music review #1 - the ballad of hollis brown

rating: 10/10 song: the ballad of hollis brown album: the times they are a-changin' (1964) artist: bob dylan

just pre-dating dylan's electric era, this track is haunting and certainly a predecessor to songs like "it's alright ma (i'm only bleeding)". with its repetitive acoustic guitar chords and harrowing lyrics, this song is certainly one of my favourite dylan tracks, and i love it so much that i renamed my socials after the song.

the lyrics tell the story of a man named hollis brown who lives in a broken-down cabin & farm outside of a south dakota town. he has a wife and five children and is incredibly poor & jobless, with no one to help his family out. his family is going hungry & so they scream & cry, but still, hollis brown feels hopeless as he cannot do anything. and so, he uses the last of his money to buy shotgun shels and murders his children and wife and then himself. the song ends with the ominous lyric, "somewheres in the distance there's seven new people born".

first, i'd like to talk about the interesting lyric & rhyming pattern dylan utilises here. it's certainly unique, as it has the pattern of:

line 1 [A] line 2 [B] line 1 [A] line 2 [B] line 3 [C] line 4 [B]

it is quite repetitive, but also very impactful. another interesting aspect of the lyrics is the point of view. very few writings in general are written in second person point of view, and here, this pov is used to make the song all the more visceral. you are hollis brown; you walk the floor and wonder why with every breath you breathe; your wife screams are stabbin' you like the dirty driving rain; your eyes fix on the shotgun that you're holdin' in your hand. this certainly allows for the listener to, at the very least, make more sense of what brown's thought process it is, no matter how fucked up it is. dylan places the listener in the position of brown, and by doing this forces the listener to wonder what they would do in this situation, if they would have any other option.

this technique is certainly effective and although seemingly small is quite important in what makes this such a good song. another detail is the descriptive lyrics, setting, & similes dylan uses. there's a lot of scene-setting, such as the lines "way out in the wilderness a cold coyote calls" and "seven shots ring out like the ocean's pounding roar". it's extremely important to the listener as it helps visualise the setting of the song and understanding exactly how brown feels / what he is experiencing.

one of my favourite lyrics of the song has to be the line:

you walk the floor and wonder why with every breath you breathe.

there are SO many interpretations to this line. brown could be wondering why his life is so terrible, why he's stuck in this cycle of poverty. this could also take to mean that he's wondering why he's even alive (explained more in this genius lyric annotation), hinting at his suicidal tendencies early on in the song. or, it could be about his baby, as the line before this mentions his baby tugging at his sleeve. maybe he's curious as to what the baby wants from him, after he's tried everything he can. and again, this line (like most of the song) is written in second person, meaning you're placed in the shoes of brown, left to decide for yourself.

another one of my favourite verses is:

your brain is a-bleedin’ and your legs can’t seem to stand your eyes fix on the shotgun that you’re holdin’ in your hand

i love this lyric because it's so explicit. the bleeding - metaphorical at this point, but affecting brown physically; the shotgun in brown's hand, the final moments before he murders his family. dylan slowly hints at this moment the entire song making this climax incredibly effective. i just adore the uneasiness of it all.

finally, the last lines of the song (likely the most important, summing up the moral) is ambiguous and fascinating.

there’s seven people dead on a south dakota farm somewhere in the distance there’s seven new people born

that last line. "there's seven new people born". again, this can be taken to mean multiple things; is he referring to the fleeting nature of human existence, how easy it is to murder seven human beings and them being replaced immediately? is he referring to the cycle of poverty, that these seven new people will also be born into poverty and repeat brown's cycle? that it's easier to replace seven people than it is to keep them from dying?

many questions arise when listening to this song, and rightfully so. this song makes me think a lot, and i love it. it's an incredibly underrated track and i hope you all listen to it and love it as much as i do.

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 23/03/2024 (V of BTS and... Mark Knopfler?)

It’s a short week, largely to prepare for what chaos should be coming the next, but right at the top, Benson Boone clenches his first ever #1 with “Beautiful Things”. I know pretty much no-one who cares about pop music on a deeper level likes this song, but hey, if I’m the only person happy about this other than Booner Boy himself, I’ll take it. Welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

Given our few new songs, we also only have a handful of notable dropouts to start with, so we’ll bid adieu to the small but decent selection of “Could You be Loved” by Bob Marley & The Wailers, “Angel Numbers / Ten Toes” by Chris Brown, “My Love Mine All Mine” by Mitski and finally, “Disconnect” by Becky Hill and Chase & Status.

As for what’s back, we see returns for “Asking” by Sonny Fodera and MK featuring Clementine Douglas at #73 and, sigh, “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi at #68, and then a spattering of gains. Our most notable boosts are for “if u think i’m pretty” by Artemas at #59, “Wasted Youth” by goddard. and Cat Burns at #58, “We Ain’t Here for Long” by Nathan Dawe at #55, “Happier” by The Blessed Madonna featuring Clementine Douglas at #54, “Thank You (Not So Bad)” by a bestiary of enemies to good taste at #50, “Green & Gold” by Rudimental and Skepsis featuring Charlotte Plank and Riko Dan at #43, “Birds in the Sky” by NewEra at #34, “Never Lose Me” by Flo Milli surging high and fast up to #23 thanks to her releasing an album that includes a pretty great remix of the song featuring Cardi B and SZA, and then “Austin” by Dasha at #15, “Lovers in a Past Life” by Calvin Harris and Rag’n’Bone Man at #14 and finally, making his way into the top 10 for the first time, “Scared to Start” by Michael Marcagi at #10.

Our top five this week consists of “End of Beginning” by Djo at #5, “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims at #4, “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” by Beyoncé at #3, “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” by Ariana Grande at a new peak of #2 off of the debut, that could grab a week at the top soon, and of course, Benny Boone at #1. Now for our four new songs, which feel like names picked out of a hat and placed onto the chart.

New Entries

#60 - “Been Like This” - Meghan Trainor and T-Pain

Produced by Gian Stone and Grant Boutin

This is a joke, right? Or a soundtrack to a reality television competition, or daytime talk show? T-Pain has grown into his role as wholesome cuddly media figure surprisingly well and a collaboration with Meghan Trainor, whilst demonic, seems to be the best way to seal that position, with this being the lead single for her next album… Timeless. Well, that’s one thing to call your music. Mean jokes aside, hey, T-Pain is here so at least there’ll be some genuine, not as obnoxious charisma? Well, first of all, it’s electro swing, so my first instinct is to step away from my laptop, keel over and die, especially when Meghan starts to singing about how she keeps it juicy and then eventually that she’s “still that bitch”, as if she was ever that bitch to begin with. There’s something so cynical about Trainor’s vocals that I didn’t notice just the true extent of until T-Pain came in with an infectious call-and-response and weirdly-mixed but fun-extruding harmonies that almost would convince me on the entire song if he didn’t have to play to Meghan’s lack of personality, especially when placed against each other in the bridge. T-Pain can sell this as some goofy cartoon clown, but it probably wouldn’t charted without Ms. Trainor, who brings pretty much nothing to the song other than taking it a tad too seriously, despite the fact that there’s no reason, lyrically, for this to even be a duet. Also, Meghan, I’m not sure you can even sing the line about GRAMMYs in T-Pain’s verse on the account of you only have one.

#52 - “Never be Lonely” - Jax Jones and Zoe Wees

Produced by Jax Jones, Mark Ralph, Neave Applebaum and Tom Demac

I actually really like Jax Jones’ producer tag, it’s cute and rhythmic, has a little stutter to it. It’s nice. I have to say more than that, don’t I? I have to acknowledge Zoe Wees’ voice being misued and manipulated to just sounding characterless, I have to acknowledge how this heavily interpolates the drop from “Rhythm is a Dancer” by Snap!, one of the best Eurodance songs ever despite some… regrettable lines. It spent six weeks at #1 in 1992, blocking off Jimmy Nails, Freddie Mercury, Luther Vandross, Janet Jackson and of course, “Ebenezer Goode” by the Shamen from the top spot, before reappearing in remixed form in 2003 and 2008, reaching the top 40 again both times. “Never be Lonely” doesn’t work as an update of the song because of completely different lyrical content that I actually hate, asking someone to tell her how it feels that she’ll always be there for them, it’s really patronising and weird. It doesn’t work as a reimagining or reinterpretation because it goes for the same tone, and doesn’t adopt or adapt any of the original lyrical conceits. The one thing it does have is a Cascada remix. Yes, that Cascada. I have no idea why, but it exists.

#18 - “Going Home” (Theme from Local Hero) - Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes

Produced by Guy Fletcher

Oh, so I guess this episode really will get as serious as cancer. This one might take a while to explain. So in 1983, Bill Forsyth wrote and directed Local Hero, a highly-acclaimed comedy drama that is actually former US Vice President Al Gore’s favourite film. Its soundtrack features a five-minute instrumental piece known as the “Theme of the Local Hero”. I’ve never seen the film so I don’t know how exactly it appears or makes sense within its narrative but I do know it has far transcended its origin. “Going Home” was the first single in Mark Knopfler’s solo career and has become a staple in both his and his band’s live performances, as well as becoming another theme, now for Knopfler’s home football team, Newcastle United. It’s probably the most lukewarm take of all time to say that “Going Home” is a beautiful piece, it honestly gives me goosebumps from its transcendent new-age introduction and excellently distant sax from Michael Brecker, that eventually transform into a very 80s-sounding but still profoundly triumphant jam that emulates the feeling of a journey in the UK pretty well. Maybe that’s what the film’s about, I don’t know. It peaked at #56 in 1983, whilst Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” was #1 - good week for rock epics, I guess.

If you know Knopfler from anything, it’s likely his band Dire Straits, one of the few important British rock bands that hit #1 in the States and never back over here on the islands - their #1 is of course “Money for Nothing”. The legacy of Dire Straits is not something tangible for me or that I’ve ever really understood, their sound was varied and evolved through what was ultimately a very short career. They’re not a legendary act but are still big names and incredibly well-connected, especially Knopfler, who has played and produced extensively for many artists and soundtracks. In January, Knopfler sold over 100 of his guitar and amp equipment at auction and in March, he’s compiled a charity ensemble to cover “Going Home” in support of cancer awareness.

Its status as a charity single is the only possible explanation for why this nearly 10 minute instrumental piece even touched the charts let alone the top 20, but it is stuffed with big names, from rock icons like Brian May, RIngo Starr and Joan Jett and newer cats like Sam Fender and Orianthi to genuine oddballs like Keiji Haino and head-scratching inclusions like, uh, Brad Paisley, who I will only ever remember for “Accidental Racist”. There are over 60 musicians on this record and damn near all of them contributed through their guitar playing, other than Ringo on drums, The Who’s Roger Daltrey on my favourite, the harmonica (that you can barely hear at times - Daltrey’s harmonica should be put to better use), and a few others. You can tell that Fletcher and Knopfler did their best job to try and collate recordings that were clearly from different times, places, equipment set-ups and audio qualities, but this is still basically a meandering pile of guitar overdubs that lasts longer than some full EPs and doesn’t really let you register any single guitarist as them playing. The collectiveness of it may just be the point, to show a united front against cancer or what have you, and there’s definitely a lot to appreciate if you’re an in-depth fan of guitar playing or a guitarist yourself, of which I’m not. I will admit, this is genuinely impressively easy to sit through for how lengthy it is, largely because of the dexterity on display, the fact that the melody of the original “Going Home”, even when developed on in the many ways it is within this piece, is still so infectious, and also because it comes out of not just cynical philanthropy but a genuine passion for the guitar as an instrument. The cover art is a Sgt. Peppers parody of the musicians standing in front of a famous guitar shop in London, and the wide array of musicians from a lot of different genres, eras and even techniques shows how wide and universal this feels an appreciation of the guitar… but I’ll say what my dad always said about Dire Straits (because, really, dads are the only people with viable Dire Straits opinions): “it all becomes much of a muchness.” My favourite of theirs is “Walk of Life” by the way, it’s so goofy. Love it.

#14 - “FRI(END)S” - V

Produced by Connor McDonough and Riley McDonough

V is the latest of the BTS boys to release a solo English single, seemingly leading towards a solo career like Jung Kook, with credits stacked full of Anglophone pop songwriters and production from the McDonough brothers that results in a very serviceable pop song that I’m not sure would get much attention outside of the fact that it’s a BTS member, hence why sales jacked this one’s chart position up so high. It’s not a bad little song at all, in fact I like the distorted guitar lick and the amount of emotion V shows in his vocals despite all the effects, he has a real unique texture against the slodgier indie drums and the infectious bed of harmonies in the pre-chorus. The one way I could see this getting big organically would be that fun albeit gimmicky chorus that makes this an anti-climactic friend zone anthem, though the gimmick wears off after the second time and doesn’t really develop into anything new in the second chorus other than some pretty gross, reverb-drenched spectacle. I usually wouldn’t give this manufactured bedroom pop much more of the time of day but there’s not much in the way of obnoxious performance or toxic lyrics here, it’s just that it really could be any other vaguely bitter male singer’s song. The first most obvious comparison is Joji due to their vocal textures, but Charlie Puth or Lauv could have easily made this work too, though probably not as well as V does here, especially not Puth. God, that would be horrible. Thank God for BTS that this song was never offered to Puth (not that he’d accept a song he didn’t spend 20 hours writing and producing himself, of course). Ugh, enough Puth talk, let’s end the episode.

Conclusion

God, this was not a great week, huh? Even if I’m not fussed about the new version, the composition of “Going Home” makes Mark Knopfler and friends get a lock for Honourable Mention, and it really does end up as the song with the most - if not the only - human passion in this selection. Worst of the Week goes to Meghan Trainor, surprise, surprise, for “Been Like This” with T-Pain, and that’s all. Future, Shakira, O-Rod, Tyla, Hozier, Headie One, Artemas, Cardi B, Lil Nas X, Bryson Tiller, they could all hypothetically show up next week and it would be a big one, so prepare for that and who knows what else? It’s 2024, anything can chart. As for now, thank you for reading, rest in peace to Cola Boyy but we go on and I’ll see you next week!

Sixfonia Music Review

I don't really care for vtubers as a genre, but recently, I've been following this one vsinger group for their non-music content because "haha funy". After a while, I decided to listen to some of their songs because I'm a self-proclaimed music enjoyer, and the result was.... not good.

(I was initially gonna keep this off tumblr, but I have so much to say about their songs that I decided to review all of them here.)

First things first, 90% of their songs are normal straight boy love songs, so I won't be talking about their lyrics. Also, I feel like most, if not all of the instrumentals in their songs are done by computer simulations and not actual instruments, which is disappointing.

J0KER×JOK3R: This is the song they use in the end-cards of all their videos, so I've been forced to listen to the chorus A LOT. I didn't really like it at first, but it started growing on me, and one of the guys (the green one) screamed before the final chorus, and screaming always makes a song better.

SHALL WE GONG!?!? -1st battle-: Boy do I have stuff to say about this one. First, the word "Gong". The first thing it brings to mind is "dong". I think it's supposed to be the Mandarin word 攻, but since that's also a bl term for tops, I can only think of dirty things looking at the title.

Onto the actual song. It starts with an AI woman saying "This is not an ordinary record." You'd think that'd be enough of a red flag, but tbh... this song is actually kinda enjoyable for me. It's mostly rapping (something they do a lot), but there's another shout before the final chorus, which, as I said, always makes a song better.

eND oF FaNTaSY.: As a tumblr user, I cannot look at the sprites in this video without going "Little German boy????" When I first started listening to this one, I was like "wtf this is so good??" I like how the instrumentals actually get quieter during the chorus, and the flow is pretty good UNTIL the final chorus, where everything falls apart. They decided to raise the key, add in some jingles, and piano keys being pressed one by one, which ruins the song's vibe and makes it sound like an ice cream truck's jingle.

SCRaP＆ReV0LuT1oN: This one's such a mess. They start, with no intro, by singing the chorus, which starts with "Let the opera resound," shaping it up to be a neo-classical song, but they started scat singing right after that?? Also, during the verses, I can't tell if they're singing off beat, or if the beat is off them. It's one of the most disjointed songs I've ever heard, but at least the chorus slaps.

絶対！キメツケ症候群: It's a goofy 47-second song. Not much to say besides that.

Can We Jazz?: No, we can't. This is the point where I realized they really like starting with vocals and no intro. The beat is really loud and I don't really like the melody, but it doesn't sound outright ugly like some of their other songs. Overall mid.

六陣革命: This one's lit. Not many funny things to say about this. The visuals are inspired by the taisho period, which is... not good (also another can of worms that I can make a whole different post about), but if you're willing to ignore that, it's a really solid song.

ただ想う、君がため。: It's a really good ballad. Beautiful melody. The harmonies (?) during the chorus are a bit too loud compared to the main melody, but that's easy to get used to after a few listens. Funny though, how this is, iirc, their only song with no rap break, even though ballads with slow rapping do exist, and they seem to put rapping in every song they can.

6-4-Sweets: This one's just mid. Not much else to say.

「好き」のかくれんぼ: I know the EXACT vibe they're trying to go for, but damn, does this just sound bad. I don't like comparing artists with each other, but this sounds like a cheap rip-off of AKB48's Iiwake Maybe and other similar songs, so why would I listen to this (which doesn't even have a good chorus), when better songs with the exact same subject and vibes exist?

(I can't post anymore videos, so I'll be continuing this in a reblog)

A Summery of Empires SMP the Musical

Prismarine: Oh wow, I’d forgotten how peaceful this server was

The Great Salmon Scam: Oh, the cod war! simpilar times, this was such a great moment (and such a catchy song!)

The Stand Off: the irony of them both going to sausage! oh what fun! also, empires smp the western?

Reel Love: *sobbing* why can’t I have what they have!!

Something Old, Something New: Yeah, get it girls! rock those dance moves!!

It Takes Two To Tango: The best song, no contest, “you can disagree, your wrong though /J “-seapeekay, in an all things mcc video.

Deal With Destiney/The Blue Axolotl: Ah the ol’ classic and the only two i could actually sing to.

Your Old Friend Xornoth: dying at the nicknames, and the backup vocals (I think it was maddie) being so close to saying fuck

The Crown Pt1/2: It shouldn’t be so sad, but it is and I know why

Water You Thinking: okay, maybe It Takes Two To Tango has some contest

Let Them Eat Cake: the most character development in one song, love it 10/10. (also was the AHA a last life reference?? it must’ve been right!)

Happily Ever After: hahaha, I wish- wait why is everyone flossing??

The Rapture: *quietly sobbing in the background*

This felt like a fever dream, and i loved every second. thank you so much Lizzie for this. let it be known i’m memorizing every one of these.

Song Review: Sudan Archives - “Selfish Soul”

Multi-instrumentalist Brittany Parks and her moniker Sudan Archives is headed somewhere ambitious whenever her next album drops. More recently, we heard that level up on the horizon with the single “Home Maker”, which palettized experimental funk, disco, rap and pop within a culture-crossing arrangement that swaggered in its self-care meditation. With her latest single “Selfish Soul”, she’s again turning toward the inward embrace out, with the track celebrating the beauty of all hair in the face of societal expectations and doing so in her singular fashion of sonic expression. Electric violin rips side by side with the bass body movement that clap back at all the critiques set by these standards. “I don’t want no struggles, I don’t want no fears / Does it make sense to you / Why I cut it off? / Okay, one time if I grow it long / Am I good enough, am I good enough?,” she asks, though not for approval. “About time I embrace myself and soul / Time I feed my selfish soul.” Her look is unapologetic confidence.

Sudan Archives’ "Selfish Soul” single is available now on Stones Throw.

What’s up everyone!

It has indeed been awhile but I have not forgotten about this blog ! I have listened to lots of new songs since my last post searching for the perfect one to review. I’m proud to announce that the wait is over !So without further ado, please enjoy this review of Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard.

Arguably Yellowcard’s best track, Ocean Avenue is a fun punk rock hit that is sure to please any crowd. You may not realize it when you first hear it due to its bright vocalist and uplifting tempo, but this song is actually about a breakup. The contrast between its happy musicality and sad lyrics is actually quite interesting ! The lead vocalist sings, “There’s a piece of you that’s here with me. It’s everywhere I go, it’s everything I see.” Even though they are not together anymore, he still misses her. This is quite sad. Another fact you may not know: there’s a violin part in the chorus of this song ! It may be hard pick out from the crowd, but it does a good job at conveying some of the song’s more somber themes in the melody. How awesome ! Overall, the song takes us, the listeners, on a pop rock journey you won’t soon forget, and isn’t that what music is all about?

I hope you enjoyed this review. Be sure to suggest a song for me to review and you can get a shout out on this blog !

Existential Song Reviews - "It's Time To Go"

After listening to a Taylor Swift song, I wrote this primarily for a friend that I was thinking about, but I discovered it's pretty personal too and I think is relevant to anyone.

We all have situations and hurts in our life that leave us scarred, broken or bruised. Many times we try to push through and fix the situation or come to a place where everything feels resolved but that’s not always possible. Sometimes it’s not even worth it to keep trying. I can think of several situations and examples in my own life where I have made the difficult decision to throw in the…

View On WordPress

We’re doing music on this blog too now. Todays album:

Let Her Burn

By Rebecca Black

Rating 4/10. Maybe 3. TLDR: Overall the songs are mostly very short and all blend in just a little too much, I could play the entire album and almost not know when one songs ends and another begins. The lyrics are truly nothing to write home about. The production was very basic (assuming professional producers were hired), like there was no pushing the limits or actually trying to find something unique apart from some poorly executed tempo variations. Doe Eyed is probably the most well done, the production is tight, the lyrics are ok, vocals fine. I’d give this album a skip. If you’re really into keeping up with celebrities and want to know all about RB then I reckon just read the lyrics and you’ll be fine? FYI this mini review is only focussing on the tracks, I’m not sending any negativity toward RB the person.

1. “Erase You” - This one might grow on me? It’s very basic though. Terribly basic. I totally get the appeal some gays might have to it, it’s very “typical long bass with higher freq synth arpeggiations”, which I think is the reason ‘Into You’ (Ariana grande) was so popular with the white American gays. The vocals are lacking for the style she’s apparently trying to go for. But she definitely can sing, if there’s any pitch correction it’s hardly noticeable (except for where they intentionally went for an auto-tuney effect).

2. “Destroy Me” - not a big fan of this one. Sounds like something grimes would’ve written/produced back in the mid 2010’s. Actually song 1 also sounds like something from the producers of Grimes earlier songs. The lyrics are honestly.. they sound like something a very young musician would’ve written. The (Amen Break?) is not doing anything for this track, it’s a great rhythm dgmw, but I would’ve gone for something else because it’s clashing too much and not helping achieve whatever serious vibe I think they were going for?? Again her vocals are ok, in the times there’s less background sounds that take away from them.

3. “Misery Loves Company” - overproduced, but somehow underproduced at the same time. Way too many conflicting layers. The descending drone thing is really clashing with those fat juicy chords, and other elements sound like they’re just being added to account for an emptiness that would’ve been better left alone. Again the lyrics… “I got a graveyard of all the failed loves that I’ve paid in blood” :\ it sounds like the only effort put into this song was spent on the chorus.

4. “Crumbs” - catchy actually. So far this is the only song with time synced lyrics. There’s a high pitched static noise that comes frequently (again when you’re just trying to add little pieces you end up with way too much noise) and it’s physically painful, it doesn’t serve the track, the way it’s currently being used. I would’ve used it maybe during just certain sections of the song, novelty is also nice. The “bad bad bad bad bad” (refrain?) is just.. man I don’t even know. It sounds like a first year arts major was experimenting in a new DAW. It’s so jarring, it comes out of nowhere and then we just go back into the normal bop vibe.

5. “Doe Eyed” - oh I like the way this one was done. Oh yes. Someone fucked up though. From around 13 seconds in, “maybe you (weird fast forward) feel the same”, I thought it was the connection to my headphones but nah. Ignoring who RB is as a person (as far as I know, which isn’t a lot), this track is tight, and consistent. The lyrics are mostly pretty good, the production is nice and simple, there are less ‘beat experiments’, whatever they add (in terms of layering etc) fits well and really helps pace the track and give it a direction. Not a fan, but this track is pretty well done.

6. “Sick To My Stomach” - oh yay more time synced lyrics. *sigh*. It’s just safe. Some of the previous songs at least tried something (even though it probably could’ve been implemented better), but this just… some “ooh ooh” background vocals, simple synths and bass. It feels like I’m drinking room temperature water that’s been left out for a few days.

7. “What Am I Gonna Do With You” - weak lyrics. Things like “why don’t you slip inside .. my mind .. if you can find your way out I promise there’ll be a prize” it comes off as if she’s singing for a carnival but she doesn’t know it. Ok production though, mostly. But again it’s just the standard drums, guitar, some vocal stacking. This song could not exist and it wouldn’t do anything to the album.

8. “Cry Hard Enough” - interesting vox. Ok.. ok…. I swear to god that’s the Amen Break again.. or modified at least. Yea this is nicely done I like this track I’ll probably give it another listen. When they repeat the chorus though there’s too much occupying the same frequency range as her vocals though it kinda takes away. I think filling out maybe the bass a bit more would’ve served it better. Ugh but then again the lyrics bring it down it sounds like parts of it were written by a wannabe YA author “the thought of myself FEELING broken makes my heart sink and I FEEL small. As though I’m stranded in an airport (?????) I really thought that you should know”. Um.

9. “Look At You” - More TSL. Sounds like the previous songs. Actually all of them sound the same.. Nice vocals in this one though. Oh nice synths, very Stranger Things. It sounds like this was produced by whoever did that flash in the pan girl “I got my drivers license yesterday, just like you said we would” etc. It seems like that’s the vibe they’re trying to go for, but there’s elements which pull it in other directions completely. Very nice outro piano.

10. “Performer” - “I’m a performer (guitar strumming) got myself cornered”. Girl what. Oh hey Lauren Aquilina helped with this too, you should check out some of her songs they’re really neat. Oh no this song is really not it. I completely understand that many songwriters use this medium to relay what they’d write in their personal diaries, but a truly talented and skilled artist is able to transform their diary entries into powerful songs. This is not that. This is like someone giving a powerpoint presentation and reading every single word off the slide behind them. God it ends so abruptly, there was no variation (mainly vocally), it felt like the same one line being sung for 3 minutes.

The way that after Patroclus died, Achilles slept next to his corpse, fought a river God, butchered Hector and dragged his body around Troy several times with his chariot.

“He is half of my soul, as the poets say”.

Patroclus literally was Achilles’ impulse control. He was the half with the empathy and the generosity and the immense kindness. When he died, all that was left of Achilles was a human weapon.

Literally how destructively beautiful is that. Imagine the depth of this love. *lets out a mental guttural scream and sob*

what a shame, i can see it all now that we’re through

- firearm by lizzy mcalpine

(chapter 5 of call it even is making me feel bonkers insane. thank u @sha-nwa)

Monthly Round-Up : June 2022

Monthly Round-Up : June 2022

June 2nd JO YURI – #8 I wasn’t sure about Glassy, but now I’m fully obsessed with her voice. And this song is way too good. I really hope the stronger rock influences continue. June 6th SON DONG WOON – #37 This was the man who was wearing the hat in HIGHLIGHT’s last comeback that pulled me in. But on top of how gorgeous of a man he is, his voice is just as amazing. And this music video was…

View On WordPress

More GL manga recs:

Summary: Aya is a high school student who is captivated by the mysterious "Onii-san" who works at a CD store. The real "Onii-san" is actually Mitsuki, a girl in her class with whom she had never spoken to before.

Review: This is a very cute read!!! The story doesn't drag out any drama. When I first started reading this, I was afraid it'd drag the secret of Mitsuki being the "Onii-san" but it doesn't. It's very well paced while also being a slow burn. They're both very well written.

Status: Ongoing

Summary: Bubbly, energetic first-year high school student Himari falls head over heels for her senpai Yori after hearing her band perform on the first day of school. Himari tells Yori she just loves her, and to Himari's surprise, Yori says she loves Himari back! But when Himari realizes that she and her senpai are feeling two different kinds of love, she begins to ask herself what "love" really means...

Summary: They're both so adorable!!! I love their relationship sm. There's a lot of other wlw relationships in this manga so that's a plus point. There's also some angst here and there. It also has an anime adaptation coming out next year!

Status: Ongoing

Summary: England, the early 1900s. Alice, a young noblewoman, has a Japanese maid named Hanako working in her household. The two have a fairly typical relationship…until the day Alice begs Hanako to kill her. As Hanako tries to figure out why her mistress would make such a terrible request, she and Alice grow closer until an entirely new feeling begins to blossom between them.

Review: The summary doesn't really do justice to the manga's plot but I don't want to say much because I'll mistakenly give out spoilers so I'll just say it's angsty so prepare yourself for that. Both of the characters and the relationship between them are very well written.

Status: Completed

Okay this isn't a manga, it's a manhua(chinese comic). I haven't read enough GL manhua to make a list about it so I'm putting it here. This manhua is called Tamen de Gushi. I think the English translation of the story name is called "Their Story"/ "SQ begin w/your name"

Summary: The funny romantic story of how Qiu Tong and Sun Jing met and fell in love.

Review: It was one of my first GLs so it has a very special place in my heart. I laughed a lot while reading this. It's mostly on the comedy side. Qiu Tong and Sun Jing's relationship is so so adorable. The side characters in this story are also lovable. The characters in this feel very relatable. Unfortunately due to censorship in China the author had been told to remove the confession scene of the main characters in the physical copies and the author rejected to do that. Because of this, the manhua doesn't have proper chapters anymore but the author still does post little snippets of their life together on weibo and twitter. However there's still 200+ chapters of wholesomeness so please do give it a read!

If you want more GL recs:

Have you seen the coliseum? The jaws, the stands, the banners, and blood? The crowds, the roaring magnanimous flood? Their voices, the ocean, the pulse in your ears, the shape of their outcry, the shape of your fear. Your sword is the lightning, the thunder their praise, the silence befallen your hand when it's stayed. You should see the coliseum, the fights in the sand, your soul in your teeth and your glory demand. As if you were thunder, the god of the storm, you, gladiator, the proud and hels-born.

guess who (finally) finished a storm of swords, part one 🖤 being back in this world truly was an experience unlike any other. the world that george r r martin has crafted here is unrivalled — it really is one of the greatest fantasy epics <3 i cannot wait to read part two later this month!!

for now, i'll be starting my next book for my classic tomes challenge 👀 very excited

one of a kind living in a world gone plastic

baby you're so classic

@most-tragic-character-tournament

(all my thoughts in the tags)

Song Review: black midi - “Welcome to Hell”

Last year’s sonically immersive sophomore effort Calvacade heard black midi expounding upon their experimental post-punk with a free jazz fusion that amounted to more theatrical display of boundless noisemaking than that which they initially entered the scene upon with their clean lines-laden breakthrough debut Schlagenheim. Where as Calvacade meditated on a voyeuristic sinking feeling rife with drama, the South London trio has reacted to that with what vocalist Geordie Greep calls “an epic action film” told in the first person that is their third full-length effort Hellfire, due out astutely in the heat of July.

Lead single “Welcome to Hell” sets its temperature in both sight and sound, not far removed from the optics of our current world circumstances. Beneath the surface of mathematically funky guitars sparking the alarm with Morgan Simpson’s percussion spreading its flames is a tale of a soldier burdened by war traumas and expelled to an exotic coastal town saturated with his invading army’s military. Once nighttime falls, unsavory behavior pours into its streets through the soft purr of motorbikes and allure of red rooms – a recommended distraction of excess while the soldier struggles to cope. “To die for your country does not win a war / To kill for your country does not win a war,” Greep proclaims, before moving into the listen’s climactic final chapter – a crude display of pedestrian chaos, portrayed by blearing brass and increased observational mania before our private’s services are dishonorably discharged. Hell on Earth, disguised as paradise manufactured by – but who else? -- mankind.

black midi’s Hellfire will be released July 15th on Rough Trade.