🔴 So Far Away
🟢 The other 10 tracks

A solid, well-built album that goes into a few territories I wouldn't expect from him while executing well the styles he's best known for. Several of the vocal performances nail the emotion of their respective tracks, and the whole project feels cohesive and motivated. Despite a weak spot here and there, Seven Lions hits with this one!

Favorite: Breathe It Out Slowly
Least Favorite: Delusional

Once again, oncor delivers some nice vibes with a quick EP. His dense atmospheres make for a satisfying listen, which tends to be the case with this alias.

Favorite: fall back
Least Favorite: find yourself again

A wonderfully wacky seamless journey full of bass-face worthy sound design and dance-worthy grooves that serve the eerie and intriguing atmosphere well. The seamless feel of a project works best when the songs carry their weight and make sense going into each other. This album executes it stellarly. Big props to Undulae!

A solid collection of tracks that have some interesting ideas, but struggle to stand out above some cheesy lyrics and lackluster instrumental choices. Despite its flaws, though, it’s a fun time, especially if you share his worldview.

Favorite: HIGHLY FAVORED
Least Favorite: PRAY MORE

Starts out fun and carefree, then becomes a deeply emotive and heartbreaking project. And the further it goes, as it gets more emotive, the better the music gets. Asher’s cathartic synth walls combine with his strong vocal performances to craft a too-well-known story of unrequited love and heartbreak. Despite one song falling pretty weak, this EP is a strong endeavor that made me a fan of his immediately.

Favorite: hard to breathe
Least Favorite: that’s cap

🔴 Whirlwind Summer, Angry All The Time, The Worst Part About Me, Bending, What’s Broken
🟢 The other 6 tracks

I’ve always enjoyed this album despite its flaws. Sure, it starts out sounding pretty repetitive and monotone, even empty when it scales back the energy, and some of the screams seem less like raw outpourings of emotion and more like moments of, “okay I want to scream now”. But when he does branch into different melodies, appropriate screams, and emotional ... read more

Although the first track is quite strong and the last track is at least alright for background listening, the EP routinely sets up promising ideas then ditches them in favor of mediocre forms of what's expected from D&F. That's an okay way to serve fans what they would want out of a comeback, but it doesn't make for a strong EP. I would really have loved to see what could come out of that garage section or those future bass sections of "I'm Reasonably Priced" ... read more

🔴 Look To Windward, Past Self, Provider
🟡 Gethsemane
🟢 The other 6 tracks

I get why people wouldn’t like this one, but it’s not bad. Despite a couple questionable metal switchups and key changes, it’s a well-produced record with a couple beautiful and unique moments hidden in plain sight. The writing is poetic, despite the straightforward vocal style not doing it much justice at times. The songs don’t feel as long as they actually run, and the album flows well. ... read more

Groovy, funky, suave, atmospheric disco pop that carries consistent energy throughout the project. Some introspective, although slightly trite, lyricism underscores some satisfying and even dynamic instrumentals, while complementing some smooth Tame-Impala-esque vocals that work well for the vibe. Real solid project that makes Sam Gellaitry an artist to watch for me.

Favorite: YOU MIGHT FIND THE ONE
Least Favorite: LIGHTNING

🔴 Stolen
🟡 Heavenly, Ur So… (Beautiful), Together Again
🟢 The other 8 tracks

Solid entry from Said The Sky. It could have benefited from some more halftime sections, which would have driven home the emotion more, but it’s quite good for what it is! The features write and perform well on this project, and STS complements them well. There are also a few gorgeous arps and string sections that earn it some points. Not a whole lot to write home about, but I was satisfied with ... read more

This is a bit of a difficult project to rate. Tracks 2 and 4 are absolute bangers. Track 1 is also a banger, albeit a little less so. But track 3 is a real blemish on the EP; I don’t know what they were cooking with those uninspiring rhythms and questionable melodic/heavy mixes. Other than that one track, it’s a fun EP with some real density for the time.

Favorite: Dreaming
Least Favorite: Secret Weapon

🔴 MONDAY, THAT'S WHY, THE GREAT BAKUNAWA
🟢 The other 11 tracks

For fear of being too intimidated by the sheer scope of this project to write a review upon further listens, I'll tackle this one having just finished my very first listen. And wow, what a wild album! This was my first experience with Quadeca, and I'm getting the impression that this project is a different direction from his norms. It's groovy at times, feelsy at other times, epic at other times, acoustic ... read more

Although his projects tend to feel more like a sound design session than an internally cohesive project, Vorso’s sound design is insane and supremely respectable. It’s always fun to hear what he has up his sleeve, and this EP gives it to the listener in even greater measure than its predecessor, CORE. I like this one a little more, as it has a little more meat to it; yet another fun project from Vorso!

Favorite: Geoid
Least Favorite: Fizzbuzz

🔴 Push You to the Side, Spin the Bottle
🟢 The other 4 tracks

A real solid debut for this rising singer-songwriter. You can tell he’s thought deeply about every topic he covers here, and his melody-writing complements the lyricism well. The instrumentals aren’t groundbreaking, but they set the vibe quite well. This project does exactly what it’s supposed to: serve as an introduction to the person that goes deep while still leaving the listener wanting more.

Favorite: ... read more

🔴 Magic, NightsNightsNights
🟢 The other 5 tracks

Although this feels to me like his weakest project in several years, Circles EP still has hints of that lyrical and musical flair I would expect from Xorro. There's even a number of tempo/genre switchups within songs that keep the entry dynamic and progressive. Even so, much of the EP leans into more minimal territory, and I find Xorro's ventures into more dense, atmospheric instrumentals more effective and enjoyable. For that ... read more

A collection of pretty good Drinks On Me tracks that don't veer too far from the style I'd expect. Not as ambitious as his Freedom EP (not sure why *that* wasn't considered his debut album but eh), and that kind of works to its detriment. Even so, this is a fine entry for those who need a quick fix of Drinks On Me.

Favorite: Love Just
Least Favorite: About U

Although it has that tight Tennyson percussion and overall charm I've come to know and love, this album is a bit of a puzzler. Some of the dissonant melodies here just don't work, and some track progressions are real strange, but not in much of an intriguing way. Even so, there are some cool ideas here, and overall it's hard for Tennyson to make an unpleasant listening experience. So pretty alright, but I'd probably just stick with either Dolphin or the latest Leslie ... read more

🔴 Sport, All Up
🟡 Nice Dream, At The World's End
🟢 The other 2 tracks

A poetically written shoegaze EP that struggles to do itself justice with the crowded mix. Even so, it's a real nice vibe, even dipping into some cool EDM territory in "All Up". It also ends quite strongly and impactfully. Well worth the Modern Art release.

Favorite: At The World's End
Least Favorite: Sport

A cool sampler of a new direction for NF. More melodic than normal, NF serves up a more low-key project that gets even more introspective and self-aware than normal. With occasional jumpscares of layered vocals, he gives a faint hit of narrative that serves the theme of the album well, this time demonstrating fewer demons and more just innocent worries. If this is a step in a new direction for him, I’m real interested to see how it develops.

Favorite: HOME
Least Favorite: WHO I WAS

Although it lacks the in-your-face quality and world-spanning variety that made Mechanomorphic so great, this is an extremely consistent project that's great for vibing out to. It applies the depth of his sound design and the tightness of his rhythms to a more low-key sound that really works. Although there were few standout moments, there were very few weak spots. This album is just real good, front to back.

Favorite: Pentimento
Least Favorite: Sporidium