Yeah I watched a vid going over it and a lot of the stuff was really not very concrete. And the dude going over the vid called him a schizophrenic. The main thing of the vid was of joe being transphobic.
Most of it was baseless allegations to paint him as an awful person with very specific wording. For example one of the allegations was "being rude to underage fans". The choice to use the word underage was very purposeful. I believe the biggest allegation was that he was transphobic for not feeling the need to specify his pronouns in his twitter bio. Someone correct me if I'm forgetting something but I believe that's the jist of it.
@@tapiocattundra Yeah probably. From what I can tell he might have some underlying mental illness like schizophrenia. I don't think it's necessarily fair to criticize him like he's doing all these things out of premeditated spite.
Murders probably became the most popular in the album because the “all for nothing at all” part was a tik tok sound for a bit and probably got people to listen to the full thing
brad this is my favorite album. i was contemplating paying you on stream to listen to pieces of it. i have not watched the video and if you tear it to shreds my life will be over
he meant that the language used makes total sense for the theme that it's going if brad doesn't like musical music he wouldn't enjoy this at all the band name already implies that @@wintyyy_ it's meant to be pretentious, it's a tragedy (theatrical genre)
@@LFLRFPS i don't get your point. intentional or not, it's overbearingly pretentious, to the point i can't enjoy the album. i'm saying the theme the album is going for is annoying for me. that's just my taste though
The Mind Electrical is torture to listen to, some parts (that aren't reversed) actually sound good but it's all just executed badly and the reversing parts during the normal unreversed part of the song is just terrible, you can't listen to this song and genuinely enjoy this song or force someone to listen through this, it's almost worse than actual electric shock therapy, I liked almost all the other songs, the mind electrical is probably the only song from them I'm actually unsure of what to think, it's brain rotting and unenjoyable, atleast the other songs are bearable. This is personally just my opinion on the song.
@DHsLeftNut the reversed parts feel like you're being pulled backwards through a flume. And over the last 9 months, whenever it comes on, I only ever skip to the bridge
Story: A couple falls in love The girl gets killed The boy gets framed and pleads for insanity Goes throught electroshock treatment Goes actually insane Thinks can time travel when he only goes throught his memories Goes to the ocean Drowns Last 7 minutes while he is drowning is the whole dream sweet in sea major song There
Either you interpret it like that or you say the boy is stalking the girl who's in a relationship and the stalker kills the couple but same thing from there on
As someone who genuinely enjoys this album, watching Brad destroy it is so fun. All of his criticism makes total sense, but I still really enjoy it with those criticisms in mind. It really goes to show how much music taste can differ how one feels about a sound. 10/10 would do again
I cant say the criticism about all the lyricism being pretentious is fair. I think it works great in this album because its so eccentric and convoluted that it really doesn't make any sense on purpose. its like stepping into a dream, because your understanding is so limited. so most of the pieces of information you gain are from fragments of the lyrics that aren't convoluted. ironically the lyricism has always been one of my favorite parts of the album because of how strange and indirect it is. but I think the main reason he thinks its pretentious is because he doesn't like how it sounds in the first place. so having the convoluted lyrics slapped on top of a song you already don't like just makes it worse.
I honestly think the over the top lyrics are what make this album such a bop to enjoy. Sure it's like listening to your English teacher read a passage from some old Shakespeare novel, but somehow it just sounds so fun to listen to. Also Joe Hawley just likes to be as #deep and dramatic as he can be, so it's kinda to be expected when listening to this that you'll get these stupid lines
I just listened to the full album today, and I do understand a lot of Brad’s criticisms. But to say that “the only people who have heard this are theater-core basement dwellers who never go outside” is ridiculous. Attack the album itself, not the people who listened to it. That’s not gonna get people on your side.
I'd say the whole concept of Hawaii: Part II and Miracle Musical altogether would make more sense if you ever get the chance to read about Tally Hall, the group Joe Hawley was in before this. Tally Hall isn't as theater-core focused as M.M., and their albums have generally gotten more praise & respect from people, especially their debut, "Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum". If you ever get the chance to, listen to that album, and read into the fandom, and you'll see why Hawaii: Part II has the reputation it has now.
I would disagree honestly. While I do agree that listening to Tally Hall helps you piece together a few things about Hawaii: Part II (and they're just worth a listen in general), I don't think it's entirely necessary to have a solid opinion on the project nor do I think Brad's opinion on the project would change all too much after listening to Tally Hall (with that being said, please listen to tally hall brad, please oh please)
You gotta admit the fact that, even 10 years after its release, this album has fans coming in droves asking modern music pretty much every music critic to check it out means it’s got a unique kind of appeal to a lot of people. I don’t listen to it a lot anymore but this was my #1 OAT for a looong period of time, coming from someone who listens to a ton of music.
@@puffballbk2186 I mean I’m certainly not saying it’s rare for an album to be talked about years after their release, but generally if people are still that into them after all these years then there’s gotta be something that people find in these albums that they’re not finding elsewhere. Like those classic Led Zeppelin and Radiohead albums, would you disagree that their longevity comes from their uniqueness?
I understand your problems with this album, but I really like the songwriting. I really love dissecting the poetry of this album, I feel like I could spend time with this project for hours. It’s a completely personal thing, but I’ve never connected with lyrics like this before. usually with albums I’ll only catch a lyric if it’s outstanding or god awful, but not here. I found myself invested in the songwriting from beginning to end. I understand your criticisms, but I disagree with them. I just think this album is fun the whole way through
if you like paying attention to lyrics listen to kflay. completely different vibe.. like completely different - but who knows you might enjoy her stuff
@@thesweetnobody6442i feel like songs should just be enjoyable without a requirement to analyze the lyrics I like this album and I can still agree that a lot of it just sounds like a word salad sometimes
@@meloyellow yes but the worst part is that actually the lyrics makes sense, i would explain it all but english its not my first lenguage and it would be like 10 paragraphs
Theatre-core is so concise and perfect and wraps up so many obnoxious tropes that I've been struggling to pin down for years. You nailed it. While this album has some definite skips, when it works for me, it floors me. Introduction, White Ball, Stranded Lullaby, and Dream Sweet are pretty great in my opinion. Dream Sweet in particular is one of my all-time favorites. I can buy into the silly over-the-top aesthetic that's being portrayed with the artwork and decadent instrumentation. But man, when this album sucks, it SUCKS.
I think it's something that started with Pink Floyd. They would do a lot of theatric stuff because that was the style and it fit the concept and musical style. It was actually so effective that now everyone tries to recreate the feeling but can't cause those weren't just tacked in. They actually were meticulously placed and had meaning.
rip me for enjoying a lot of the "theatrecore" music but not actually being a theatre kid; i really love this album especially (im also a big fan of rap music btw) edit: this comment definitely comes off almost as corny and pretentious as this album is but oh well
@@mitanshmakwana3302 i wouldn’t personally consider will wood theatercore but it’s definitely close. his music is fantastic, combines elements of a lot of different genres and they’re all on crack, some of my favorite songs of his are “2012” and “Hand me my shovel, i’m going in”, but i’d give his album “The Normal Album” a listen first as it’s his most accessible. his lyrics are great too because he has a past of drug abuse and mental health issues and that really shows in his lyrics.
@@djmckee5941 damn. I don't really enjoy will Wood's vocals because they're all like cracked up voices, but since you've recommended me this I might give him a relisten
Honestly, Miracle Musical isn't for me either, I downright struggle listening to it. But I freaking love Tally Hall. MMMM Is an absolute masterpiece in my eyes. It would literally make my day if you ever check out an album by them.
I think that you should try Will Wood if you hate the way that this album's lyrics are melodramatic but it never feels "large". I'd recommend The Normal Album from his solo stuff. His vocals and lyrics are still highly melodramatic, but it fits with the zany and animated instrumentals that actually feel alive. It's the best that the whole "theatre-core" side of music can offer, imo.
@@jacel987 yea, it shouldn’t be a guilty pleasure because of someone else’s opinion it should be a guilty pleasure because it’s objectively outdated and bad
@@jacel987 Calm yourself. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and everyone is entitled to considering anything a guilty pleasure of theirs, regardless of whether or not you like/dislike an album, or if the vast majority of people like/dislike an album. (Unless it's someone being a piece of shit in their music, such as Tom MacDonald. Then it's objectively bad no matter what.) You are perfectly allowed to love this album, just learn to respect other's opinions.
@@JEXMlX Facts. I have a soft spot for LMFAO and Pitbull's hits from my childhood, despite their songs being nowhere near a masterpiece. Dumb but fun party songs often get extra points from me for nostalgia lol
as much as i adore this album, i can mostly understand your opinions here. but oh my god 9:37, you did NOT just insult zubin sedghi’s voice like that. i fucking love zubin you can’t do that also if i took a shot every time you described something as “pretentious and over the top” or “convoluted” in this video i think i would be fucking dead
Genuinely love seeing Brad tear into one of my favorite albums LMAO. It's so funny seeing him rip apart the songs, also helps me see them from a different perspective. I agree some of them are ass, but damn when it's good it's good. Dream Sweet in particular is just soooo choice
this is really funny because my boyfriend is incredibly critical and picky with music so i never show him any music i listen to but i showed him this and he fell in love with it and was absolutely fascinated by it
i love the fact that you have ripped apart every band that i enjoy. you should listen to never mind the living dead or pursuit both by stuck in the sound (the albums not just the songs). or ya know just keep posting the great content :)
@@lettherebegames8 um, no it isn’t. The people who made this album just released it one day with like barely any marketing and just let it hang out. I guess purposely having your album flop is pretentious now because it thinks its so important it doesnt need advertising.
Ah, the album for English majors. I love it but i would be lying if i said it didnt feel like i was back in school doing poetry analysis on the lyrics.
I like this album. I like a good number of rap albums/ songs. Labyrinth is not bad because it's a rap song, it just doesn't fit at all with the rest of the album
IMO The lyrics of the rap don’t work, it sounds good complemented with the female chorus, it just has bad lyrics compared to the narrative of the album
it's bad because it takes two demos who don't have a single rap bone on their bodies (Demo 4 - The Mind Electric and Royal Lions Chorus), guts them, and throws Shane Maws on top.
i think it’s important to understand the story behind this album. it’s about a guy named simon, who’s had an awful life. he falls in love with a lady, and they go for a walk in the woods where she is murdered. he is framed for it, so he pleads insanity and gets electroshock therapy. but because he’s not insane, the electricity makes him insane. he escapes and tries to find his love who he thinks is still alive. he gets lured into the ocean by sirens, and drowns where he is reunited with his love. also i think it’s really funny that the songs you like are the ones i don’t like as much lmao
As a fan of this album I've always wanted to hear what people on the other side of the spectrum have to say. I see that the album isn't perfect and has a lot of quirks that could be a turn off for some, so your reaction to it gives me a lot of insight. Good video. Unsubbed
YOOOOOOOOOOO, Tally Hall gang where you at??? Edit: I definitely did not expect this sort of review, so to say I’m surprised would be an understatement. Jesus Christ, this was brutal.
This is probably my top 3 favorite albums of all time. Dream Sweet was my most listened to song in 2021. I love tally hall, not that big a fan of Joe Hawley’s solo work, but as someone who’s favorite genre is midwest emo, I literally can’t get tired of this album
Agreed. It's nowhere near as good as California or The Normal Album, but it has some decent theatrical tunes. And that backwards song thing in Mind Electric is cool.
This is probably one of my top albums because I’ve listened to it so much and have never gotten tired of it, I think it’s creative and interesting. It’s also got some good storytelling for an album
I first listened to it while (and this is true) working out. Not the best setting to listen to this album but I gave it another and absolutely loved it. The sucker punch of The Mind Electric, Labyrinth and Time Machine gave (and STILL gives) me chills.
honestly, as someone who loves this album, a lot of why people like it isn’t because of the songs. it’s because of the “story,” trying to peace together Simon’s life, as it’s told in the songs. sure, it’s pretentious, but imo it gives the album a bit of charm. it’s like FNAF in a way lmfao, way too much lore that people *love* over analyzing
I have the opposite experience, I never listened to the album all the way through and I don't care about the story, I just really enjoy a few of the songs from it.
This is a 1 year old video and I am aware that it may not be accurate to his current opinion. I do not believe it has grown on Brad, but I believe some of the points he made here wouldn’t be made nowadays. Regardless, I still think this is a very bad video. I enjoy the album quite a lot, but I actually found out about it through this video. At the time I watched it, I agreed with most of it, and I quickly discarded this album as being horrible and pretentious. Since then, I have listened to it on my own and it has since become my favorite album and I enjoy almost every song in it. This is a very special album to me and it’s an unique experience that I’ve never heard before. The point of this is not to criticize Brad’s opinion on this album, since I don’t believe people should be criticized for being unable to enjoy something that simply does not appeal to them, but rather I am here to criticize many of the points he made in this album, which I think are very bad. I think he over exaggerated many of his points and got overly upset about many elements that simply didn’t make much sense to me, in an attempt to generate some kind of outrage and upset the album’s fan-base. Giving it such a low rating came off as in bad spirit to me, as if he was actively trying to dislike it. I understand that this video was intentionally made to upset Tally Hall fans. I will be pointing out the arguments that I find strange and/or poorly explained. Introduction to the Snow - A common argument made by Brad is that the lyrics and themes are very pretentious and over the top, which I think is a very bad spirited criticism. This album’s main themes are mortality and the supernatural, it’s inherently whimsical and over the top. It’s meant to be capturing the aesthetic of a theater play and old animated movie, but Brad’s mistake is taking it way more seriously than even the album takes itself. The dramatic singing and lyricism in this track adds to the emotion of it, I believe. If the lyrics and singing were less dramatic, it wouldn’t convey the emotion in the same way that it does. This is the main issue in your approach, you are taking it too seriously and being way too cynical about it. Art is an inherently emotional thing, and picking apart at how over the top and goofy takes the joy out of it. It’s also not very specific, because what about it is over the top? Is it the word-play, metaphors or what? It’s a very shallow criticism to tear it down for being over the top, since that’s the musical equivalent of criticizing a movie for being too “cliche”, similar to Cinema Sins’ criticism. Tearing something apart because it’s too dramatic makes you come off as very cynical and close minded. Your overuse of the word “pretentious” is also somewhat frustrating, because it’s an entirely non-constructive point. It doesn’t say what exactly about the album is bad, it’s just a buzz-word. If you believe it is pretentious and dramatic, then go into detail about what makes you feel this way, rather than just repeating catch-phrases every few minutes. I know this is said a lot, but you can’t simply claim something is meaningless and pretentious just because you don’t understand it. It makes it seem as if you’re trying to seem ignorant, which I know you aren’t, but it’s very hard to watch you actively try to seem ignorant to the music just because you want to irritate a group of people. Also regarding the singing in specific, I don’t see the problem with it. If the singer doesn’t feel the song, then the listener cannot, but you’re clearly hearing the emotion in the singer’s voice, then how is it such a bad thing? Do you expect the singer to sing as monotonous and uninterested as possible, just because it wouldn’t be “pretentious” this way? This is what I mean by cynical. Isle Unto Thyself - This is also one of my main criticisms, you pause the songs way too often. I understand that you’re supposed to be a commentator and entertain the audience, but if you want to actually criticize music then you have to listen to it uninterrupted. Pausing the song every few seconds to comment on how bad it is just makes you never fully invest into the song and never let the atmosphere set in. This is like if you were watching a horror movie but pausing every second to complain about how bad it is and point out the “plot holes”. I also believe you are misinterpreting the lyrics. The singer isn’t telling you to feel something, but rather it’s referring to the main character of the album. Isle Unto Thyself is, as it’s most widely accepted, an abstract love song that foreshadows the events of the album, while tackling briefly the main themes of it, which are mortality and the after-life. It’s not speaking directly to the listener, it’s meant to be a story told through the perspective of the characters. And yet again, you claiming that the singers are just saying “I don’t want to make you feel the song, so I’ll just tell you to fell it” is a very cynical and mean spirited argument. I don’t understand why it is such a common argument of yours to say the album is bad and “cringe” because the singer puts way too much emotion in their singing. I’d rather a singer that’s over the top and passionate about what they are singing than one that sounds uninterested. Another thing that also bothers me is your constant criticism of the vocal effects in the music. I personally think that they sound okay, and they fit the song a lot of the time, but it doesn’t necessarily bother me that you don’t like them. What bothers me is that you have praised, in your channel, projects that utilize Vocaloid, yet the vocals were never a criticism of yours in those circumstances. This makes it feel like you’re just intentionally trying to complain about every possible thing in this album for no reason other than to hate it. It doesn’t seem fair to hate a project’s use of vocal effects while simultaneously praising projects whose vocals have a very similar sound to them. It would seem more genuine to be more consistent with your criticism. Claiming that the song is trying way too hard to be deep and meaningful is an overused point that makes the one making it come off as someone who just doesn’t bother trying to understand lyrics.
Black Rainbows - I don’t have much to comment here, other than comparing Mr. Bungle to this album doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Claiming that this album is just a poor execution of another project that you liked much better is like comparing apples to oranges. They are both two completely different projects made by two completely different artists, and you should treat them like their own individual projects rather than spend time comparing both of them just because they seem similar at a surface level to you. White Ball - The male vocalist in this song is a completely different singer than the one from the rest of the songs. This song’s male vocalist is Zubin Sedghi, as opposed to Joe Hawley. Criticizing the singing because it’s “too dramatic”, as I’ve already stated multiple times, is not a very good point, but the fact that you mistook the singers for each other takes some credibility away, as I see it. Now that you’ve stated that you think this album is just about love, whilst simultaneously ranting about how pretentious it is and how it’s trying to be deeper than it actually is, just proves my point about how you don’t understand the album’s themes, so you instantly assume that it’s just a love album that thinks too highly of itself. I wouldn’t be bringing this up so much if you didn’t use that same talking point so much. And again, stop pausing all the time, you’re just making your experience less enjoyable. Pausing every few seconds to complain about a song, instead of waiting until it’s over to give your fully developed opinion on it just breaks the atmosphere that the album is trying to build. Murders - I think you exaggerated a lot regarding the distorted Piano, but I don’t have anything against that point in particular. I just disagree and think the piano sounds good, that’s about it. I don’t think you’re wrong in saying it doesn’t sound appealing to you. Saying that the lyrics are just way too smart for you sarcastically, with the intent of claiming that the lyrics are actually just nonsense rather than “way too smart”, is not a very good point either. Your inability to understand the song lyrics doesn’t mean they’re bad. I, myself, am not very good at understanding song lyrics, and I fail to understand even the most basic wordplay, but that is not a valid argument against the song’s lyrics for being nonsensical. Sometimes you simply don’t understand them, and it’s okay since the album is intentionally ambiguous to allow many interpretations, as confirmed by the author. I get that it’s a very overdone point to claim “you just don’t get it”, but this is simply what is happening right now. The most agreed upon interpretation of the lyrics, which fit into the story of the album, is that this is being told from the perspective of a murderer who is about to end the life of one of the protagonists. This explains lines such as “tree falling, no one would hear”, claiming that they’re so isolated that nobody would even hear if a tree fell down, let alone a murder happening. The lines about “I was in the forest looking to see the trees” implies that the protagonist went away to pick up “flowers in the garden” for his lover, but he goes too far away and she ends up being murdered by someone in the woods. This is just one interpretation, and like I said, there are many of them and none are confirmed by the author. I will, yet again, reiterate my point about pausing the songs way too much, because in this one you went on minute-long rants about how terrible the song is without even getting halfway through it. It feels like the longest song so far because for one thing, it is (being a few seconds under Isle Unto Thyself in length), and even if you’re less than halfway done listening to it, it’ll still feel longer because the pacing is different depending on the song length. It also feels longer because you’ve paused way more than previously for this song in particular, and on top of being more frequent, the pauses are much longer. Your point about the lyrics being so nonsensical that someone mistook it as being about war, even though you thought it was a love album, is just inherently flawed. The album is not just a love album and it is intentionally open for interpretation. Just because you thought it was about one thing, and someone thought it was about another, doesn’t mean either of your interpretations were right or wrong. Instead of saying “this is nonsense” because you thought it was a love album and nothing more than that, but then a song came that contradicted your preconceived ideas of the album, you should’ve realized that maybe your idea of the album’s themes was too simplistic since it was based off of only 4 songs that you’ve heard from it. I also don’t understand why the lyrics being complicated is an inherently bad thing. Music is a complex thing, and sometimes authors want to make something that is more difficult to understand. Maybe their themes are complicated and require complicated lyrics, you don’t know. The easiest response to everything you don’t understand is saying it’s “overcomplicated and makes no sense”, but it’s not always the most accurate. The interpretations being far off from each other is not a flaw of the album, necessarily. “The Thing (1982)” and “The Shining” are two films that are still debated to this day, and nobody can quite figure out what exactly they’re about. Does that mean the movies are bad? Some things are just supposed to be interpreted many different ways, and it’s sometimes a good thing that people can see a work of art differently from each other, while every possible interpretation is equally as correct.
宇宙ステーションのレベル7 (Space Station Level 7) - I know this is nitpicky, but the song title is clearly not supposed to be Miracle Musical in Japanese, seen as the name of the artist which is shown in the Spotify page and album cover look completely different. And again, the criticism about the vocal effects just bothers me so much because what makes Vocaloid okay, but not this? I don’t even have anything against criticizing the vocal effects necessarily, because I can see why they might be unappealing to some people, but it’s just contradictory to make such a big deal about vocal effects on this album, but not similar sounding vocals in other projects. Your point about the lyrics “not mattering” because they’re not even in English is a very shallow way of looking at it. There’s nothing wrong about writing a song in a different language than the rest, and it doesn’t take away from the experience. I’ve always been able to listen to music in foreign languages and still enjoy them, despite having no clue what they meant. You can also just go out of your way to find the song lyrics translated, if it actually matters to you, which you did after being unnecessarily outraged about it for no reason other than to be outraged. It’s a bit frustrating to see how often you make an “oh my god, this is the worst thing and literally unlistenable” argument, you’re clearly overreacting to it with the purpose of making people upset. And no, it’s not a christian song just because it references supernatural themes and says the word “heaven”. Those elements are being mentioned in a poetic way, to play into the album’s themes and to make it more interesting. Many artists simply make references of heaven, creators and angels in their work, regardless of their religion, for the sake of songwriting. That doesn’t mean the song is “christian bullcrap”, since it’s very clearly referencing those themes in a more supernatural way rather than in a religious one. Also, no, you didn’t give this album a chance. You clearly went into it wanting to hate it and nitpicking it during the whole time. If you’re here to make a bad faith video where you’re just tearing the album apart for the sake of tearing it apart, then it’s fine, but you’re clearly trying to pass this off as legitimate criticism, which it is obviously not. Ironically, you constantly saying that the album is over the top and pretentious makes you sound pretentious. These terms are being thrown around so much but it doesn’t seem like you even know what they mean. The Mind Electric - I actually agree with the point you made about the reverse part. While I don’t personally hate it, I can understand why people don’t like it, and it’s a perfectly valid point to make. The voice effects are being used to make the song feel more eerie, since it’s all about the protagonist being wrongly accused of the murder and pleading for insanity as an attempt to get a lighter punishment, but it just results in him receiving electroshock therapy, which makes him becomes actually insane. I don’t agree that they sound bad, and I think they’re important for the song, but I can understand the criticism. The part where you got outraged about the lyrics written in reverse is just absurd, however. Someone clearly put the lyrics through a program that automatically reverses the lyrics, I genuinely don’t understand why you had to make such a big deal out of it. It felt like manufactured outrage, yet again. Even if someone took the time to write the lyrics in reverse, what’s the issue exactly? I said that for the last song, but it’s not religious. It’s clearly taking place in a court room and the “lord” is meant to be the judge/king. The song mentioning nuns for one verse also doesn’t mean it’s “ridiculously religious”. Criticizing the song for having its instrumental match the content of its lyrics is so weird to me, because did you expect the instrumental to just be completely different from the lyrics? This is called word painting, and it’s often used in pop music as well. It’s when the instrumental changes based on what’s being said in the lyrics, such as the melody ascending when the word “high” is mentioned. In the previous songs you were complaining about how the lyrics were telling you to feel something without actually making you feel something, but now you’re complaining that the instrumental is making you feel something but it’s wrong because it’s making you feel it way too much. This is what I mean when I say you’re intentionally trying to hate it. Labyrinth - The album is a mixture of many different sounds, genres and languages, so there is nothing wrong with one of the songs being a rap song. I genuinely don’t understand what about this song is a huge mess that is nearly unlistenable, it’s just a pretty basic beat with chiptunes over it. I can understand calling it bland, but saying it’s a “huge mess” is such an overstatement. A huge issue this review has is that many of the points you make are ridiculously exaggerated. I wouldn’t even care so much if you just said the songs were mediocre or bad, but the way you do it is extremely exaggerated, to where you say a song that was mediocre at worst is “actually completely unlistenable torture”. It’s okay to say a song was just boring, you don’t need to tear into every aspect of it as if it was the worst thing you’d ever listened to, because it just feels so disingenuine.
Time Machine - I don’t have much to say about this one. One thing I don’t like is how you claimed that the fans of this album “hate rap music” with no basis whatsoever. Just because one single person who liked this album gave Labyrinth a low rating, doesn’t mean that the entire fan-base is filled with those “video-game OST’s are better than rap music” people. That’s like taking the people who skip the rap verses in Gorillaz songs and using it to claim that all Gorillaz fans hate rap music. Labyrinth is a quite well liked song from this album, and far from the least popular one among the fans. This is anecdotal evidence but worse because you used one music reviewer as a source, and music reviewers rarely represent the actual fans of an artist. Stranded Lullaby - This is just immature. The song is supposed to be a Lullaby, and you’re complaining about how “boring” it is. Stranded Lullaby is a beautiful and soothing song, and you’re just tearing it apart because you think it’s boring. Your inability to sit through this song is not a valid argument against its quality, and you’d also enjoy it more if you weren’t trying to make funny faces all the time to show how “awful” it is. I understand that “it’s done on purpose” is not a strong argument on its own, but in this case it really bothers me that you’re using “it’s boring and makes me want to sleep” as an argument against the quality of a song called “Stranded Lullaby”. Slow and quiet songs aren’t inherently boring, either, it just means that it’s slow and quiet. It also works great in the context of the album, considering it came right after fast and somewhat intense songs, but right before the “grand finale”. You can’t simply expect every song to be a super exciting carnival ride, some songs are simply more laid back and take a more calming approach. I personally find the song to be a very calming and pretty tune, but like you did with many of the other songs, you’re acting like it’s the worst thing on the planet. I never understood this “the lyrics are over the top and too complicated” point, which you make so often. Stranded Lullaby is one of the simpler songs, regarding the lyrics. It’s about grief and longing for someone, using the analogy of being “stranded in the sea” to convey that point. If you can’t interpret lyrics, then you shouldn’t make them into such a common talking point. I can’t interpret them well, but I don’t use it as an argument that the song is objectively poorly written and nonsensical. And yet again, you overuse the terms “pretentious” and “over the top”. This is such a poor argument because it doesn’t say anything, they’re just buzz-words. It’s no different from “movie critics” whose most common criticism is “this is so cliche”. Dream Sweet in Sea Major - Again, the same argument about how cheesy it is. Yes, it is cheesy, that’s part of the point. It does take itself seriously to some extent, but the album is cheesy and whimsical by nature, but instead of enjoying it you’re choosing to think with the mentality that “the writer is so pretentious and thinks they’re too deep”. There is nothing wrong about writing lyrics about something that is meaningful to you. Nothing about these lyrics is harmful, either, it’s just a cheesy story that presents itself as a theater play. It’s quite charming and unique, because while theater-like elements are often used in modern music, there has never been an album that incorporates so many different elements such as this one, and in such a creative way. Instead of putting an effort into actually criticizing it, you just spend most of the video repeating the same thing about how it’s theater-core, bad and pretentious. The fact that you need to repeat the same talking points so much makes it seem like you have nothing else to say. Not every criticism has to be constructive, and it can be fun to tear into things, but here you’re just showing that you can’t actually describe exactly what about it you hate, so you just give up and throw around the exact same arguments over and over. The part where you just started reading through a Hawaii Part II iceberg meme is where you basically admitted that this whole video is a joke made in bad faith, since you’re just reading through a harmless iceberg meme made by a fan of the album while sarcastically mocking how stupid it is. This video is very hard to watch, not only because you constantly pause the songs to make incredibly smug and sarcastic remarks in the most immature way possible, but you just say the same things over and over again. I can’t wrap my head around how going “wow this is so deep” sarcastically for half of the song somehow counts as criticism. Just because you’re repeating it in a sarcastic tone of voice doesn’t make your point more correct than if you just said it normally, it’s just immature. I would have no problem with a negative review of Hawaii Part II, but the problem is that you’re not even trying to do that, you’re just mocking the whole thing while making sarcastic and snarky remarks and passing it off as legitimate criticism. I, again, acknowledge that you only made this review to make the fans of this album mad, but this video is just bad either way.
I find it so funny he actually sat threw the whole reverse part of the mind electric lmao. Anyways, agree to disagree, love this album respect ur opinion people have different taste have a good day
This is the first time I've seen so much negative reception surrounding this album. From my first time listening to this album, it was applauded with so much high praise from the internet. I was listening to it around the time when the popularity of the album was JUST making its way to "internet fame" as one of the songs in the album (Dream Sweet in Sea Major) was making a few rounds on people's RUclips recommendation. One of the primary things I like about this album was the fact that it was fresh in my eyes. It's honestly THE album that made me start actually listening to music and albums in general. So you can guess that I didn't know too much about music back then, which is why I never picked up the "pretentious-ness" aspect of it. Another thing that I like about it is mostly the "mysterious vibe" the album was going for. No one suggested me to pick up this album besides RUclips's algorithm, so it used to be like this "otherwordly" music that fooled me into thinking that no other music sounds like it. In fact, most of my positive opinion of this album is mostly from external factors that heightened the album, which is why I would rate this album a 9/10 based on my very good first experience. Now that I've grown more and more into music, I will give this album a 7/10 AT MOST. Who knew getting more experience with music actually hurts my enjoyment of this album? But I still appreciate for what it's worth and it did influenced me in a way that changed my life.
@@countergluttony I've been listening to a lot more music now, thx for asking. Can't say which specific albums or genres because my listening palette is very scattered and diverse, but right now I've been listening to a lot of electronic (think of artists like Aphex Twin, C418, Orbital, the Avalanches). I don't listen to Tally Hall as often nowadays, but hey can you blame me? The band hasn't made any new music since 2011!
I feel like I made the mistake of making this album too close to my heart and in a way making it a personality trait, because the way this guy has criticized the album is how a lot of people criticize me.
@@zandgall1837 yooo, I remember leaving that comment with a music taste so different from my music taste today. And heyy, glad we share the same experience.
I like it and I like to see what's wrong with it. One thing with this review though, You kept mentioning how overly religious it is, but as a Christian I picked up like zero Christian undertones whatsoever listening to any of this album because the lyrics are so overly convoluted that I tuned out trying to make sense of them lol
outside of The Mind Electric playing in reverse, sounding like evil bohemian rhapsody and mentioning nuns, the only religious reference is Space Station Level 7, as it's about death and going to heaven (the chorus is HEAVEN, Tengoku niwa, or Heaven is approaching if translated to english)
Even though you broke my heart by hating my favorite album, I fucking loved this video. You made me laugh so many times and you always explain why you don’t like a song or a part of a song.
I think you got what makes the album enjoyable and somehow took it as a negative, and that's because you went in already knowing you were gonna dislike it. Most of the time your criticisms were a little misguided because you didn't quite get what the music was going for, and other times your criticism seem completely arbitrary knowing the kind of music you like. I know the "It's meant to sound bad" defense seems pretentious, but watching this video I caught a lot of misunderstandings as to what is intentional in this album and what is simply "badly done," that I've never seen anyone misunderstand before, and it's always funny seeing you criticize a part of a song as if it's an objective flaw whilst knowing that part is the reason why other people like it. (E.g: The distorted piano in Murders, the over-the-top lyrics that are also impossible to understand, the "theater kid" vibes, the vocal effects, etc.) Maybe you were a little out of the loop regarding the context of the album. It's not like you need too much context but I think you were introduced to this stuff in a less than ideal manner and it's ruined the lenses in which you judge the music making you seem very biased. Like, at first you say the music is "predictable," and when it surprises you, you change your tune from "it's predictable" to "the surprises are cheapshots that come out of nowhere" to acknowledge the contradiction while still trying to say they can't surprise you, and when you're shown the surprises can be coherent with Labyrinth, you go from "I can't get surprised by this," to "This album never fails to surprise me!" while laughing at the idea of a rap song going after The Mind Electric, as if the ridiculousness was unintentional and further proof of how dumb the artist is. That's just one of the many "Missing the point" moments that I saw in this video stemming from your inability to look at the album openly and taking the weirdness of it at face value instead of going: "Huh, this is pretty unconventional. I wonder why they did this!" like you often have to do with "experimental" stuff. Again, I know this sounds pretentious and I agree the album itself can be pretentious too sometimes, but yeah, you just don't get it dude.....
Nobody has to go in with any specific mindset when they listen to music for the first time. In fact, I'd say you have to go into this album with the patience of a saint and be anxiously waiting for every new song to get the "wow so experimental, what does it mean!" reaction you say he should have, which I feel is asking way too much of someone who goes into music knowing what they like and knowing as soon as they start hearing it that they won't like it. If someone clearly doesn't enjoy the music, I don't think "you need to want to listen to the music like this and want to hear overly convoluted lyrics that rely on fans to provide interpretations for them" is a valid criticism at all for that person. It's like playing a Kojima game and telling the person who says the writing is bloated and the themes are presented in a pretentious manner that they have to accept that Kojima is a genius and their inability to see the game the way you want to see is is their fault and a flaw on their part, when in reality it's a game that anyone can play and anyone can form their own ideas on. Not to say that miracle musical is up their own ass about their talent or anything like that, but their listeners don't have to appreciate the work that's gone into something if they hate it.
I know you don't like this Brad, but I actually really like Tally Hall's MMMM and I think you might like it a lot better. It's such a fun and exciting album so I can't help but liking it tbh.
@@RivasMakesStuffForYou The album is inconsistent in terms of quality and aesthetic; the sequencing is no better. Tracks clash like the fucking vikings sometimes (The Bidding-Be Born, Banana Man-Just Apathy, etc). The tracks by themselves aren't bad at all (some I absolutely love like Taken For A Ride, Spring And A Storm, and Ruler Of Everything) but they seldom build off of each other or have a sense of continuity together- qualities that a good album should have over a random selection of tracks.
@@youtubeuserdan4017 I can understand that. The album definitely is all over the place, front to back. However, I think that was what the band was going for. Personally, I think the album is less of trying to make a 100% serious musical masterpiece and more of just the band making songs and putting them on there simply because they like the way they sound. It seems clear that they had fun making this album, and once I relistened to the album with that in mind, I had a much more positive outlook on it. With that being said, however, I personally believe their other album, Good & Evil, is a better album overall because of its consistency.
i feel like the vocals on this album were meant to make us imagine the vocalist as some suave classy dude in fancy dress clothes and a top hat swinging his cane around and dancing elegantly around a theater stage but instead i feel like im listening to a no-class white boy dressing as the onceler for halloween, and honestly i feel like if the latter persona was actively embraced this album could have been a hell of a lot more charming at the very least
@@jailun6758 Ah yes, the average theatrecore fan, talking down to someone who doesn't share the same music taste. Thinking everyone else who criticizes their favorite music as "NPCs". Thinking that people who simply don't enjoy their favorite "complex" genre are just simpletons who listen to "easily digestible funny music". Gotta love the intelligent, quirky, theatre kids.
I was thinking Bermuda Shorts and a open shirt. I don't get all why pretentious is getting thrown around. I haven't finished the album, but it seems to me like a person who used to watch 50's musicals wanted to incorporate them into a electronic album
I need to wonder, do you like ballads? Like in general. Because I feel like Stranded Lullaby is still a really great song without the context of the album, but it seems like you just hate it because of the artist and you dumped on everything else. And you say its a bore and a yawn, but ballads are just... slow. Ya know? I feel like its unfair to just say its shit if you dislike slow ballads in general.
@@duolingoowl920which is like the whole point of the album.. 😭 its supposed to be very weird and not understandable. he took every reason of why its good and twisted it into “its so pretentious!!!”. honestly feels like he went in KNOWING that he wanted to hate on it.
I love watching this L take. I love every piece of this album, and watching this makes my brain rot. Even with the brain rot, it’s still fun to laugh at it.
Never really heard of these guys yet somehow I had Black Rainbows on my liked songs list of Spotify for a long time so it was a total mindfuck to see it show up suddenly in this video.
This album is what musical theatre sounds like to people who hate musical theatre. And this is coming from an Arctic Monkeys fan (who think AM is mid as fuck)
Half if these critiques make sense and are a matter of taste. The other half are just whining about the album being open to interpretation. Did bro forget to use active listening for a music review? Anyway great vid
You went in looking for pretentiousness and found it as a result. I kickstarted this album for the vinyl way back in 2018 and never felt like it was anything other than a band expressing themselves in good faith and having fun as most bands do, with songs that are hit and miss. Your criticism of sounds that you don't like is not something I can assail, but what I find perplexing is how much of your criticism seemingly centers around the aura that the internet has created around the album, as well as lyrics that you have unfairly decided cannot have a legitimate interpretation. I don't think that's a fair way to approach criticizing an album. To me, the only thing that has ever been pretentious about Hawaii Part II is the internet's reaction to it.
@@peatrude4872 The internet's inability to construct an agreed-upon meaning, and the grandiosity of their theories, are brought up and referred to within this video in support of the idea that the lyrics are pretentious nonsense. So no, it isn't rash or an assumption. The thing is, it's pathetic hearing a music critic be befuddled by, "birth by chess or benign, and "gamboling out to picnic" as though they're incomprehensible unless he went in with such a negative connotation that anything and everything about it became uninterpretable through that negative lens. That is an assumption, but the content of the video especially the beginning, makes it a safe one.
Couldn't said it better myself, I actually lile the story that the album has, because yes, the album actually tells a whole story in a vague and unclear way. And I think it's rather unique and good, I love stories that are vague and make me interpret them my own way. That's the magic of music, it's not only to just "dance" or "background noise", it's an artform that can take many shapes just like videogames can be. And this album is a very extravagant and bizarre art form, something very abstract and I love it for that, that is why I take a drink each time he misses the point of each song.
Wow this sums up my thoughts on Brad’s channel so succinctly. I understand that not everyone has a theatrical or whimsical music taste, but it seems like Brad has a habit of approaching offbeat indie/tumblr-esque albums with a very negative lens, as if they have no artistic merit by virtue of their genre/niche. I try to respect it, but it’s hard to understand his perspective when he basically shuts down for half the video and refuses to elaborate on anything. Like… why review these albums at all if you’re incapable of engaging with them in any non-ironic capacity?
15:00 brad, you're complaining about the fact that people have different interpretations of the song... and that somehow makes the song bad? how does that make sense? i think the lyrics were intentionally made that way so that each person can find a different story in this album this album is definitely an acquired taste but dude you just say the same 3 complaints every song. any respect i had for you after watching 1 video is completely gone, thanks for giving me a different perspective tho
It's not bad because it has many interpretations. It's bad because it literally doesn't mean anything despite clearly pretending to. Like why even write anything if just throwing words around hoping something sticks is enough and especially knowing your fans will just finish the songs for you.
@@andremartinez4411 i'm the type of dude that doesn't care much for lyrics as long as the song sounds good but if you're the kind of guy that needs every song to have a clear meaning then i can understand that perspective. in the end it's personal preference but my problem is brad talking like a song without a clear message is objectively bad
Someone posted a huge document detailing awful behavior from front man Joe Hawley, then shortly deleted it right after?
Joe wished him into the cornfield. 🌽🌽🌽🌽
Yeah I watched a vid going over it and a lot of the stuff was really not very concrete. And the dude going over the vid called him a schizophrenic. The main thing of the vid was of joe being transphobic.
Most of it was baseless allegations to paint him as an awful person with very specific wording. For example one of the allegations was "being rude to underage fans". The choice to use the word underage was very purposeful. I believe the biggest allegation was that he was transphobic for not feeling the need to specify his pronouns in his twitter bio. Someone correct me if I'm forgetting something but I believe that's the jist of it.
much of it is seemingly overstated, though i feel joe is a bad person regardless of the doc lol
@@tapiocattundra Yeah probably. From what I can tell he might have some underlying mental illness like schizophrenia. I don't think it's necessarily fair to criticize him like he's doing all these things out of premeditated spite.
I love how his criticisms of the songs are the exact reasons why i love the songs
YES YES I AGREEE I THOUGHT I WAS WEIRD
@@grayanddevpdx we’re watching brad taste in music all of us are weird
@@-rizen I only watched this because I was looking for a way to realize I am not normal and this album is not perfect.
Same lol
Disney adults
>Watchs musical
>“Why is it a musical”
Fr
The band name is litellary "Miracle MUSICAL"
Murders probably became the most popular in the album because the “all for nothing at all” part was a tik tok sound for a bit and probably got people to listen to the full thing
I mean, maybe lately. I was listening to this album years before Tik Tok existed so I wouldn't know.
i only knew this song / album bc someone in 2017 or 2018 said they liked stranded lullaby so i listened to the whole album to impress them ☠️
That's how I found it. I'm thankful
@@mitskisgirl the only time simpery leads to good
I listened to the album because of a mind electric edit (No it was not five nights at Freddy's)
If you want to die tonight, take a drink every time Brad says "over-the-top pretentious."
damn, guess i'm not living forever tonight
Or when he calls Tina to show her the songs/lyrics
I have better chances putting a gun up my head and pulling the trigger.
@@wabbajocky8235 we won't get to marvel, having made it through the night :[
Idk why but when someone complains about pretentiousness preachiness they instantly sound like the pretentious one
His hands are under the table when he asks his girlfriend’s opinion, he has a gun under the table thus she has to agree with him.
Makes sense.
brad this is my favorite album. i was contemplating paying you on stream to listen to pieces of it. i have not watched the video and if you tear it to shreds my life will be over
R.I.P.
Ig your life is over now, hand over your soul to King Brad
this is the worst day of my life.
@@jacobs5094 I feel your pain.
@@jacobs5094 the second I saw your comment, I knew it wouldn't age well lmao 🤣
I've met suicidal people less cynical
Comment so good you had to type it twice😭😭😭
@@Glorb_And_his_magic_band fr 😂
@@Glorb_And_his_magic_bandit's gotta be a RUclips glitch
nobody tell him about the 9/11 song
“Pretentious”
Okay jump
@@oipropqewe to end it all
@@erzeca let this one be to break the fall
It's a little bit of magic to end the world
Bro, it’s MEANT to be like a musical😭 the lyrics are MEANT to be odd as it’s telling a story
You're spitting out so many facts right now.
okay? intention doesn't matter when the album still sounds corny and pretentious imo
@@wintyyy_ hey I respect your opinion
he meant that the language used makes total sense for the theme that it's going
if brad doesn't like musical music he wouldn't enjoy this at all
the band name already implies that @@wintyyy_
it's meant to be pretentious, it's a tragedy (theatrical genre)
@@LFLRFPS i don't get your point. intentional or not, it's overbearingly pretentious, to the point i can't enjoy the album. i'm saying the theme the album is going for is annoying for me. that's just my taste though
Ain't sure if you've seen it or not but the term "theatre-core" is officialy credited to you according to urban dictionary
"theatre-core, a term created by Brad Taste in Music, a man who has never heard of doo-wop."
Absolutely throwing a tantrum because The Mind Electric is my favourite song ever
The reversed part is annoying but the normal part is one best songs I’ve heard in my life
@@communistchicken2414Aw no I never listen to the reverse
@@communistchicken2414 ahhh but the reversed part is so good too
The Mind Electrical is torture to listen to, some parts (that aren't reversed) actually sound good but it's all just executed badly and the reversing parts during the normal unreversed part of the song is just terrible, you can't listen to this song and genuinely enjoy this song or force someone to listen through this, it's almost worse than actual electric shock therapy, I liked almost all the other songs, the mind electrical is probably the only song from them I'm actually unsure of what to think, it's brain rotting and unenjoyable, atleast the other songs are bearable.
This is personally just my opinion on the song.
@DHsLeftNut the reversed parts feel like you're being pulled backwards through a flume. And over the last 9 months, whenever it comes on, I only ever skip to the bridge
i like this album.
brad hates this album.
we both agree that there probably shouldnt be a rap song on it.
Their shouldn't be a BAD rap song on it. It could've been way better
Tbh I love labyrinth but it would make sense if it was in not a trampoline or something
labyrinth wasn't that bad imo
Labyrinth is one of my favorites on the album. I don't even like rap that much
@@FunnySunnyKitten "i dont like rap but i enjoy this" is a comment i see in almost every rap song i dislike
I just realized, dream Sweet in sea major, is 7 minutes because its the last 7 minutes burst of energy from the brain when you die.
OMG that’s so clever
Man discovered the word "pretentious" and made it a mission to use it as often as possible.
is he wrong tho?
@@ackount2384 yes
@@ackount2384yep
@@gonz4l3sno, he’s not wrong, I just like the pretentious vibe lol, it fits
@@ackount2384 yee
Story:
A couple falls in love
The girl gets killed
The boy gets framed and pleads for insanity
Goes throught electroshock treatment
Goes actually insane
Thinks can time travel when he only goes throught his memories
Goes to the ocean
Drowns
Last 7 minutes while he is drowning is the whole dream sweet in sea major song
There
Either you interpret it like that or you say the boy is stalking the girl who's in a relationship and the stalker kills the couple but same thing from there on
@@caoimhingutierrez1242 in any case
The story shows how cruel the world is
And how stupid the people can be
Do you agree?
@@axl256gamesx7 yeah ofc especially with the tie ins to 911
Can you NOT say a theory and present it as fact pls? The “gets framed part” it literally just- just no man
My interpretation is that he doesn't drown, but instead starves to death as he sails aimlessly.
As someone who genuinely enjoys this album, watching Brad destroy it is so fun. All of his criticism makes total sense, but I still really enjoy it with those criticisms in mind. It really goes to show how much music taste can differ how one feels about a sound. 10/10 would do again
I cant say the criticism about all the lyricism being pretentious is fair. I think it works great in this album because its so eccentric and convoluted that it really doesn't make any sense on purpose. its like stepping into a dream, because your understanding is so limited. so most of the pieces of information you gain are from fragments of the lyrics that aren't convoluted. ironically the lyricism has always been one of my favorite parts of the album because of how strange and indirect it is. but I think the main reason he thinks its pretentious is because he doesn't like how it sounds in the first place. so having the convoluted lyrics slapped on top of a song you already don't like just makes it worse.
I think his criticisms are valid, its just that he only has like five and then spends the entire video saying all of them about a hundred times
@@LucyWest370 Just what O was thinking, seriously, the use of "Overpretentious" in this video is through the roof.
good pfp
I don't think his criticism makes sense, 90% of the video is just him saying it's pretentious when it's really not.
The amount of times Brad calls his girlfriend in distress is hilarious.
*fiance
@@megatron4466 yeah but thats a stupid word just call them your girlfriend until you’re married
@@Blocky_Frog na
I feel like I've heard someone say that exact same sentence in one of his videos before.@@Blocky_Frog
I honestly think the over the top lyrics are what make this album such a bop to enjoy. Sure it's like listening to your English teacher read a passage from some old Shakespeare novel, but somehow it just sounds so fun to listen to. Also Joe Hawley just likes to be as #deep and dramatic as he can be, so it's kinda to be expected when listening to this that you'll get these stupid lines
The over-the-top-ness and the Shakespeare-ness comes together for mind electric so well with the lyrics for the court scene, I love it
I thought it was supposed to be as over the top as possible when I listened to it the first time lol
@@mittarikinz I’m pretty sure it’s intentional, it’s supposed to be all Shakespeare-y
not to be that guy but Shakespeare didn't write novels
Oh that's why I love it so much lmao
I'm a writer
Specifically an angst writer
🙂
Who is also into tragedies/plays
I just listened to the full album today, and I do understand a lot of Brad’s criticisms. But to say that “the only people who have heard this are theater-core basement dwellers who never go outside” is ridiculous. Attack the album itself, not the people who listened to it. That’s not gonna get people on your side.
@@cito7288it doesn't matter if he's right or not
This is the kind of thing you don't say ONLINE
I personally love this album and i cannot wait to see brad absolutely rip it shreds in front of my eyes
I appreciate you saying that I can “rap, at least to a decent degree”. I’ll take it😂
This whole review is pretty great, ngl. SUBSCRIBED!
OMG u did so good on labyrinth its my favorite song on the album
legit?
guys it’s the mouse in the glass labyrinth 🐁🐭🐁
he is the mouse
HES TRAPPED!
“This feels like the longest thing ever” that’s because he paused it for like 10 minutes
Fr
I'd say the whole concept of Hawaii: Part II and Miracle Musical altogether would make more sense if you ever get the chance to read about Tally Hall, the group Joe Hawley was in before this. Tally Hall isn't as theater-core focused as M.M., and their albums have generally gotten more praise & respect from people, especially their debut, "Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum". If you ever get the chance to, listen to that album, and read into the fandom, and you'll see why Hawaii: Part II has the reputation it has now.
Why do we have to research the story of a member of the band just to see why the album is good?
@@puffballbk2186 sometimes extra context helps. Learning about the people who make the music can sometimes reveal the art more.
I would disagree honestly. While I do agree that listening to Tally Hall helps you piece together a few things about Hawaii: Part II (and they're just worth a listen in general), I don't think it's entirely necessary to have a solid opinion on the project nor do I think Brad's opinion on the project would change all too much after listening to Tally Hall
(with that being said, please listen to tally hall brad, please oh please)
@@BradTasteInMusicOfficial Dude that was an abominable ratio.
@@nobodyburgen4594 i wonder why...
I just realized the thumbnail says 10/10 😭 that’s cruel
"You can tell that this album is about love" boy is this man in for a shock
ha
ha ha
"shock"
Oop-
Literally shock
You gotta admit the fact that, even 10 years after its release, this album has fans coming in droves asking modern music pretty much every music critic to check it out means it’s got a unique kind of appeal to a lot of people. I don’t listen to it a lot anymore but this was my #1 OAT for a looong period of time, coming from someone who listens to a ton of music.
Not really a unique thing at all
@@puffballbk2186 If you know of that many similar albums I always enjoy some recs
@@jacobbelyea7945 any classic album, everything from led zeppelin to Radiohead like those albums are even older and they ALWAYS get recommended
@@puffballbk2186 I mean I’m certainly not saying it’s rare for an album to be talked about years after their release, but generally if people are still that into them after all these years then there’s gotta be something that people find in these albums that they’re not finding elsewhere. Like those classic Led Zeppelin and Radiohead albums, would you disagree that their longevity comes from their uniqueness?
@@jacobbelyea7945 yes but people also talk about terrible albums a long time after they come out, yes its unique but they are still terrible
Lmao the mind electric is an audio masterpiece, I respect your right to your opinion, no matter how wrong it is😂😂😂😂
He has the channel name for a reason lmao
@@PrimeTime0 lmao and I was playfully disagreeing with his opinion😂😂😂
I understand your problems with this album, but I really like the songwriting. I really love dissecting the poetry of this album, I feel like I could spend time with this project for hours. It’s a completely personal thing, but I’ve never connected with lyrics like this before. usually with albums I’ll only catch a lyric if it’s outstanding or god awful, but not here. I found myself invested in the songwriting from beginning to end. I understand your criticisms, but I disagree with them. I just think this album is fun the whole way through
if you like paying attention to lyrics listen to kflay. completely different vibe.. like completely different - but who knows you might enjoy her stuff
Same I love how unnecessarily complicated the lyrics are cause everyone’s interpretation is different. I love projects like that
I love picking apart song lyrics in my music.
@@cheerio4000 i don't understand why you're using the term 'unecessarily complex' ... the lyrics were intended to be ambigious and atmospheric..
@@mrthg2831 im sayin what ur sayin in different wording
it is strangely enjoyable watching someone tear into one of my favorite albums
especially when he asked if he's just too stupid understand the lyrics
@@thesweetnobody6442i feel like songs should just be enjoyable without a requirement to analyze the lyrics
I like this album and I can still agree that a lot of it just sounds like a word salad sometimes
@@meloyellow yes but the worst part is that actually the lyrics makes sense, i would explain it all but english its not my first lenguage and it would be like 10 paragraphs
@@meloyellow If a piece of media is too convoluted for you,
It wasn't made for you
Theatre-core is so concise and perfect and wraps up so many obnoxious tropes that I've been struggling to pin down for years. You nailed it.
While this album has some definite skips, when it works for me, it floors me. Introduction, White Ball, Stranded Lullaby, and Dream Sweet are pretty great in my opinion. Dream Sweet in particular is one of my all-time favorites. I can buy into the silly over-the-top aesthetic that's being portrayed with the artwork and decadent instrumentation.
But man, when this album sucks, it SUCKS.
Nate back at it again with the good takes
Theatiocre 😎😎😎
Not a single bad song on the album
I think it's something that started with Pink Floyd. They would do a lot of theatric stuff because that was the style and it fit the concept and musical style. It was actually so effective that now everyone tries to recreate the feeling but can't cause those weren't just tacked in. They actually were meticulously placed and had meaning.
@@evanmiller4502 bro the song in another language is ASS not even I can defend that one😭
“This vocal effect is THE WORST” do NOT let this man find daft punk if he doesn’t like audio filters 😭😭
NO YOU DID NOT DISS THE MIND ELECTRIC. THAT IS LIT 🔥🔥
This is one of my favorite albums of all time! Great my day is ruined!
Remember, only Brad’s opinion matters.
@@JTeter499 you frickin killed her dude
Same
rip me for enjoying a lot of the "theatrecore" music but not actually being a theatre kid; i really love this album especially (im also a big fan of rap music btw)
edit: this comment definitely comes off almost as corny and pretentious as this album is but oh well
I like theatrecore too. I love theatrical songs that sound like they come from a musical. It's just such a fun sound.
I’m in love with a lot of theatrecore music as well, not even a theater kid.
Can you recommend me some bro
@@mitanshmakwana3302 i wouldn’t personally consider will wood theatercore but it’s definitely close. his music is fantastic, combines elements of a lot of different genres and they’re all on crack, some of my favorite songs of his are “2012” and “Hand me my shovel, i’m going in”, but i’d give his album “The Normal Album” a listen first as it’s his most accessible. his lyrics are great too because he has a past of drug abuse and mental health issues and that really shows in his lyrics.
@@djmckee5941 damn. I don't really enjoy will Wood's vocals because they're all like cracked up voices, but since you've recommended me this I might give him a relisten
He really has a brad taste in music
i heard the first two songs get called pretentious and i knew the mind electric was gonna get torn to shreds
Honestly, Miracle Musical isn't for me either, I downright struggle listening to it. But I freaking love Tally Hall. MMMM Is an absolute masterpiece in my eyes. It would literally make my day if you ever check out an album by them.
Someone donated two songs from MMMM on his streams and he didn't like either of them. :(
@@catp1ss987 damn, what songs?
@@Dylan-le9gn i think one of them was Spring and a Storm, forget the other one
@@catp1ss987 I didn’t watch it but my gut tells me either The Bidding or Banana Man. Maaaaybe possibly WTTH, just based on popularity.
rip
9:56 here, brad made the same face as the creature in the background
I think that you should try Will Wood if you hate the way that this album's lyrics are melodramatic but it never feels "large". I'd recommend The Normal Album from his solo stuff. His vocals and lyrics are still highly melodramatic, but it fits with the zany and animated instrumentals that actually feel alive. It's the best that the whole "theatre-core" side of music can offer, imo.
Gonna be real i feel like brad would hate will wood
Yesss I would love to see him listen to will wood
@@drewdrinks3930 brad just like me fr?
YES
@@drewdrinks3930 True
This album is a guilty pleasure of mine, and i am very exited to see you rip it apart!
It shouldn’t be a guilty pleasure just because a white pretentious boy thinks it’s bad
@@jacel987 yea, it shouldn’t be a guilty pleasure because of someone else’s opinion
it should be a guilty pleasure because it’s objectively outdated and bad
@@jacel987 Calm yourself. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and everyone is entitled to considering anything a guilty pleasure of theirs, regardless of whether or not you like/dislike an album, or if the vast majority of people like/dislike an album. (Unless it's someone being a piece of shit in their music, such as Tom MacDonald. Then it's objectively bad no matter what.) You are perfectly allowed to love this album, just learn to respect other's opinions.
honestly if i heard this album for the first time today like brad did I would definitely hate it as well, nostalgia is a powerful thing
@@JEXMlX Facts. I have a soft spot for LMFAO and Pitbull's hits from my childhood, despite their songs being nowhere near a masterpiece. Dumb but fun party songs often get extra points from me for nostalgia lol
as much as i adore this album, i can mostly understand your opinions here. but oh my god 9:37, you did NOT just insult zubin sedghi’s voice like that. i fucking love zubin you can’t do that
also if i took a shot every time you described something as “pretentious and over the top” or “convoluted” in this video i think i would be fucking dead
Genuinely love seeing Brad tear into one of my favorite albums LMAO. It's so funny seeing him rip apart the songs, also helps me see them from a different perspective. I agree some of them are ass, but damn when it's good it's good. Dream Sweet in particular is just soooo choice
some songs are a ass because was not made for being good musically
@@countergluttony yeah man great point, hadn't considered that one
Nah they all slap.
Labyrinth and stranded lullaby are probably the only ones I didn’t really like
@@MichaelTurner856 thank you, but hey you dropped your crown
im eating one peice of whole grain bread rn
I hope it was yummy
this is really funny because my boyfriend is incredibly critical and picky with music so i never show him any music i listen to but i showed him this and he fell in love with it and was absolutely fascinated by it
i love the fact that you have ripped apart every band that i enjoy. you should listen to never mind the living dead or pursuit both by stuck in the sound (the albums not just the songs). or ya know just keep posting the great content :)
two of my favorite albums
I have a feeling Brad would hate stuck in the sound lol, that could be entertaining
Toy Boy goes hard tho
Its an album about the ocean, of course its deep
it's not "deep" it's pretentious
@@2-_ r/wooosh
@@nuggiepuck Reddit Moment 😱😱🤯🤯
@@2-_ Someone with a niko profile picture having a bad opinion! Truly a rare moment.
it literally is pretentious though there's no meaning to it even thought it pretends there is. that is the definition of pretentious
Your reaction to Labyrinth is so fucking funny its one of my favorites on the album god bless Brad
yeah, its an underrated song. once you get to the 3rd listen it SLAPS you just need to get past how shellshock that the random rap is
Haha, this is probably one of my favorite albums of all time. Can defintely see how you see it as pretentious though.
"pretentious" yet the album was specifically made to be lesser known and unpopular
@@angry3195 that's the definition of pretentious
@@lettherebegames8 um, no it isn’t. The people who made this album just released it one day with like barely any marketing and just let it hang out. I guess purposely having your album flop is pretentious now because it thinks its so important it doesnt need advertising.
@@lettherebegames8 ??? No it isn’t?
@@duolingoowl920 don't care tbh
Ah, the album for English majors. I love it but i would be lying if i said it didnt feel like i was back in school doing poetry analysis on the lyrics.
Joe majored in English and film I believe, so make of that what you will
I cannot trust your criticisms anymore. You called The Mind Electric horrific... I simply cannot forgive this behavior.
Preach
🗣️🗣️🗣️🙏
I like this album. I like a good number of rap albums/ songs. Labyrinth is not bad because it's a rap song, it just doesn't fit at all with the rest of the album
IMO
The lyrics of the rap don’t work, it sounds good complemented with the female chorus, it just has bad lyrics compared to the narrative of the album
@@FishSticker
Agreed.
@@jooree7696 you don’t know how badly I wanted a rap with lyrics like the Shakespeare style of the album
it's bad because it takes two demos who don't have a single rap bone on their bodies (Demo 4 - The Mind Electric and Royal Lions Chorus), guts them, and throws Shane Maws on top.
i think it’s important to understand the story behind this album. it’s about a guy named simon, who’s had an awful life. he falls in love with a lady, and they go for a walk in the woods where she is murdered. he is framed for it, so he pleads insanity and gets electroshock therapy. but because he’s not insane, the electricity makes him insane. he escapes and tries to find his love who he thinks is still alive. he gets lured into the ocean by sirens, and drowns where he is reunited with his love.
also i think it’s really funny that the songs you like are the ones i don’t like as much lmao
Wow! That sounds like something a 13 year old girl would write
@@loganmakesvideos8652 nobody asked
@@loganmakesvideos8652 haha true
@@loganmakesvideos8652 huh, not sure why you’re upset considering that it isn’t against guidelines for a 13-year-old?
@@loganmakesvideos8652 it is a garbage story because there is literally no story to the album, people just love making a story out of it.
The album by miracle MUSICAL sounds like a MUSICAL I would never have guessed
every reason you don't like the album is the reason I love it
I love how every Tally Hall fan is a Brad viewer just because he made 3 Tally Hall videos 😭
As a fan of this album I've always wanted to hear what people on the other side of the spectrum have to say. I see that the album isn't perfect and has a lot of quirks that could be a turn off for some, so your reaction to it gives me a lot of insight. Good video.
Unsubbed
Lol yeah
that sign off took me OUT
Quirks...
I think I’m content with California by Mr. Bungle, I didn’t like this album either but it’s whatever
YOOOOOOOOOOO, Tally Hall gang where you at???
Edit: I definitely did not expect this sort of review, so to say I’m surprised would be an understatement. Jesus Christ, this was brutal.
Right here.
Hey!!
Look at how he massacred my boy
Heyo!
This is probably my top 3 favorite albums of all time. Dream Sweet was my most listened to song in 2021. I love tally hall, not that big a fan of Joe Hawley’s solo work, but as someone who’s favorite genre is midwest emo, I literally can’t get tired of this album
Agreed. It's nowhere near as good as California or The Normal Album, but it has some decent theatrical tunes. And that backwards song thing in Mind Electric is cool.
This is probably one of my top albums because I’ve listened to it so much and have never gotten tired of it, I think it’s creative and interesting. It’s also got some good storytelling for an album
I first listened to it while (and this is true) working out. Not the best setting to listen to this album but I gave it another and absolutely loved it. The sucker punch of The Mind Electric, Labyrinth and Time Machine gave (and STILL gives) me chills.
Like this one a lot but Joe hawley Joe hawley is just amazing
@@jeremyusreevu237 California by who? I love Hawaii Part II and The Normal Album they're both 10s imo.
if i drank every time this dude said this album was over the top or pretentious i would die of liver failure.
honestly, as someone who loves this album, a lot of why people like it isn’t because of the songs. it’s because of the “story,” trying to peace together Simon’s life, as it’s told in the songs. sure, it’s pretentious, but imo it gives the album a bit of charm. it’s like FNAF in a way lmfao, way too much lore that people *love* over analyzing
I have the opposite experience, I never listened to the album all the way through and I don't care about the story, I just really enjoy a few of the songs from it.
@@whoami8752 Dude's so shallow that he's proud of being shallow
@@Fanimatic we all enjoy art in different way. i like the story and the songs :3
I feel like if he heard joe hawley joe hawley his mind would implode and explode at the same time
I'm in love with this album I don't know why I'm here watching this man rip it apart piece by piece.
This is a 1 year old video and I am aware that it may not be accurate to his current opinion. I do not believe it has grown on Brad, but I believe some of the points he made here wouldn’t be made nowadays. Regardless, I still think this is a very bad video. I enjoy the album quite a lot, but I actually found out about it through this video. At the time I watched it, I agreed with most of it, and I quickly discarded this album as being horrible and pretentious. Since then, I have listened to it on my own and it has since become my favorite album and I enjoy almost every song in it. This is a very special album to me and it’s an unique experience that I’ve never heard before.
The point of this is not to criticize Brad’s opinion on this album, since I don’t believe people should be criticized for being unable to enjoy something that simply does not appeal to them, but rather I am here to criticize many of the points he made in this album, which I think are very bad. I think he over exaggerated many of his points and got overly upset about many elements that simply didn’t make much sense to me, in an attempt to generate some kind of outrage and upset the album’s fan-base. Giving it such a low rating came off as in bad spirit to me, as if he was actively trying to dislike it.
I understand that this video was intentionally made to upset Tally Hall fans. I will be pointing out the arguments that I find strange and/or poorly explained.
Introduction to the Snow - A common argument made by Brad is that the lyrics and themes are very pretentious and over the top, which I think is a very bad spirited criticism. This album’s main themes are mortality and the supernatural, it’s inherently whimsical and over the top. It’s meant to be capturing the aesthetic of a theater play and old animated movie, but Brad’s mistake is taking it way more seriously than even the album takes itself. The dramatic singing and lyricism in this track adds to the emotion of it, I believe. If the lyrics and singing were less dramatic, it wouldn’t convey the emotion in the same way that it does. This is the main issue in your approach, you are taking it too seriously and being way too cynical about it. Art is an inherently emotional thing, and picking apart at how over the top and goofy takes the joy out of it. It’s also not very specific, because what about it is over the top? Is it the word-play, metaphors or what? It’s a very shallow criticism to tear it down for being over the top, since that’s the musical equivalent of criticizing a movie for being too “cliche”, similar to Cinema Sins’ criticism. Tearing something apart because it’s too dramatic makes you come off as very cynical and close minded.
Your overuse of the word “pretentious” is also somewhat frustrating, because it’s an entirely non-constructive point. It doesn’t say what exactly about the album is bad, it’s just a buzz-word. If you believe it is pretentious and dramatic, then go into detail about what makes you feel this way, rather than just repeating catch-phrases every few minutes. I know this is said a lot, but you can’t simply claim something is meaningless and pretentious just because you don’t understand it. It makes it seem as if you’re trying to seem ignorant, which I know you aren’t, but it’s very hard to watch you actively try to seem ignorant to the music just because you want to irritate a group of people. Also regarding the singing in specific, I don’t see the problem with it. If the singer doesn’t feel the song, then the listener cannot, but you’re clearly hearing the emotion in the singer’s voice, then how is it such a bad thing? Do you expect the singer to sing as monotonous and uninterested as possible, just because it wouldn’t be “pretentious” this way? This is what I mean by cynical.
Isle Unto Thyself - This is also one of my main criticisms, you pause the songs way too often. I understand that you’re supposed to be a commentator and entertain the audience, but if you want to actually criticize music then you have to listen to it uninterrupted. Pausing the song every few seconds to comment on how bad it is just makes you never fully invest into the song and never let the atmosphere set in. This is like if you were watching a horror movie but pausing every second to complain about how bad it is and point out the “plot holes”. I also believe you are misinterpreting the lyrics. The singer isn’t telling you to feel something, but rather it’s referring to the main character of the album. Isle Unto Thyself is, as it’s most widely accepted, an abstract love song that foreshadows the events of the album, while tackling briefly the main themes of it, which are mortality and the after-life. It’s not speaking directly to the listener, it’s meant to be a story told through the perspective of the characters. And yet again, you claiming that the singers are just saying “I don’t want to make you feel the song, so I’ll just tell you to fell it” is a very cynical and mean spirited argument. I don’t understand why it is such a common argument of yours to say the album is bad and “cringe” because the singer puts way too much emotion in their singing. I’d rather a singer that’s over the top and passionate about what they are singing than one that sounds uninterested.
Another thing that also bothers me is your constant criticism of the vocal effects in the music. I personally think that they sound okay, and they fit the song a lot of the time, but it doesn’t necessarily bother me that you don’t like them. What bothers me is that you have praised, in your channel, projects that utilize Vocaloid, yet the vocals were never a criticism of yours in those circumstances. This makes it feel like you’re just intentionally trying to complain about every possible thing in this album for no reason other than to hate it. It doesn’t seem fair to hate a project’s use of vocal effects while simultaneously praising projects whose vocals have a very similar sound to them. It would seem more genuine to be more consistent with your criticism. Claiming that the song is trying way too hard to be deep and meaningful is an overused point that makes the one making it come off as someone who just doesn’t bother trying to understand lyrics.
Black Rainbows - I don’t have much to comment here, other than comparing Mr. Bungle to this album doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Claiming that this album is just a poor execution of another project that you liked much better is like comparing apples to oranges. They are both two completely different projects made by two completely different artists, and you should treat them like their own individual projects rather than spend time comparing both of them just because they seem similar at a surface level to you.
White Ball - The male vocalist in this song is a completely different singer than the one from the rest of the songs. This song’s male vocalist is Zubin Sedghi, as opposed to Joe Hawley. Criticizing the singing because it’s “too dramatic”, as I’ve already stated multiple times, is not a very good point, but the fact that you mistook the singers for each other takes some credibility away, as I see it.
Now that you’ve stated that you think this album is just about love, whilst simultaneously ranting about how pretentious it is and how it’s trying to be deeper than it actually is, just proves my point about how you don’t understand the album’s themes, so you instantly assume that it’s just a love album that thinks too highly of itself. I wouldn’t be bringing this up so much if you didn’t use that same talking point so much. And again, stop pausing all the time, you’re just making your experience less enjoyable. Pausing every few seconds to complain about a song, instead of waiting until it’s over to give your fully developed opinion on it just breaks the atmosphere that the album is trying to build.
Murders - I think you exaggerated a lot regarding the distorted Piano, but I don’t have anything against that point in particular. I just disagree and think the piano sounds good, that’s about it. I don’t think you’re wrong in saying it doesn’t sound appealing to you. Saying that the lyrics are just way too smart for you sarcastically, with the intent of claiming that the lyrics are actually just nonsense rather than “way too smart”, is not a very good point either. Your inability to understand the song lyrics doesn’t mean they’re bad. I, myself, am not very good at understanding song lyrics, and I fail to understand even the most basic wordplay, but that is not a valid argument against the song’s lyrics for being nonsensical. Sometimes you simply don’t understand them, and it’s okay since the album is intentionally ambiguous to allow many interpretations, as confirmed by the author. I get that it’s a very overdone point to claim “you just don’t get it”, but this is simply what is happening right now. The most agreed upon interpretation of the lyrics, which fit into the story of the album, is that this is being told from the perspective of a murderer who is about to end the life of one of the protagonists. This explains lines such as “tree falling, no one would hear”, claiming that they’re so isolated that nobody would even hear if a tree fell down, let alone a murder happening. The lines about “I was in the forest looking to see the trees” implies that the protagonist went away to pick up “flowers in the garden” for his lover, but he goes too far away and she ends up being murdered by someone in the woods. This is just one interpretation, and like I said, there are many of them and none are confirmed by the author. I will, yet again, reiterate my point about pausing the songs way too much, because in this one you went on minute-long rants about how terrible the song is without even getting halfway through it. It feels like the longest song so far because for one thing, it is (being a few seconds under Isle Unto Thyself in length), and even if you’re less than halfway done listening to it, it’ll still feel longer because the pacing is different depending on the song length. It also feels longer because you’ve paused way more than previously for this song in particular, and on top of being more frequent, the pauses are much longer.
Your point about the lyrics being so nonsensical that someone mistook it as being about war, even though you thought it was a love album, is just inherently flawed. The album is not just a love album and it is intentionally open for interpretation. Just because you thought it was about one thing, and someone thought it was about another, doesn’t mean either of your interpretations were right or wrong. Instead of saying “this is nonsense” because you thought it was a love album and nothing more than that, but then a song came that contradicted your preconceived ideas of the album, you should’ve realized that maybe your idea of the album’s themes was too simplistic since it was based off of only 4 songs that you’ve heard from it. I also don’t understand why the lyrics being complicated is an inherently bad thing. Music is a complex thing, and sometimes authors want to make something that is more difficult to understand. Maybe their themes are complicated and require complicated lyrics, you don’t know. The easiest response to everything you don’t understand is saying it’s “overcomplicated and makes no sense”, but it’s not always the most accurate. The interpretations being far off from each other is not a flaw of the album, necessarily. “The Thing (1982)” and “The Shining” are two films that are still debated to this day, and nobody can quite figure out what exactly they’re about. Does that mean the movies are bad? Some things are just supposed to be interpreted many different ways, and it’s sometimes a good thing that people can see a work of art differently from each other, while every possible interpretation is equally as correct.
宇宙ステーションのレベル7 (Space Station Level 7) - I know this is nitpicky, but the song title is clearly not supposed to be Miracle Musical in Japanese, seen as the name of the artist which is shown in the Spotify page and album cover look completely different. And again, the criticism about the vocal effects just bothers me so much because what makes Vocaloid okay, but not this? I don’t even have anything against criticizing the vocal effects necessarily, because I can see why they might be unappealing to some people, but it’s just contradictory to make such a big deal about vocal effects on this album, but not similar sounding vocals in other projects.
Your point about the lyrics “not mattering” because they’re not even in English is a very shallow way of looking at it. There’s nothing wrong about writing a song in a different language than the rest, and it doesn’t take away from the experience. I’ve always been able to listen to music in foreign languages and still enjoy them, despite having no clue what they meant. You can also just go out of your way to find the song lyrics translated, if it actually matters to you, which you did after being unnecessarily outraged about it for no reason other than to be outraged. It’s a bit frustrating to see how often you make an “oh my god, this is the worst thing and literally unlistenable” argument, you’re clearly overreacting to it with the purpose of making people upset. And no, it’s not a christian song just because it references supernatural themes and says the word “heaven”. Those elements are being mentioned in a poetic way, to play into the album’s themes and to make it more interesting. Many artists simply make references of heaven, creators and angels in their work, regardless of their religion, for the sake of songwriting. That doesn’t mean the song is “christian bullcrap”, since it’s very clearly referencing those themes in a more supernatural way rather than in a religious one.
Also, no, you didn’t give this album a chance. You clearly went into it wanting to hate it and nitpicking it during the whole time. If you’re here to make a bad faith video where you’re just tearing the album apart for the sake of tearing it apart, then it’s fine, but you’re clearly trying to pass this off as legitimate criticism, which it is obviously not. Ironically, you constantly saying that the album is over the top and pretentious makes you sound pretentious. These terms are being thrown around so much but it doesn’t seem like you even know what they mean.
The Mind Electric - I actually agree with the point you made about the reverse part. While I don’t personally hate it, I can understand why people don’t like it, and it’s a perfectly valid point to make. The voice effects are being used to make the song feel more eerie, since it’s all about the protagonist being wrongly accused of the murder and pleading for insanity as an attempt to get a lighter punishment, but it just results in him receiving electroshock therapy, which makes him becomes actually insane. I don’t agree that they sound bad, and I think they’re important for the song, but I can understand the criticism. The part where you got outraged about the lyrics written in reverse is just absurd, however. Someone clearly put the lyrics through a program that automatically reverses the lyrics, I genuinely don’t understand why you had to make such a big deal out of it. It felt like manufactured outrage, yet again. Even if someone took the time to write the lyrics in reverse, what’s the issue exactly?
I said that for the last song, but it’s not religious. It’s clearly taking place in a court room and the “lord” is meant to be the judge/king. The song mentioning nuns for one verse also doesn’t mean it’s “ridiculously religious”.
Criticizing the song for having its instrumental match the content of its lyrics is so weird to me, because did you expect the instrumental to just be completely different from the lyrics? This is called word painting, and it’s often used in pop music as well. It’s when the instrumental changes based on what’s being said in the lyrics, such as the melody ascending when the word “high” is mentioned. In the previous songs you were complaining about how the lyrics were telling you to feel something without actually making you feel something, but now you’re complaining that the instrumental is making you feel something but it’s wrong because it’s making you feel it way too much. This is what I mean when I say you’re intentionally trying to hate it.
Labyrinth - The album is a mixture of many different sounds, genres and languages, so there is nothing wrong with one of the songs being a rap song. I genuinely don’t understand what about this song is a huge mess that is nearly unlistenable, it’s just a pretty basic beat with chiptunes over it. I can understand calling it bland, but saying it’s a “huge mess” is such an overstatement.
A huge issue this review has is that many of the points you make are ridiculously exaggerated. I wouldn’t even care so much if you just said the songs were mediocre or bad, but the way you do it is extremely exaggerated, to where you say a song that was mediocre at worst is “actually completely unlistenable torture”. It’s okay to say a song was just boring, you don’t need to tear into every aspect of it as if it was the worst thing you’d ever listened to, because it just feels so disingenuine.
Time Machine - I don’t have much to say about this one. One thing I don’t like is how you claimed that the fans of this album “hate rap music” with no basis whatsoever. Just because one single person who liked this album gave Labyrinth a low rating, doesn’t mean that the entire fan-base is filled with those “video-game OST’s are better than rap music” people. That’s like taking the people who skip the rap verses in Gorillaz songs and using it to claim that all Gorillaz fans hate rap music. Labyrinth is a quite well liked song from this album, and far from the least popular one among the fans. This is anecdotal evidence but worse because you used one music reviewer as a source, and music reviewers rarely represent the actual fans of an artist.
Stranded Lullaby - This is just immature. The song is supposed to be a Lullaby, and you’re complaining about how “boring” it is. Stranded Lullaby is a beautiful and soothing song, and you’re just tearing it apart because you think it’s boring. Your inability to sit through this song is not a valid argument against its quality, and you’d also enjoy it more if you weren’t trying to make funny faces all the time to show how “awful” it is. I understand that “it’s done on purpose” is not a strong argument on its own, but in this case it really bothers me that you’re using “it’s boring and makes me want to sleep” as an argument against the quality of a song called “Stranded Lullaby”. Slow and quiet songs aren’t inherently boring, either, it just means that it’s slow and quiet. It also works great in the context of the album, considering it came right after fast and somewhat intense songs, but right before the “grand finale”. You can’t simply expect every song to be a super exciting carnival ride, some songs are simply more laid back and take a more calming approach. I personally find the song to be a very calming and pretty tune, but like you did with many of the other songs, you’re acting like it’s the worst thing on the planet.
I never understood this “the lyrics are over the top and too complicated” point, which you make so often. Stranded Lullaby is one of the simpler songs, regarding the lyrics. It’s about grief and longing for someone, using the analogy of being “stranded in the sea” to convey that point. If you can’t interpret lyrics, then you shouldn’t make them into such a common talking point. I can’t interpret them well, but I don’t use it as an argument that the song is objectively poorly written and nonsensical. And yet again, you overuse the terms “pretentious” and “over the top”. This is such a poor argument because it doesn’t say anything, they’re just buzz-words. It’s no different from “movie critics” whose most common criticism is “this is so cliche”.
Dream Sweet in Sea Major - Again, the same argument about how cheesy it is. Yes, it is cheesy, that’s part of the point. It does take itself seriously to some extent, but the album is cheesy and whimsical by nature, but instead of enjoying it you’re choosing to think with the mentality that “the writer is so pretentious and thinks they’re too deep”. There is nothing wrong about writing lyrics about something that is meaningful to you. Nothing about these lyrics is harmful, either, it’s just a cheesy story that presents itself as a theater play. It’s quite charming and unique, because while theater-like elements are often used in modern music, there has never been an album that incorporates so many different elements such as this one, and in such a creative way. Instead of putting an effort into actually criticizing it, you just spend most of the video repeating the same thing about how it’s theater-core, bad and pretentious. The fact that you need to repeat the same talking points so much makes it seem like you have nothing else to say. Not every criticism has to be constructive, and it can be fun to tear into things, but here you’re just showing that you can’t actually describe exactly what about it you hate, so you just give up and throw around the exact same arguments over and over.
The part where you just started reading through a Hawaii Part II iceberg meme is where you basically admitted that this whole video is a joke made in bad faith, since you’re just reading through a harmless iceberg meme made by a fan of the album while sarcastically mocking how stupid it is.
This video is very hard to watch, not only because you constantly pause the songs to make incredibly smug and sarcastic remarks in the most immature way possible, but you just say the same things over and over again. I can’t wrap my head around how going “wow this is so deep” sarcastically for half of the song somehow counts as criticism. Just because you’re repeating it in a sarcastic tone of voice doesn’t make your point more correct than if you just said it normally, it’s just immature. I would have no problem with a negative review of Hawaii Part II, but the problem is that you’re not even trying to do that, you’re just mocking the whole thing while making sarcastic and snarky remarks and passing it off as legitimate criticism. I, again, acknowledge that you only made this review to make the fans of this album mad, but this video is just bad either way.
bruh just accept he doesn't like the album and take the L. tally hall fans dont know what opinions and taste is istg
@@LifetimeDisastermy fucking god dude you wrote a whole ass paper that no one is ever gonna read
I find it so funny he actually sat threw the whole reverse part of the mind electric lmao. Anyways, agree to disagree, love this album respect ur opinion people have different taste have a good day
This is the first time I've seen so much negative reception surrounding this album. From my first time listening to this album, it was applauded with so much high praise from the internet. I was listening to it around the time when the popularity of the album was JUST making its way to "internet fame" as one of the songs in the album (Dream Sweet in Sea Major) was making a few rounds on people's RUclips recommendation.
One of the primary things I like about this album was the fact that it was fresh in my eyes. It's honestly THE album that made me start actually listening to music and albums in general. So you can guess that I didn't know too much about music back then, which is why I never picked up the "pretentious-ness" aspect of it. Another thing that I like about it is mostly the "mysterious vibe" the album was going for. No one suggested me to pick up this album besides RUclips's algorithm, so it used to be like this "otherwordly" music that fooled me into thinking that no other music sounds like it.
In fact, most of my positive opinion of this album is mostly from external factors that heightened the album, which is why I would rate this album a 9/10 based on my very good first experience. Now that I've grown more and more into music, I will give this album a 7/10 AT MOST. Who knew getting more experience with music actually hurts my enjoyment of this album? But I still appreciate for what it's worth and it did influenced me in a way that changed my life.
and what you listening now? tally hall?
@@countergluttony I've been listening to a lot more music now, thx for asking. Can't say which specific albums or genres because my listening palette is very scattered and diverse, but right now I've been listening to a lot of electronic (think of artists like Aphex Twin, C418, Orbital, the Avalanches).
I don't listen to Tally Hall as often nowadays, but hey can you blame me? The band hasn't made any new music since 2011!
I feel like I made the mistake of making this album too close to my heart and in a way making it a personality trait, because the way this guy has criticized the album is how a lot of people criticize me.
@@santoriomaker69 wow we have similar music tastes now electronic wise (C418, aphex twin, Orbital) gotta same i've also come along a same journey
@@zandgall1837 yooo, I remember leaving that comment with a music taste so different from my music taste today. And heyy, glad we share the same experience.
I like it and I like to see what's wrong with it.
One thing with this review though, You kept mentioning how overly religious it is, but as a Christian I picked up like zero Christian undertones whatsoever listening to any of this album because the lyrics are so overly convoluted that I tuned out trying to make sense of them lol
I think he was meaning less religious and more other/over worldly.
I saw one of your comments on a Siivagunner rip. You’re a big Tally Hall and Lemon Demon fan I see
as a non christian i also see absolutely no christian undertone
outside of The Mind Electric playing in reverse, sounding like evil bohemian rhapsody and mentioning nuns, the only religious reference is Space Station Level 7, as it's about death and going to heaven (the chorus is HEAVEN, Tengoku niwa, or Heaven is approaching if translated to english)
i genuinely like this album & its so funny to see him point out really goofy things, i love brads reactions lmfao
"cant wait for brad to think of my favorite album"
My favourite lyric from this MASTERPIECE:
You're sittin in the Wawa bathroom // Rubbing Palmolive on your balls
your taste in music really is brad! maybe its even berrible!
Even though you broke my heart by hating my favorite album, I fucking loved this video. You made me laugh so many times and you always explain why you don’t like a song or a part of a song.
I’ve listened to California by Mr. Bungle and I gotta say it is better😂
I think you got what makes the album enjoyable and somehow took it as a negative, and that's because you went in already knowing you were gonna dislike it. Most of the time your criticisms were a little misguided because you didn't quite get what the music was going for, and other times your criticism seem completely arbitrary knowing the kind of music you like.
I know the "It's meant to sound bad" defense seems pretentious, but watching this video I caught a lot of misunderstandings as to what is intentional in this album and what is simply "badly done," that I've never seen anyone misunderstand before, and it's always funny seeing you criticize a part of a song as if it's an objective flaw whilst knowing that part is the reason why other people like it. (E.g: The distorted piano in Murders, the over-the-top lyrics that are also impossible to understand, the "theater kid" vibes, the vocal effects, etc.)
Maybe you were a little out of the loop regarding the context of the album. It's not like you need too much context but I think you were introduced to this stuff in a less than ideal manner and it's ruined the lenses in which you judge the music making you seem very biased. Like, at first you say the music is "predictable," and when it surprises you, you change your tune from "it's predictable" to "the surprises are cheapshots that come out of nowhere" to acknowledge the contradiction while still trying to say they can't surprise you, and when you're shown the surprises can be coherent with Labyrinth, you go from "I can't get surprised by this," to "This album never fails to surprise me!" while laughing at the idea of a rap song going after The Mind Electric, as if the ridiculousness was unintentional and further proof of how dumb the artist is. That's just one of the many "Missing the point" moments that I saw in this video stemming from your inability to look at the album openly and taking the weirdness of it at face value instead of going: "Huh, this is pretty unconventional. I wonder why they did this!" like you often have to do with "experimental" stuff.
Again, I know this sounds pretentious and I agree the album itself can be pretentious too sometimes, but yeah, you just don't get it dude.....
Ikr, he’s like “bro this is so weird!!” When it’s literally experimental music… that’s kind of the point
To put it in short: i don't like it because its diffirent
Nobody has to go in with any specific mindset when they listen to music for the first time. In fact, I'd say you have to go into this album with the patience of a saint and be anxiously waiting for every new song to get the "wow so experimental, what does it mean!" reaction you say he should have, which I feel is asking way too much of someone who goes into music knowing what they like and knowing as soon as they start hearing it that they won't like it. If someone clearly doesn't enjoy the music, I don't think "you need to want to listen to the music like this and want to hear overly convoluted lyrics that rely on fans to provide interpretations for them" is a valid criticism at all for that person. It's like playing a Kojima game and telling the person who says the writing is bloated and the themes are presented in a pretentious manner that they have to accept that Kojima is a genius and their inability to see the game the way you want to see is is their fault and a flaw on their part, when in reality it's a game that anyone can play and anyone can form their own ideas on. Not to say that miracle musical is up their own ass about their talent or anything like that, but their listeners don't have to appreciate the work that's gone into something if they hate it.
@@DaniLoRiver i want to see what you think of soundtracks for the blind
Ok english major
I know you don't like this Brad, but I actually really like Tally Hall's MMMM and I think you might like it a lot better. It's such a fun and exciting album so I can't help but liking it tbh.
I could really see him loving or hating the project, but his reaction would be a sight to behold
MMMM is an absolute mess.
@@youtubeuserdan4017 It took a while for it to really grow on me, but I wouldn't consider it a mess by any means
@@RivasMakesStuffForYou The album is inconsistent in terms of quality and aesthetic; the sequencing is no better. Tracks clash like the fucking vikings sometimes (The Bidding-Be Born, Banana Man-Just Apathy, etc).
The tracks by themselves aren't bad at all (some I absolutely love like Taken For A Ride, Spring And A Storm, and Ruler Of Everything) but they seldom build off of each other or have a sense of continuity together- qualities that a good album should have over a random selection of tracks.
@@youtubeuserdan4017 I can understand that. The album definitely is all over the place, front to back. However, I think that was what the band was going for.
Personally, I think the album is less of trying to make a 100% serious musical masterpiece and more of just the band making songs and putting them on there simply because they like the way they sound. It seems clear that they had fun making this album, and once I relistened to the album with that in mind, I had a much more positive outlook on it. With that being said, however, I personally believe their other album, Good & Evil, is a better album overall because of its consistency.
no way this guy said "directly from shakespear's anus"😭😭😭
i feel like the vocals on this album were meant to make us imagine the vocalist as some suave classy dude in fancy dress clothes and a top hat swinging his cane around and dancing elegantly around a theater stage but instead i feel like im listening to a no-class white boy dressing as the onceler for halloween, and honestly i feel like if the latter persona was actively embraced this album could have been a hell of a lot more charming at the very least
I’m guessing you listen to easily digestible funny music such as Lil Dicky yes?
@@jailun6758 Ah yes, the average theatrecore fan, talking down to someone who doesn't share the same music taste. Thinking everyone else who criticizes their favorite music as "NPCs". Thinking that people who simply don't enjoy their favorite "complex" genre are just simpletons who listen to "easily digestible funny music". Gotta love the intelligent, quirky, theatre kids.
@@Kalitayy You have very immersive dialogue
@@jailun6758 well it’s the truth so my advice is just suck it up and just leave it at this.
I was thinking Bermuda Shorts and a open shirt. I don't get all why pretentious is getting thrown around. I haven't finished the album, but it seems to me like a person who used to watch 50's musicals wanted to incorporate them into a electronic album
great review brad, glad you enjoyed black rainbows it's so groovy indeed
Unsubscribed.
LMAO “unsubscribed” I wasn’t expecting you to end with that. Did you think his takes were shit?
@@duolingoowl920 could you really not tell that was a joke
I need to wonder, do you like ballads? Like in general. Because I feel like Stranded Lullaby is still a really great song without the context of the album, but it seems like you just hate it because of the artist and you dumped on everything else. And you say its a bore and a yawn, but ballads are just... slow. Ya know? I feel like its unfair to just say its shit if you dislike slow ballads in general.
God I fucking love this album
The mind electric is two different versions when reversed
It’s my favorite song in the album 🙃
@@Dream_Sweet_In_Sea_Major yeah brad has some really moronic takes here. He seems to call every line he can’t understand “pretentious”
@@duolingoowl920which is like the whole point of the album.. 😭 its supposed to be very weird and not understandable. he took every reason of why its good and twisted it into “its so pretentious!!!”. honestly feels like he went in KNOWING that he wanted to hate on it.
@@goobusfloobus just some normie that wants to listen to generic radio garbage unable to understand mildly intelligent music. Nothing to worry about
@@duolingoowl920 thats true
I love watching this L take. I love every piece of this album, and watching this makes my brain rot. Even with the brain rot, it’s still fun to laugh at it.
@@_LealiusNah Brad's a GOAT.
@@_Lealiusits all just “i dont understand it, which means its too pretentious!!” SHUUUTTUUPPPPPP AAAAAGHHHH THATS THE WHOLLLLEEE POINTTT
25:54 brad casually getting put to sleep by the lullaby lol
Never really heard of these guys yet somehow I had Black Rainbows on my liked songs list of Spotify for a long time so it was a total mindfuck to see it show up suddenly in this video.
This album is great for someone who spent way too long trying to understand the fnaf lore
i have a love hate relationship with this video
This album is amazing and pure craftsmanship!
This album is what musical theatre sounds like to people who hate musical theatre.
And this is coming from an Arctic Monkeys fan (who think AM is mid as fuck)
Half if these critiques make sense and are a matter of taste. The other half are just whining about the album being open to interpretation. Did bro forget to use active listening for a music review?
Anyway great vid
Someone finally reacts to the song i like:
*It's brad taste in music:*
Someone get wendigoon on that iceberg 🤣
i got super into theatrecore during lockdown. it was a real im 14 and this is deep moment. i needed some human interaction for real. it was bad.
well least it got you through quarantine am i right?
How do you manage to have bad take after bad take, this is crazy
Bro. That's the point of this channel. BrAD taste in music.
Murders walked so Tell The Vision could run
The "you could torture people with this song" bit reminded me of when Skinny Puppy tried suing Guantamano Bay for using their music to torture people
You went in looking for pretentiousness and found it as a result. I kickstarted this album for the vinyl way back in 2018 and never felt like it was anything other than a band expressing themselves in good faith and having fun as most bands do, with songs that are hit and miss. Your criticism of sounds that you don't like is not something I can assail, but what I find perplexing is how much of your criticism seemingly centers around the aura that the internet has created around the album, as well as lyrics that you have unfairly decided cannot have a legitimate interpretation. I don't think that's a fair way to approach criticizing an album. To me, the only thing that has ever been pretentious about Hawaii Part II is the internet's reaction to it.
how do you know his criticisms were centered around the consensus the internet shares? this is a rash assumption
@@peatrude4872 The internet's inability to construct an agreed-upon meaning, and the grandiosity of their theories, are brought up and referred to within this video in support of the idea that the lyrics are pretentious nonsense. So no, it isn't rash or an assumption. The thing is, it's pathetic hearing a music critic be befuddled by, "birth by chess or benign, and "gamboling out to picnic" as though they're incomprehensible unless he went in with such a negative connotation that anything and everything about it became uninterpretable through that negative lens. That is an assumption, but the content of the video especially the beginning, makes it a safe one.
Couldn't said it better myself, I actually lile the story that the album has, because yes, the album actually tells a whole story in a vague and unclear way. And I think it's rather unique and good, I love stories that are vague and make me interpret them my own way.
That's the magic of music, it's not only to just "dance" or "background noise", it's an artform that can take many shapes just like videogames can be. And this album is a very extravagant and bizarre art form, something very abstract and I love it for that, that is why I take a drink each time he misses the point of each song.
yes
Wow this sums up my thoughts on Brad’s channel so succinctly. I understand that not everyone has a theatrical or whimsical music taste, but it seems like Brad has a habit of approaching offbeat indie/tumblr-esque albums with a very negative lens, as if they have no artistic merit by virtue of their genre/niche. I try to respect it, but it’s hard to understand his perspective when he basically shuts down for half the video and refuses to elaborate on anything. Like… why review these albums at all if you’re incapable of engaging with them in any non-ironic capacity?
I like how most of the people in this comments section love this album
15:00 brad, you're complaining about the fact that people have different interpretations of the song... and that somehow makes the song bad? how does that make sense? i think the lyrics were intentionally made that way so that each person can find a different story in this album
this album is definitely an acquired taste but dude you just say the same 3 complaints every song. any respect i had for you after watching 1 video is completely gone, thanks for giving me a different perspective tho
It's not bad because it has many interpretations.
It's bad because it literally doesn't mean anything despite clearly pretending to.
Like why even write anything if just throwing words around hoping something sticks is enough and especially knowing your fans will just finish the songs for you.
@@andremartinez4411 i'm the type of dude that doesn't care much for lyrics as long as the song sounds good but if you're the kind of guy that needs every song to have a clear meaning then i can understand that perspective. in the end it's personal preference but my problem is brad talking like a song without a clear message is objectively bad
Bruh, even if you think it is, its not that deep. This is same shit like Im talking to a Snyder stan again...
26:36 i would just love to see him discover that miracle musical did a… charming cover of a disney song
I don't care if you hate this but it's definitely NOT Cristian 💀💀💀
Wdym
Pretty funny that he started yawning when the lullaby started