After 6 years, Paramore release their second album with the same lineup that gave us [After Laughter]; their decision pays off. One could even say that [This Is Why] the album is so great! (someone should kill me)

Seriously, I got all I wanted from this record and more. Hayley Williams sounds on point, but Taylor York and Zac Farro put on their most standout instrumental performances in recent memory. Tracks like {The News}, {You First} and {Figure 8} are both impossibly fun and extremely easy ... read more

This monumental messaging fumble walked so that Logic's 1-800 could run

"We won't give up; we are alive"

Parannoul releases his cleanest project to date; perhaps not the most emotionally impactful to those that love his "sadder" work or the most innovative, but one that really showcases his artistic growth - which is funny, because the theme of [After the Magic] is also growth, both physical and emotional. It retains the feeling of longing and sentimentality that's synonymous with his brand as an artist, but it's less self-conscious and more ... read more

... what?

On [Let's Start Here], alleged rapper and occasional critic punching bag Lil Yachty takes a massive left turn and gives us a type of sound that I would've never expected from him. Far removed from his pop rap / trap projects which mostly relied on instant gratification and cashing in on the most popular sound at the time, [Let's Start Here] takes its time, focuses on smooth transitions between tracks and even does away with the insufferable autotune that plagued his past work in ... read more

[RUSH!] is a project that I was waiting for with careful optimism, mostly because this band has developed into a bit of a guilty pleasure for me over time. Italian sweethearts Maneskin offer us an experience whose contents range from standout pop rock singles to Andrew W.K. lyrics without the passion and Royal Blood instrumentals without the kick.

I'm going to be brief: this album did not need to be 17 tracks long. I will act in good faith and assume this is the band experimenting with their ... read more

Full disclosure: I only decided to review this mixtape because I somehow shuffled into the opening track and midway through I was laughing so hard that I decided to stop and check the full project out. Truly grabs the attention

[Butcher House] is the newest mixtape from alternative hip-hop artist (and apparently AOTY heartstopper?) Sematary. I'd say it falls under drill, but horrorcore is closer to the general vibe this album tries to give out - and I'd describe it as such if it weren't for ... read more

For a very long time (read: years) my sole experience with the critic community darlings that are the Death Grips was limited to their debut mixtape, [Exmilitary]. I don't have much to say about that project, as there's nothing I can even say that hasn't already been said; it's rough, it's violent, it's abrasive. It doesn't play nice. But it's also much more accessible than people give it credit for! I really like it, though not as much as others may seem to. After many a recommendation from a ... read more

Iggy, oh Iggy. I start my 2023 foray into music with your album, and on the first line of the first verse of the first song you immediately tell me about your dick and balls. C'mon.

[Every Loser] is the newest album from primordial punk legend Machine Gun Iggy. As you can expect from a project of someone this late into their career, this really isn't that good. I can ramble on and on about it being uninspired or tacky or lacking in production, but if anything it sucks only because it's ... read more

On their post 9/11 world - inspired apocalyptic 2003 project [Absolution], Muse find steady footing after their first truly great album [Origin of Symmetry]. It's a concept album through and through, with the concept being as specific as "the end of the world" or as vague as "the end of something" depending on who you ask.

Opening with {Apocalypse Please}, Matt Bellamy perfectly sets the tone for what's about to overtake the next 50 minutes of your life. If you dabble in ... read more

[Remain in Light] is the Talking Heads' masterpiece and the perfect New Wave album. It's also one of my favorite albums of all time. Its experimental nature, its draw from Fela Kuti - type afrobeat, the masterful instrumentation, the cryptically unhinged and anxious lyrics working in tandem with David Byrne's unmistakable voice make for a timeless, beautiful project that deserves all the acclaim it gets and more. Jerry Harrison, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth all show up and do their part at ... read more

this is the seventh week in a row you've shown Monster in class

Noticed that this album hit Must Hear recently, and honestly it's a bit overdue. MGMT, along with Tame Impala, are the two strong and steady legs on which Synthpop and assorted psychedelic pop sound are currently standing. Oracular Spectacular is also deserving of MH status, and perhaps I'll review both it and Congratulations on later days.

Little Dark Age is the duo's return to form after the mediocre and generic, while still unique, self-titled record of 2013. The production and synths are ... read more

This is over the top, it's tinged with the expected silly yearning and sugar-sweet Weezer sentimentality, it comes and goes pleasantly like Santa on Christmas day. Thanks for the gift, Rivers Cuomo. You and the gang are on the nice list this year.

Favorite Tracks: I Want A Dog // Iambic Pentameter // The Deep and Dreamless Sleep
Worst Tracks: Sheraton Commander
Special Commentary: The Deep and Dreamless Sleep is probably the best Weezer track of the year. Goes super hard for no reason. It's ... read more

Honestly, this is fine. It's easy to listen to, it's well-produced, and Simz sounds perfectly in form. My issue is that I can't help but feel this album is what an artificial intelligence would give you if you asked it to make you a Little Simz album. Most of the songs come and go and while they're pleasant I'd be hard pressed to tell you which is which if you asked me moments after I was done listening to them. Messages of social change, something she usually excels at, blend into ... read more

Have you ever had some extremely mundane days that you remember far more clearly than you do others? As in, there is no clear reason as to why you would remember said day, but you do regardless. Perhaps the brain selectively chooses a given moment in time, holds onto it and spreads it out over a extended period of time to make you feel as if you remember more than you really do.

One day around five to six years ago I was over at my grandma's house in the village where her side of the family ... read more

Today I woke up in 2013

This might actually be flawless.

I've heard this record three times this year; once on release, when I thought it was good but nothing to really write home about aside from the Belize/Aquamarine two-parter, once on the bus while returning from my classes and without much energy to really judge it fairly, and once around an hour ago. My return to it was mostly out of boredom and due to a desire to see what the Cheat Codes fanatics really see in it, and this time it really clicked. The beats on ... read more

Blonde is an album that puts the beauty of what modern ambient R&B can and should be on full display. It is, in essence, the litmus test on whether you will enjoy delving further into the genre, in all its majesty and all its flaws. At his best, Frank Ocean delivers an intimate, soulful and heart-crushing performance over toned down yet fitting instrumentation and at his worst he sprinkles in Alvin and the Chipmunks vocals into tracks that really, really don't need them. It's still a great ... read more

Ever wanted to hear "yeah, she put it down slowly" coming from choir vocals? What do you mean no????

Harkening back to the wonder and intimacy of some of the greatest female singer-songwriter projects there ever have been (e.g. Joni Mitchell) De Todas Las Flores is the product of pure undistilled emotion. Front to back it's easily the most consistent album to come out of this year.

Favorite Tracks: De todas las flores // Pajarito colibri // Mi manera de querer // Que te vaya bonito Nicolas
Worst Tracks: none
Special Commentary: es hora de mimir