This is my introduction to Sufjan Stevens, and I’m pretty impressed. Especially if his fans aren’t super impressed with this one, that must mean his older releases are insane.

This album was immersive, and while I do have an issue with the album length at times, that helps play into it. The production and the songwriting really stood out to me and were fantastic as well. There were some moments that felt a little unnecessary or like they dragged on, but overall a really good album.

Never listened to anything by Phil before, so while I do like this a lot I feel like I’m not appreciating it as much as many others.

And while this is very impressive, 44 minutes of the same song just doesn’t provide much replay value. It’s immersive and nice while it’s on and I completely get the purpose, but ultimately it just ends up being good background music and not much more for me. Fantastic songwriting though, to be able to make this 44 minute song listenable ... read more

This album is one of the most interesting hip-hop releases I’ve heard this year. The production is fantastic, Backxwash’s performances are great, and I really like the aesthetic that this album provides. At times it doesn’t feel fully fleshed out, but that doesn’t really affect how enjoyable this album is.

Well this was a listen. To an album. With songs.

Also someone tell Alex Jones that he was miraculously right about the frogs being gay, as Dorian just confirmed that they were responsible.

In all seriousness, I really like how this album satirizes the “Gays are taking over the world and want to turn everyone gay” narrative that people like Alex Jones like to repeat. And while I do like most of the music on here, I think it could have been a little better. But it’s still an ... read more

It’s an enjoyable album, but there are a few too many songs that feel undeveloped for it to reach its full potential.

This is such a great song, so excited for a new SZA project

Somehow this man delivered and put out a project with a distinct sound from his other releases.

I love Die Lit, and this is one of, if not, the most hyped trap release ever. And Carti came through.

This is his most experimental project yet. The beats are weirder, his vocal performances are as well, and the project has a distorted feel throughout which is fantastic. Yeah it’s a little long and there are some misses, but this is yet another great project from Sir Cartier.

Swimmer is just a nice sounding pop album filled with catchy songwriting and solid production. It’s not anything you haven’t necessarily heard before musically, but it’s executed pretty well and worth a listen if you like this style.

I liked Durk’s feature on the Drake single and kinda liked his “The Voice” single, so I was hoping Lil Durk would finally impress me with a project. But this is just another helping of the generic melodic trap I was hoping we didn’t get.

Yeah there are some occasional highlights, but for the most part there isn’t really much that’s interesting on here. It’s not necessarily bad, but between the bland production, the typical songwriting, and the standard ... read more

Send Them To Coventry is a decent record from the UK rap scene with solid production, even if it’s a little identity-less at times and can be a little generic.

Someone New has some beautiful moments and great songs, but her sound doesn’t feel fully realized yet. Her vocals remind me of Lana and Billie Eilish, but the songwriting isn’t as interesting to me. The production is nice, but the songs themselves end up being a little boring and sleepy overall. She definitely has talent and potential, but this is just a little too forgettable, even if pretty decent.

I saw this on a few year end lists and got curious. I suggest you do too.

Giver Taker isn’t super inventive or anything, but it’s a fantastic addition to the indie-folk genre. Anjimile provides great vocals and solid songwriting over some beautiful production. I think there’s still some room for improvement and development of their sound, but there’s so much potential here and I’m excited to see them release music in the future.

This is not the typical kind of thing I listen to, but seeing an interview with the group and the good reviews and seeing that there was Kenny Beats involvement got me intrigued. And this is actually pretty good

Ultra Mono, while sometimes samey, manages to pair this aggressive production with important song topics. I really like a lot of what they are doing here, and the sound of the album really impressed me. The writing could be better in some spots, the lyrics sometimes are lacking, and ... read more

This is my first time listening to King Krule’s music, and to be honest I’m just not connecting with it.

I’ve given this more listens than usual before reviewing but I’m just not getting it. Nothing really stands out for me, and when listening it tends to just fade into the background. There are some moments that I like, and I definitely see the appeal, but for me it just ends up being a little boring and low-energy.

There are a lot of good ideas and collaborators on here, but the final result is a little disappointing.

I really wanted to love this, but the length and lack of focus keeps me from doing so. There is some really nice production on here and many highlights, but too many songs are a little boring and forgettable, leaving the album pretty inconsistent. The interludes and musical passages in between tracks don’t always work, and sometimes leave the album feeling scattered and without an ... read more

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this, but after listening a few times I’m really impressed.

West of Eden is an album that is surprisingly catchy, but doesn’t sacrifice any artistic qualities to do so. The songwriting is accessible but layered, the production is punchy but can also be beautiful, and the performances really pop and have a lot of energy and charisma. The fusion of different styles and genres on here keeps this from being bland as well, even if there are some ... read more

I had never heard of this artist, but there’s been a lot of great disco this year so I gave this a chance.

I just can’t connect with this. While there are some highlights and the production is pretty good throughout, many of the songs just feel too structure-less and messy, and they also feel like they go on forever. This might be appealing to a lot of people, as it feels immersive, but it’s just not for me, even with as much as I love disco.

Fav Tracks: Something More, ... read more

Pure fun.

I have never been a fan of K-Pop, but I saw the good reviews and gave this a chance. And this is actually pretty good.

This is just a fun album. The songs are very upbeat and catchy and they make you feel good. But while I do like it and think it’s very fun, it’s also very generic, and that’s probably what holds it back the most.

Well that was unique.

I had never heard of The Koreatown Oddity, but this was really good. The production is great, and it provides a nice backdrop for his fantastic verses that are filled with personality. As an album experience it’s very cohesive, but the replay value is not super high and it’s a little long. There’s also maybe a few too many skits, and when they come in the middle of tracks it feels a little messy. But nevertheless, The Koreatown Oddity’s humor and ... read more

Discovering my love for indie-folk with the help of Phoebe Bridgers’ new album was one of the few good things that happened in 2020. So when Shore by Fleet Foxes was recommended to me, I was excited. And in many ways, this feels like the opposite of Punisher.

Where Punisher was sad and melancholic, this is peaceful and bright. And in a year as dark as 2020 has been, I appreciate the aesthetic this album gives off. This album truly does feel like a nice drive in the early morning. But ... read more