NTTR - No Time to Review

I think Grimalkin is a good melodic progressive rock album, but I don't think it consistently rises above the level of a very competent genre exercise. The songwriting is clearly the main strength. Maybe All a Dream has enough melody to make the progressive structure feel natural, while Break Away balances hooks and instrumental detail particularly well. I also like Slowly Falls the Flying Man , which is probably the most ambitious track and the one where the different textures actually create something memorable rather than simply showing how many ideas the band can fit into one song. Ted Leonard remains a major asset. His voice gives the album warmth and continuity, and the shorter tracks help prevent the record from becoming overloaded with long-form prog. My main problem is familiarity. I hear a lot of Kansas, Spock's Beard and classic melodic prog in the arrangements, and although Pattern-Seeking Animals handle those influences extremely well, I don't always hear...

I think Ohm has a very strong identity, but I don't think the songs are as memorable as the sound of the album. The combination of analogue electronics, bandoneon, strings and Río de la Plata rhythms is immediately recognisable. Switched On Milonga is probably the best example: the synths feel playful and slightly strange, while the underlying rhythm keeps everything grounded. Acequias and Tres Empanadas also work well because they balance atmosphere and groove without feeling like obvious electro-tango exercises. I also like how compact the album is. Fourteen tracks in forty-six minutes means Bajofondo rarely overextends an idea, and the sequencing keeps things moving. My main problem is that too many tracks function more as textures, transitions or clever studio constructions than songs I really want to return to individually. I remember the palette of the album very clearly, but not enough specific melodies or hooks. Se Fue el Sol is interesting because Cristian Castro ...

I think Hazel Eyes is pleasant and very well produced, but I don't think the songs justify the amount of polish around them. The organic direction suits Sam Smith much better than the more synthetic pop of some previous releases. The acoustic guitars, piano, strings and gospel elements give the album warmth, and their voice is obviously excellent throughout. I also like that they don't constantly push every song towards a huge vocal climax. Everlasting Love is probably the track I would return to first, and Moondance works well because Feist brings a different texture to the album. Oh Mother also has some emotional weight without becoming too theatrical. My problem is that too many songs start to blend together. The production is warm and tasteful, but the songwriting is often quite conventional. I remember the atmosphere of the album, the voice and the seventies-influenced arrangements much more clearly than most of the actual melodies. The lyrics also don't help e...

I think Sunset Blush is a good atmospheric metal album, but I don't think the intensity is enough to make it a truly strong one. The atmosphere is clearly the best part. Sadness is very good at combining shoegaze warmth with black-metal weight, and when the guitars become huge there is a real emotional effect. Pink Sounds is probably my favourite because the build feels natural rather than simply loud, while Istoy works well as the final long climax. I also like how direct the album is emotionally. There is no distance or irony here: sunsets, summer, love, absence and nostalgia are pushed almost to the point of excess. Most of the time that sincerity works. My main problem is repetition. The four tracks have different details, but they often move towards the same kind of release: softer textures, increasing layers, distant vocals and then a large wall of sound. Once I understand that pattern, some of the later climaxes lose part of their impact. I also remember the overall p...

I think Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going is a good album, but I don't think it quite becomes a very good one. Ella Williams is clearly the main reason it works. Her voice gives the record a real identity, and I like the way she moves between something very fragile and something much heavier without forcing it. Cleveland is probably the song I would return to first, while Helicopters and Foot Thick Ice are the moments where the album has the most impact. I also like the balance between folk, heartland rock and noisier guitars. The production is detailed without becoming too polished, and the thirty-five-minute runtime helps a lot. There is very little filler and the sequencing is strong. My main issue is still the songwriting. A lot of the songs are well written, but not enough of them leave a strong melodic trace afterwards. I remember the atmosphere, the voice and the feeling of movement through roads and cities more clearly than I remember the actual hooks. So fo...

I think Cheesy Love Songs is pleasant and well made, but I also think I enjoy the idea of the album more than most of the actual songs. The Lazy Eyes clearly know how to write this kind of retro pop. The harmonies are good, the arrangements are detailed without becoming overloaded, and tracks like The One Who Got Away and How Does It Feel To Be In Love? have enough melodic ideas to stand out. I also like the short runtime. Thirty-three minutes is exactly right. But I keep hearing the references before I hear the band. Beatles, Beach Boys, Zombies, a little Queen or Elton John. None of it is badly done, but the more psychedelic and heavier side of The Lazy Eyes gave them much more personality. Here they often sound like very talented students of classic pop. The other problem is that the songs are more charming than memorable. There are nice chord changes, clever arrangements and plenty of pleasant moments, but not many hooks that stay with me once the album finishes. So I don...