So… here’s what I listened to this past week, this week was at times better than last week, but man a ton of folk and opera music. The four hour opera album was perhaps the lowlight of my week but hey I’m broadening my horizons. I think this week at the bottom, you’ll maybe find a link to my running list of 2025 albums so far for the time I had missed (sorry) or you won’t if I forgot to add it.
Sunday, Feb 16 – True (Special Edition) by Spandau Ballet (3.9/5)
This was the equivalent of walking into a random thrift store and somehow leaving with a vintage leather or denim jacket that you never knew you needed. Spandau Ballet is one of those bands whose name tickles that part of my brain that makes me think i know them, but one that upon listening to their music I’ve never heard but sounds Oh so familiar to my ears, kinda Tears for Fears esque? The album as a whole is just peak ‘80s in the best way, it’s smooth, borderline cheesy, but all the while dripping with charm. The production is lush, the saxophone is present (as it should be, Lisa Simpson stand up!), and the whole thing makes me feel like I should be slow dancing under a disco ball while wearing an oversized colored blazer. Favorite track? Has to be “Gold.” Feels like an inspirational montage in the best possible way, definitely added this one to my liked songs.
Monday, Feb 17 – Monteverdi: L’Orfeo (4.7/5)
Okay, this one was an experience. Going from ‘80s new wave to literal 1607 opera is exactly the kind of whiplash I signed up for when I decided to start listening to random albums. Now would I ever have chosen this? Absolutely not, if I were choosing, I’d go with divorced dad rock or girly pop. But I must obey my own rules and today was opera. Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo is considered one of the first great operas, and even though I don’t speak Italian (besides knowing how to order food, obviously) (that was cringe), I could still feel the weight and drama of the story he was telling. The instrumentation was rich, the vocals were beautiful, and I found myself genuinely captivated. I honestly enjoyed it a ton. Which was something I was not expecting in the slightest, I even put this on during my drive home from work and enjoyed it a second time. Did I understand everything? Absolutely not. But did I feel cultured as hell listening to it? You bet.
Tuesday, Feb 18 – Aqualung (Special Edition) by Jethro Tull (4.2/5)
Flute rock, baby. Those were my first thoughts upon finishing the album and man this was epic. This was my first time diving into Jethro Tull beyond just knowing Aqualung (the song), which I did not know the name of the song but when I heard the bass I knew it, and I gotta say, I get it. The blend of progressive rock, folk, and hard rock shouldn’t work as well as it does, but here we are. The title track obviously still slaps, but “Locomotive Breath” might have been my personal favorite song. Also, I respect any band that commits this hard to incorporating a flute. Not sure if this is going to become an everyday listen for me, but it was a wild ride that I mostly enjoyed.
Wednesday, Feb 19 – Saudações by Egberto Gismonti (2.1/5)
This was a tough one. I appreciate the artistry, like Gismonti is clearly a very talented composer and guitarist. But to me this sounded like a lot of meandering instrumentals that never really grabbed me and hooked me. There were parts where I looked and realized I was still on the first song of the album and still had the better part of the almost 3 hours to go. There were moments of brilliance, which I enjoyed and got me in positive spirits again but overall, I felt like I was listening to the background music in a high-end coffee shop where they charge $15 for a single-origin pour-over with beans I could never pronounce. Maybe this is just a case of “wrong time, wrong place” for me, but I struggled to stay engaged. I felt obliged to give a somewhat decent rating because clearly this is not for me, nor perhaps to be listened to in one sitting while writing emails and playing with photoshop.
Thursday, Feb 20 – Up by Peter Gabriel (4.4/5)
“Hey this sounds like Phil Collins?” reads artist biography Ahhhh that makes sense yeah he was in Genesis. Now this was an unexpected favorite. I was not familiar with Peter Gabriel’s solo work, but knowing Genesis and having a deep heartfelt appreciation for them and Phil Collins I had high expectations. And man did Pete meet them, Up is way more experimental than I was expecting however. It’s dark, intricate, and surprisingly heavy at times, both sonically and emotionally. Tracks like “Darkness” and “Growing Up” really stuck with me, and the production is incredible throughout. I can’t believe this flew under my radar for so long. This is definitely one I’ll be revisiting and even checking out the rest of his discography.
Friday, Feb 21 – Garbage by Garbage (2.5/5)
Yea, an appropriate band name and album title. This one left me kind of cold and disappointed, like when you go out for drinks and end up at a pizza place, in the moment it sounds so good, but when you finish and think about it… you’re a monster WHAT HAVE I DONE. But with that being said, I wanted to like it more than I did, especially since in my pre-listen post-random button clicking research, I found out that Garbage has a big cult following. There were some solid tracks (“Only Happy When It Rains” which had that 90’s kinda vibe that is fun and I think their best song off the album), but overall, I found it kind of one-note. Like I said earlier, it had that ‘90s alt-rock industrial sound that I usually enjoy, but something about it just didn’t fully connect with me. Maybe it was just too repetitive for my taste, or maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for it. Either way, it was fine but not something I’ll be coming back to often besides “Only Happy When It Rains.”
Saturday, Feb 22 – Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette (3.8/5)
I mean… yeah, this is a classic. If you told me the name Alanis Morissette, it would take some time but it’s definitely a name that is familiar although I would not be too sure who she is, perhaps guessing an actress before musician. But Jagged Little Pill is one of those albums where even if you think you don’t know it, you do. Which to be honest as with many of these albums I’ve listened to surprised me. “You Oughta Know” is still an all-time rage anthem, “Ironic” is still not actually ironic but a banger that I guarentee ALL OF YOU know nonetheless, and “Hand in My Pocket” still sounds like it was made for rolling down your car window and singing your heart out. It’s a little of its time I’d say, but honestly, that’s part of Ms. Morissette’s charm. I respect it, I enjoyed it, and I’ll probably still “sing” along to it in the car whenever it comes on as I’ve added some tunes to my liked songs.
Final Thoughts/TL;DR
This week was a journey. I went from ‘80s pop to 17th-century opera to ‘90s angst, and I feel like a more well-rounded person because of it. Big surprises: L’Orfeo actually held my attention, and Up was a hidden gem. Biggest miss: Sorry, Gismonti, but Saudações just didn’t do it for me.
Let’s see what next week brings. Keeping the streak alive. Let’s go Giants!!
SebastianMParente.com 
Leave a comment