Jul 11, 2025 at 5:21 PM

331. Clipse - Let God Sort 'Em Out (2025) [July 11th, 2025]

Gonna give this another spin before doing my AOTW Club review. I thought it was pretty good mostly. "Chains & Whips", "P.O.V" and "So Be It" are absolutely fire. I'm a bit mixed on the production on some of the tracks, and Pharell's vocals weren't really my cup of tea on this. Still, Push and Malice absolutely tear their verses up, and I'm overjoyed to have them back

 

Jul 12, 2025 at 1:41 PM

332. Pearl Jam - Ten (1992) [July 12th, 2025]

When it comes to the "Big Four" of Grunge, Pearl Jam has always been a bit of an outlier for me. I've always been into darker soundscapes of bands like AiC and Soundgarden more, and Pearl Jam just never really did it for me. One of my favorite teachers in High School was a big fan though, so I've always tried to have an open mid with them As a direct offshoot to Grunge pioneers Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam has a lot of history preceding it's debut record, and thankfully, there are lots of good elements present throughout Ten.

First off, I think that "Even Flow", "Alive" and "Why Go" are great. Every member pulls their weight on the album too. Eddie Vedder is a pretty good vocalist (even if he is a bit hard to understand at times), and Mike McCready has always been an incredible guitarist. Despite this, Ten never really "hooks" me, y'know. Even though it has songs I like, and the rest of the album definitely has quality throughout, I just never seem to fully get into it. I don't know, maybe next time.

 

Jul 14, 2025 at 2:25 PM

333. Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies (1994) [July 14th, 2025]

One of the best EP's ever, but a bit of an outlier in AiC's discography. Coming right off the heels of the incredible Dirt, AiC decided to (mostly) strip back their sound. While the band had experimented with folk-ish songs on their previous EP, and they would incorporate more acoustic elements on their following self-titled record, Jar of Flies is probably the most different record from the Layne era.

"Rotten Apple" shows off the new sound straight off the bat. If you played Dirt and JoF back to back, the transition from "Would?" to this, would be outstanding. After a minute long instrumental intro, Layne jumps in with a slow, and beautiful verse. By late 1995, Layne's voice had already started deteriorating as a result of his drug use, so JoF is the final AiC release to feature his "original" voice, so it is a bit bittersweet to hear him sing his heart out on the tragically beautiful "Nutshell". After the first two tracks, we get two songs that raise up the energy a bit, with "No Excuses" being the first vocal appearance by Jerry Cantrell on the EP. "Whale & Wasp" is such a beautiful, striking instrumental, and it's truly unlike any other song from the Layne era. "Don't Follow" is the only solo Jerry track on the EP, but it's also incredible. It's by far the most country inspired song on the project, but it's very fun. "Swing on This" is a good song, but it is a bit of an odd closer. I do like how it ends the record on a more upbeat note, but it might be my least favorite on the EP.

Even though it's an EP, Jar of Flies is an essential project in the AiC oeuvre. It has some of their most popular songs, but I feel like the project as a whole if a bit underrated by non-AiC fans, which is a shame. I truly think you should check this out man

 

Jul 14, 2025 at 2:26 PM

I hope to be able to follow in Adam Levine's footsteps someday