Some of her most stellar and emotionally poignant work on here, she really just keeps upping the ante with the amount of talent put into her music.

FAVORITES:
> Cruel
> Strange Mercy
> Surgeon
> Dilettante
> Cheerleader
> Northern Lights
> Neutered Fruit
> Chloe in the Afternoon
> Champagne Year
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Hysterical Strength

Pretty middle of the road, not unlike the band's last few projects, but certainly not awful and has some decent individual songs from time to time.

FAVORITES:
> Nomatterday
> Haunted House
> Vault of Heaven
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Get Simulated

Some tasty brass and woodwind arrangements, not to mention some much-appreciated golden lion tamarin representation on the album cover.

FAVORITES:
> They Keep Trying to Find You
> Why Is the Lion?
> Strange Trouble
> Life Is Scary Horses
LEAST FAVORITE:
> The Children Are Sick

A groovy industrial experience to the max - they even have a Hereditary sample on this thing!

FAVORITES:
> Pinking Shears
> Drag [Crashed]
> Peach Fuzz
> Sensitivity Training
> The Driving Rain (18)
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Iron Maiden

Extremely fitting cover art - the music sounds like a smoky neon bar and the energy all around picks up right where Closing Time left off.

FAVORITES:
> New Coat of Paint
> Fumblin’ with the Blues
> (Looking for) the Heart of Saturday Night
> San Diego Serenade
> Please Call Me, Baby
> Shiver Me Timbers
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Depot, Depot

An unfortunate snoozefest - not only that, but one where I can barely even hear Denzel’s contributions at all.

FAVORITES:
> PHONY
> HOOPTY
LEAST FAVORITE:
> TAN

A superb debut for the band on multiple levels, for sure deserves more attention and love!

FAVORITES:
> Psycho Killer
> Pulled Up
> Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town
> The Book I Read
> Don’t Worry About the Government
> No Compassion
> New Feeling
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Who Is It?

Some undeniably majestic passages here, even if they were mostly relegated to the first half of the album.

FAVORITES:
> Sax in the City
> Eat Shiitake Mushrooms
> Deep Six Textbook
> Welcome to the Treehouse, Pt. II
> Chimpanzees in Canopies
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Chocolate Sludge Cake

This sucks so much dust, bro, you have no idea.

FAVORITES:
> 400 Winters
> The Black Meat
> Shapeshifting
> From What Is Said to When It’s Read
> Burning the City
> Rose
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Dr. Innocuous-Ketamoid

Not on the same caliber as his finest work, perhaps, but c’mon, billy never misses!

FAVORITES:
> Fool’s Gold
> Tumbleweed
> Tinseltown
> Gilgamesh
> Central Park
> Manteca
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Lucre

Why does he sound kind of drunk on this album, and more importantly, why does he sound kind of GOOD sounding kind of drunk?

FAVORITES:
> I Think It’s Going to Rain Today
> Bet No One Ever Hurt This Bad
> Love Story
> Living Without You
> The Beehive State
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Cowboy

Though I feel even greater heights will be scaled on my Nina Simone journey, this album is a rock solid inclusion in her pantheon, featuring some of her most iconic songs.

FAVORITES:
> Feeling Good
> You’ve Got to Learn
> I Put a Spell on You
> Take Care of Business
> Tomorrow Is My Turn
> One September Day
> July Tree
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Blues on Purpose

MUCH too long, but brings enough groove to see it through to the end.

FAVORITES:
> Snap My Finger
> Witchy
> Spit It Out
> Hold On
> Weird
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Please Babe

Good lord, Sufjan has come a long way. There are some hints toward his legendary later output on this album’s best moments, but ultimately the full thing is pretty crooked. It’s honestly a little endearing, that someone as musically accomplished as him still had to find their footing.

FAVORITES:
> We Are What You Say
> A Winner Needs a Wand
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Belly Button

I think I prefer their first album at the end of the day, but Snooper definitely seem to be sticking to their strengths and making some tight punk music while doing it.

FAVORITES:
> Worldwide
> Company Car
> Guard Dog
> Opt Out
> Hologram
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Come Together

I may be slightly biased in the band’s favor - my uncles did form it, after all - but even with that aside, these are some really chill, slightly jazzy pop bops that call to mind a relaxed urban afternoon.

FAVORITES:
> Choose Your Own Title
> Your Melancholy Ways
> The New Sophists
> Peripherally Yours
> Hey, Kids
> Of Nativity
> Selfish
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Another Set of Numbers

Lowkey a little better than their debut album?

FAVORITES:
> A55
> Mental Maths
> Polyawkward
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Yorkshire Tapas

Another worthy addition to Misty’s forte, not as sturdy as his highest highs but carries some of his most forceful condensed songwriting.

FAVORITES:
> Mahashmashana
> Mental Health
> I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All
> Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose
> Summer’s Gone
> Screamland
LEAST FAVORITE:
> She Cleans Up

Holy smokes, who knew that screamo samba fusion sounded so good??

FAVORITES:
> Honey
> Petal Dance
> Feeling Like Children
> Pinhole Blanket Sun
> Say the Rest
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Samba do Nosso Ceu

Much more instrumentally stripped back than his debut, but Prine’s sense of cheekiness in the lyrics and delivery remains intact.

FAVORITES:
> Souvenirs
> Everybody
> Clocks and Spoons
> The Great Compromise
> Rocky Mountain Time
> The Frying Pan
> Sour Grapes
LEAST FAVORITE
> The Torch Singer