IDLES continue to sound like a punch square in the jaw, only this time, it’s for better AND for worse. Ultra Mono heavy and powerful sounding record from a band with the best intentions, but neither the life experience nor the eloquence to truly make good on them.

Wow this sure is Another Oh Sees Thee Oh Sees Osees album

This single has me the most excited for The Ascension. It shows me that Sufjan is more than capable of effectively fusing this 80s pop aesthetic with the gorgeous long form compositions that made me fall in love with his music. On the surface, the lyrics of ‘Sugar’ live up to its title, being so sweet you might get a stomachache, but when paired with the downtrodden repetition, what could have been a cliche becomes a desperate plea for any kind of love. I don’t know if it has ... read more

Ceremony is literally the best song ever made

tl;dr: i like it

To be completely honest, I went into this project with low expectations. The singles were very hit or miss for me, with ‘Planets’ and ‘In Birdsong’ being some of my least favorite Everything Everything tracks. Still, I did enjoy ‘Violent Sun’ and especially ‘Arch Enemy,’ so it’s not like I went into RE-ANIMATOR thinking it was going to be awful. Their last album, A Fever Dream was good, not great, as opposed to the ... read more

TL;DR: I like it

I was a pretty big fan of Declan’s back when he dropped his debut in 2017. He was one of the first artists who I felt like I had discovered totally independently from anyone around me thanks to the Liar EP, and What Do You Think About the Car? had me so excited at the time. Even three years later, I think it’s a really fun pop record, even if it occasionally echoed 2000s brit-rock a bit too loudly.

I think the same can be said for Zeros. My interest in Declan has ... read more

A staple of “USED” sections everywhere, I think Monster got a raw deal. I don’t blame anyone who has a hard time with Monster though. It’s somehow bold and elusive at the same time, often making you fight just to understand what Michael Stipe is saying. Even when you do understand it, the words can come across as crass or even silly. They have neither the indecipherable mystique of Murmur nor the beauty of Monster’s direct predecessor’s ruminations on the ... read more

Prog by way of Talking Heads.

I fucking love Talking Heads.

holy fuck

I can not WAIT for the follow up

ESSENTIAL

Conor Oberst channels his woes into something truly beautiful on LIFTED, Bright Eyes’ biggest and best album. The songs here are so full of romance and elegance that you can nearly overlook the pain that comes with them. Art imitates life and vice versa I suppose.

MISTAKE

This is about as hilariously misguided as a song can get. Smashing Pumpkins have gone from making the toothless late career alt rock we all expected to... synthpop with a song that plays to literally none of the band’s strengths. Is this what Muse sounds like to the people who can’t stand Matthew Bellamy’s voice??

INCREDIBLE

For an artist I had never heard of before this week, I am almost speechless. Unfortunately for you lot though, only almost. On her sophomore release, Kelly Lee Owens beckons you close with a familiar melody on the opening track so she can spend the next 45 minutes finding new ways to bewitch you from track to track. I was about a minute into On when I realized Inner Song was going to be something truly special. Kelly’s voice is gorgeous whenever she decides to use it and her ... read more

UNDERWHELMING

I was hopeful that Whole New Mess could touch you some of my biggest problems with All Mirrors. That record, while frequently awe-inspiring in scope, felt to me like it drowned Angel herself with all its spectacle. The uneven mixing obscured her beautiful voice and heart wrenching lyrics, and the glamor of it all made the emotions feel more distant than I would have liked. To my disappointment, this album doesn’t really do that. While I love the idea of stripping things ... read more

I don’t really get why people are acting like this is so much better than America. Sure, it’s a bit more immediately gratifying, and that chorus becomes a transcendent climax around the four minute mark, but I’m pretty much done with the song by minute seven. Unlike America, this one’s ambient outro feels really tacked on and flavorless, adding nothing to the track. I’d love it way more if it just faded out a little after Sufjan’s last lines.

GREAT

After teasing out singles for the last few years, Chong the Nomad finally shows us what she can do on a unified project, even if said project is barely 15 minutes. A Long Walk has all the quirks and whimsy that made those singles so endearing, but with a new, palpable sense of confidence that gives the songs a sort of weirdo swagger. Alda Agustino’s singing is more in-your-face than ever, which only boosts the impact of her creative production, which worms itself into your ears in ... read more

ESSENTIAL

I vibe with this so much harder than Broken Social Scene. Feist just hits you with near-flawless track after near-flawless track on what happened to be one of the best indie pop albums I’ve heard in a good while. Feist’s empathetic writing works wonders when paired with songs that know when to go big and when to pull back and let their mistress’ powerful voice transport the listener wherever she so chooses. It’s the mark of a truly amazing record when almost ... read more

GREAT

Naked Giants throw garage rock, psychedelia, and even some new wave in a blender and wind up with a set of truly memorable indie rock cuts. Everything from the punchier production to the tighter songwriting make for an exciting evolution for the Seattle trio and one of the most fun listens of 2020.

Favorite Tracks: TURNS BLUE, Take A Chance, (God Damn!) What I Am, Unpeeled, Television, The Shadow, Song For When You Sleep

Least Favorite Track: Better Not Waste My Time

boy oh boy is this ever a deftones song