Jessica Morris6 started a thread, let's go with a popular vote instead—even if it's our first one this year.

Look, the whole point here is to review whatever we’re actually vibing with lately. It’s pretty much expected that classic rock or those legendary cult albums will pop up constantly, but even from the very beginning, we knew things wouldn't just stay stuck in one genre.

I really want to see a massive variety of styles. Honestly, the fact that some stuff might not be everyone's cup of tea is exactly why this works—it gives us more to talk about! (That’s why suggestions are totally welcome). I personally cast my vote for Paul Simon, but Jay already had a ton of votes, which is pretty significant. Same goes for Slowdive.

And finally, just to clear the air on something a few people have noticed... the distinction between "Pop" and "Root" isn't strictly about the music itself, but more about how we chat on the different subforums. Technically, you could start a thread for Lady Gaga, Rihanna, or even Nada Mamula on either side, but you'd probably expect a totally different vibe in the comments depending on where you post.

cosmiccobra2 said:So close, yet so far. We could've had the first turbo-pop album of the week right here. 🤣

edit: someone actually voted for Jay right on cue 🎉

Jay wasn't doing turbo-pop during that era. ☕

I basically just came here to vent because I seriously cannot believe RHP didn't make the cut. 😢 🙂

Dennis Hall41, just start the thread anyway...