One track I'm chain-smoking cigarettes in an old pub while drinking cheap whiskey, next I'm with my goons in the streets trying to find my next chunk of change, then I'm sitting in front of a campfire alone at night reminiscing over a lost love, then I feel like an evil wizard making skeletons dance and clean my tower, then I'm on a dusty trail as I'm riding in a dingy carriage at dusk on my way to Tombstone, Arizona. I could keep going.

One of the most interesting records I've heard. It's ... read more

After an intensely long procrastination and owning the vinyl for two years yet never spinning it once, I've finally listened to Two Hands to complete my listen of Big Thief's mainline albums. And I am kicking myself relentlessly for not experiencing this project because it's one of my favorites from them. It has a sort of blend of that earthy atmosphere of UFOF while bringing back some of the bite that Masterpiece and Capacity had, all combined with that signature element of melancholic beauty ... read more

Solid indie pop summer vibes. A lot of bands who are in this type of vibe area tend to sound pretty similar, and this album isn't necessarily an exception. But, it's still digestible and purely aesthetic and chill. Sort of like candy in a way. Sweet to taste but don't have too much of it at a time, or else you'll get sick of it.

This thing is a fucking BEHEMOTH. But, I think it was a worthwhile listen. The front half is much what you would expect from a slushwave album, just very slowed down and ambient. But in the second half, it gets super pristine and hypnagogic, almost like you’re floating in space or in a sort of purgatory. And I mess with it a lot, this could be the go to sleep album for me. The only drawback is that it really is long as fuck, so it makes it hard to point out any specific moments I enjoyed ... read more

Very slushy and heavy, which I really like, but it does feel a bit trope-y throughout the whole thing. Good background noise, and an interesting backdrop, but nothing too crazy. Even if I knew the RuneScape music that this was sampling, I probably wouldn’t be able to make it out with how slowed down and thick this thing is. But still, overall a good listen.

A bit better than 1, much more consistent and sort of easy listening. It's still very lo-fi, but never to the point where I wince or need to lower the volume like on the previous project. It's also a lot shorter, which is pretty much always a good thing if the music isn't engaging to make me want to stay for longer than an hour. One thing, however, is that some of the songwriting and overall concepts I don't enjoy as much as I do on 1, as well as not having many standout/memorable tracks other ... read more

I love a lot of the ideas that are presented on here, and some of the songs sound fine being so lo-fi, but it gets really grating sometimes. But I can look past it most of the time, it's just the loudness of some songs along with the very quiet vocals makes it hard to justify listening to this album multiple times. It's a good way to see that Will's songwriting was already pretty great from the start, but it just makes me reaallly wish that I would be hearing this redone with actually decent ... read more

At the moment, this is probably my favorite ambient-adjacent record so far. Every element and decision just fits so perfectly. It's almost as if I'm in a completely spaced out room of pure stars and artistry. It doesn't quite feel like isolation to me, but rather complete zen and focus. Like I'm sitting on the moon and just gazing on the Earth, completely at peace with myself and my entire existence. The soundscape may seem longing and emptiness, but you can also make out a distant feeling of ... read more

My most anticipated project from a rather draining and chaotic year. And honestly, this is another heartfelt, masterful story in Adrianne's vivid tapestry of work.

Bright Future is completely heartfelt and naked, but the addition of a few more friends allowed Adrianne to really flourish and come out of her shell on all of these tracks. The writing is sharp and colorful, while her singing remains as beautiful as ever. It's just so incredibly easy to get lost in this warm, little world that was ... read more

I’m turning to dust waiting for absolute PEAK to drop 😭

This would make a kickass Midwest emo album cover

I put off listening to this for so long because I knew I was going to like it no matter what. From the cover, to the genre tags, to the many wonderful reviews, I knew this was just gonna be a culmination of all the things that I love about certain types of music. Lo and behold, this album is gonna be one of my new obsessions. It has that awesome blend of shoegaze, IDM, indie rock and dream pop, that just makes this super unique experience. The whole thing is loud and in-your-face, but it never ... read more

go grandpa go

Again, Ka remains one of my favorite rappers, producers, and lyricists of all time. While the vibe and overall atmosphere is not as watertight and enveloping as Orpheus or Way of the Samurai, that may make the album much more nuanced and harder to chisel away at. Ka's pen game on Descendants of Cain is probably my favorite from any of his projects so far, it is raw with honesty and regrets for the things he has done and the way he was brought up. The references to Christianity and allusions to ... read more

By Track 3, Prince had quite literally fucked my eardrums. And then he proceeds to jack me off at the end. Solid album though.

-10 points for the inclusion of Sister, it’s like when the power goes out in FNAF and I just have to sit there and endure it

My feelings aren't strong on this project, because it doesn't give me enough to care about it that strongly. It's not bad necessarily, I can see the vision. But it's so low-key that I'm in this sort of limbo until the album is over.

Some tracks may meander a bit, but I love the overall vibe. I’m all for this new sound of pop that’s a bit more electronically influenced, or something akin to being more “online.” I feel like Pinkpantheress is somebody who’s gonna usher in a new sound and I’m a fan of it. The dream collab would probably be with NewJeans. A lot of the tracks here kind of reminded me of the production they are doing right now, and I think that would be a match made in heaven. ... read more

I went in thinking that nothing could top Heaven or Las Vegas, but damn does this come so close for me! Treasure is a lot more gothic and icy compared to later Cocteau Twins stuff, but that just adds to the ethereal and surreal nature of their music. Again, just like my thoughts on Heaven or Las Vegas, I would feel like the coolest motherfucker if I was into Cocteau Twins in the 80;s and 90's. The only thing that holds this project back when compared to my favorite CT album is that the melodies ... read more

Honestly, this was a super passive listen, I was playing American Truck Simulator while listening to this. I have no clue who The Mountain Goats are, I know their most popular album The Sunset Tree, but that's it. This to me is like listening to a local band as they play in like some random restaurant you're eating at, and it's honestly super chill and fun. This is a great driving album, just driving on the freeway and trying to have a fun time.

Top Three: Clean Slate, Murder at the 18th St. ... read more