Okay, so, “Nice To Meet You” gave me one of the most insane experiences of my life. I was listening to Stevie Wonder’s “As” and then while scrolling on my phone, I noticed that Imagine Dragons had a new song. Now, because I’m a masochist, I decided to interrupt my own enjoyment of a Stevie Wonder record to go listen to the new Imagine Dragons track. I figured that I wasn’t going to enjoy it, but I was also personally amused by the dichotomy between ... read more

As tempting as it can be to look back and take the hipster opinion on Eminem - that he wasn't actually as good as we thought - the truth is that I love Eminem. He is sincerely one of my favorite artists, with tracks that offer incredible story-telling and great rapping. And to his credit, 2004's "Encore" features glimpses of the Eminem that I grew up falling in love with: each of "Like Toy Soldiers, "Mockingbird," and the title track are some of my favorite songs from ... read more

Listening to “Songs in the Key of Life” is the musical equivalent of watching the greatest magic trick constantly top itself for an hour and a half. After I heard it for the first time, I started to think about Stevie Wonder less as an artist and more like a divine sorcerer. This timeless classic features everything you could want from music: superb vocals, brilliant instrumentation, masterful production, compelling lyrics, and distinct tracks.

Take a look at one song in ... read more

I really don't get it, man. I genuinely don't understand the critical acclaim that Swans seems to get whenever they release something. Of the band's whole discography, "To Be Kind" is the record I've checked out the most number of times, and after my latest listen, I'm convinced there is something that several music critics hear - or maybe project from their own experiences, all of which are totally valid - onto the sound of this album. Whatever it is, I don't have it.

In a way, I ... read more

If you're looking for strong rock albums of the 60s, you certainly won't find a more strangely captivating pick than "The Velvet Underground & Nico," a record that undeniably had a massive influence over indie, folk, punk, and several other genres. While the stellar songwriting, Lou Reed's grimy vocals, Nico's gentle croons, and colorful lyrics stand out, what makes this record really work for me is its unflinching, uncompromising, unapologetic rawness. More ... read more

In a hip hop landscape that once felt like it was evolving beyond the the late 2010s, Travis Scott's "Utopia" nonetheless stays true to Scott's roots while also evolving his own style. Although Scott's lyrics and actual songwriting aren't anything to write home about - the subject matter of his songs are fairly superficial - one thing I've always appreciated about his music is the variety of influences he wears on his sleeve.

On that note, I don't really agree with the common ... read more

Alright - obviously this is not a good album. In fact I would actually state that the vast majority of "All The Right Reasons" is nonstop cringe. "Far Away" and "If Everyone Cared" are totally irredeemable ballads with dreary vocals with eye-roll-worthy lyrics, and the only thing worse than them are some of the tough guy bravado tracks: the very bizarre Dimebag Darrell tribute in "Side of a Bullet" and, most notably, "Next Contestant." That last ... read more

I thought this at the time, and I still think it now: this is the greatest diss track of all-time. No amount of success Drake continued to have after this will overshadow the fact that "The Story of Adidon" will forever be the fattest L he ever took in his career. I can't even imagine what Push must have had prepared for that whole summer if Drake responded - the dude literally beat him so bad in one track that he won the war. Just think about the multi-layered, meticulous, and ... read more

I'm not a big fan of Drake, but you have to give him credit for this response. Although the actual substance of the disses themselves are not necessarily career-ending, they're undeniably very funny. The title of the track - a reference to rumors that Kendrick Lamar had half his revenue taken from his record label - is one thing; another is a line about his height ("You won't ever take no chain off of us / How the fuck you big steppin' with a size seven men's on?), ... read more

I knew this band was a meme because of the infamously terrible "Hate My Life," but believe it or not, that's probably the most distinct track of this record. With lyrics that cover all the classic Bush-era post-grunge topics (bitch wives, drinking alcohol, driving cars on the freeway, weird reactionary political takes about homeless people, etc.) and a singer who sounds like discount Chad Kroeger, "Scars & Souvenirs" isn't even fun to experience as a form of masochism. ... read more

There's nothing that I could say that would come close to fully articulating the experience of listening to "Purple Rain." Honestly, I feel regret that it took me more than 29 years to finally listen to this record in full. Having no familiarity with the movie that it's supposed to parallel, I nonetheless left my first listen completely mesmerized.

Each track stands out in expressing something different about relationships and what it means to be human - either in the ... read more

Admitting to my friends that Creed was one of my first "gateway" artists into rock and metal will never cease to be embarrassing. So after years of relegating my experiences listening to Creed to the darkest depths of my soul, I decided to revisit the bands debut release out of morbid curiosity.

There's actually quite a bit here to jump into. Contrary to what Creed would later become known for - the gritty Christian butt-rock anthems - some of the tracks on this record are ... read more

It's objectively hilarious that this album has now aged even more like crusty cheese in wake of Chance the Rapper's upcoming divorce. But truthfully, it was already awful at the time. Marked by Chance's insufferable singing, the corny lyrics, the repetitive background choirs, and terrible mixing, "The Big Day" sucks just as much fun out of the room as it did when it came out. There's really not that much more to say, other than two things:

1. I would rather be pecked to death by a ... read more

I won't pretend to be the world's premier expert on Ariana Grande, but I have always thought she was a talented singer. And yet, I can't help but feel a little disappointed in this album. While "eternal sunshine" doesn't have anything noticeably bad, it lacks the punch of her biggest hits and fails to really take her in any groundbreaking direction. On their own, the songs are passable enough, as well as genuinely personal; I just don't think the way Ariana artistically expresses it ... read more

I first got introduced to Incubus through their inclusion on the "Halo 2" soundtrack - I then listened to "Make Yourself" and immediately fell in love with the band. Although the rest of their discography has much to offer, there's still a special place in my heart for this release in particularly, as I believe it's still a great entry point into the rest of their catalog, as well as a high point for late 90s/early 00s rock.

You could really listen to this album in any ... read more

I can't pretend like "the mockingbird and THE CROW" is anywhere close to a good album. Starting with "beer," a song literally written from the perspective of a beer bottle, most of this record is packed to the brim with borderline parodies of country music. It's especially bad in the first half, with tracks like "screen" (Hardy telling his audience to get off their phones) and "here lies country music" retreading the most egregiously overplayed topics. ... read more

You can support André 3000's career autonomy and ability to take his music in any direction he wants to without lying to yourself. It's just difficult for me, to really take anything away from ambient flute music, and this record doesn't really introduce newcomers to anything that particularly makes this genre special. The fact that it's one of the greatest hip hop MCs suddenly making the album is what makes it interesting, not the actual music. Although it's great to see him discover a ... read more

God, if you want to revisit what it's like to be in middle or high school again, do I have an album for you. In all seriousness, All That Remains' "The Fall of Ideals" isn't going to convert anyone who isn't into metal, but it features amazing highlights that anyone can appreciate. While the vast majority of tracks offer passable metalcore of the era, there are three that definitely stand out: "This Calling," "The Air That I Breathe," and "Six."

I think ... read more

Ever since I checked out "Scaring the Hoes" last month, I've listened to it approximately 420 times, and each subsequent listen has just increased my love for it. Defined by JPEGMAFIA's ferocity and Danny Brown's effortless slickness, "Scaring the Hoes" offers a wild, one-of-a-kind roller coaster ride through its surprisingly short and sweet 36 minutes.

What brings this album over the top is how brilliantly it articulates and expresses a ridiculous concept of "scaring ... read more

I really tried to listen to "Slut Pop Miami" with an open mind because women artists face an unfair double standard when they create sexually charged music, but it sounds like dog shit. The hooks are mind-numbingly dumb, the instrumentals sound like a bad imitation of what might have been cool in 2010, and despite short song lengths, they feel like they never end. Take "Gag On It," which features a backing track that could have fit in a Gran Turismo game, especially juvenile ... read more