this band hasn't done much for me in the past, and it's nice to know they haven't gotten worse.

3. Key to the City - 4.0
5. There's So Many People That Want To Be Loved - 4.0

this is Madden NFL 2025 menu music, you'll be able to play as Daunte Culpepper but as mascot Daunte Culpepper.

don't worry guys, Madden will still be good then.

3. GLORY* - 4.0
6. BAD FRUIT* - 4.0

is this really their first album in five years?

the memorability of this album is out the wazoooooooooo.

3. After The Earthquake - 4.5
4. Tom Verlaine - 5.0
8. Velveteen - 4.5
10. Pomeranian Spinster - 5.0 & SOTY

Charlie Puth fascinates me. he is such a powerhouse for songwriting in the present age. Kid Laroi's "Stay", Flo Rida's "Cake", Zara Larsson's "So Good", the list really goes on. why on earth does he leave most of his leftovers for himself? i don't understand.

he used to be kinda charming, but now he's either indiscernible from other pop artists, or is trying to make the most milk toast hyperpop-esque tracks possible. this album is the equivalent of putting an ... read more

i've heard Disco Volador but not La Vita Olistica, and no, i'm pretty sure i won't be returning to them any time soon. i at least remember that 2020 release being incredibly genuine, and it was easy to pick them out from a crowd.

this time around, it's definitely still a unique experience, but not to the same degree. the song writing side of things is much more homogenous this go around; it's hard to discern some songs from others. Esme's vocal performances are underwhelming compared to how ... read more

absolutely torn. the production is hella cool. the vocals are hella not.

2. The Perception of Me (Crazy Nigger) - 4.5
5. Enfield, Always - 4.0

this should've felt bigger than it is given that this alias hasn't shown up in album form for, gosh, eight years now? maybe it's how relaxed the fanbase is getting around Halley Labs at this point. which is fine, keep the Rubber Band and Intensive Care Unit memesters at bay for as long as you can.

maybe eight years was for the better. this is the best the four-on-the-floor output has ever sounded. the "eggs and other songs" synth shows up at the end of the first track but that seems ... read more

friend in Discord: "you've only listened to Dookie and American Idiot? okay but their first album on the bot."

holy smokes dude, 18-year-old Billy sounds so young here. he performs like it, too. obviously the band is trying to get their footing, and they no doubt got it. it's charming. the performances sound so fun and undeniably punk. it doesn't push the envelope further than that, but it didn't necessarily need to.

3. I Was There - 4.0

i genuinely enjoyed their 2020 debut, so learning about this was a delightful surprise.

i also genuinely enjoy this album, but that's about it.

2. Comrade Sweetheart - 4.5
4. Summer Dream - 4.5

oh boy oh boy oh BOY i can't wait to piss off a new stanbase.

don't get me wrong, this is better than most of the stuff Willow releases. the songwriting is definitely making strides since her earlier albums. the vocal performances overall are also much more confident, and technique wise, somebody's training definitely shows.

just because somebody is getting better doesn't immediately equate to good though. i have no doubts that if Machine Gun Kelly, Avril Lavigne, or Demi Lovato (and ... read more

pop-smear-tool Tame Impala is safe at first base once again.

4. Deep End - 4.5

looking at their past albums on TIDAL and seeing The Talkies like "OH SHIT I LISTENED TO THAT AND IT WAS ACTUALLY KINDA COOL" but i also remember never listening to it again since. i don't even remember the exact sound of the release. i just remember it standing out at the time.

this is the album that's evolved from that and has got me in a chokehold from the back and is like "you will NEVER forget me motherfucker" but then smacks my butt, chuckles, and walks off with the ... read more

alright fellas, y'all released the perfect EP a couple years back with Junk Food, don't mess this up like you did the last album.

...well, at least this is better than the last. there's probably a better album in the editing room, but overall a pleasant listen. one could even say, "easy".

3. BASEMENT - 5.0
4. DEAR MISS HOLLOWAY - 5.0 & SOTY
6. OTT - 4.5
10. MORAL SUPPORT - 4.0

Lil Darkie's 2020 THIS DOES NOT EXIST was in my top 10 for that year and is like lightning in a bottle, that album is ridiculously catchy and shows an abundance of creativity and talent. the dude can actually rap, really well. COMPOSITION XI still gives me chills. i don't care!!!

at least not this time, because Lil Darkie really doesn't care, either. mans really Wendigo dirty, huh.

for a deep house release on AOTY with this much traction, this is miraculously boring.

11. Cloudy - 4.0

where is Madonna?!?

anyways most of these primarily-producers all read the same: the production is immaculate, but doesn't make up for the fact that the song writing is usually very underwhelming. it kinda balances itself out, but never enough.

when you think of some of the best songwriters of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, many people answer with the names that everybody knows pretty well: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Roger Waters, Phil Collins, David Bowie, the list goes on and on. personally, above all others, the person that stands out me is Paul Simon, without question. the combination of catchy melodies, jubilant energy, and succinct run-on-sentence lyricism makes Simon's style instantly recognizable, whether it be during his time with ... read more

my favorite novel of all time is Animal Farm, which i read for the first time about seven years before i first took this for a spin. it's one of the only records in my life i've ever bough blind in my life. it was at a STEAL for an original pressing with the hype sticker still on it at a record show and thought "why not, that prism album was pretty cool", and took it off of the guy's hands. thanks, Mike.

sure enough, many of the Orwellian themes that appear in the book are present in ... read more

i really do love those Cheddar Bay biscuits as an appetizer, but when i go to Red Lobster i don't expect for that to be the only thing i eat there.

3. Marcy - 4.0

this man still keeps things very, VERY solid.

2. We Hurting - 5.0