Reviews

Oh dear GOD, make it stop!!!

WHY are these guys still releasing “music”?

For continuity, I’ll choose two stand out tracks for this album as well. The chosen ones aren’t the best, but the song titles speak for themselves. The first is what I think of the album and the second is what you’ll be doing to yourself if you ever listen to it.

Stand out tracks: “Dirt” & “Self Harm”

For some reason (I don’t remember why) I’ve always felt a need to defend Kid Cudi. That’s quite the task considering that he hasn’t really released an album of great value since Indicud in 2013. That said, the statement “Kid Cudi is awesome” is still the hill I choose to die on. Which also leads me to rate this latest album slightly higher than I guess it deserves. KID CUDI RULES. Even when he doesn’t.

Stand out tracks: “Keep Bouncin’” & “Porsche Topless”

Same same, but not very different. Just worse.

What did you expect… was a decent album. Since then (2011) The Vaccines have just been copy/pasting their own stuff, to yawning effect.

Stand out tracks: “The Dreamer” & “Primitive Man”

I admit: there’s nothing particularly fresh or credible about a Green Day album released almost 30 years after Dookie, but the fact is that this album ROCKS. Sure, it sounds naive and clichéd at times but the tunes are there and so is the joy and the need to listen on repeat. I’m always thankful for albums that make me feel like a teenager again.

Stand out tracks: “Bobby Sox” & “Look Ma, No Brains!”

So I don’t know what Iechyd Da means, but I do know that I enjoy this album by a dude from The Coral more than I ever enjoyed anything by The Coral.

Stand out tracks: “Nothing To Be Done” & “ A Bad Wind Blows In My Heart pt. 3”

What a great start to 2024! This album is a real up and comer that sounds both ticking and heavy. I adore adore adore it (without a shadow of a doubt) and can’t get enough of it,

(See what I did there? =)

Stand out tracks: “Literary Mind” & “Adore Adore Adore”

Best album of the millennium so far. One of the great American records and probably what will become the high point in LDR’s career and (finally) her magnum opus.

Stand out tracks: “Venice Bitch” & “Happiness Is A Butterfly”

Reina. Génio. Perfección.

Stand out tracks: “Hentai” & “Chicken Teriyaki”

The perfect soundtrack for dancing in your living room, banging your head against a wall, or just waking up, really.

Stand out tracks: “Softly” & “Nothing Like”

These youngsters are giving me early Bright Eyes vibes (Fevers & Mirrors era) and I’m here for it.

Stand out tracks: “Statues” & “Where We’ve Been”

The mixing/production is all wrong.

'Fucks' is a fantastic beast of a song. Combining ferocious Fucked Up with their unique open sound.

The growing up listening to The Chicks in the back of ur moms minivan to stanning Waxahatchee pipeline is alive and well. Full of passion, twang, and Katie’s unparalleled voice.

The dramatic feeling in Grace Cummings' music probably stems from the fact that this Melbourne-based multi-talent is also an actress. On her new album 'Ramona,' produced by Jonathan Wilson, it's a full performance from the first drum intro (magical) to the last note. The sound is as graceful as it is powerful, and Cummings' characteristic voice is hitting right at the heart. An extremely addictive and well-written record. And yes, the title comes from the Dylan classic "To Ramona".

Not my usual cup of tea, but certainly enjoyed most of it.

I gave the EP a try because I came across the band name in both a remark from a colleague and a podcast within 24 hours. That simply got me curious.

Personal take: after the first two tracks being nice'n'weird™️ the third track Teardrops was a bit of a poppy disappointment, almost as though they decided "make a single" (as opposed to just writing music and later on deciding it would make a good single). From there on in it varied a bit.

When I'm procrastinating this is my go to 'let's fucking go!' music.

Pretty corny bars for 80% of the record masked in decent production. Most of the features actually showed out, which felt out of place and didn’t help his case. The Kendrick diss solidified his place out of the top 3.

this bitch knows how to collab and has a killer DnB album inside of him somewhere I just know it. I'm calling a Fred x Chase & Status release in 2024.

Like sun showers. Dreamlike, ethereal, glistening and bright. Misty and melancholy.

While I appreciate the new direction they're seemingly wanting to take things in, it does feel like they've only just dipped their toes in the water — I'm looking forward to hearing what happens when they truly take the plunge.

I just can't stand King Krule.

There’s something that this album has that a lot of albums don’t have to me and it’s this strange familiarity and nostalgia that this album exudes, and also its major vulnerability and raw production style. Some of the most powerful and raw moments I’ve ever heard on any album appear on this record and it never fails to get me every time. This record is one of my favorites ever. It’s seriously that good.

Loved a lot of this record. It’s not every day that you get an album that is mostly produced by Jai Paul so when something like this drops you gotta listen.

The album flows consistently from track to track, which is simultaneously its advantage and disadvantage. It felt like a safe release as they return with their first solo release in almost 7 years. Some unbelievable takes on shoegaze with "Fishbrain" and the two King Krule features. I really hoped for more experimentation here to push it to the next level, but it's a very enjoyable listen for a road trip.

Bringing some Everytime I Die heaviness here. Still digg their energetic poppunk sauce too.

A classic in its own right. Jerry took the liberty to lean more heavily on his psychedelic bluegrass and blues roots, but could have done more to change up "Deal" and "Sugaree".

Listened to it twice and not a single song jumped out. A shame about the tension.

Really an unbelievable record. No skips, with so many to return to. It's cohesive and dynamic, yet steadily builds from the first song through the last second of the last song. Definitely his magnum opus, but still very excited for Death Jokes.

one moment thom croons sweet somethings about the tragic beauty of humankind then the next i'm getting blasted with high gain full octane overdriven guitar. more of this please.

this record came out forever ago but i still feel the need to say something about it. this record is a massive departure from their previous work. adrianne and buck have demonstrated incredible folk talent through their solo endeavors, but big thief largely remained outside of that world, until this album. and what a gem it is. it blends the simplicity of folk tunes with the complexity of lyrical themes and instrumentation. 80 minutes and not a single dull moment, which is a ridiculous achievement in a record. i'm still listening to this, all the time.

Really enjoyed the spaciness of this record. They stripped things back in a tasteful way that showcases each individual's musicality in subtle ways. Definitely not disappointed, but looking for them to experiment a bit more on the next one.

One of the most important punk records ever made and continued to put the US in the same conversation as the UK in the aftermath of Never Mind the Bollocks. This album is witty and emotionally charged (i.e. "Forward to Death" and "I Kill Children") with certifiable rock and punk classics littered throughout. "California Uber Alles" will always remain my go-to dive bar jukebox cut.

Soft dance-beats accompanied by spoken stories. Calvin Harris meets Example.

As far as soul goes this is certainly essential. Unfortunately soul isn't my cup of tea.

This one will need to sink in, but on a Monday afternoon this is just, above anything else, giving me a headache.

I just don't know why I have such a thing for non-conformist sounding music 😇😇😇

I’m starting to miss Rostam

back to the basics. they know what they are and kill it every time. Todavía viva might be my favorite groove they’ve ever made tbh

Takes the VW mythos and completely implodes it. These sound like VW songs, but each one is slightly off, slightly disjointed, to the point that each song becomes something new — I’ve heard songs like this, but I’ve never heard songs like this. I want to crawl inside this production and never leave.

I don’t know how to write about this record. it’s dancey and hard and meta and shitty and angry and silly and beneath the don’t-give-a-fuck of it all lies something really clever. Blackpool illuminations is my favorite.