Thanks to @Astroma for sending me your album!
It reminds me a lot of elucid's "Intefernece Pattern" in how it incorporates ambient music into hip hop. Honestly probably my hip hop AOTY so far. The fact that this is entirely self-produced is insane, because this is some of the most unique production I've heard on a hip hop album in a while. Each song flowed so well into the next, the completely ambient songs fit really well with the more rap-focused songs. If I were to have ... read more

I'm so happy that Doechii is getting the recognition she deserves without sacrificing anything that made her so interesting to listen to in the first place. This is such a great victory lap of a song and is a perfect example of how Doechii is one of the most exciting figures in rap music.

A really great hidden gem here. The production felt like it borrowed a lot from the early internet era in terms of its aesthetic and general sound. All the layers of production here can sometimes completely drown out every other aspect of the album, which sounds like a complaint, but it's not. It's done really tastefully here and leads to some great musical moments where it almost sounds the Harlin Cope is drowning in the production itself. I didn't like vocals at first, I ... read more

It's a pretty sounding ambient album, that uses samples in a pretty effective way, that adds to the atmosphere of the album, but I didn't find it to be the most interesting thing in the world. Plus I think it ended a little abruptly.

MIKE's been an interesting artist to me, everything I've heard from him so far has been incredibly mediocre, his projects have always had the components of a great album, but they never capitalized on it.
This however, is probably the closest his music has come to truly clicking with me. I still don't love his rapping at points here, but I think it compliments the production a lot better. I think the production itself has also seen somewhat of an improvement, the different ... read more

I really like how overwhelming the production gets at points. The distorted drums and guitars, the echoey vocals and the electronic aspects all create this pretty unique and hypnotic soundscape, it sounds exactly how the cover art looks, dark. Also, the build-up and climax on "Resistance" was so satisfying to listen to. Pretty underrated album if I'm being honest.

This is an album that takes it's time to build up and create a very emotional atmosphere. While that does sometimes lead the album to drag a little bit, it also leads to some great payoffs, where the singing goes from quiet and low-key, to powerful and taking over every other aspect of the album.

It's really impressive on a technical level, sounds of indie rock, jazz, ambience, pop, all come together pretty naturally and it makes for some glorious pieces of music. Doyle has a really good singing voice that lends itself well to these different genres. There were moments where it fell into background noise, and became a little dull.

Perfume Genius is such a phenomenal singer, his vocal range, going from tender and high-pitched on "Jason" to talk-singing in a Jamie Stewart-esque way on "Leave". I'm don't know how this compares to his other albums in terms of its experimentation, but I will say that the production here has a certain atmosphere quality to it that I can't quite put my finger on. I'm not quite sure what it is about the album that gives me that feeling, perhaps it's ... read more

Considering the only Tom Waits album I've listened to before this is "Bone Machine", this is such a normal album in comparison. Waits had yet to develop his gravelly singing voice that he would become known for, and the atmosphere doesn't have this absurdist feel to it. Something that's stayed consistent though is the quiet, somber feel that the writing has. Tom Waits really sounds like he's pouring his heart out on these songs, and I think there's something ... read more

There is such an massive amount of beauty and grandiose feel to be found in this album. The orchestra here works really well as a backdrop to the comparatively subtle sounding pop elements, while also having moments to breathe on its own. This album has aged surprisingly well in terms of its production and just how everything comes together so well.

Thanks to @Notyep for showing me your album.
This is probably the best the production here on any of your projects in terms of how it compliments the rapping and singing. Even with the different musical styles, it all comes together to create a pretty cohesive album. That being said, the rapping and singing itself could be better, and I don't think it has the same highs as your EP from earlier this year. Still looking forward to any new music from you

Thanks @BreyDT for recommending me your album.
As a single cohesive project, I think this album falls flat a little bit, but as a collection of guitar instrumentals, I think it's pretty decent, even if I do think some moments feel harsh on the ears.

There are moments where the performance, production, and writing all come together to create some great pieces of music, but they unfortunately don't come around to often. Most of the time, I found Shygirl's writing to be a bit too on the nose, which I suppose is the point for an album like this, but I just couldn't get into it.

As you would expect from Backxwash, this is a powerful and intense record from beginning to end. If anything, I wish it leant more into the noisier elements that were seen on songs like the title track, because that's when I think the album is at its best.

It sounds like a combination of her two previous albums, with a larger focus on being high energy and fun. I also think this is by far the weakest Minnie Riperton album so far, but given the circumstances she was in at the time, it's not something I really hold against her. This just felt like the least interesting album of hers to listen to, even though there are things like her singing which are still incredible.

This is just some good atmospheric DnB, though I wish it leant a bit more into the PS1 aesthetic that the cover art suggests.

I think the best way to experience this album is to imagine you're a hip hop fan in 1987, because this really was a landmark record in the genre's history. Rakim's rapping here feels so effortless, yet at the same time everything he says feels so intricate. Eric B's production has this timeless quality to it, which speaks to its influence on hip hop. I'm personally not usually a huge fan of a lot of turntable aspects in hip hop songs, I think it usually kills a lot of ... read more

This album presents a couple of cool ideas, but it rarely comes together to make anything of note.

Thanks @LisbonBih for sending me your song!
The singing here is incredible, it feels like a big upgrade from your previous song (Which was already great). I also like the old time- y feel that some moments of the song had, like I could see some parts being played on a radio in the 40s. The subdued guitar playing is really easy on the ears, and makes for a great backdrop to your vocals. Probably your best song so far, and honestly, one of my favourite songs of the year so far.