Discussion: Album Review Thread: Hot Chelle Rae | "Whatever"

DJ Wolff

THE ALBUM REVIEW THREAD

How do you compute the final scores?
To put it simply, the final is a weighted average of reviews from ATRL Members.

FAQ

Which albums will I review?
Albums for review will be published every week. Only one album per week will be reviewed. Other suggestions can be sent as a PM. If you want to suggest an album for review, make sure it is not older than 6 months since release. Make sure you submit your review before every Sunday.

I usually publish my album reviews in my blog.
You can send us the link to your blog, and it will also be published here.

How will albums be rated?
Albums will be rated numerically from 0 being the lowest rating to 100 being the highest. If you do not provide a score (e.g.: stars, or marks -A, B, etc-), I'll assign a score from 0-100 based on the general impression given by the review.

I am not here for novels.
You will be given freedom in the extension of your reviews. You can post a comprehensive review with technical knowledge of production or you can simply state in a few lines whether you liked the album or not. However, one-liners (e.g. "I was SLAYYEEEDDDD

Rating: 10000000!!!!!!one") will not be considered. Make sure you give a numeric rating from 0 to 100 at the end of the review.

I can't wait to review my fave's album/I can't wait to review that ***'s album
Reviews with the purpose of trolling or excessive "stanning" will not be considered. Try to be objective, and give sound reasoning why you liked or disliked the album.

PAST REVIEWS

Florence + The Machine - "Ceremonials" - Score: 77
Rihanna - "Talk That Talk" - Score: 70

Mani.

I actually don't think this would be a bad idea.

Beatfreak

I'd be here for this.

DJ Wolff

I'm on my phone right now, but later in the day I'll update the OP and post the first review. I'm thinking about starting with "Ceremonials". By the way, it doesn't have to be an essay. Just a few lines about how you feel about the album would do and give a rating at the end.

What would you prefer, numbers, stars or grades (A, B+, etc)?

Queen Bea.

People normally use blogs for this. I think it would be nice for ATRL mods to set up a review panel or something like that.

If people stick at the idea it will be a great thing but sadly a lot of members here don't like to read more than a few lines at a time as they refer to paragraphs as 'novels' and refuse to read...something about attention span or lack of literacy or something like that.

Porygon2z

The only thing that is not right with this is that some members won't be respectful with their reviews, will throw shade at any thing they think is "horrible".

BLaCKPoWeR

Well, make sure that we only review one album at a time. That way it'll be easier to average all the scores.

Ahmed.

I am so in for this! But there better be a wide variety of albums to review.

BLaCKPoWeR

You should also limit the number of people who review one album. Maybe limit it to 20.

DJ Wolff · **Assignment - January 15, 2012**

This is the first album we will be reviewing for the week until next Saturday.

Post your reviews here and by the end of next week, I will tabulate the results and publish the average.

You can also send me your album suggestions to my inbox or my wall.

DJ Wolff

BUMP

Nait Phoenix

Oh, I haven't heard that yet. Maybe I'll check it out later on this week.

Ewan Chaos

Perfect review choice! I'll get to work on my review in a bit.

Nii.

'Only If For A Night' - 10/10
This piano driven track has simple, yet powerful lyrics. It has Florence's signature anthem-like chorus, with sort of an R&B feel too it. Calming, yet very up-beat at the same time. One of my favorite tracks.

'Shake It Out' - 9/10
Flo sounds very soulful in this song. It reminds me a little bit of Adele and Amy Winehouse, but it still has her remarkable chorus and dance beat. The lyrics and song itself is very pretty.

'What The Water Gave Me' - 7/10
A very depressing song. The jazzy guitars, chorus, and close precision of the lyrics and beat make it enjoyable. I still prefer the demo version.

'Never Let Me Go' - 9/10
Flo's first official ballad, and a great one at that. The lyrics are beautiful and the instrumentation makes you feel like you're floating. The chorus is very memorable.

'Breaking Down' - 6/10
I cannot stand her vocals in this song and the production is a bit much. The lyrics save it from being horrible. The acoustic version is joyous, however.

'Lover to Lover' - 8/10
A 50s/60s feel to this one with lyrics about sin. It's become one of my favorites, but yet again the production is just a bit much.

'No Light, No Light' - 7/10
The beginning is just beautiful. This song is epic and quite reminiscent of Madge's 'Like a Prayer'. An excellent choice for second single, and possibly one of the only songs that could've fit on 'Lungs' as well as this record. The faux-dubstep breakdown is also very nice.

'Seven Devils' - 4.5/10
One of my least favorites, this one is quite 'spooky'. The lyrics are like some that could have shown up on Gaga's latest record, and it's just not enjoyable for me. This song had potential to be a favorite, if it all sounded like the final minute.

'Heartlines' - 7.5/10
This one has cute lyrics and a very good instrumental. It's a bit long for my taste, but nobody's perfect. The chorus is a highlight.

'Spectrum' - 8/10
A leftover from the sessions that produced 'What the Water Gave Me', 'Bedroom Hymns', and 'Strangeness and Charm'. This one has great lyrics and instrumentation similar to 'Heartlines'. Long again, but I prefer it to the former. Really glad it made the record, and almost could fit on 'Lungs'.

'All This and Heaven Too' - 8.5/10
A very sweet track. It makes me want to dance in the snow in the 1950s. Once was my favorite.

'Leave My Body' - 10/10
This track is just wonderful. The lyrics, the music, her vocals, everything. I love it to death, it is possibly one of the best tracks she's done. It sounds like a perfect mix of gospel and Flo.

'Remain Nameless' - 10/10
Another wonderful song. It's beyond me how this didn't make standard. She sounds great with post-dubstep, and the lyrics are perfect. It isn't too overproduced, it is one of the less produced ones on the record. The percussion goes great with her voice and the bass.

'Strangeness and Charm' - 10/10
This is a leftover from the same recording session that produced 'Spectrum' and a couple of others. The instrumental is just delightful and the lyrics are great, although most of it is repetitive.

'Bedroom Hymns' - 8/10
This track is honestly nothing to brag about, it sounds too country for my taste, but the lyrics are perhaps some of Florence's best.

'Landscape' - 10/10
I know this one isn't available to everyone, but I count it as part of the bonus tracks. The drums are very enjoyable and the lyrics are some more of her best. The second verse might be the highlight of this entire album for me.

Final score: 77/100 or 77%
Dayum, this is like my favorite album. Was I too harsh?

DJ Wolff

I think it's fine, but that's what happens sometimes when you review and rate track by track. It seems to me that the tracks you didn't like, you didn't like at all LOL.

In the end, it's your opinion what counts.

Ewan Chaos

I'm gonna rate it the same way as Nii. It's easier that way.

Not gonna rate Landscape because I pretty much never listen to it.

Only If for a Night - 10/10
The song is a perfect opener for the album that starts off slowly but then erupts into an epic tune. The drums are outstanding at the chorus. This song takes you to another world.

Shake It Out - 9/10
It's the perfect first single with a very infectious chorus. With lyrics that a person can relate to mixed with other mystical things, it's difficult to shake this song out of your head.

What the Water Gave Me - 8/10
This track is very much a Florence song in the sense that it probably would only sound good with her performing it. The song takes a little while to build up and drags on a little, but it's very good nonetheless.

Never Let Me Go - 6/10
Personally, I haven't been able to get into this song because it is boring to me even though it is a fan favorite. However, I can appreciate how good Florence's vocals are and it's a very relaxing song.

Breaking Down - 7/10
This song is a definite grower. Its loud instrumentals aren't really for everyone and it can be a little repetitive. However, when you do enjoy the song, it's very nice. The acoustic version makes it even better.

Lover to Lover - 6/10
The lyrics don't stand out too much albeit the chorus and the production is pretty strong, but it is a fun song that definitely picks up in the final minute.

No Light, No Light - 9/10
This number starts off soft and angelic before crashing into a drum-heavy song with powerful lyrics and a catchy chorus. Let's face it: we all try and hold on to that long note with Florence.

Seven Devils - 6/10
The album slows down again with this eerie tune that easily rivals Gaga's "Bloody Mary," but with more haunting vocals. Florence's voice works very well with songs like this, but the song just drags on for too long. Like Lover to Lover, the song really picks up at the end.

Heartlines - 9/10
The most drum-heavy track on the album is a big stand-out and fits perfectly after "Seven Devils" to pick up the pace of the album. The chorus is especially epic. This song comes close to perfection, but falls short due to dragging on a little bit too long.

Spectrum - 8/10
Keeping the pace of the album fast, "Spectrum" has a very loud chorus that you can't help but love. Again, this song goes on for too long and I find it to be a little bit less exciting than Heartlines. Side note: I thought she was saying "as every calorie illuminates" instead of color.

All This and Heaven Too - 10/10
My favorite song off of the album. It's impossible to listen to this song with a frown. The clever lyrics and beautiful instrumentals leave the listener happy. It's the perfect length, too, and doesn't drag on for too long. The last verse is great.

Leave My Body - 8/10
The last song of the standard track list perfectly slows down the tempo of the album. Florence's voice works perfectly with this song and the lyrics are especially clever in this tune. It's a little repetitive, but it's perfect as a "last song" for Ceremonials.

Remain Nameless - 8/10
This song could have easily fit as the last song on the standard album, especially after "Leave My Body," and I honestly thought that it was for a good while. It's a fairly haunting track that truly stands out for a bonus song.

Strangeness and Charm - 10/10
I was most anticipating this track when the album came out because of the live version that she had been doing of it. The new version trumps the old version and you can't help but clap along with the claps in the background. It would have fit perfectly with the standard track. The song gets really crazy 3 minutes in.

Bedroom Hymns - 5/10
My definite least favorite of all the songs. It doesn't really stick very well and it doesn't really stand out. However, it isn't overproduced and is a short song. It just fails to deliver excitement or a want to listen to it again.

119/150, so 80% rounding up. Yeah haha I feel like that should be higher because I love this album! But it makes sense since, yeah, it was done track by track.

DJ Wolff

BUMP

Austin

I am waaaaay too lazy to give a track by track review, but out of 100 i'd give it 85.

Wick

I'm not going to give it a full review, but the first three songs alone knock the debut album out of the water. The album could do with cutting a few tracks, but overall it's pretty spectacular. Very underrated. "Shake It Out" is the best single of the year. But only half of the album is really strong. So I'd give it a B+.

DJ Wolff

Quote:

Originally posted by ausread

I am waaaaay too lazy to give a track by track review, but out of 100 i'd give it 85.

Quote:

one-liners (e.g. "I was SLAYYEEEDDDD Rating: 10000000!!!!!!one") will not be considered.

Sorry. Please edit your post with more details, and your review will be added

.

Quote:

Originally posted by Wick

I'm not going to give it a full review, but the first three songs alone knock the debut album out of the water. The album could do with cutting a few tracks, but overall it's pretty spectacular. Very underrated. "Shake It Out" is the best single of the year. But only half of the album is really strong. So I'd give it a B+.

I will consider your review as an 80.