much better than either of their previous two eps in my opinion. the arrangement and builds are more my speed and the playing was more emotive and evocative than i remember it being before. i've always felt like this band had a lot of potential but just hadn't yet made something that sounded completely sure of itself and remained compelling for the entire runtime. while there may be a bit of dead space or moments that feel a little lost on here, this is definitely still the closest ... read more

slightly better than their 2024 effort, especially when they deviate from the norm on the first few tracks, which i think are all great. after that though, it ends up being more of the same once again. nothing they're doing is offensive and sometimes there's a refrain or a progression that's really onto something, but a lot of the ideas are just what they are and the music doesn't really jump out at me either. they're definitely talented musicians and are capable of ... read more

better than i expected given how little i've enjoyed larry june's music in the past. nothing spectacular, but some nice alc beats and hit or miss rapping still make for a solid project.

edit: 74>62 still like it more than most people, but yeah, it definitely shrunk.

obviously there are more tracks here than any real existing human would want but, considering that, it's impressive that this never once felt remotely boring. some of the ideas were bound to not stick and there's definitely sections that are messier than they should be, but none of these miscalculations overshadow the surprising amount of really good music on here. i think this has some of ... read more

i've always found it difficult to articulate exactly what makes skaiwater such a creative force in my opinion, but i mean just listen to this. whether you personally enjoy some of the sound choices or not, you can never deny the creativity, and i feel like skai just keeps getting better at refining the more experimental efforts, polishing them where they do sometimes need it. this results in a very impressively towed line between boundary pushing and immensely catchy songs, no matter what ... read more

i actually like it very slightly more than the last record. it's just unfortunate that i've never been crazy about this band to begin with.

i like some of the sound choices themselves and his voice is fine but the arrangements are just so uninteresting and the melodies are just so boring i really don't get anything out of this.

this is really fun at its best, and just a bit boring at its worst. i think if they polish the sound a bit more and give specific melodies and progressions a little more time and attention to develop and establish themselves, the songs could create stronger identities and leave a more prominent impression. i feel like the best music in this sound finds ways to leave a powerful impact within the confines of the concise song lengths and breakneck pace, and while this definitely shows glimpses, ... read more

enjoyable while it's on, especially during some of the more visceral moments. the vocals do get a bit old after a while though and i feel like a different type of mix could've done the ideas and the playing more justice. at least in comparison to this band's contemporaries, some of the most aggressive sections sounded almost too clean. i think the mix could've been muddied even more and that would've made it connect a little better or created a more detailed and ... read more

there are definitely some interesting bits of production here and there but i'm not a huge fan of the style of the vocals on top of them. a majority of the tracks also run long and can get redundant by the end.

obviously really good but it's still fuck fromtheheart and i hope this gets taken down. also brakence pls come back i miss you.

i feel like this could've been a lot more than it was. the melodies were there and she has a warm and sweet vocal tone, but the production just feels so safe throughout the entire runtime. for a moment, the ideas would be genuinely creative and adventurous, but then turn back from the adventure every time and take the road more traveled. this resulted in the entire thing sort of existing in a constantly half-baked state that left you begging for more in a bad way. there's some cool ... read more

(not so) slowly but (100%) surely, MIKE continues his reign of terror (building one of the best discographies ever).

i absolutely love the world that this exists within musically. all of the sound choices are sharp, warm, and just so addicting to my ears. there's plenty of variety to keep things interesting, but it's like everything she chooses to do winds up suiting the project's cumulative sound perfectly. every seemingly out-of-left-field vocal or production choice is as intentional as it gets, and there are plenty of them. they're just executed in such a controlled way that you may not ... read more

this is my first exposure to this band and i'm pleasantly surprised. i love the arrangements on here and the progressions build super nicely throughout the whole thing. some of the vocal ideas are a little half-baked, but i like the way they're mixed in this style of music and they're performed better than they often are in it too. sometimes certain components sound a little bit thin and i would've loved some more warmth and layering to the instruments, especially given how ... read more

yeah yeah, i suppose it's a bit bloated. HOWEVER, you sort of have to expect that when this is supposed to be his last album under the weeknd moniker. it's understandable to me to want to go out releasing a complete package of who you've been, who you are now, and a snippet of who you may become going forward. and for that, i respect the massive collection of music here, even if it could technically be trimmed down slightly to maintain a more consistent flow and succinct message. ... read more

i had never heard of this artist until late last year when graydon from hivemind mentioned a single from this record in his favorite songs of 2024. so to graydon, thank you so much.
because seriously, wow. this sounds incredible. every detail is mixed just right, down to the most minute intricacy. i feel that this allowed lou-adriane to go all of the different directions she did here and fully push her massive experimental pop sound to the max. she does ballads, heavy guitars, folk-inspired ... read more

i feel bad. i really wanted to like this, and it is absolutely endearing, but it just isn't very good. it's the messy experimentation, off key and awkward vocals, and lyrics that flip from dairy-entry-esque in a sweet, vulnerable way to the most cringe way possible, among other things, that completely rip away the appeal for me. i appreciate the lofi quality to the mix, the attempts at variety in production, and the personal reflections, but they're all too outweighed by the ... read more

a good listen for sure. i think the best moments are largely the most experimental here, as some of the more streamline edm components didn't really translate for me. i also think the back quarter started to drag, as it felt like nothing was that new or interesting compared to earlier in the record and some things started to sound a bit redundant. i really enjoyed a majority of the earlier three quarters though, with most of the production ideas coming off really fresh and exciting with ... read more

this is definitely cool for what it is and i can see how people would really love it, but the songs just don't really do enough for me to stand out a lot of the time beyond being just moderately pleasant. the standout track is definitely the third one though because i feel like it was much more sure of itself and had a much clearer direction than the first two. like i think the track lengths are cool in theory, but the first two definitely could've benefitted from being cut down and ... read more