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YOU'VE BEEN INVITED TO THE TOWN PLAY!
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when michael gira
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i'm thinking of slowing these down to be bi-weekly for a while. i've been feeling just burnt out in general + summer's coming up, which should hypothetically mean i can listen to more albums than ever because i have nothing but free time, but the more free time i have the more i struggle to do much of anything. we're all ill here i'm sure you understand.
as a refresher - italicized tracks are interludes, bolded tracks are my standouts (a.k.a. a 4.5 or higher), a ★ indicates my favorite song, and an × indicates my least favorite song
(p.s. clicking on an album cover it'll take you to some more info about the album on rateyourmusic)
i present my rating system, THE SANDWICH SCALE
★★★★★ - toasted meatball sub / all-timer
★★★★½ - taylor ham egg and cheese / love
★★★★ - loaded with toppings / great
★★★½ - a nice flatbread / might order again if i'm in the mood
★★★ - a little soggy / average + good moments
★★½ - a little dry / average + boring
★★ - untoasted subway flatbread / pretty bad, mediocre at best
★½ - where are my toppings / quite bad
★ - finding an onion when i ordered no onion / all-time stinker
½ - peppers / i really fucking hate peppers
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Enola Gay - Asia Menor | 2023
indie rock | art punk | post-punk
★★★½
a post-punk influenced dreamy indie rock album that is way too long for what it is. on the other hand, this is still a pretty impressive album, specifically the instrumentals. i will admit i know nothing about the chilean music scene but among what i've heard asia menor stands out as an especially talented bunch
for the woke left and all their gay shit
tracklist
- Patio
- Defensa / Cortar
- Tesela
- Doce ×
- La naturaleza
- Instrumental
- Flores del naranjo
- Lento ★
- Estrés
- 1920
- Buenos noches
★★★½
the female vocalist drags this down big time imo, the male vocalists are great but my thing with female vocalists and twee pop is that they often feel like they're trying to lean too hard into the "cute" side of twee pop. not to say she sounds terrible, i actually like her voice a lot on some of the later songs, but she's unfortunately a pretty good example of this.
for old lady hairdressers
tracklist
- I Fought In a War ★
- The Model
- Beyond the Sunrise ×
- Waiting for the Moon to Rise
- Don't Leave the Light on Baby
- The Wrong Girl
- The Chalet Lines
- Nice Day for a Sulk
- Women's Realm
- Family Tree
- There's Too Much Love
canzone d'autore
★★★
this album is charming and it relishes in its simplicity. Volevo essere un duro was my surprise winner this eurovision season, but i don't think the rest of the album comes close to being of the same quality. it also doesn't have the harmonica solo from the eurovision performances so maybe i'm salty about that
i accidentally closed the tab while writing and i forgot what joke i made here
tracklist
- Tu sei il mattino
- Sigarette
- Volevo essere un duro ★
- Francis Delacroix
- Let There Be Rocko
- Il Re del rave
- Situazione complicata
- Questa vita ×
- Nel cuore della notte
indie rock
★★★½
another surprise winner, Deslocado is a really beautiful song that i really found myself connecting to. unfortunately it is not on this album. but Logo Se Vê is more of the same, it's an endearing indie rock collection that manages to stand out among the sea of portuguese indie rock acts that i did not know existed until recently. napa manages to strike the perfect balance between heartfelt ballad and lively bedroom jam session and unlike where lucio corsi fell flat imo, it stays quality all throughout.
for an eclectic art teacher
tracklist
- Jeito Pra Tudo
- Aparentemente
- Luz Do Túnel
- Gigantes ×
- Não Admira
- Todos Os Loucos ★
- Lembra
- Assim, Sem Fim
- Ficamos Assim
- Monte De Nada
- Volta E Meia
post-rock | experimental rock
★★★★½
unc still got it!
for men who are towers
tracklist
- The Healers
- I Am a Tower
- Birthing
- Red Yellow ★
- Guardian Spirit
- The Merge ×
- (Rope) Away
latvian folk music | art pop | folktronica
★★★½
maybe the biggest surprise this eurovision season was how much i loved Bur man laimi. tautumeitas are incredible performers and i was mesmerized watching them perform. i felt like a female bird being courted or a sailor being lured in by sirens. acts like this are part of the reason i love watching eurovision so much cause i'd never think to look for latvian folk pop on my own but apparently i love it. this album is absolutely enchanting
for fairies and pixies and other such creatues
tracklist
- Mēs dancosim
- Dīna
- Gan gan
- Danco, Jāni
- Tu, lietiņi
- Bēdz, bēdz, Saulīte
- Viņsauli daudzinot
- Kas dimd
- Kur tie zilie dūmi kūp
- Bur man laimi
progressive pop | pop rock
★★★
Bird of Pray was the first eurovision tune this year that had me actually wanting to listen to the artist behind it, which doesn't happen very often. this album actually contains two eurovision submissions - Place I Call Home was rejected last year. Of Us is a collection of short but sweet synth-y pop rock tunes and the only word i can think of is Cute. Bird of Pray being the eurovision songs of course makes it stand out, but it's also just a great song and by far the best here. no idea if this is what they've always sounded like or if this is a new direction but i hear a lot of potential if they were to keep sounding like this. also i just really like the singer's voice i think he's adorable.
for a type of yearning and sadness only present in eastern european twinks
tracklist
- City
- Place I Call Home
- Good Boy, Good Girl ×
- Victoria
- Of Us
- Bird of Pray ★
- Reachin' Out
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indie pop
★★★½
Separations is when i would argue pulp became pulp. it features the more minimalistic, barebones production that i think is categorically early pulp but it's also their first foray into the more danceable electronic influenced music that they'd become known for. the first half is much more reminiscent of It and Freaks in its acoustic sound but even it feels fresh as jarvis begins to find himself vocally and lean into the sultry/seductive side. Separations is, in every sense, pulp coming into their own, though ultimately if i had to describe this album very briefly it would probably be "Potential Man"
tracklist
- Love Is Blind ★
- Don't You Want Me Anymore?
- She's Dead
- Separations
- Down by the River
- Countdown
- My Legendary Girlfriend ×
- Death II
- This House Is Condemned
britpop
★★★½
pulp started to come out of their shells on Separations, but His 'n' Hers is when pulp became an unstoppable force (though in my opinion, this is by far the worst of the britpop era). the production still hasn't quite filled out yet and maybe that's why i didn't dig it as much as i wanted. the most important thing though is that this is when jarvis cocker starts to sound like he's orgasiming after every line. which is to say, it's not all bad
for people who chronicle every time they jerk off
tracklist
- Joyriders
- Lipgloss
- Acrylic Afternoons
- Have You Seen Her Lately? ★
- Babies
- She's a Lady
- Happy Endings
- Do You Remember the First Time?
- Pink Glove
- Someone Like the Moon ×
- David's Last Summer
art rock
★★★★
this being rated lower than His 'n' Hers is a tragedy. you can tell that they wanted to move away from britpop here but it's still there. this is the most artsy pulp album at this point, just as cynical as ever but also notably more bitter. also definitely the most sensual pulp album - sure, jarvis cocker is always moaning in your ear on most pulp albums, but this is the slowest and most intimate it's been. i think it does well to paint pulp as moving past the "i'm young and i need to jack off RIGHT NOW!!!" for a more jaded and mature take.
i can only make so many jacking off jokes guys
tracklist
- The Fear
- Dishes
- Party Hard
- Help the Aged
- This Is Hardcore
- TV Movie
- A Little Soul ×
- I'm a Man
- Seductive Barry
- Sylvia ★
- Glory Days
- The Day After the Revolution
art rock
★★★½
from the gap between albums and the relative disappointment that was apparently This Is Hardcore (???news to me), We Love Life was doomed before it even came out, which is a shame cause it's good stuff, though certainly not as good as something like Different Class so i guess i understand. the artsiest pulp album, and also the least horny jarvis cocker has been since Separations, this leans on the more mellow side that the earlier smiths imitations did. pulp drops the glam rock undertones and pretty much everything that made them popular to sing instead about.. plants and gardens. it's definitely not attracting any new fans and it's understandably disappointing for old fans, but i don't see this as a comeback attempt. it reads very much as a last hurrah, a send-off, the morning after the chaos that was Different Class and This Is Hardcore, and i think it was a pretty good one.... except there's a new pulp album coming out next week so i suppose it doesn't serve this purpose anymore. oh well.
for the morning after
tracklist
- Weeds
- Weeds II (The Origin of the Species)
- The Night That Minnie Timperley Died
- The Trees
- Wickerman
- I Love Life
- The Birds in Your Garden ★
- Bob Lind (The Only Way Is Down) ×
- Bad Cover Version
- Roadkill
- Sunrise
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indie rock
★★★½
should've won eurovisison
for people who are too cool for radiohead
tracklist
- Paleisiu ×
- Pamiršau žiūrėt į paukščius ★
- Tyla
- Nebeturiu jėgų
- Ji netikra
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remember that if you have any suggestions for albums i should check out, you can leave them here!
thanks for reading (´ ω `♡)
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