one of my favorite live performances ever

i've always appreciated magdalena bay a lot and thought they made great music, but i wouldn't say i've ever been a part of the massive hype they've built over the past few years. it's crazy that i have to say that given how much i like their stuff, but in comparison to a lot of the praise, i suppose mine has been undersold to this point. with that said, these might be their two best songs ever. i could probably talk forever about this and i honestly don't feel like ... read more

"Little kid, tiny desk, itty bitty violins
Big head, blue lips
If you never came back from the dead, can't tell me shit
12 billion USD hovering over the Gaza Strip
You don't wanna know what it cost to live
What it cost to hide behind eyelids
When your back turnt, secret cannibals lick they lips, fingernails sharp
I snatch the lights out a cat so I can see in the dark
So I can see who you are"

the most pleasant surprise of the year. i wasn't aware of the promo leading up to this release, and naturally assumed there would be no more music from Lou-Adriane in 2025 considering her last album was released not yet 3 and a half months ago. luckily, i was wrong. usually i would be hesitant to approach a release that comes so soon after a full length, especially one that, in her words, is not a b-side or an extension of the previous record, but a completely individual new body of work ... read more

so many different styles of pop music on this album and she somehow managed to make every single one of them so painfully cringe that i actually almost forgot about all the good music that she's stealing from. speaking of, i think she forgot (or never knew) that when you perform music, it's important to sound like you actually enjoy performing music. it's all so unconvincing and cringe that even she doesn't sound interested most of the time. and, if it couldn't get any ... read more

i hate disliking albums like this because everything he's saying is true and i will always admire and respect people using art to protest and spread necessary social messages. the issue here is just that that is basically the only admirable thing about this for me. the actual lyrics could hit harder and be more effective at conveying the messaging. the vocals are unconvincing to say the least and clash awkwardly with the music, which doesn't really do anything for me either. it's ... read more

my journey with skrilex's music, i think similarly to many people's, has been a bit of a rocky one. as a young kid in the late 2000's and early 2010's enamored with the dubstep and edm of the era, skrillex became a go to in my rotation, and made a couple songs that i would still consider to be some of my favorites of all time. however, as time went on and i and skrillex and the world at large grew and developed, i feel as though skrillex sort of got left in the dust (or ... read more

this project was my first time hearing of this artist or their work, and i've had an interesting time with it since my first listen about a month and a half ago. initially, i was mostly intrigued and trying to gauge my opinion on all the different styles, but i definitely knew i enjoyed it. however, as time went on, i feel like i've lived a bit with this and have a much better understanding of where shteppi is coming from overall than i originally did, which would be expected i ... read more

i can appreciate the attempts at theatrics and maximalist epic type songs, but most of it sort of just comes off kinda messy and a little corny to me. the drumming's great though.

a little bloated and repetitive at times but solid overall with some really great highlights.

rating is only for the deluxe tracks.

still a ways away from separating itself from its contemporaries, but genuinely much better than i expected. a great step for tate.

undeniably creative and sometimes varied to a fault. the project struggles a bit to find direction in the first half, but the second half brings things together in a similarly experimental and genuinely earnest way. i'm very intrigued to see where this music project goes next.

i can acknowledge that a lot of the metal tropes that have always turned me off from most metal sub-genres are present here and, thus, make some of it just not for me. however, i can also simultaneously acknowledge how undeniably well made this is. there's also an impressive amount for me to appreciate despite all of those turn offs, which makes it an even more standout metal effort so far this year.

incredible at its peak, but there are a few different issues that make it not shape up to be as great as i feel it could've been. none of these issues are actually too prevalent, but they're enough to take away from what was otherwise another fantastic addition to jane's already illustrious catalogue, so i feel it's only fair to explain. don't kill me pls.
firstly, there are more than a few moments where things feel a little too muddy or messy or disjointed production ... read more

first time hearing of her and this bangs

she's onto something, but it isn't quite there yet. it seems, from track to track, there's always something that works and there's something else that's missing. and, from track to track, those things are different and may even swap places. she has a beautiful vocal tone that works perfectly for this style and her approach comes off inspired but personal enough to avoid becoming derivative. i think if things become more consistent lyrically and instrumentally, she could ... read more

i've had my fair share of gripes about perfume genius' catalogue over the years, and some of those still remain true here. however, i appreciate a lot of the newly introduced indie folk stylings and i feel like a lot of the song structures are much more refined. still not my favorite thing, but definitely a step in the right direction.

genuinely gross music, and not in the way he wants it to be.

i've been a pretty big fan of eem for a few years now but this was sort of a let down if i'm being honest. i didn't get the creativity or the versatility i'm used to from him and a lot of the songs sound too samey and one-note. there's a few tracks that stand out and would fit in with his great singles run, but most of these fall flat in comparison to his previous catalogue.