The best that can be said of Saviors is that it’s leagues ahead of Green Day’s iconically horrible 2020 record Father of All…, but the bar was underneath the ground on that one. It’s a tired attempt to recapture what they once were, and the band’s once-interesting political satire just sounds bitter. These guys still haven’t made a good album since W. was president.

My favorite album of 2024 so far is an eclectic mix of indie, emo, post-punk, no wave and more. If it sounds like a lot, it is, but there’s a healthy mixture of conventional tracks like “motions” and “cul-de-sac” that hint at pop inspirations. The longer tracks explore multiple movements and genres, creating an enthralling atmosphere at all times. J McClendon’s voice ranges from a whisper to a roar, matching each song’s ferocity or calmness when needed. ... read more

If not for a few duds like "Coffee" and "Kaleidoscope", Chappell Roan's debut would be among the best of the year. The charisma and electricity on songs like "Red Wine Supernova" and "Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl" are top notch, and the rest of the energetic songs go pretty hard. Just cut off the fat and you've got a new star in the making.

Standouts: Femininomenon, Red Wine Supernova, After Midnight, Casual, Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl, HOT TO ... read more

There's a modicum of decent melodies throughout The Maybe Man, but don't worry, AJR compensates for any positive momentum by putting together possibly the worst written set of songs I've ever heard in my life. It's like they don't want to grow up so bad, they're Benjamin Button-ing their songwriting abilities, becoming even more immature and insufferable the older they get. I pray for the women whose lives these men will inevitably ruin.

A hyper-refined edition of Hannah's robotic musings, and a fitting sendoff for PC Music.

Standouts: Perfect Picture, Affirmations, Poster Girl, Want You To Know, Flashback, No FX, Twisted

First listen impressions: This is a souped up version of SOUR, where everything from the songwriting to the performances to the production is better than ever. Olivia's like a foul mouthed Taylor Swift, and while her lyrics are rooted in youthful love, she's remarkably graceful in her expression of it on ballads like "logical" or "the grudge". "vampire" is still the power ballad to end power ballads. "get him back!" and "love is embarrassing" ... read more

If Icona Pop had to transition into a club-friendly type of electronic music, why did they have to mute their vocals so much? Yes, the duo still scream at the top of their lungs, but the passion and reckless abandon of songs like "I Love It" or "Girlfriend" are nowhere to be found. The clubby beats just aren't as clean of a match as the 0-100 electropop was when Icona Pop broke out. After a ten year wait I wanted more, even if there are parts of Club Romantech that are ... read more

Immensely listenable, if not particularly memorable.

Standouts: True Love, Everybody's Saying That, Begging You Now, Easy, Give Me Your Love

Georgia remains an excellent producer, but her songwriting and performances are too shallow to allow the beats to reach greater heights.

Standouts: Some Things You'll Never Know, Mountain Song, All Night, So What

Think what you want of Travis Scott the human, but UTOPIA is an impressive fictional paradise, cohesively hallucinogenic and full of moments that genuinely wowed me. If you skip it, it's your loss. Or her loss. Idk what the fuck y'all are talking about most of the time.

Standouts: HYAENA, THANK GOD, MODERN JAM, MY EYES, SIRENS, MELTDOWN, DELRESTO (ECHOES), CIRCUS MAXIMUS, PARASAIL, SKITZO, LOOOVE, TIL FURTHER NOTICE

Strictly rating the B-sides, they're an excellent addendum to one of Tyler's best. "SORRY NOT SORRY" is a searing non-apology that's a better closer to the record than the original finale "SAFARI". And I like "SAFARI" too!

Standouts: STUNTMAN, WHAT A DAY, WHARF TALK, DOGTOOTH, BOYFRIEND, GIRLFRIEND (2020 Demo), SORRY NOT SORRY

Speak Now is T Swizzle's most inessential release in my opinion, with nothing outright bad but nothing outright breathtaking like much of the rest of her discography. Still, this re-recording is faithful to the original to a T, and the six tracks from the vault blend in nicely with a young songwriter beginning to master her lovelorn craft.

"Rescued" is an incredible, cathartic anthem, and one of the best songs Foo Fighters have ever put to recording. It's also on my list of the top 50 songs of 2023 (so far), which you can find on my Substack! I've got a list of the top 25 albums (so far) too. Check it out!

https://cfreemon.substack.com/

An eclectic mix of rap and rock? Check. Interpolations of everything from Eiffel 65 to Gotye to Justice? Check. A straight up cover of Chop Suey!? Check. A tracklist that's way too long but still finds ways to entertain the whole way through? Check. Pink Tape overcompensates for the time between Lil Uzi Vert releases, but you'll be hard pressed to find a more entertaining rap project from this year. Uzi just wanted to rock and that's just what they did.

Standouts: Flooded The Face, Suicide ... read more

A truly impressive evolution for Ms. Rodrigo, taking her signature ability to eviscerate an ex and elevating it to incredible new heights. The climax of this song is something few artists achieve at any point in their career, let alone at 20 years old.

The Pitchfork review ignores the fact that there's an interlude here that interpolates multiple antacid commercial themes, but I won't. The rest of the album is fun too.

Standouts: Central City Freestyle, Motivate Ya, Pop That, Bigfoot, $100 Bill, Booty Like A Drummer, Life Lessons, Voodoo Magic

Ava Max called, she wants her sound back.

Standouts: King of Hearts, uhoh, Minute, brr

Is The Age Of Pleasure listenable? Absolutely. It's perfect pool music. Does it pale in comparison to Janelle's past few albums? Absolutely. It's not bad by any standard, but I hope for more from the artist who gave us Dirty Computer. At least everyone's having fun.

Standouts: Float, Champagne Shit, Lipstick Lover, Water Slide, Paid In Pleasure, Only Have Eyes 42

The songs of RAM still glisten and glow with every ounce of love that was poured into their creation 10 years ago, and to hear the outtakes is yet another fascinating journey through the duo's creative process. "GLBTM (Studio Outtakes)" turns the album's opener into an orchestral epic, twisting and turning through corridors of sound the original doesn't touch. "Infinity Repeating" is the only truly new song but it's a winner, on par with "Instant Crush" as a Daft ... read more

A thrilling update to "Give Life Back To Music", eschewing the digital elements for an orchestral journey through time and space. Daft Punk were never more in their bag with the RAM sessions. I miss them :(