Rosenstock's solo debut is a slice of simply incredibly indie-tinted pop punk- not a surprise given just how cemented he'd already become in the sound between his ventures with The Arrogant Sons of Bitches and Bomb The Music Industry! for seven years at this point. The opener, The Trash, and the final three tracks are positively superb in particular

So early on his career at just 22, Jeff Rosenstock was already making one of the best Ska Punk records ever made. Packed to the *brim* with bombastic, invigorating ideas around every corner. Nearly impossible to not enjoy for just about any punk fan, even adjacently

A near-perfect bridge between BTMI’s brash punk and Rosenstock’s solo career- AKA BTMI’s opus. You can’t go wrong with any moment here, as the whole record delivers anthemic, immediately enjoyable pop punk with an indie rock coat- or maybe it’s the other way around? Regardless, Vacation is the sound of Pop Punk’s new hero taking the reins in a truly exciting direction

BTMI finally hit their stride after a series of records that I felt was always nearing a point of excellence. Everything from Rosenstock’s delivery to the bombastic- but never smothering- production is the best on any BTMI project to this point. Not their best, but the first of theirs I’d say is a classic to some extent

One of BTMI’s ‘explosive’ projects. This could make SCRAMBLES a decent stepping stone for those unaccustomed to Rosenstock’s brand of exasperatedly rambunctious punk sound, but for those that *are* accustomed, this record feels pronouncedly muted

The title aptly describes the sound of BTMI becoming a little bit lighter and a bit easier to grasp on to following Goodbye Cool World, though the best is yet to come. I Don’t Love You Anymore is one of the best tracks of Rosenstock’s career though

All over the place, but with enough gusto to stay in the green. Every track keeps you on your toes with impressive consistency- this can be a positive in terms of keeping the record interesting, but there were also points where I was really into the jam of a track only for it to burst apart into punkish madness. Still solid

A portrait of everything wrong with schlocky 80s rock. I can generally enjoy, or at least appreciate, most avenues of rock that have ever existed. ‘Most’.

It’s undeniable that the orchestral elements here assist in making Coltrane’s spiritual scene-setting spark with life, but I think I prefer Satchidananda’s approach to this sort of encroaching, crescendoing sound more

An emotional release, likely due to just how prevalent John’s loss sounds. I don’t prefer any of these renditions to John’s, but they’re certainly well-crafted and respectful to the utmost- the originals here are gorgeous though slightly substance-less

Whereas Journey to Satchidananda and Ptah were reverently reserved (for the most part), Universal Consciousness is immediately more frenetic right out of the gate. I personally slightly prefer Coltrane's more delicately reverent works, but Hare Krishna is easily among her finest compositions

The title and bizarre cover art may have you expecting some Avant-Garde Jazz that'll blow your mind to smithereens, but the M.O. here is more like that of a serene oasis than a mind-altering excursion- an approach I think actually really makes this record pop. If Alice's husband's Spiritual Jazz works from the late 60s are just a bit too untamed for your liking, this may be the stepping stone into the sound you're looking for

There are certainly stunning moments here, particularly when the harp is used to accent the frenetic playing on display and glide above everything like a soaring dove. Just relatively uninteresting as far as palettes of this style go

An odd duck. The soundscape sounds as though it’s meant to be comforting, but the vast openness that permeates the record leaves it feeling disconcertingly eerie almost? Influential, no doubt, I just prefer my Dream Pop denser and more sparkling (unless you’re Julee Cruise)

A collaboration that could've yielded disastrous results, but ends up sounding... solid. I feel as though Chat Pile's pummeling sound works best when heavy dynamics are at play, so the natural injections of serenity provided by Pedigo help make the heavy moments here *heavy*. That said, I feel as though a lot more could have been done in the way of cohesion- the heavy moments here rarely interweave with the softer ones, leading to a somewhat uneven experience

Though it still absolutely *rips*, make no mistake, I can’t help but feel as though a bit of Chat Pile’s identity was lost just slightly here when compared to their prior couple releases. A lot of the production and vocals here sound like a more forward Sludge Metal approach as opposed to the booming, apocalyptic noise-sludge of God’s Country. Almost too pummeling to be cryptic and/or eerie. Eh, an 83 is still damn good

Fucking brutal, simply put. Chat Pile really have here what I’d wager is the single most harrowing debut of the decade thus far. The screamed vocals here don’t even sound like your typical ‘Metal scream’, but more like visceral, real yelling. Haunting

*So* much sharper than their debut EP. The first track alone shows the artistry Chat Pile are capable of, with dynamic tension and utterly wanting lyricism that'll leave you gasping for air. Bone-chilling

Compared to every other Chat Pile core release to follow, This Dungeon Earth feels like a stab at a grimy, disgusting (purposefully) bomb of house and some wild lyrics- AKA the ethos of Chat Pile, just without the killer tunes to back up the idea. As far as debut EPs go this is still solid however

The weakest YMO to this point, though largely on the basis of the mission statement having shifted from danceable electronics to full-on pop music with an electronic palette. No need to fear- Kai-Koh, Focus, and the closer are still among YMO’s best cuts