Well, I had no clue what to expect given that critic/user score discrepancy but I kept an open mind. And, uh, I think it's great. The Irish accent is kind of musical by default so I vastly prefer it to most other accents for this kind of thing. Once you settle into the album you get used to Conor McGregor growling in your ear. The subject matter of the lyrics is deep and cuts deeper with each listen. If you've struggled with loss and trauma before some of it will hit you like a ton of ... read more

This style of pop R&B is going to die out very soon. It's reached market saturation levels equal to adult-contemporary in the 90s, and we all know how quickly those seemed to drop off the face of the earth. This is so bland it's grating.

3 Favorite Tracks:
N/A

I gave the special a 5/5 on Letterboxd but, for me, the visuals are an even more integral part of the special than the music. These songs work well in context, but I rarely listen to them without watching the video as well ("Goodbye" being the one exception).

3 Favorite Tracks:
Goodbye
Welcome to the Internet
30

I haven't listened to much Lana and idk if this is a good entry point to her catalogue, but I thought it was pretty good. "White Dress" is a brilliant opening track (despite the sound of someone hitting a Juul in the middle) and it really raised my expectations for the rest of the album, but unfortunately it turned out to be the biggest highlight for me. The singles are the worst tracks on here with how repetitive they are. "Dark But Just A Game" Is another highlight with ... read more

A tale of two discs. With the exception of "MAZZA", disc 1 was very underwhelming and full of generic trap cuts. Disc 2 on the other hand was a breath of fresh hair with it's chilled out beats and deeper subject matter. I could honestly leave it on all day. It would have easily gotten an 80+ if judged alone.

3 Favorites:
feel away
MAZZA
i tried

This is straight up critic bait. Art pop is kind of a funny genre because if albums don't get enough praise they end up getting reassigned to a new genre. As if art pop can only ever be good. The instrumentation on this is needlessly dense, so much so that songs seem to meander aimlessly especially in the beginning. Then in the second half, the track-list does a 180 and becomes too simple melodically. I mean "Separated" sounds like a Celine Dion song and it drives me nuts.

3 ... read more

I went into this completely blind and enjoyed it quite a bit, especially the first half. This is the kind of record I'd listen to sitting in an airport terminal, staring out at the tarmac, and waiting for a new chapter of my life to begin. I have no clue what the lyrics are but this sounded more optimistic and inspirational than most other shoegaze (that I've heard). Is it the most innovative record? No, and I wouldn't blame anyone for saying its a bit been-there-done-that. This is especially ... read more

This has been my introduction to Nick Cave, which I'm not sure was the best idea. I've been told it's a grower, but it's certainly taking a long time to grow. Unpopular opinion but I can't say I'm a huge fan of his voice, which is kind of make-or-break with this kind of album.

3 Favorite Tracks:
Carnage
Albuquerque
-

I don't listen to a ton of post-punk, but I really enjoyed this. It tails off in the second half but there's plenty of stuff here I'd come back to.

3 Favorite Tracks:
Alphabet
Snow Day
Nigel Hitter

I'd be lying if I said I didn't expect more, but it's still feel-good music suitable for a lazy Sunday at home. It's pretty much lo-fi hip hop radio instrumentals with mid-2000s R&B vocals. Imagine "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae but less catchy. The singles are great, but the rest of the album feels fairly run-of-the-mill.

3 Favorite Tracks:
Black Dog
Caroline
Hurt

And with that, I'm done the Big 3. Funnily enough, each of them sounded vastly different from one another. No wonder why people have such a hard time with shoegaze taxonomy. This was probably the least shoegazy but I didn't think it detracted from it much. If anything, the undistorted drums added a lot of personality to it. At 1 hour and 12 minutes long it's also the longest of the three, and I definitely see places where they could have cut some fat.

3 Favorite ... read more

Having a hard time getting into this one after Loveless. It just doesn't have that "drown out your thoughts" level of noise. It's still very pretty. Still dreamy and ethereal, but not as sticky. Maybe the rating will change over time.

3 Favorite Tracks:
Souvlaki Space Station
Alison
Machine Gun

Madlib's a legend but I hadn't really heard any of his solo work until now. Sound Ancestor's is a really chill and pleasant listen all the way through. Pretty much all of the tracks clock in below the 3 minute mark and I think that's a good move. Even when a song gets too experimental and starts to meander it generally ends before overstaying its welcome. Madlib's signature groovy soul & funk samples are still here, but there are also many electronic elements that give Sound Ancestors its ... read more

3 Favorite Tracks:
Introvert
Two Worlds Apart
Fear No Man

I put off listening to this for so long because I didn't like the name of the band. I'm such an idiot. I usually listen to albums at least 3 times before I decide on a rating, but I knew this would be >90 halfway through my first listen. Just incredible. Gonna be diving headfirst into shoegaze now.

3 Favorite Tracks:
Only Shallow
I Only Said
Come In Alone

Azadi is a very interesting mix of Pakistani folk music and jangly post-punk guitars. Junoon have sometimes been described as Pakistan's U2 and it's not hard to see why. The best songs on this record are practically begging to be blasted at music festivals. Despite the over-the-top 80s hard-rock guitar solos found on most of the tracks, the persistent percussion from the tabla makes this album sound distinctly South Asian from beginning to end: a genre some have termed "Sufi Rock". ... read more

Fresh off my 4th attempt in 5 years at finally "getting" this album. I still can't. Evidently I'm missing something given the universal acclaim but I just find it kinda boring, especially the second half. Maybe it's because I don't like Paul Banks' vocals.

3 Favorite Tracks:
Untitled
Obstacle 1
NYC

3 Favorite Tracks:
Cherub Rock
Mayonaise
Hummer

3 Favorite Tracks:
What Goes On
The Murder Mystery
Jesus

This was the first post-rock album I ever listened to and I remember really loving it, but on relisten 6+ years later it's a little underwhelming. Not bad, just doesn't live up to the memory. Highlights include "Your Hand In Mine" and "Six Days At the Bottom of the Ocean".