2024 Album-A-Day: Week 10

I should probably stop writing intros if nobody reads these.

March 4th: Apostrope (') by Frank Zappa

This was my first time with a full Zappa album, and I was not disappointed. Shorter than I expected, for one thing, but that's not the main draw. The main draw is that Frank Zappa is a fucking lunatic genius. Can any other musician say that they opened an album with "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow", which is in 7/4 on top of being just plain hilarious? That then cleanly transitions into "Nanook Rubs It", which is also a jam, and then I realize, "oh, this is an album with a story, even if that story is clearly nonsense." My favorite song is probably "Cosmik Debris" because of those backup singers and saxophones. I also love the title track, which is a fun instrumental. I definitely need to explore Zappa more.

March 5th: Parklife by Blur

I'm surprised I hadn't listened to a full Blur album before this week. Gorillaz were probably the first band I ever loved, and I also love Oasis, and I have no stake in the Britpop Wars, so I decided to correct for my ignorance. This is still distinctly Britpop, but more focused on rhythm and groove than Oasis' emphasis on raw power and grandeur, as well as more diverse. Tracks like "Girls & Boys" are danceable, "Parklife" is fun and snarky, "To The End" is smooth and ironic, and "This Is A Low" probably should have been the closer. The only problem I have with the album is that it ends with "Lot 105", which I feel doesn't really add anything. I'm going to be listening to more Blur.

March 6th: Puberty 2 by Mitski

I knew some Mitski songs already, so on the recommendation of my sister I started with this album. I really enjoyed it, both the heavy songs like "My Body's Made of Crushed Little Stars" and gentler songs like "I Bet On Losing Dogs". I was already familiar with the perfection of "Your Best American Girl". Mitski's strength is in the extreme specificity of her lyrics that pair well with the power of her instrumentals, and this album is a good example of that.

March 7th: London Calling by the Clash

This one was a real "How have I not already heard this" choice. Anyway, I love this. The title track, even if it's become a cliche needle-drop in any movie where characters go to London, kicks all the ass it did the first time I heard it. I love the bass riff on "The Guns of Brixton" and the chorus of "Rudie Can't Fail" and everything about "Lost In the Supermarket" which is my favorite on the album. The Clash were the kind of band that could mix punk energy with other styles very well, mostly ska and reggae. They were also just really good songwriters.

March 8th: Breakfast in America by Supertramp

I've known at least two of these songs my whole life, but I'm slightly confused as to what to call their style of music. Soft-prog? That sounds like an insult, but I promise it's not. I don't need to explain to you how great "The Logical Song" and "Goodbye Stranger" are, but I was surprised by how much I like "Gone Hollywood" and "Oh Darling" (no relation). This isn't my favorite thing I've ever heard, but I do like it quite a bit.

March 9th: The Never Story by JID

JID is good at rapping. That could be the full review. It won't be, though. I knew from the second I heard "General" that this guy had chops. He's fast and complex, but not obnoxiously, and knows when to dial it back. (see: "NEVER", "Somebody", and "EdEddnEddy". More rappers should have songs about Cartoon Network characters.) He's also not half bad at singing, as proven by "Hereditary". There's also great features, like Earthgang on "D/Vision" and 6lack on "8701". If there's one song I kind of don't like, it's "Underwear", because the chorus relies on a joke that's only funny if you're 7. Overall, I like this one.

March 10th: First Two Seven Inches by Minor Threat

Educating myself on punk history further, I checked out yet another band that featured Ian MacKaye. I liked this one, but I didn't love it. I understand the punk predilection for concise songs, but I like my punk to be a little more fleshed out than this, which was part of why I loved Repeater. I'm not saying it's bad (anything someone might not like about it is probably part of the point) but I get the feeling that Ian would only improve as a songwriter as he went on. Still, I don't deny this album's place in punk history. My favorite song on the album is "Minor Threat".