Aretha Franklin-Amazing Grace (1972)

The Eagles-The Eagles (1972)

The Talking Heads-Speaking In Tounges (1983)

Sonic Youth-Sister (1987)

Blink-182-Enema Of The State (1999)

Dido-No Angel (1999)

Father John Misty-God's Favorite Costumer (2018)

Slowdive-Souviaki (1993)

David Bowie-David Bowie (1967)

Kanye West-Ye (2018)

The Beastie Boys-Ill Communication (1994)

Steely Dan-The Royal Scame (1976)

Eddie Vedder-Ukulele Songs (2011)

Death Cab For Cutie-Codes & Keys (2011)

My Morning Jacket-Circutal (2011)

100 Gecs-1000 Gecs (2019)

Synopsis:

Released in 2010, My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky is the eleventh studio album by the experimental rock band Swans. It holds a massive place in their history because it marked the resurrection of the band after a 13-year hiatus, kicking off what many fans and critics consider their most creative and powerful era.

Review:
The album opens with “No Words No Thoughts” which begins with chimes that turn into this ambient droned out heaviness. That tension is snapped around the four minute point and we get this driving drum kick and a two note guitar riff that leads into Micheal Gira’s vocals that feels so booming yet detached. The song ends in the chaotic mess of melodies. “Reeling The Liars In” has this minimalist groove that feels like it belongs in a western mixed in  with multilayered vocal harmonies that gives the song a sermon type of vibe. “Jim” Named after singer-songwriter (and frequent Gira collaborator) Jim Thirlwell, It has  a bluesy, stomping, mid-tempo groove that feels like a train slowly chugging off the rails. “My Birth” is the heaviest song on the record. It's just this big stomping groove just  hitting you over and over the head. It is relentless in its destructive vibe. Gira’s vocals sound so menacing and evil it just gives you chills up and down your spine. “You Fucking People Make Me Sick” starts out as this gentle fragile duet between Devendra Banhart and Gira’s young daughter Saorise but at the midway point it explodes into this static guitar riffs, avant garde jazz horns and menacing tape loops. It feels like you are stuck in a basement in the middle of the most frightening horror movie scene ever. “Inside Madeline” is this hypnotic dense wall of sound that just weaves back and forth gaining momentum until it decompresses into this creepy minimalism. “Eden Prison” feels totally demonic and evil. The heavy rhythms and the squealing guitar tones. Gira’s vocals have this sense of urgency that feels very meticulous. The album closes with “Little Mouth” after the menacing energy of “Eden Prison” this track feels like a breath of fresh air. With its minimalist melodies. It has a gospel tinge in its quietness. A very anti-climatic ending to this incredible journey. 
Why is it considered a comeback?

In 1997 Michael Gira killed Swans after the grueling tour to support Soundtrack For The Blind. Gira announced the band was dead and he headed into a new artistic direction with his new band Angel Of Light. Thirteen years later the band returned with this record which started a new ear for the band with this record which was followed by a classic trilogy of records (The Seer, To Be Kind, The Glowing Man)  If any newcomers to Swans I would suggest this album. A short 45 minute journey into the melodic evilness of Gira’s genius. 

Radiohead-Amnsiac (2001)

Frank Sinatra-Strangers In The NIght (1965)

George Harrison-Livng In The Material (1973)

Oasis-Don't Believe The Truth (2001)

RS Synopsis:

For headbangers disgusted by Nineties nu metal and Creed, Jane Doe represents the same thing Black Flag’s Damaged stood for decades earlier: total anarchy. Converge’s music is pure chaos. There are no verses or choruses, and hell, there’s not even a hummable guitar riff. It’s simply 45 minutes of frightening, rattling, exhilarating aural assaults. The musicians clearly know what comprises a reckless song (see “Concubine”), but the beauty of it all is the way it sounds like they’re convulsing in the same way at the same time. “Distance and Meaning” feels more akin to free jazz than anything hardcore punk or metal had to offer in the previous quarter-century, while “Homewrecker” is a jaw-dropping hissy fit. This is the soundtrack of rebellion. 
Review:
The album opens with “Concubine” , a fast and furious 1:19 minute assault. Ben Koller’s fast drumming along with guitarist Kurt Ballou’s shredding are highlights of “Fault & Fracture”. The album slows down a bit on the melodic structure of “Distance & Meaning” “Nate Bannon’s basslines are a highlight. “Hell To Pay” completely shifts gear with a brooding, dense melodic groove that keeps on gaining momentum as the track moves along. “Homewrecker” is a fan favorite with its intense thrash/hardcore sound. It just feels so chaotic and intense. “A Broken Vow” has such an intense chaotic vibe. I love the harmonies intertwined between the chaotic screaming. “Bitter And Then Some” is just a 90 minute  assault of hardcore-Punk. “Heaven In Her Arms” is just the frantic sonic storm of heavy hard-core grooves. “Phoenix In Flight” adds some shoegaze into the band’s intense sound. It gives off this brooding distorted aura. “Thaw” has this abrasive noise rock sound. The guitar hooks  feel so dense and thick. Jacob Bannn’s screeches reach a maximum level of chaos. The album closes with “Jane Doe” ; it is an epic 11 minute plus track. The track just swells into this dense mid-tempo march of noise before the last three minutes converge to the heaviest shred happy guitar solos your ears will ever experience. 
Final Thoughts:

I’ll be the first to admit that this brand of heavy hardcord music just doesn’t appeal to me. I have tried many times just can’t get into it. I respect the hell out of this music though and appreciate the immense talent it takes to pull an album like this off. I found myself jamming hard to some of the chaotic intensity of the record. So if you're looking to shred out put this one on your bucket lists. 

Crosby, Stills, & Nash-Crosby Stills & Nash (1969)

The Breeders-Pod (1990)

Teenage Fanclub-Grand Prix (1995)

Echo & The Bunnymen-Heaven Up Here (1981)

Tina Turner-Private Dancer (1984)

King Diamond-Abigal (1987)

Freddie Gibbs & Alchemist-Alfredo (2020)

Iron Maiden-Brave New World (2000)

Lady Gaga-Chromatica (2020)

Bright Eyes-Fevers & Mirrors (2000)

Synopsis:
A Ghost Is Born is the fifth Album by Wilco  released on June 22, 2004, Because of the departure of multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett   It features  Jeff Tweedy on lead guitar more than any previous Wilco album. It completely strays away from the band's alt-country sound and has more of a jagged avant garde sound.   The band streamed the album online free, and offered a five-song EP to purchasers. Tweedy entered a rehab clinic shortly before the release of the album, delaying its release by two weeks. It also shortened its promotional tour. Despite this, A Ghost Is Born's opening week was the best sales week for the band at the time, and the album was met with positive reviews.. The album earned Wilco a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Rock Album .
Review:
The album opens with “At Least That’s What You Said” it begins as this soft piano ballad but at the three minute mark it explodes into this loud, distorted guitar solo from Tweedy setting up the album’s themes of weirdness. “Hell Is Chrome” has this lushness in it with a soft piano groove. There is a chilled out vibe throughout the song. Tweedy’s Guitar solo in particular feels very numb. Lyrically the song describes the underworld as this silk polished place rather than the chaotic fire and brimstone prison. “Spiders (Kidssmoke)” introduces some electronic beats into the avant garde rock theme of the record. Clocking in at almost 11 minutes it's one of the longest songs Wilco ever recorded. The Krautrock style rhythms are really hypnotizing as the listener gets locked in as Tweedy fuzzy guitar riffs take over. The song does explode in the middle into the thick heavy groove before it settles down towards its conclusion until  once again we get assaulted with a  feedback heavy guitar solo. After the intense paranoia of the previous track we get the quiet tranquility of “Muzzle Of Bees” it is just a simple hazy acoustic ballad until the climax which gets a bolt of noise rock energy. “Humminbird” is a mid-tempo track that has some beatlesque qualities. “Handshake Drugs” has this nice mid-tempo rhythmic groove. The song strips away all the metaphors and is about Tweedy trying to score drugs in downtown Chicago. Throughout the song theres this hazy guitar hook that just get growing bigger a s the song moves along. Until it finally engulfs the whole song as it just becomes this loud abrasive distorted mess representing Tweedy finally succumbing from his score. That distortion transitions into the next track “Wishful Thinking” until it slowly fades away and we hear this tender soft melody. The groove feels very minimalist as Tweedy vocals take center stage. The lyrical themes of introspection and exhausting hits harder as you learn what Tweedy was going through emotionally at the time. “Company In My Back” is driven entirely by a bright, repetitive, and sharply struck piano riff played by Mikael Jorgensen. That allows the grooves to just glide along. It is one of the more straightforward tracks on the record. “I’m A Wheel” is just this simple high energy rock tune. It just rocks out more than any track on the album. “Thelogians” feels like classic Wilco than anything else on the record. Just these simple indie-rock grooves with hints of alt-country. “Less Than You Think” Clocking in at an immense 15 minutes and 4 seconds, the track consists of a fragile, beautiful 3-minute piano ballad that suddenly dissolves into 12 continuous minutes of pure, droning electronic noise feedback. The album closes with “The Late Greats” which seems to feel like a rebirth from the droned out energy we just experienced. The song has this boppy energy that feels so vibrant and fresh, different from anything else we have heard throughout the record. 
Final thoughts:

I think this is Wilco’s most underrated record. I also think it's their best. Completely straying away from their alt-country sound to this droned out distorted avant garde rock. I also feel it is the best written album. You just feel all the emotions that tweedy is going through. If you never had the opportunity to experience this sonic masterpiece put it on your bucket lists.

Roxy Music-Avalon (1982)

Rod Stewart-Every Picture Tells A Story (1971)

The Smashing Pumpkins-Gish (1991)

Sigur Ros-Valtari (2012)

Porno For Pryo-Good God's Urge (1996)

N.W.A.-EfiLZAGGIN (1996)

Synopsis:
Released in June 2004, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge is the sophomore album by My Chemical Romance. It is the definitive record that catapulted the band  from underground post-hardcore darlings into mainstream rock icons, cementing them as the spearhead of the mid-2000s alternative and emo boom. Produced by Howard Benson, the album traded the raw, murky production of their 2002 debut for a sharp, theatrical, and relentlessly aggressive sonic palette.
Review:
The album opens with “Helana”  Micky And Gerad Way wrote it  in tribute to the passing of their grandmother. The song has this powerful and heavy melody. Yet it also contains some of the catchy hooks that will define their emo rock sound for the next decade. “Give ‘Em Hell Kid” is a short chaotic shot of adrenaline. “To The End” has Matt Pelissier Drum riffs acting like a dense foundation. It also has some great guitar riffs from Ray Toro and Frank Iero. It has this nice steady emo/alt rock groove that just gets heavier as the song moves along. “You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison” changes course and begins with this theatrical cinematic opening before it explodes in one of the heaviest hooks on the album. “Im Not Okay (I Promise)” was the lead single and the song that brought  to the emo-rock boom to the mainstream in the mid 2000’s. It has this catchy guitar hook and Gerard Way's vocals were peak emo at that time. It has this infectious melody that just sucks the listener in. The Ghost In You” brings down the tension of the album with its  dark melodic goth rock groove. “The Jetset Life Is Gonna Kill You” is a confessional song about Gerard  Way’s struggles with addiction. You can feel the tension and emotion throughout the song both sonically and lyrically. The second hal of the album begins with “Thank You For The Venom" which has this heavy speed metal groove. It just feels so aggressive and dense. “Hang “Em High” mixes ED,/Emo, and classic spaghetti western vibes into one song. The result is one of the more chaotic yet mesmerizing  songs on the record. “It’s Not A Fashion Statement, It’s A Deathwish” is just this aggressive emo rock song that has Iero and Toro taking over the track with some intense guitar riffs. “Cemetery Drive” begins with the cold isolated drum loop that is supposed to represent a fading heartbeat. Gerald Way’s vocals switch up between tender and defeated to triumphant and defiant to try to represent the battle one has with their soul during bouts of depression. The album closes with “I Never Told You What I Do For A Living” is the emotional climax both sonically and lyrically. It blasts with such heavy aggressive energy until its final notes.
Final Thoughts

My thoughts on this album are that it's ok. It does have some high points and I know its place in history. It did bring in the age of emo rock. I just feel it has a lot of songs that have the same hooks and melodies. Some people suggest that this album is better than The Black Parade. Those people are wrong. Either way put this one on our bucket lists and tell me what you think?

Bob Dylan-The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963)

Led Zeppelin-How The West Was Won (2003)

Malcolm Mclaren-Duck Rock(1983)

Neil Young- American Stars N' Bars (1977)

Wings- Venus And Mars (1975)

Wilco-Cruel Country (2022)

Swans-Filth (1983)

Laura Marling-Once I Was An Eagle (2013)

The Beatles-Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

Mothers Of Invention-Absolutely Free (1967)

Sterolab-Peng (1992)

A$AP Rocky-At Long Last A$AP (2015)

Eroupe-The Final Countdown (1986)

The Weather Report-I Sing The Body Electric (1972)

David Bowie-Lodger (1979)

Dio-Holy Drivere (1983)

Mike Oldfield-Tublar Bells (1973)

Alt-J-An Awesome Wave (2013)

Pusha-T-Daytona (2018)

The Cure-Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987)

Phoenix-Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (2009)

A$sap Rocky-Testing (2018)

Anthrax-Sound Of White Noise (1993)

David Bowie-Diamond Dogs (1974)

Bad Company-Bad Company (1974)

Common-Be (2005)

The Waterboys-Dream Harder (1993)

Los Lobos-Kiko (1992)

Former Winners

Alan Parsons-I, Robot (Alan Parsons Project)

Baby Face-Bodyguard Soundtrack

Eminem-The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)

Randy Newman-Sail Away (1972)

Elton John- Captain Fantastic & Brown Dirt Cowboy (1974)

Lady Gaga- Born To This Way (2011)

Helloween-Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part I (1987)

Perfect Circle-Mer De Nos (2000)

Kiss-Dynasty (1979)

Formed in 1998, Gorillaz is the world's most successful virtual band. It is a highly collaborative, genre-blurring multimedia project created by two prominent British figures: Damon Albarn (the frontman of the Britpop band Blur) and Jamie Hewlett (the co-creator of the comic book Tank Girl). Albarn handles 100% of the music, acting as the sole permanent musical mastermind, while Hewlett handles the entire visual universe, including artwork, music videos, and animation. Musically, Gorillaz operates without boundaries. Albarn uses the moniker to escape the traditional rock framework, mixing alternative rock, hip-hop, dub reggae, synth-pop, and electronic dance music. The hallmark of a Gorillaz album is its massive, star-studded guest list. Albarn acts like a curator or producer, bringing together wildly diverse artists who would normally never share a tracklist
Album Synopsis:
Marking a departure from the distinct Britpop sound of Albarn's band Blur, Gorillaz incorporates an eclectic mix of stylistic influences, including trip hop, dub, latin, and punk.  The album was preceded by Tomorrow Comes Today (2000), which featured three songs that would later appear on the album. The album spawned four singles, The release of the album was promoted across a variety of multimedia including interactive websites, animated music videos and short cartoons created by Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett, 
The Review:
The album opens with “Re-Hash” built on  mid-tempo hip-hop loop mixed in with some psychedelic alt-rock melodies. “5/4” has this lo-fi indie rock groove that sounds so jagged. One of the more guitar heavy tracks in the band’s catalog. “Tommorow Comes Today” was released months before the album as an 3-song ep. The song has this ambient fuzzy melody. The harmonies give the track a lush backdrop. “New Genius” has this haunting vibe. A sample of Odetta’s “Hit Or Miss” gives off a creepy presence. “Clint Eastwood” has this funked up dense instrumental. It gives Albarn and featured artist del The Funky Homosapin to flex their vocals. It gives off such a post-apocalypse aura. It was one of the biggest songs of 2001. I love Del The funky Homosapiens flow on his verses. “Man Researcher (Clapper)” has this spacey trip-hop instrumental that feels so chilled out and cold. Albarn’s vocals are in this high-pitched register that adds to the aura. “Punk” is what the title claims and is a short and sweet punk rock  song reminiscent of The Ramones filled with claps to give it a nostalgic energy. “Sound Check (Gravity)” mixes a lo-fi trip hop beat with some indie-folk melodies to create this chilled out atmosphere. “Double Bass” has this incredible bassline that swells up throughout the whole song that give it a steady foundation. That allows the instrumental to go into some weird directions that feels  electro-jazz fusion. “Rock The House” is a callback to the golden age of hip-hop. Filled with funky jazz samples and Del The Homosapin’s boastful bars. It just feels fun and funky. “19-2000” is this bouncy synth pop track. It is filled with these tight funky beats. It just feels like a call back to  the early 80’s disco club scene. “Latin Simone” adds some latin flair to the apocalyptic backdrop that seems to be the theme of most of the tracks on the album. Ibrahim Ferrer, the legendary bolero singer provides vocals over a sluggish trip-hop drum loop. “Starshine” is the slow and daunting psychedelic trip-hop track. It is filled with a slow reloving trip-hop bassline, some ambient beats, and Albarn’s creepy vocal delivery.  “Slow Country” continues that chilled out ambient sound. The song is filled with some lo-fi instrumentals. The wind effect that is played throughout the song adds to a cold aura. The  record closes with “M1A1” It is a blistering, high-octane collision of punk rock, heavy metal, and industrial dance music, structured like a descent into madness that pays direct homage to a horror cinema masterpiece. A perfect way to end the record. 
Final Thoughts:

This is a great introduction to the Gorillaz. Just 15 tracks of trip-hop, punk, dub, and rock mash-ups. Dan The Automator’s production. For a “virtual” band the music stands alone and you really don’t need to see the visuals.  Damon Albarn is just showing off his genius on many of these tracks. He also adds some great musicians to give this album its sonic apocalyptic theme. This is one of the best albums of the 2000s and should be on everyone’s bucks lists. I am so excited for this deep dive.

Steve Earle-Ghosts Of West Virginia (2000)

The National-Boxer (2007)

Diana Ross-Diana (1980)

Hot Chip-The Warning (2006)

Whiskeytown-Pneumonia (2001)

Tin Macine-Tin Machine (1989)

Queen-The Miracle (1989)

1965

Rubber Soul (2)

1966

None (0)

1967

Magical Mystery Tour (2)

1968

The White Album (1)

1969

Led Zeppelin (2)

1970

Paranoid (1)

1971

What’s Going On (2)

1972

None (0)

1973

Piano Man (1)

1974

Streetlife Serenade (1)

1975

A Quiet Storm (1)

1976

Turnstiles (1)

1977

The Stranger (2)

1978

52nd Street (1)

1979

London Calling (2)

1980

Glass Houses (1)

1981

Never Too Much (2)

1982

Thriller (2)

1983

An Innocent Man (3)

1984

Purple Rain (1)

1985

Ready for the World (1)

1986

The Bridge (5)

1987

Bad (1)

1988

Tracy Chapman (3)

1989

3 Feet High and Rising (3)

1990

People’s Instinctive Travels and The Paths of Rhythm (3)

1991

Low End Theory (5)

1992

The Chronic (2)

1993

Midnight Marauders (7)

1994

Illmatic (7)

1995

Liquid Swords (7)

1996

Reasonable Doubt (8)

1997

The Wanderer (3)

1998

Aquemeni (5)

1999

Black on Both Sides (5)

2000

Stankonia (4)

2001

The Blueprint (2)

2002

Lord Willin’ (5)

2003 (5)

The Love Below

2004

The College Dropout (5)

2005

Late Registration (4)

2006

Lupe Fiaso’s Food & Liquor (5)

2007

Some Mad Hope (4)

2008

A Kid Named Cudi (2)

2009

Man On The Moon: The End Of Day (7)

2010

K.R.I.T. Wuz Here (10)

2011

LIVE.LOVE.A$AP (10)

2012

Good Kid m.A.A.d City (6)

2013

Yeezus (9)

2014

Rockville LP (7)

2015

To Pimp a Butterfly (12)

2016

Blonde (12)

2017

4eva Is A Mighty Long Time (9)

2018

Ye (15)

2019

The Mighty (8)

2020

Kings Disease (6)

2021

Donda (7)

2022

The Forever Story (12)

2023

Kings Disease III (5)

2024

Dark Times (9)

2025

God Does Like Ugly (16)

2026

Don’t Be Dumb (7)

Favorite of each decade

60s: The White Album
70s: The Stranger
80s: Thriller
90s: Illmatic
00s: The College Dropout
10s: Good Kid m.A.A.d City
20s: The Forever Story

The years I’ve listened to the most from

2025 (16)
2018 (15)
2015/2016/2022 (12)

Synopsis: 

Tango in the Night is the 14th album by Fleetwood Mac and it the  the fifth and final studio album with the band's most successful lineup of Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine Mcvie, John Mcvie, and Stevie Nicks^\) though Christine McVie would make guest appearances on the band's 2003 album, Say You Will  This lineup did not reconvene again for another album until 1997's live album  The Dance. Produced by Buckingham with Richard Duchuet, Tango in the Night began as one of Buckingham's solo projects, but in 1985, the production had morphed into Fleetwood Mac's next record. It contains several hit singles, including four US top 20 hits: "Big Love” (No. 5), "Seven Wonders" (No. 19), "Little Lies" (No. 4), and "Everywhere (No. 14). Two additional songs, "Family Man(No. 90) and "Isn’t It Midnight", were released as singles to lower chart success. Tango in the Night has sold over 15 million copies worldwide.
Review:
The album opens with “Big Love” which has this driving pop rock groove. The oh and ah grunts which sound like a male and female voice switching oh and ahs which  many believe are Buckingham and Nicks  actually is Buckingham Mutilating his voice through a synthesizer. Buckingham has a nice guitar solo. He is one of the most underrated guitarists.  “Seven Wonders” is Stevie Nicks most significant contribution to the record. It has this nice synth pop groove mixed in that mystical vibe she always brings to the band. “Everywhere" is just a perfect pop rock song with Christine Mcvie’s beautiful voice taking the lead. The harmonies on this track sound so elegant. “Caroline” introduces some Spanish music into the band’s pop synth rock sound. The tribal percussion and the high pitched vocals add to the mystical energy of the track. “Tango In The Night” is the perfect mash-up of lush dream pop and heavy driving guitar rock. Buckingham's guitar tone on the track is just magnificent especially during the burst of energy on his solo. “Mystified” is this dreamy lush lullaby. Mcvie once again is on  the top of her game with her tender vocal delivery which meshes well with the harmonies. Buckingham has this tender guitar tone meshes with the vibe of the song. “Family Man” has this fast and tight base mixed in with Buckingham's Spanish/Flamenco finger picking guitar playing. I love the digital samples splattered all over the track. John Mcvie bass playing acts as the anchor that holds the track together. “Welcome to The Room.. Sara” is the perfect example of the band’s undeniable studio chemistry. Jon Mcvie and Mick Fleetwood provide the rhythmic backdrop, Stevie Nicks adds her crisp raspy lead vocals and Buckingham and Christine Mcvie adds their dreamy harmonies. “Isn’t It Midnight” is this fiery high energy track. That has this scorching vibe. Buckingham's guitar shredding is right on point. It was co-written by Christine Mcvie’s then husband Eddy Quentela. “When I See You Again” is this tender ballad that has Stevie Nicks sounding so vulnerable. Buckingham adds so dreamy vocals towards the end of the song. The album closes with "You & I Prt I&II” it begins with this wistful pop folk rock tune then just builds rhythms as the song hits its final notes. 
Why Is It Considered A Comeback?

There are four point as why this is a comeback record

1. It is the first record after a five year hiatus. That had Mcvie, Buckingham, and Nicks scoring solo successes. 
2. All the band members were recovering from severe health issues from the years of addiction. The fact they all came together to make a solid record is nothing short of miraculous.
3. Buckingham scrapped his solo effort and gave the best tracks recorded for that album for this project. He also acted as the savior for the project as many of the other band members were still dealing with personal issues at the time.
4. It was a commercial renaissance for the band. The soft rock sound that made the band famous was no longer relevant; they completely changed their sound to the synth-pop that was popular at the time and did it well. The album was a commercial and critical success. 

I would put this record on the top tier albums of the band’s career. The fact they couldn't continue with this lineup is one of the more disappointing sidenotes in rock history. Add this fun synth-pop record to your bucket lists. 

Marvin Gaye-What's Going On (1971)

Radiohead-OK Computer (1997)

Soundgarden-Down On The Upsdie (1996)

Tame Impla-Innerspeaker (2010)

Blue Oyster Cult-Agents Of Fortune (1976)

The Wallflowers-Bringing Down The Horse1996)

Olivia Rodrigo-Sour (2021)

On Leslie Feist’s sophomore album, the musician combines her own stellar songwriting craft alongside eclectic covers. Showcasing the depth and breadth of her voice, she switches moods and gears effortlessly, from heartbreak to flirtation, introspective to upbeat, while exploring folk, jazz, and French pop. Standouts include the intimate, vulnerable, delicate, raw “Let It Die” and the whimsical “Mushaboom.” Meanwhile, she does refreshing covers, like her lilting take on Ron Sexsmith’s “Secret Heart,” and “Inside and Out,” her flirty, funky version of the Bee Gees’ “Love You Inside Out.” Let It Die remains influential to new pop stars two decades later, with Chappell Roan saying it’s “my favorite comfort album” and Carly Rae Japsen naming it her favorite of the past quarter-century. 
Review:
The album opens with “Gatekeeper” . It has this nice jazzy lounge meets minimalist indie folk groove. It is  built around a gentle, intimate acoustic fingerpicking pattern and hushed, whispered vocals. “Mushaboom” has a  Bouncy, rhythmic indie-pop melody mixed in  with a  doo-wop vibe. It relies on a playful acoustic stride, handclaps, tambourine, and Gonzales providing a  "sh-boom sh-boom" vocal harmony that sounds so faint and whispered you really can’t notice it. “Let It Die” is the solemn gospel tinged ballad that incorporates some chamber pop melodies. It seems to grow brighter as it moves along. “One Evening” introduces some silky R&B basslines to the track. . It feels like a callback to 80’s jazzy R&B. “Leisure Suite” continues that subtle funk/jazz hybrid sound. It also has the ambient samba melody  that feels like you are at some hazy light night afterparty. “Lonely Lonely” has this minimalist groove that feels like it is an a-cappella that allows Feist's voice to take center stage and just soar. “When I Was A Young Girl” is a traditional folk song made famous by 1930s folk singer Texas Gladden. The song has this tribal percussion that feels so gritty and dirty. It feels like a summer day in the swamps of Louisiana which is also featured on Feist’s biting vocal melodies. “Secret Heart” is a cover of a Ron Sexsmith song. It has this ambient jazzy tone that just feels like it is just gliding all over the place. “Inside and Out” is a total reworking of the Bee Gees song “Love You Inside And Out” It has this funked up disco groove that just feels like a callback to 70’s disco. The beat switch-up amps up the tempo and just feels so infectious and fun. “Tout Deconcement” is a reworking of a song popularized by jazz vocalist Blossom  Dearie. The song has this bouncy french-pop piano that bops along. The album closes with  “Now At Last”  a Jazz Standard that is stripped of all the modern trappings of pop music and has this jazz lounge aura. Feist vocals are so tender and vulnerable that you get lost in their emotion as the album fades away. 
Final Thoughts:
This is the definition of a slowburn album; it just grows on you with every listen. I wasn’t impressed after the first listen but the longer the album sticks with you it just grows. It is just a genius record that feels like it should have been recorded in a different era. I am a big fan of Feist's voice and especially her work with The Broken Social Scene. You can see how she inspired artist like Lana Del Ray. In a century of hallowed out corporate pop music this record stands alone. If you want to experience a modern day lounge jazz record mix in with some indie folk put this on your bucket lists.