Skepta with a calculator: "I need £2,314,930"

The middle of this is damn near flawless and the back has a few of the worst beats I've ever heard. I could see the score changing either way as a result.

Also the surprise features on this thing went crazy. Got so excited when I heard Skepta I launched my headphones across the room. If this means my enjoyment of this thing comes down to novelty or it's actually a great product is yet to be seen

Best: POP OUT, BACKD00R, ... read more

70 > 85

Just great

Best: Bombs Above, Some Birds, Don't Forget, Having been Is No Way to Be

Worst: Let's Go Rain

Pleasantly surprised by how often the batshit experimental stuff takes a backseat for storytelling. Tyler is really rapping his ass off on this thing

Preferred the bangers to the RnB cuts, as I don't feel this production aesthetic fairs well when going for the sugar highs of something like flower boy, making this the least consistent out of his last 4 for me. Still more than happy to see the grimy and chaotic elements of Tyler's early work mature into such a fully realised album ... read more

Could've easily been his best if not for the features and a few awful beats. Sick aesthetic

Best: Bullet From a Gun, No Sleep, Animal Instinct

Worst: What Do You Mean?

I wouldn't go as far as to say you have to be delusional to like this, but WOW does it sound like ass. Any good ideas are consistently derailed by terrible performances, and the ideas that are allowed to sit for awhile generally outstay their welcome. Kinda thought people were review bombing this thing but nope

Best: STARS, FUK SUMN

Worst: BEG FORGIVENESS

Couldn't do individual track ratings for this as I feel like it makes the most sense as a front to back listen. I've come to really hate songs with super jarring transitions, but here there's this tapestry-like quality achieved whilst a consistent vibe is kept through individual tracks. Curious to see how these songs hold up outside of this album's context, as together they validate how fast the changes go by

Best: Pop, Nunu, Back n Love

Worst: First

66 > 78

Difficult to rate an album as singular and intentionally rough as this

Best: Manhattan, Black Hair, Oh God

Worst: Last Night in New York

82 > 56

Fuck it I'm gonna say it; a few of the best new-wave cuts ever and the rest is really tacky. The beginning and end of this record are so strong that you forget how much of a slog the meat of this album is

Best: Age of Consent, Your Silent Face, Leave Me Alone

Worst: 5-8-6

Really neat use of stereo space throughout this thing; particularly with the drums. As they're so far away (and the compositions are so sparse) that you're sort of forced to listen deeper and notice all the details.

There's a lot of great textural stuff present, but I think it's occasionally too breezy for it's own good. The production aesthetic doesn't really punch that hard for me, although it is great for holding your attention and taking you on a trip

Edit: ... read more

79 > 90

I think I needed the context of lifted to realise this is just as good as lifted. The way it develops on the themes of its predecessor really is something to behold. The songwriting also feels much more mature, with tracks that feature tighter narratives on the whole. I'm hesitant to call it better than lifted, as the rough spots are part of the charm, but as a folk record I could see the case for it being superior

Best: Lua, Train Under Water, First Day of My Life, Land Locked ... read more

68 > 77

Whilst the execution isn't perfect, I think Dry Cleaning fell on a really cool formula here. The observable impact this has had on UK Post-Punk in recent years has only reinforced this belief. There are moments where it really works, but the homogeneous sound of the album as a whole stops me raising the score too much

Best: Scratchcard Lanyard, Unsmart Lady, More Big Birds

Worst: Her Hippo

Almost drastically changed the score in both directions, but I'll keep it for now. After sitting with Lifted for awhile it's a little more inconsistent than I realised, and the good songs have become all time favourites. The middle doesn't do much for me at this point but the beginning and second half are just as good as to stop me deducting points.

The bleeding heart honesty displayed on this record is often a double edged sword. Despite a few lines that really make the hairs on my neck ... read more

86 > 89

Just hits different in the middle of winter off of a shitty turntable

Best: Last Night When We Were Young, I'll Be Around, This Love of Mine

Worst: Can't We Be Friends?

Have had to write about Glenn Branca a lot for my dissertation (I'm doing atonality) and it's only reinforced my belief that 'The Ascension' is the best experimental album of all time. There's a musical language being used here that really shouldn't make intuitive sense and yet it feels like the perfect through-line from post-minimalism to no-wave and post-rock. The depth of experimentation is also incredibly impressive, with a range of moments that are crushingly heavy and moments that are ... read more

I think the last time I felt this high listening to music was when Flower Boy came out. Holy shit this thing caught me off guard.

Lahai is colourful in every aspect. There's a remarkably strong opening leg, then the details are given space to rise to the surface. My only complaint is the reuse of certain structures; namely the way drums are brought in on the second verse on practically every track. I'll admit that's a nitpicky complaint however, as the songs don't suffer ... read more

"I go harder than using a toothpick to eat a bowl of rice"

Fairly formative album for me and I'm happy to find how well it's held up. Three 6 mafia influence really stood out to me this time around, especially in some of the hooks. The pitchy singing was a bit of a sore spot for me but it becomes sort of endearing on repeat listens

Best: 96 F**Kries, Don't @ Me, Integrity

Worst: Again

I can tell this one is going to sit with me for awhile this time. The language and use of allegory is complicated in a way that is often difficult to follow, but the more I listen the more I realise how focused the writing actually is.

It's so consistently rewarding to deconstruct and repeat listens feel almost inevitable, meaning this score will probably change once I can get a handle on this thing

Edit: 89 > 94 (Handle gotten and jesus christ this thing is dense)

Best: Master Song, ... read more

As much as I love Spirt of Eden, I can see why some write it off as boring. It doesn't have the big climaxes or ultra impassioned performances that make Laughing Stock tick.

What it does have over Laughing Stock is atmosphere. If you can find the patience to let it in there are moments which rival (and in my eyes occasionally surpass) those of its sequel. It's not quite as inventive and not quite as tight, but it is a damn good front to back listen

Best: The Rainbow, Eden, I Believe In ... read more

Never been so happy to get exactly what I was expecting

Best: Mosquito, Bury me, Blue, Capable of love

Worst: Ophelia

Captivating aesthetically but so far off on the execution. Hooks that don't work, under developed ideas and horribly balanced mixes all over this thing. I would compare the listening experience to that of Cherry Bomb where it feels like something cool is taking shape but not yet fully realised. I look forward to future Kevin albums but track to track this just didn't do it for me

Best: Voyager, Heights, Spiders and the Dark, My Friend

Worst: Running Out