"This is our last goodbye"

This is a very sweet release channeling many prior acts, really love this small project. Good sprawl of sounds with very appropriate spoken samples, very emotive yet simple playing, just an all around pleasant listen.

Favourites: Our Hearts, Our Voice, Reflections
Least favourites: N/A

I've a high tolerance for shit vocals, but this whining style never sits well with me. The first 3 actual songs are a great start despite it, though the transitions being so seamless just make each song feel too long, as the changes aren't noticeable enough to make an impact. The horns comes of as cliche more than anything.

It has a lot of decent moments and sounds, but it feels aimless with vocals that do their absolute best to deter me. Was hoping for a lot more given the high ... read more

"I'm sorry I've been wistful and half-hearted with my colouring in"

Strikes a near-perfect balance between harsh and pretty, forming something very potent. This is overspilling with raw emotion at every turn, it does so much with just around 20 minutes. While it's grown off me a tiny bit since my first listen (the dual set of songs before the last song slightly mess up the pacing), it's still amazing and deeply compelling.

Favourites: Lists/Leaves, Thorns, ... read more

"I live my life for you"

Very nostalgia inducing EP. Track 4 is one of the best modern Midwest songs I've ever heard. The other 3 are a small step down, but nonetheless a great summery listen.

Favourites: 2, 4
Least favourites: N/A

Very standard Screamo affair, it’s not something I’d rush to turn off, but not really anything worth seeking out again. No track stood out to me, they all just merged together in one long song. The mixing felt off, and the vocals were a little too screechy for my liking. Feels very uninspired and without any technical feats to make up for the lack of creative ideas, I’ve heard these melodies and guitar lines countless times. A scattering of cool moments drowned in monotony ... read more

This misses the mark for me. It feels mostly unoriginal and unsure of its own identity, floating between stylistic choices in a way that meanders with no real foundation.

For a supposed concept album, its concept isn’t very grand or complex, so that hook is mainly lain to waste. There isn’t much substance to hold onto other than that, which makes it a tough listen. The 80’s nostalgia trend was already way overdone by this point, and has only aged poorer for me. I like ... read more

“Hey, maybe you should reflect on your own piety”

Where was this on the actual album? This is exactly what it was missing, that extra energy. The heavier nature is what I want from Thieves and they nail it on this short sequel, balanced out perfectly by Connors voice and some softer moments. God, I hope they return to this sound at some point. Incredible EP.

Favourites: Futureproof, Miracle, Ce n’est Rien
Least favourites: N/A

A fairly standard crop of tracks for the band. Not much stands out to me other than “Know Me Too Well”, which is a great song.

Favourites: Know Me Too Well
Least favourites: N/A

“I think I better go before I try something I might regret”

All of these deluxe tracks would’ve fit right in on their respective albums, and they’re all really good. “Honey Whiskey” is the first song I ever heard by them, so I’ve a soft spot for it. They are just bonus tracks at the end of the day though, so my rating as a collective will be lower as a result, since they done really fit well altogether.

Favourites: Honey Whiskey, Neon Brother, Number ... read more

“I’ll meet you at the divide, to break the spell”

Still to this day their strongest body of work. There’s something about the angst present here that really drives it, it feels more grounded, authentic and just more intimate than their later releases. Has one of my favourite closing tracks of all time, too. Beautiful and nostalgic album for me, I hold this one close to my chest.

Favourites: Excuse Me, If I Get High, Tempt You
Least favourites: N/A

“And if I need to rearrange my particles, I will for you”

NBT deliver a fantastic follow-up to their debut, strapped with all the necessary energetic anthems alongside some touching and tender tracks. Really love the overall style here, it’s not trying to be anything fancy. My only gripe is that I wish there was more dynamic production, it feels very overdone and clean where I’d prefer some grit. Dampens the experience a little. It also doesn’t quite live up to ... read more

"Shed your knuckle velvet, torn on my teeth"

My (somewhat controversially?) least favourite Ethel project, though "Knuckle Velvet" and "Golden Age" are extremely good. The first 3 tracks just don't really do much for me, they're nice, but the blown out drum sound doesn't mix very well with the rest of the songs, feels a bit jarring. "Head in the Wall" is also very good, but it's too close to Title Fights original track (while not ... read more

"I miss you, darling, I miss you so"

Very short and pretty, the softest we've heard Cain. Feels very intimate and even relaxing, despite the subject matters at hand. Adore the atmosphere fostered here, honing in on just guitar and reverb. Sentimental place in my heart for this.

Favourites: Growing Pains, Dog Days, Misuse Oh
Least favourites: N/A

"If he wakes up, he'll show you what I'm talkin' about"

Firstly, the negatives: the production strikes me as a little off and the features, no matter how hard I've tried to like them, genuinely ruin this for me. The ideas presented here are also better executed on "Preacher's Daughter" for the most part. However! "Crush" is a plain great track, and "Unpunishable" has some monumental guitar work. The guitar across the project is ... read more

Incredible debut, hits all the right marks. Love the female led vocal with a hint of pop-punk cadence, fits very well, reminds me of an even more midwest/mathy Pool Kids. Only complaint is that it begins to grow a little repetitive by the end, would've loved a bit more variation in guitar lines. Appreciate the heavier side shining through in Sonata, these guys have huge potential.

Favourites: New Life, Sprout, Bloom
Least favourites: N/A

I like this a lot. A very good display of math-rock, though it's missing that wow factor to really grab me, feels a bit by the books. I feel it also features a few cliche sections that bring it down, the post-rock influence feeling very stagnant and uninspired rather than dynamic. It has its incredible moments though, like in the ending track.

I can see this benefitting a lot from vocals, it feels a little empty at points without them to hold onto (the tracks featuring the sparse array ... read more

A fairly calming listen with no real stand-out moments. Feels like an epilogue coming off of the first American Football LP. Don't really see myself coming back to this much, lacks in substance, feeling very one note and too much like a slower, overall dampened version of American Football. The soft, droning vocal doesn't help in this respect.

A relaxing album that just doesn't do much for me.

Favourites: Wasn't Said
Least favourites: Most Nights

(RATING EXCEPTION: This rating doesn't come under how I typically score an album, instead reflecting some other reasoning explained in the review)

"When Austin (the abusive father of the girls) was young, his mother read his palm and made three predictions: he would marry a strawberry-blonde woman, he would have two sons after she had died, and his daughters would form a popular band. When the first two predictions proved accurate, Austin set about fulfilling the third." - The ... read more

BON IVER "i,i" ANALYSIS - PART TWELVE

The title comes from the lyric “I could rob I”. Vernon and co. said of the track; “There’s a lot to be sad about, there’s a lot to be confused about, there’s a lot to be thankful for. And leaning on gratitude and appreciation of the people around you that make you who you are, make you feel safe, and provide that shelter so you can be who you want to be, there’s still that impetus in life. We need that. ... read more

BON IVER "i,i" ANALYSIS - PART ELEVEN

Following on from “Salem”, “Sh’diah” maintains a similar theme. The song’s title is an abbreviation for “Shittiest Day in American History”, referring to the day after Donald Trump’s first election as president of the United States of America. This is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard, unbelievable. The ambience makes me feel so safe and warm.

"Well, you find ... read more