ghost

Although he's a friend, he has also grown to be one of my favorite artists. That is in large part thanks to this album.

Strength: Theming
Sam managed to bring so many aspects of this theme of the mind together: the pursuit of truth, the affliction of lies, the effect of thoughts on actions etc. He uses both the music (e.g. via motifs) and lyrics (e.g. via cross-references) to communicate the message. It is very cool and well-executed.

Strength: Lyricism
Sam juggles lofty thoughts and down-to-earth reflections to lead the listener through a relatable thought process. He complements all this with top-notch EDM and pop production. Through all this, his lyricism shines at the level of my longer-standing favorite songwriters.

EDIT: 100 —> 95
The only reason I move this down is that it has become less of a personal album to me over the years. Still a gripping story told with the highest of excellence, and still ending with the best spoken word explanation of the Gospel I’ve ever heard. But as more albums come out and I revisit older ones, my ratings are bound to level out, and I’m bound to make 100 more and more of an exclusive rating.