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

Without a doubt incredibly dreamy, the beats are about as hypnotic as those yellow zebra stripes.

FAVORITES:
> Silver Soul
> Take Care
> Walk in the Park
> 10 Mile Stereo
> Zebra
> Used to Be
> Norway
> Lover of Mine
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Better Times

Not quite the masterclass OPAL was, but still confirms that Jack Stauber has eccentric, catchy songwriting skills in droves.

FAVORITES:
> Coffee
> Milk
> Paper Towels
> Bread
> Oatmeal
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Shop

He’s aiming for something here, that’s for sure, but I don’t think the tone was fully achieved outside a couple songs.

FAVORITES:
> Dizzy
> WYTD?!?!
> RiTchie Valens
LEAST FAVORITE:
> 5onthe.

Zauner and company really fired on all cylinders here, this is far and away the band’s best comprehensive work and some of the most affecting music of 2021!

FAVORITES:
> Be Sweet
> Posing for Cars
> Paprika
> Slide Tackle
> Kokomo, IN
> Tactics
> Posing in Bondage
> In Hell
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Savage Good Boy

A drastic leap forward compared to The Idiot, the songwriting here is a lot sharper and more dynamic (except for that one song, you know the one).

FAVORITES:
> The Passenger
> Lust for Life
> Tonight
> Some Weird Sin
> Neighborhood Threat
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Sixteen

A nice amuse bouche to Dark Comedy.

FAVORITES:
> Ziggy Starfish (Anxiety Raps)
> Dark Comedy Late Show
> Raps for When It’s Just You and the Abyss
> Trickeration
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Stay Still Awake (Up Before Anybody)

Smooth as silk and gorgeously arranged (even if I feel like the vocals could’ve been a touch more commanding).

FAVORITES:
> Brown Sugar
> Me and Those Dreamin’ Eyes of Mine
> When We Get By
> Higher
> Lady
> Cruisin’
> Alright
> Smooth
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Jonz in My Bonz

This is definitely the most the band’s music has ever worked for me, the instrumentals are more dynamic and the album as a whole is a deeper listen.

FAVORITES:
> The Flower Called Nowhere
> Brakhage
> Miss Modular
> Rainbo Conversation
> Diagonals
> Refractions in the Plastic Pulse
> Contronatura
> Parsec
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Prisoner of Mars

Thrilling and danceable - follows up Dogsbody nicely while imbuing the band’s sound with new flavor.

FAVORITES:
> Cinderella
> Acid Rain
> Departures
> Diva
> Vespers
> Doves
> Poppy
> Baton
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Headlights

Tis a shame the last three songs couldn’t maintain the momentum, because that first half has some of Yves Tumor’s best music period.

FAVORITES:
> Jackie
> Secrecy Is Incredibly Important to the Both of Them
> Crushed Velvet
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Tuck

Decent rapping and production and all, but aside from a few of his sterling albums, I don’t know if Boldy James has really clicked for me yet.

FAVORITES:
> Brickmile to Montana
> Illegal Search & Seizure
> Flight Risk
> Turpentine
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Drug Zone

Well, now I know why it’s called Feedbacker! Not as riveting or dynamic as the band’s top tier material, but I can’t say they didn’t pull out all the stops for an oppressively loud time.

FAVORITES:
> Track 3
> Track 2
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Track 1

I picked up a lot of stylistic influences for Slauson Malone, and even if I think his solo work is more impressive so far, this album is nothing if not unique.

FAVORITES:
> Girl
> Vomets
> BNS
> That Awful Sound
> OFF A LITTLE BIT
> Played Us Cheap
> Dedicated to Nunu
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Caleb Just Monkeying Around

Even if it falls just an inch short of being my favorite album of theirs, Oberst and his cohorts channel their folk virtuosity and balladic lyricism for some of the band’s greatest individual songs.

FAVORITES:
> Poison Oak
> First Day of My Life
> Lua
> At the Bottom of Everything
> Land Locked Blues
> Road to Joy
> We Are Nowhere and It’s Now
> Old Soul Song (for the New World Order)
> Train Under Water
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Another Travelin’ Song

A weaker link in the band’s output, for sure, but still retains an adventurous spirit and an admirable sense of experimentation.

FAVORITES:
> Mildenhall
> Heartworms
> Name for You
> Dead Alive
> So Now What
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Half a Million

A fun medley of multi-genre bops, easily ranks as one of their best in a while!

FAVORITES:
> Aries
> Pac-Man
> Desole
> Momentary Bliss
> The Pink Phantom
> The Lost Chord
> The Valley of the Pagans
> Strange Timez
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Dead Butterflies

Jaunty and theatrical on a higher caliber than their debut, with some downright operatic moments.

FAVORITES:
> The Scythe
> Rifle
> Agnus Dei
> Second Best
> Count the Ways
> This Is the Killer Speaking
> Inferno
> I Hold Your Anger
LEAST FAVORITE:
> Sail Away

That’s an award winning smile right there. Music’s quite good too.

FAVORITES:
> divina
> hasta el final
> cosa rara
> caes
> acephale
> covenstead blues
> the common reader
> no death no danger
> mala sangre
LEAST FAVORITE:
> stelliformia

WHY IS IT SO LONG :(

FAVORITE:
> Eternity (I guess???)
LEAST FAVORITES:
> Before You Leave Me
> You Can’t Stop This