If you haven’t listened to this and you’re curious, yes, it really is that good.

When I originally wrote this review, I said that this may very well be my favorite album of all time. Well, after a subsequent relisten, I can confirm that this is, indeed, my favorite album of all time. It’s the first album that I really cherished. It’s the first album that I got on vinyl. It’s the first album that drew me into a cult fanbase. It’s the first album I listened to ... read more

Jeff Buckley was pure talent. That’s the entire review.

Mojo Pin - 5
Grace - 5*
Last Goodbye - 5*
Lilac Wine - 5
So Real - 5
Hallelujah - 5
Lover, You Should’ve Come Over - 5*
Corpus Christi Carol - 5
Eternal Life - 5*
Dream Brother - 5*
Forget Her (bonus) - 5*

10/10

Even though it’s easily the most laid back Unwound album before Leaves Turn Inside You, this is still a great album. I actually think it’s their most interesting one up to this point in their discography because of the different, relaxed, and atmospheric approach they took on this.

Data - 5*
Laugh Track - 5
Meet the Plastics - 5
The World Is Flat - 3
Sonata for Loudspeakers - 5
NO TECH! - 3
Side Effects of Being Tired - 4
Lifetime Achievement Award - 4
What Went Wrong - 5
Untitled ... read more

A masterpiece. This is the best written Unwound album at this point in their discography, and it’s also their best so far. Every moment on this is like a level up from their previous albums, especially in terms of creativity, consistency, and being a well-crafted album overall. Lady Elect is one of the best emo songs I have ever heard.

Message Received - 5*
Corpse Pose - 5*
Unauthorized Autobiography - 5
Lowest Common Denominator - 5*
Sensible - 4
Lady Elect - 5**
Fingers on a Chalkboard ... read more

The ACTUAL Unwound debut. It’s pretty raw and rough around the edges, but that’s not a bad thing because I feel like that actually makes the songs better. Obviously, this was made before the band really found their footing, so it’s not gonna be on par with their other albums.

Antifreeze - 3
Rising Blood - 4
Understand & Forget - 4
Fingertips - 5
You Bite My Tongue - 3
Stuck in the Middle of Nowhere - 5
Warmth - 5
Prospect - 3
Kid is Gone - 4
Kandy Korn Rituals - 5

7.0/10

It’s not bad. Realistically, there’s maybe only like five or less songs I’d revisit, everything else is filler. Don’t get me wrong, Unwound can make some AMAZING songs, but a lot of the time they just feel cheap and uninteresting and not fully fleshed out on this album.

New Energy - 4
Demolished - 5*
Natural Disasters - 5*
Re-Enact the Crime - 3
Equally Stupid - 3
Pardon My French - 5
Descension - 4
Accidents on Purpose - 3
Petals like Bricks - 5
Verb’s Answer to ... read more

This album is like Fake Train if it was more consistent. It delivers on a great listening experience from front to back without being as frontloaded as the last album, and takes a slightly more post-rock leaning sound.

Entirely Different Matters - 3
What Was Wound - 5
Envelope - 5*
Hexenzsene - 5
Abstraktions - 5*
All Souls Day - 5*
Usual Dosage - 4
Aboretum - 5
Fiction Friction - 5*

9.5/10

Beautiful.

Floating into the Night has been on my radar for months, but what actually made me go ahead and listen to it was hearing Falling in the first episode of Twin Peaks. That song kinda overshadows everything else on this, but the album itself isn’t anything short of amazing.

Almost every song creates this ethereal soundscape, and Julee Cruise’s vocals compliment that extremely well. Her writing is equally as good, with the themes fitting into the album’s sound ... read more

Fake Train, for the most part, is a REALLY good album. Super energetic, great riffs, vocals, etc, you get the point. I just wish it wasn’t as frontloaded as it is. The second half is good, but doesn’t really have songs that I’m dying to listen to like the first half does.

Dragnalus - 5
Lucky Acid - 5*
Nervous Energy - 5*
Valentine Card - 5*
Katina - 5*
Were, Are, and Was or Is - 5
Honorousis - 5
Pure Pain Sugar - 3
Gravity Slips - 4
Star Spangled Hell - 4
Ratbite - 3
Feeling$ ... read more

Welcome to hell? More like welcome to heaven.

Why did I wait so long to listen to this?? This rivals Ants From Up There for my favorite album of 2022. Compared to previous black midi albums, I think this one is my favorite in terms of songwriting. Every song is so rambly, in your ear, dense, etc and it’s just perfect. Hellfire is also a BIG improvement from Cavalcade, which I thought was sometimes uninteresting. With this, however, it keeps me on the edge of my seat for the entire album. ... read more

Compared to Schlagenheim, Cavalcade is an obvious step down in quality.

A lot of the time I find it be underdeveloped and kinda self indulgent. It’s really slow for most of the album, which just makes it feel uninteresting at times. Theres definitely some great songs on here, but the album as a whole is an example of good music, not great music.

John L - 5
Marlene Dietrich - 4
Chondromalacia Patella - 4
Slow - 5
Diamond Stuff - 2
Dethroned - 5
Hogwash and Balderdash - 4
Ascending Forth ... read more

A 17-year old made this??

It’s obviously not the best EP of all time, the mixing is, to be frank, horrible (especially with the vocals and drums), but the amateurish appeal that comes with that combined with the really solid ideas on this make for a great project. Sad to hear about the artist’s passing.

Good Morning Texts - 4
Trapdoors That Open - 4
No Food - 5
Alive Always - 5*
Short Sleeves - 3
Today I Laid Down - 3

8.0/10

Schlagenheim… Schlagenheim… Schlagenheim… what a fun word to say!

This album sounds like its title: complete nonsense, but beautiful nonsense. How many albums can you say are as exciting, unique, and consistent as this? Schlagenheim is abrasive, noisy, and just pure fun from minute one to minute 43. Easily one of my favorite albums from a new band.

953 - 5*
Speedway - 5
Reggae - 5
Near DT, MI - 5*
Western - 5*
Of Schlagenheim - 5*
bmbmbm - 5
Years Ago - 5*
Ducter - ... read more

BCNR friends forever!!

This is probably the slowest, most lyrically focused album the band has released so far, which I both like and dislike. I think it’s comforting to know that even without their biggest driving force, Isaac’s writing, they can still manage to make great music that still has most of the power of their previous albums.

However, I also think that this turn created the band’s least exciting album to date. As great at it is, I can’t help but feel that, ... read more

It’s crazy how the band set the bar so high with For the first time, but shattered all our expectations with this album. Like seriously, who would have expected such a masterful record? Ants From Up There is easily one of the best chamber pop albums I’ve ever heard. No, it’s one of the best albums I’ve ever heard, full stop. I don’t even think I need to get into why, it’s already evident given how universally acclaimed it already is.

Intro - 5
Chaos Space ... read more

For the first time is one of my favorite debut albums in a LONG time. Black Country, New Road had such a unique style right out of the gate, and that combined with Isaac Wood’s shockingly powerful songwriting ability combines for a truly amazing record. Still not the biggest fan of Track X, though.

Instrumental - 5*
Athens, France - 5*
Science Fair - 5*
Sunglasses - 5
Track X - 3
Opus - 5*

9.5/10

Farewell, then.

98.12.28 is hands down one of the best live albums of all time, and by FAR Fishmans’ best release. Almost all of the songs on here have been completely reworked to fit the live setting, with a lot of them sounding almost unrecognizable from their studio counterparts. These changes allow the songs to breathe even better than they once did, creating beautiful soundscapes in the process.

Long Season is the best example of said changes. As good as the studio version of the ... read more

A great final LP.

After several studio albums, with this one being the last one the band would put out, you would expect this one to have the most defined and best sound. And you’d be right. With the exception of Long Season, this is the best Fishmans studio album they’ve put out. It’s consistent, leans heavily into dream pop more than ever, and has two of some of the best Fishmans songs: Weather Report and Walking in the Rhythm.

Pokka Pokka - 5
Weather Report - ... read more

Fishmans sound more defined than ever. They lean even harder into the psychedelic sound heard on King Master George and Orange, making for some of their best songs yet, Baby Blue and Night Cruising. It’s a great album overall, probably on par or slightly worse than Orange in my opinion.

ずっと前 (Long Before) - 5

Baby Blue - 5*

Slow Days - 5

Sunny Blue - 4

ナイトクルージング (Night Cruising) - 5*

幸せ者 (A Happy Person) - 4

すばらしくて Nice Choice ... read more

Orange is Fishmans’ first actual amazing album! Their sound is the most realized it has been up to this point and the music itself is more interesting and fun to listen to. The album itself is also quite a bit shorter than their last three, making for a lighter and more enjoyable listening experience.

Intro - 5

気分 (Feeling) - 5

忘れちゃうひととき (A Moment to Forget) - 5

My Life - 5

Melody - 5

帰り道 (Way Home) - 3

感謝 (驚) [Appreciation (Surprised)] ... read more