Track by track album review thread

Pick an album you've listened to multiple times and give a score to every track. Take those scores to create an average score for the album.

M83 Junk
> 1. Do it, Try It - 9/10
I love this track. It's goofy but after repeated listens it really stands out as a unique, fun track.
> 2. Go! - 8/10
Another fun track, good energy and great vocals
> 3. Walkway Blues - 9/10
Very well done song and gets better with multiple listens
> 4. Bibi the Dog - 3/10
I hate this track. I hate the french vocals, hate the pacing of the track, it's boring.
> 5. Moon Crystal - 1/10
Awful. Sounds like elevator music. Just dreadful.
> 6. For the Kids - 5/10
I miss Morgan Kibby on some of these tracks. It's ok, but the song just plods along for too long.
> 7. Solitude - 10/10
Easily one of the best singles of 2016 and one of the best M83 songs of all time. Pure perfection. Anthony nails it on this one.
> 8. The Wizard - 7/10
Good instrumental and doesn't wear out it's welcome
> 9. Laser Gun - 8/10
A sister track to Do it, Try it and it hits all the right marks
> 10. Road Blaster - 9/10
Wonderful track
> 11. Tension - 9/10
Amazing instrumental
> 12. Atlantic Sud - 2/10
I just can't stand the dual french vocals and the music is terrible on this track
> 13. Time Wind - 6/10
Ok track, Beck doesn't add anything special though
> 14. Ludivine - 7/10
Good instrumental, flows well with the album
> 15. Sunday night 1987 - 5/10
M83 albums are known with amazing closers and this one falls flat. Very boring and ends with a whimper.

98/150 - 65.3

It sucks that the seven stand out tracks are marred by so many mediocre and terrible songs. The lack of a good closer is one thing that really hurts the album. Solitude is amazing though.

>loser 4/10
a catchy enough hook and instrumental but beck's delivery and the comparative irreverance of the lyrics really kill it for me
>pay no mind (snoozer) >9/10
the gross ambiance of this track is reall fantastic here; arguably the best on the whole album. the instrumental is appropriately relaxed and really let's beck's lyrics paint a vividly grotesque landscape
>fuckin with my head (mountain dew rock) 8/10
not too much to say for this one, just a fun southern rock song. the only noteable things about this track are beck's gruffer and raspier delivery, and the cool breakdown near the middle
>whiskeyclone, hotel city 1997 8/10
i feel like this track is just a less fun version of pay no mind, although it's more focused and even more vivid lyricism still makes it intriguing to listen to.
>soul suckin jerk 7/10
a bit weaker instrumentally as well as lyrically than most of the previous tracks, but still good. what really holds it back i think is the first minute or so which is kinda annoying
>truckdrivin neighbors downstairs (yellow sweat) 8/10
one of my absolute favorite songs on the album lyrically, with a well done instrumental and the bold choice to pitch shift beck's vocals for the whole song, the only thing that stops it from being ranked higher is simply how repetitive in structure it is.
>sweet sunshine 6/10
certainly the harshest track on the album, i think it also has some of the weakest instrumentation on the record. the vocals aren't too bad i don't think, but the repetitiveness hurts this song as well
>beercan 8/10
a much lighter song thematically than most on the album, i wish this song had gotten popular instead of loser. a fun instrumental, some of beck's best rapping, and a memorable chorus, this really could have gotten popular at the time, and deservadly so
>steal my body home 3/10
the worst song on the album imo. it sounds like he was trying to go for something trancy, but the stale instrumental and stale vocal performance make 1/2

I want to review a David Bowie album.
First reply decides which one.

(I've listened to all of them MANY times)

2/2
this track an absolute bore to listen to
>nitemare hippy girl 7/10
a fun and quirky song about a fun and quirky girl. i'm not such a huge fan of the melody during the verses, but all in all a fine song
>mutherfucker 9/10
a super lo fi death metal(?) track, the frantic atmosphere and the sheer chaos in the song perfectly capture a visceral feeling of paranoia, even to someone like myself who doesn't ususally feell paranoid
>blackhole 10/10
this is the song that steal my body home was trying to be. i have a soft spot for trancy songs, and blackhole is one of my absolute favorites. the instrumental, the vocals, the lyrics, all of it works perfectly together to create that blissful and relaxed state.
i ain't counting analog odyssey
full score: 90.1 in summary a good ass freak folk album

ur least favorite

Yea do your least favorite, it's more fun to review albums you don't like by artists you love.

Junk! is easily my least favorite M83 album and if I would have reviewed Saturdays = Youth or Before the Dawn heals us it would have been 9/10's for almost every track.

....Fuck. Alright hang on.

I caught them while they were touring this album, and I have to say, maybe it was the energy or something but these songs really came alive in the concert setting. The lights were great, everything was great, and they put on an incredible show. So personally, after having that experience I am able to enjoy the album a lot more. I was def more like you on my first few listens though.

Meshuggah - I

> 1. I - 8.5/10

This ep is one song that is around 19 minutes long. It's a really good fucking song and at the time it was recorded (2005) it was a pretty novel concept.

8.5/10

I hear ya. I've seen m83 three times. Twice on the Saturdays = Youth tour and the Hurry Up We're Dreaming tour. I was disappointed with the setlist for the Junk tour as was almost exclusively Hurry Up and Junk tracks so I decided to skip it.

I saw some videos and the tracks do seem to improve greatly in a live setting - especially Do it Try it which was already good.

>Day In Day Out (8/10)
Pretty good, I like a lot of the production on the track, kind of reminds me of Let's Dance in a way. One of the two good tracks on the album.
>Time Will Crawl (10/10)
Absolutely fantastic. One of Bowie's best 80s tracks.
>Beat of your Drum (5/10)
Eh, I'll be fair here. It's an alright track. Decent energy and an alright chorus...And after this, the album stops DEAD.
>Never Let Me Down (2/10)
Oh great. A track that sounds like a sitcom theme. Tacky as fuck, but lyrcially it's pretty nice so I gave it a couple points
>Zeroes (0/10)
Hate the guitar line. Hate the vocal performance. Hate the melody. Absolutely terrible.
>Glass Spider (0/10)
Surprisingly only the SECOND most annoying song on the album. Pretty bad. Drum programming is shit...track is topped in badness only by.....
>Shining Star (Making My Love) [-200000/10]
This is one of the worst fucking songs I've heard in my life. Drum machine sucks. Guitar line sucks. Vocals are excruciating. Fucking garbage.
>New Yorks In Love (0/10)
I forgot this song existed and re-listening to it I wished it stayed that way.
>87 and Cry (0/10)
...This album is just so god damn bad what the fuck. Who willingly listens to this? How did Prisma give this a fucking 6??????
>BANG BANG (0/10)
87 and Cry but worse.

2.5/10

Final Score: 3/10
Alright, what's next?

Lol at that Shining Star Score

It is that bad. Trust me.

I hit it up on youtube and goddamn it does suck, but people are like MUH NOSTALGIA

Hold on, I'll post a good one in a sec - the worst of the worst albums

Metallica - St. Anger

> Snare Track 1
2/10
> Snare Track 2
2/10
> Snare Track 3
2/10
> Snare Track 4
2/10
> Invisible Kid
10/10 - fucking I have no idea why I love this song so much but even 15 years later I sing this song to myself all the time
> Snare tracks 6,7,8,9,10
2/10

2.1/10

Speeding Bullet?
Soulja Boy?
Brokencyde?
CRAZY FROG???

Pic related

>We Invent You
The DADGAD tuning, Mellotron, and echo-heavy drums all make this sound like a kind of homage to Led Zeppelin. That's by no means a bad thing, because this is great. 9/10
>Look a Ghost
Probably Unwound's catchiest song. The guitar work, Justin's vocals, and the hooks are all at the top of their game. 9.5/10
>December
It's a shame that Vern's vocals are so quiet in this, because while he's admittedly not a very good singer, his delivery goes so well with the song that I can't imagine it being any better if Justin was on the mic. Really good hook here, again, great bassline, and the call-and-response between the two guitars is genius. 9/10
>Treachery
I would probably call this my least-favorite song on the album. It's not at all a bad song, but it just doesn't really do as much for me. 6.5/10
>Terminus
You can definitely hear the GY!BE influence bleeding through here. The last two minutes or so are the best part. 8.5/10
>Demons Sing Love Songs
The backing vocals on the chorus are pure beauty, and Sara's drumming is some of her best. 9.5/10
>Off This Century
Great hook in this one, but it kinda suffers the same fate as Treachery. Still a good song. 7.5/10
>One Lick Less
This is one of my favorite songs of all time. I've nearly been driven to tears by it before. 10/10
>Scarlette
This one's really, really tense, and I love how it perfectly captures the feeling of frustration and hated following the end of a relationship. 9/10
>October All Over
Seasonal depression in a song. Some of Justin's best lyrics are here, and the backwards guitar solo is heart-wrenching. 9.5/10
>Summer Freeze
Great hook, again. I love how Justin sings with tape loops of himself. 8.5/10
>Radio Gra
The drumming and the vocals are killer on this. 8.5/10
>Below the Salt
Better than Terminus. 9/10
>Who Cares
It's hard to score this as a track, because it's really just a closer. 6/10, though.

120/140 = 85/100

This album, and this band, deserve more recognition.

Oh yeah the fisher-price-snare album! How could I forget?

Someone pick another Bowie album for me to do. Or any album from one of these artists.

Red House Painters - Ocean Beach
>1. Cabazon - 6/10
It's a pleasant enough instrumental for the album and really lets you into the album's sound and "headspace" if you will, but it's pretty skippable after your first listen.
>2. Summer Dress - 7.5/10
A good acoustic song that again is a very good display of Ocean Beach's mission statement, shows a bit of a progression from Rollercoaster and Bridge where the acoustic songs were fairly sparse or only had music box sounds or some ambient noise, and I like the violin that comes in, sounds mournful yet hopeful at the same time. Lyrics aren't the best of Mark's, but we all have that one girl, the loveliest girl we know, and the sweetest, that can really bring you back to another time. Solid track.
>3. San Geronimo - 8/10
A great rockier RHP track; it's almost a requirement of Mark to have one "standard rock song" track on each of his albums, and of the 3 previous (Lord Kill the Pain, Mistress, and New Jersey from Bridge), it's the best. The violins are used to create incredible texture in the music, they're played with a sort of vibrato to them that adds that dash of nostalgia that Ocean Beach does so well. That main riff (you know the one) sticks in your head in the best way. Lyrics are pretty good here (Mark generally doesn't have bad ones), again, they can really transport you to lost times of youth that you miss, even if you've never gone camping with a qt, you'll "get" it.
>4. Shadows - 10/10
I rate this one for more personal reasons, and I have a feeling I'm fairly alone in this thought, but Shadows is top 10 RHP for me. That bitterly nostalgic piano hurts to hear but is so beautiful you have to look; sublimity in musical form. The lyrics fuck me up every time, if you've ever gone through some kind of relationship that just slowly died until one day you had to put it out of its misery the lyrics will speak with you. Bravo Mark.
>continued in next post

I love playing in DADGAD tuning

Daft Punk?

>5. Over My Head - 7/10
A solid RHP track. The instrumental is upbeat and catchy, and the lyrics are light but still have that twinge in them that really makes Ocean Beach tick, that feeling of the sun setting both literally and symbolically. I kinda don't like the improvisation wankery Mark does at the end, but it's harmless enough and doesn't drown the track too much.
>6. Red Carpet - 6/10
Pretty forgettable desu, objectively good enough to hold my attention when I'm listening to the album but not enough for me to want to hear it again.
>7. Brockwell Park - 9.5
An amazing song. The acoustic instrumentation is sublime, and the feedback that plays before the second verse adds an amazing effect to the song, but the focal point is Mark's lyrics. Mark must have a lot of nostalgia for walking around in parks before a painful parting of ways, because I'm counting two songs with these two motifs. Lyrics are amazing, truly tear jerking. Reminds me of better times, and makes me ask a lot of "what if" questions.
>8. Moments - 8/10
Very solid track, I always love the "build up to a huge explosion of guitar sounds" tracks they do, hits all the notes of post rock without being crescendocore. I don't have much to say about this one because it's just a very solid track, lyrics are a bit hard to hear at first, but they display Mark's usual lyrical brilliance.
>continued in next post

Great review.

Loser is still a 10/10 for me though even after all these years.

>9. Drop - 10/10
Fuck me up senpai. True masterpiece in my opinion, definitely in the top ten songs list. The instrumentation is very sparse, but very powerful, the every hit of the snare sounds like a jab at your soul, every note plucked on the acoustic a bay window into the Victorian mansion overlooking the sea where you could've been with her, if only you had done this or that or hadn't done this. The lyrics kill me every time, and I think really sum up the mood of the album very well: nostalgia for what once was and a bitter revelation that things have changed and won't be how they were, won't ever be how they were, and we just have to move on, no matter how much we wish we could catch their illness by the bedside. Brockwell Park pt. 2 is an amazing instrumental as well, it builds to a wonderful cacophony until all the tension is masterfully eased. Bravo Mark.
>Average Score - 8/10
>My Score - 8/10

Which album? I got all of them.
I'll review your favorite.

Heathen

ON IT!

Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

>1: Give Life Back to Music 7.5/10
A little repetitive but overall a good intro to the whole of the album's sound from the disco to the rock and more experimental aspects that overarch the whole project.
Very mellow
>2: The Game of Love 8.5/10
Very emotional song that's relatable for many. The vocoder combined with the human emotion behind the lyrics and the very well produced (as is the whole album) music backing it up creates a melancholy and somewhat somber tone.
>3: Giorgio by Moroder 10/10
Perfect track from beginning to start.
Very good mixture of various musical elements and the usage of the speech by the title man himself is superb.
>4: Within 8/10
Very similar to the 2nd track in overall theme but different enough that it still has its own life. The piano intro melody is definitely one of the highlights of the track.
>5: Instant Crush 10/10
Proof that pop does not equal bad. While this track is definitely more accessible then some of the others on the album it's message and emotion is so pure that it cannot be denied. It's beautiful and full of feeling. Probably not a good track to listen to if you're going through a breakup because of just how raw it is (for being a pop song ultimately).
>6: Lose Yourself to Dance 7/10
Despite being Probably the least interesting track this song still has a lot to offer. It's thumping disco music quality has the power to make you dance and get up. Probably one of the best instrumentals of the album. The track is only brought down by the somewhat at times grating falsetto of Pharrell and the reptetivness of the lyrics.
That being said it's still a good track that can't be brought down to anything less then enjoyable

1/?

>7: Touch 10/10
If Instant Crush is the poppy emotional epicenter of the album, this is the emotional & grandiose, expansive and untested frontier for the album. This is where some very interesting and unexpected elements all come together. Including an emotional put out by Paul Williams & a chorus backing that sounds like angels.
This is one of my favorite tracks.
Of all time.

>8: Get Lucky 8/10
Not dissimilar in approach as lose yourself to dance, Get Lucky is by far the most widely known song off the album. The backing instrumental is again, superb (as it is on most of the album). Once again the only weakness in my opinion is Pharrell and repetitiveness. However it is slightly less pronounced on this track by comparison, so as a whole the song is more enjoyable.
Very groovy.
>9: Beyond 10/10
The intro into this track right after Get Lucky is unmistakably grand. And the instrumental flows and carries like a river, very smooth and very beautiful.
The lyrics are a little more vague here then some of the other songs but paint a very vivid image all the same and give off strong emotions. No weaknesses here.
>10: Motherboard 9/10
A purely instrumental track, the music here both soars and comes down and everywhere in between. In some ways it feels like a continuation of the previous track which is really it's only weakness, not enough of its own distinctiveness. That, and the fact that some of the synth sounds near the end begin to resemble the sound of someone peeing after repeated listening. However, those factors overall have a small impact on the enjoyment here.

2/3

>11: Fragments of Time 8.5/10
Once again this is a track that is both pleasant to listen to musically and lyrically. The only reason I don't score this track higher is because it's slightly more derivative then some of the other songs. It sounds not dissimilar from steely dan or other like minded jazz fusion bands of the 70's. But even though there's a slight lack of originality here, it's still very nice to listen to.
>12: Doin' It Right 9/10
The second best known song of the album. This very much sounds like a mixture of the styles of both Daft Punk and Animal Collective, no doubt due to Panda Bear's influence and providing of vocals.
While somewhat simplistic and repetitive in its style, I think those work to the benefit of this track rather then detriment.
It's almost trance Inducing as you become accustomed to the baseline and can get lost in the song as you listen.
>13: Contact 10/10
The most experimental song on the album. Everything about this works. From the sampling of the NASA recording, to the building and building of the noise throughout, to the synth organs that play throughout, and even the sporadic and mad drumming going on in the back.
The perfect closing track.

Overall 115.5/130
About 89%

So about a 9/10 in terms of averages.

However for me personally, despite its flaws, I rank it as a personal 10/10 because this album has a lot of personal meaning to me and Its one of my absolute favorites. I've probably listened to this album more then any other.

3/3

Trevor Lucas - Overlander
>1. The Overlander - 8/10
Pretty great way to open the album up. It's brassy, upbeat and gives a good indication of the tone of the album to follow.
>2. Waltzing Matilda - 10/10
The definitive version of one of the most covered and widely known traditional folk songs. An absolute masterclass in melding trad with contemporary sounds.
>3. A Wee One - 9/10
A song about literally being cucked. It makes you feel for the guy, though. It's the first solely acoustic number on the album, so it's appropriately melancholic and downbeat.
>4. Lazy Harry's - 10/10
The ultimate party tune.
>5. It's On - 10/10
Black comedy, blue collar angst, braggadocio, sarcasm and political satire all in one? Sign me up.
>6. South Australia - 6/10
Fun, but substantially less dynamic than the preceding tracks.
>7. Shanties by the Way - 7/10
As above, but with a nicer hook.
>8. A Shearer's Dream - 4/10
Top notch arrangement, especially on the fiddle. Possibly the best arrangement on the LP, actually. But those lyrics, man. I get it. It's an old folk poem. But it's a shitty fucking poem. Trevor, mate, you can't have thought this was the best Australia had to offer.
>9. The Flash Stockman - 6/10
Basically a skit. It's a fun skit, at least.
>10. Bluey's Drink - 7/10
The solemn nature of the acoustic strumming is at odds with the goofy nature of the narrative. But it's funny, it's cute, it's likeable.
>11. On the Banks of the Condamine - 10/10
A radical reimagining of this Queensland folk staple that more properly brings out the angst and melodrama of the lyrics. Far and away the best version of the tune.
>12. Bold Jack Donahoe - 7/10
It's a worker's folk anthem. It's good, you've just heard it before under different names.

94/120 - 78.3
Pretty high, given how much of a hardass I am. Definitely one of the better Australian albums I've heard.

>1: Dark Fantasy 9/10
Gets the album off to great start, Niki Minaj poem works very well, unlike the rest of the album, very sleek. A great start
>2: Gorgeous 10/10
The beat, vocal production and Kid Cudi's Chorus sets the stage for some of both Kanye's and Raekwon's best lyrics, filled with discontent. Godly track
>3: POWER 10/10
My personal hype anthem, an ego trip done in the best way possible. Peaking with the King Crimson sample. Gets me excited to do literally anything
>All of the Lights (and interlude) 10/10
A beautiful start with the interlude builds up into Rihanna's powerful chorus. Kanye goes into detail about the court system and custody of his daughter, the discontent from Gorgeous becomes anger and sorrow. This all happens over the booming horns and tribal drums on the hook, pulling the track together.
>5: Monster 9.5/10
Another incredible ego trip, this time with a darker, more sinister feel, every featured artist kills the beat. Niki Minaj giving undoubtedly the best verse of her career. Bon Iver finishes the track wonderfully by showing Kanye's regret for being such a monster. Only taking off half a point for "PUSSY IN A SARCOPHAGUS" and Jay Z getting off topic.
>6: So Appalled 8.5/10
Obvious filler track, but not as bad as people think, Kanye actually delivers a pretty solid verse. Unfortunately, he and everyone else sound so uninterested that it kills a pretty damn good beat. Also, way too many features.
>7: Devil In a New Dress 10/10
Kanye tries to play off his failing relationship, sounding nervous while he gives a giant "sorry not sorry" to his girlfriend. Then we get a powerful guitar solo on the bridge followed by Rick Ross. Trying to cover his insecurities with his material possessions and acting tough. All over a beautiful beat with a heavenly sample, proving that the best instrument at Kanye's disposal is the human voice.
(pt. 1/2)

>So Appalled 8.5

I can see why you would give it a 9/10 but honestly it's more of an 8/8.5 out of 10. There are a lot of 9/10 and 10/10 songs but also some big duds (Motherbord, Beyond, Within) but even then those songs aren't too bad.
I can't believe I once thought it was one of their worst albums but after the second listen I found all the bright spots.
>Dark Fantasy and Goegeous with those scores
Happy with the Devil in a New Dress score, probably one of the most underrated tracks of Kanyes discography but also a potential top 5 or lock for top 10 tracks by him. Also that rick Ross verse is just prime.

>8: Runaway 11/10
An easy pick for not only best song on the album, but best Kanye song period. This song is Kanye's apology to everyone he's ever wronged. Kanye throws all his emotions on this song, exposing himself for being a bad person and blaming others for his problems. He wonders why people stay with him because he always finds something wrong with himself, telling people to just run away from him instead of putting up with him. Pusha T serves as the antithesis to Kanye, being as much of a douchebag as possible, never being sorry for anything. This highlights Kanye's apology even more, showing his sensitive side most rappers don't want to talk about. The beat fits the tone of the song perfectly, for every high note, 3 low notes, representing Kanye's feelings on life. The end of the song is just Kanye spilling out his feelings, droning the lyrics in heavy autotune (Probably representing alcoholism). My favorite song ever
>9: Hell of a Life 10/10
This track perfectly shows the Kanye he wants people to run away from. Greedy, lustful and not thinking. The lo fi guitar riff perfectly fits the song. The clicking on the hook is perfect, showing the childish nature of his actions. This is the Dark Fantasy the title suggests. It perfectly fits in between Blame Game and Runaway and is one of the best tracks on the album
>10: Blame Game 10/10
Showing the self destructive nature of Kanye in relationships. Blaming the other person and constantly getting in arguments with no winner. He's indecisive and confused about this girl. He loves her, but they obviously aren't for each other. The constant pitch shifting on the second verse shows this amazingly. The 3rd verse poem, John Legend and the piano riff add to the fact Kanye feels incredibly bad about this situation. Yeah the skit is bad, but it's ignorable, just listen to the great piano
(Pt 2/3 I guess)

if this isnt already a copy pasta then we need to make it one

how can a track be a 10/10 if the skit is bad? if you have to ignore part of a song for it to be good, its obviously not perfect.

considering he gave a track an 11/10 he's obviously not using a conventional rating system

>11: Lost In the World (+WWSIA) 11/10
Another godlike track. The Bon Iver sample is used perfectly to put on display the main theme of the album. Being lost or confused, but going with the flow (Being down for the night). Kanye shows how the girl of this album is so many things to him, but she is also the opposite of everything she is. The song builds up masterfully to booming vocals that perfectly transition into Who Will Survive in America? A poem that describes America the same way Kanye describes himself, ending the album on a powerful, yet subtle ending as the beat slows and calms down near the end of the poem.

109/110

My Personal score: 10/10 and my favorite album of all time

It's my favorite album of all time, of course I have a shit ton of bias toward it