FAR less sloppy than her past few records, THIS is peak 2010’s Taylor Swift coded with some semi sweet lyrics that I’d imagine tie in well with the movie it’s associated with.

For as much as her recent projects felt uninspired, toothless, and the fact that this is a movie tie in, it could’ve been way worse. If anything this feels like a reminder that Taylor still has her country pop sensibilities about her, and in this case the warm, brighter production style feels more ... read more

A bit late on the draw for this review, and MUNA as a whole, it seems, as their latest LP “Dancing On The Wall” has absolutely captured my ears for the past couple of weeks!

This is actually my first listen through an entire MUNA record, and I’m further impressed the more I listen and learn about the history that led up to this release. Whether it be the band’s publicly troubled history with their previous label RCA dropping them for “not making enough ... read more

A phenomenal performance from a once-in-a-lifetime artist, performing some of her most ambitious material in her catalog, and shaped to fit the tonality of a funeral.

I just finished watching the live debut of this show on Apple Music, and I am just floored by how great this set was. It’s similarly grandiose to the MAYHEM tour set, but a lot of the tracks here see, in some instances, a complete overhaul of the song’s identity. There are some tracks I feel are harder to work into ... read more

Pretty good! Bright production, killer vocal performance from Madonna and Sabrina here. Even if it sounds a bit plastic with its pitch correction, I think it adds to it.

Shame there’s no video associated (yet), and shame we haven’t seen Madonna embrace her daughter Gaga in this way, but happy to see Madonna cementing her legacy even further by staying active and embracing the ever-so-in-demand Sabrina Carpenter!

I do wish this track went somewhere, as it feels a bit one-note ... read more

Dude, what THE FUCK!!!

I was aware this album was coming, vaguely, but after seeing their performance of this record at Coachella W2 tonight, I felt incredibly inspired to write this review because this whole record and accompanied performances blew me AWAY!

I think it’s incredibly creative, inspired, and exciting as a listener to hear that the version on streaming is actually a blend of the live recording as well as proper studio recordings!

As a longtime fan of Nine Inch Nails, I ... read more

It’s not terrible or anything. However, considering the landscape of electronic music at the moment, and the undeniable rise of acts like SLAYYYTER and Ninajirachi, I can’t help but feel this iteration Demi is going for sounds a bit dated.

The lyrics aren’t really carrying much weight, and not to mention how derivative it sounds next to a song like Britney’s “I’m A Slave 4 U”, I just can’t feel moved yet. I know Demi has it in her to deliver ... read more

Hmmm…a bit too cleaned up for me. One of the best qualities of the original (and Avril’s early work) was the production never strayed too far into sounding “too perfect”. This version reeks of pitch correction, Avril’s performance sounds as by the numbers as it could be, and overall it doesn’t feel like much was added here.

It’s weird because we know she’s a better singer than what we hear on this track, but I guess it pays the bills? If the ... read more

Big fan of the transition into this new wave, 80’s synth pop sound for Rodrigo here. While I feel she certainly sounds more at home in the pop punk space, this new style serves her well, thanks in part to Dan Nigro’s signature production style of sparkly, big choruses like those present on this track. It’s an approach that feels appropriate for her considering her storied fandom of classic rock acts like The Cure (with whom she’s performed live), and her fandom of David ... read more

What a TUNE! I love how addictive the call-and-response style backing melody that supports Holly during the chorus, and I really love Holly’s performance here in general. The words are sung so warmly, and the performance Holly put behind it is delivered so earnestly, it’s like the production is drizzled with a sweet kind of honey.

I can’t help but be a fan, and based off of this first impression I’m very stoked to listen to the full album associated! Marvelous!

Objectively speaking, this track leaves a bit to be desired, especially considering the artists being Doechii and Lady freaking Gaga

BUT, it’s hard to deny this WILL be the soundtrack to many a drag shows to come…and my sold out shower concerts 🥸

Much like the film it pairs with, this album is a beautiful Nintendo-infused cacophony of controlled chaos. There are bits of melodies from the game it’s inspired by, namely Gusty Garden Galaxy, but the score draws from the wider pool of Nintendo IP, further elevating the scope and the nature of the word “Galaxy” here. You’ve got bits of Galaxy 1&2, tracks inspired by Mario Odyssey, even Star Fox and DK tunes make their way into this soundtrack, giving the whole ... read more

Cheeky and a bit cheesy, this track’s novelty wears out pretty soon after the song closes, but at the very least, I can appreciate the hook and delivery of “I’m going through a dryyyy spellll…yup.” It gives this song a palpable sense of sarcasm, which is nice too. It’s fine, the song’s just fine

An awesome (and unexpected!) collaboration between two of the titans of mellow pop/alt. This track is the familiar sound of the early 00’s soft rock wave, put through a shoegaze-style wall of distorted guitars and synths.

A lyrical yearn-fest set to the reinvented sounds of the early 00’s, this track was made for me!!

A bit front-loaded, and surprisingly cringe for a group of girls that are otherwise pretty talented.

I like “JUMP”, but it feels odd including it here as that song released last summer. “GO!” has a cool synth breakdown but doesn’t feel as strong as “JUMP” overall. That’s about where my praise for this project ends, that feels so short it feels generous to even call it an EP in the first place.

Does their label recognize how old they are? Why ... read more

‘The Mountain’ is a record born from grief and influenced by the sprawling, evocative culture that comes from the region of India.

I’m not going to pretend to know much about religion, let alone Hindu beliefs, but I do know that a lot of great music comes from and takes cues from India. Once I read that Gorillaz were working on another full-length EP, naturally I felt a bit skeptical, especially off the heels of ‘Cracker Island’, an album that leaves more to be ... read more

Though a bit formulaic in structure, I think this song actually demonstrates Bruno's ability to write a tasteful rendition of what otherwise could be a by-the-numbers pop song. The spanish influence on this track really helps the instrumental shine a bit brighter than the tired 80's synths that plagued the charts for the past few years.

Grimy, booming and explosive.

This shade of electronic, with all of its dirty, harsh sounds perfectly capture the qualities that made BRAT so sonically moving in the first place. The choice for such dark, brooding synths give the whole thing a sense of derangement, like something is coming. The perfect accompaniment to the upcoming film, with a killer video to boot

A solid, funky, modern disco feel sounds great next to Bruno’s uniquely vintage vocal style. I like most of this song aside from the “doo doo doo” hook, as it sounds a bit too modern Maroon 5 for me.
That aside, you’ve really got to admire Bruno’s talent for writing pop music. It’s an earworm for sure, and I can already tell this track’ll be plastered over every retailer’s seasonal ads for the rest of the year.

Feeling heavily influenced by 60s pop music, particularly The Mamas & The Papas, this track stands out as one of the most compelling from the “Man’s Best Friend” album cycle. It presents a lighthearted take on a breakup, even amidst denial. The instrumental shift around the song’s midpoint significantly enhances the experience, despite the lyrics being hilariously delusional.

This community might have just “y’all just hate fun”-d too close to the sun. I suppose I don’t hate it as much as “Gnarly,” but only ever so slightly.

You might think this comes from a hater’s perspective, but I actually like this group!

The shame of the situation is that these girls are truly above material like this and could be making better, bolder projects than what they’re currently being relegated to.