Like watercolors and drunken pastels down the stairways

Went shopping with Lynchua today! It was sooo tiring omg we were both dying on the train ride home haha. We went to Bugis, then City Hall, then Dhoby Ghaut, then Tampines, mostly to get her stuff. She took like half an hour in each shop (ok I may be exaggerating a little bit) haha what a girl. Glad that I didn't spend much today though!

Anyway, on her request, I am doing a post on all my albums. If you don't like to read album reviews or you're not a fan of my music at all, then... BYE :) haha

This is in no particular order at all.

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#1. LIGHT ME UP - THE PRETTY RECKLESS


 

Probably the most grunge-influenced album I have. Taylor Momsen is amazing with the growls and screams. The whole album is filled with power hooks and addictive guitar riffs. I love how it began with the four chords to My Medicine, and then Taylor cleared her voice and jumped right in with the drums. The whole album is angsty and angry, although tracks such as Make Me Wanna Die and Just Tonight have been commercial hits. My personal favourite on the album is probably Miss Nothing. It's loud and simply reeks of everything that the album was made to sound like; vicious and pained, but also packed with the energy that makes you want to get up and dance. Nothing Left To Lose was also beautifully written- the lyrics to the chorus "Lost between Elvis and suicide / ever since the day we died, well, I've got nothing left to lose / After Jesus and rock 'n' roll couldn't save my immoral soul / well, I've got nothing to lose" definitely stand out, although the latter half does make you wonder if it was a subtle reference to Don McLean's American Pie ("Now, do you believe in rock 'n' roll / Can music save your mortal soul"). However, I felt like the final track You was a disappointment. Although it did get airplay, it was bland, repetitive and cliched.


#2. COLLIDE WITH THE SKY - PIERCE THE VEIL

Currently my favourite album to listen to. In a world where post-hardcore has somehow become generic, Pierce The Veil manages to stand out with their originality. The lyrics feel as though they are horror-influenced, and are somewhat theatrical ("I bite my fingernails to bone, and then I crawl back under the stairwell to a place I call my home" from Bulls In The Bronx, and other plenty of references to blood) The album began with a beautiful, chilling May These Noises Startle You In Your Sleep Tonight, where what sounds like an old, worn-out vintage record player plays a sad, lonely melody, and Vic starts off screaming "If you wanted to set me free, why the fuck wouldn't you say something?" The track then builds up, with Vic's screams becoming more intense, until finally the rest of the band comes in, and the song leads to the next, Hell Above. The guitar melodies in this album are intricate, and definitely very different from the standard post-hardcore song. Also, the classical guitar solo in Bulls In The Bronx is pure genius. And of course, no post-hardcore fan can possibly resist King For A Day. Hold On Till May was a perfect ending track- slow, sweet and sad, and I love how it concluded with an effective resounding bass note. 

#3. AMERICAN IDIOT - GREEN DAY

Punk rock was never sweeter with this classic Green Day album. The lyrics were very politically-driven, especially in Holiday where Billie Joe expresses rage against the government's use of propaganda. Aside from that, there were massive power hooks, such as the opening track's "Don't wanna be an American Idiot", and catchy choruses such as that of Boulevard of Broken Dreams and She's A Rebel. The lengthy tracks Jesus Of Suburbia and Homecoming were also lovely takes on progressive rock, and the only slow track, Wake Me Up When September Ends, is probably one of the most commercially successful songs on the album. Billie Joe's drawl also adds character to the album, and gives one the feeling that he is singing from the album's depressed protagonist, St. Jimmy's point of view. Rock And Roll Girlfriend, a swing-like, upbeat track written by Tre Cool, brought some merriment to the otherwise angry punk album. Whatsername, a nostalgic, thoughtful ending piece ("I remember the face, but I can't recall the name / Now I wonder how whatsername has been"), brings some closure to the album. Green Day definitely upheld their punk rock reputation with this one. 

#4. THE BLACK PARADE IS DEAD! - MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE

A beautiful live DVD of My Chemical Romance's The Black Parade, performed and recorded in Hoboken, New Jersey, and Mexico City, Mexico. It isn't really an album, so I think I won't elaborate much on it. It does, however, give me plenty of chills to watch Gerard Way kick off the set in Mexico tearing off a hospital gown costume at the start of The End, and to hear him scream the final verse in Sleep. Ray Toro, probably one of the most underrated lead guitarists of all time, also rocks the stage with his solos, and Frank definitely keeps up the atmosphere with his charm and stage presence (unnecessary line there HAHA). I'm just really, really proud of this band, and how far they've come from the depressed druggies they used to be during their Bullets / Three Cheers times, even though Three Cheers is probably my favourite album from them. Feels like just yesterday when I was anxiously awaiting the release of Danger Days, and now they're on their fifth album already. 

#5. SO WRONG, IT'S RIGHT - ALL TIME LOW

All Time Low is one of those bands that bring pop punk to a whole new level. Alex Gaskarth's unbelievably pitch-perfect, boyish vocals make him, undeniably, one of the greatest pop punk singers of all time (although I don't think pop punk even existed a few decades ago haha), and the catchy, happy choruses and hooks in this album are just the epitome of pop punk music. Alex's lyrics are also what helps All Time Low stand out from other pop punk bands- lines such as my personal favourite, "We've got all the time in the world to get a grip on the fact that we don't last, but right now I wanna watch the tide roll in with my best friends" may make the track Let It Roll sound like just another song about being young and fun-loving, but actually also reminds us of the sad fact that nothing is forever, and that we should cherish what we have with us right now. The rest of the album consists mostly of tracks that tell us all about being young, falling in love, going all out, having fun and living it up while we can, before reality settles in in the form of adulthood ("Memories that came and went, in light of all the time we spent / Listening to everything our parents told us not to take in" from Vegas, "Pass me another bottle, honey / The Jaeger's so sweet, but if it keeps you around, then I'm down / Meet me on Thames Street / I'll take you out though I'm hardly worth your time" from Six Feet Under The Stars). It's the perfect album for any pop punk-loving teenager. 

#6. TORCHES - FOSTER THE PEOPLE

I don't really know why I own this album actually, it's not even rock haha but I still like it. Helena Beat kicks off the album well, and Pumped-Up Kicks, a song wrote to mock mainstream kids trying so hard to be hipster ("All the other kids with the pumped-up kicks / you better run, better run, outrun my gun"), was unexpectedly a great hit with the mainstream kids who felt hipster for listening to Foster The People. Call It What You Want had an excellent keyboard/piano riff that brought out its catchiness. The only song on the album that I didn't like was Don't Stop (Color On The Walls); the repetitive "Don't stop, don't stop, don't stop talking to me" just felt annoying. Waste was a song with a memorable, although admittedly cliched chorus ("And every day that you want to waste, that you want to waste, you can") about making better use of your time to do meaningful things, instead of wasting it. I Would Do Anything For You is one of my favourites on the album; it's sweet and simple. Foster The People is definitely a good band, although not one of my favourites; their music is just not something I could listen to all the time and not get sick of. 

#7. THREE CHEERS FOR SWEET REVENGE - MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE

Probably my all-time favourite album. Gerard Way is an exceptionally talented lyricist (I would quote some special lines here but I honestly can't find any, I love everything haha) and the fast, complicated starting track Helena definitely showcases Bob Bryar's skill at the drums. You Know What They Do To Guys Like Us In Prison was a very different, impactful track in which Gerard's screamy, slightly whiny vocals stood out ("Oh I miss my mom, will they give me the chair? A lethal injection, or swing from the rope if you dare / Ah, nobody knows all the trouble I've seen") I'm Not Okay (I Promise) is the anthem for all punk-loving kids; the amazingly catchy chorus will most definitely appeal to anyone who loves the genre, and the brilliantly-crafted bridge, in which Gerard has a theatrical meltdown, is especially memorable. The Ghost Of You, a grievous track about war, suffering and loss, really makes you think. I loved Hang 'Em High, a dark, terrifying song in which Gerard leaves you on the edge with his amazing half-sang, half-screamed lyrics. This album was just an incredible mix of punk, emo and rock, complete with fast-paced, powerful guitar riffs and Gerard's stunning, highly unique vocals.


#8. DANGER DAYS: THE TRUE LIVES OF THE FABULOUS KILLJOYS - MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE

A lot of long-time fans bashed on MCR for leaving behind their black-and-white, dark eyeliner image behind for bright colours, fighter suits, helmets and animated weapons. For a short while, I was one of those fans, but once you get past and over the fact that the new album sounds more mainstream than their previous ones, you see the beauty of it. Steve, Righ? from Mindless Self Indulgence lends his vocals to Look Alive Sunshine, a brilliant monologue-like starter to the album. Na Na Na, which comes on right after that track, gets the energy levels high with its loud, powerful introductory guitar riff and catchy lyrics. Bulletproof Heart had very heartfelt lyrics ("I've got a bulletproof heart, you got a hollow-point smile", "This world is after me, after you", "Run away like it was yesterday", "The papers say, Johnny won't you come back home? Cause everybody knows you don't") and a strong rhythm to keep the vibrant mood of the album going, and though I wasn't really a fan of S.I.N.G, Planetary (GO!) and DESTROYA, I loved Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back. The lyrics in that song are simply beautiful, I could quote everything. S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W was a rather different song from what MCR usually does; there was a lot of editing and special effects, but nothing more that kept it from showcasing Gerard's prowess as a singer and songwriter. Summertime and The Kids From Yesterday are beautiful pieces about memories, being young and carefree and in love- another two of my favourite tracks from the album. Closing Danger Days with Vampire Money was a brilliant move; the loudness of the guitars in the song, nearly bordering on obnoxiousness, (in a good way) mixed with Gerard's energetic vocals and go-crazy lyrics, keeps the album ringing in your head for a good while.


#9. THE BLACK PARADE - MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE




The album that leaves me speechless. The starting track The End (ironically), with its dramatic guitar lines and Gerard's dragged notes, are definitely very Queen-influenced. Dead!, a continuation to The End, is another one of those tracks that doesn't let up, and makes you want to get up on your feet and yell along to the lyrics. This Is How I Disappear has a majestic guitar riff and a lovely melody line that is played down by the heaviness of the guitar tracks in it. One of my favourite lines is from The Sharpest Lives ("Juliet loves the beat and the lust it commands, drop the dagger and lather the blood on your hands, Romeo"), albeit gory, the song is laced with dark humour. And of course, who could ever forget Welcome To The Black Parade? I Don't Love You is another one of MCR's most commercially successful songs; Ray Toro's playing shines in it, and the only thing I could possibly dislike about the song is that the guitar solo is way, way too short. Gerard's whiny, screamy vocals, once again, bring out the melancholy in the track, and gives it a bit of the hard rock feel it deserves, much like Aerosmith's I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing. Cancer is a soft rock piece that breaks hearts with Gerard's honest, painful lyrics about loving and losing, and Mama, a piece that is commonly compared to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, is another hard rock track with an amazing bridge breakdown and stunning, heavy guitar lines. Teenagers is a classic sing-along rock song with catchy tunes, and Disenchanted has beautiful lyrics about the past, and not wanting to live life in vain. Famous Last Words, with its powerful chords, closes the album dramatically, and leaves it hanging on a high note. The Black Parade is simply a masterpiece; personally, I feel like it's the best rock album of the decade, hands-down.

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Omg I had so much fun writing this haha even though I took an awfully long time.

BYE

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