A lot of the charm comes from the first leg of this album, but after that it really is a big mess. I do like some of the ideas happening on most of the tracks, like the vocoder intro on *Flower Moon*, the lyrics of probability on *Rich Man*, and the production on the closing track, but too many things don't really pan out for the band songwriting wise for a lot of the time. Sometimes a song has a great hook with energetic instrumentals and performances like *Harmony Hall*, then sometimes ... read more

Beautifully done. I really love how cozy and warm this album sounds. The lyrical imagery, the chamber instrumentation, and the delicate production really sets you in the vast forests of the midwest. The performances are reposeful and bright, really creating a tranquil atmosphere. Honestly, if tracks 10 - 13 were cut, I think this would've been perfect for me.

Favorite Tracks: Flint (For the Unemployed and Underpaid), "All Good Naysayers, Speak Up! or Forever Hold Your Peace!", ... read more

Some stellar tracks from the trio with excellent performances, songwriting, and production. Whether when the girls are beautifully harmonizing with one another or individually introducing themselves with such a grand and exciting appearance, they really know how to work well with each other to deliver an emotional and atmospheric experience.

My biggest complaint is just that for most of the record it doesn't really feel like a supergroup coming together to create a new musical ... read more

On Death Cab's latest release, the band puts out their most engaging and interesting record in over a decade. I wasn't much a fan of their last two studio releases, as I found much of it to be just very stale and bland, so I'm glad that the band is trying out some new things on here that they've never really explored too much. Whether that be the lofi and fuzzy palettes of *I Don't Know How I Survive*, *Roman Candles*, and *I'll Never Give Up On You*, or *Foxglove ... read more

Depeche Mode's most commanding and darkest record up to this point. Even after Violator, the band is still able to produce some of the most catchiest and exciting tracks yet. While the instrumentation and atmosphere surrounding this album are stunning and bleak, the vocals are some of the best I've heard from the band. Really digging deep into their emotions and bringing out some raw and aggressive performances. The concepts they have going on around faith, devotion, and Christianity ... read more

All the problems of Kintsugi, but more formulaic with a severe lack of color or texture. I'm sorry, this record really wasn't for me. It just feels like Death Cab playing dad rock. No hints that this band was capable of tracks like Transatlanticism, What Sarah Said, or I Will Possess Your Heart. Every re-listen was just as boring as the last. I really hope things get better from here.

Favorite Tracks: I Dreamt We Spoke Again, When We Drive

Least Favorite Track: You Moved Away

A very solid pop record from Polachek. It's very whimsical, grand, and euphoric without being too overblown or squeaky clean. I really love the "non-traditional" elements layered across the whole album. It's really those pieces that really give this record a lot of character and color. The singing is just amazing all across the board. It's especially magical when Polachek really reaches high in her falsetto. I do think the album falters in its pacing right when the ... read more

Admittedly a weird place to start the Deerhunter catalogue, but it was the only CD the store had from them at the time, so here we are. I generally thought that the tunes on here were fine, sharp, and punchy. The record isn't as cohesive as I thought it would be, as I really believed it was going to heavily indulge itself with its noisier aspects, but you really only see this on tracks like *Leather Jacket II* and *Monomania*. While they aren't really my favorites, I do appreciate ... read more

While I still appreciate Ben's writing, the music behind it is too weak to hold it up. This is by far their dullest album in a while, and the instrumentation and songwriting shows that as it is uninspiring and devoid of what makes Death Cab themselves. There's mostly no ambition to be found in these tracks, just playing it as safe as possible with the most cheesiest production they've come to produce so far. The album is by no means bad, I wouldn't even say boring, but just ... read more

Upon first listen, I was pretty intrigued by the production and songwriting choices made everywhere, as it kinda made for an exciting experience. However, with each return to the album, I just find myself dreading getting through the album, especially its final leg. In my opinion, this record is just bogged down with way too many ideas of which barely any are even that fleshed out. The tracks at hand just feel bare and raw, and while they may be the sort of feeling Blake might be trying to ... read more

I thought this album was good, but personally, it sounds a bit too dated to me. While I do enjoy the noisy guitars paired with the dreamy and luscious soundscapes, it doesn't really do anything that I haven't heard before. In fact, there are multiple bands around this same time that take the same ideas presented here and actually expand them on a much more enchanting degree. So yes, the album is fine and has some heartfelt tracks, but it's not a record I see myself preferring ... read more

Honestly, not feeling this album at all. I feel like I've already heard the band do these songs in different variations, and there's nothing unique about these versions. Sure, it has its killer moments, specifically *Nothing But Heart*, but most of it is just boring and generic for me. Even some of the sections that are supposed to be momentous just fall flat for me, as the songwriting is uninteresting as I'm neither invested in the build-ups or what conclusion they lead to. No ... read more

A very weak first set of tracks, but picks it up in the second leg. Not much to derive from this album, as it definitely lacks a lot of depth that we would see in future records. The raw textures isn't nearly as exciting as the songwriting suffers the most in this project, just being too sporadic and generic at times. Quite a boring listen, but it does have some charming songs.

Favorite Tracks: Bored, Root, 7 Words, Birthmark, Engine No. 9

Least Favorite Track: One Weak

Honestly, not bad of a release. With every album past Transatlanticism, it seems the band is getting more and more in touch with their accessibility of sound to the "mainstream", but hey, this is definitely one of their most catchiest albums yet. In fact, I don't really think there's a glaringly bad song on this project, as they're all a very fun listen. It may be a bit more casual than their older stuff, but it's not terrible. I will say that I do notice that ... read more

Bon Iver really manages to do something very unique and beautiful for every album they put out, and this time it's about being happy. Jokes aside, the group decides to stay a little bit more conventional in terms of songwriting and production with a large scoop of Soulful influences, and the end product turns out really great. The instrumentals are crisp and warm, the atmosphere is soothing, and the performances are undeniably uplifting, which I believe is a huge theme for this record. ... read more

Unfortunately, Soccer Mommy seems to play it too safe this time around for me. The singles are good, but there's not much else past them. A lot of the songs sound very interchangeable and don't really evolve past its chorus. Add in the fact that most of the tracks move at a patient pace, it generally makes for a boring listen. The production is great and the vocals and singing performance has definitely improved from previous projects, but this album is really missing a lot of ... read more

A spectacular and incredible live album from Parannoul. Honestly not much to say, but It's really cool to see some of my favorite tracks getting live performances. I think it's especially interesting to see songs from To See The Next Part of The Dream get translated here, as the sonic differences between the live and studio versions are definitely something to tune in for. I really liked the live version of *아날로그 센티멘탈리즘 (Analog Sentimentalism)* in particular, as ... read more

Parannoul leans heavily into their distorted and saturated textures for this record while also applying a more simpler approach to songwriting when compared to its predecessor. This doesn't necessarily hurt the album at all, in fact, I really love the heavy distortion plastered around everything, as it gives it a very overwhelming and thunderous aesthetic. As for the songwriting, I don't mind that it's not as complex as After The Magic, as I feel a lot of these tracks benefit ... read more

Beautiful music, lyrics, performances, and textures from front to back. Very powerful listen that evokes a lot of emotional feelings.

Favorite Tracks: all

Past the singles and a few other tracks, this album doesn't really sit well for me. It doesn't hold up well in today's age, as a lot of it just sounds like generic pop punk from the 2000's. No really memorable melodies, but sometimes the performances are a bit exciting, even if they are theatrical at times. *Ghost Man On Third* almost makes it to my favorites, but I just can't get past that large scream during the chorus, just really out of the blue and doesn't ... read more