I don't mind if they're old or not. As I've been getting more contacts over the last month, I've learnt more about Singapore music's history and its noticeably expanding genre scope. It's not that it's actually growing; more of my own view getting less and less blinkered as I know more.
I'll also be compiling playlists, featuring singular songs from each of the albums that have been reviewed thus far. Of course it'll be the picks- I am promoting here! Criterion for each album to be in the playlist is as long as it doesn't fail. I don't think I'm actually going to give any album a score lower than D7, however - I do think I've been far too critical in the review of the Great Spy Experiment's 2007 dance rock breakthrough Flower Show Riots, which I'd given a C6. Not that my review was too critical for the album. I'm talking about the C6. (Flower Show Riots sucked.)
So if a 'sucked' album could get a C6... where could I go from there? I'm here mostly for critique anyway, not just plastering F9's like nobody's business as it is within my greatest interests to see that all of these talented musicians do well. An E8 and an F9 could very well be rarer than an A1, which I have also yet to give.
It's been highly tempting to give MUON's "The New Mutants" an A1, but when I say A1, I mean, hell, this is totally mind-bending. They change my perspectives of music and what it has in store for me (in a good way). "The New Mutants" is fantastic, but nothing extraordinary. What's extraordinary? Looking at music elsewhere, I'd say DJ Shadow's "Endtroducing...." (1996), the Dave Brubeck Quartet's "Take Five" (1959), the Clash's "London Calling" (1979) and maybe even Dizzee Rascal's "Boy in da Corner" (2003) if I'm feeling particularly grimey at the moment.
Otherwise, best not to get all tight on grading and reviewing and critiquing and exalting. Opinions, thoughts, mindsets, ideals, they all change, and at this adolescent age of mine, I'm an absolute ideology chameleon.
What's me listening to now outside of Singapore? The Shins' "Chutes Too Narrow", a fantastic progression of pop music cleverly crafted, Public Enemy's "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back", the most balanced hip-hop album ever, Flying Lotus' "Pattern+Grid World", short and sweet and sensational, Jason Moran's "Ten", a modernistic jazz piece with an unthinkable Theolonious Monk cover, James Blake's "Klavierwerke" and "CMYK", who I wish a complete album from, and lest I forget, EZA's "Minimal Variations", whose Badupbebop still plays like a broken recorder in my head.
Also, Cee-Lo's profanity party of a track "**** You" is absolutely wonderful and a joy to hear on the radio. And also uttered by little 10-year olds who have an all-too-clear idea of the world surrounding them.
