Best pop music album 2024, so far.

Any song on Future Islands' seventh studio album People Who Aren't There Anymore sounds like an unsuccsessfull attempt to sound different to the one before. The reasons may lie in the limited vocal skills, in particular the limited variety, of the lead singer or in a lack of songwriting ideas. In conclusion, the album becomes a bit boring after a while and doesn't invite to listen to it one more times, though the cover is pretty nice.

I have to admit I'm a fan of Jonny Greenwood, Tom Skinner and Thom York. So my perception is a bit biased and I use to listen very benevolent to the musical output of this artists. Though I think I'm able to keep a critical view about the second album of The Smile, but I don't find substantial differences in musical quality in comparison to the debut album of the three member band. Wall of Eyes enchantes me and I don't lose the enjoyment of several listenings to this (and ... read more

After three fantastic albums in 2017, 2019 and 2021 Tyler delivers with CHROMOKAPIA the next contribution to solidify hip hop as essential musical genre which helps to establishes himself as one of the most important rapper and producer of his generation. It's a pure pleasure to listen to this album attentively from beginning to end. Both the fascinating, varied music with subtle splashes of neo-soul, R&B and jazz and the narration of the lyrics give any reason to turn ones attention ... read more

I can't feel who inspired whom more, Lil Yachty James Blake or vice versa. The result is impressive and tempt to repeated listening sessions. And the music works both ways, to listen to it loud and superficial and to enjoy it low and almost in the background. In any case it's worth to be focussed with the intention to catch all the details. Finally I would like to state my favourite song, because "Midnight" is an absolutely great one, in particular the second part, welcome ... read more

Best dance music album 2024, so far..

Ashley Nicolette Frangipane aka Halsey from New Jersey tops with her fith album "The Great Impersonator" each of the four predecessors. She offers more than one hour sophisticated and artful pop music and some remarkable songs such as the fist and longest "Only Living Girl in LA", "Panic Attack", "Darwinism", "Lonely is the Muse" or the outstanding "Arsonist". The album is a successful evidence of the musical development of this ... read more

Wonderful songs, wonderful voice, wonderful album.
I'd like to draw your attention to the miniature in the background of "No One's Gonna Loe You Like I Can", which is very similar to Charles Gounod's "Ave Maria" or rather Johan Sebastian Bach's Prelude No. 1 in C major of his Well-Tempered Clavier I. Sometimes such deatails enrich music which is itself already absorbing a bit more.

Jonah Yano and the Heavy Loop as an astonishing album with an interesting mix of neo-soul and sophisticated, jazzy pop, and just as well interesting guests, in particular Ourielle Auvé, Helena Deland and Claire Elizabeth Cottril (Clairo). My favourite of the album is the edgy "Romance ESL", not really outstanding, because it's among six other brilliant, rather short tracks, finalised by the half an hour suite-like "The Heavy Loop". No wonder to read in wikipedia ... read more

Please pay attention in due to not overlook this fine album. Observations From a Crowded Room is already the sixth album of Joy Oladokun and contents some brilliant hooks. The album is not a really brilliant one in the whole, the strengths lay in the more unconvential moments ("No Country"), the weaknesses emerge when the production tries to get too pleasing ("Drugs"), for my taste. A good combination offers the song "Hollywood", it's both not too conformist ... read more

Jour 1596, the second album of the Canadian duo Helena Deland and Ourielle Auvé with the moniker Hildegard is one of the albums which get better with each another listening. So I did it since yesterday three times and if I would continue it could get a rating of >=80 - maybe I'm going to do that. At least I'm going to listen to Hildegard's debut album from 2021.

Stereophonic's debut album Word Gets Around convinced me in particular with the A-side of the vinyl: with tracks as the opener "A Thousand Trees", the short "More Life In A Tramps Vest", the lively "Local Boy In the Photoghraph", the beautiful ballad "Traffic" or the final song on this side "Not Up To You". The Welsh group offers with Word Gets Around straight alternative rock characterized by Kelly Jones' rough lead vocals and ... read more

Because one don't need all the ABBA albums this compilation of their greatest hits from "Ring Ring" 1973 to "Super Trouper" 1980 is a good choice to have an overview about the work of the europop masters from Sweden.

First I have to admit: I'm biased because I like Fontaines D.C. and Grian Chatten very much. Therefore I'm really open to the softened but not smoothened sound of their fourth album - or with other words Fontaines D.C. rely with Romance on less post-punk and more indie rock - (similar the overwhelming solo debut album of Grian the year before). To get a first impressioin you could listen to "Starduster", "Desire" and "Favourite" - or listen to the full ... read more

The opener of Mazzy Star's second studio album "Fade Into You" is an absolutely banger and one of the best dream pop songs ever, at least in my opinion. Decades later bands such as Cigarettes After Sex revive successfull this melancholic, hypnotically monotonuous (chiefly in a pleasant way) sound, therefore the music of Hope Sandoval (I love her enigmatic vocals) and David Roback (I love his hazy guitar playing) is something like immortal and timeless. Some more hints?: ... read more

One of the best modern classical albums ever and my personal top album of the musical year 2004. Fortunately I could listen to Max Richter some years ago in the Tonhalle Düsseldorf (2019), it was a great experience.

Pleasant downtempo music for your Sunday afternoon musical wallpaper.

I checked this album during a car ride around my hometown, it was a pleasure but there was nothig what cought my attention enough to generate the need for a second listening.

The first tracks are pretty good and absorbing, but unfortunately Mylo's only album becomes a bit boring because there's lack of musical ideas in the long run.

The solo debut album of The New Pornographers frontman Carl Newman offers a good half-hour power pop with some highlights such as.the opener "Miracle Drug" or the liveley "On the Table". My personal favourites are the less pop-orientated tracks on the B-side of the vinyl. In short The Slow Wonder is not slow, also no wonder, but solid indie rock.