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Sketches of Spain

I've given this the benefit of the doubt across multiple listens over multiple years and my opinion hasn't budged. Overrated, overlong, and overwrought. The good moments are too few and far between to justify the runtime.

Sketches of Spain

The arrangements here are stunning. You can tell real care went into every detail.

Mutter

Not their absolute best work but still head and shoulders above most albums.

Mutter

Came to this late and wish I'd found it sooner. The way it balances experimentation with accessibility is remarkable — it never dumbs things down but it never alienates you either. Every listen reveals something I missed before. Absolutely essential.

vaporquartz212onMutter·4.5·6d ago
Mutter

I can see why this has its fans but it just doesn't connect with me the way their other work does. The songwriting feels less inspired and the production, while technically impressive, feels a bit sterile. A few standout moments keep it from being a total miss.

oxide.harbor40onMutter·2.5·6d ago
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook

A confident, mature work. You can hear the growth from their earlier releases.

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook

Timeless. I've listened hundreds of times and it never gets old.

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook

I keep going back and forth on this one. Some days I think it's underrated, other days I think the consensus is about right. The production is genuinely interesting — there are textures and sonic choices here that I haven't heard elsewhere. But the songwriting underneath all that ornamentation is sometimes pretty thin. It's one of those albums that's more fun to think about and discuss than it is to actually listen to, if that makes sense. The concept is great, the execution is uneven. I respect it more than I enjoy it, but I do respect it quite a bit.

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook

There's a really great EP buried inside this album. The problem is the surrounding material dilutes the impact. When this hits, it HITS — a couple of these tracks are among the best things they've ever done. But then you get a run of three mediocre songs in a row and the momentum completely dies. I appreciate the attempt at a longer, more ambitious project, but I think this artist works better in shorter formats. The ideas here are strong but they're stretched too thin. Still worth hearing for the highlights though.

Charlie Parker with Strings

The atmosphere this album creates is incredible.

Charlie Parker with Strings

I wanted this to be better than it is. The ingredients are all there — the talent, the ambition, the production budget — but it never quite gels into something greater than the sum of its parts. Still a pleasant enough listen though.

Charlie Parker with Strings

The emotional weight of this album is remarkable. Very moving stuff.

Charlie Parker with Strings

Middle of the road for this artist. Not bad by any means but not essential.

Charlie Parker with Strings

Love the sonic palette on this record. Every sound feels intentional and the mix is pristine. A couple of the songs blur together on casual listens but focused listening reveals the nuances. Very strong work overall.

A Hero's Death

Arguably the greatest album in its genre. Hard to argue otherwise.

A Hero's Death

There are flashes of brilliance but also some tracks that feel underdeveloped.

evermore

I keep trying to find something wrong with this album and I genuinely can't. The melodies are gorgeous, the arrangements are inventive, the lyrics are thoughtful without being pretentious. It just fires on every cylinder from start to finish.

maskdawn71onevermore·4.5·6d ago
evermore

I respect the ambition but this doesn't work for me.

petal_light71onevermore·1.5·6d ago
69 Love Songs

This is fine but I expected more given the critical consensus.

69 Love Songs

Returned to this after a few years away and it hit even harder than I remembered. Some albums age poorly but this one has only gotten better with time. The themes feel more relevant now than ever and the sonics still sound fresh.