What's up people, Salma here. Alright simply put, I've got two passions in life: improv and music. I didn't really feel like making a whole website page about improv, so I decided to present the non-exhaustive list of the 6 musical albums that have changed the course of my life forever and ever by their excellence. LET'S GOOOOOOO !!!
I discovered Glass Animals years ago and since, I haven't fangirled this big over another band. For a long time, I was more into their album How To Be A Human Being, but now I get Zaba's genius. The idea of a concept album set in a tropical forest is so unique and has never been executed better. Listening for the first time immediately makes you feel transported in between a multitude of critters and intriguing plants, it's perfect. It's one of the albums that made me realize that the world of music is so much more vast than the Billboard top 100 and for this, it absolutely deserves its spot in the ranking.
An album that needs no introduction considering most of the people reading this are Saskia's friends, and therefore, gays. One of the most influential projects of our time, pure musical genius. I will never get tired of listening to it and on each listen, I discover new lyrics that hit me hard in the abdomen. "Everybody leaves if they get the chance" ??? COME ONNNN GIVE MY SPIRIT A CHANCE TO FIGHT SEASONAL DEPRESSION. It's one of the albums I listened to thinking I wouldn't like it because of the unfathomable amount of hype surrounding it, and wow I was so very wrong. A classic of the twenty-first century, AND FOR A REASON.
One of the best albums of all time. I can't listen to even an ounce of critique on this project because in my eyes, Fiona Apple can do no wrong. Raw vocals, repeated and honest lyrics, minimal instrumentals at times, the album is made to hit, and it does it to death. The singer is a totally heart-wrenching example of resilience and hearing her talk about the events that traumatized her and pushed her to get back up and exteriorize all her hate really inspired me. In the end, I really needed something terrible to happen to someone and for this person to live through it to realize that I might be able to get through it as well some day. Egotistical? Perhaps, but it's my web page so I'll do what I want. Also, a woman screaming in my ears is always a blessing to me.
Another hit for homosexuals that like to be sad in life. I discovered this band years ago with Happy News For Sadness (one of the most gut wrenching songs on earth, not even kidding) and I didn't really get into it at first, but I fell into a massive CSH hyperfixation two years ago and now I'm an unconditional fan. I love how raw the vocals are and how much they convey the singer's emotions, who makes us understand so clearly the torment of a co-dependent relationship. In my opinion, the album's main strength is the lyrics, I could write a full essay on minimum one lyric in each song. I'm including both versions in this number, so the Mirror to Mirror (2011) and the Face to Face (2018) because there are songs I like in both, even if I personally prefer the remastered version. I feel like it's rare to hear songs where you can hear someone opening up to their audience in the most vulnerable way possible, and it's something that really caught me. My album of choice when I need to think back on my life and how I'll inevitably end up alone, FUN!!!!
An album I discovered thanks to Tiktok guys what the flip. Ok well not really, I saw a slideshow with a bunch of quotes and there was a particular one that hit me so much I thought about it for weeks after and I googled it to see where it came from. "And the earth looked at me and said 'wasn't that fun?' And I replied 'I'm sorry if I hurt anyone'". The lyrics resonated with me for their brutal honesty. Imagine the entire world asks you if you enjoyed your time on Earth after your death and your main preoccupation is the pain you might've inflicted on others. It's from the song When I Was Done Dying, and I had never before listened to anything that resembled this in the slightest, and I love it so much. The whole album is just so unique, listening to it is an experience to live through at least once. A sensory overload in the best way possible.
One of my friends showed me this album, by telling me it was in a similar vein to Glass Animals, and it's also exactly how I'd describe it. The instrumentals are definitely the strong suit of this album ; exceptional and vastly different from song to song. What the album loses in length (only 9 songs), it makes up for in quality. It's a recent discovery and it made me realize that there's truly an unknown world of sounds to discover, and it kind of makes me dizzy to think about the fact that I'll never listen to every song on Earth, but I appreciate the fact that it means I'll never run out of stuff to listen to during my lifetime.
In short, long live music, long live humanity and follow me on my album review account @salma_reviews on Instagram teehee. Big thanks to Saskia for her insane project, I love you babe.
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