The chillwave icon’s 5th album sees him working on autopilot, drifting from one decently catchy track to another. It’s wonderful background music but only decent foreground music.

Easily her best album yet, Don’t Forget Me sees a fleshing out of Maggie’s indie sound that’s been coming for a long time. Each track features more depth than entire albums in her past, and it’s a pleasant listen that’s emotionally painful but personally satisfying.

She’s gone through the highest of highs and lowest lows since her breakout in 2018, but thankfully her first album since then is more of the former. From the beginning of “Grilling N****s II” (a worthy sequel of the original), cupcakKe is back on her nasty, hilarious shit with the skill to make it all work. Her beats are simple which allows her to really showcase just how vile of a lyricist she can be. There’s a song just called “Queef” on this album that you ... read more

By the time Camila and her producers finally start to figure out how to give her brand of tasteless pop music a heavily synthesized edge, you’ve already sat through some of the most excruciating experiments a popstar has subjected her fans to in some time. The vast majority of C,XOXO is borderline unlistenable, an exercise in how much half-finished dreck you can handle in one sitting. Songs range anywhere from ear-splitting like the clear Charli XCX ripoff “I LUV IT” to ... read more

Every overblown obnoxious element of Imagine Dragons’ music is well intact on their latest stinker. There’s little notable about this one outside of the awful reggaeton collab with J Balvin. Who thought that was a good idea?

A self-titled effort for the hardcore fans only. MEGAN is annoyingly repetitive and highly uncreative both sonically and lyrically. There’s only so much pussy talk I can stomach on a record, let alone one that’s 18 songs long.

Leaving behind his old name, Sturgill Simpson opts for a fresh start that’s familiar enough to please old fans and adventurous enough to please new listeners. He sounds unrestrained as Johnny Blue Skies, easily conveying his pinings on love, heartbreak and wanting to get away over some of the most beautifully orchestrated songs of 2024. Heck, he even pens a clever escape on “Scooter Blues”, wishing to whisk himself away to an island away from Legos and Eggos. ... read more

Charli’s general subjects like heartbreak and being better than you haven’t changed much since her breakout a decade ago, but her approach them has evolved immensely. BRAT is the culmination of years of honing her craft, combining the pop devotion of CRASH, the experimentalism of Pop 2 and the earnestness of How i’m feeling now. Tracks like “Rewind” and “Talk talk” are structured like typical top 40 tracks but enriched with sizzling production from AG ... read more

The big-voiced Chicago trio delivers yet another winner on Poetry. Their simple combination of Emily Kempf’s husky voice, a bass guitar that grabs your attention and never lets go, and a backbone of punchy drums just works, and anything they sing about. From puppy love to feelings of isolation to everything else, this band has a lane all to themselves that they dominate.

Dark Times sees a level of focus from Vince I haven’t heard from him in quite some time. Is it the bleak world around him that’s spurred him into action? Did he notice the lackadaisical nature of his last few albums and decide to step it up? No matter the case, he’s locked in here, rapping his thoughts clearly and concisely over some pretty interesting beats.

The void of great French synthpop has been filled lately by L’Impératrice, and their newest record is a clear example of why. All ten songs are breezy, bouncy and crisp pop tracks that never overstay their welcome and have plenty of time while they’re on. The transitions between songs are snappy too, ensuring you’re never waiting too long to get back to grooving. Maggie Rogers makes a welcome appearance too, which reminds me I need to listen to her album from earlier ... read more

This is bound to go down as one of the more interesting experiments in indie pop from 2024. These songs are astral in nature, traveling through various galaxies of sound with a dream-like quality from the vocals. You’re never lost though, as the melodies are strong enough to carry you through these fascinating soundscapes. It’s a short but promising effort from a new name to know in the genre.

As dream pop evolves, The Marias have a chance to be one of the genre’s foremost figures. Their sophomore LP is full of sophisticated pop songs that mix dream pop, bedroom pop, sophisti-pop and more, and the results are frequently catchy. It’s a little too long for its own good, but it’s a step towards stardom for the LA quartet.

This duo makes for a pretty swell match, and though the four tracks here aren’t as hot as the title suggest, they’re enough to make you get up and dance for a few minutes.

Taking the worst parts of Lorde & Taylor Swift’s last albums (of which there’s plenty of options…), Gracie Abrams creates possibly the most generic lowercase sadgirl of all time in The Secret Of Us. There is nothing here that rises above the most boilerplate broken hearted balladry that a million artists have done in more interesting ways. It’s a huge disappointment for an artist with such a big voice to relegate herself to this.

If you’ve heard an Islands album before, you’ve heard What Occurs. It’s more organic than 2021’s synthesized Islomania, but the general solid rhythms make it a decent listen. It would’ve hit hard in like 2008 but not as much now.

One of my first favorite k-pop acts, Red Velvet seem content to never deviate from the type of music that originally made them big. All the songs on Cosmic sound like the stuff they were making back in 2018, and while that’ll please hardcore fans, it’s disappointing to see them stay complacent while acts like NewJeans push the genre forward. This is the band that gave us wild stuff like “Zimzalabim” after all!

Light Verse will go down as one of the best folk releases of the year, and I’d venture this is Sam Beam’s best, most consistent release in some time. He’s fully in control of his domain and thriving in it.

It’s Over may not feature much in terms of new ideas, but it’s still a solid female-drive electronic pop album that’s had me coming back after it’s over.

There’s more than enough 80’s-inspired goodness on Infinite Desires to capture your attention. Donny’s dedication to shoulder pads, hairspray and vintage synths is as infinite as the title may suggest.