Pt. 13 in my deep dive of The Beatles:

“Abbey Road,” a frequent pick for greatest album of all-time, is the last record that the Beatles recorded together. As a result, I made it the final stop of my journey through the Beatles’ discography. Like how an NBA star may drop 50 points in his last game, the Beatles come out on top here with a record that continues to shine decades later: a fittingly brilliant goodbye that nicely concludes the six year-stretch of ruling the world ... read more

"Jim Bob" is somehow as terrible and brainless as it is unintentionally hilarious and entertaining. If this were by any other artist, I might roll my eyes and never look back. It literally sounds like it was made to appeal to Xbox Live kids from 14 years ago. But I cannot adequately explain why I love Hardy, despite cringing at his music. I don't think it's just the fact that it's, admittedly, very catchy.

If I had to try, it's that I think there's a weird type of respect I have for ... read more

Pt. 12 in my deep dive of The Beatles:

At the request of a friend, who told me that this wasn't the last record the Beatles recorded together, I actually decided to check this one out first instead of "Abbey Road,” which she told me would be a more satisfying concluding listen for my adventures through the band’s discography. For the first time in my deep dive, I went out of order for publishing date to check out “Let It Be.” As for the album itself, it’s a ... read more

Pt. 11 in my deep dive of The Beatles:

Eh. I wish I had more to jump into here. "Yellow Submarine" barely even counts, due to it being a soundtrack album. "Hey Bulldog" is a strong showing, I suppose, as are the returning self-titled track and "All You Need Is Love." George Martin's orchestral work is fine enough. Everything else is unremarkable.

I can't think of the last time I heard a new - importantly, not "nu" - metal record like this and felt as much adrenaline. At a short and sweet 27 minutes, Knocked Loose's "You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To" is unapologetic, ferocious, surreal, original and totally enrapturing. After what feels like a decade-long break for breaking away from actively following metal, this record feels like an appropriate welcome back for me: a knockout punch to the senses that feels ... read more

After a month of unprecedented humiliation for Drake, with a number one hit calling him a pedophile, I think Snowd4y's "Wah Gwan Delilah" might be the only thing that could make him look significantly worse. Everything about it is mind-melting: the ripping off "Hey There Delilah," the nonsensical vocal refrains, the unbelievably torturous chorus, and Drake's inclusion, which genuinely does not feel real. In fact, not only did I not think it was real, I remain in ... read more

Pt. 10 in my deep dive of The Beatles:

Following one of the greatest four-record stretches of all-time, the Beatles come out with a 30-track, 93-minute behemoth that features elements from each era of the Beatles, while also incorporating more standard traits of rock (such as guitar solos) into its tracks. Featuring spectacular highs, filler moments, and baffling head-scratchers alike, the White Album’s several twists and turns distinguish it from every other Beatles release, though not ... read more

There are several and often-cited elements to "St. Anger" that make it a disaster:

> The sound of Lars Ulrich's drums.
> The horrible production.
> The lack of guitar solos.
> The band's well-documented turmoil in the lead-up to this record.
> The fact that every song feels like it lasts forever.
> The sound of Lars Ulrich's drums (repeat this 9999 times).

However, while these are understandable criticisms, I think there's a larger problem here: this album ... read more

Pt. 9 in my deep dive of The Beatles:

After a progressive pop classic and two contenders for greatest album of all-time, the world’s biggest band comes out with “Magical Mystery Tour,” another classic. To my understanding, this one broadly has a reputation for being the “weird” Beatles album, and following my first few listens, I can certainly confirm that this is, by far, the band’s most out-there showing yet. Thankfully, the way this album is strange ... read more

Pt. 8 in my deep dive of The Beatles:

How did I go my entire life without ever listening to this record? In the span of about four years, the Beatles went from being a promising boy band to being industry giants who can apparently turn any element from any genre of music into gold. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Clubs Band" is every member of the Beatles at their best, continuing to deliver satisfying tunes, infectious melodies, and fearless genre experimentation, with different genres. ... read more

Pt. 7 in my deep dive of The Beatles:

I literally don’t know how music, as I know it today, would exist without “Revolver.” Individual tracks from this record range either from instantly recognizable classics (“Yellow Submarine”) to brilliant compositional showcases (“Eleanor Rigby”), and yet it feels like each one practically inspired a different genre of music. And more than just its legacy, “Revolver” stands out on its own as a ... read more

Pt. 6 in my deep dive of The Beatles:

With “Rubber Soul,” the Beatles take an unambiguous leap forward artistry, releasing what's by far the band's best work at this point in their discography. The vast majority of tracks on this record are equally distinct, ahead of their time, and just all around excellent, with the band continuing to develop its sound in new and exciting ways. For example, "Norwegian Wood:” an otherworldly, folk-inspired, dreamy sitar-led contender ... read more

Pt. 5 in my deep dive of The Beatles:

Much like how “A Hard Day’s Night” marked an undeniable step forward for the Beatles, “Help!” is a great return to form. Featuring two of my favorite tracks so far through my journey through the Beatles discography - the touching “Yesterday” and “Ticket to Ride” - this record had quite a bit to enjoy. 

Of all the Beatles albums I’ve checked out, this is the one that seems like it’s ... read more

I'm not going to say that "Houdini" is a good song; however, it is a bit more interesting than you might expect. He starts the song by rapping from the perspective of his notorious alter ego, Slim Shady, being dropped from 2002 into 2024, and it goes about as you'd expect, with Eminem says a bunch of outrageous nonsense. There is, unfortunately, a cringe throwaway bar referencing Megan Thee Stallion being shot in the foot, and yet it's very difficult to take this as an earnest ... read more

Pt. 4 in my deep dive of The Beatles:



“Beatles for Sale” is the biggest band on Earth entering its sad-boy era, and it's not very good. As morbidly interesting as it is to see the Beatles explore more dark subject matter - such as unrequited love in "No Reply" - the majority of the record feels like a regression back to the 1963 period of half-baked covers and late 50s/early 60s musical cliches.

If I had to pick a low point, it’s a tie between the rizzless, ... read more

Pt. 3 in my deep dive of The Beatles:



Just a year after releasing its first two albums, The Beatles come out with “A Hard Day’s Night,” a significant step forward from previous releases. The soundtrack to the film with the same name, this record features infectious melodies and all-around solid tunes. Best of all, there’s no covers, making this album the first Beatles release to totally cut the fat out and showcase their original songwriting skills.

When people ... read more

Pt. 2 in my deep dive of The Beatles:

Although "With The Beatles" brings forth one of the band's best tracks in "All My Loving," it unfortunately suffers from a familiar set of issues that "Please Please Me" had. This record has much of the same immaturity, but far less of the youthful gusto that I previously enjoyed, and it features minimal creative development, which somewhat makes sense given how it came out in the same year.

The lows of this record are ... read more

This new Billie Eilish release feels like her attempt at making an "IGOR" for herself. For the most part, "HIT ME HARD AND SOFT" successfully executes on its vision, with a noticeable leap in quality within the second half of the record. Although "Lunch," a hot track you'll almost certainly hear in clubs all summer, is my overall favorite from the album, it's mostly surrounded by atmospheric slow burn songs that are honestly quite a bit boring and don't have ... read more

I have a weird relationship with King Crimson. While I adore the band's legendary debut album, I've always been a little intimidated by King Crimson, as well as reluctant to check out the band's entire catalog. In many ways, I think I've believed this because of fear: the fear of being disappointed, the fear of "not getting it," and the fear of one day realizing that I didn't actually like King Crimson, and that I was merely following groupthink. As a matter of fact, I had actually ... read more

On a whim, I decided to listen to the whole discography of The Beatles, so I began with "Please Please Me." I won't pretend to be as familiar with the band as most other people - my main source of enjoyment from them has come from the later stages of their career - but I enjoyed most of the tracks on this record. Some of the sounds here are definitely more of the era in terms of being straight forwards 60s pop than anything else, and obviously a good chunk of the album is covers. ... read more