Reviews Written by Spencer

Broken Social Scene's You Forgot It In People

Pros: Flawlessly Produced, Excellent Musicianship, Wonderfully Atmospheric, Inspired, and Imaginative

Cons: Becomes slightly inconsistent and scattered towards the end

2003 should be revered as one of the greatest years for music; It was a year of innovation and music at it's emotional peak. Instead, it will likely be seen as the year that The Strokes sucked, Beyonce hit it big solo, The White Stripes recieved grammy acknowledgement, and "hey ya" (deservingly) became the most phenomenal radio hit of the year.

For those who yearned for and found something more in '03, there are some of music's most essential recordings: "the meadowlands" by the wrens, "dead cites, red seas, and lost ghosts" by m83, "boy in da corner" by dizzee rascal, and of course, "you forgot it in people" by broken social scene.

Simply put, this album is one of such staggering beauty and emotional resonance and imagery that one wonders what the big deal about minimalism was in the first place, for every instrument defines an emotion, every member is as significant as the next, and every note becomes part of something so massive that nothing but the feeling you get from it holds relevance. Notably, the magnificently inspired "Pacific Theme" produces vivid summer imagery while, in "Stars And Sons", incessant guitars build intensely over anxious handclaps and eventually disintegrate into mechanical noise like clockwork.

So here i stand in awe alongside few others, for I have witnessed music at one of its notable peaks. ...

Untitled

Pros: Slightly Different from Is This It, A Few Good Songs, "12:51" is their most accessible sounding single to date

Cons: Regression from Is This It, No Standout Tracks that match or surpass Is This It's best moments

The immediate reaction is dissapointment, and while Room On Fire falls dramatically short of Is This It, about half of the album is reasonably strong; Songs like "12:51", "Under Control", and "The End Has No End" all suggest The Strokes are, slowly but surely, expanding their sound. The other half is painfully mundane, however, sounding uninspired and lacking the fantastically infectious hooks that made Is This It a true classic. "You Talk Way Too Much" and "Reptilia", unlike most of Is This It, are far from compelling.

I'm willing to bet The Strokes are capable of rivalling or even surpassing their astonishing debut, they just need to work harder. ...

Jagged Little Pill/ 3.5

Pros: Lyrics, 2 or 3 amazing songs

Cons: Most tracks are very bland

To my memory, this was my first cd purchase. I was 10, and for me, this was a first glimpse into an artist of unrestrained honesty. Her songs were far from goundbreaking musically, but songs like "you learn" and "hand in my pocket" possessed good enough hooks to be intriguing and instantly likable. In many ways, this album was a first step into my obesession with music, a gateway if you will, so, in that respect, it has pretty deep personal meaning. Sadly, a few songs are victims of mundanity, providing even less pleasure than they did upon first listen 8 years ago. Although some songs are nearly deserving of the coveted "classic" label, many are just too ordinary to enjoy. ...

smiths

yeah yeah yeahs

This is a review of White Blood Cells

This is a review of Source Tags & Codes

This is a review of Vespertine

this is a review of Beautiful