While the novelty sound is something that struggles to retain its luster throughout the runtime, Sackcloth 'n' Ashes dazzles in its dark sounds and eccentric performances, utilizing biblical lore and man's depravity.

Some parts are basic pop tunes, some parts are insufferable in their writing. While making bland music isn't a new thing for Taylor, it's just greatly disappointing to see such a step in the right direction get fumbled so badly. With a much tighter tracklist than TTPD, and a striking visual concept that promised a potential reflection on Taylor's life after the Eras Tour, all that's delivered is the confusing purpose of Eldest Daughter, the details of how great Travis is at ... read more

Geese is amazing. I love Geese. Geese are really cool. Did I mention I love Geese?

Despite some mixing issues that have caused this somewhat lost record to age poorly, Geese often delivers beautiful rock passages, a good omen for their impressive careers to come.

Wednesday delivers the Gen Z country rock you've been craving in your life, with tracks that appease your noise rock and your twang pop needs. Karly builds a world with her lyrics that makes you feel like you're from a North Carolina trailer park town, where slackers smoke all the weed they get their hands on, you have a neighbor who killed someone, and there's that one guy, Gary. He has no teeth, except for the ones he does have. And he drinks so so much Pepsi.

If Ringo Starr rapped on a Playboi Carti beat, it's a surprisingly fun novelty.

Boasting some of TOP's most classic-sounding songs since the Vessel days, Breach seems to come just a bit too late when delivering Clancy's climax, even if many of the songs sound great.

When in doubt, shoot for a funky, retropop sound with Jack Antinoff production to keep your career interesting.

This is just embarrassing. Uy Scuti isn't an album; it's a trainwreck of rushed, pandering, indecisive, reputation "cleanup" music. Just getting out of prison and bombarded by accusations of unethical business decisions, the best thing Thug could have done was slow down and deliver a thought-out banger of a record. Instead, he decided to capitalize on the online chatter and memes that feels like the farthest thing from art. From the cover portraying him as white with blue ... read more

Sterogum called Geese the Messiahs of Gen Z rock n' roll, and I'm inclined to back that statement. Geese's image is one that deeply resonates with me, and Cameron Winter is a poet and singer who is deeply emotional and observational of the world around him. Getting Killed's sound is a concise direction for the band, separate from the world they created in 3D Country. It's less southern rock and more art rock, exchanging the roots violins for bluesy trumpets. ... read more

I saw Maruja live in Boston with one of my best friends, who started AOTY accounts simultaneously with me. He is one of the best guys I've ever known, and I've had the pleasure of enjoying music with him and discovering a mutual love for Maruja. These Manchester boys hit you right in the gut on this record with the kind of punk I feel Gen Z really needs in the ravenous pit of becoming an adult in the 2020s. It is a privilege to view this album from the vantage point of holding the ... read more

It's difficult for Lima's bland, worn-out folk pop instrumentation to keep up with his passionate mythological writing.

Arguably glaive's best album yet, especially after the disappointing release of his last record. The eltro/digicore danceable production is not the most novel, but consistently enjoyable, and Ash surprises with a few soulful pop passages.

I love Big Thief! I love it when Adrianne and the gang contemplate their place as beings in the universe who can love.

God forbid a white boy catch a vibe from an Alternative R&B album with a saxophone in it. (It's me. I'm the white boy. And I like this album.) Part of me wishes the features here were hidden, because Blood Orange has done such a great job of composing this album and all its many recurring voices.

What a gem of a find. An artist with no scores or reviews on this site until I stumbled across this album. This is one of my favorite releases of the year. Hudson makes a simple statement in the beginning: he is a folk artist. But his remarkably captivating writing pulls you in to a point where he confesses that what he is doesn't really matter at all. His thesis is discovering that he is not all that there is, and it's all delivered through an excellent collage of lo-fi sounds that ... read more

Hayley proves she's still got influence in the industry, garnering so much attention over a release of 18 consecutive singles, concluding in this 19-track album/collection that flows like butter. While some tracks certainly feel more stripped back within this lengthy runtime, you're sure to walk away from this record loving a handful of the tracks, whether Hayley is writing about her complicated love life or making a statement about society.

Like its sports analogy in its title, 24 Hr Sports is Leon Michels' tackling a more slack approach to flexing his production muscles like a victory lap.

It's an emboldened direction for the pop-rap singer with a clear vision, but it doesn't sound all too stellar aside from its regularly enjoyable quality control.

This is the highest score I've given to AJR. Against all odds, I somehow enjoyed this EP. Was it the short run time that made it tolerable? Was it the pivot away from the loud, crashing production style? Possibly a combination of that. Nevertheless, AJR still seems fascinated with shallow quirkiness. This folk pop direction feels more like a vague attempt to get the less educated AJR listener to feel like they heard something culturally rustic, when at its core, it's more of the same.