International pop superstar Adele justifies the massive sales numbers that she makes on her third LP, 25. When judging this album on what it is, a mainstream pop record that is made to sell millions, I was very surprised by the quality of the project. I came in expecting a single-centered, filler-heavy album like 21, but 25 is a much more mature and focused album than it's predecessor. There are slow and emotional piano ballads (When We Were Young) and some all out pop chart toppers (Send ... read more

okay, i'm hyped now

Definitely a better record than the second Have A Nice Life album, The Unnatural World, with a really interesting blend of genres. The depressive, gloomy shoegaze that can be found on Giles Corey and both HANL records is toned down a bit, and added to it is electronic production that reminds me of The Age of Adz. I guess chillwave is the best genre to categorize it as, or synth-rock, post-punk, whatever. Each song has a really fun and upbeat sound, even though the lyrics are classic Dan ... read more

Descendents get their sound down to a more concise and cohesive punk flavor. Where there were plenty of messy and off-putting aspects of their debut, I Don't Want to Grow Up has cleaner production and a poppier atmosphere. This record has a striking similarity to many of the skate punk acts of the late 90's and early 2000's, which proves just how influential the group is. The lyrics are basically the same as they were on the previous album, lots of nonsense and easily relatable themes, ... read more

A very upbeat, short & sweet punk album with no filler. Only 20 minutes long, Milo Goes to College shows a more accessible side of the 80's punk scene that is much less hardcore and politically charged than the most other albums of the time. The lyrics are really humorous and quirky, and obviously self-aware, while the instrumentation holds those notorious punk guitars and drums, with an added pop flair.

fav tracks: Marriage, I'm Not a Loser, Jean Is Dead

As everyone knows, Drake has been one of the biggest rappers and pop stars in the world for the past two years or so. I've been extremely underwhelmed by the majority of his work, so I never saw the point in going deeper into a discography of an artist that I have already confirmed I did not like. But to hell with reason, I gave Take Care a listen; and from what I had heard and read, Take Care is his best album. How fucking wrong that was.
Take Care is about as watered down and cheesy as hip ... read more

Yeah, these are fucking sick

Even though I think more credit is due to the producers of this album, Your Old Droog pleasantly surprised me with Packs. His old school, east coast style flow (which is very reminiscent of R.A. the Rugged Man, and even MF DOOM at times) is an aspect that I really appreciated from this album; that style of flow is something that I think could be utilized more in modern hip hop, and the only other recent rapper I can think of that's used it recently is Apathy. The Anthony Jeselnik skits were ... read more

Yes, this is an incredibly well written and heartbreaking album. Yes, Elverum does a great job of getting across the pain that he is feeling and how it is affecting him in his daily life. However, as heartbreaking as this is, it is far from groundbreaking.
Like Sufjan Stevens' Carrie & Lowell release from 2015, the instrumentation is very minimal. But it is also very repetitive. And, in my opinion, to make an album truly great, there has to be a variation of musical themes, even just in ... read more

Pallbearer's near perfect Foundations of Burden is what really got me into doom metal. The band made the heavy guitars and stretched out song lengths accessible to me, and made me appreciate the technical abilities that are necessary to truly pull off a successful album. On Heartless, Pallbearer moved further out of doom metal, and into the realms of progressive and post rock.
Instead of dreary and depressive vocals over classic sludgy instrumentation, the band made a very tasteful transition ... read more

The closest thing that sounds like Gorillaz from the Plastic Beach-era and before. Still not as good as any of those songs though.

Better than most of TPAB to be honest...

A really funny and attention-grabbing novelty album, but there is nothing of real substance on this collection of mashups. Everything is very well done and professional, but that doesn't change the fact that All Star is placed somewhere in damn near every song on Mouth Sounds.

Since my initial review of this project, I have given it many, many, many more listens. It's been that album I listen to a few times a week, and certain songs from it have become among my favorites of this decade honestly. Cicierega crafted an infectiously catchy and fun record, with absolutely stunning synthesizer work and nerdy sci-fi stories told in his lyrics. I cannot emphasize enough how much Spirit Phone has been growing on me, and I have found it to be one of the most energetic and ... read more

This is an improvement over Views. And that's all that really matters to me. Even though the More Life "playlist" is just glossed up mainstream rap, with nothing special to it, there are a few enjoyable tracks, even if they are mindlessly generic and uninspired.

fav tracks: Ice Melts, KMT (i thought this was an XXXtentacion rip off like everyone else at first, but the studio version has very obvious differences)

With the exception of the songs Paradise and Jesus Will Kill You, the follow up release to Anohni's stellar Hopelessness album last year is a huge letdown. With filler (on a fucking EP) and just straight up boring songs, it makes me wonder if Oneohtrix Point Never and Hudson Mohawke were the true stars of her last album, and not Anohni herself.

Terrible, looks like we're gonna get a Raditude Pt. 2. So disappointing especially after the great White Album.

Backed by three impressive beats by $crim, the first output from Louisiana rap group $uicideboy$ is a very, very solid EP. Kill Yourself is a song that really shows both rappers' flows in a free and clean manner. The other two songs are enjoyable, but the features are a bit much, and the beats get a bit monotonous.

Showing the dancier side of Sophie, this single is one of the early gems of the PC Music movement that gave the subgenre some grounding in the industry.

With an improved attitude and edgier production, Charli XCX's 2nd mixtape of 2012 is a more enjoyable experience than the first. Charli shows much more general appeal, and an image that makes her stand out from the other pop starlets that were in the mainstream at the time of Super Ultra's release. Hip hop influenced pop bangers are what this tape is full of. With 13 tracks in the first tape, and 8 on this one, Charli cut what was unnecessary and showed her full potential on what was ... read more