to hell with it doesn't quite live up to its potential, and I think is a stepping stone to a stronger, more fully formed PinkPantheress, but what is there is still engaging and interesting enough to earn your ears. This thing has plenty of fun ideas, even if they last barely a minute more often than not. I think the short runtimes do hurt songs sometimes, and keep them from any real progression in the song structure, but what is there is fun and holds your ear really well. She writes great ... read more

This thing is so damn fun. From the very beginning to the very end, Bruiser Wolf is going for it at every moment, whether that be with his voice (which is albeit strange but has definitely grown on me), his memorable lines, or the fun beats, the thing has momentum right up to the very end. It strips rap down heavily and focuses it all on him, and he deserves all your attention. Fun hooks, great lines (Fidget Spinner bars that don't make me cringe is rare but he actually pulled it off), and ... read more

Fievel Is Glaque makes one of the more unique albums I heard in 2021, with a combination of various sounds and styles together to create a sound that feels lived in, but also original and uniquely them. This album is just fun from beginning to end. It sounds simple and breezy most often, and there are moments in here where there are complex rhythmic and harmonic passages that they make sound simple and almost danceable. It takes the lofi jazz pop sound as far as it can go, and in my opinion, a ... read more

Higher Highs and Lower lows than the previous, another short and simple EP from The Alchemist. Not much to say here that wasn't already said about the first one, other than the energy is much higher here, and it works sometimes and other times just doesn't come across. As a huge MIKE fane, this is not one of his strongest verses, and the same with Zeelooperz, albeit as someone who keeps up less with him. If you like the other one, you'll probably like this one. Short, simple, and to the ... read more

fishmonger is an experiment gone wrong in the best way possible. Mashing a million things together that shouldn't work, and sometimes it doesn't work, but when things come together, it feels so fresh and ahead of itself that I can't help but be excited for whatever comes next. Mixing indie, hyper pop, pop-punk, and plenty of other styles into an album can often lead it to feel bloated, but Underscores has a unique sound all their own that feels like it can be anything, but always sounds like ... read more

Written in a way that feels conversational and confessional, Cassandra Jenkins weaves stories of herself and others over subtle instrumental writing to create something that feels like a portrayal of her own worldview that I found fairly engaging. I don't think it works in every moment (the ramble), but what does work is affecting and feels thoughtful without feeling like it wants to be grand in the best way. It doesn't want to be anything bigger than it is, which the title might mislead you ... read more

An album that uses simplicity to show love for life and others, whether that be through simple lines or simple instrumentation that never feel basic or cliche in a bad way. Tex Crick looks back for music to portray life now, and while not groundbreaking, definitely enjoyable and well-intentioned, and warm from start to finish.

Favorite Tracks: The Way You Are, Always On My Mind, Sometimes I Forget

Strange, inconsistent, but interesting to hear from an artist like Benny Sings, Beat Tape II is an interesting show of Benny Sings and his roots as a musician. While this thing has come clunkers, there are some really cool ideas on here, and something that proves Benny Sings has a little more versatility than his albums can always showcase. A fun experiment that doesn't work as much as a whole album and more bursts of fun. Not as strong as his other 2021 album, but if you are a fan of Benny ... read more

This will sound contrarian and like I want to be different than other people that like this, because I do like this album, but this thing works when Adele leaves behind what made her the most famous. Easy On Me is by far one of the most popular songs of not only the album but the whole year, but it is one of the weaker tracks on this album for me, especially being followed by My Little Love, one of the best songs Adele has ever put out. This dichotomy splits this album in half, with tracks that ... read more

With more personality and catchier hooks than pretty much any other pop album this year, Remi Wolf made a great impression on me with her debut album. This thing is meant to get you moving and laughing, and this album does it with ease, especially in the first half. She also manages to let the world get to know what her life is like past the Remi Wolf veneer of yelling about getting Chuck E Cheese delivered as a young woman growing up and even going to rehab as she made this album. Juno is ... read more

Another in a long line of consistent efforts from JPEGMAFIA, this album is no surprise in all the best minds of ways. This album does seem to take JPEGMAFIA back to a place where he raps more often than he did on his last couple of projects, and he still manages to keep himself from being held in any single genre or sound. My one criticism would really be that in all this consistent effort, there are not all that many standout moments. It works really great as an album, and each of the songs is ... read more

Not everything pans out on Bowling, Temporex's first album since 2017, but when things come together, it can't help but get stuck in your head for a while after. This album works best when Temporex keeps things simple and when it has a feeling of effortlessness. He writes great hooks and memorable lines that always make me smile when I hear them, and has a knack for groove that isn't super obvious on first listen. This album does lose me in moments like the end of At Peace or songs like GUI ... read more

Honestly, Kind of disappointed in this one. Don't get me wrong, this album is enjoyable, well-performed, has some great hooks, and is proof that these two can write some fun songs. But I feel as though this doesn't go past the bare minimum in a lot of respects. It has reverence for the past but feels just shy of what made that music so great and feels like a cheap imitation in a few spots. It never goes above and beyond toward its potential. But past that, this is a fun party album that keeps ... read more

A consistent, sharply written, and confidently performed album that solidifies Little Simz voice into its most essential parts to really great results. This is a tough album to talk about for me because it's just good. It's a great record top to bottom, and it's hard to even perfectly pinpoint why. It's just a solid musical statement, and proof of great talent. My only gripe is that I found the interludes to kind of slow the album down in a way I wasn't a huge fan of, but I don't even know if I ... read more

As a fan of the previous record, with its fair share of hooks and diverse sounds, this one was a disappointment to me in the beginning but has continued to grow on me as the winter comes into view. This is a sparse and sad listen that is undoubtedly a product of the time spent in the pandemic. This thing feels like it was made in one bedroom by one person, and while I assume that was basically the case and one of its greatest strengths, it also contains its greatest weakness. Sparseness can be ... read more

This album is a perfect crossroads of life events for me that strikes in me in such an emotionally breathtaking way. As someone who lost faith in the religion of their childhood, experienced an abusive relationship and grew up in the midwest, This album is pretty much made for me. The way this thing is built from the ground up to mix field recordings, religious imagery and musical ideas, noise, and some of if not the most harrowing vocal performances I've ever heard, this album is a so special ... read more

One of the catchiest records I've heard all year. Each song on this thing makes me smile when I hear it and has been on repeat since it came out. Just a fun indie-pop ep with great hooks, an interesting theme (great videos btw), and music that sounds like it was made with a lot of love for music.

Favorite Tracks: Loretta, Juban District

A hellish expression of the pain of loss that I struggle to listen to all the way through without feeling fairly sad and anxious. Injury Reserve lived through the hell that we all lived through these past couple of years, and lost one of their own in the midst of everything, and this loss informs every single aspect of this album. This album is lost. Sonically, lyrically, thematically, and everything else, is lost in pain and anxiety. Past just the feelings that surround the record, it's also ... read more

The exact step in the right direction I wanted from Paris Texas. This album cuts a lot of the fat that boy anonymous had, and it helps a lot with the album momentum. It sticks to their heavier, more guitar-centric songs generally, and in the few moments it slows down are better than boy anonymous. I do think the mac demarco interludes don't mesh super well with everything around them, and the one slower song RHM is still the weakest track, but I do think this is a great trajectory for the band ... read more

A fun, hard-hitting album that shows growth from his previous album, but still lacks in some of the ways his previous albums did. Baby Keem is at his best when he is hitting hard, and this album has more tracks that do just that, and the production on this one helps with that immensely. From my understanding, he produced a lot of this himself, and it makes a big difference in the quality of the album compared to previous efforts. When he slows down his tracks, His weaknesses start to show. His ... read more