DOOM may have had one of the brightest minds in hip-hop writing ever. It's really hard to count the amount of inventive, clever bars that populate not only this record but his entire discography. This is my favourite album of his, as it pairs his witty style alongside incredible, iconic production based on catchy, hooky samples. There's a reason every rock band these days keeps playing Coffin Nails, and why every second meme on Instagram Reels uses One Beer. This record has stuck ... read more

A tentpole album in hip-hop history. This is the album that made me understand and love what hip-hop can be. Where to start! The poem that permeates the album, the tracks on display, the songwriting, the rapping, the jazz-inspired instrumentals. This album deserves all the flowers it gets and more. It's a shame Kendrick will never be able to top this.

Classics are classics for a reason. I can't imagine how insane it was to hear this in 1967. Sgt Pepper's is an interesting record to try and review, because it's very widely considered The Beatles' best work. Having done a listen of every Beatles album, I can't say I agree, but this album is still really, really good.

If you want to exit the planet for 43 minutes, there is no better album.

I have been listening to this record for basically my entire life, as it's one of my Dad's favourites. This is an incredible record made by incredible musicians. Sting is an excellent songwriter, singer and bassist on top of that, and yet he's just one of three virtuosos in one band, amongst Andy Summers, a truly excellent guitarist for his borrowing of jazz harmony and language, and Stewart Copeland, one of the most inventive and technically skilled drummers to ever grace the ... read more

What even needs to be said? This is a foundational record in musical history, end of. Just because In Utero is also a masterpiece doesn't diminish this even a little. A masterpiece.

This album was really foundational for me; it drastically changed my expectations of what a pop album can be. I had previously dismissed all pop music as commercial junk; not for me, a "real" music fan. That's bullshit for lots of reasons, but one of them is Caroline Polachek. This album is undeniably pop music, in its purest sugariest form, but it's combined with vocal agility I have scarcely seen before, excellent production and inventive ideas. My favourite tracks here ... read more

I remember after listening to this album the first time, I went looking for interviews with Adrienne just to hear her speak, to confirm to myself that a person can only be so emotionally insightful in songwriting. To my horror, I discovered that was not the case. I have never heard a Big Thief record, I listened to this album based off of an Instagram post I found of the "Fool" guitar riff, and I was instantly spellbound by the raw feelings on display. Adrienne seems to have this ... read more

This is the culmination of everything The Beatles were. As the last album they recorded, I think it makes perfect sense that it is their absolute best, featuring the best crop of songs the band ever presented alongside production that still stands today as incredible, thanks to the work of the true sixth Beatle if there was one, George Martin. Side One has some of the most classic, beloved songs ever recorded (and Maxwell's Silver Hammer). From Come Together, a groovy masterclass to ... read more

It's a hard choice for any fan of Jack's work to decide their favourite album of his. Although I think most would say Pop Food, this is mine, although it's reallllllly close. This album has excellent flow from front to back, with sheer, hooky songwriting coupled with weird, off the wall lyricism and vocal styles. Jack is truly a shapeshifter as an artist, its hard if not impossible to keep him in one box for long, and on this record he shifts from track to track, sometimes even ... read more

I got into Los Campesinos! because of Lovejoy, unfortunately. Their cover of Knee Deep at ATP was one of my favourite things they released. But, since Soot's abuses have been exposed, I was looking for something to fill that void, so, I found the originators of that cover, and my word, this album is just great. Gareth's vocals are certainly a barrier to some, but if you can bear the twee accent you find a wordy, intelligent songwriter who is very capable of capturing feelings that are ... read more

Kendrick Lamar is an all-time talent in the hip-hop game, as proven by what I believe will be his magnum opus, his 2015 album To Pimp A Butterfly. I'm not much of a hip-hop fan, I'm not particularly well versed in the genre or deeply invested in it, but Kendrick is such a good artist that he can make me discard my preferences and immerse myself in another world. This album took its time to grow on me, but upon revisiting it after discovering Sampha earlier this year, I finally started ... read more

I've been listening to "the record" non stop since it released last year, and I still can't find myself getting tired of it. Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers are three generational songwriters, and the three of them combining their power creates an unbelievably good product. The three pool their indie rock stylings as well as their incredible voices to create moments of harmony, including the opening track Without You Without Them, Cool About It and Satanist as ... read more

This album was heavily inspired by Dante's Inferno, which seems appropriate, because there really is no other way to express how this album feels to listen through than going to hell and back. And I mean that in the best possible way. Hozier's lyrical game is unbelievably good, as it has been across his songwriting career, but here he has finally surpassed the very high standard set by his debut, self-titled record. Unreal Unearth is a truly magical assembly of tracks, spanning from ... read more

Sometimes things are classic for a reason. Front to back, track for track, this is one of the all time greats of metal. It's certainly my favourite.

I think this album came to me at a perfect time. A friend recommended it to me when it released back in 2020, but I didn't listen to it then. I first listened to this album in it's entirety much, much later, only earlier this year, in fact. I had heard lots of it previously, thanks to that same friend, but listening to the entire work knocked me over. It was at one of my lowest points of my entire life, and this record made me feel deeply seen. Even now this album is often what sings ... read more

Love, love, love this album. Chappell has some of the most infectiously fun songwriting in pop, which is shown off exceptionally well on tracks like Red Wine Supernova, HOT TO GO! or Naked In Manhattan. It was these hits that brought me into this record, where I was immediately hit with a really amazing dose of sentimentality and emotional resonance, from lamenting the shallowness of a situationship on Casual, to reflecting on parental pressure and growing into yourself on Pink Pony Club (my ... read more