Malleable Music

following along with the themes of last week, i have recently attended several diy shows in various basements of new jersey, and cannot escape seeing the band pavement absolutely everywhere. after eventually becoming fed up I decided to ask my boyfriend about the band- turns out they are actually one of his favorites! and in the spirit of giving/love/empathy that comes with the holidays, i've decided to give pavement a chance- for my boyfriend(: so anyways, here's my boyfriend’s favorite pavement album, crooked rain, crooked rain.

silence kid: 4.1 stars

how did they make the guitar in the beginning sound like its asking a question that is so cool

a common motif ive found amongst these (mostly) alternative/indie bands is they looooove to not begin singing in a song until at least a minute in

very epic of them to be honest to end the song with “screwin’ myself with my hand” they are very self-aware

elevator music: 4.2/5 stars

“and i wouldnt want to shake their hands / ‘cause theyre in such a high-protein land” this is exactly how i felt when i visited LA and it felt like everyone around me was fueled by protein powder and evilness

“so many fortresses and ways to attack” this is also how i felt in LA 

not sure why this is called elevator music

the use of “ta!” really gets me i laughed both times- it is such an effective way to dismiss someone

stop breathing: 4.3/5 stars

before listening to this album i asked my boyfriend to hold off on giving me his opinions, but he couldn’t help but blurt that this song is his favorite, so i’ll try to remain unbiased

this might be the first song so far where he goes right into singing i almost jumped at his voice because i didnt expect it so soon lmao

“write it on a postcard / dad, they broke me, dad, they broke me” me my first semester of undergrad

“than when you put it down 10 feet down in the ground” i really love the repetition of down, emphasizes how distraught he is

cut your hair: 4.6/5 stars

“darlin’ dont you go and cut your hair / do you think its gonna make him change” -i oh okay i did not expect to be called out by pavement of all people, this hit me directly in the chest

how does he understand the plight of a woman and how dare he drop such a crazy statement

I LOVE THE GUITAR WHY IS HE SOOOO GOOD WHAT

the guitar solo?????????? i was never interested in having my boyfriend teach me to play until this very moment, and only to play the riff after “did you see the drummer’s hair?”

newark wilder: 3.9/5 stars

oh my god, red alert- newark mentioned !! is this band from new jersey? it all is starting to make sense now

“the forces against you, the rain / i know everybody’s gonna put me down” the titular rain has finally been referred to!!

i like the whispering gravelly way he is singing

i do enjoy the experimental lyrics, especially the final verse: “cant you see the studd i need? / cant you see? / cant you see? / cant you stuff? cant you stuff me? stuff me / stuff me” that is very very interesting and cool

unfair: 4.8/5 stars

“lets burn the hills of beverly” oh i love the anarchy yes pavement be angry, not sad, this is when your passion truly shines through even more

“im not your neighbor, you bakersfield trash” followed by him scream yelling “trash” three times… this is art. absolutely profoundly beautiful. people looove to bring up the “love thy neighbor” from now on i will simply respond with “i am not your neighbor!! you __ trash!!”

gold soundz: 4.9/5 stars

there's something very satisfying about the way he rhymed “central” with “essential”

“i keep my address to yourself” i wish i knew what he meant by this

“it has a nice ring when you laugh / at the low life opinions” this is genuinely so sweet, i hope this kind of love finds us all

i would consider myself a pretty patient person, but i typically get very easily annoyed at people repeating themselves- when this guy does it though? His little “cret-cret-cret-cret…” after signing “because its secret”? its so so endearing

“youre the kind of girl i like / because youre empty, and im empty” im truly, truly, not exaggerating, this is the most romantic lyric i have heard thus far in this blog

5-4=unity: 5/5 stars

super intriguing title… it could have been any combination of numbers to equal one, why specifically 5 and 4?

this jazzy intro is so different than the rest.. oop as i was typing the beat dropped and changed this is astounding

the layers of instruments.. so complex..so many rhythms coming together

im going to drink a glass of wine to this song while i do my nighttime routine and dance around.. 

for some reason this has turned me into a housewife drunkenly dancing around in an apron with smudged red lipstick cooking dinner to jazz while i wait for my husband (that i hate) to come home

range life: 5/5 stars

i will admit i have heard this song before, and i’m actually very very infatuated with it

i want a range life SOOOOO BAD . SO BAD

i look out of my window on the 34th floor in NYC, see the beautiful skyline, and am incredibly grateful- and yet, i hear this song and weep about what Could Have Been

when i'm feeling my worst sometimes ill sing to myself, “dont worry!!!!! we’re in no hurry!!!!”

my favorite part of the song is at 3:20 when the drums come back in after he whispers “yeah..” 

the absolute pure attitude that he expresses in his pronunciation of “fuck” in the line “i dont understand what they mean / and i could really give a fuck” is phenomenal its absolutely dripping with disdain 

heaven is a truck: 3/5 stars

i really enjoy the inclusion of the piano they should have that in more songs it really works with their sound

not my favorite of their lyrics so far, a little boring, though i do find the line “but lady, you need some cold advice” to be quite funny

hit the plane down: 2.9/5 stars

i want to play this on guitar hero

when he sang his yeahs at 0:57 he sounded so much like tyler joseph for a second that i had to pause

something about this song isnt doing it for me, i like the guitar (i seem to always do) but the beat os off-putting in a way i cant get over

fillmore jive: 3.5/5 stars

i really love when his voice gets higher pitched and nasally, or when his voice sounds like its about to crack

‘i need to sleeeeeeeeeeep i need to sleep! i neeeeed to sleep. why wont you let me sleeeeep?’ he’s sleepy eepy let the poor boy rest 

leaving the audience hanging at the last line, “their throats are filled with…” is so genius

i know it seems like it goes against everything i stand for in this blog, but i do, in fact, have a boyfriend, and he is in a band with his friends. surprisingly, i actually love this about him, and enjoy the music he creates. i dont always love being a part of the stinky boys in the audiences of his basement shows, but i do love having the opportunity to observe alternative boys from new jersey in their natural habitat. i try to also gather information on their interests and hobbies, analyzing the stickers plastered to the wall and the buttons on their beat up guitar cases. i often hear of the band built to spill, and have seen the keep it like a secret album cover in sticker form at every single diy show i've been to, so i figured i had to give them a shot next. anyways, here's my review of built to spill’s keep it like a secret. 

the plan: 3.6/5 stars

the second he began singing i nodded my head yes, for he does have the exact voice i expected 

when i'm in the right mood i love to hear a whiny male voice- he’s lucky i'm in one now

very very into the sounds of the guitar

i like the vagueness of the lyrics, but it feels a little bit boring/monotonous

center of the universe: 4.6 stars

“i don't like this air but that doesnt mean ill stop breathing it” an incredible lyric and the delivery was impeccable

i really like how he's saying nothing but there is something! but also nothing its truly up to the listener to decide

hes so right because of course we all think we’re the center of the universe we’re the center of our own lives

carry the zero: 4.5/5 stars

something about the guitar sounds just feel so familiar and kind of comforting

“i cant be your apologist very long” the way he almost drops into a whisper at “long”

i think all men with voices like these were born to be part of indie/alternative/punk bands, there is something truly special about it

i really really appreciate the instrumentals

sidewalk: 3/5 stars

i am so interested in what he means by "what haven't changed for you?"

i dont know, "can i wait for the sidewalk?" im not sure please stop asking

upon further inspection (thank you genius lyrics) spotify seems to have the lyrics incorrect- i'd love to know if he says "hasn't" or "haven't" because for some reason i like the incorrect version more

a very repetitive song but it seems to be purposeful, i just don't enjoy it enough to listen again

bad light: 3.7/5 stars

this song feels very experimental (obviously, like the rest of their songs so far) but moreso, it truly feels adlibbed or like a band jamming for fun

i dont necessarily understand the meanings behind the lyrics, but for some reason it feels relatable. like im not sure why i identify with the lyrics "its so hard to read in bad light" so hard, but i do

i like to interpret it as how hard it is to learn and grow in a negative environment

time trap: 3.7/5 stars

i really enjoyed those first two minutes before the lyrics cam in, that could be its on song that i would love to listen to

all of these songs for some reason feel very much like the feeling of being alone at college for the first time and figuring yourself out

else: 4.3/5 stars

the way he sings "together" reminds me of the way the singer of mother mother sings in their song "miles"

"just this side of love / is where youll find the confidence to not continue" very beautifully dark

i am infatuated with the guitar's vibrato

you were right: 4.1/5 stars

this song definitely confirmed that the guitar is my favorite part of every single one of their songs thus far- it always steals the show

i'm a big fan of the way the song lists different phrases for essentially "that's just the way it is" i wish they included the phrase "that's how the cookie crumbles" (my favorite version)

temporarily blind: 4.4/5 stars

he is so so right everyone is temporarily blind!!!!

"turn your back on this hating" "turn your back on this waiting" he is once again spitting facts, people do LOVE to turn the other way when others need them

"who history doesn't teach / it makes numb" those who don't face history head on and learn from the mistakes we as humans have made in the past will NEVER LEARN! we will never grow if we become numb to the pain and suffering of others

broken chains: 4.1/5 stars

i wont lie i did flinch a little when i saw that this last song is EIGHT MINUTES LONG. i fear i do not have the attention span to give this a proper listen through, but alas i will try my best

i love the imagery of crows as menacing looming figures in the shadow of sunset

this second half of the song that is entirely instrumental is really sending me back to the basement of a diy show where the floor is sticky for no discernible reason and everyone is sweating bullets as they mosh to alternative music

in the spirit of remaining genuine and honest in this article, i will be fully transparent and say i have heard the titular song of this album and am obsessed and in love with it, but i've never cared to listen to the rest because i no longer have a good relationship with the boy who introduced me to neutral milk hotel. because of our falling out i now have (perhaps misguided) negative notions of the people i picture to be fans of neutral milk hotel. i am now braving a listen through of this album due to my passion for using this blog to expand my mind/break down barriers of preconceived notions i have, but also because my boyfriend's best friend highly praised it, and he is a good man :) anyways, heres my review of in the aeroplane over the sea by neutral milk hotel:

king of carrot flowers pt. 1: 4.2/5 stars

the second it started with "when you were young" i knew i would be emotional

the imagination of childhood... and how it naturally disappears for us all as we grow up..but specifically this song insinuating it happening because of the domestic/family abuse the "king of carrot flowers" experienced...ouch

love how tender is sounds. how he sings is so raw and makes the awful story he's telling sound sweet

king of carrot flowers pt. 2: 3.9/5 stars

oh. where did jesus christ come from

"mouths open wide and spilling snow/ i will spit until i learn how to speak" and "i will shout until they know what i mean" perfectly encapsulates the feeling of not being able to communicate your anger

in the aeroplane over the sea: 5/5 stars

when i first heard this song, i sobbed and wasnt sure why. after hearing it a thousand times since, i know why the song feels so tragic. i heard it when i was 19 and in my freshman year of college. i think that was truly when i understood how important of a time my teens to early twenties were, and felt afraid that it was slipping away or i would blink and miss it.

"but for now we are young/ let us lay in the sun/ and count every beautiful thing we can see" i vowed to remain curious and appreciative of my youth. never discount the small joys in life !

"cant believe how strange it is to be anything at all" i wish i could scream this off a rooftop

two-headed boy: 4.4/5 stars

was immediately reminded of the two-headed calf poem, and my chest caved in

i am really in love with the way he shout sings, and especially how they do not seem to fix the clipping that happens when he does

i like the way he pronounces the "k" sounds so sharply

the fool: 4.2/5 stars

obsessed with the imperial sounding trumpets, feels like a king is marching in but instead im picturing a jester walking down towards the throne

feels like it belongs to the soundtrack of a movie

holland, 1945: 3.8/5 stars

i kind of wish i didnt google the song title first, because it made me more confused.

i do love how the song paints the picture of an profound story

communist daughter: 2/5 stars

did he. did he just say what i think he did. i had to pause and collect myself. "semen stains the mountaintop" HUHhhh?

no i wont lie i dont know what the song is about and tbh i dont care to?

oh comely: 3.2/5 stars

i would love to know what this man' sounds like when h's speaking voice sounds like. i wonder if he always rounds out his syllabus soo much (if so, love that) and also where his accent originates from

just as i was typing that i felt there wasnt enough modulation and i was bored, he did that high noooote (or his attempt at one) and i kind of love that it sounded so hard for him and his voice barely went up in register HAH. sounds like its really coming from the depths of his soul

ok. no actually what is this man's obsession with mentioning semen. "smelling of semen all under the garden" dude what actually is your problem that is a CRAZY line

ghost: 3.3/5 stars

i like the drums that come in at "and she was born in a bottle-rocket in 1929" and how its a delayed drum entrance

doesnt sound different enough from the rest of the songs it followed to be specially noted in any way tbh

[untitled]: 4.5/5 stars

i genuinely love pipes (apparently this song uses a uillean pipe) and think modern music needs to utilize its fantastic sound more, loving this so much

two-headed boy pt.2: 4/5

i really enjoy the two part songs, the narrative this album weaves is very well thought out

i love the motifs of the album and how he finds different ways to tie back to them (especially the flowers in her eyes)

unfortunately, my boyfriend unironically listens to weezer, and has caught wind about this blog. after a month of trying, he has successfully convinced me to use this album for this week's blog. let the record state that i have heard island in the sun before, as aquamarine is one of my favorite movies in the entire world (for anyone wondering, he will now be watching that fantastic piece of cinematic history with me in exchange for this post). anyways, here's my review of weezer's self titled album:

don't let go: 3/5 stars

i love when a man sings "ill be down on my knees" for some reason its just so vulnerable

loving the simp energy he is giving, whole song is just begging so far

this is transforming me into a 14 year old boy with a spiky haircut, learning guitar in my room, suddenly i want to play basketball in my driveway

his voice is very classic, especially for the music genre, but doesn't feel unique enough for me

photograph: 2.9/5 stars

i always love clapping in songs, especially in an intro

such a fun beat, i could dance around my room to this

i think he just liked getting to repeat "re-erect it" over and over

hash pipe: 4.6/5 stars

oh okay raaaangeee!!!! is this a completely different singer

feels like such a different vibe than the first two

what happens when that 14yr old spiky haired kid gets older and gains access to marijuana lmao

i didn't know weezer could be angsty this is great

"you've got your problems / i've got my eyes wide / you've got your big g's / i've got my hash pipe" he's truly speaking words of wisdom

island in the sun: 5/5 stars

it is very hard for me to separate this song from the film that means so very much to me (aquamarine) so i simply will not be

the pure joy and light and love this song exudes its insane

i am instantly transported to a beach, in a bikini and big shirt, hair damp and sun-bleached, off a margarita and dancing in the sunset

i am obsessed with the guitar solo and need to learn how to play just for this

the way he sings "we'll never feel bad anymoreeee" !! IM HEALED

crab: .1/5 stars

okay continuing with the beach theme

brb googling what it means to crab?

according to the internet they're just complaining about the women. ok way to let me down after one of my favorite songs ever

is this just a man upset a woman won't sleep with him

"crab at the booty / 'taint gonna do no good" shutttt uppp ! just shut up (:

this is really gonna lower the album's average huge L for them

knockdown dragout: 2.5/5 stars

lyrics are kind of giving nothing, repetitive

i do enjoy the guitar, they always eat with that, but this is kind of boring

smile: 2.8/5 stars

i like his little belting when he sings "'cause i don't wanna break"

the guitar solos in this album !! even the short ones, so good

follows the common theme i see of wanting a girl to give him a chance...

simple pages: 2.8/5 stars

yup okay another song asking a girl to give him a chance - truly, i get it, and this is a valid form of art you go sir, i just do not see myself listening to this kinda music

i do enjoy pining every once in a while do not get me wrong

another bangin guitar solo

feels like i don't have much to say about this..

glorious day: 3/5 stars

angsty nerdy boy decides its time to finally make a move and ask a girl out

i like these kinds of weezer songs more, the "grittier" sound

giving angry high school band in a battle of the bands competition

o girlfriend: 2/5 stars

i think what i don't like about them is while their sound is good and i enjoy it, the lyrics are truly so generic and not special

i think I said this in an earlier post, and i am not trying to be disparaging, but an AI chatbot could've easily written this in 30 seconds- i just don't believe he's actually hurt and grieving a love, i want to feel the artists genuine pain, this does not sound like a man torn apart

when i was 13 and worked as my mother's busboy in my uncle's pizzeria, i had my first crush ever, and it was on the 16 year old dishwasher. its important to note that he did not speak any english, i was a teenage girl with severe social anxiety, and we never acknowledged each other. one week before he left (for a reason I'll never know) he spoke the only words he's ever said to me: "you look like kurt cobain." i have never ever recovered. i think i have since dealt with this trauma and am now strong enough to listen to radiohead. here’s my review of nirvana’s nevermind:

smells like teen spirit: 4.6/5 stars

incredible intro, i’ve definitely heard this before

“i feel stupid and contagious” that's the quintessential teenage experience put into words. fantastic

i like how gritty his voice gets when he yells

love when the album title is referenced in the first song. yess

in bloom: 4.4/5 stars

“nature is a whore / bruises on the fruit / tender age in bloom” beautiful imagery

the angst is so visceral and real, there's genuine anguish in his voice

i love the choice to follow “likes to shoot his gun”, with “he knows not what it means” 

cobrain is so brave to call out his fans who don’t understand the meaning of his lyrics or agree with his beliefs/opinions that he's singing about- they just hear what they want to

a little too repetitive, but it sees that is just their style

come as you are: 3.8/5 stars

what is memoria?

took a break to look up the definition: not sure what his intentions were with the word, but there could be several interpretations. 

he could be formally “recalling the arguments of a discourse” and backing himself up with the claim “i don’t own a gun”, referencing his past lyrics publicly expressing his dissent for the lack of gun control in the u.s

breed: 4.7/5 stars

banging intro

this is exactly what the inside of a 16 year old girl’s mind sounds like 

i am filled with regret that i have never listened to nirvana and that i assumed their music was not relatable to me in my youth, as screaming and dancing alone in my room to this song as a teen would have probably healed me at least a little bit

“we dont have to breed / we can plant a house / we can build a tree” the grip this line would have had on me… 

lithium: 4.6/5 stars

the growling in his voice when he sings the “yeah”s… im in love with him i think

as i was typing the last bullet he sang “im so horny / thats okay / my will is good” i had to pause and gape with my jaw on the floor for a minute while i recollected my thoughts

amazing storytelling in this song

polly: 3.5/5 stars

how does he weave full stories with such few words

just a few lines in and the man and woman’s relationship is fully fleshed out

so many ways to interpret the words, she wants a cracker could be reference to a woman with anorexia or an eating disorder, she self harms, he is suicidal (bought rope) 

territorial pissings: 4.8/5 stars

based on the title this will be very interesting

absolutely iconic intro of person speaking and spitting absolute facts

cobain continues to amaze me- “never met a wise man / if so, its a woman” i AM IN LOVE why have i never met a nirvana fan who actually displays the beliefs kurt is singing about ??

drain you: 4.9/5 stars

“i dont care what you think unless it is about me” so so real kurt. 

more male singers should be as openly horny and desperate as kurt was

“chew your meat for you / pass it back and forth / in a passionate kiss / from my mouth to yours / i like you” this is PEAK ROMANCE. PEAK

simping in this song in the hottest way possible

the gross imagery combined with his obsessive romance is delightful to listen to

lounge act: 2.7/5 stars

a little bit repetitive and im not sure i love the jealous side of kurt

doesn’t call out to me for some reason, isn’t as special as the previous tracks have felt

stay away: 4.6 stars

“rather be dead than cool!” “give an inch, take a smile” loving the backwards metaphors/lyrics

this is once again the ballad of a teenage girl, being incredibly angry and pushing those around you away

if i knew about how much id relate to nirvana id play this song on the drive home from school after being overstimulated all day

GOD IS GAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! god i love this man 

on a plain: 3.7 stars

encapsulates the feel of an addict, somehow gives the feeling of a whole backstory in which there's the son of an addict mother becoming one himself 

“the finest day that i ever had / was when i learned to cry on command” brings to mind the ways addiction can turn someone into a manipulator

something in the way: 2.9/5 stars

ok r. patz batman time lets goooo

this truly encapsulated the feel of robert pattinson’s batman movie: dark, grungy, sinister

okay but honestly other than me already knowing this song from batman and having that appreciation for it, this song would fully be a skip

endless, nameless 2.8/5 stars

opens as a full 180 from the last song

i kind of like how the words sound like almost incoherent screams 

i could see why lovers of punk rock/alternative music would enjoy the second half instrumental part of this song- unfortunately i am not usually a big fan of long instrumental ends to a song, but could see how it works for the final track of the album

i avoided listening to radiohead based on the bad vibes I received from radiohead fans in middle+high school. my friend's partner and i were recently discussing our very opposite music tastes, and how her mother raised her on radiohead. my immigrant mother does not know radiohead even exists. this is an experiment in putting myself in to my friend catie's shoes. here's my review of ok computer:

airbag: 3/5 stars

feels like the way the ending of the breakfast club felt

"in an interstellar burst / i am back to save the universe"

pro car safety song, love it

wear your seatbelts and check your airbags

love the ending of the guitar strum tapering out

paranoid android: 3.8/5

ok rangee!! he has a beautiful voice

"ambition makes you look pretty ugly / kicking squealing, gucci little piggy" obsessed

feels like this song is multiple genres and somehow punk and funky

the guitar solo crescendo then slowing it back down then back into guitar solo again... his mind

subterranean homesick alien: 3.6/5

love how mysterious and discomfiting the guitar riffs are

encapsulates what i imagine the feeling of floating alone in space is like

a little underwhelming

exit music (for a film): 4.1/5

kind of boring intro

i like the harmonizing chorus in the background

2:49 beat drop hittttt the intro didn't have to be so long and quiet but the build up was almost worth it

3:20 oh... my god.. i am ascending

he sings "we hope that you choke" so angelically

i wish i could capture how the second half of the song made me feel into a bottle

let down: 3.2/5

i also feel crushed like a bug in the ground

him hitting the high note in "you know where you are" brought tears to my eyes

karma police: 3.3/5

this sounds like it was in skins (uk)

"her hitler hairdo is making me feel ill" crazy statement

i love the harmonizing "ahhs" in the background during the outtro

fitter happier: 4/5

very scary voice wow

terrifying background sounds

this is a masterpiece

"fitter, healthier and more productive / a pig / in a cage / on antibiotics" this is the american dream

electioneering: 4.5/5

very timely yikes

"when i go forwards you go backwards" so real! speak on it kurt!

from minute three on i felt like tearing apart my room and going on a rampage this is a call to riot

climbing up the walls: 4.2/5

very creepily romantic

if haunting adeline by h.d carlton was made into a movie this song would play in the trailer

im sensing a theme of long guitar intro and outros and honestly its growing on me

him screaming at the end was impeccable, 10/10, zero notes

no surprises: 5/5

i cant lie and say ive never heard this song, it has had a grip on me for years

heart is aching at the intro and eyes welled up uncontrollably

"a heart that's full up like a landfill / a job that slowly kills you / bruises that won't heal" stabbed me in the heart.

"you look so tired, unhappy / bring down the government / they don't, they don't speak for us" if i was a teenager when this song came out i think i would have had a very unhealthy obsession with mr cobain

had to lay on the floor for this one

a quiet life and a quiet death...no surprises. im weeping

SUCH A PRETTY HOUSE. AND SUCH A PRETTY GARDEN!

lucky: 2.4/5

who is sarah. this would have crushed me to hear as the obsessed teen i likely would have been

didn't wow me, not sure if it's because it followed a perfect song and therefore was held to a higher standard, or if it was just boring

the tourist 3/5

he is so right. i should slow down. sometimes i do get overcharged

i love love love when he belts. the control he had over his voice is so impressive

find a way - balu brigada

this week is very special to me, as i'm seeing one of my favorite bands in concert tomorrow- twenty one pilots! i consider myself very lucky as this will be my second time attending one of their shows. i don't typically ever put effort into looking into the openers of shows beforehand, and never put too much thought into them- this time is different as i am in my branching out era and expanding my horizons. balu brigada, who i have not previously heard of, is opening for twenty one pilots this tour - lets check them out together (: this is me going in blind to their EP, find a way:

designer: 3/5 stars

his voice is so melodic and enticing

funky beat

lyrics kinda generic, but the chorus is catchy!

the rhythm and his voice remind me of omar apollo

2good: 2.5/5 stars

woah when did his voice deepen so much his range is crazy

i think his voice is amazing, but i wish the lyrics were more meaningful/unique/striking

sometimes it feels like AI could've written this/the songs are just amalgamations of generic love song lyrics

"for someone who writes a lot, i'm not so good at communicating" 2/10 lyric

OH! not again: 2/5 stars

his voice kind of reminds me of harry styles now

this doesn't move me- its not bad! i just don't think i'd find myself coming back to this

i think you'll be fine: 2.6/5 stars

can't help but nod my head along, but not very enthusiastically

i think this music would be ideal in a coffee shop, while i'm drinking a cappuccino and doing homework. but i wouldn't put it on of my own accord, the barista is playing it over the loudspeaker

another day: 2.4/5 stars

i like the way he sings his "o"s and "e"s and always drags them out

i think his music rubs me the wrong way because it's what my 30 year old straight brother would listen to

find a way: 2.2/5 stars

i know that not all music has to be meaningful and the lyrics purposeful, sometimes music can just be fun to dance and groove to. with this in mind, the lyrics are so boring and repetitive, but i could see myself dancing in the pit at the concert to this

kind of generic and uninspiring :/

the queen is dead - the smiths

i’ve never listened to the smiths, and have tried to avoid them my entire life as much as i can. i successfully avoided watching 500 days of dummer for 23 years before giving in and deciding i should experience it in order to form my own opinion without any preconceived notions. it’s safe to say i was not surprised by how much i disliked the film, which definitely doesn’t make me feel better about branching out now, but hopefully the smiths will not disappoint. as a disclaimer, these opinions are a practice in separating the art from the artist- i still hate morrissey as a human being. here are my notes:

the queen is dead: 3.3/5 stars

"oh, has the world changed or have i changed?" this hit harder than i expected it to

his voice is so unique and special, and i love that he acknowledges that with the line "she said, 'eh, i know, and you cannot sing'" and then to follow this up with a joke about his piano skills being worse is unfortunately iconic of him

obsessed with the voice cracks he allows himself to sing, specifically on "were" in the line "i swear to god i never knew what drugs were" because it adds such a youthful vulnerability

i love how he compares the inconvenience of his hair being messed up by the rain to "love, law, and poverty"

overall, i think the lyrics are fire, but i don't love the beat. the drums are very cool, but it's lacking in guitar/bass

frankly, mr. shankly: 3.6/5 stars

groovy fun beat that i enjoyed immediately

the way that he sings "fulfilled" and "mentally ill" to rhyme them scratches my brain

"flatulent pain in the ass" is an epic insult that i will now be adding to my vocabulary

i know it's over: 2.9/5 stars

soothing beat and singing voice

"loud loutish lover treat her kindly, though she needs you more than she loves you" felt like a slap to the face and made me gasp out loud

morrissey is so good at dragging himself, "then why are you on your own tonight?" ok ouch

"it takes guts to be gentle and kind" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

beautiful lyrics but didn't stun or wow me, unfortunately boring

never had no one ever: 2/5 stars

wait was he 20 when he wrote this??

we get it morrissey, you are alone

this was very whiny and not in a hot way

cemetery gates: 3.8/5 stars

love the guitar so much

love the simplicity of this lyric, "they were born, and then they lived, and then they died / seems so unfair, i want to cry"

"'you say 'ere thrice the sun done salutation to the dawn' and you claim these words as your own" trying very hard not to be a misandrist here but it is so unrealistic for a man to have this experience and not the other way around LMAO

bigmouth strikes again: 4.3/5 stars

immediate banger

"sweetness i was only joking when i said I'd like to smash every tooth in your head" and "when i said by rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed" HUH???? what did he sayyyyyy

"and now I know how joan of arc felt" probably the best lyric I've ever heard, once again not sure a man could ever know what she felt but sure ok

obsessed with the high pitched echoing voice in the background

the boy with the thorn in his side: 2.6/5 stars

"behind the hatred there lies a plundering desire for love" i think in this song morrissey really gives himself away in that he confuses love for acceptance. he doesn't seem to wish to be loved by someone and acutally love them in return

hard to empathize with this song not gonna lie

i like the little scatting thing he does in the second half of the song

vicar in a tutu: 1.6/5 stars

in the least chronically online social justice warrior way possible i don't love how this song is just a big joke on how funny it would be if a man wore a typically feminine piece of clothing

dumb and stupid and not funny or entertaining (though i do love a good jab at the church)

there is a light that never goes out: 4.3/5 stars

another banger

the kind of song i want to scream out my car windows while speeding down a highway

is that a flute or recorder in the background? either way, so fun!

quintessential angst teen experience of driving around in your car

some girls are bigger than others: .1/5 stars

the opposite of going out with a bang

following a banger with a FLOP

the title made me flinch

what is the point of this song?? so so lame

didn't even want to finish the song, it just repeats the one stupid lyric "some girls are bigger than others"