Despite some pretty muddy mixing that keeps the middle part from being especially memorable, Dogleg have proved themselves to be a band to look out for in the emo scene with a handful of solid post-hardcore bangers. Not a whole lot else to say, I'm just a slut for this style of emo.

Favorite tracks: Prom Hell, Ender, Cannonball
Least favorite: Hotlines

Yknow if it weren't for some of the songs in that first half this would've been an easy 8. I think The Weeknd is at his best when he's doing a pop banger, and thankfully there are plenty of those on this album. Blinding Lights is as amazing as everyone says it is, and In Your Eyes and Scared To Live are solid too. Other songs like Save Your Tears and Hardest to Love fall into that same grouping, but don't go the extra mile the way those songs do.

Am I saying The Weeknd can't pull off moodier ... read more

Everything I could want in a jazz album.

I know I've been giving out 9s like candy this year but I really can't help it with this much good shit coming out. We Are Sent Here By History didn't grab me on the first listen the same way Shabaka's work with Sons of Kemmet has before, and I'd bet that's how it was for a lot of people. Yes this album is invigorating, but in different ways. For one thing, it takes its time to develop a lot more than I would've expected, but the payoff is always ... read more

I wanted to like this more. I really did. But I can't help but feel like this is a step down from Forever.

I have to commend Code Orange for going as heavy as they did on here. They sort of took the industrial influences that were on Forever and turned them up to 11. The sheer energy of this album is honestly what's keeping me from giving it a lower score. However, while the production kicks it up, the songwriting takes a pretty significant hit. The dynamics that made Forever such a unique ... read more

Holy fuck good albums need to stop coming out.

Every Bad is the epitome of what happens when a band has a unique sound, top notch songwriting, and an extreme passion for making good music. It's an artist's vision brought completely to fruition, and I couldn't be happier with it.

Essentially what you get on here is a short, watertight set of indie rock and post-punk songs that range from overt rage like on Sweet, dreamy Cure-esque yearning on Circling, poppy angst on Give/Take, and complete ... read more

There's not a whole lot to say about this album apart from the fact that every single tiny detail that goes into it just works. Bjork's singing is never dull, her lyrics are cryptic enough to give it endless relistenability, and the beats are some of the best production Bjork has ever done (yeah I know she wasn't the only producer but she was the primary one and doesn't get enough credit for that). It's one of those albums whose greatness is self-explanatory, and its a synthesis of everything ... read more

So if no one else is gonna talk about this I guess I will. Jay Electronica shouts out Louis Farrakhan multiple times on this album. I gave him the benefit of the doubt in the first two listens, because I knew that despite his long history of antisemitism and misogyny, Farrakhan did a lot of good for the civil rights movement. Maybe Jay Electronica is just recognizing him for that and doesn't agree with all of that other stuff.

Then on my third listen, that lyric about Michael Jackson took me ... read more

Eh?
If you're into this really minimalistic and chill type of indietronica you'll probably like it. He's obviously a talented producer with a long ass career, but personally this isn't doing a whole lot for me. There's definitely some cool moments, and some songs do bop, but there wasn't a whole lot I felt like coming back to. Even now having heard this album all the way through 3 times, I can only specifically pick out moments from a few songs. Again, if you already like Caribou you'll ... read more

A lot of what I've really liked this year was nothing innovative. Don't get me wrong, 2020's had some unique albums so far, but I've started to gain a lot more appreciation for albums that don't reinvent the wheel, but stick to what makes their respective styles great. That's where color theory fits in.

Soccer Mommy has indie pop down to a science at this point. She clearly has a lot of influences in 90's alternative, especially on songs like royal screw up and stain, but she sets herself ... read more

I know I tend to click with this style of emo a lot more than most other genres, but fuck it. Even though it borrows a lot form other bands, there's not a second of this album I didn't enjoy.

It does sound really similar to The Wonder Years, but I honestly kinda like this album more than most Wonder Years stuff I've heard. Most of that has to do with lead singer and lyricist Dylan Slocum, who steals the show in every conceivable way. His singing is shaky and passionate, but never strays into ... read more

Not gonna give this a full review until the whole thing's out in May, but I'm super intrigued. Listened to this half about twice now and if the second half lives up to this quality, this will easily go down as one of the most beautiful albums of the year.

Oh shit you guys, King Krule is sad again!

Man Alive! is a dismal album that reads like a gothic portrait of modern working class life. King Krule's unique blend of indie-rock, post-punk, and jazz fits perfectly as a backing for his grim lyrics, which are sometimes sung with paint growls and other times as if he's had all the feeling sucked out of his soul. Although, while I wouldn't call this a fun album, there are songs on here I can't stop coming back to. Tracks like Stoned Again and ... read more

It's nice
I give this one a nice/nice
Nice to listen to

Favorite tracks: Swimmer, Matrimony II
Least favorites: How to Forgive, Late Night

HMLTD thankfully breaks away from the trappings of the whole trap-goth gimmick and gives us something so much more interesting on their debut album. West of Eden is still rooted pretty deeply in post-punk, but it has an almost Wire-esque sense of volatility. The vocals are consistently good, almost every song explores a different feeling, and the whole think is filled to the brim with memorable performances.

So... why didn't I give this a 9? While I love the eclectic style for the most part, ... read more

First 9 of the year bay-beeeeee

Mystic Familiar, like every other review has been saying so far, is a transcendent album. Part of this is due to the shoegaze-like approach to layering that's taken on here, but unlike most shoegaze, every single layer is crisp and clear. There's a lot of modulation on everything, and there are aspects that feel intentionally imperfect (like the singing), but it still all feels so bright and pristine. From the very first moment of the album, you get this sugary ... read more

All the elements of a good Tame Impala album are here, so what went wrong? Well for one thing, I feel like this album is what Tame Impala sounds like to people who don't like Tame Impala. A few ideas are repeated ad nauseam, the singing isn't super remarkable, and a lot of the instrumentals are banking off of nostalgia for 60's and 70's psychedelia. The thing is, earlier Tame Impala projects were able to prove all these criticisms wrong by going the extra mile to add a set of really original ... read more

This album feels like club music dipped in IDM and noise, but only just enough to give it flavor while still being fun to listen to. It is definitely a crashing of a few different styles, and the tone is a little all over the place, but I enjoyed it every time I put it on. Tracks like Fantasy and If You Can't Do it Good Do it Hard have grooves so good you can't not move to them, while other songs like With an Addict and Penny feel more like somber IDM cuts.

Like I said, the tone is a little ... read more

I honestly don't have a lot to say about this one, but in a good way. A great producer meets up with a great rapper, both of whom bring out the best in each other. The end result is a short and punchy hardcore hip hop record that barely ever falters. It doesn't really do enough to push it up to a 9 or anything, but it's hard not to love listening to it.

Favorite tracks: 'Cosmic'.m4a, Take_it_Back_v2, DIET_
Least favorites: Can I say none of them? Think it's none of them.

I feel like whenever that indie dream pop sound gets applied to a Sad Album™ it becomes so much more effective.

Dream On is a sad album. It's a breakup album drenched in reverb, broken falsettos, and weeping production. I'd be lying if I said the emotional impact of albums like this doesn't impact my rating, but I think the ability to convey feelings like this so vividly does count in the music's favor. Just like a lot of the albums I've rated this year, the sound isn't especially ... read more

The composition isn't the most original thing out there, but it's also not the selling point of the album. What makes this such a great listen is Andy Shauf's songwriting abilities. This album is a story, and it's one that's told in specific, meaningful, and beautiful detail. The melodies, while not groundbreaking, are always the perfect compliment for the story being told. They set the tone effortlessly, while never taking too much focus away from Andy.

And for how much you could label the ... read more