MikeOwen

Adele

Dec 17

Dec 10

Dec 9

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

Dec 6

Nov 30

Nov 30

Nov 25

Nov 23

Scaled And Icy (Livestream Version)

Nov 23

Idles

CRAWLER

Nov 15

Pinned Review

The Revolutionary Army Of The Infant Jesus

Songs of Yearning

As a Catholic, one of the things that really frustrates me is the lack of genuinely good Christian music. While there is no shortage of brilliant records with Christian themes and imagery, as far as I know there are few quality projects that are fully committed to this theme. CCM is definitely one of the prevalent genres in the USA right now, but from what I've heard of it there is little depth, nuance or mystery about it, let alone sonic quality. This might be subconsciously triggered by a ... read more

2y*

Recent Reviews
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M.I.A.

MATA

Based on the singles (particularly "The One"), I was worried that M.I.A. was chasing commercial success at the expense of individuality after her brief return to chart success on Travis's "FRANCHISE", but these teasers ultimately end up being strange outliers on a pretty out-there album. Though the quality is unsurprisingly inconsistent, the best tracks here are as invigorating as anything on Matangi or Kala. Not M.I.A's best work, but her uniqueness remains undiluted.

1mo

Lizzy McAlpine

five seconds flat

"five seconds flat" is the most perfect album I've heard in a good while. If that sounds like an overstatement, it isn't really. Lizzy McAlpine knows how to write one hell of a song, and the production provides a meticulous background to her narratives and melodies. The songs never sit still, and sometimes evolve so smoothly that you barely miss where one shifts from understated to exhilarated. It's almost too perfect, if that's even possible: this is an emotionally sprawling but ... read more

8mo

Cardi B

WAP

Men only ever seem interested in “female empowerment” as long as they can jack off to it.

I only ever listened to WAP once, but once was enough to get the gist of it. There are the raunchy lyrics, bare-bones beat, repeating sample and that’s about it. But its simplicity was ultimately its genius: it would get stuck in your head whether you liked it or not, and made its explicit sexuality all the more noticeable. It’s no surprise it became both a viral phenomenon and a ... read more

8mo*

Anna von Hausswolff

All Thoughts Fly

I’m a church organist. Not a professional one, nor a particularly good one, but one nonetheless. I’m a Catholic so once I started the organ I was automatically enlisted (somehow that just happens), but even if you’re not religious you might just well end up getting roped in to playing at mass anyway. New organists are really appreciated, and I’m never short of masses to play at. The local priest has been really supportive, and I’ve always got access to somewhere to ... read more

12mo

Grouper

Shade

Grouper’s latest is a surprisingly messy record. She’s no stranger to the deliberately hazy and imperfect, but this first one I’ve heard from her that is aesthetically disorderly. It’s also one of her best: a scrapbook that calls back to many of her past albums, it is at turns intimate and impenetrable, sometimes at once, as it travels unpredictably through time and place.

“Followed the ocean” immediately evokes an image of its title, as Grouper’s ... read more

Shoutbox
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BruhMan

6mo

Hey, just dropped my second single! Check it out if u can

https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/508242-m27-souza-gloom.php

H1DD3N 1N TH3 ST4T1C

6mo

Over a year ago, I asked you and many other AOTY users what album you would want to be friends with. Welp, I decided to bring the concept back, with a sorta 'sequel' to that list and a reverse question:

If an album was personified as a person, what's one album you would avoid at all costs, whether it be cause of corniness, flat out racism or if it's simply a bad album.

Thank you for your time if you do end up responding and have a good one :).

soundworld

7mo

I'm really glad you enjoyed it! Would really appreciate a listen to the new single I dropped <3 feedback is always accepted as well :)

https://open.spotify.com/album/1ak3Hgwh0pdmgK0kZrISEI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CPYlRVv0yo
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/rydenoirandstephpurpy/do-not-disturb

soundworld

9mo

Hey MikeOwen, I just dropped my first project (25 min mixtape) would love your feedback as part of the AOTY community. Have a listen and all rating/reviews are welcomed <3 ty

links:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4wpfxtR8i5rDyRNpdsRZAw
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/album/in-shadows/1611457644
Tidal: https://listen.tidal.com/album/218028587

RiskR :3

yet, not now

DoubleZ

Yes I really liked this album, it is quite immediate but holds on the length, the songs are varied and the alchemy of the duo works wonderfully, few passages less interesting, mastered from start to finish
By the way you wrote a great review about it my friend! I understand why you gave it a 9 (:

okcomputer12127

What is your favorite album from each year, 2001-2021?

BodhisattyaPal

Helllo, namaste🙏🏻, loved your reviews and followed you. My 2nd conceptual EP 'Marine Affairs' has been just released and I will request you from my heart to check it once. I consists 4 songs (English majorly, with some tinge of hindi and Bengali in 2 track) and it will take only 8 minutes. I know you are busy enough but will be grateful if you review it on AOTY. Your review means a lot. It's a very novice attempt and I am learning, so I will request you to put a very honest review off course. Hope you are in safest of condition in this very hard times. If you do, it will make my day. Thanks in advance for your precious time. ✨🙏🏻
attaching the Spotify and AOTY link:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/25oRbU37c08FvTYbAhoRhI?si=rjGcGrEBRYu1erloZ-EeAw&utm_source=copy-link

AOTY: https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/362334-bodhisattya-pal-marine-affairs.php