Coked-up, horned-up hyperpop and electropop. I know Ms. Erotica is a controversial figure in music, but this fucks, probably literally.

Every now and then, someone comes along and redefines a genre, taking its core concepts and flipping them into something new. That is exactly what DJ Shadow does on "Endtroducing....."

It sounds like it was crafted by someone who cared deeply about each and every sample, making sure they had and deserved their place in every song. The mostly mellow vibes help to soothe even the most stressful of days, and the album carries an almost timeless quality, as if it could have been released ... read more

Anamanaguchi prove that there's still plenty of innovation left in the rock space, and whilst it seems like they have been doing this for a while, "Anyway" is my first experience of their crazy blend of power pop and chiptune that results in a sound that's explosive, fizzy, and downright fun.

The best moments on Momma's new album are when the guitars are cranked up to eleven, delivering a huge, face-slapping sound that perfectly complements the light, harmonised vocals cutting cleanly through the mix. That said, there were a few instances where I wished the vocals would let loose a bit more and match the ferocity and anger of the guitars—much like the grunge bands of old or some modern alt-rock acts might have done. A couple of filler tracks here are merely fine, but ... read more

Ninajirachi's debut album is an almost flawless collection of floor-filling, Y2K-inspired Electro House, EDM, and Bubblegum Bass that was truly an absolute joy to listen to. It's very rare that I enjoy an album as much as I enjoyed this. Its energy is so infectious, the production is exceptional, and it flows incredibly well as a collection of songs. I would love to see this album getting more love in mainstream circles. There are loads of songs here that would've topped the ... read more

One of the best-produced hip-hop albums I've listened to. I love how it manages to weave in these psychedelic elements whilst maintaining quite poppy and catchy at the same time. Everything else on top is also great, super songwriting, both lyrically and compositionally, top-notch performances from Kid Cudi, Kanye, and everyone else involved.

I mean this in the most respectful way: What the fuck did I just listen to!?
I have never heard such an insane mixture of genres. Chamber Pop, Indie Rock, Samba, Indietronica, Art Rock, and Screamo all stirred together in this short, but satisfying EP.
It's not perfect, I think some areas of the mixing could have done with a bit more care, and I'm not in love with the vocalist's screaming style, but I cannot hate on how creative this album is.

I definitely respect the production and musicianship of this album, and I love its variety, combining musical flavours around the world with EDM, but it's not really my vibe, unfortunately. You may like this more than me, though.

I actually hopped on this album because it had only negative reviews, and given her previous discography, I thought that would be one heck of a fall from her mostly positive earlier releases.
And I'm glad I did. Granted, it's not the most unique or boundary-breaking electropop out there, but I really enjoyed most of what it had to offer. The only miss here is "Villain," which is still mostly great—apart from the drop, which sounds like an AJR track.

Whilst there were definitely a couple of tracks I liked here (specifically the first two), overall, Yves' third album falls a bit flat with uncohesive that don't really engage me. She's definitely still finding her sound, but at least for me, this isn't it. It's not terrible by any stretch of the imagination, but the score is definitely bolstered by the first 2 tracks.

Heavily overproduced, overly compressed and sonically muddy. The verses blur together with little variation between eachother, and they’ve cut around 25% of the original to make it fit acoustically. Plus, the guitar solo feels even less like a solo now.

It’s not terrible, but it feels entirely unnecessary. It's fine, I guess.

Super smooth beats, paired with some some very creative, instantly memorable bars. I really enjoyed all of the features here too.
It's the ideal vibe if you want something that's both engaging but also incredibly chilled out, which is a very difficult balance to strike.

Even though, I had to sit through an entire song where Laufey calls me a fool (my name is James), this EP is brilliant. I really like how she ties in elements of bedroom pop with mid century contemporary music.

There's definitely a novelty in having a modern record sound like a dusty cassette that your cool uncle has in his collection, and that's really what Castle Rat is. That isn't to take away from the quality of the music, as it's really good.
It can be a bit repetitive in some areas, with some of riffs sounding like one another, and I do think the interludes don't add much.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed the idea.

Another well-executed noise-rock/post-hardcore album from The Armed, once again proving that you don't have to venture into metal to get some of the grimiest, heaviest shit ever pressed.
With that said, I do think there are moments where the production could have been stronger, with better instrument separation the chaos can be more easily unpicked.
There are also a couple of tracks that feel a little safe when listened to alongside some of the other textures that this album has to ... read more

If you blindfolded me, played this album, and asked me who it was, I would say Zack Farro, because I've heard the album before. But if you did the same thing yesterday and asked me who the artist was, I would never have guessed, because it's such a massive departure from the pop-punk/indie rock sound that he's most well known for—but I mean that as a huge compliment.
It's beautifully soft, and everything feels really delicate and nice, from the twinkly guitars to the ... read more

What do you do when you created one of the best soul albums of all time and don't know what to do next?

Why you create another one of the best soul albums of all time!

Sade continue where they left off on their debut album with a beautiful follow-up. It might be just more of the same, but that really isn't a bad thing.

FPPEHT's debut LP expands on what made their previous EP so good: brilliant instrumentals featuring some huge guitar parts and some lovely fiddle work. The vocals are a step up from previous efforts, with a heavy sound that actually reminds me of some very heavy-hitting names from the post-hardcore/metal scene.

There is an element of repetitiveness, both on a song-to-song basis, with some instrumentals lasting longer than really necessary; and across the album, with the final halves of a ... read more

We are so fucking back