Honestly, I think I genuinely love this record. It's an outstanding first set of immaculately-produced and vulnerably-written darkwave tracks (or "maple goth"). Robert Alfons' vocal inflections are a real high point here and "The Destroyer" might just be one of this year's hidden gems!

Fav Tracks: Gone, Unbleached, Bicep, Grouch, Colossal, Poorly Coward

Least Fav Track: I can't think of one...

Score:
9.2
Outstanding

If one of your tracks is "Vagina Dentata" then I was expecting a little bit better but I liked this a lot in the end. The production and instrumentation here is solid and the melodies are fantastic. There are a couple of filler tracks and the mixing didn't always captivate me, though.

Fav Tracks: Feet, Kim's Sunsets, Tastes Good With The Money, Fringe Runner, I Believe In Something Better, When I Leave

Least Fav Track: Oh Sebastian

Score:
7.9
Very Good

This song made me grow a third testicle

🍆
🌎🌍🌏

Tenouttaten Earth is saved again

"BLOOD" is a beautiful record with amazing instrumentation that brings out Kelsey's voice very well. There were a few parts in the tracklist that could've been better (I find the chorus on "Foreign Car" to be annoying) but everything else is outstanding and her cover of 10cc's "I'm Not In Love" is maybe just a bit TOO good.

Fav Tracks: Poor Fake, Due West, I'm Not In Love, Blood, Atlantic, Rebel, Pushin Against the Wind, Why Knock For You

Least Fav Track: Foreign ... read more

I mean, I agree with the message here and the video is actually pretty high quality. But the song... it just fucking sucks! I just felt uncomfortable throughout the entire song, not just because of the generic beat, but the wide, WIIIDE cast of celebrities! Not only are the best voices like Ariana Grande and Brendon Urie underutilized by the excessive autotune, but everyone plays the role of animals, saying shit like, "I'm a zebra", "I'm a koala", "I'm Kanye West" ... read more

It's disappointing coming from someone who's been following Cage The Elephant for quite some time, but "Social Cues" is still a pretty solid indie record. I like the laid back vibe and the production and instrumentation is terrific. There's nothing particularly adventurous about it. But if you're looking for some hooky goodness, you've come to the right place.

UPDATE (OG SCORE: 7.5): Yeah, this grew off me quite a bit. :P

Fav Tracks: House Of Glass, Social Cues, The War Is Over, ... read more

EDIT: Never mind, she's growing off me.

This is such a damn great pop record and every single track on here OOZES with personality and charisma! Lizzo's voice is extremely colorful and it more than makes up for the production, while nothing new or exciting, brings out the right amount of energy and complements her vocal performances extremely well! Even GUCCI FUCKING MANE has a fun verse here! Lyrically, she brings nothing new to the table, though, but there are some funny lines.

Fav Tracks: ... read more

Yeah... this does nothing for me. I do appreciate it as a hidden gem in AnCo's back catalog, but it still feels very amateurish and lifeless.

Fav Tracks: Mich mit einer Mond, We Built a Robot, On the Farm, Sometimes When It Hurts Bad Enough It Feels Like This, A Lover Once Can No Longer Be a Friend, Winter in St. Moritz

Least Fav Tracks: Fire!, Liebe auf den Ersten Blick

Score:
5.5
Okay

"Dapper Dan is my main man!"

"Dodge And Burn" is probably The Dead Weather's heaviest, most consistent record yet. Guitar distortion surrounds you while you're trying to pick up whatever the hell Alison and Jack are trying to say! I like it!

Fav Tracks: Open Up, I Feel Love (Every Million Miles), Three Dollar Hat, Cop And Go, Impossible Winner, Buzzkill(er), Be Still

Least Fav Track: Too Bad

Score:
8.5
Awesome

"Ghettobaby" retains the same positives that made last week's EP so stellar and, holy shit, it gets even better! The production is phenomenal and the lyrics Kevin presents here are honest, perfectly executed and engaging!

"Baby Boy", man, that shit hits hard...

Judging off of the sheer quality of the two EPs combined and the ridiculously high scores I've given them, this is gonna be one HELL of an album!

Corpus Christi: 9.5
Baby Boy: 10
Mississippi: 9.5

Score:
9.7
Amazing

Unpopular opinion here, but I personally think this is better than "Blunderbuss". It just has the energy and hookiness that I missing on that album and I think the songwriting is more interesting on here too. Jack White's riffs feel a lot more charismatic and "Lazaretto" is a great solo project, overall.

Pls don't kill me

Fav Tracks: Lazaretto, Would You Fight For My Love?, I Think I Found The Culprit, High Ball Stepper, Three Women, That Black Bat Licorice, Just One ... read more

Jack White's debut solo album goes for all the blues influences that he's been putting into his works since he started with The White Stripes and cranks it up to eleven! Unlike the Stripes, however, "Blunderbuss" isn't interesting, energetic or hooky enough to sustain its 41-minute runtime.

Fav Tracks: Sixteen Saltines, Love Interruption, Freedom At 21, Weep Themselves To Sleep, Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy, Take Me With You When You Go, On And On And On

Least Fav Track: Trash Tongue ... read more

I'm not usually that fond of posthumous releases but the three unreleased recordings from the "Lazarus" Broadway musical are pretty damn solid.

No Plan: 9.5
Killing a Little Time: 8.5
When I Met You: 7

Score:
8.3
Great

I was 14 years of age when "Blackstar" came out. I wasn't as advanced a listener as I am now, but I still appreciated music and I was still a huge fan of the David Bowie. After I listened to it for the first time on January 8th, I thought it was a great album at the time. Since I was, like everyone else, oblivious to what was happening to Bowie, I thought he was reflecting on his past life and just wanting to go back to those times since he was at an old age.

But then, something ... read more

"The Next Day" is a great comeback album after many releases failed to capture that Bowie magic. While the exploration of his past sounds are a little bit pandering and a tad dated (though with Bowie we can forgive that), he still approaches it in a very mature way and his writing on here is absolutely fantastic!

Fav Tracks: Where Are We Now?, The Stars (Are Out Tonight), Valentine's Day, (You Will) Set The World On Fire, If You Can See Me, The Next Day, Dancing Out In Space, Love Is ... read more

”Reality” presents some solid writing from Bowie, but it’s weighed down by some poor production choices.

Fav Tracks: Bring Me the Disco, New Killer Star, Reality, Fall Dog Bombs the Moon, Never Get Old

Least Fav Track: Days

Score:
6.6
Decent

David Bowie was an anime man all along! I FUCKING KNEW IT!

"Heathen" presents some introspective and fully matured writing on top of some very pretty production! It also contains some fantastic deep cuts here, making it one of the better records in Bowie's late career. There are a few too many covers in the tracklist, though.

Fav Tracks: Slow Burn, Slip Away, Afraid, Sunday, Heathen (The Rays), Everyone Says 'Hi', I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship

Least Fav Track: 5:15 The Angels Have Gone

Score:
8
Great

Woah... Gizztalica is a thing?

"Lexachast" didn't click with me quite as much as "Another Life" did when I first heard it, but it still continues the unique, noisy deconstructed club sound Amnesia Scanner were going for.

Fav Tracks: Lexachast IV, Lexachast I, Lexachast VI, Lexachast II, Lexachast IX

Least Fav Track: Lexachast VII

Score:
7.9
Very Good

Fontaines D.C. release what is one of the better post-punk albums of the decade with "Dogrel". It's a catchy, well-written and energetic record and I'm very curious to see where this band will go next with their Clash-esque sound.

Fav Tracks: Liberty Belle, Chequeless Reckless, Sha Sha Sha, Too Real, Hurricane Laughter, Roy's Tune

Least Fav Track: The Lotts

Score:
8.9
Exceptional