The Unknown - Dillon

So over this winter break I heard a shit ton of albums, 93 to be exact. Majority were albums I have been putting off or have not been in the mood for playing. While very few were favorite album material (The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, In the Nightside Eclipse, Eric Dolphy in Europe Vol. 2, Unknown Pleasure, Outward Bound) some were very bad/bland (Charles Mingus with Orchestra, Live at Brixton, Significant Other, Red Hot from Alex) and most others were just okay (Greg Howe, Reasonable Doubt, Strictly Personal, The Chronic). Since school has started I will have significantly less time to being listen to records, though I do listen to each album and look for things that stick out to revisit. This is one of the albums I heard during the month long binge. This is also the sophomore effort by Dillon. I found out about her a few years ago with her first album. I think she's kind of cute and I kind of sat on this review. By the time I got to listening to the album I was just hoping she isn't another Lea Michelle or any other cute girl devoid of anything interesting in her music. Well see what my findings were directly below. 

1. The Unknown: This opens with a piano ballad introduction. So far her vocals aren't half band and I like the chords. I don't love them, but I do like what I'm hearing. Then a bass line comes in and this sort of gets a bit trippy with the electronics. I don't hate this song, but this doesn't really do a ton for me you know.
2. A Matter of Time: This opens in a similar fashion of the last song, except the vocals and electronics come in at the same time. This is very piano led though also. The beat kind of reminds me of a heartbeat a bit. I mean this is again okay, but it isn't blowing my mind at all.
3. You Cover Me: Three for three, this sounds very similar to the other songs. Like there isn't much substance here. I do like the patch that is used at the ending of this song, but it isn't really doing much for me outside of that specific detail.
4. Forward: Is what I wish women would be with me... hahahahahahahahaha. That terrible joke was more entertaining to me than this song happens to be. This also feels a lot like the last songs structure. Listen to the repetition of the chorus.
5. In Silence: This is just getting harder for me to take serious isn't it. Honestly, so far this is just warranting of an EP. Really I am kind of lost for words, I guess subconsciously I was supposed to put this off.
6. 4ever: This is more of the same, and again I don't hate it but I'm not getting anything really out of it.
7. Evergreen: So at this point I left the album and came back hours later, only to be as bored and uninterested if not more. Like why not make something more interesting, you can make ambient music and keep in interesting. Eno has done it, I liked The Solitude of Prime Numbers, Ambient 3 is solid, Delirium Cordia is phenomenal. There are people who have made spare albums and made them great. Possibly bad example, but The Residents have made multiple. A better example would be Klaus Schulze and company have all done minimal stuff and made it great. Like even if there was more variety this could be better but the songs are such copy paste repetition. Piano, Vocals, Bland electronics. Repeat the chorus multiple times. Verse chorus verse.
8. Into the Deep: Refer to the last track. I think her voice is okay, but it's kind of reminds me of one of the singers on the radio, Alissa Cara?
9. Don't Go: It sounds like a sample is being played backwards, but sadly nothing really happens with this.Add to it, make it go somewhere. I mean, yes if does grow, but please do it different than the rest of the album. There is potential I hear in this song if they added strings. At the one part that would sound great with it. Around the last 2 minutes or so.
10. Lightning Sparked: So I realized what I needed to enjoy this album, either start smoking pot or get drunk.
11. Nowhere: I guess this seems a bit darker, but it's just kind of bland and annoying and has over stayed it's welcome at this point. The ending though is kind of good, I wonder if Laurie Anderson inspired this track.
12. Current Change: I like some of the textures but not enought to say I'm a fan, but I guess I can appreciate it.

Overall I have to give this album a 4/10. This album was very bland. I like some of the sounds and the ambience, but I feel that you could combine theses into longer songs with different sections. In fact some felt like the same song. Honestly this isn't terrible, and I think this could be fleshed out into something great, but I feel there isn't really anything here. Hell Blonde did something like this but much better. Also Floating into the Night is a freaking solid records in this Ambient Pop style. I know this was a very bland review but sadly I had very little to say and I figured I would clean out the draft folder.

Déjà-Vu - Giorgio Moroder

Finally deciding to review this, and to save myself from a terrible review of Underworld, I finished this up. Besides it's four and I'll just watch Caligula tomorrow.This is the 19th, or so, studio album by Giorgio Moroder. It is also his first since 1992's Forever Dancing. Now I can't say that what I've heard by Giorgio as a solo artist has blown me away, he's a much better producer in my opinion. On that front he's made some of the greatest disco tracks with Donna Summers to ever exist. So I was kind of looking forward to this album, when I heard it was announced. After hearing the first track to drop I quickly lost faith in the album, and the only thing that kept my interest alive was the features. I was curious. I didn't expect to like it, I just wanted to listen out of curiosity. Also I am working on the B.B. review just haven't finished it yet. Note: I need to mention that I listened to the commentary album that was on Spotify. It helped me a little I think. And it's kinda like the intro to Giorgio.

1. 4 U With Love: This opens the album with something that reminds me of whats current. This sounds like something that I'd hear being promoted in dance music on a Spotify commercial. I can't say I'm a nut about those tracks, but I do enjoy them while they last. This track I love the little wood block thing sound, or at least it sounds like the wood block or wood log setting on my keyboard. Not as strong I think as the others, it's just an interlude, but still pretty solid and gets you pumped to hear the rest of the album. The only real complaint is it doesn't segue into the following track. The U is his wife, according to the commentary.
2. Déjà Vu: This is the title track and features Sia and damnit.... I heard it the day the album dropped and shit. I genuinely dig this. I mean I have heard her hits, and I thought his gimmick was bullshit because she doesn't want to show her face on her. My complaint about Sia is the pre-chorus, where she sounds like.... I don't know. But the chorus, where you understand even less, is fine by me. The music really has a great disco vibe to it. This is so damn happy, I feel like you could play this for someone who may be sad, and it'll cheer them up. Hell I feel great when I listen to that track. Hopefully it isn't like most bubble gum pop though, and fade quickly. I really want to listen to this three years from now and if not like it as much, like it more. And after the initial happiness wore off, I"m still digging this thing.
3. Diamonds: This track features on Charlie XCX. This is another surprisingly great track. I mean I don't care for Charlie, outside of her physical appearance, but here she sound great adding to this being another solid track. I can hear the more current EDM sounds here. I'm not as in love with it upon re visitation, but it's still pretty solid. I mean I could careless about the lyrics. The thing is this sounds like an older song. The lyrics and the vocals, sounds like they were taken from the 60's. If not inspired by, maybe sampled. Hell I could see this being a cover of a 60's song. A song like The Supremes or another girl group would do.
4. Don't Let Go: Mikky Ekko is the feature on this track, and I can't quite pin it down but the intro reminds me of something. At first it was Paradise by Coldplay, but I don't think that's it. I've never heard of this guy before, but I think his voice is pretty good here. The strings more than anything remind me of that song. The keys, I can't quite pin down. I like that little click that comes in during the second verse. This doesn't drag me off my feet like track two, but hey it's still pretty damn solid.
5. Right Here, Right Now: Featuring Kylie Minogue, and it's great. The song has this bassy, vocoded voice (vocoded something). This reminds me of 90's music and I have a deep love for cheesy 90's house music. I also dig this sound presented here. The bass in the background reminds me of Daft Punk's older non RAM stuff. This song makes me kinda wanna dance. This is another track that doesn't sweep me off my feet like the first time. But still solid and upon revisitation I can say is probably my favorite track here.
6. Tempted: "By the fruit of another, Tempted but the truth is discovered". This track features Matthew Koma. This is very sweet sounding, and very easy to listen to. But Mat reminds me a ton of a mix of a few different people at parts. First someone I can't think of, but then at other parts reminds me of Andrew VanWyngarden and then at other parts a higher pitched Adam Levine. The thing is there isn't much to complain about here, I mean it reminds me a little of one to the remixes of Get Lucky, but this proves the album came out at the perfect time. Summer. Also I swear they sampled a song for this track. It's uncannily similar to another track that I can't think of. 
7. 74 is the New 24: The first single, and to be honest...... I lost faith in the album. But the thing is upon revisiting this with hearing the other tracks.... it's not that bad. I'm digging the Get Lucky guitars, the piano break, and even that techno "drop". This title is taken from the fact that he noticed there were young people in his crowd.
8. Tom's Dinner: This track features Britney Spears. Seeing how the others went over so well I can't wait to hear his track. This samples a track I can't think of, Its in the Hooked on Polkas or Polka Power. I think it's a pretty decent track, and doesn't has Britney really singing. She's most talking in a hushed voice. This is actually completely different than the rest of the album, it's not that it sticks out like a sore thumb. I just don't think it's a good as some of the others. But I do like that it does change pace, rather than giving us similar sounding stuff. It is a actually a cover of Tom's Dinner which was from 1990 by DNA featuring Suzanne Vega (Originally just by Suzanne from 1987), and was featured in the Polka Your Eyes Out.
9. Wildstar: This track features Foxes. Sonically this reminds me of the other tracks, but the voice reminds me of Eisley at parts. Of which Rising Fawn has a new album coming next month on the 28th.
10. Back and Forth: This features someone I don't know Kelis. I was feeling the intro, but when the vocals came in I was really feeling it that much.
11. I Do This for You: This track features Marlene ∞, someone whom I don't know. Another song that really has little to no impact on me. 
12. La Disco: This opening grabs my attention, especially the guitar in the song. Not as exciting as I'd wanted, mostly because the instrumental exciting parts kinda of sound similar elsewhere, but hey this is still a solid record.

Overall I have to give this album a 6.5/10. I need to be honest, of all the Giorgio stuff I've heard, as a whole this is my favorite album of his. This is quick, easy to listen to and just all together fun. This kind of reminds me of Random Access Memory. Like his last album was released in 1992 and this might be the album that was written back in the 90s and he was waiting to record. But this sounds like it's just updated version of an older, possibly retro, style. I may not be blown away by its genius, but I'm blown away that I dig this so much. I read somewhere this combines disco and EDM, I guess it does. I mean I don't listen to EDM, so I wouldn't know. Maybe in a year from now I'll be going to EDM festivals, hell if "EDM" sounded like this I'd have not problem. The thing is though towards the end it gets very tiring listening to the same exact thing over and over. I wish he would have played with the whole Britney song or the pacing of that song more. Like adding more variety outside of the vocals. Needless to say, this will be in my CD collection by the end of the year. And I can see myself coming back for multiple listen front to back. Now I need one more review to keep up with my two per month. Or to equal rather :) Also Sirens sucks. Hopefully his follow up will be this fun.