Back from vacation, and all caught up on my listening. Time to engage in a brief summary of the last week. Here we go.
>Vulnicura
Nice sounds, REALLY nice sounds but are these really songs? They don't seem to have structure. 7.25/10.
>In C
Kinda felt stagnant in a few places, but the concept behind it is fascinating. And it's one of the first pieces of minimalism (a subgenre I adore) so I can't knock it. 7.75/10.
>Storm of the Light's Bane
Reminded me a lot of Ulver's Trilogie. I can also tell Ne Obliviscaris must've been influenced by this. Solid stuff front to back. 8.25/10.
>Dirt
Wow. This is one of the most vocally astonishing albums I've heard in a while. Layne Staley really doesn't hold anything back here. "I want you to scrape me from the walls and go crazy like you've made me." Damn. And the music has a true bite and grit to go along with it. 8.5/10.
>Coltrane Live at Birdland
Just a solid collection of recordings from a legendary quartet. I especially love the cadenza on "I Want to Talk About You" and the masterpiece that is "Alabama." 8.0/10.
>Either/Or
Lo-fi bliss much in the fashion of Roman Candle and Elliott Smith's self-titled record. Maybe I need a few more listens to see why this is seen as his best across the board, but I certainly enjoy it. 8.0/10.
>The Ape of Naples
I guess I don't really understand the backstory of this album entirely? It's very eerie and kooky, but I don't know enough about Coil to really feel a true attachment to the music here. I'll get it eventually, I hope. 7.25/10.
>Sauna
My first experience with Phil Elverum. I dug it. I wish it had more forward momentum (somewhat the same gripe I had with Vulnicura), but there's an original sound here that draws on indie rock and ambient music and all that good stuff. 7.5/10.
Do you know how many time zones there are in the Soviet Union?