Last of the three new Drake records leaves a predictable impression. The R&B flavoured HABIBTI is absolutely nothing new in the realm of Drake's music, as this record pretty much consists of C to D-tier R&B tunes from the Canadian. Although not as annoying and ridiculous as MAID OF HONOUR, it still leaves an incredibly underwhelmed and unsatisfied impression from me, and many others I can imagine.

This is the lowest rated album from me for a quite a while. I knew I would be in for a rough listen when I saw the low user score, but MAID OF HONOUR still exceeded my expectations - expectations of low quality. These songs are so boring, insignificant, all over the place and laughable. Key word being laughable, as there are countless detours here that make for some of the most embarrassing moments in Drake's discography. Surely Drake can't release anything worse and messier than this.

A fairly typical but not entirely boring Drake album. The Canadian rapper expresses some confidence and energy on a fair amount of these songs, as while these songs are his typical style there fortunately isn't an abhorrently stupid song here. Which is progress, although admittedly Drake's production has been pretty stagnant, with some of these beats boring me more than Drake himself. Drake has some decent bars and somewhat new (both mostly recycled) flows here, but I can imagine this ... read more

Definition of mediocre. The classic symptoms of a broken spirit is pretty unoriginal and lacking substance, as Architects are playing things overwhelmingly safe on their follow up to the more ambitious For Those That Wish to Exist. The production here does try to go a little darker and industrial, which occasionally produces some decent results but is too muddy and uninspired to be sticky and memorable. And this album also contains some of the band's worst choruses, sadly.

4 Your Eyez Only delivers some mellowed-out introspection but some decent beats and song progressions from time to time. This record isn't overly ambitious and keeps things simple, although this does result in Cole perhaps running out of ideas as some songs here dry up quickly. However, the record does end pretty strongly and ties together important themes of this record, such as crime, self-reflection and loyalty.

Enema of the State, despite its repetitive qualities and mostly uninspiring lyrics, is a pop punk essential. The song structures don't mess about too much and are fairly consistent, as it's easy to see this record being as huge as it was. Feels in a way like the rock equivalent of Eminem; lyrics haven't aged particularly well and doesn't hold up as a classic like other records of its time. But regardless, Enema of the State still has some fantastic songs.

For the most part, Linkin Park's switch back to metal wasn't an entirely mediocre one. There are some heavy moments, interesting song progressions and a handful of little detours scattered on The Hunting Party. Although almost 12 years later, many of these butt rock, alt-metal characteristics haven't aged in spectacular fashion, perhaps feels like a product of rock radio. But a few instances of the band putting their own spin on it keeps the record from being exceptionally boring.

Pretty sensual but stellar little EP from FKA Twigs. 2015 was considerably early in FKA Twigs' career but she sounds so confident and full of ideas, both with vocals and production. It feels quite ahead of its time, and while listening to it now in 2026 it may not feel like the most groundbreaking pop release ever, it definitely helped set the tone for her career. Because FKA Twigs' usual lyrical themes and production styles show off beautifully on this EP.

Cavalcade showcases the wittiness and chaos you'd expect from a Black Midi record. It's not as attention-grabbing as a record like Hellfire is, and the production isn't as luscious and colourful, but it still gets the job done. As an avant-prog record Cavalcade ticks the boxes you'd expect from a record of this genre but maybe doesn't go the extra mile at points. I also think Geordie Greep's vocals becomes sharpened on future Black Midi / Solo releases.

I expected to be in for a rough, inconsistent listen on Cherry Bomb. But now I finally understand why. The production on this album is so muddy and inorganic, with some uninspiring and questionable themes that appear on some boring song progressions. Only a few moments here actually grasped my full attention which is disappointing because I think the ideas are here. But Tyler just feels half-asleep on the execution.

Didn't actually expect this Danny Brown record to be this great. It's like a shorter, more conscious version of Atrocity Exhibition - while not as outstanding, Quaranta still holds its own as a unique hip hop record. Reflections on youth, his music career, and love life all accumulate really well, making for one of Danny Brown's best albums lyrically. Also, a fairly underrated record beats-wise, but not as sharp and gritty as Atrocity Exhibition's beats.

Lorde does my country incredibly proud, with Melodrama being one of New Zealand's greatest albums of all time. The art pop that Lorde produces on Melodrama is full of eclectic influences but sad thematics. The album to me feels longing for something everlasting and euphoric, which molds well with the anthemic delivery on plenty of these songs. It's no surprise that Melodrama is so easy to enjoy and contains some of the biggest pop anthems of the 2010's.

American Football's latest album is as depressing as it is somehow dreamy at the same time. The production isn't super glistening and isn't as attention-grabbing as some of the band's classic songs, but it still allows for the band to blend in their brand of math rock with more dreamy, ambient influences. It's a thematically consistent album - about being consistently void of joy and happiness. Far from the most uplifting record in 2026, but still a decent emo record ... read more

This sounds like genuinely tasteful and interesting supermarket music. Against All Logic's debut record is a fun collection of trippy house tunes, which offer some vibrant soundscapes and unpredictable production. I love how ethereal yet raw these songs sound, which helps Against All Logic deliver his own unique spin on house music. It very rarely gets too long winding or boring, as these songs are incredibly worthwhile especially in such a dense genre of music like house typically is.

Mind-numbingly repetitive, to both a strength and a fault. A Great Chaos is far from great but far from worthless either, as it does contain some exotic, solidly produced beats that showcase Ken Carson's potential. Just hoping this isn't the pinnacle, as Ken surely has far more to offer based off of the highlights on A Great Chaos. He could also use with some better songwriters in the future, too.

Preacher's Daughter has a bit of a cult following - every 10th user or so on AOTY might try and convince you that this is the greatest album ever. I understand the appeal through this album's vulnerable lyrics, atmospheric production, and eclectic influences. It's not a record that constantly keeps my attention, and some of the songwriting didn't blow me away as it may have for others but is still genuinely shattering at times. Instrumentation wise, it's pretty solid, ... read more

Another pretty solid, emotionally packed indie rock record from Friko. I enjoyed their debut studio album, and their sophomore provides much of the same, including the band's biggest strengths along with some redundancies. It has just enough ferocity and soul packed into it to keep it away from the midst of generic indie slop - but I'm sure the band have yet to release their magnum opus.

Pretty, pretty formulaic from Foo Fighters. I enjoyed seeing this band live a couple years back, although they're not one of my all-time favourite rock groups - and this album backs pretty much why. Very generic, radio rock with occasionally decent melodies and riffs that show up here, but for the most part the ideas on this record get dry very quickly. It's just very typical and run of the mill to the point where it's quite underwhelming.

I was so huge of a Linkin Park fan about 3-4 years ago that I even thought One More Light was a solid pop record. Now, that praise has undeniably fallen off, as the production is so squeaky clean and calculated, definitely feels like a take on 2017 mainstream music. I do appreciate the lyrics trying to be more heart-felt, vulnerable and introspective, and it pays off on the title track. But otherwise, everything else is too mushy and melo-dramatic for it to have aged well. RIP Chester though.

Beautifully produced, wonderfully arranged record from Bjork. It's very glistening and winter-y, as such an album can easily make you imagine yourself in a cold, mountainous utopia like Bjork's very own Iceland. That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but the experimental, glitchy touches on this record do pay off, and I understand why this is considered one of Art Pop's finest records. And to top it off, Homogenic is not even quite as brilliant as Vespertine - but is still an ... read more