Don't know why DJ Khaled feels the need to announce himself at the beginning of every track when you can tell that it's him from the trash beats (anything involving Bryson Tiller or Lil Baby), the uninterested guest artists (Cardi B on "BIG PAPER and Drake on "GREECE" are particularly awful), or the bizarre sample choices ("Layla" on "I DID IT" was a left hook I wasn't ready for). The highlights are few and far between, but I must credit that there are ... read more

High budget Led Zeppelin cosplay is still just Led Zeppelin cosplay. That fact is especially apparent when every song overstays its welcome, slogging through incessantly indulgent 70's rock tropes like they're back in style. GVF learned nothing since their last album, instead doubling down on a misguided mythos where names of songs are "epic" and lyrical content is "mystical". But when there's no substance or heart behind what's being heard, this battle is lost before it ... read more

I want to like this more but the chorus is so basic and worn out... killer beat though.

As thunderously triumphant as any Godspeed record that came before it, STATE'S END is the collective's strongest material in a decade.

Standouts: all tracks because their titles are too long to type out

An excellent return for one of indie's best acts, with the final track being a particularly impressive accomplishment.

Standouts: The Princess and the Clock, 21/04/20, Well Rested

yes yes yes yes yes

Standouts: everything

The emotional potency of Parannoul's music is apparent from the first noises of the album, and that's without understanding a lick of what the man says. No matter what point in your life you're at, To See the Next Par of the Dream teleports you into your loneliest moments, stuck in a room with nothing but your deepest thoughts to keep you company. It's powerful stuff, exceptionally performed both instrumentally and vocally. Once you look up the lyrics to songs like "Analog ... read more

Some of Brockhampton's greatest moments ever see the light on ROADRUNNER. The three song stretch of "I'LL TAKE YOU ON", "OLD NEWS" and "WHAT'S THE OCCASION" might be my personal favorite stretch of theirs. Dear Lord let the best boy band since One Direction continue on for a long time.

P.S. I can't wait for some song from ROADRUNNER to soundtrack a great millennial high school movie some day.

Standouts: BUZZCUT, CHAIN ON, COUNT ON ME, THE LIGHT, I'LL TAKE YOU ON, ... read more

"Hee hee, I'm bad as Michael Jackson" is a line that will live in my mind rent free until I die.

Contrary to the title, sketchy. is some of tune-yards' most straightforward music in a long time. It's hectic, noisy and creative, with Merrill Garbus' wild vocals at the heart of it all. In short, it's what you listen to tune-yards for. It's nice to hear the duo get back on track after their dreadfully dull previous record.

Standouts: nowhere, man, make it right., hypnotized, silence pt. 1 (when we say "we"), hold yourself., under your lip

An understandable comedown after the magnificent Norman Fucking Rockwell!. It's smaller and more "intimate", but lacking in true wow moments that made its predecessor a modern classic. Thoroughly good but never great, and probably as Lana Del Rey as a Lana Del Rey album can sound.

Standouts: White Dress, Chemtrails Over the Country Club, Tulsa Jesus Freak, Wild at Heart, Dark But Just a Game, Not All Who Wander Are Lost, For Free

Let it not be forgotten that "1901" is a perfect pop song, and that Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is one of the finest albums of the 2000's indie craze.

Standouts: Listztomania, 1901, Fences, Love Like a Sunset Part I, Love Like a Sunset Part II, Lasso, Rome, Countdown, Girlfriend, Armistice

An enjoyable couple of songs from Drake, hopefully a sign of good things to come from Certified Lover Boy.

Standouts: What's Next, Wants and Needs

In a day and age where pop stars are constantly reinventing the way they make music, Zara Larsson sounds ten years behind the curve. Poster Girl could've been a hit in the age of Katy Perry and Kesha, but in modern terms it's a disappointingly boring pop dud. At its best the album could be Ariana Grande b-sides, at its worst it's some of the trope-iest electropop you'll hear this year.

Standouts: Need Someone, Right Here, Look What You've Done

Sorry guys, the flat Scottish delivery just ain't for me. Some fascinating instrumentals throughout though.

Highlights: Kebabylon, Here Comes Comus!, Fable of the Urban Fox

Might be my favorite single of the year so far...

This is a nice, fun single. Looking forward to Islands' return record.

A sophomore album that truly improves as it goes along. Slowthai's introspective side soars in the second half, especially on songs like "terms" and "feel away", aided by perfectly placed guests. The bangers are... well I don't care much for grime, but you can't help but enjoy "CANCELLED" or "DEAD". Honestly I wasn't expecting a lot from TYRON and I'm pleased to say slowthai has more in the tank than I thought.

Standouts: CANCELLED, DEAD, PLAY WITH FIRE, ... read more

I am physically unable to hate anything Dave Grohl makes because he is an awesome human. But Foo Fighters' latest material is far from the arena-worthy highlights that the group has produced over the 20+ years. Greg Kurstin ruins yet another album with his bland pop production, constantly holding Grohl and company from rocking hard. The tameness leads to boredom from me and elation from people who make car commercials. Sure, there's moments of brightness like the fun title track or the hardest ... read more

If you're already a fan of King Gizz, L.W. is another winner. If you're still iffy on the band, nothing about L.W. will win you over. It's a companion piece to 2020's K.G., and it functions in many of the same ways. Many of the same melodies pop up here and there to further the connection between the two records. There are moments of heavy psychedelia, like "Ataraxia" and "K.G.L.W.", and moments of more folk-based psychedelia like "Static Electricity". There's ... read more