Just a solid debut. Hits hard the whole time while also being super strange and intriguing. Instrumentals are really precise but unpredictable to say the least. The real star of the show though is Serj, whose immense range of voices and tones make this a joy to listen to.

This is a great record and I won't hear otherwise. Not one dull moment to be found, with vocals and styles changing from track to track. There is creative overload to the point that some tracks feel a little too cooked, but at 38 minutes this album ends up being wholly satisfying.

Obviously 'Debaser' and 'Hey' are high points here, and falling at opposite ends of the album helps balance this wild thing out. Really enjoyed 'Here Comes Your Man' and 'Gouge Away' too.

What a fitting name for a band that showed up, dropped some heat, and just vanished. You can tell from their music how they felt, and here I am 50+ years later, felting it too. Anyways, this is a cornerstone in psychedelic rock for me; the band is buttery smooth, the vocals are heavenly. Me, like many others, stumbled upon this album one day and are thankful for it, so go show this to someone dammit!

Look At The Sun- 92
Now She's Gone- 94
Weepin' Mama Blues- 94
World- 96
The Change- ... read more

This was my introduction to St. Vincent, so while I'm not sure how this fits into the context of her other music, I thought this was great! The production is super crisp and loud, and isn't afraid to dip into other genres once in awhile. By the end the whole thing feels very cinematic and polished, even if some of the later tracks feel a bit unfocused. Either way, it is clear that St. Vincent is operating at a higher level than many others in this space.

These guys are for sure in my mind. The first four tracks on this are basically one long song that you can pick and choose your favorite parts of, while the back half of the record features some great track diversity despite still feeling cohesively psychedelic. 'Am I in Heaven?' echoes the energy of the intro tracks while also cranking it up to eleven. 'Her and I (Slow Jam 2)' remains one of KGLW's best songs and is a beautiful closer to this wild ride.

With sparse yet thoughtful production, Stevens brings the listener in close and gives a deeply personal performance. Gave this a second listen immediately after the first to fully grasp the lyrics, and while I'm still going to need some help, I'm happy to say this record only gets better with each listen. The simple instrumentals may be a turn-off for some but I think the decision only accentuates the feelings Stevens is bringing to the forefront with his lyrics.

Emotions are at an all time high here, with really great instrumentals and impressive vocals to boot. Extremely high-highs, and crushing lows. Probably could be longer, and I think that could've easily been done without adding more tracks. That being said, the low runtime makes this an easy revisit when I'm feeling up for a good cry.

Some incredibly creative sampling and wild experimentation from a master of his craft. There are so many grooves explored within the 31 tracks of this record, yet it never feels drawn out or disjointed. There is so much emotion shining through despite the absence of heavy lyricism; it's simply masterful composition. A classic record and one of the best in Hip-Hop, from a great that left us far too soon.

Favorites: Stop, Time: The Donut of The Heart, Don't Cry

Going to keep this short because I'm not well-versed in Metalcore and don't plan on reviewing a whole lot of it, but this really blew me away. Bryan Garris delivers an intense and emotional performance throughout that demands the listener's attention. Vivid sounds and switches that will give you whiplash. A really sick experience even though I'm not usually into this kinda stuff.

I've seen far worse debuts from hip-hop artists around this time, and I know for sure some of these songs went crazy before high-school football games. 'Best I Ever Had' remains as one of Drake's catchiest songs of all time, but besides it and 'Fear' this record hasn't aged all that well.

Flume's self-titled debut is an experimental gumbo of unique vocal sampling and vibes of a wildly distinct sound that could only come from Flume himself. While it does come off as overloaded with ideas, the first half lands so well with me that I can forgive some of the later tracks feeling repetitive. Maybe Flume cooked a little too hard with 'Stay Close'. Either way, this is a very solid debut album and still considered one of the best Future Bass has to offer.

Favorite Tracks: On Top, ... read more

As someone who tends to avoid modern pop, I wasn't sure how I would be able to give this a fair review, but Lana has been around for awhile since making her debut and with recommendations from a few close friends I decided to give it a shot. I'm pleased to say that I found the majority of this to be pretty focused on what it sets out to do. Around the middle sections it starts to lose me a bit, 'National Anthem' through 'Carmen' started to feel a little same-y. The one sentiment I see echoed ... read more

A classic rap album overflowing with passion and inspiration. So easy to listen through at only 42 minutes and flows from beginning to end seamlessly. Common isn't an artist I'm very familiar with, but its clear that he is operating in his element here and alongside people who share the same passion for Chicago and this project. What excites me most about this though is knowing that I can put this on again one day and have an entirely different takeaway; this album is so dense with thought-out ... read more

It was 2008, I was eleven years old, and had came across MTV on my family's television for the very first time. Like most kids at the time, animation was becoming a big deal in the mainstream with Cartoon Network and Toonami, so you can imagine how I felt seeing the music video for Feel Good Inc. come across that screen. Around this time I had also started taking guitar lessons; watching 2D strum away in this gloomy yet beautiful landscape was fucking sick as hell back then, and honestly still ... read more

For a debut album, this is incredibly well-produced and polished. That's really my biggest first impression here, as even the songs I didn't enjoy as much still felt this way to me. Songs like 'The Hand That Rocks the Cradle' and 'Pretty Girls Make Graves' to me aren't necessarily the ones I'll be replaying the most, but are undeniably masterfully made and absolute treats to listen to. Being some of my first exposure to The Smiths, I don't want to go too crazy in my praise for their debut, ... read more