Well, now my top 5 are on the table for all to see, it's about time I started comparing and contrasting. I'm aware this is a rather pointless activity, all considered, as I've made you all aware of how much I like the albums, why I like the albums and backed these claims up with evidence when I feel like it, but it is obvious that some of these albums have certain strengths and weaknesses, and I want to talk about which have what.
Let's start with number 5, Kasabian's West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum.
To start off with, the main draw of this album is certainly its music. None of the songs on this album appealed to me because of the lyrics, although they aren't too bad, or the vocals, although they certainly compliment the music. The mood of the song, the reason I truly adore it, is brought about by the placement of elements, but music seems to be what the artist was focusing on.
Strengths: Mood, Music
Weaknesses: Lyrics, Story (which I feel differs from lyrics. I'll explain with Album 2.)
What I'd also like to mention is how the individual songs of the album compare with the album as an entity. With Kasabian's album, the individual tracks all hold their own as individual songs and although the album is better than any individual song, each song carries the strengths of the album, just to a smaller degree. The fact that each song is clearly a different story, or a representation of a separate being, allows the songs to be heard individually for analysis. I must say, this album is the only of my top 5 which has no "weakest" track, and that certainly shows the strength of the songs individually.
Weakest Song: n/a
Strongest Song: Fire
Album 4, Hilltop Hoods' State of the Art certainly has a lot of weaknesses. Firstly, the reliance on the usual hip-hop archetypes, partying and patting yourself on the back, seem to keep coming up, while in other songs, the Hilltop Hoods seem to be trying to escape them, leading to a bit of a mess in regards to exactly what message they're trying to make. In regards to my rating triumvirate, music, lyrics and vocals, music was definitely the weakest point, as nothing even remotely different was attempted in this regard. Strong points, however, centered around the few songs in which the Hilltop Hoods were clearly trying to break away from the stereotypes, with lyrics being the strongest part of the album. I honestly can't think of another simple strength of this album.
Strength: Lyrics
Weaknesses: Music, clichés of genre
This is the most bi-polar of the albums, flicking from fantastic song to terrible song on a whim, meaning the songs are the weakest. The stand out, Fifty In Five, is probably the only song that really could survive outside of the album, with the possible exceptions of Still Standing and Chase That Feeling.
Weakest Song: She's So Ugly
Strongest Song: Fifty In Five
Album 3, Future Shades by The Herd is almost the reverse of State of the Art, using the expectations and clichés formed from their previous work to surprise all that heard it and create a new experience from their other albums. The sense of an other-worldly experience is what I think gives this album the step to set it apart. In regards to its weaknesses, I think the vocals might be it. Although The Herd is a very talented group of musicians, I don't feel this album pushed them out of their comfort zone in regards to their rapping. The music is the high point of the album, closely followed by the lyrics, and the vocals certainly compliment both of these, but just don't stand out on their own. There is also a sense of many of the songs being similar to others.
Strengths: Other-worldliness, music
Weaknesses: Vocals, repetitiveness
All the songs off of this album hold their own for me, with only Red Queen Theory seeming to be a definite weak point. I am definitely interested to hear the next album to truly work out if this album is a sign of a permanent change of just a break. This will definitely affect how I feel about the album, but for now it holds out with its sense of individuality.
Weakest Song: Red Queen Theory
Strongest Song: A Thousand Lives
Album 2, The Defamation of Strickland Banks by Plan B finds its strength in its sense of story and its lyrics, which are the two factors which just keep dragging me back to it time and time again. The weakness would be the vocals in the rap segments. Honestly, Plan B is not the worlds best rapper. Not the worlds worst, but not the best. I just purchased Ill Manors to confirm this, and confirmed it is. Altogether, the rap segments seem somewhat shoe-horned in and unnecessary.
Strengths: Lyrics, story
Weaknesses: Rapping, presence of rap sections
Every single song off of this album can and very well should be released as a single, and would sell well enough. Each song oozes charisma, talent and emotion. Even what I consider the weakest song off the album, Stay Too Long, could be and has been a successful single. Just bloody fantastic, every part.
Weakest Song: Stay Too Long
Strongest Song: The Recluse
The final album on my list, Deeper Water by Paul Kelly, finds its strengths in a sense of brutal honesty, being down to earth and just fantastic, with the lyrics being the strongest aspect. The songs are weak in the sense they sound very raw, almost as if they went straight from Kelly's mouth to your ears, which is a good trait on paper, but leaves some tracks sounding like they are lacking. Kelly's vocals, whilst being kind and honest, border on irritating, but perhaps that is just my tastes.
Strengths: Lyrics, honesty
Weaknesses: Rawness, vocals
This is possibly the only album which I think the vast majority of the tracks are at their best on this album. Many of these tracks, if released as singles, would just seem forced and without context. On the album, they feel honest and more developed. Deeper Water is the only song which could be a single or a song from this album in my mind. Give in to My Love is a strange case, as I think it really doesn't belong on this album, but certainly could do well as a single.
Weakest Song: California
Strongest song: Deeper Water
Now, unless I'm struck by a ray of inspiration, this will be my last Top 5 Albums post for mow. I'm certain I will return at some point, but for now I've conveyed all the information I feel is important for people to understand what I call good music, while I continue to call a lot of music garbage. I don't know what I'll do next week, or sometime through the week, but I'll find out when I get there.
I hope everyone enjoyed a rather personal series of posts, and I hope not to be that personally involved in any other series of posts. Emotions are important when discussing music but personal attachments to particular songs just make your opinions hard to clear from nostalgia.
Feedback welcome.
H. Rourke
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