This album is something that definitely went overlooked by a lot of people in 2015 including myself. I didn't discover it until just last month, but it's been one of my most played albums this year thus far.
At times, this album may sound like a hodgepodge of various genres, but the end result is a collection of great sounds and a truly impressive display of Nielson's multi-instrumental capabilities.
I liked this album, but probably will never listen to it again. That's because it didn't really stand out at all to me. Definitely some UMO going on, especially with the singing. I kind of liked the sort of downtempo yet in-motion feel of the album and overall it flowed pretty well. I also appreciate that it's only 29 minutes.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of favorite songs, Burning Sugar has a nice groovy beat. Little Dancing Baby is a good song too. Those were really the two highlights for me - so I guess I liked it when it was at its grooviest. Also I liked the last song, Dope. It kind of reminded me of Fitter Happier, but a dub/reggae version.
Oh, what do I say about this album? Maybe I should start with a bit of an apology. I've been in kind of a funk this week, and when that happens I tend to get very picky about the music I listen to.
ReplyDeleteWith that said, this album didn't do much for me. I can't put my finger on what it is either. The songs are varied and unique from one another. There is a good balance of the poppier tunes and more subdued smooth tracks. It all has pretty gorgeous polish to top it off.
I think this was part of the problem for me. Personal Computer was too clean for me. This isn't a bad thing, in fact there's many albums that are very beautiful in this way that I fall in love with. But either because of current mood, or some other factor I haven't nailed down yet, this turned me off of the album somewhat.
To end this on a positive note, there are a couple songs on here that are straight up jams. Personal Computer is an excellent opening track and very danceable. My favorite track, Burning Sugar, is flat out awesome. It's driving and catchy while having this kind of infectious tension to it that begs for attention.
Right off the bat this reminded me a lot of "Fitter Happier" which is obviously a very auspicious beginning. The whole album was fun to listen to and interesting enough but I didn't really feel like it was pushing any boundaries. This is not even a genre I am very knowledgable on and there was definitely not anything here that I haven't heard before. That being said, it was start to finish a pleasant listen and there were still moments that I thought were pretty creative and entertaining.
ReplyDeleteI thought all the audio samples in "Cellphone" were funny. I'm not really sure that I was supposed to think they were funny but I did. I also liked the rhythmic changes at the end of "Burning Sugar". "Little Dancing Baby" was definitely a unique song, I just can't tell if it's unique in an entertaining way or if I just hate it.
Like Sam, I probably won't be returning to this any time soon because it wasn't particularly memorable, but it was a fun listen!
This is one of those albums that is a pretty pleasant listen, but doesn't offer much else. All the songs are enjoyable, but in a way that isn't particularly memorable. Nothing really ever feels like they're making an original idea, which is fine, not all albums need to be wildly original. In this case though, it suffers from sounding too derivative. Unfortunately, the album suffers from the UMO connection. Because of the very similar voices, this feels like UMO wanted to slap together a groovy electric album in an afternoon.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though I'm being hard on the album. I think I'm reacting that way because the potential for something much better is there. A lot of the songs have great bases, but don't really go anywhere more interesting with them.
However, despite my negativity, it's still an enjoyable experience. It's incredibly pleasant to listen to. Favorite tracks : Burning Sugar, Love Peace, and Dope.
So Parker had already recommended me this album a couple weeks ago and I'm enjoyed it on my first listen. I enjoyed the mix of sounds (electronic and psych-rock-y); it made for a groovy listening experience. I do get what others are saying about it not being especially memorable or anything, but I think because I enjoy this style/genre already listening to it was quite enjoyable and I saved some songs from it.
ReplyDeleteShort little response I have but Parker and I already talked about it so not a whole lot more to add. Thanks for the rec!