Well, this is the first time I've ever cried over a celebrity's death, bawled my eyes out in fact. Usually when I cry it's either cause I can't figure out something in myself and it scares me or because my Grandpa passed away or something, but this is new. This hurts so much and all day I haven't been able to figure out why. I've just stuck been on loop, flipping through memories of her art, thinking about how much her work and message has positively impacted me and countless others, and ... read more
Another solid helping from stoner psych stalwarts Elder. Doesn't quite compete with their absurdly kickass 2010s run, nor does it contain a highpoint as pronounced as "Merged in Dreams - Ne Plus Ultra" off of their last record, but I reckon it's still got that one beat in terms of overall consistency. I like Elder. I wanted an album that sounds like Elder. This album sure sounds a lot like Elder. I like this album. Not much else to it really.
I’ve long considered ‘Era Vulgaris’ to be my least favorite Queens of the Stone Age album, how wrong I was. This was all just a little too horned-up and weird for me to fully jive with as a youngster. Something about the vibe was incomprehensible to a pre-first-bout-of-blackout-drunkenness Devin. These days? Feels as homey as a battered old pair of sweatpants with concerning stains. Josh Homme’s sunburnt chords and herky-jerky grooves have never sounded so gnarled and ... read more
Continues to age well year after year, remains a standard-bearer for modern commercial pop music. The four-track run from "All That" to "Your Type" is basically as good as it gets, with "Boy Problems" in particular being a highlight. Carly's sound on this album flirts ever so subtly with the aesthetics of 80s synthpop (peep those slapped bass pops that show up from time to time) while staying firmly rooted in the crisp, optimistic pop sounds of the mid-2010s. ... read more
If they kept up the momentum from those first five songs, this'd be a perfect pop record. Exceptional musicianship.