Reviews

Swifties approve!

Stand out tracks: “So Long, London” & “Clara Bow”

This is a prime example of a band who has a clear vision from day one. Their debut builds well off the singles and is a fun and challenging record all throughout. The callbacks to glam rock era are very welcome. “Feminine Urge” might be up there in my SOTY lists.

It’s gonna be a big fat yes from me dawg, if Khruangbin got really lost in the desert and maybe encountered an alien or two on the way out

Hyperpop is the most fun genre ever.

All together now: froooooog on the floooooor, where’d he come frooooooom… Brilliant.

Stand out tracks: “mememe” & “Hollywood Baby”

I was a little let down on this album after how promising the singles were. It was too lengthy to the point of become unfocused and meandering at times. Overall, I appreciate the progression he's made since Wild Wet World, as this effort was much less comfortable and pushed the boundaries of sound composition further. He's one of the most unique artists out there now.

Kim Jung Mi's "Now," released in the late 70s during Park Chung-hee’s military dictatorship, stands out to me not only for its serene musicality, but also for its historical significance. The album is starkly different from what we know as "Korean Music" that is heavily manufactured K-pop. It is 'floaty', 'breezy', and very nostaligic in a "The Doors" and Zamrock kind of way. "Haenim," the standout track about basking in the sun, showcases Kim’s mellow vocals paired beautifully with acoustic guitar and string orchestrations.

The album is also notorious for featuring Shin Jung-hyeon’s "Beautiful Rivers and Mountains," a protest song that led to his arrest and torture. This bold choice adds a layer of profound depth to… More

this is by far the weakest installment of her otherwise excellent repertoire of breakup albums, and possibly her weakest release ever … ? Amassing a billion US dollars, self-labeling yourself as tortured, and releasing a gratuitously unedited, pretty boring album full of garage band synth and elementary metaphor (one in which she literally compares herself to Jesus on the cross) does not a poet make

Happy 30th to the greatest rap album of all time.

There's more to this deathgrind than just...grind.

Nice meandering album. The last track had a special dreamy melancholic vibe to it.

All a bit too slick for me.

This is amazing.

More thorough review to come.

Stand out tracks: “Come Together” & “How Sweet Is Your Love”

Fun bops that all sound so similar that if Nia didn't repeat the track titles during the chorus of each song I would be incredibly lost. I listened to this album while I was rock climbing and sent a problem I've been working on for a while though so points for that.

The 19th record from these SF legends. I cannot say that I have listened to all 19, because I haven't, and I'm sure there are some absolute stinkers in the catalog due to large sample size and Gaussian distribution, but this one absolutely hits. Shoegazey math rocky hyper punk goodness. And this one is entirely in Japanese.

I’ve been procrastinating an opinion on this album for weeks now and it’s time to grow some balls and have one. Will I always have an immense soft spot for the early VW that soundtracked my 3am tumblr scrolls - yes, do I think they were better with full time Rostam - maybe, is this still a great album that effectively encapsulates the inner workings of an aging millennial, and was my initial resistance to it also an unwillingness to admit my own descent into adulthood - definitely

These guys are fun as hell, s/o last.fm algo for putting them in my life. Excited to see where they go next.

It’s like the entire world fit into one album. The highs are high, I respect their craft but I won’t be able to rate it too high since it does feel like muzak-y background music at times. Prefer the tracks with vocals

Stand out tracks: “May Ninth” & “Todavia Viva”

I actually like this album more than I expected to, It felt like Beyonce was passing on the torch to younger Black Country artists. (One thing this woman is great at is putting people on because she put me onto Linda Martell the first commercially successful black female country artist.)

Stand out track for me were: "II MOST WANTED," "16 CARRIAGES" "YA YA" and "BODYGUARD."

I was caught off guard with this album—expecting the typical high-energy from tracks like "Bad Gyals" and "Baiana," I found something far more introspective. Initially, I thought I needed more upbeat jungle vibes, but after a few listens, especially on a night drive, I realized the beauty in its softness.

The standout track, "Unfinished Business," with its perfect reprise, beautifully caps off the album, which closes on a nostalgic note. Although it leans heavily on familiar territory and might not explore a broad range of styles, it perfectly captures the essence of new love and comfort.

For those open to a shift, this album is a journey worth taking. Its introspective depths are a refreshing contrast to the artist's… More

I had high hopes for this new JT project just because of the hype surrounding it. Unfortunately, the album felt disappointingly flat. Despite its aim to blend classic tracks with fresh influences, it never quite took off, leaving me searching for the spark that his music usually ignites. It was an underwhelming experience that struggled to capture the vibrant essence of his earlier successes.

This album is the perfect pick for anyone looking to experience a seamless fusion of African and Latin American rhythms. Listen for both the joy of upbeat dance tracks and a deeper appreciation of this legendary band's musical craftsmanship. My favorite tracks are "Nijaay", "Cabral" and "Aline."

Leeds-based English Teachers' eclectic debut album This Could Be Texas grows organically on the listener. The strength lies in the detailed sound landscape, in the unwillingness to adhere to genre conventions, in Lily Fontaine's fantastic lyrics and expression, but perhaps most of all in the musical skills. An epic album by a group of youngsters whose future looks bright.

"They say these would be the best tears of your life"

Blane is continuing to develop, mature, and hone her sound. This EP (almost LP). However, it seems that the collaborators shined over Blane on this EP. "mr useless" is overrated, but "4eva" and "f@ke" have me excited for what's to come next.

Au usual with this guy, it’s not great but not exactly bad either. Just keep wondering who the target audience is for these mellow and slightly pointless muzak sound bites?

Stand out tracks: “Best For You And Me” & “I Just Want To Wake Up With You”

Serving ponytail realness!

Stand out tracks: ”Supernatural” & ”Eternal Sunshine”

These guys are weird and it’s not the good kind of weird.

Stand out tracks: “Exotic Bop” & “Take Me To Your Leader”

So, this was unnecessary.

Stand out tracks: “Let’s Go Dancing” & “Starlings”

I want Matt Houck to hold my hand all through 2024.

Granted, most Phosphorescent albums sound alike (and Revelator does lack an obvious song of particular greatness like “Song For Zula” or “C’est La Vie No. 2”) but it doesn’t really matter when this album feels like you’re being wrapped up in a warm, cozy blanket and you’re allowed to cry as much as you want. Well done. As usual.

Stand out tracks: “Revelator” & “A Poem On The Men’s Room Wall”

A slightly less experimental progression for Jlin has her exploring new genre fusion and heightened levels of club energy. It's calculated chaos that's never losing sight of what the album is as a whole. I can only imagine the experience of this record live.

You could fill a whole back of double-stuff oreos with all the fluff on this record.

Returning to my favorite Dylan. At least for now.

Love the soothing quality of this.

Stand out tracks: “Insecurities” & “Kiss Me Before I Forget”

I spend way too much time watching these guys on YouTube.

This is the type of grindcore that hits the soul.

Damn, these guys are hella mad.

And rightly so!

Stand out tracks: ”GYAG” & ”Right Here”

It all started like this: the proprietor of the excellent second hand store in my hometown where I buy a lot of my records called me to say that they’ve bought a big cd collection. Not only big, but also incredible, and apparently full of records that looked like they would be right down my alley. So I cycled over there and started digging through the crates. 

And, yes, the collection was amazing. Mainly pop, rock, soul, country from the 1970’s. I picked out a lot of records, and ended up spending a lot of money. This is life. 

Enter: Tom Jans’ second solo album, ”The Eyes of an Only Child” from 1975. I knew nothing about this… More

I miss the bedroom version of Marie Ulven.

Hmm. This feels a lot less country than advertised. The Blackbird and Jolene covers are good but do nothing spectacular compared to the original songs. I’ve always hated interludes on albums in general and this one has like three million of them. But the rest of the material on here is good. Even the Post Malone duet is good (which is saying something!) and the Miley Cyrus one is great.

Stand out tracks: “16 Carriages” & “Ya Ya”

Not as great as the 2014 debut, but then few albums are.

This is close to perfect. If only Velveteen and Tile by Tile (two quite pointless tracks) had been taken out this would have been a five star experience, because the remaining dozen songs are great.

Stand out tracks: “Pomeranian Spinster” & “Easy On Your Own?”

A return to form.

Best songs are saved for last!

Stand out tracks: “Hope” & “Pravda”