For someone who's been avoiding Future, this was better than I expected it to be.

XanaX Damage: 8.5
St. Lucia: 4.5
Please Tell Me: 8
Shotgun: 7.5
Government Official: 8.5
Extra: 6.5
Love Thy Enemies: 8

Score:
7.3
Good

"Happiness Begins" is a by the numbers summer pop album. There are a few bops like "Sucker" (which I'll admit grew on me a bit) and the brothers' vocals are still very competent. But generic production and soulless lyrics don't help it from being every insecure straight white teenage girl's wet dream.

Fav Tracks: Every Single Time, Sucker, Don't Throw It All Away

Least Fav Tracks: Cool, Rollercoaster, Trust, Strangers

Score:
4.5
Meh

mmm... JonASS Brothers...

I know I’m a bit late to review this, but I know this leak has a fascinating but heartbreaking history. I feel pretty bad for Jai, as it must be really stressful to have your album leak when it isn’t even finished yet. But he seems to be doing better now and he might be releasing new music. So, yeah. I really like where these ideas are going. Yes, it’s VERY rough and the mixing is horseshit. But the beats and production are forward-thinking and just really damn good. ... read more

I'm probably gonna repeat myself a lot, but this is yet ANOTHER incredible record. Beautiful, spacey atmosphere, breathtaking vocals from Jónsi and outstanding songwriting make up some of their most emotionally resonant work yet! "Takk..." is further proof that Sigur Rós is one of the greatest names in post-rock!

Also, I've definitely heard "Hoppípolla" before somewhere. I just don't remember where...

Fav Tracks: Hoppípolla, ... read more

"()" is yet another fantastic addition to Sigur Rós' catalog. The atmosphere is gorgeous and comforting, the production is dreamlike, the duration of the tracks are perfect and Jónsi's voice is what would happen if a baby caught on fire and got showered by a team of firefighter angels! So, I guess that means it's the usual stuff of magic the Icelandic band puts out!

Fav Tracks: Vaka, Njósnavélin, Popplagið, Dauðalagið, E-Bow, Samskeyti, ... read more

I cannot begin to describe the amount of emotions I felt when listening to "Ágætis byrjun" for the first time. They weren't necessarily happy emotions, but I did feel was a fresh sense of optimism, bliss, comfort and, at other times, pure sadness. The atmosphere is majestic and the sonic palette is absolutely phenomenal.

I felt like I was floating around my room, which eventually turned into a starry night sky. I didn't care about what head space I was in at the moment, ... read more

Oh mah gah! Das a bebe!

This ain't that bad of a debut. In fact, there's some legitimately great stuff here. The production on "Von" is beautiful and it whisks you away to a world where humanity is striving for hope and faith. It's basically the polar opposite of Godspeed You! Black Emperor in a way, but even then it's still hopeful. However, elements of the recording are a little rough at times and, as a newcomer to Sigur Rós, I wouldn't say that this is the best ... read more

"Come With Us" starts fantastically with some of their best bumps to date! Unfortunately, the rest is a very mixed bag and, while the closer is great, the record just feels like an inconsistent step down for the duo.

Fav Tracks: Star Guitar, It Began In Afrika, Come With Us, The Test, Galaxy Bounce

Least Fav Track: My Elastic Eye

Score:
6.9
Decent

Semi-unpopular opinion alert! "Surrender" is my favorite Chemical Brothers album. I find it as the boldest, most fun project they've ever done. The production is gorgeous, the variety is plentiful and the hooks are undeniably catchy!

Also, I imagined drugged-up orangutans swinging their arms, and ballsacks, to the beat of the first few tracks. I was being surrounded by them as they were getting closer to me.

Fav Tracks: Asleep From Day, Hey Boy Hey Girl, Music:Response, Surrender, ... read more

An improvement over their debut, "Dig Your Own Hole" brings a lot more variety and bigger beats to make a catchy, influential electronic album.

Fav Tracks: Block Rockin' Beats, Where Do I Begin, Elektrobank, It Doesn't Matter, The Private Psychedelic Reel, Setting Sun, Dig Your Own Hole, Lost In The K Hole

Least Fav Track: Get Up On It Like This

Score:
9.2
Outstanding

Not a bad debut. The beats are great, the production is fantastic and the album flows pretty well. "Exit Planet Dust" shows how much potential the brothers' big beat sound has for the dance scene.

Fav Tracks: One Too Many Mornings, Life Is Sweet, In Dust We Trust, Leave Home, Playground For A Wedgeless Firm, Chico's Groove, Alive Alone

Least Fav Track: Fuck Up Beats

Score:
8.2
Great

"REMEMBER THE FUTURE" is an ethereal record from the first half of iamwhoi... wait. iamamiwhoami? Who the fuck's gonna remember that? Anyway, I liked the production a lot, the songwriting is tight and the record manages to be pretty cohesive overall.

Fav Tracks: SOME BODY, OPEN SEA, ISLANDER, i KEEP, REMEMBER THE FUTURE, CRYSTAL, SILENCE MY DRUM

Least Fav Track: RACE AGAINST

Score:
8.5
Exceptional

There are a few really damn good cuts here and the production is alright. But everything else, from the hit-or-miss lyrics to the meh features, is pretty forgettable.

Fav Tracks: Bullet From A Gun, Same Old Story, Glow In The Dark, You Wish, Redrum

Least Fav Track: Animal Instinct

Score:
6.5
Decent

It's amazing that, even early in his career, Ian somehow finds a way of conveying his feelings so well that they could resonate with me later on. "American Boyfriend" is a beautiful, emotional record that tackles themes of sexuality and race with gorgeous production, smooth vocal performances, immaculate melodies and great writing.

Fav Tracks: Seventeen, Empty, Miserable America, Papercut, American Boyfriend, Blink, Yellow, Runner

Least Fav Tracks: The ... read more

I mean, it's a start. There are some interesting production ideas and good verses. But "ALL-AMERICAN TRASH" doesn't give the members their full potential, leaving room for only two per track. It also lacks focus and the record is just a cool but cheesy and forgettable debut, overall.

Fav Tracks: BEN CARSON, BREAKFAST, PALACE, COTTON HOLLOW, MICHIGAN

Least Fav Tracks: FLIP MO, CONTACTS

Score:
5.7
Okay

ALERT! ALERT! SHE IS COMING! REPEAT! SHE IS COMING! EVACUATE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY AND LET THE TROOPS GET RID OF THIS COUNTRY THHHHHHOT!

This thing is all over the place. There are a few decent songs, and that Ghostface feature came out of fucking nowhere, but everything else is just BAD! "Cattitide" is one of the most downright awful songs of the year and Swae Lee's vocal performance on "Party Up The Street" is horrible.

Mother's Daughter: 7.5
Unholy: 7
D.R.E.A.M.: ... read more

Well this was sweet.

"Omoiyari" pretty much came at the perfect time of the year, a bridge between the blooming flowers of spring and the beautifully exhausting heat of the summer. I honestly don't prefer one or the other but this made me feel comfy between both those seasons. It's a beautiful record with lots of cute melodies and great lyrics and I suggest you check it out if you're in a spring-summery mood.

Edit: I don’t know how but this album is motioning me to keep ... read more

All the big MCs want the most expensive, stylish and good lookin’ rides. Zel has a car straight out of the 90’s and he ain’t bitchin’. Y’all gotta learn from this dude.

Right from the title track, you know you’re in for some 13ANGERZ! It isn’t nearly as tight as “TA13OO”, which I still think is the best trap rap album to date, and the interludes barely serve a purpose. But “ZUU” is still one hell of a fun record with great ... read more

Franz Ferdinand is probably one of the most charming indie bands to emerge in the mid-2000's and their debut is untouchable in terms of quality for them (never mind). The instrumentation is top-notch, the riffs are superb, the writing is clever and every single song is irresistibly catchy and danceable as all hell! Overall, this is just a fun little record, and I can't fault it for that!

Fav Tracks: Take Me Out, Michael, Darts Of Pleasure, This Fire, The Dark Of The Matinee, Auf Achse, ... read more

NOPE! NOPENOPENOPENOPE NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPE!!!