Reviews

Depeche Mode have done it again. With Memento Mori, they deliver an album that is surprisingly strong and proves they’ve lost none of their brilliance over the years. It’s a mature work that feels incredibly cohesive and well-balanced – accessible, yes, but in the best way possible. There’s not a single misstep, nothing jarring or out of place, just music that captivates and resonates deeply.

This album carries a particular weight, as it’s the first release following the passing of founding member Andy Fletcher in 2022. His absence is profoundly felt, but Memento Mori is not a record of mourning; it’s a celebration of resilience and creativity, a tribute to a legacy that continues to thrive.… More

This is definitely a record that becomes more rewarding on multiple listens. It's eerie and uncomfortable, making it a tough listen. However, it's also very beautiful, kind of like life. There's nothing that super "wow" but also nothing that's even remotely mediocre.

Chelsea Hotel No. 2 stands head and shoulders above the rest of the album, but in doing so it does make the other songs feel rather lackluster.

Ambient music that really worked for me, with a more analogue and less structured sound than a lot of instrumental.

I love a lot of this, to be honest. It sounds like Linkin Park, with a new singer, and I'll always have a soft spot for them. She's really great. The live performance of Emptiness Machine, when Emily was introduced, will define this album for me. The lesser tracks aren't so important.

Really great album - so hard to pick highlights because it's all catchy, and it's all quite indistinguishable, but not in a bad way. Bon Iver meets Alex G meets the 80s, or something.

Very enjoyable psychedelia that pays homage to many other genres of rock. While definitely a niche record, there's something for most people, whether it's the post-punk "Dogear" or the Obscured By Clouds-esque "Junk Correado" and "World i" or the more classic psych-rock "Cholla Beat".

I finally got into this through force of will, and I'm so glad I did. Mathy-emo with enough to keep it really fun throughout. Maybe could have been a 2024 favourite if I'd spent even more time with it.

I think maybe one of those albums that I appreciate more than enjoy. Don't love his slightly spoken style. But some of the instrumentation is stunning.

10/10 of his fingers fuck, but behind it isn't as much depth as I wished. His live performances are unparalleled and I'm sure all of these tracks will rip, but through my headphones, not as much.

Reminds me of the best output from Josh Rouse & Daniel Tashien, which is no bad thing. Really great.

No sé si existe la convicción de que cuanto más personal es un disco, mejor es por ser más "real" pero desde luego que no ocurre en todos los casos. Fat Mike se lo ha creído de más en la última etapa de NOFX y ha acabado haciendo cosas peores que cuando componía con el resto de la banda en 10 minutos los temas. Aún así, hay 3 o 4 temas que se pueden disfrutar como caras B.

这张融合了非洲传统音乐与现代爵士，仿佛是一部“活着的历史”。

在2020疫情蔓延的背景下，这张专辑更显得意义深远，仿佛是一部关于世界末日的集体记录，一部留待未来探险者发现的声音时光胶囊。 

适合周末早晨的起床曲

A real return to form, with some beautifully clever lyrics.

I've been at several National concerts and it feels both familiar and new the intensity Matt Berninger and the band put on stage, transforming some of their otherwise intimate songs in cathartic moments with the audience.

Albeit their recent albums may feel a bit accomodated to me, The National is still a band worth seeing live, and this is a great proof of that.

I love this album. MUNA doesn’t disappoint: gay, fun, strong pop. For some reason Katie Gavin’s solo stuff doesn’t show up on here!

Ojalá Geordie se creyese un poco menos listo de lo que se cree: así sus discos se quedarían más cerca de donde quiere que estén y más lejos de LA TURRA.

This is how you do it, Granduciel.

The soundtrack to Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette is nothing short of spectacular. It opens with the vibrant “Hong Kong Garden” by Siouxsie and the Banshees, immediately setting the tone with post-punk brilliance. Bow Wow Wow follows close behind with “Aphrodisiac,” continuing the edgy, British 80s vibe that runs through much of the album.

What makes this soundtrack so remarkable is its sheer energy. Every single song feels alive, pulsing with a defiant spirit that perfectly complements Coppola’s bold reimagining of the French queen’s story. It doesn’t just underscore the film—it elevates it. Tracks like “Natural’s Not In It” by Gang of Four or “I Want Candy” by Bow Wow Wow blend effortlessly with the… More

Los Yisus en los que aún no tenías que cagarte. Los que tenían tantas canciones buenas que podían desenchufar toda la electricidad y aún así hacerse un disco imprescindible. Los de la historia, ¿apócrifa?, de la invitación a Dylan y la real a Hope Sandoval y Shane Macgowan

Puedes ponerle ‘She’ a alguien para explicarle a qué suena el indiepop y que sepa las muchas ramas de las que va a ir el asunto.

Bow Wow Wow’s Girl Bites Dog: Your Compact Disc Pet is a lively and intriguing collection of tracks that captures the band’s unique blend of new wave and post-punk energy. With songs like “Louis Quatorze,” “Mile High Club,” and their take on “Fools Rush In,” the album exudes a playful irreverence that feels distinctly British and unmistakably 80s.

My introduction to Bow Wow Wow came through Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette soundtrack, where their track fit perfectly into the film’s eclectic mix of modern and historical aesthetics. It’s a connection that gave me a new appreciation for their sound—and honestly, it’s a great movie I’ll happily revisit soon.

The album’s highlights lie… More

Fever Ray’s self-titled debut album from 2009 is a stunning work that solidifies its place as one of the most remarkable debut albums ever created. While it undeniably carries echoes of Karin Dreijer’s previous work with The Knife, this album begins to carve out a new, hauntingly personal sonic identity.

From the opening moments to tracks like “Triangle Walks,” the record immerses listeners in a rich, atmospheric landscape of dark, icy electronic beats and Dreijer’s unmistakable vocals. There’s a hypnotic intimacy to these songs, an emotional depth that feels simultaneously raw and otherworldly. It’s the kind of album that doesn’t just accompany your day—it transforms it.

The visual side of Fever Ray is… More

I definitely think this record is extremely strong, even likely the best to date for Magdalena Bay. Tracks like "Killing Time", "Fear, Sex", "Watching T.V." and "Tunnel Vision" are pretty incredible pop tracks. I'm not too sure why "Image" is the most popular because there are many many more to like here. Does this reinvent the pop wheel? No. Is it still strikingly creative? Yes. It's consistently good, and sometimes great.

Big fan of "Come Together" through "Rise Above", but feel the rest of the album is chasing that initial high. Sometimes it hits (i.e. "We Belong" and "Liming"), and other times it does not. Overall a really fun and funky release. Love recruiting Balal for it.

MOTY, more like SOTY

maybe blue, maybe perfect song

This is a great and scary soundtrack. It's amazing to finally hear it; this version is the real first release of the soundtrack of a film that's half a century old. The soundtrack is more fresh, alive, and experimental than a lot of soundtracks that are released today!

(This review is written in three languages: Catalan, Spanish, and English.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Català

Escric aquesta review en tres idiomes perquè tothom qui vulgui pugui entendre-la.

El català, com a llengua adscrita a un territori, fa anys que està en crisi, veient com és substituïda lentament per llengües més majoritàries. A Barcelona és difícil ja trobar-lo als carrers, i cada cop més totes les tendes retolen directament en anglès, satisfent les necessitats del turisme i la creixent població expat.

Què té a veure amb el debut d'en Dan Peralbo i El Comboi?

Quan una amiga em va recomanar el disc al setembre, recordo escoltar-lo per primera vegada i pensar "mira, un disc de pop ben tramat". Temes com "He Begut (Una… More

I try to keep my online thoughts on art limited to primarily positive reflections and recommendations vs. focusing on the negative. This one lives in a somewhere in between the two positions. I've given this record a couple of listens and find much of it compelling but then then I hear the title track again and my brain insists: should I not just be listening to Nils Frahm's "Hammers" right now?
Discuss....

Their strongest release to date, some nice variance on the top half of the album, but they fall into their usual sound as the album progresses. Still don't think the length is justified.

im sofa king

absolutely timeless classic

Yayyyy

The beauty, and the frustration, of being a fan of The Replacements is that they couldn't get out of their way and just make one perfect album. They came close a couple of times, but that antagonistic, self-sabotaging thing they exhibited live was present even when they hit the studio, which baffles me.

This one and Tim are both right on edge of perfection; prototypical 4.5-star records. For a band with as many 5-star songs across their catalog, they just couldn't hold themselves back from throwing in a KISS cover or a dumb, goof-punk track just to fuck with people.

While I understand the inherent fun that mythology brings them, I often think about how frustrating that would have… More

Peak deep house DJ mix. The version on streaming is not gapless (at least on Apple Music) so I'm still listening to my 20 year old rips.

爵士、放克、灵魂、福音、R&B和说唱，一张专爽听🤫

相当不错的作品，围绕吉他贝斯鼓，点缀了铜管和其他乐器的音色，风格从金属到接近原声吉他都有覆盖到。如果真的要挑毛病，作品之间的联系不够紧密，没能形成专辑层面的咬合完整「作品」。

A quite good work, covering the sounds of guitar, bass, drums, and adding the timbre of brass instruments and other instruments, with a style ranging from metal to near-acoustic guitar. If you really have to find fault, the connection between the works is not close enough, and it has not formed a complete "work" at the album level.

Made me want to be at a gig. So pretty effective.

potser jo no estic en el mateix moment vital que quan bbo, potser hoke tampoc ho estiga.
potser demà m'agrade més, potser ho farà menys.
potser les col·laboracions no aporten
potser la lírica és més plana
potser falte amoeba a certs llocs
potser estarem tots equivocats

People might scoff at this 2h36m collection of Aphex Twin tracks, but his b-sides are better than a lot of people's a-sides.

This is no different.

From a Guardian review:

'Several tracks contain odd bits of Aphexian lore. The very jolly, extremely flanged hyperpop of T13 Quadraverbia N+3, is named for a cherished 1989 effects unit, and takes us back in spirit to James’s early days as a “bedroom bore” working in Lannerlog, his Heath Robinson-esque homebrew studio in his parents’ house in Lanner, when he was still only dreaming of changing the face of modern electronic music. And the regal drum’n’bass Spiral Staircase (AFX Remix) is the result of him secretly entering a magazine competition… More