Like its predecessor, Disturbed's sophomore record "Believe" is creatively bankrupt as all hell. However, this did mark a slight change in the band's lyrical direction in that the themes became slightly more hopeful and self-affirming. There's also a bit more melodic quality quality to the vocals and riffs, so it's a marginal improvement on what came before from a purely surface-level listening experience.

A nostalgic part of me will always like this album. Listening to it brings me back to a very formative time in my life that resonates with me in a way it simply cannot for anyone else. That being said, let's not pretend like "The Sickness" is objectively anything other than an incredibly cringey, dated, juvenile record that embodies all of the negative stereotypes of the very worst nu metal had to offer at the height of its popularity. David Draiman's limited vocabulary makes all of ... read more

So, am I supposed to be impressed that apparently Kevin Martin is a conspiratorial idiot who thinks vaccines are oppression? Or am I supposed to think the beats on this, which all sound like the Inception booms, are creative? Because, no.

I have actually been pretty happy with this era of Kanye (let's call it diminished Kanye). "Ye" was introspective and form-challenging, "Kids See Ghosts" was absolutely masterful, and despite its detractors, I actually really enjoyed "Jesus Is King," finding it to be short and sweet albeit more self-indulgent than Ye has ever admitted.

But now, with "Donda," even I have seemed to have finally run out of patience with this man's staggering tone deafness. ... read more

Very pleasant, uplifting beats overtop of a consistent melodic ambience that is inoffensive and great for background music. But for me, it never reaches beyond just fun in-one-ear-out-the-other listening.

"Man has no property in man--the dead have no say." Wow.

King Gizzard have stepped through a new door on this release, and it seems the room they find themselves in is the most open and high-reaching yet. A complete metamorphosis once again for the band, and I actually really liked the prior K.G.L.W. duology. But this? This is something else entirely.

Pretty damn fine jazz + soul record that is definitely high in my list of 70 scores this year.

Beautiful, haunting, and glacial in pace, "Mujo" shows Bernocchi and Yamane complimenting each other's strengths as ambient players while the artificial meets the organic. Not for everyone, but for those who appreciate this sort of stuff, this is heavenly listening.

It's a great ode to the epic, prog-adjacent thrash metal of the past while still having its own identity as a modern entry worthy of taking seriously.

The album starts out strong with the opening of "Tiny Houses" really making one think that an entire song comprised of neat glitchy beat composition is underway. But the second half of that opening track ends up becoming little more than another modern attempt to mimic 80s art pop. And that vibe never relents for the remainder of the album. This band hasn't released a new LP since 2009, and this isn't exactly the sort of material that begs for a new release. It's just okay. Moments of ... read more

Pop punk isn't something I'm exactly crazy about. Only a handful of bands can (in my opinion) pull it off. So, when I heard about this record, I knew I had to check it out. And wow, am I ever glad I did. A truly unique marriage of pop punk (what some people refer to as "emo," though emotional music is far more than just that) and jazz, with some math rock streaks also clearly present. Definitely a great fusion of styles that helps shatter genre barriers, which I'm all for. It's also ... read more

If this release is representative of the present state of post-hardcore today, then we're in trouble. I'm not sure who the intended audience for this is, but it certainly isn't me. Fall of Troy this is not.

Mogwai sounding like Mogwai. That's a good thing, by the way.

Well, this is lovely! The musical manifestation of endless summers and sunlight on the skin.

She never sang about those red balloons. What a croc!

Laura Mvula has made a triumphant return after a five year absence following 2016's dazzling release "The Dreaming Room." Soaring synth pads envelope her gorgeous voice and an instrumentation style that just screams 80s new wave, but in all the right ways.

Make no mistake: this album is a masterpiece. I'm not sure why its initial reception has been so lukewarm, but this release is anything but inconsequential. It's first and foremost a beautiful and heartfelt commentary on the state of affairs for Black Americans in 2020, with lyrics that demand analysis and themes that will still stretch far beyond the present moment.

Secondly, this record marks not just a remarkable return to form for Common after frankly years of musical missteps, but quite ... read more

The singles going into this album's release had me pretty excited to listen to the whole thing, and in many ways it certainly did deliver on its promise of being a striking new wave/post-punk revival record that stands out of the crowd, but there were still areas such as the production and the singing that I felt were a bit too planted in that O.G. new wave influence for their own good. The singer sounds like Billy Idol, and since I loathe Idol's music, that was already hard for me to get past. ... read more

It's fine. I've listened to this record several times since its release earlier this year, and I never remember any details from it. While I'm listing it's a decent enough experience, but it just doesn't have any lasting appeal for me. Josiah Wise is clearly an incredibly talented musician and songwriter; for whatever reason, this record never grabbed me.