[Shaun]

I ended up giving Tame Impala's record an 8/10. I was initially fearful this'd be a huge step down from their previous releases and I can understand why some still think it was; but there are tracks that stand up there with their best. 'Posthumous Forgiveness' is a weird, dark song that feels like it's been pinched from Kanye West's 808s era and reupholstered with a Kevin Parker lacquer, whilst single 'Lost in Yesterday' is cheery, summery and serene. My two favourites, though, are the perky 'Borderline' and the summery haziness of 'It Might Be Time'.

I wouldn't give it higher than an eight because the last two tracks really finish off the album with a whimper and a shrug, and I might just delete them from my iTunes entirely, but otherwise this is definitely an album worth revisiting.

[Tom4784]

I listened to it when it was released and I had completely forgotten about it and so I listened to it again today and I can only describe this album as Starbucks music. It's pleasant enough to listen to in the background but it's really boring to sit down and listen to and a lot of it is indistinct.

I didn't hate it but I'll doubt I'll ever feel the need to go back to it again and listen.

5/10

[Shaun]

Just the three reviews so far

[Jake.]

Will be submitting mine either tonight or tomorrow

[Samm]

slow rush

HMMM after loving currents. i perched this when it came out but only listened to half of it after being quite disappointed. After re-listening to the full album it's not as disappointing. I think it's fair that after currents which is a brilliant piece of work and for the next one not to make a impact it really tones down the album for me. Their are a few highlights for me however; One more year is a great start to the album, borderline is probs my favourite of the album a electronic dance floor TUNE!!! the similar vibe fits for lost in yesterday. it might be time is a stand out as well, I know it's very short and probs can be classed as an interlude but i rly rate glimmer?

overall a bit of a miss, some of the tracks just didn't resonate with me, but far from being awful. 6/10

[Ammi]

...only Shaun and I on the dream road trip, then......I thought it was a really accomplished album, which isn’t fully appreciated on first listen...

[Jake.]

The Slow Rush Review

Tame Impala had a lot to live up to after Currents and whilst on first impressions TSR didn’t blow me away, it’s definitely been a grower. Whilst their 2015 hit went for a more psychedelic sound, they seemed to have returned to the roots laid out by their first two albums with this one. Whilst I didn’t care for One More Hour and found that a couple of tracks overstayed their welcome, there’s some really good stuff here. Glimmer definitely feels like a missed opportunity (as did Disciples from their last album) and the endings being switched up on Posthumous Forgiveness/Breathe Deeper felt a bit disjointed, but Lost In Yesterday is probably one of their best songs yet. Overall, pretty good!

Highlights: Lost In Yesterday / One More Year / Borderline / Breathe Deeper / Is It True / It Might Be Time

Album Rating: 8/10

[Shaun]

Okay, after five reviews Tame Impala end up with a decent score of 71. As always, late reviews are welcome and will amend the score.

I originally had Grimes pencilled in for this week but given one of the biggest popstars in the world has just surprise-released an album, it seems only sensible to hop aboard that train whilst it's still hot and get her out of the way. Therefore, this week's album is "folklore" by Taylor Swift, and will be edited into the OP shortly!

[Jake.]

This better not push back La Roux!!!

[Nicky91]

Originally Posted by Jake.

This better not push back La Roux!!!

irrelevant Taylor had to randomly release folklore now

[Ammi]

...would it be okay to add Phoebe Bridgers/Punisher to the future list also as its one that I’m listening to a lot right now, so already quite familiar.....

[Shaun]

yeah I need to get around to listening to that at some point, so I guess that'll be album #12

[Tom4784]

It's a very listenable album, there's few tracks as catchy as your typical Taylor Swift earworm but it's pleasant enough. There's a handful of tracks I've added to my Liked Songs but there's a lot of filler on this album. I feel like I have this criticism for every album but the tracklist could have done with some editing since there's a few songs that sounded so similar to each other that they melded into one.

I think the lyrical quality is quite underwhelming across the board too, you can tell this was her attempt at a prestige album but the more lowkey sound doesn't really mesh well with her lyrics a lot of the time.

When it comes to Taylor's albums, it's better than most but I don't think I can rate it higher than a 6/10.

[Ammi]

....so..what can I say, I’m really bad at music/album reviews but Shaun will hit me if I just give a rating/score...Taylor Swift is an artist that I confess, I’ve rarely listened to...well, only her chart songs, I’ve never listened to a full album of hers before...and Folklore is FULL, with 16 songs...but I’ve been having a Taylor morning and have listened to each and every one...with each individual song, I would say that it’s hard to find a stand-out, an exceptional one..?..and yet, every one of them is really quite lovely and as an album, it would be hard to choose a favourite because they all flow so beautifully and tell a story...there is an American artist who is a favourite artist of mine...Edward Hopper...and his art was famous for showing isolated figures ...looking at them through a window or a doorway etc...they showed loneliness and nostalgia and human touch and contact and so many emotions in a nostalgic American way...for me..?...that’s what this album is, it’s a listening version of an Edward Hopper painting and it leaves you feeling so much and very thoughtful and thought provoking and all of that jazz...and yet, no real stand out, exceptional track...?...how can that be...



...I will say 8/10...


...edited to give a special mention to tracks and in no particular order...August, Peace, Invisible String and This is Me Trying...

[Shaun]

Where do I stand on Taylor Swift? 1989 and Red were great, and were looking likely to be her peak since Reputation was garbage and Lover was just 'fine'. All of the thinkpieces written about her are, largely, a boring waste of time - I cannot really understand why so much hate or love is expressed about a popstar so...plain and boring? Neither of those are insults by the way, she's not really done anything objectionable since the "write about my celebrity ex" days where everything was an annoying flouting of victimhood by Kanye West, Harry Styles and whoever else. She's obviously grown up and is able to craft a song without the intention of it being covered by Entertainment Weekly, now.

Certainly, her shift towards more vocal politics is interesting and the most obvious example of her breaking from the shackles of record label expectations - I'd imagine her legal issues over her back catalogue and Scooter Braun being a colossal dickhead helped fuel this "no ****s given" approach - and I guess, in turn, that's made her more of an artist with something to say than just a singer lamenting their romantic issues.

But all of that out of the way... I have to say the critics may have oversold this to me. I went into this expecting a Norman ****ing Rockwell-style return to form, and whilst it's not bad, it's... not blowing me away. There are some very, very nice tracks that have a captivating quality that'll keep me coming back for repeated listens (see: the highlights below), but there are some that just pass me by without making an impression. I was under the illusion that 'Cardigan' was the main single from this... but why? It's one of the least memorable tracks.

It should come as no surprise that Jack Antonoff is behind most of the highlights for me; his work with Lorde, Lana, St Vincent and Carly Rae Jepsen in recent years has made for the best chunks of pop. Unfortunately, of his contributions, 'Mirrorball' sticks out as a particular misfire... just doesn't do anything for me. I expected a little more of 'Exile' too, since I love Bon Iver, but it's not going to stand the test of time as a high point in either of their discographies.

The two clear standouts for me are Epiphany and My Tears Ricochet. The former is simple and beautiful, a real time-standing-still moment that's bound to be used in at least 10,000 fanmade videos of Twitter users' favourite film and TV heartbreaks, whilst the latter feels the most like a standalone single that should've been the lead.

Highlights: My Tears Ricochet, Invisible String, Seven, This Is Me Trying & Epiphany
Avoid: Cardigan, Mirrorball, Mad Woman

I'm not sure if it's an 8/10, but it feels better than a 7.5... so I'll bust out my first annoying random decimal score here and give it a 7.9 Shave off a couple of tracks and it could easily be an 8.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Shaun

Where do I stand on Taylor Swift? 1989 and Red were great, and were looking likely to be her peak since Reputation was garbage and Lover was just 'fine'. All of the thinkpieces written about her are, largely, a boring waste of time - I cannot really understand why so much hate or love is expressed about a popstar so...plain and boring? Neither of those are insults by the way, she's not really done anything objectionable since the "write about my celebrity ex" days where everything was an annoying flouting of victimhood by Kanye West, Harry Styles and whoever else. She's obviously grown up and is able to craft a song without the intention of it being covered by Entertainment Weekly, now.

Certainly, her shift towards more vocal politics is interesting and the most obvious example of her breaking from the shackles of record label expectations - I'd imagine her legal issues over her back catalogue and Scooter Braun being a colossal dickhead helped fuel this "no ****s given" approach - and I guess, in turn, that's made her more of an artist with something to say than just a singer lamenting their romantic issues.

But all of that out of the way... I have to say the critics may have oversold this to me. I went into this expecting a Norman ****ing Rockwell-style return to form, and whilst it's not bad, it's... not blowing me away. There are some very, very nice tracks that have a captivating quality that'll keep me coming back for repeated listens (see: the highlights below), but there are some that just pass me by without making an impression. I was under the illusion that 'Cardigan' was the main single from this... but why? It's one of the least memorable tracks.

It should come as no surprise that Jack Antonoff is behind most of the highlights for me; his work with Lorde, Lana, St Vincent and Carly Rae Jepsen in recent years has made for the best chunks of pop. Unfortunately, of his contributions, 'Mirrorball' sticks out as a particular misfire... just doesn't do anything for me. I expected a little more of 'Exile' too, since I love Bon Iver, but it's not going to stand the test of time as a high point in either of their discographies.

The two clear standouts for me are Epiphany and My Tears Ricochet. The former is simple and beautiful, a real time-standing-still moment that's bound to be used in at least 10,000 fanmade videos of Twitter users' favourite film and TV heartbreaks, whilst the latter feels the most like a standalone single that should've been the lead.

Highlights: My Tears Ricochet, Invisible String, Seven, This Is Me Trying & Epiphany
Avoid: Cardigan, Mirrorball, Mad Woman

I'm not sure if it's an 8/10, but it feels better than a 7.5... so I'll bust out my first annoying random decimal score here and give it a 7.9 Shave off a couple of tracks and it could easily be an 8.

...I seriously was going to give it a 7.9 as well ....but I just so hate messy numbers...it jars with my OCD, I just couldn’t bring myself to type it but that 8 is so curvy and lovely and perfectly formed.....

[Samm]

Taylor has been a difficult one for me, until now. her first two records are skips apart from love story, just really not my cup of tea. then she knocked it out the park with red, and then even more with one of the best pop albums of all time; l989. I loved reputation and it's whole vibe at the time but a good 70% of the tracks on the album have kind of aged terribly for me. Lover then came and that was a corny mess, the only stand out to me was false god. and to my absolute surprise miss thing has given us an album with 16 false god like tracks

this is taylor's most cohesive album, a prober stripped down album done RIGHT!. she's a brilliant song writer which i've especially noticed on; cardigan, my tears ricochet, august, invisible string, mad woman and betty (bi taylor ). there's just such a soft, somber mood across the album that just doesn't get boring.

highlights included exile, mad woman and my tears ricochet, mirror ball, seven, august, this is me trying are all probably now some of my favourite taylor songs of all time. the only negative I can think of is that I wish the album had a stronger outro.

9/10

[Nicky91]

listened to few songs more, urgh

it lacks bops for sure, what 1989 has still a lot of what i still like


i apologize for what i said too in taylor folklore album thread, if other people like it, fine, it is different from all her other work anyway, if i have to find anything positive

but not my personal cup of tea, i rather enjoy listening to 1989 all over again

5.5/10

[Nicky91]

before i get any comments like, you shouldn't have done a review on folklore, yes since i am its biggest (maybe only) critic so my honest opinion counts too

those who do like the album, i mean it you should ignore me, and just enjoy it

[Liam-]

Actually remembered to review this one

I went into this album with an open mind but not being a Swift fan at all, I mean, the last song of hers I liked was Love Story back when I was a hormonal teenager with a crush on a new straight guy every other month, that was the life.

While none of the songs are necessarily bad, I just couldn’t get into the album as a whole, I get the whole folk theme and her wanting to put her feelings on paper after the last year or so she’s had and it’s kind of cute, but there isn’t much variety, it’s all much of the same to me, it bleeds together like one big album of cheesy American prom slow dance music, it’s not really for me.

Quite enjoyed Invisible String and Betty though.

Have to give it a 5/10

[Shaun]

I am not allowing one of the year's biggest releases to sail by with just six bloody scores!

[Smithy]

I’ll do this later

[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

I’m gonna give folklore a 7/10 because it’s just far too long and if it was 10 tracks/about 40-45 mins long it’d be a lot better. I don’t really find any of the individual tracks amazing either, they range from boring to decent to good. Favs are the 1, seven and invisible string. Listening to the album in a single sitting is quite a chore because of all the filler you have to slog through so yeah

[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

Like imagine this as the tracklist

The 1
Cardigan
Last great american dynasty
My tears ricochet
Mirrorball
Seven
August
This is me trying
Invisible string
Betty

Wouldn’t that be stunning girls?

[Jake.]

Folklore Review

Given the acclaim this has received, I went in to this expecting great things and it really wasn’t anything more than fine for me. It feels 5/6 tracks too long, there wasn’t anything particularly evoking and I just can’t see myself ever listening to it in full again. It’s certainly not a bad album. the 1, cardigan, mirrorball and peace are all nice; august and invisible string are probably my favourites. I couldn’t help but find exile (ft Bon Iver) and the last great american dynasty to be absolute cringe fests. Overall, there’s just nothing here that pops out for me.

Highlights: august / invisible string / the 1 / cardigan / mirrorball

Album Rating: 6.5/10