A Post-Punk facsimile- not a fan of this style of 2010s post-punk to say the least

On one hand, the guitar work here is pretty excellent and features a ton of immediately enjoyable crunchy riffage, plus The Stroke is still underrated imo. On the other hand, most of these tracks are bland as far as melody and songwriting goes, as most ‘pure’ rock from this period stood

Certainly feels like Macca's Time Out Of Mind moment. Although there's never a track here quite as reflective and melancholic as Not Dark Yet, many of these tracks do find Macca writing with a more plaintive, almost pastoral lens as he reflects on feelings simple and abstract. The production is serviceable and conveys each song well- it's a simple record, no doubt. But it's the purest Macca of the 21st century. A song like Too Much Rain would be a timeless gem from your ... read more

Up front- the production is easily the weakest component of the record. There’s a few fleeting moments the shoddiness somewhat works with the ‘homespun’ theme of the record, but the vast majority of the time it comes across as flat and, in the case of the drums, utterly lifeless.

However- this is Macca’s most impassioned writing, lyrically and melodically, in over 20 years. It’s hard not to enjoy and even become somewhat emotional at the legend’s recounting ... read more

Boards of Canada return after thirteen years harnessing the combined bibliography of their various electronic languages to date- Inferno manages to move in hushed chatterings and occult dimness while also feeling consistently warm and lively. It's a mythical record, one that sounds as though it could have easily come out right after Geogaddi. It coming out now is all the more impressive and speaks to the duo's ability to make the most timeless and haunting electronic music of the ... read more

It’s certainly avant-garde and freely-flowing, but also sounds as though it never strays too far from a memorable groove- a trait that makes this stand out against the backdrop of the burgeoning Free-Jazz sphere of the mid-60s

Incredibly lofty and blissful- it’s hard to dislike, no question there. In its innocence, however, the vocal style comes across at many points as *so* twee-like that it leaves the affair feeling a bit saccharine, like too much sugar. But still, I certainly do love sugar- who doesn’t

Among the more ambitious metal-operas of this style, and manages to say a good deal while rarely coming across as *too* contrived. It’s no Silent Lucidity, but it’s still worth your time

Doesn’t feel right to rate this, but eh, it’s harmless albeit completely unnecessary. I don’t love any of the outright changes here in terms of lyrical reworks or vocal redos, but I will say I enjoy the totally redone and new tracks to a fair degree. Joe Drives Again is outright better than Not What I Needed, and Ravenous House, though not better than Concordia, does feel like the perfect summation of where Toledo is at as an artist in the year 2026- sort of a post-reflection ... read more

Perfect for a brash Friday morning. They say music is math, but what if, math is music..

First leroy record, but it remains true that Jane Remover and associated aliases still is firmly not my bag. I absolutely admire the production here and would be a fool to deny how absurdly impressive this is- but I'd also be a liar to act as though I enjoy it

It has all the ingredients of JPEG’s other works, so why isn’t this one also great? It comes across as self-indulgent and ultimately, the bigger sin- contrived. Sure, a lot of these beats sure are ‘experimental’, but they say and do *nothing* for the subgenre, nevertheless Peggy’s sound. There’s some impressive moments here and there, but I think it’s safe to say this is officially the point where JPEG’s sound has run stale

It's easy to assume the Preachers were wading into treacherous territory here given the circumstances- Richey Edwards, their lyricist (and excellent rhythm guitarist) vanished into thin air just six months after The Holy Bible. For many, the strength of the band to this point (or at least the MAIN strength) was Richey's venomously sharp lyrcisim- where would that leave the Preachers now? Well, though I certainly couldn't call this better than The Holy Bible, I can confidently say ... read more

On the surface, one of the catchiest rock records of the 90s- every single track here has an instantly infectious hook attached that keeps the record pile-driving forward without ceasing. Beneath it all, however, and what *really* cements The Holy Bible as one of the best punk records of the 90s, is the lyrical content- it's disturbing. Deeply, so. But its rawness is mainly uncomfortable because we find its words to ring just as true 32 years after release. It's a time capsule of a ... read more

Hard Bop in pure essence. The whole record swings with such style and grace; the ‘abstract’ truth is that this is a classic

It doesn't do a bad job of presenting a New Wave record that's extra 'dreamy'. though essentially all of these tracks are at least a couple minutes too long. Production that draws you in then makes you complacent by the end

Blasphemy Made Flesh sounds less like a band's debut, and more like a centuries-old beast finally revealing itself to the world for the first time. Lord Worm's voice cuts through the blistering percussion, slicing guitars, and suffocating basswork like a power drill, digging without ceasing and without care of the destruction surrounding it. They'd up the game even further going to None So Vile, but either way this is one of the best debut Death Metal records in history

The first couple tracks may have you thinking this is one of countless Aphex Twin gimmes, but stick with it and you’ll find this to be a deeply layered ambient-IDM record with phenomenally moving production. Total gem

Pure, unadulterated Hardcore Punk, which is to say I prefer my chicken at least a *bit* more seasoned. Still, there’s no denying Minor Threat’s firepower- there’s a reason they’ve gained the reputation they have with as scant of an output as they put out

Doinky production that’s often surprisingly enjoyable and one *electric* cover (it really is such a great rendition) just aren’t enough to save the bulk of this record from being overly cheesy and schmaltzy in its lyrics, presentation, and even vocals