this was... boring. like a lot of indie pop nowadays, this album falls into the trap of being too moody and subdued to be enjoyable, and if the production wasn't so bland, lennon stella's good lyrics and vocals would have a chance to shine and stand out against the crowd. the only great song on this album is "bend over backwards," and if she had made more similar to it, this album would have been a lot more interesting.

alina baraz's debut sounds really chill and sweet, but other than that it doesn't really do much for me, and there could have definitely been more interesting moments on it to make it a more memorable listen, or maybe it could have cut a few tracks to have the same effect. highlights are "off the grid" and "take it home."

peaceful as hell is black dresses's most consistent piece of work to date, and it's filled with great noise pop that somehow manages to top the experimentation of their previous album. some of the many highlights include "mirrorgirl," "scared 2 death," "express yourself," and "please be nice."

i had no idea what to expect going into this thing, especially considering the polarizing response that it's garnered from not only critics and people on this website, but people i know in real life who told me that they were mixed about it. now, i'd never heard of this band before, so obviously i was going to form my judgement based on what i heard for myself, and... i thought it was fine. yeah, there's some cringe on here that makes me feel like a 2000s emo kid, and i don't like those tracks ... read more

i wish i found this more interesting, that's all. "no pude" is the definitive standout, though, which is good.

although the garden's return to a more traditional punk sound is a little disappointing considering the sheer experimentation of haha, mirror might steal your charm still manages to be amazingly enjoyable despite its cohesion. there is a noticeable difference in quality between the guitar-oriented songs and the synth-oriented songs, but that's like comparing a chocolate chip cookie with a few extra chips and a regular chocolate chip cookie—they're still going to taste good no matter what. ... read more

haha is a huge step up from life and times of a paperclip, and that's definitely because the garden is a lot more memorable on this album. instead of sticking to a kind of generic punk sound, the garden decided to switch things up a bit, most notably with a drum and bass influence that fits perfectly with the angry and varied sound of haha. every song is really distinct, which is really surprising considering that it's 17 tracks long, and what's more is that there isn't a bad one in there at ... read more

twin boys sing about a variety of things.

hikaru utada's debut album was a major landmark in japan's music industry, and even now, it's a nostalgic listen that definitely deserves to be talked about among other great r&b projects. highlights include "automatic," movin' on without you," "paint it, black," and "never let go."

i've decided to ruin the cocky review i originally gave this because i've changed my mind a little. fetch the bolt cutters definitely has fiona apple's best songs on it, but it's not her most consistent album—that goes to when the pawn...—because it falls off a little toward the end.

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original score: 100
original review:
i guess you could say i liked this album.

after a few months, sawayama's tracks have faded a little bit. that's really it.

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original score: 98
original review:
rina sawayama's reinvention is a near-perfect fusion of all sorts of different genres, but it somehow manages to sound cohesive and distinct among many others that have tried to do the same in the past. every song on sawayama is filled to the brim with personality, passion, and literally everything else, making for a great album that grows with each listen. perhaps the ... read more

witness is katy perry's most interesting album yet, completely changing up her image with actual good tunes to back her up. it's really futuristic and a little more avant-garde than what her peers are up to, but still in a way that's appealing to a general audience while not hindering the quality of the music. it has so many more highs than her previous albums, those being "roulette," which is kind of nostalgic despite sounding like a modern day song; "déjà ... read more

at least katy perry's other albums seem to have a personality to them... prism's just bland and blends in with the countless other pop albums that try to sound bigger than they actually are, except for the end of this thing which is actually a little bit toned town and sweet, but still boring as ever. the only standouts on prism are so much better than the rest of the album, and they're "legendary lovers" and "love me."

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original score: 50
no original review

teenage dream is one of the most inconsistent pop albums of the 2010s, and it's really disappointing too considering how competent katy perry's debut was. instead of developing her catchy pop rock sound into something inventive, she opted for the mostly-cheesy electropop of the time, which really dates this album, and not in a good nostalgic way. i don't know why anyone would have allowed "peacock" to be on this album, or any album, since it's one of the most horrendous songs i've had ... read more

katy perry's debut album is a solid pop rock project that's actually fairly consistent... that is, when it doesn't diverge from pop rock. "one of the boys," "i kissed a girl," and "waking up in vegas" are prime examples of katy perry's catchy hooks and at least somewhat interesting songwriting, both of which start out very strong but then get worse as the album progresses.

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original score: 58
no original review

i really wanted to like the beginning, but it really does just sound like a watered-down and less interesting reimagining of the e.n.d. the album is extremely inconsistent, with an unbearable first half and a decent ending, but there's not enough quality material on here to save it. highlights include "fashion beats," "don't stop the party," and the unfortunately-on-this-album and beautiful "just can't get enough."

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original score: 43
no original review

the e.n.d. is a polarizing album, but it is also a magnificent preservation of the past and definitely something worth revisiting. the peas drop whatever production they were trying to go for on their previous albums in favor of a more futuristic sound that's extremely distinct and a whole lot more enjoyable than what they used to make, and many of its songs, for being a mainstream pop album, are really experimental and show that the peas aren't afraid to evolve their style for a new digital ... read more

monkey business has all the same faults as its predecessor, but with the added bonus of being longer and much, much more boring. its only standout moment was "don't phunk with my heart."

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original score: 34
no original review

although fergie's introduction on this album makes the black eyed peas's music more enjoyable and interesting than what was on their previous two albums, elephunk's consistency varies wildly from song to song in regards to genre and quality, and it's a very disorienting listen. highlights include "let's get retarded," "shut up," "fly away," and, of course, "where is the love?"

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original score: 41
no original review

this is the first album by the strokes that i've properly listened to, and i'm not all that impressed. other than "the adults are talking," every song on here kind of sounds the same, and that would be bearable if they actually sounded good or distinct, but i get from this album what i can get from better and more inventive indie rock albums.