Well… I suppose Nas was due for another dud eventually. It’s not bad by any means, but after the incredible run he’s been on, this one just feels flat and uninspired in comparison. There are a few decent moments, but nothing really sticks, and it ends up being more forgettable than anything.

Favorites: My Life Is Real, Writers, 3rd Childhood

‘4eva Is a Mighty Long Time’ really was just lightning in a bottle, huh.

Don’t get me wrong, this is a solid project, but I can’t help comparing it to that magnum opus, and this just simply pales in comparison. There are some strong tracks here: “Gotta Do It,” “So Far So Good,” and “Celebrate the Line” are definite highlights. But the project as a whole gets repetitive pretty fast and ends up feeling a bit boring.

Gabriel Jacoby is clearly good at what he's doing, but this take on neo-soul just isn't all that exciting to me. It feels polished and pleasant, but not particularly original. There are some great moments near the beginning, but after that it gets less and less interesting the further you go into it. Instead of sounding like a distinct artistic voice, it plays more like a very solid “random neo-soul EP” that leans heavily on the usual genre tricks without adding much ... read more

I mean, it sounds good, but every part of this project feels super generic, from the lyrics to the production. Nothing here stands out the way his earlier stuff did. I don’t think Aries will ever recapture the magic of WELCOME HOME, but overall this is still a solid enough effort. I just don’t see myself returning to it outside of the track with brakence.

Not really feeling these songs. I’m still not sure how I feel about their shift away from the punk-leaning sound into something more synth-heavy. It just doesn’t hit the same for me yet. But hey, 'No Joy' didn’t click for me until way later either, so who knows. Maybe this’ll grow on me… just not there right now.

Breaking News: Pigeon Pit just made a better Mountain Goats album than… well, The Mountain Goats.

This is great… background music, but great nonetheless. It’s immersive and really well-crafted, but I can’t say I like it beyond a “glad to have heard it once” kind of way. Similar to the new Swans record from earlier this year, I doubt I’ll ever revisit it, but I still appreciate how well it’s put together.

Not sure this needed to be almost two hours long, but it’s really good regardless. Tweedy’s songwriting is as sharp and heartfelt as ever, and there’s plenty of great material here — maybe too much of it. The runtime will probably keep me from revisiting the whole thing start to finish, but as a one-time listen, it really delivers.

This is easily Slug and Ant's best since Mi Vida Local. I’ll admit, the whole alphabet concept felt super gimmicky at first, and I figured it’d just be a bunch of filler tracks. But nah, most of these songs actually feel purposeful, and the writing is sharper than it’s been in years. Slug sounds reinvigorated, and it makes for one of the more compelling Atmosphere projects in a while.

The remixes don’t add much for me tbh. The originals clear.

"SOS" is really good though.

This might not be their best project, but it’s the one that clicked with me the fastest. The sound here is way more varied than their earlier stuff, which makes it such a fun listen front to back. They bounce between styles without ever losing their goofy, high-energy charm, and that variety really keeps things fresh. Even when a track doesn’t fully hit, the momentum never drops. It’s just a blast the whole way through.

Sef is easily one of my favorite Dutch writers, but musically this album just doesn’t click for me. The lyrics are as sharp as ever — dense, abstract, dark and often thoughtprovoking — but the production is light and almost bubbly, which makes for a pretty jarring contrast. It’s like the words are pulling you one way and the beats are pulling you another. There are moments I enjoy, but overall it’s more interesting than it is enjoyable.

Kinda mixed on this one right now, but leaning positive. The production is glossy and infectious, and most of these tracks are ridiculously easy on the ears. But once you get past the surface, the lyrics and some of the vocal inflections can be kind of corny. It works in a guilty pleasure kind of way, but I’m not sure it’ll hold up long-term. For now, I’m digging it, but I’ve got a feeling the shine might wear off after a few more plays.

Solid release. There’s clearly a lot of potential here, and while I can’t say I haven’t heard this style done at a higher level before, it’s still an impressive showing. It’s genuinely impressive how twelfth transitioned from releasing one of my favorite—and most surprising—(noise) rock projects of the year, to delivering a strong rap record. It’s a sharp pivot, and it shows versatility that’s worth keeping an eye on.

I'm sorry but this did not age well at all... It's not bad per se, but the production and writing feel extremely dated to me.

Easily his weakest effort since Cherry Bomb. I get that this is meant to be a lighter, more playful project—something less conceptual and more off-the-cuff compared to his recent run of dense, well-crafted albums. But even with that in mind, I can’t help but feel a little let down.

After two full listens, not a single track has really stuck with me. The production, as expected from Tyler, is top-tier—vibrant, dynamic, and often beautiful. Sonically it's great, but ... read more

Monarch of Monsters was one of my favorite projects from last year, and though this new one is a bit messier and slightly bloated, it's still really great.

While I appreciate Tech taking a more conceptual and introspective approach on this album, the underwhelming production, awkward flows, hit-or-miss bars, and consistently weak hooks ultimately hold it back—once again.

Despite how short and abrasive this project is, I was somehow still bored all the way through. The final track is great though.

Is it great? ... Yes.

Am I ever going to listen to this again? ... Probably not.