#bedtime review

[merylodrama]

Super Sunset

Allie X

2018

9.8

★★★★★

'And the ghosts of the nineties walk the streets'

This record definitely sounds more polished thank the previous ones which were already very well done. The work on the production sounds like it has more personality, exploring a bit more with the instrumentation all the while keeping the original Allie X touch. You can definitely hear the use of 80s inspired synths which creates a beautiful body of work. It doesn't feel aged, the energy infused in these tracks still does its magic.

I've seen Allie X live at MARINA's Love + Fear Tour (2019) as she was touring Super Sunset so I've heard most of those songs already and even played them a awful lot during that time. The only song I had never listened to — or at least don't remember — was Focus. It's a really beautiful song with beautiful lyrics. It starts much more softly than the rest of the tracks, which I adored. However the production on that track sounds a bit more dated, as if it was an unreleased / deluxe song added at the end of the album.

Re-listening to this record is always a nice experience, it's pretty short but that makes an intense listening experience where you absolutely don't feel any bore. At anytime. Just pure perfect synth-pop. It makes me so excited for her new album Girl With No Face which comes out very soon ! Next and last step before the new record is Cape God.

Super Sunset Intro — intro/10

Not So Bad In LA — 10/10

Little Things — 10/10

Science — 10/10

Girl of the Year — 10/10

Super Sunset Interlude — interlude/10

Can't Stop Now — 10/10

Focus — 9/10

animated cover by me

[merylodrama]

everything is alive

Slowdive — 2023

★★★★★

first listen review

I did not listened to this album last year and I was missing out on a lot! This album is as good as Slowdive (2017) if not even better on some aspects.

I totally enjoyed everything on it. Every track has its own identity while still remaining coherent with the rest of the tracks, making this record very cohesive.

I loved the mix of the soft (and sometimes not too soft) electric guitars and the dreamy synths adding texture to the tracks. The soft vocals are again, very pleasing to listen to. I also enjoyed the instrumental moments which are very important. Some tracks were pretty lengthy without feeling long at all.

That was a really really good album and I will definitely listen to it many times again.

shanty — 10/10

prayer remembered — 10/10

alife — 10/10

andalucia plays — 10/10

kisses — 10/10

skin in the game — 10/10

chained to a cloud — 10/10

the slab — 10/10

[merylodrama]

Art Angels

Grimes

2015

★★★★☆

8.7

Finally ! I've finally listened to this album in full. I bought the vinyl version almost a year ago because it is a classic and I just had to have it in my vinyl collection. Many friends recommended me to listen to it over the years so I knew a few songs already : California's drums loop has always reminded me of Rihanna's Pon De Replay for some reason. Flesh Without Blood, Kill V. Maim, REALiTi and Butterfly were all songs I already heard before — REALiTi being one of my favorite songs ever! But I never took the time to properly sit and listen to the album.

What an experience it was, I wish I had listened to that record way before, as some of it sounds a little dated to me and some other tracks feel like they're instant classics. The production on some songs just feels timeless such as Flesh Without Blood, Pin or REALiTi. I totally enjoyed instrumental moments on Easily too, I appreciate when artists let the production shine for what it is and be the main part of the song too.

While most of them sound great, there's still some songs that sound outdated to me. Unfortunately the (almost) 10 years that have passed can be heard on tracks like Venus Fly or Butterfly. I know this record is very important to many people and that they probably don't feel this ageing but discovering it in 2024 does not help.

Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the work done on the vocals — especially on Pin's outro. Throughout the album, the backing vocals are what drives the tracks. They're so beautifully crafted and complement the very heavy intricate production.

I can totally see most of the songs grow on me later and will definitely listen to the rest of Grimes discography.

tracks rating :

Laughing and Not Being Normal — intro/10

California — 8/10

Scream feat. 潘PAN — 7/10

Flesh Without Blood — 10/10

Belly of the Beat — 8/10

Kill V. Maim — 10/10

Artangels — 9/10

Easily 10/10

Pin — 10/10

REALiTi — 10/10

World Princess, Pt II — 6/10

Venus Fly feat. Janelle Monáe — 7/10

Life in the Vivid Dream — 8/10

Butterfly — 10/10

animated artwork made by me

[merylodrama]

Midnights — Taylor Swift

2022 — 4th listen — ★★★☆☆

This is the 4th time I try to let this album grow on me. But this time I tried to rate the tracks for what they are and not let the boredom of the entire listening experience interfere too much.

I wouldn't say this is a bad album by any means, but it sure isn't great either. I don't know if I can say it's good either because as a project I think it's pretty weak. Some tracks are very good while some others are really uninteresting and made me want to click the skip button. Anti-Hero can be considered as a highlight on the album. While it sounds a bit aged, repetitive and got overplayed, I think it was a great choice to push it as the lead single of the album. It reminded me a lot of early Bleachers projects such as Strange Desire which I love.

Maroon was one of those instant favorite moments from day 1. The lyrics + the production just feel perfect to me and reminds me everything I loved about reputation. Unfortunately I only loved the first part of the project as it gets worse one the second part. Prod on Vigilante Shit just sound outdated as if it was a Billie Eilish reject, the lyrics were almost as bad as Karma's. It just can't seem to like them no matter how hard I try after a year and a half.

Labyrinth is a hint of hope while listening to the album as its synths as well as the mixing of Taylor's vocals with sound very good to me. But some of the production feels unfinished, it goes all over the place throughout the album. It lacks personality and cohesion to me. Tracks like Midnight Rain or Bejewelled sound like she wants to be the alt girl, experimenting with sound but ends up just feeling like failed reputation vault tracks. reputation had beautiful synths I'll always cherish but here it feels like a bad replica. It makes sense that die hard fans do enjoy it has it is very much Taylor Swift™ coded in its core. But that's the problem here for me. It feels like most of these tracks could be rejects from past eras put together to form an unfinished collection.

While I enjoy a few songs on the record, I don't feel like I need to give it another chance as a project. I'm looking forward to The Tortured Poets Department project she just announced but I'm a bit scared it won't be any different. I need Taylor to update her sound, ditch Jack Antonoff and finally give us a new sound for her 11th album.

track by track ratings

Lavender Haze — 8/10

Maroon — 10/10

Anti-Hero — 10/10

Snow On The Beach feat. Lana Del Rey — 9/10

You're On Your Own Kid — 9/10

Midnight Rain — 7/10

Question…? — 5/10

Vigilante Shit — 3/10

Bejewelled— 4/10

Labirynth — 8/10

Karma — 3/10

Sweet Nothing — 6/10

Mastermind — 7/10