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Special Event: atrlcritic | Ed Sheeran's new songs after the upgrade
Member Since: 5/22/2011
Posts: 21,227
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Quote:
Originally posted by supaspaz
We can have different opinions about music, but the dismissiveness bothers me. What's the point of reviewing a song if you're not going to give it a serious listen and then offer a genuine assessment of its merits?
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I listened to the song, I gave it a genuine assessment and I found it a terrible song.
Just because you think its pop gold doesn't mean everybody else is obliged too, I found it a bad song plain and simple and believe me I did give it a serious listen. 
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Member Since: 9/16/2011
Posts: 50,981
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When are we reviewing Mdna? 
I haven't missed Florence's single, have I? 
I guess I'd do Fruit if that comes up.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Quote:
Originally posted by JakeKills
When are we reviewing Mdna?
I haven't missed Florence's single, have I?
I guess I'd do Fruit if that comes up. |
Nice timing. I was about to start Florence. 
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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*Unofficial*
| What Kind Of Man - Florence + The Machine
Florence + The Machine | Island | Release Date: February 12, 2015 | Review Period: March 20, 2015 - March 27, 2015
| .png) | dddddddddd
91 | Member Score
Universal Acclaim
based on 2 Reviews | ddddd. | dddddd
5.2 | Experimental Top Critic Score
Mixed Reviews
based on 1 Top Critic |
| | dddddddddddddd | Summary: The lead single from the British band's upcoming third studio album was produced by Markus Dravs. | Record Label: Island
Genre(s): Blues, pop-soul |
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| Member Reviews | | d | .iPositive: ████████████████ 2 | | d | ....iMixed: 0 | | d | Negative: 0 |
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| | Top Critic Reviews | | d | .iPositive: 0 | | d | ....iMixed: ████████████████ 1 | | d | Negative: 0 |
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Member Since: 9/16/2011
Posts: 50,981
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Quote:
Originally posted by alexanderao
Nice timing. I was about to start Florence. |
What about medoner?
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Quote:
Originally posted by JakeKills
What about medoner?
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Are you talking about Rebel Heart? That album has only received one request. If you'd like to put in a request, you may do so. We have a bit of a cramped schedule, though:
Ongoing
Upcoming
Special
Drake - 'If You're Reading This It's Too Late' [March 3, 2015 - March 20, 2015]
Imagine Dragons - 'Smoke + Mirrors' [March 13, 2015 - March 25, 2015]
Kelly Clarkson - 'Piece By Piece' [March 15, 2015 - March 27, 2015]
Florence + The Machine - 'What Kind Of Man' [March 20, 2015 - March 27, 2015]
Kendrick Lamar - 'To Pimp A Butterfly' [March 25, 2015 - April 5, 2015]
Voting for Throwback Albums 3 and 4 [April 1, 2015 - April 5, 2015]
Throwback Albums 3 and 4 [April 5 - April 20, 2015]
If we end up reviewing Rebel Heart, the review period would probably be March 25 - April 5. Kendrick Lamar just took that spot.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 13,761
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Quote:
Originally posted by bluth
requesting rebel heart
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idk if this is the request you counted but
also adding to pimp a butterfly, not meaning to make it too busy hihi
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Member Since: 9/16/2011
Posts: 50,981
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Ok so I'll put in a request for Rebel Heart.
Hope we get to do it, sometime.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Quote:
Originally posted by bluth
idk if this is the request you counted but
also adding to pimp a butterfly, not meaning to make it too busy hihi
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Yeah, your request was the one logged.
Is that 3 for Kendrick? Let me check real quick.
EDIT: Yup, it is. Let me add him to the schedule for that 3/25 - 4/5 spot.
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Member Since: 4/29/2012
Posts: 15,977
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Alex, Froot has 3 requests too 
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Florence + the Machine - What Kind Of Man
It's been a long time since Florence + the machine released their last album Ceremonials with its epic sound and theatrical vocal delivery, proving to be a worthy yet different successor for their stunning debut album Lungs. Now, after 4 year, they are back with What Kind Of Man which finds them in well-known music spheres but at the same time expanding their sound a little bit further.Sonically the song is much closer to Lungs with its quirky straight up indie art rock than the bombastic and cinematic Ceremonials. The songs opens up with a slow and mellow Florence setting up the lyrical scene. Florence sings about having to " cross a canyon with a broken limb" and loving a man that can inspire decade long devotion with a single kiss. Then a heavy guitar riff drops that consistently pushes the song forward until everything peaks in an epic and orchestral brass arangement accompanied by a heavy bass drum.
It takes a big vocalist to not get overpowered by the production but it seems to be no problem whatsoever for Florence Welch, almost roaring beyond all the sound, effortlessly capturing all the different emotions hidden in the lyrics: Love and lust but above all all the despair, The man consistently pushes her back against the wall and has Florence begging for mercy but she can't seem to escape the fascination her lover brings with him. In return the man knows he is in full control over her(perfectly highlighted in the video) and lets her " dangle at cruel angle" in any way he wants and all the damage he causes leaves Florence with no other choice but to ask herself " what kind of man loves like this? "
Final Say: After the short teaser How big, how blue, how beautiful, What kind of man serves as the true first single for the album and satisfies the immensly high expectations ,without the band having to repeat themselves and without having to sacrifice any of their personality for commercial success. So what makes this song the definition of perfect modern pop? It could be the beautful and poignant lyrics or the stunning vocals mixed with a thrilling instrumental but maybe it is the song's ability to move both one's heart and feet at the same time.
9,7/10
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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*Unofficial*
| If You're Reading This It's Too Late - Drake
Drake | Cash Money | Release Date: February 13, 2015 | Review Period: March 3, 2015 - March 21, 2015
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70 | Member Score
Generally Favorable Reviews
based on 1 Review | ddddd. | dddddd
8.6 | Experimental Top Critic Score
Universal Acclaim
based on 2 Top Critics |
| | dddddddddddddd | Summary: It has been speculated that the surprise release from the Canadian rapper was intended to free him from his Cash Money contract. | Record Label: Cash Money
Genre(s): Rap |
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| Member Reviews | | d | .iPositive: ████████████████ 1 | | d | ....iMixed: 0 | | d | Negative: 0 |
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| | Top Critic Reviews | | d | .iPositive: ████████████████ 2 | | d | ....iMixed: 0 | | d | Negative: 0 |
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If You're Reading This It's Too Late results.
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Member Since: 5/9/2009
Posts: 6,397
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I'm reading this and I'm too late. The workload prevented me from attempting to write a good review on Drake's mixtape/album/whatever you want to call it. I try and write the Smoke + Mirrors review tomorrow and get in by the deadline. So glad that I get to review King Kendrick's album.
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 43,104
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Mess at only one person reviewing Drake 
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 839
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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...2B_Mirrors.png
Imagine Dragons - "Smoke + Mirrors"
The alternative rock band responsible for the hugely succesful 2012 album Night Visions is back. Smoke & Mirrors is a natural progression from the sound that the band developed on their debut, combining their core sound with new musical elements.
The album opens with the stellar "Shots", in which Dan Reynolds sings "I'm sorry for everything, no everything I've done." The track perfectly sums up the album as a whole, lyrically and sonically. The next track, "Gold" combines mysterious sounds and lyrics about the negative things fame may bring to a celebrity. The song adds to the mysterious vibe established by the artworks for the album. The next two tracks, "Smoke and Mirrors" and "I'm So Sorry" showcase two different sides to the band. The former showcases vulnerability, from Dan Reynolds' voice, the lyrics, to the melody. The latter sees the band in a heavier sound, showcasing guitar riffs and bold lyrics.
The next song, lead single "I Bet My Life" is actually one of the weaker tracks on the album. Although the verses are good, the repetetive and scream-filled choruses bring the song down, and I can't help but feel that "Shots" should have been released as the lead single. The next two tracks, "Polaroid" and "Friction" are obvious standouts, lyrically and sonically.
"It Comes Back To You" is more mellow, laidback, and honestly forgettable. "Dream" is a piano ballad with a chorus boasting with Dan's powerful vocals as he sings "We all are living in a dream". "Trouble" is another track I consider a low point on the album, what with the weird instrumentation in the chorus. Still, the track is quite catchy. "Summer" is a relaxing track, perfect for those rainy nights while you read a book. The arrangement is perfect, and so is the overall vibe of the song. "Hopeless Opus" is this album's "On Top of the World", a light and happy song about hope (or lack thereof). The standard edition ends with "The Fall", a powerful and relaxing song reminiscent of the band's earlier tracks like "Pantomime" and "Look How Far We've Come".
The bonus tracks are all amazing additions to this powerful collection of songs, from the epic choruses of "Thief" and "The Unknown", to the mellowness of "Second Chances", the acoustic sound of "Release", and the explosive anthem "Warriors".
Score: 8.5/10
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Quick checkup:
2 days until Smoke + Mirrors ends
2 days until To Pimp A Butterfly
4 days until Piece By Piece and What Kind Of Man end
9 days until voting for throwbacks 3 & 4 begin
13 days until throwbacks 3 & 4
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Member Since: 2/20/2012
Posts: 24,225
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Seems strange that Rebel Heart hasn't been added to the schedule, but To Pimp a Butterfly has... Rebel Heart was released on March 6 and To Pimp A Butterfly was released on March 16. Imo, it just doesn't make sense to review To Pimp a Butterfly first.  When I have reviewed the past couple of albums (Smoke + Mirrors and Piece by Piece), I gave them a listen on Spotify when they were released, and downloaded a few tracks that I liked. Usually, I'll listen to the albums on Spotify for a few days to a week and be done with them. So it's kind of a pain to "revisit" the album when it comes time to review it.
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Member Since: 2/20/2012
Posts: 24,225
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Request Rebel Heart and Breaking Benjamin's "Failure."
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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^ The reason that Rebel Heart had not been added to the schedule was because it only had 2 requests. You have put in a 3rd request, so now I must find a place on the schedule to put it.
Ongoing
Upcoming
Special
Imagine Dragons - 'Smoke + Mirrors' [March 13, 2015 - March 25, 2015]
Kelly Clarkson - 'Piece By Piece' [March 15, 2015 - March 27, 2015]
Florence + The Machine - 'What Kind Of Man' [March 20, 2015 - March 27, 2015]
Kendrick Lamar - 'To Pimp A Butterfly' [March 25, 2015 - April 5, 2015]
Voting for Throwback Albums 3 and 4 [April 1, 2015 - April 5, 2015]
Throwback Albums 3 and 4 [April 5 - April 20, 2015]
Suggestions?
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Member Since: 5/9/2009
Posts: 6,397
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The Z000 Review
Imagine Dragons have come far to get where they are today. First releasing their mini EP Continued Silence back in February 2012 and during that their first single It’s Time became an alternative hit and then became a mainstream hit for the band. Their debut album Night Visions was released later in 2012. Their biggest hit was Radioactive and Demons was also a hit. From there, they had a successful tour and released soundtrack songs. The Las Vegas alternative rock band this year released their second studio album, Smoke + Mirrors. It’s a great pleasure to review one of my favorite bands and their album. Glad to be back reviewing an album again.
The first track on the album is “Shot”. It is one of the singles that have been released prior the album. It has such a bombastic opening and it’s a really upbeat song that has the band’s soulful sound mixed with electronic. Despite sounding so cheery, it is an apologetic track with lines such as "I'm sorry for everything, oh, everything I've done.” It also serves as a self-evaluation track with such lines as "Am I out of touch? Am I out of my place?" and "Am I out of luck? Am I waiting to break?” I can relate to that as at times, I’m always wondering where do I fit in the world and whenever bad things that happen around me is my fault or not. It’s a nice blend of happiness and wondrous feelings music-wise and lyrical-wise. The song towards the end got a bit atmospheric as to what is realize your fate or relationship or the enlightening of the music. I really like this track when I first heard it and saw the video. The next track is another single called “Gold”. It uses the old Greek Mythology of King Midas and his golden touch to simply warn about the troubles of fame and fortune. Like “Shot”, “Gold” is a song where more fun can be had in the chorus and also a simplistic song. Though in this song, the feeling is ominous and the drums is what made the chorus work. I also enjoy this song and have fun with it. I heard some whistle sound too. The title track seems to be adventurous or something similar like that. It starts out slow, then gets to be chaotic mixed with a mid-tempo flare and after that, it gets slow again and repeat until it gets to the epic guitar solo, which should please rock fans to some extent. Mainly, the song is about how the world is not really what it seems and the reality of it has some cold truths and pleading for an answer. The phrase smoke and mirrors comes from where magicians used that to create an illusion that they made things disappeared, but in reality, they didn’t. I do like this one especially the guitar solo. The song has me thinking.
“I’m So Sorry” is where they go create with their wild side music-wise. It’s like a spontaneous combustion of sounds. The robust production and the screaming vocals makes this wild experimental arena rock song a thing to take notice. I like getting crazy with this one. Oh, and Dan mentions his step-father in this not by name just the name step-father. I guess Dan is sorry about his strained relationship with his parents. “I Bet My Life” is the lead single and I already talk about this song in my Best of so all I have to say is that I like it for all what is worth. “Polaroid” is slowed down, but also a sing-along song. I don’t know why but I feel like I’m getting Bastille vibes from this. It’s a simple song where it express soft feelings about life’s misfortunes as in yearning for a picture perfect relationship, but that’s hard to do. “Love is a Polaroid” can be taking in as love is better in picture and in memory of them to go back on. “Friction” is another experimental song with the old Imagine Dragons charm. It seems that it’s hard to fight off the troubles that you have or fight off guilt. “It Comes Back To You” is a dream-like song where I get lost into the music and feel better as the music soothes me. Like in my world, enjoying this type sound and not thinking about the world’s harsh realities and of my life. It is also another song I can relate to with such lines as "4am, beside myself/And what I think of mental health/All the things that worry me" and "I’ve been told just what to do/Where to look and point my view.” Though, I never went to therapy because I don’t want to despite my mother bugging me to. Also at 4am, I’m up reading random stuff online. “Dream” is a ballad where I can also relate especially “I Wanna Dream/Leave Me to Dream.” At times, I feel like sleeping and only sleeping. Not because I’m always tried and sleeping is good, but to be in my own world where I feel good and comfortable and have my own thing going, escaping from reality to be in bliss. I hear some violins in this song, which is good since it makes the song powerful and have a sad feeling towards it. Still, there is more about life to see and not what you see is always a mess. There is some good hidden in all that bad. “Trouble” is another simple song in a mid-tempo with finding oneself and doing things on their own. And they do not want trouble. Neither would I for myself and the people around me and hoping that I’m not the one that caused the trouble along with trouble finding me.
“Summer” is another mid-tempo track that I can’t help but just to be in awe with the light and wondrous sound. The music speaks to me and it soothes me. “Hopeless Opus” seems to about that there is more to be achieve and also trying to better oneself and not whatever what you did bring you down. Opus means work so the title refers to a work that is not to be proud of. An electric guitar solo is also heard in this song. It’s really good. “The Fall” falls in into of those mid-tempo, dream-like songs. The song is the realization of mentality ready to accept things crashing around him. It all falls down. It is something to take in personally. Pieces the album together that there are song that go hand in hand that talk similar things and that is fighting off something, but eventuality you cannot fight and must accept what happened while finding where you belong in this f**ked up world. There are more songs found in deluxe versions of this album “Warrior”, “Battle Cry” and “Monster” are found there. “Thief” is a really good that it’s nice and gets more into the passion. “The Unknown” is a nature-sounding song with the sound of birds and all that. “Second Chances” is slowed down, “Release” is self-loathing and more stripped down, and “Who We Are” is a march-like, joyous and confidence song that sounds good in groups as in uniting.
As a whole, the album sounds something that designed to let yourself go and enjoy the music. It either has you singing some of the choruses and letting your energy out for the music or reflecting on the slower songs and their lyrics. It also serves as a mellow album where it’s all about feeling the atmosphere the album tries to employ with its contrasting styles. Many people and critics especially rock purists likes to rag on Imagine Dragons by stating that they are not a “real” rock band. Honestly, the way the albums sounds, I think that it implements what a rock band does live like energizes the crowd and stripped down performances. In a way, I am saying the album would sound better live and the feelings would be full of passion as the album shows love to the sounds of arena rock. Imagine Dragoon just does their music in a more alternative way along with some pop elements and other musical styles in their arrangement and compositions.
The criticism I can give on this album is that while it was a treat to notice all of the musical styles and elements and how it translates into the songs, I get the feeling that more could’ve been done to really standout and exceed the quality heard. It could’ve been more fleshed out. At times, it seems limited and more could’ve done to branch out both musical and lyrical-wise. The album is called Smoke + Mirrors and I could say it is embellishing on the truth that the album rather simplistic and it hides it with such contrasting musical styles to be in awe. Still, it’s an enjoyable record and if I were able to see them live, it wouldn’t matter if the album is simplistic as it serves is it was designed for-just enjoying the music and all of the musical styles that can appeal to anyone. It is mainstream as rock could get.
Overall, the album is more rock-driven than its predecessor. While, it might not be as good as the first studio album, it is an album that one might enjoy depending on the mood. I will go ahead and score this a fair 77/100. I bet my life that they’re not over and they just begun. No need to worry.
Score: 77/100
Fav: Shot, Gold, Smoke + Mirrors, Polaroid, It Comes Back To You, Dream, The Fall, Thief
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Member Since: 5/22/2011
Posts: 21,227
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