After a 14 year hiatus, Television come back seemingly having lost their sense of identity in nearly every regard

Sure, when you prop Adventure up against Marquee Moon, it's a losing battle every time- but there's a sort of charm and approachability to this record that I think still makes it worth a fair shake. Tracks like Glory, Foxhole, and Carried Away show a more vulnerability to Verlaine and co's awkward sensibilities, which is in many ways refreshing

A time capsule of the transition from scrappy 70s punk to sleek and 'refined' 80s New Wave, though there's so much confidence in Debbie Harry's voice it hardly feels transitional at all and more like a grand declaration. Even the weaker tracks here rule

A voice so tender and delicate it sounds as though it could shatter at any moment. The dynamic tension that makes Talk Talk such an utterly essential group is here tenfold- Hollis' lighter-than-air timbre suits the somber instrumentation gorgeously, simply put. Said instrumentation isn't without its own moments of dynamic 'burst', with the chamber jazz elements in particular making for an incredibly sonically unique singer-songwriter offering

An odd duck, sonically- the production swirls a lot of super scuzzy, headier Neo-psych and space rock while also utilizing frequent chamber pop and even occasional baroque pop elements. All the while, the vocals sound charmingly awkward, a la Tim Smith of Midlake- it's an unusual concoction, but one that suits the ethereality of the record pretty perfectly. An early 2000s Dream(ing) Pop gem

Considered by most to be *the* definitive Melodic Black Metal statement, Storm Of The Light’s Bane is a crash-course on everything that makes Black Metal so many people’s favorite of the litany of metal sub-genres, even despite the genre’s troubling (to say the minimum) history

Dissection's debut establishes their pummeling and snarling sound well, with those drums holding enough firepower to kick your damn door down. Compared to the superior Storm Of The Light's Bane, The Somberlain is a lot 'straighter' with its Black Metal as opposed to 'melodic'- though, compared to, say, A Blaze In The Northern Sky, this is still a fair bit more approachable (even if its less enticing)

Gotta be pretty much the textbook definition of 'sleek' and all its connotations- Hopkins' brand of minimal IDM glides through your ears, making itself known in its complex, intricate production, but never forcing you to go along with it. You will by the end

Taking notes from the Stones' school of 'rough and rowdiness' NYD's debut is a shot of low-down and grimy glam-proto-punk panache, all coated with a retro rock-n-roll glaze. The whole affair is certainly a fun time, even if the songwriting and overall sound grows tiring rather quickly

A party, no doubt- one of the best, wonkiest, and truly special New Wave records ever released, and OB's defining statement. Musical mastery mashed with manic musings, the Elfman and co special. The sheer 'weirdness' of OB's catalogue reaches a head here, and the results are worth celebrating

A fair bit more palatable than OB’s prior two records, especially where the vocals are concerned- not to fear, Elfman is still charismatic and ever-quirky here, just in a comparatively more reserved way. The darker, almost gothic twist to many of these pop tunes gives this record a unique identity

Keeps the quirkiness on high, while still pushing OB’s sound to refreshing, oscillating directions. Grey Matter, Private Life, Whole Day Off…. OB’s first four records are just gems after gems

A debut that is *this* assured, confident, and outright batshit bedazzingly crazy is nothing short of beautiful. Quietly one of the most influential albums of all time methinks

Not as 'epic' as, well, The Epic, so if grandiose jazz is your bag... let's be real, you'll still be pretty satisfied here. Even when Washington makes the effort to smooth things out and slow down a bit, his approach naturally comes across as towering. There are moments its simply too daunting- a problem The Epic miraculously avoided against all odds- but this is still a pretty stellar jazz-collage

I could do with some fewer synths across the board here (adds a cheesiness to the group’s inherently approachable sound imo), but there’s still plenty of catchy, emotive Dream Pop here

The Radio Dept. channel even more of that nostalgia-soaked sound from their debut on Pet Grief and further from the Twee, with some tracks sounding so longing they nearly lean into overwrought territory- though the bulk here contains their staple smooth-dream sound

Before you had Candy Claws and Deerhunter concocting surreal, nostalgically-fuzzy (and often noisy) 2000s psych pop, you had The Radio Dept. Lesser Matters is soaked in all realms of nostalgia- tracks like Where Damage Isn't Already Done is almost painfully vulnerable, for instance. But the instrumentation keeps you along for the ride. A handful of somewhat forgettable tracks, but eh- the whole thing still sounds sparkly

An improvement upon Karnviool’s debut, with sharper performances across the board. Not Tool-lite, per se, but instead Tool-ish

Tool for those that want things to get to the point and deliver some killer riffs and performances, while still utilizing some prog elements in compelling ways. It's far from perfect, especially in the vocal department- but for an approach that clearly borrows a lot from their inspirations in a way that's very 'on-their-sleeve', Karnviool's debut still manages to have a lot of character

Gorgeous, more than anything else. Every piece here feels so intricate but *never* daunting in its complexity- instead, the emotions and ideas that come to mind throughout the entire collection can feel at times both smothering and absolutely liberating. Challenges any of YMO’s best works for a truly phenomenal book of evocative puzzles, just yearning to be cracked open