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Beastie Boys ‘Paul’s Boutique’ (1989)
Beastie Boys cover immense sonic ground in their 1989 sophomore effort. It’s a record that celebrates abrupt dynamic shifts, sampling a grand total of 105 (!!!) songs plucked from a massive grab bag of funk, prog, punk, and rock influences. You have what sounds like a MIDI keyboard played underwater in “Car Thief” as well…
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Thomas & Friends ‘Big World! Big Adventures!’ (2018)
As far as kids albums go, Big World! Big Adventures! displays a wide array of musical depth. It covers the standard fare— ensemble casts, comedic breaks, medley arrangements, and an impressive array of wordly instruments befitting its name. But really I’m here to talk about the vocal performance on “Free and Easy”. Peter Andre, who…
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Penny and Sparrow ‘Olly Olly’ (2022)
Lo-fi acoustic guitar draped under synths that drip down the walls like honey. Vocal melodies heard from a church service taking place in space. This is a portrait of a Nashville bedroom in the rain. Incorporating country and R&B musical elements has been done once over, but this feels fresh, new, and inspired. Layers of…
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Misfits ‘Famous Monsters’ (1999)
Late 90’s Misfits may not have had the star power of Glenn Danzig, but Michale Graves’ performance (especially on the sublime ballad “Saturday Night”) is touchingly haunting. These songs don’t tread into any new sonic territory outside of incorporating some thrash elements, but that’s sort of the point– Misfits always sound like a barroom brawl…
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Patrick Cowley ‘Afternooners’ (1982)
Widespread recognition of Patrick Cowley didn’t come until decades after his untimely death from AIDS at the age of 32, but his spirit of decadence lives on in this posthumous collection released in 2017. The songs featured in adult films during the 80’s sound the part– arpeggiated synths spread out over thick drum patterns, with…
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Keith Urban ‘Golden Road’ (2002)
What Keith Urban lacks in sonic exploration he more than makes up in stellar production, tight arrangements, bubblegum melodies, and technically diverse guitar work. These roads may have been paved over many times before, but there’s still some gold in here nonetheless. Standout Songs: “Somebody Like You”, “You’ll Think of Me” LISTEN ON SPOTIFY
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Gang of Youths ‘Go Farther In Lightness’ (2017)
Heartfelt and sincere, big and epic, soft and intimate. This 2017 sophomore release from Australian rockers Gang of Youths captures the vast complexities of the human experience in a way not many albums have. A crooning baritone and introspective lyrics from vocalist David Le’aupepe place themselves perfectly in between an exemplary musical performance from the…
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About the Author
Jason Matthew Plank listens to copious amounts of music and writes about one album each day. He is currently active in the bands Related to Strangers (post-hardcore) and Kindergarten Cartel (punk covers of children’s nursery rhymes).
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