overlong and tiring but in a good way

93696 is a difficult listen - it’s long, crushingly loud and a sensory overload in every way, but at the same time it’s also unavoidably, often unnervingly beautiful. The instrumentals consist of awe-inspiring fusions between a screeching experimental black metal sound, with the depth, vastness and harmony of a symphony performance. In line with Liturgy’s - albeit controversial - philosophy of “Transcendental Black Metal” and ... read more

Say what you want about TV Girl, the album covers are always amazing

It took me a few relistens of TV Girl’s debut to fully gather my thoughts on the album. There are definitely parts of French Exit that I dislike but, equally, as an overall project, it’s also endearing, unique, and beautifully atmospheric. The band’s greatest strength are undoubtedly their instrumentals - their sound feels like a strange mix of reggae, synthpop and R&B alongside undertones of ... read more

One day Yeat will hit a 2-hour runtime

Even having never heard a full Yeat project before this one, I can safely say that 2093 is undoubtedly the best Yeat has ever sounded - his signature nonchalant, heavily-manipulated vocals are woven perfectly into the album’s dark, electronic instrumentals, and the atmosphere and broader concept of the album is as infectious and engaging as it is ambitious. Yeat’s grandiose, boastful lyrics are still present, but rather than coming across as ... read more

yeah Prelude to Ecstasy is a perfect title for this kind of sound
The best way to describe this album is grand - from soaring guitars and sparkling synths to the endlessly dynamic, almost theatrical vocals, every element of The Last Dinner Party's debut album feels vast. The writing, if a little on-the-nose at times, is creative and perfectly matches this atmosphere, with consistently vivid imagery that makes every song immediately immersive. Considering this bold, maximalist aesthetic, the ... read more

(I made a bunch of notes while listening to this album so this will probably be a bit overlong)
maybe the Swifties have a point
Folklore and evermore are albums that have been on my list for a while. I've always agreed that Taylor Swift is an undeniably talented songwriter and storyteller, arguably the best in mainstream pop, but until now I was never interested enough in her work to listen to a full project from her - there are individual songs from her that I love (All Too Well, Paper Rings, ... read more

Found this randomly in the AOTY New Releases section and I'm so glad I did, this album is wild
Being a fan of a lot of the glitchier, slightly more noisy side of hyperpop and glitch-pop, Quare's Paris immediately clicked for me. This album is raw, emotional and messy, with chaotic, heavily distorted guitar-driven instrumentals and dynamic, relentlessly creative production. Quare's voice isn't perfect, but the sheer energy and passion they bring to every single song keeps the project ... read more

After being underwhelmed by the anticlimactic ending to IMILE in SCRAPYARD II, the more impactful, intense production and energetic delivery of EVEN IF I TRIED and especially GUESS WHO? were hugely refreshing for me - EASIER is slower, but just as engaging and enjoyable as the rest of the EP, with some captivating, distinctly emotional vocals and writing.
GUESS WHO? is undoubtedly a banger - the aggression of the last two verses combined with the increasingly distorted production is an ... read more

This feels like mostly an improvement over SCRAPYARD I - DUSTCUTTER is incredibly well-produced and Quadeca's vocals are perfect for the song, sounding slightly breathless and unsettling whilst still keeping up an energetic flow. UNDER MY SKIN has similar strengths with some interesting writing, an intense, dramatic chorus and a dreamier yet equally unnerving vocal presentation.
I MAKE IT LOOK EFFORTLESS is a banger, but I wish it was longer - the production and energy is amazing, especially ... read more

A LA CARTE is definitely the highlight for me, but U DON'T KNOW ME LIKE THAT still has some captivating, glitchy production that matches Quadeca's more flowing, abstract vocals - even though I come back to A LA CARTE far more often, UDKMLT is still an interesting showcase of the development of his sound

I meant to listen to this when it released and completely forgot
This is my first time listening to anything from billy woods and it's incredibly impressive. Maps flows so well - the transitions are fluid and woods' low, flat delivery makes the smooth, jazzy production and elaborate lyrics stand out beautifully. The features are all seamlessly implemented, and overall this album is a pleasant and hugely engaging listen with no filler. It's definitely a contender for rap AOTY - the energy and ... read more

This will probably grow on me a bit. The production is smooth and creative, and Danny's writing and storytelling is - as expected - incredibly captivating. As a huge fan of Tell Me What You Don't Know from Atrocity Exhibition, it's cool to see a project from Danny that uses more of that similar sombre, toned-down delivery - it matches the harder-hitting, more introspective lyrics in this project really well. Nothing stands out as particularly out-of-place or unengaging, but at the same time I ... read more

I was sure nothing would touch Scaring The Hoes this year as far as rap albums went, but grouptherapy. got impressively close with this release. This trio's ability to dip into so many styles, sounds and atmospheres without the album losing any cohesiveness is endlessly impressive, and almost every song on here is memorable and enjoyable, even after multiple re-listens.
There aren't really any hugely revolutionary sounds or jaw-dropping sample manipulations like in STH, but the amount of ... read more

first off, that album cover looks amazing
After a first listen, James Marriott's debut "Are We There Yet?" is shockingly good. Not necessarily because I was expecting it to be bad in any way - I thought the singles were really enjoyable for the most part, and James' previous EP Bitter Tongues was an incredibly fun slice of indie pop rock - but because I found that the album is a lot more than just an extended version of the Bitter Tongues sound. There's some genuinely interesting ... read more

Wanted to review this since the debut album releases soon
Gold has grown off me a bit since I first heard it, but every other song on here is just so fun. Car Lights stands out in particular as being the most genuine, heartfelt and emotional track on the EP, but Where Has Everyone Gone, Sleeping On Trains and Grapes are also incredibly enjoyable songs in their own right. James isn't reinventing indie rock in any way, but it feels like he doesn't need to - all of the tracks here are satisfying ... read more

just re-listened to this and it's undoubtedly an AOTY contender
I gave this around an 85 initially, mainly since although I knew it was technically incredible, on a more personal level, a few songs just didn't hit as hard on the first couple listens. After giving it some time, though, the songs that I loved originally (Uncanny long arms, Old money bitch, Locals, Geez Louise) are just as strong now, and the rest of the tracklist has grown on me significantly.
This has probably been said hundreds ... read more

so many bangers - the energy of this album is relentless and infectious. It's a genuinely exhilarating ride
will write a longer review of this soon
favourite songs: Everything Went Numb, Point / Counterpoint, Here's To Life, A Moment of Silence

I really hope the album keeps up this quality because this is amazing
edit: ok this might be SOTY

I'm not the biggest Travis Scott fan, but having heard some of his stuff before I really did think this was going to be better.
There are without a doubt songs to come back to - HYAENA has some strikingly intense production, TELEKINESIS is smooth with incredible verses from both SZA and Future, and CIRCUS MAXIMUS has a grand, cinematic sound with a solid feature from The Weeknd. Other than that, though, I haven't really found myself returning to any of these songs, and there's a lot on here ... read more