I remember when this album won some kind of fan-voted chart in the EARLY days of Spotify, and much was made of the fact that it was an independent release. Listening back to the songs reflecting on that theme (Ten Thousand Hours, Make the Money, Jimmy Iovine), they hit a little more as someone who's also now an independent recording artist.

There's lots of thematic, PSA type songs here (Same Love, Neon Cathedral, Wing$, Starting Over) and whether they come across as meaningful or ... read more

I grew up with The Rocket Summer, and this is the album he was touring when I first discovered him. I distinctly remember watching him at a festival opening for Switchfoot (and then, I think, at another Switchfoot show that year), and it was the first time I'd ever seen someone really playing rock piano. Standing up, banging on the keys, singing, in a particular way that none of the bands I'd seen had done (I grew up sheltered listening only to Christian music, but I digress).

I ... read more

Oh Waitress 😭

This album is associated with a very funny "oh I'm silly" story for me...When I first saw that Sara had a new album out, I had no idea that she had written a musical. I LOVED (and still love) The Blessed Unrest from her, but hadn't kept up enough to know what she had been up to since.

So when this album came out, I listened to it online, noting how different the sound was, but not playing close attention to it on the first listen. Very shortly after, my ... read more

Such a fun refreshing sound. I could listen to those harmonies all day; they really shine on the softer songs, but the upbeat songs have a really catchy sing-along vibe too (If I'm Honest, Sometimes, Point Your Finger, Go There). If You're Hurting sounds and feels like a beautiful hymn. Overall relies heavily on the power of a good hook, but there's some really endearing songwriting here too.

Unironically a pretty solid trans punk record. Some of the mixing and production (especially on the vocal arrangements) feel a bit messy, or just don't connect with me personally, but the songs themselves have all the rage, raw emotion, and politics that you want from a record like this.

Adam's Apple is a highlight. The sing-along on Butterfly and the concept of 27 Club are two examples of good songs hindered by an unfinished sound (at times the vocal mixing sounds really forward ... read more

Oddly enough, I like all the songs Mikky Ekko has a writing credit on, and Leave Me Alone, but a lot of the songs feel generic and expected in a way that doesn't let Reneé shine like I know she can. She has a phenomenal voice and incredibly charismatic personality/brand, but the songs themselves aren't helping her stand out in this particular venture. Love her though and there's some really fun moments here!

An album that's high-energy, genre-fluid, Gaga-esque theatrical, AND at the heart is about healing your inner child as a queer woman from an immigrant family? cries. Send My Love to John ruined me, thanks. Frankenstein and This Hell are two of the most underrated bops of this decade so far.

Some reviews take issue with how seemingly erratic the production is, floating between genres and incorporating references to every major pop legend, but I personally felt that multiplicity worked ... read more

One of my favorite records of all time. It has a tongue-in-cheek kind of introspection that is deeply confessional and emotionally yet still doesn't take itself too seriously. The tracklist flows really nicely as well; Doorknob Confessional serves as a great thesis statement. Other standouts include Good Reason, BYOB, and the Dan Campbell-assisted Team Sports.