Taylor Swift - 1989
76

This is it. The album that was better than TPAB.
In all honesty... It's actually pretty decent. There's a couple duds for sure; Bad Blood is real repetitive and there's a couple slightly forgettable songs during the second half but MAN are there some heaters. Wildest Dreams? HEATER! Welcome to New York? Blank Space? Style? pretty... pretty good I think. The real point of no Pop return and the last album before...the incident...

Justice - Hyperdrama
76

I can see some similarities between this album and Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories." Both are the long-awaited returns of legendary French Electronic duos, and both incorporate more high-profile collaborations. While Hyperdrama definitely isn't quite a RAM, it still delivers a pretty solid set of Dance tracks. The genre isn't being re-defined and it feels like Justice isn't coming at the project from a place of immense passion, but the group is definitely still ... read more

Charli xcx - Vroom Vroom
81

As far as I'm aware, one of the few Charli projects produced mostly entirely by SOPHIE. As is to be expected, the SOPHIE production is absolutely insane and is the definite star of the show

Paris Texas - They Left Me with the Sword
80

I've been into Paris Texas for a decent while and this EP is awesome. I'm glad I can actually agree with Fantano on a new music take for once

Mac DeMarco - 2
79

This man has unintentionally done irreparable damage to the Indie scene and guys who say that they're "written by a woman" and think they're cool for wearing Carhartt, a beanie and drinking Iced Coffee but the music is pretty good I can't deny

Candy Claws - Two Airships / Exploder Falls
83

I had a headache and I think listening to this might have made it worse but it was worth it. I cannot possibly imagine how this could have soundtracked a film documentary on airships. It definitely has that sound of whimsy and adventure, but the Noise elements are QUITE prominent. I maybe liked Exploder Falls a bit more than Two Airships but they're honestly just two wild and insanely ear-catching Noisy Dance tracks that compliment each other perfectly

Loyle Carner - Yesterday's Gone
77

I've had NO CD kickin' around in my playlist for quite a while before giving the rest of the album a listen. I intend to give another listen as this feels like an album that definitely begs a time investment, but the earnest writing and Jazz production are enough to keep me interested a first go-around

Aphex Twin - drukQs
82

Insane mashup of Dance, Ambient, and even some Classical that doesn't sound like much of anything I've heard. The slower, piano driven pieces might not always hit super hard for me, but the eerie, musical box-esque keys in contrast to blood-pumping Breakbeats make "drukQs" a special kind of album, even for its size and scope

Best Coast - Crazy for You
75

Reminds me a lot of a group like Plumtree; the mixing sounds like I'm listening to Plumtree being recorded about two rooms over. Despite how muffled the sound is, it's a cute album with a cute lil kitty on the cover. Hi kitty :)

Saba & No I.D. - From the Private Collection of Saba and No I.D.
81

A perfect match for an MC/producer combo. I'm not super familiar with either artist, but especially No I.D. who after looking a bit into, has a very impressive career of production.

The vibe of the album is uplifting and soulful and it's a really nice addition to Saba's catalogue

Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul
93

Groundbreaking Soul MASTERPIECE that smashed all my expectations and delivered some of the best of the several explored genres that I've heard

Taylor Swift - Red
72

Probably the best from Taylor so far. The album IS the most scattered and unsure of what it wants to be compared to her other pretty consistent-sounding stuff, but the shift towards traditional Pop works in Swifts favour. The Electropop that really only peaks through in the big singles like "I knew You Were Trouble" is such a pleasantly jarring switch up from the Country, and while NOT all that lyrically profound: I like the goofy sort of twee-hipster aesthetic on songs like ... read more

Japanese Breakfast - For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)
73

a decent bit disappointing because I really like Japanese Breakfast. First things first: "For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)" is a stupid title I'm sorry. It really isn't a bad album by any means; it's polished and pretty but it's just lacking any kind of s a u c e.

It feels like the most interesting elements of J Breckie were tossed away, like the shoegazey sounds or the unapologetic songwriting. I feel like a lot of the songs on here, especially the two ... read more

The Stooges - Fun House
80

This is relatively hard sounding even by today's standards I can't imagine what an old person would think hearing this all the way back in 1970

The Isley Brothers - Go for Your Guns
85

It's equal parts Funk and equal parts Soul and equal parts GOOD. The smooth vocals take you so far, and that classically groovy instrumentation brings you the rest of the way

Car Seat Headrest - Nervous Young Man
85

Despite sounding INCREDIBLY lo-fi, Will Toledo's stellar songwriting shines through. The album is insanely long, but it feels less like bloat and more that there were far too many quality ideas that justified inclusion

Björk - Medúlla
81

While Vespertine might mark the end of Bjork's most popular and "classic" albums, she is by no means done putting out wild and creative music.

"Medulla" might not be the kind of music you put on a playlist or put on at a party. It's perhaps Bjork's wackiest and oddest album to date. The beatboxing and choir elements present throughout give a very unique profile to Medulla, creating music that I think only Bjork could make

Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden
90

Expert balancing of song flow. intricately crafted and lowkey instrumentals explode in perfectly timed explosions that pay off so well

Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst
74

Has all the staples of an iconic 90's Hip Hop album:
-Sci-fi concept album
-Collab project
-arguable themes of sexually assaulting women

While all the individual elements are here for a solid Rap album, I just don't feel all that strongly towards "Dr. Octagonecologyst." The production is pretty solid, but most beats didn't stand out all that much. The lyrics are dense and sometimes clever, but the stream of off-kilter delivery just leaves a bit of a jarring and hard to ... read more

Phantogram - Nightlife
82

A pretty great little EP by all accounts. A healthy length of consistently great tracks that explores some of the best Poppy, Glitchy and Hip Hop inspired elements that make Phantogram such an enjoyable listen. Some of the sounds, especially on the final "A Dark Tunnel" song, really get that brain scratchin' nice with those crunchy synth sounds

Create an account to rate and review albums.
Recent Review Comments
On Upper1C's review of Flying Lotus - BIG MAMA
"20 Millenium? 20,000 years is a LONG time to be listening to music"
On Courtney Barnett - End Of The Day (music from the film Anonymous Club)
"@DJ_Davice00 I agree since then I've heard her other stuff and I like it!"
On ale - LIMBOLAND
"@yourlocalgdw lmao yup"
On ale - LIMBOLAND
"@yourlocalgdw I'm gonna be 100% honest for some reason I thought it just came out without actually checking the release date"
On CabooseBeech's review of Injury Reserve - By the Time I Get to Phoenix
"Great review! the sonic element of this album definitely grew on me with more listens so I def recommend giving it another try"
On Kendrick Lamar - GNX
"yeah maybe I'm misusing my influence"
Advertisement

June Playlist