Reviews Without Ratings

Hello! This is not official in the slightest and I will probably forget half of these things but I wanted to lay out a simple structure for what I’m trying to do here! This is a completely for fun blog, I just like talking about music and decided to write and put it someplace.

So this is noraterecords, a blog dedicated to reviewing music both new and old and from every genre I can think of. This is pretty much a vanity thing as reviews will mostly be determined by what I listen to and like, but any suggestions I will try out unless it’s something I already know I don’t like, and I’ll try to keep the selection diverse as I can given my poor music taste.

I’m gonna go ahead and start two labels for reviews, “newrate” and “throwbackrate”, just to put some distinction between albums that have come out since I’ve been around and albums that are older than I am. This is just a personal choice for organization sake and if (for some unimaginable reason) people end up following this blog they can pick and choose what kind of reviews they see.

Lastly, the reason this is called noraterecords is because I’m not gonna use any sort of rating scale! I always kind of thought rating music was a bit weird especially since most music is about how it makes you feel or how much you like it, so I’m not gonna do it that way! Instead, I’ll just talk about some of the highlights of an album, what I liked and maybe what I didn’t like, and talk about the vibe it gives me personally, and that’s it. No ratings, just talking about the music!

St. Vincent - St. Vincent (2014)

So as a heads up this is probably what this blog will be like, I’ll post a review then disappear for months. I’m just kinda doing this for fun, so I just post whenever I’m fixated on an album again, and it happened with St. Vincent by St. Vincent! I think it’s really appropriate that this be the self-titled album, because the whole thing is really emblematic of everything I love from St. Vincent, namely the guitar, the lyrical choices, and the overall vibe I get from her music. I got into St. Vincent with her most recent album Masseduction, but have come to love this album as one of my favorites of hers!

Personal Favorites:

Birth in Reverse – This song has quickly become one of my all-time favorite songs period. The rough-sounding guitar pairs super well with St. Vincent’s vocals here, making it a great song to just put on and dance around to. The breakdown in this song is also very catchy, and really highlights her skill at making a guitar sound like anything but a guitar. Honestly, if you listen to nothing else by St. Vincent, make it this song, dance to it, go crazy, it’s totally worth it.

Psychopath – This song was actually a late favorite of mine, I remember listening to this album a few times through and getting hooked on Birth in Reverse and Digital Witness, and then Psychopath sort of creeped up on me and now I can’t get it out of my head. It’s such a dreamy song, and the lyrics are some of my favorite off this album and with St. Vincent in general. Something about it just keeps you coming back for a listen.

Regret – What can I say besides how much I adore St. Vincent’s guitar work in this song! I also think it’s perfectly suited for this point in the album, right after the softer I Prefer Your Love it picks the energy back up just in time for the fast-paced Bring Me Your Loves. Regret has an excellent stomping beat and a layered sound that will make you want to pick up a guitar and learn the riff by heart, at least it did for me!

Final Thoughts:

Peach Pit - Being So Normal (2018)

Alright, so for my first review I wanted to find an album that I’ve practically worn out and enjoy completely, and I landed on this one! I’m a sucker for surf rock type music, and Peach Pit is one of the best recent examples I’ve found. Being So Normal weaves back and forth between the faster, more head-bobbing types of songs and slower, more reflective kinds of tracks, and throughout them all (and a good part of the reason why I love this album so much) is some excellent guitar work. Peach Pit manages to keep a steady vibe throughout this entire album and does it in a way that keeps you listening again and again.

Personal Favorites:

Alrighty Aphrodite – If I were to say I hear this guitar riff in my head every so often, I would probably be understating it. Every few days this song worms its way back into my brain, with the seamless way the crisp and clear surf guitar meets the toned-down vocals to make this a standout on the album. The title itself is also catchy, fun, and rolls of the tongue, which makes it pretty nice to sing along to.

Not Me – This was actually the first song I heard off this album, sent to me by a friend when I asked them if they had some fresh music to listen to, and they did not disappoint in the slightest. As far as introductions to a band go, this was probably the best song to do it with. It sets the tone for Peach Pit in general, and the way the vocals, guitar, and drums all dance together to make this track keeps it from getting old. I can see why they referenced this track in their newest album (which I might review in the future once I listen to it more), it really is a great song.

Tommy’s Party – This is where the slower, more reflective side of the album comes in. This song kind of caught me off guard during my first listen, as even the slower songs up until this point were not quite this muted and sad. Even so, Peach Pit keeps the same vibe they have this whole record, with the surf-y guitar and downplayed vocals still present, but even so I’m glad this is the song they chose to end the album with. It’s a good parting kiss, letting you down easy while also making you want to play the whole album again.

Final Thoughts: