Spoiler alert: “LOOM” is not very good. The percussion mixing is way too loud, practically every track sounds like the band trying to recreate a new introduction song for a Netflix series or “Bones,” and the more aggressive hip hop-based direction in some of the heavier tracks (“Wake Up” and “Take Me to the Beach”) totally flops. I also think this is the worst record for Dan Reynolds as a vocalist. His strained style of singing genuinely sounds ... read more

Years before he made the definitive Gen Z breakup record ("IGOR") and achieved a new level of artistry, Tyler, The Creator was the world's definitive edgelord rapper, one who sought to shock and offend everyone who wasn't a teenager or college student. "CHERRY BOMB" marks a transitional period in his discography as he tried to experiment a little more.

Unfortunately, despite the record featuring interesting ideas that he'd later refine in future phases ... read more

"Oxymoron" is a fascinating record for me to look back on. It came out in college when I started getting into hip hop a little more seriously, and many of the tracks hold nostalgic value for me. Listening to it again, "Collard Greens" and "Man of the Year" are still fun tracks; however, the album is too inconsistent to really be considered strong.

My biggest takeaway: Schoolboy Q's mostly at his best when he's making loud, over-the-top bangers; not so ... read more

If I were to broadly describe what distinguishes most of the music greats from their peers, it's how they use their musical craftsmanship to express themselves. It isn't enough to simply convey emotions either - they have to make sure it provides an experience that resonates with audiences. Frank Zappa's legendary "Hot Rats," however is exceptional in a different way than even other all-time great musical releases, let alone other artists. Rather than standing out ... read more

"PENITH (The DAVE Soundtrack)" isn't the worst record of 2024. In fact, it might be the single worst thing from a mainstream artist - as in the broader category of multimedia content, not merely music - that I've ever experienced. It may seem unbelievable that a rapper like Lil Dicky, the man behind "Earth" and "Brain" could continuously lower the bar further into ground, and yet here we are.

In every possible way, this album is a failure. The technical ... read more

If I had never heard a rock opera before, I think I would appreciate what "Tommy" is going for way more than I currently do. On one hand, I am grateful that the record exists, as it's inspired several of my favorite artists to try telling a cohesive story through albums. On the other hand, the lack of polish or narrative focus throughout "Tommy" really prevents it from standing out on its own as a timelessly enjoyable classic.

The Who are great showmen, and I ... read more

In the eyes (and ears) of many music fans, a large portion of the 2000s was defined by the slow, whiskey-addled, yarling-heavy, dying breath of post-grunge - the last gasp of divorced Gen X dad music. What we didn't know, however, was that the 2010s would bring forth an equally formidable force in the rise of millennial pop rock. Gone were the days of insecure wannabe tough guys talking about beating up men at a bar for looking at their hot girlfriends or complaining about their bitch ... read more

Despite having no tracks I'd describe as aggressively bad, 21 Savage's "american dream" is genuinely one of the most boring records of the year. It's especially surprising because I think the intro track leading into "all of me" and the hit song "redrum" gives the album an unusually strong start; everything else after is where it sputters into mediocrity, losing sight of any meaningful narrative throughline or artistic vision that this record may ... read more

Deep Purple is an interesting band. Due to the vast acclaim that many of its peers, such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, received in the same era, Deep Purple’s a relatively common pick among rock fans for most underrated artist of the genre. “Machine Head” is frequently considered the bands best record, and as a rock fan myself, I grew up loving this album. As a matter of fact, it was the one that my father had growing up and showed to me when I was a child. With that in ... read more

Before the all-time stinker in "The Astonishing," "Falling Into Infinity" was the most common punching bag for Dream Theater fans. But before I get into what makes the record bad, I want to be fair. Zooming out a little bit, "Falling Into Infinity" came out in a greater moment of transition for the world's biggest progressive metal band. Amid finding a new keyboardist, Derek Sherinian, and James LaBrie struggling with health issues, the band had not released a ... read more

Symphony X's "V: The New Mythology Suite" started off as a fun trip down memory lane, and it ended up as one of the most infuriating records from my childhood that I've ever revisited. Following two outstanding tracks in "Evolution" and "Fallen," the quality of the record takes a nosedive and becomes chore to sit through. Though no one can deny the band's technical proficiency, the recycled guitar riffs, long song structures without significant ... read more

Although it's not quite my personal taste, I appreciate what Chappell Roan is bringing to the table with "The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess." Given her sudden rise to fame, she's clearly effective at writing material that speaks to experiences of LGBTQ people and young women. What I find really interesting about her work is the way she incorporates elements of different past artists who once held the spot she now has as a creative representative for them. For example, fans of ... read more

"Timeless" is genuinely up there for most unoriginal records ever. Meghan Trainor has to be in on her reputation at this point; like she, long ago, decided that the rest of her life will be dedicated to creating different variants of the same awful modern doo-wop she's been making for a decade. At the same time, I think my issue with Trainor is more fundamental: I hate the superficial optimism present in the lyrics, the melodies, and how every song on this record follows the same ... read more

One of my first entries into progressive metal came from Meshuggah, with a large part of it coming through "Chaosphere," a record that I instantly fell in love with for its uniquely brutal sound. Listening to it again in 2024 (thanks to Brad Taste in Music experiencing it for the first time), I can safely say I still love this album. Its machine-gun riffs, relentless drumming, strange time signatures, and utterly savage vocals make for an experience that every metal fan should check ... read more

Forget "JESUS IS KING," forget his 2022 meltdown, and forget his current irrelevance - "ye" was the real Emperor's New Clothes moment for Kanye West as an individual artist. This record had some of the smartest music critics on the planet convinced that it was a landmark moment in his discography, and I'm just going to say that six years later, the fact that nobody is talking about this album any more just vindicates the fact that I thought it was a noticeable step ... read more

Revisiting this record is like putting on a pair of skinny jeans, an Army hat, an Abercrombie t-shirt, and strolling into a Hot Topic. The unbelievably cringe-inducing "Critical Acclaim" has just about as much as substance in its lyrics as the immortal Navy SEAL copypasta, with M. Shadows going full own-the-libs mode in his criticizing the press for....not adequately supporting the troops. Right.

Meanwhile, the back end of the album features mostly forgettable tracks, save for the ... read more

It's funny where algorithm-generated ventures take you. For the first time in years, I heard "In My Darkest Hour," my favorite Megadeth song, on an auto-generated Spotify playlist, and it hit me like a bag of bricks. With its haunting acoustic intro, chugging riffs, the bitter grunts and soaring wails of Dave Mustaine, and, most of all, these epic, battling guitar solos, "In My Darkest Hour" has a great case to be the quintessential Megadeth track.

Unfortunately, when I ... read more

I love Charli XCX's "BRAT." This record is somehow accessible and totally dazzling, with a medley of tracks that are almost assuredly going to be put on repeat in clubs throughout all of this summer. In one moment, the instrumentals are addictive rushes, like the ear candy track "Sympathy is a knife," and in another moment, they feel overwhelmingly magical, like in the SOPHIE tribute "So I." Just all around really enjoyable tunes here - some of the best pop I've ... read more

I adore Pink Floyd. In fact, I think that the band has the greatest decade-long run out of any artist. However, this is what makes "Ummagumma" hilarious. A mere four years before "Dark Side of the Moon," Pink Floyd comes out with a record that isn't just weird - it's actively atrocious. Although the first four tracks are passable live versions of past releases, the back end of the record is proof that even the greatest musicians are capable of the most embarrassing misses. ... read more

As someone who loves to hate-listen to Hardy, I actually don't mind "Six Feet Under" too much. On one hand, it's true that the concept of this track is pretty clumsy. I think if you asked most people how they express their love for someone, it wouldn't involve telling them that you feel like you're dead. In that sense, the song's message is totally unhinged at worst, and unintentionally hilarious at best.

But I don't get the sense that Hardy is being fake. What he's doing here is ... read more