[Just found this in my drafts, written way back in March 2021]
I’ve just finished the #MWE challenge for February. This stands for “Music Writer Exercise” and the challenge is to listen to an album you have never heard before each day and write a one tweet review of it.
Last year I participated in the voting for this “100 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century” list. When the results were published I noticed that not only did nearly all of my choices fail to make the list but also that there were an awful lot of albums listed that I’d never heard. So I chose 28 of them to listen to one per day throughout February.
Pretty much as soon as I started I realised that the most difficult part wasn’t listening to the albums but trying to cram your thoughts about it into 280 characters!
Here’s the list with my ratings.
5 ***** = Absolutely love this!
4 **** = These are also great
3 *** = Like these, will definitely listen again
2 ** = Pretty good, might listen again.
1 * = 1 or 2 decent songs but won’t listen again
0 = No thank you, not for me
1st February: Come On Feel The Illinoise by Sufjan Stevens (2005) 3***
A lot to take in here! 22 songs! Strings brass woodwind! A 5/4 song that sounds like The Cure’s Close To Me! Banjos! Lovely backing vocals! Another song in 5/4! Steve Reich-y closer! Quite overwhelming on the 1st listen but I’ll definitely revisit.
2nd February: Have You In My Wilderness by Julia Holter (2015) 1*
2 listens of this today, definitely better on headphones than in the car. Both times I had (but resisted!) the urge to press skip on 1 jazzy/weird song (Vasquez) Much preferred the gentler orchestral songs e.g. Night Song, title track
3rd February: And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out by Yo La Tengo (2000) 3***
Hammond organ, slow tempos, atmospheric instrumental parts, brushed drums. Given my Tindersticks obsession, perhaps no surprise that I really liked this! Standout track Tears Are In Your Eyes. Will definitely revisit.
4th February: Suburban Light by The Clientele (2000) 2**
Well, this is very pleasant. Digging the 60s chord sequences & occasional backwards guitar. Loved the vocals too, apart from the falsetto bits. I especially liked the songs that reminded me of the slower songs on VU & Nico Andy Warhol LP 🍌
5th February: Things We Lost In The Fire by Low (2001) 3***
Already know & ❤️ 2 later albums & saw them in 2016 where they played 1 song off this apparently. Mimi’s voice is wonderful. Alan’s on its own can get a bit too whiney Neil Young sometimes. But when they harmonise together it’s paradise.
6th February: Halcyon Digest by Deerhunter (2010) 4****
Didn’t like the slow track Sailing, possibly because I was listening while running? But all the rest is bloody great. Highlights include the sax on Coronado, the weird electronic percussion & the strange lyrics throughout. Another to revisit.
7th February: Tender Buttons by Broadcast (2005) 1*
My least favourite so far. Not that it’s terrible, it’s fine but it’s nothing more than that. Occasionally threatens to get interesting but mostly just background music, I kept almost forgetting that it was on. Stereolab without the melodies.
8th February: Teen Dream by Beach House (2010) 2**
Love the lead vocalist here & lots of cool understated guitar/keyboard lines. Mazzy Star meets The Shins. Sure I’ve heard the track Norway somewhere before? Bit of a dip in quality in the middle but first 3 songs are good & the last 3 even better.
9th February: Oceans Apart by The Go Betweens (2005) 4****
A definite hit. Bright & tuneful, a nice change after some of the recent albums. Enjoyed the Marr-like open string chords on Boundary Rider & the gradual build of Finding You. Now That’s What I Call Proper Songwriting.
10th February: Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend (2008) 1*
Exciting, consistently interesting & sounds like great fun to jump around to. Liked the Afrobeat / ska elements but ultimately it’s a young man’s game this. If I’d been 17 in 2008, this would be one of my favourite albums of all time!
11th February: Channel Orange by Frank Ocean (2012) 2**
Lots of it seems to be about unrequited love & existential longing. Frank’s like an emo Prince. Snip off a few songs at either end to improve it because all the best stuff’s in the middle (Sweet Life, Pyramids, Lost, White, Monks, Bad Religion)
12th February: Want One by Rufus Wainwright (2003) 4****
Ballads are good obviously because of that voice. But what really sweeps me away here are the grandiose everything-including-several-kitchen-sinks epics. Amazing arrangements, production, performances. Favourite song I Don’t Know What It Is
13th February: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven by Godspeed You! Black Emperor (2000) 5*****
It’s Sigur Ros minus the annoying singing. 4 tracks each around 20 minutes. Paced like a Mahler symphony but enhanced by the beautiful, beautiful sound of guitar feedback. I’m going to buy this one.
14th February: Madvilliany by Madvillain (2004) 3***
Very creative sampling going on, all kinds of weird musical genres going off in the background. I like the GZA style laid-back wasted delivery of the rhymes too. Densely packed wordplay, need to listen again to get my head round what it all means.
15th February: The Silver Globe by Jane Weaver (2014) 5*****
In which Jane weaves(!) together electronica, kosmische, disco, folk & synthpop to make a wonderfully comfortable but occasionally itchy blanket. But it’s her versatile singing voice that’s holding the metaphorical blanket together.
16th February: Kiwanuka by Michael Kiwanuka (2019) 3***
Really liked his previous album & saw him live at The Ritz in Manchester in 2016. This is more of the same really, Danger Mouse producing again so naturally I like this too. Highlights from 1st listen: Piano Joint, Hard To Say Goodbye, Light.
17th February: Time (The Revelator) by Gillian Welch (2001) 3***
Great voice & plays a mean banjo. I love Dear Someone, could’ve been written by Hank himself! Last track I Dream A Highway WOW! A sad tale of yearning involving Johnny Cash, Emmylou & Gram over the same 3 chords for 14 hypnotic minutes.
18th February: Master and Everyone by Bonnie Prince Billy (2003) 0
Disappointing! Based on other songs of his I’ve heard & enjoyed, I was expecting interesting characters & stories, maybe a bit of dark humour. If there was any of that here, then it totally passed me by. [I think I was confusing Bonnie Prince Billy with Bill Callahan here]
19th February: Diamond Mine by King Creosote & Jon Hopkins (2011) 2**
Acoustic melancholia with added bleeps & crackles. The harmonium bits remind me of Ivor Cutler without the jokes. Definitely intrigued enough to go back for another listen, even though this makes me miss holidays in Scotland.😐
20th February: Tomorrow’s Harvest by Boards Of Canada (2013) 1*
Ominous synths & beats. Sounds like the soundtrack to an unnecessarily graphic 1980s public information film discouraging children from playing with farm equipment. Might listen again but only as background music while I’m working.
21st February: Not The Trembling Kind by Laura Cantrell (2000) 2**
Old school country sung beautifully, mostly quite low-key & acoustic with wonderful mandolin & lap steel accompaniment. Reminded me of Nanci Griffith which is a very good thing. Favourite songs Queen of the Coast, Somewhere Some Night
22nd February: The Woods by Sleater Kinney (2005) 4****
Made a nice change to listen to SOMETHING REALLY LOUD after several days of gentle albums. How did this band pass me by at the time? 11 minute thrashathon Let’s Call It Love is either the best or worst song here, need more listens to decide which.
23rd February: Donuts by J Dilla (2006) 4****
Disappointingly there’s no rapping about donuts here, no rapping at all in fact. Lots of King Tubby sci-fi sound fx, 70s soul samples & wonky-sounding breakbeats. Reminds me of Nightmares On Wax which means Donuts🍩 is my “jam”!😂 “Ring” the Alarm!🤣
24th February: Rounds by Four Tet (2003) 2**
More downtempo trip-hoppy instrumental stuff with some great melodies floating about. Favourite track: My Angel Rocks Back & Forth, cool harp sample makes it sound like Bjork’s Vespertine. This is another album I might listen to again as background music.
25th February: Norman Fucking Rockwell by Lana Del Rey (2019) 5*****
Seeing as I’ve started with some swearing let’s carry on, this is absolutely fucking brilliant. Whoever she’s singing about here, please go to California ASAP because Lana’s missing you & she REALLY wants to dance with you.
26th February: Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill by Grouper (2008) 0
Mazzy Star played at the wrong speed. Don’t hear anything that explains why people have listed this in their favourite albums of the century. Possibly it’d improve with repeated listens but I won’t be taking the time to find out.
27th February: Any Other City by Life Without Buildings (2001) 4****
Vocalist Wow! She’s doing that talking/singing/shouting thing, reminds me of Flowered Up, X Ray Spex, Fontaines DC,@EddieArgos, Blue Aeroplanes & the incomprehensible stream of consciousness chatter of Hybrid in Battlestar Galactica.
28th February: The Drift by Scott Walker (2006) 0
Not sure I hear a single. Very unpredictable with many dynamic shifts from quiet to loud keeping you on your toes & I didn’t expect either the braying donkeys or the Donald Duck impressions! Hard work though, I’ll stick to The Lights Of Cincinatti!
Here is a playlist I made as I went along with some favourite songs from each album (except the 0 ranking ones!)
TRUST THE WIZARDS 
Great stuff. My favourites in the list all got high marks except that Scott Walker album, which really needs to be listened to in a dark room late at night for full effect.
OK, I’ll listen to the Scott Walker album in a dark room at night. In silence and the volume turned to zero. With an owl.
Good. I await reports.
Can confirm that it’s massively improved by listening with the volume turned down to zero.
🙄