(re-posted from Facebook, edited)

Completed New Music Week 10 through Tidal.

Each Friday release day, I’m going to download 5 albums with the only criteria being name recognition or the best pieces of cover art and review them. These are the releases of 3/8.

• Album: Dido – Still On My Mind
• Previous Knowledge: “Stan” of course
• Chosen:  Name recognition
• Review: As most of America probably does, I know her from Eminem’s single, “Stan” and that’s about it.  I had read beforehand that this album showcases her love of hip-hop and features dance and electronic.  If any of them are truly the case, then I have no idea what I listened to.  I heard a relatively dull, generic folk-pop album, with virtually no energy at all.  She’s got a great voice but there wasn’t one thing on this record that made me take notice.
• Rating: 5/10

• Album: Juice WRLD – Death Race for Love
• Previous Knowledge: What my son has forced me to listen to.
• Chosen: Name recognition
• Review: At the end of June, I will be out of a job.  This record has convinced me that my next move should involve becoming a trap artist. If anyone here could get their hands on an 808, we could make these same beats and then I could write a few lyrics, record at landmine studios and then make this shit go viral.  All I would have to do is talk some shit about Juice WRLD in a song and I would be off the hook.

Seriously, anyone could make this album, even without a musical bone in your body.  I’m sure there are some worse records out there but if this isn’t the worse major label release in years, I’d be shocked.  This includes Nickleback albums.

• Rating: 0/10

• Album: Maren Morris – Girl
• Previous Knowledge – All her singles
• Chosen:  Name recognition
• Review: I’ve always been confused if Maren Morris is a country or pop artist and this record doesn’t do anything to clear up that mystery.   The front end is a really nice blend of upbeat pop and radio ready country pop.  But the back end is mostly dull mid-tempo country tunes, that meander around and never seem to really reach their potential.   Girl has its moments but not enough of them to warrant another listen.
• Rating: 6/10

• Album: Buckcherry – Warpaint
• Previous Knowledge:  All their records
• Chosen: Name recognition
• Review:  Well, I mean this is cock rock, like you would expect it to be.  I still think “Crazy Bitch” was a ridiculously good song but really, there’s not much else to Buckcherry.  If you are expecting more than pretty generic rock n roll, then that’s your fault at this point.  Of note though, there’s a weird cover of NIN’s “Head Like a Hole” on this album.  Not good or bad, just odd.
• Rating: 5/10

• Album: Tesla – Shock
• Previous Knowledge:  All their records
• Chosen: Name recognition 
• Review:   It’s a weird week where this is the best record even though it’s one of the weakest in Tesla’s catalog.  Tesla’s thing was always blending hard rock and blues really well and in the late 80s and early 90s they kind of were a most sophisticated version of hair metal.  This album is nothing like those early days.   It’s produced by Phil Collen – the Def Leppard guitarist.  So, guess what it sounds like.   Yep, it seems like Mr. Collen when to the Mutt Lange school of hard rock production and most of this just sounds like standard arena rock.  Tesla is still a talented band and for the most part they still pull off some decent songs but it’s just a tad bit generic.
• Rating: 7/10 

Albums ranked 10/10 in 2019 (ordered by release date)

1. Terror Jr. – Unfortunately, Terror Jr.
2. Emily King – Scenery
3. Good Fuck – Good Fuck