i just don't have any big critiques. i guess the stars of track and field has a long intro, and like dylan in the movies was a little forgettable, but everything else is near-perfect. get me away from here is just such an incredible feel-good song, with a tinge of sadness and nostalgia. the title track is also really damn good, with the happy children in the background contrasted against the stories of anthony and hilary. the fox in the works as a great bridge between two halves of the ... read more

a full hour of disco-esque plunderphonics bangers. it sounds so smooth, so energetic, and the way the samples are mixed is really nice.

idk what to say its just peak. incredible storytelling and the music just fits so well.

this is still the only album that actively makes me tear up, i dont cry to music often but this is just so raw and beautiful

it's just so intensely sad, the prose is so beautiful, the instrumentation is sparse but works in the album's favor. i think there are a couple weak links here (all of me wants all of you, eugene), but it is really really nice.
favorite: fourth of july, the only thing, no shade in the shadow of the cross
least favorite: all of me wants all of you, eugene

super inconsistent beach house, instrumentals aren't the beautiful, fleshed out stuff you get on teen dream and beyond, the vocals feel a little lifeless on some tracks as legrand develops her voice. however, some of these tracks hold hints of beach house's future glory, especially childhood with it's very pretty, soft piano, reminiscent of some tracks on bloom.

favs: saltwater, tokyo witch, childhood, rain in numbers (hidden)
least favs: apple orchard, auburn and ivory, house ... read more

some really heavy, thick drone/post-metal that feels like a journey into the depths. pt. 1 is an intro to the album, with smaller guitar peaks over a softer, constant drone. it sets the tone of dread really nicely, and feels empty without feeling boring. pt. 2 starts ramping up, with the introduction of drums into the mix and the guitars sounding like they’re falling forever. it creates a more active sense of dread compared with pt. 1, mixed with some fear from the longer guitar peaks. ... read more

Vampire in the Corner -> Love is Everywhere is the only weak sequence on this album, everything else is incredible, energetic synthpop.

Favorites: The Ballad of Matt and Mica, She Looked Like Me!, Image, Fear, Sex, That's My Floor
Least Favorites: Vampire in the Corner

Edit: 87 -> 89
watching tv grew on me a lot
vampire in the corner, tunnel vision, and love is everywhere are still weaker songs compared to the rest of the album
feeling diskinserted? to the end is by far the best ... read more

might be 100 but i'd need to listen to it a few more times

Edit: 99 -> 100
i felt the illinoise

Edit: 100 -> 95
okay some songs are forgettable, the highs are just so high i kind of felt compelled to give this a perfect score

disc 1 and 4 are incredible, feels like teen dream era beach house all over again. however, disc 2 and 3 feel like mostly filler, with sunset and illusion of forever being the best example of these. masquerade and runaway do stand out from those two discs, and I want to give this a high score even with all the filler because of how good some of the peaks are.

instrumental album that can tell so many different stories depending on what your mind is on and what you want it to be. close your eyes and make up a story for this album, i promise it'll be fun.

very samey throughout but it's still really nice, kininaru ano ko and miss parallel world are standout tracks.

edit: 73 -> 80
the saminess is still there but it kinda fits with the album tbh

it's just so peak...

i love all the little callbacks to past songs throughout this album, the lyrics are beautiful, i love will toledo's voice throughout the whole thing, it just sounds so right for what the album is. the instrumentals fit the feeling of the lyrics perfectly, and it's just so intensely sad. never forgetting about this one.

the ep is good and all but aoi, koi, dadaiiro no hi is out of this world. that song alone i'd give a 100.

very very pretty album, production on some songs was just underwhelming and not super dreamy. lyrics occasionally fall into cliches as well. favorites are moon girl and little bugs.

really unique journey, don't understand the lyrics sadly. favorites are kaleidoscope and lies are reflected from a liar

i feel like im in the nurture album cover

-4 for loomer to to here knows when being a little samey, but still a classic shoegaze album. like it literally revolutionized a genre wtf do you want me to say

edit: 96 -> 96
to here knows when slaps actually

there's some sort of beauty in how unrefined this is. a couple songs feel so unrefined to the point of being a little weak, but the lower-quality production compared to his future projects on this has its charm.

the first half of this album hits really hard with its beautiful psychedelic soundscapes and storytelling. the second half is disappointing compared to the first half, but still pretty and sonically consistent.