I think I'm done with reviewing for a bit.

Lately, I barely ever find a time where I want to sit down and write. Whereas this feeling in the past used to be accompanied by a general music burnout for me, now it's different; I've absolutely loved listening to music the last couple months. I just don't feel inspired to write anymore. Anytime I do, it feels like a chore and that really shouldn't be the case for something like this. I shouldn't spend my free time ... read more

Modest Mouse - 8/13

"Everywhere And His Nasty Parlour Tricks" serves as a collection of outtakes from the recording sessions for "The Moon & Antarctica". So, it makes sense that it carries on the same vibe the band brought to that album, even featuring many nods to it, such as some reused lyrics, "The Air" essentially being a sort of remix of "Lives," and "I Came As a Rat" seeing the EP out.

But sadly, this project doesn't do nearly ... read more

Modest Mouse - 7/13

Originally set to be Modest Mouse’s 1994 debut album, “Sad Sappy Sucker” was unfortunately shelved until — in the wake of “The Moon and Antarctica’s” great commercial success — Isaac Brock decided he wanted to revisit and rerecord these tunes. Does it hold up in terms of quality when compared to the rest of the band’s work?

Well, kinda. Hints of the greatness they would come to achieve are certainly felt here and there, ... read more

Modest Mouse - 6/13

"The universe is shaped exactly like the Earth / If you go straight long enough you'll end up where you were."

Released during the summer of 2000, Modest Mouse's major label debut "The Moon & Antarctica" sees their sound evolving in a multitude of ways. The production is far cleaner than before and every song is structured properly with a strong sense of order and direction. But to accompany this more polished feel come some of the ... read more

Modest Mouse - 5/13

Consisting of various singles released between 1996 and 1998 and also the first three (amazing) songs off of the “Interstate 8” EP, “Building Nothing Out of Something” stands as a pretty great sampler for Modest Mouse’s early work.

Songs like “Never Ending Math Equation” and “Grey Ice Water” are perfectly indicative of the group’s sound, the former an energetic groover with shifting dynamics, and the latter a ... read more

Modest Mouse - 4/13

A perfectly imperfect album.

Nothing about the long and winding indie-rock opus that is 1997’s “The Lonesome Crowded West” falls flat. Throughout its 73 minute runtime, there is not a single dull moment; not a single moment I’m not completely absorbed by the music. What Modest Mouse established stylistically with their first releases, they utterly perfected here.

When I say perfected, I mean that everything just clicks. Even with its flaws, ... read more

Modest Mouse - 3/13

“The Fruit That Ate Itself,” Modest Mouse’s second official EP, sees them experimenting in a big way, really honing in on the weirder aspects of the sound they established with their first releases.

The best example of this is the title track, an absolutely unhinged little masterpiece, fueled by a strong groove, Brock’s loud, distorted vocals, and even some quiet rapping and occasional beatboxing that linger in the background. It’s a catchy ... read more

Modest Mouse - 2/13

NOTE: My rating and review are only for the “Interstate 8” EP, not including the “Live in Sunburst Montana” Demo.

With “Interstate 8,” Modest Mouse continue to develop what they brought to the table with their eccentric debut. The production is still dry and raw, leaving room for the performances to speak for themselves, while the songwriting continues to show off the abundance of personality and creativity the band have.

Songs like ... read more

Modest Mouse - 1/13

“This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About” I can best describe as adventurous. Modest Mouse came through with a brand of rock that is unhinged and loud but also strangely beautiful, oozing potent emotions from pieces that, despite often feeling disjointed, come together perfectly.

Opener “Dramamine” sets the tone with guitars and bass dancing around each other in a cyclical pattern, working in tandem with the focused drums to ... read more

To say that Geordie Greep has a flair for the dramatic would be an understatement. With each album the now (sadly) disbanded black midi released, their sound only grew more and more theatrical, 2022’s “Hellfire” reaching a conceptual peak with defined characters and stories; so it only makes sense that the eccentric frontman’s debut solo effort, “The New Sound,” sees him playing exaggerated characters and basking in a wonderfully textured, grand blend of ... read more

As ugly as ever.

Chat Pile intrigued me with their 2022 full-length debut “God’s Country,” a dark and brutal, sludgy noise rock experience. And just two years later, they’ve come out with “Cool World,” a record that I feel makes the band’s loud musical statement even clearer than the already striking debut did.

This is some S-Tier sludge right here. I mean, this is exactly what I want whenever I come to this sound. The bass tone is absolutely fucking ... read more

EDIT: 80 - __
Deleted my rating since the EP became a part of the album.

Goat Iver are back with “SABLE,” a small, raw EP that feels like both a tribute to their past sounds and a confident step into a new direction.

The single “S P E Y S I D E” had me stunned since the moment I first heard it and I’m glad to say I still find it to be an incredible song. The beautiful acoustic guitar instrumental lays such a strong foundation for Vernon to deliver some of his ... read more

Proving once again that they are a band of many different flavors, Xiu Xiu have followed up their definitive house-of-horrors album “Ignore Grief” with the beautifully-titled “13” Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips:” one of their poppiest and most colorful records to date.

They’ve always had a knack for creating stripped-back, sparse soundscapes; but whenever they go all out, it fucking rocks. With crunchy guitars and thick bass, blaring ... read more

As painfully dejected and sad as it is uplifting and serene, “It’s A Wonderful Life” inhabits a beautiful little world of its own; one of both comfort and heartache; pure solace.

Fuzzy, lo-fi production covers the music. Mark Linkous’ tired croon lingers over these ethereal pieces that blend within themselves. With cuts like “Sea of Teeth” or “More Yellow Birds,” the violins create a magical sky in which dreamy guitar lines float, the steady ... read more

2022's "Skinty Fia" was an album that seemingly perfected the band's vision, seamlessly blending the gloom and the grit, the haziness and the bite of their dark brand of post-punk and coming out with a product that was both irresistibly catchy and deeply thought-provoking, all doused in the same political overtones that had defined their previous work, yet even more mature and focused this time around. Simply put: they had struck gold. They could've easily stuck with ... read more

REVISITED: Bon Iver - 5/5

NOTE: My ranking of Bon Iver's albums is out: https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/mike-drop/list/252043/bon-iver-ranked/

It would seem almost impossible to follow up an album like "22, A Million," and, sadly, "i,i" proves exactly that.

This album feels like a melting pot of all the different sounds Bon Iver have produced throughout the years. It has moments of stark indie balladry ("Marion"), subdued alt-rock grooves ... read more

REVISITED: Bon Iver - 4/5

EDIT: 100 - 90
Real review is beneath all that...

okay so i’m decently high right now and writing on my phone so this will be messy but.. i just had an indescribable experience with this album. i’ve really liked it for a long time and it’s always left a sort of magical feeling to me but hearing it again these last few days and now.. i’m entranced. every moment and every little thing about this album every new one hit me with so much power. was ... read more

REVISITED: Bon Iver - 3/5

With their self-titled release, Bon Iver took the strong musical foundations Vernon had laid out and — now as a confident band — splashed them with new colors to create a lush indie-folk experience.

But the label "indie-folk" doesn't quite do justice to the scope of "Bon Iver, Bon Iver," as the music here expands far beyond just the regular old guitars and vocals. With many new layers of instrumentation — strings, horns, ... read more

REVISITED: Bon Iver - 2/5

Though initially a solo-project, Bon Iver turned into a band after the release "For Emma, Forever Ago." Spearheaded of course by Justin Vernon, the group followed up the incredible debut with "Blood Bank," a set of songs that preserved the feeling of its predecessor but took the sound into a vaster direction.

The rich title track kicks things off perfectly, a cold yet inviting instrumental serving as the backdrop for Vernon's story. He ... read more

REVISITED: Bon Iver - 1/5

"Your love will be.. safe with me."

I think that what continues to draw me to this album after countless listens is its touching way of emitting such powerful and heavy emotions so simply. Justin Vernon's words mostly come off as abstract in their nature, his music stripped-back and raw, the most prominent elements being his guitar and voice; yet it's a record that overflows with feelings of loss and heartbreak.

Opener "Flume" unfurls ... read more