41-50
Maybe this is another case of low expectations, but this album took me by surprise and didn’t let go. Just like we’ve come to expect, Bon Jovi’s songs make you want to sing them at the top of your lungs with larges groups of people. “We Weren’t Born To Follow”, “When We Were Beautiful”, and “Lean To Love” stood out.
The vanguard effort of Volcano Choir, Unmap both thrilled and failed. Evoking images of Bon Iver, the hauntingly beautiful music soothes. Echoing the sentiments of my musical genius friend Ben, it also feels like they were afraid to do things. The album starts with a great sound, and then fails to wow for the rest of the album. Get excited if they improve.
This is a rare disc from a top 40 artist that I actually like, surpassing the likes of Eminem, Maino, Ke$ha, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and Lady Antebellum. While not usually a fan of R&B, this disc just wins. “War”, “Down”, “Do You Remember”, and “Lights Off” are the highlights.
57-Mika-The Boy Who Knew Too Much
Life In Cartoon Motion was a revolutionary album. The follow up continues with Mika’s fantastic sound, but fails to wow in the same capacity. It’s always fun, and I love the occasional driving piano, but it’s a step sideways for Mika.
This movie was good, not great, except for a few breathtaking lines and the acting performance by Maggie Gyllenhaal. The soundtrack is the same way: good, not great. Alexi Murdoch is super chill, but rarely inspiring. The Bob Dylan song brought the score up a bit.
After not liking them at all, I gave them another shot. It’s absolutely crazy music, but if you’re in the right mood, it’s fantastic. “Trojan Horse” and “Talons” are my favorites.
52-Monsters of Folk-Monsters of Folk
An “American supergroup consisting of Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst, M. Ward, and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes” (thanks Wikipedia), Monster of Folk is a very highly regarded group. I didn’t like this disc the first time I gave it a listen, but it has grown on me. The talent is very evident, but again the twang drives me away a tad.
51-British Sea Power-Man of Aran
Their first disc “Open Season” was a big favorite of mine, so I was eager to listen to their follow up effort. The opening track, which is also the title track, is a haunting, instrumental piano track. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the whole CD is instrumental. “Boy Vertiginous” evoked memories of Sigur Ros. It was okay, but I wanted some lyrics!
51-Porcupine Tree-The Incident
A pretty tough band to pin down, Porcupine Tree ranges from almost metal at times, to a more alternative sound, to even a slight poppy sound. I feel like they’re really talented; I just need more time to see how I feel about them. They’ll get a modest grade to start.
51-Susan Boyle-I Dreamed A Dream
I can’t give this one the greatest of scores simply because she’s a singer, not a writer. That said, “I Dreamed A Dream”, “You’ll See”, and “Who I Was Born To Be” are swelling, inspiring tracks.
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