Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk
88

First of all, this album sounds incredible, the production is great, and sounds super pop-y and synth-y. The entire album has a groove to it that feels impossible not to at least smile at. It took me some time to get into this album, the first couple of songs honestly felt a bit generic and I was failing to see the appeal of them, but I was pretty onboard with what the album was going for by the end of it. Probably worth re-listening to this album to get a greater appreciation for it.

2nd ... read more

Melt-Banana - 3 + 5
83

Even 11 years after their previous album, these guys sound as energetic as ever. The production sounds a lot more digital and experimental than before, it sounds like an evolution of their sound. The singing doesn't mind me as much now since I've gotten more used to it, and I think it adds greatly to the manic feeling of this album. Really interested in seeing these guys earlier music, because I don't know how you can make music like this for 30 years.

Fontaines D.C. - Romance
78

The only song I had heard from the group before this was Starburster, so this album was a lot slower than what I was expecting, I appreciate the different styles the group are going for here, keeping a consistent sound and atmosphere throughout. This album takes indie rock conventions from about 15 years ago, and putting their own spin on it, for the most part, it succeeds in trying this, even if a couple songs feel like they never go anywhere.

Marisa Anderson - Still, Here
85

Marisa Anderson is a master in making these very roots-y soundscapes, and this is no exception. Here, compared to the other albums I've heard from her, she has implemented more than just a guitar, there are now pianos and harmonicas to be found, and it gives the album a lot more depth. I felt myself getting lost in this world that the album created, and that's not something many artists can do.

Liniker - CAJU
83

Saw this reach the top 5 albums of the year out of nowhere and it peaked my interest. This album captures the summer vibe immaculately, even with all the different music styles attempted here. I hadn't heard of Liniker before this, and I'm not sure how big she is in Brazil, but it's clear that she works on several musical styles. Even with the longer tracks, the album never drags or gets boring.

OutKast - Ms. Jackson
100

One of the few songs I feel comfortable saying is a perfect 100, it's a classic for a reason.

Isaiah Rashad - The Sun's Tirade
60

Every single song in here is perfectly fine and inoffensive, the production, writing, and rapping are all standard stuff, nothing bad, but nothing all that reaches anything great. The album is also a little too long for how little new ideas it introduces throughout.

Standing On The Corner - Standing On The Corner
75

This is certainly a unique listen, and it's unsurprising that Slauson Malone worked on this. This album is very impressive from a technical standpoint, the way different styles and sounds are mixed together to create something completely unique is great. I also thought that the somewhat strained vocals on a few of these tracks added a lot to the album as a whole, I have no idea if they're original vocals, or taken from somewhere else, but either way they work with the album.

Marty Robbins - Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs
90

There is an undeniable charm that is found with this album, it might be the age of this album, but I found the whole thing really cozy and warm, like I'm listening to a bunch of old campfire stories. In a way, this album is timeless, a perfect snapshot of a way of life for many people at some point in time. Any complaint I may have with this album is completely undone with how fun I think this thing is to listen to.

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
64

The good song son here are REALLY good, and have stood the test of time over 15 years later. That being said, a lot of the stuff here, especially on the latter half of the album, is kinda forgettable and generic.

91

Since I'm seeing this guy live soon, I was interested in how different this is from black midi's stuff. This song has a lot of the frantic energy on a lot of black midi's stuff, but it's clear that Greep is doing his own thing here. This also feels a lot longer than 6 minutes, which isn't a bad thing considering how much is going on in this song.

Acromanic - SPREAD MY WINGS
86

Thank you to @jjen for showing me your song. This is really good! The vocals have this really digital effect on them, and I like how it sounds like it becomes part of the production itself at some points. The production is also really good, it's really digital, and it goes with the vocals really well. My only real gripe I have with this is that there's a moment towards the end where the vocals become a little too loud and overbearing, but that only really lasts for 2 or 3 seconds, and ... read more

파란노을 [Parannoul] - Sky Hundred
74

I thought the production was great, and the writing was incredibly striking, it just didn't blow me away in the way I was expecting.

Mobb Deep - The Infamous
97

I've been listening to some 90s hip hop recently, and this is probably the best album I've heard so far from that decade. Every single line is hard, and is written with very harsh honesty, this album is a lot darker than what I was expecting, it really seems they are writing straight from the heart with these songs. Every single song is substantial and feels like they're talking about different moments in their life, especially considering the various interludes. The production ... read more

Jack White - No Name
78

This sounds like it could have been made at any point in the last 20 years and it wouldn't look out of place. Jack White's performance is as energetic as ever.

Radiohead - The Bends
73

Radiohead still have some of that angst they had in Pablo Honey, but it's clear that they're trying to move into a slightly more pop centered sound, and this album succeeds for the most part in bridging the gap between the two sounds. I'm not as in love with this album as other people seem to be, and that might be down to my inexperience with alternative music from this era, so I'm still not sure what works for me and what doesn't with this sound. I've noticed that ... read more

A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
89

This is an upgrade from their previous album in every single way, the writing is tighter, the flows and rhymes are better, and the production is great. Every single member has great chemistry with each other, and as expected with Tribe, the ideas discussed in their songs are insanely creative and unique. It's interesting to see how they go around something like getting a "Skypager", and how cool they think the thing is. They've carved out a distinct sound in early 90s hip ... read more

Evanora Unlimited - Perfect Answer
49

While I do appreciate the ambition this album has, a lot of it just fall flat for me, and the whole album just ended up being pretty unpleasant to listen to.

Night Tapes - assisted memories
84

This is a good dream pop EP that creates these incredible soundscapes. The atmosphere created with many of these tracks are incredible, and is probably helped by the fact that I'm writing this at close to 11 at night and I'm tired, so each song is a lot more impactful.

Aler Himself - Anything Helps No Drugs
68

This is a pretty solid hip hop album, there isn't much this album is doing that other albums haven't done before. The use of sampling in the production is really well done, especially considering this is seemingly their first album. The rapping is decent, although the more singing focused portions of the album fall a little more flat for me. The writing here is also really good, and works well with the concept, which is also really good, it's probably the most unique thing about ... read more

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