Sam Harkey

This album takes a bit to get going (although “Forecast” is a pretty beautiful introduction). From “Derecho” through “Still Existing”, I really love his exploration into experimental jazz electronica that fuses together many influences from around the world. It’s a refreshing burst of creativity that a testament to his adventurousness. Unfortunately, I think the first half of the record (minus “Airlock” which is a really wonderful journey) is too comfortable and meanders.

A very solid dance record, they are really mastering their sound. Unfortunately, much substance is sacrificed from previous records. The bookends ("Pull the Rope" through "Fire" and "Far Away" through "Dance in the Rain") are really great, but I have trouble staying engaged through the middle portion of the record.

chill vibes, not a lot of replay value. honestly, starting to wonder why i continue to return to Wu-Lu's stuff since i've been vastly unimpressed so far.

Their sophomore record demonstrates tons of growth, but I don't believe they've achieved their full potential just yet. A creative blend of shoegaze, post-punk, indie rock, and more, this record definitely takes you on a pleasant journey, even if the tracks don't always hit. The middle chunk of songs from "Don't" through "Ghost" are pretty sweet, with some inconsistencies to bookend. While I really enjoy "Real Deal" and "Cold Caller", some of the songs surrounding them meander a bit in a lost identity and vision; while I understand that "Movies" was supposed to be a cinematic piece to conclude the record, I think it actually dilutes the overall cinematic aura of the entire album. Overall, an extremely solid follow-up to… More

He does it again. Big ol’ 3/3; a perfect example of why waiting a while between releases can be worth it. After almost 10 years, he’s back with an album that takes modern trends in electronic and makes them into his own sounds. Not every song is perfect, but they all seem to blend well, making good use of most of the features to break up the album a bit (shout out “Daffodil” and “Life”). However, I think the strongest tracks by far are the solo material (i.e. “Treat Each Other Right” and “Still Summer”). Does it scratch the same itches as We’re New Here or In Colour? No, but it isn’t trying to do… More

Honestly the most cohesive and engaging chunk of music Mura Masa has ever put out. While very chaotic and disorganized as times, it almost adds to the experience. There’s elements of garage, folktronica, house, and more all packed into one continuous punch in the air.

A pretty ethereal album, I do believe that Orion Sun is taking her musicianship to a new high. However, the entire album does not represent new highs. There are definitely some points that feel more rudimentary, but overall this is a very enjoyable album given the right mood.

Touched essentially every pop country cliche from the last 25 years and looped in most of country’s stars… all to peg the question: anyone can make country, but should they? Ironically, the best two songs were 2 of 3 that didn’t have features: “What Don’t Belong to Me” and “Right About You”, which get slightly meta acknowledging the capitalism that has ruined country music. Sure it makes for some easy listening and there are some really terrific instrumentation, decent flow, and great guest performances from Lainey, Chris, Brad and Billy, but also some questionably wasted features with Hank Jr., Tim and Dolly. It’s not terrible, but it definitely isn’t it. I will say, I appreciate… More

Don’t get me wrong, this album is a fun ride. Kicking things off with “Vigilante” set the tone properly. However, besides lead single “King of the Slugs” and “Running”, I find that this has little replay value. I love the elements of Jewish traditional music mixed with chaotic hard rock and definitely think this band can have high potential if they get a bit more serious in trying to compose something more cohesive.

This album really has 2 acts. The first half is extremely grungy showcasing tons of artistic growth. I love her exploration into post-punk and “Keep on Dancing” through “Binding” have been on repeat nonstop (shout out to “Like I Say” which is one of my most listened to tracks of 2024). Once the album slows down, it has a really hard time picking back up. The songs are beautiful, but any given track like “Call it Love” gets diluted by the surrounding ballads, which is something we’ve grown to expect out of Nilufer. Overall definitely very satisfied, but expectations will be sky high for her next record.

I appreciate the diversity this record brings. However, that sometimes becomes its Achilles heel, as it can get lost exploring its tangents in a way that makes parts feel disjointed. All in all, this is a good testament to Loukeman’s ability to harness different sounds and vibes. Big fan of “Baby You’re A Star” as an intro and “Snoopy”, “6ix”, “Ride” and “Idrk” will all be on repeat.

Turns out this new clubbing wave Sam is on goes pretty fucking hard. He is putting his own spin on things, per usual, it’s pretty incredible that he went from experimental jazz to this. A man who is becoming as definitive for the electronic scene as four tet was/is.

The most recent LP from the epic garage rock quintet is definitely an experience. Bringing us familiar high-energy hits like “Also the Gorilla” paired with some more electronic experiments with “Cochon d’Argent” and “Cassius, Brutus & Judas”, there’s a testament to Osees’ ability to continue to give us reasons to stay excited about them. However, with the experimentation and looser spirit in this record comes some inconsistency, providing some lulls that draw your attention elsewhere.

I guess they got too bored in retirement… and I’m okay with the comeback. There’s nothing too unexpected here, but you get some refreshing Dr. Dog sounds. Shoutout to “Lost Ones” and “Handyman”, which I think bookend the album well. Unfortunately, there’s a bit of a lull in the middle, but I’m satisfied given I was ready for no more Dr. Dog.

This is probably the most well-executed of Fred’s LPs thus far. With much to like here, you can see his growth from AL1 to now. I like the idea and cohesion of the ten days that glue together distinct vibes; the run from “four” through “where will I be” is great. But let’s talk about why Fred has yet to put out an album better than a 7/10. At the end of the day, Fred falls victim to his Achilles heel: he’s an incredibly talented artist with a great ability to make the most out of collaborations, but his song composition ability typically falls short in favor of sticking to his “vibe” and vision. Perfect example… More

I appreciate the vision embedded within the debut for this duo. However, I think the execution missed the mark in many circumstances, creating something half forgettable and half promising, but not fully actualized.

A fun ride with previous Tame Impala and current Pond drummer GUM and King Gizz's pianist Ambrose Kenny-Smith. You can definitely hear the influences of all three groups playing a part in this whimsical record that provides some good driving summer tunes like "Dud", "Fool For You", "Resilience", and "The Gloater". Sure some songs are forgettable, but overall, I'm satisfied with what these two veterans drummed up.

Kind of lacking much substance throughout the record. The lyricism was subpar and the instrumentation was pretty rudimentary.

It’s the Jack White we’ve been silently asking Santa for each Christmas. A bit of a drop off in the back half, but what a refreshing journey through theatrical garage rock that takes me back to the good ol’ days of The White Stripes.

While this may be their most ambitious project to date, I think several songs end up falling short of their potential. That said, I appreciate the grunge and 90s indie rock influences and think some of the highlights are already all-time Fontaines canon (i.e. lead single “Starburster”). Unfortunately, given the inconsistency, I think this ends up being their weakest release so far.

I'm definitely a fan of the comeback of 80s synthwave (thank you New Order). This album is loose, fun, nostalgic, yet still feels somewhat novel. However, I believe this album slightly falls short in diversity of the music. Yes, songs like "Wait Until It Rains Tomorrow" and "So Long" are great at shaking up the pretty consistent groove of the record, but those grooves can seem pretty homogenous on the surface. Diving a bit deeper is worth the reward. Overall, definitely satisfied with Donny's most recent record.

I really like where Bab L'Bluz' sophomore album takes us. This is a really creative and intimate journey that explores several injustices experienced in everyday life in North Africa and around the world while also venturing into some great psychedelic blues-rock powered jams (reminiscent of Led Zeppelin if they were a band from the desert). Emotionally charged from start to finish with many peaks and valleys, this is a ride that will require multiple listens to fully digest.

Not a big fan of the bedroom/shoegaze art rock vibe after a while. I appreciate the craft of the record, but got lost from time to time in the anticlimactic nature of it. This was definitely a fun and whimsical record overall with some decent replay value.

Jpeg is currently at the peak of his game. Following up from my rap AOTY last year with this mainly solo record, I had some doubts. Those were quickly quelled. As always, his production is one-of-a-kind and continues to push hip-hop into a new age through fusion with punk and industrial. Then we get to his collabs: "New Black History" and "JPEGULTRA!" masterfully incorporate two of hip-hop's most electric voices into an overall vision of retrospect to fuel the need to party in the present and future. This album is a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The direction and cohesion of this record was a bit formulaic. Definitely some real creative bangers like "Black Lung" or "Edge of the World Pt. 3", but this album sacrificed some levels of originality to fit an overall idea of what they were trying to accomplish. That said, they're a great psych-pop-rock band still bringing some heat after over a decade.

Didn’t really live up to the hype, but still not disappointing. Probably a few tracks worth a deeper dive, but the rest stays surface level, despite how pleasant of a listening experience it is overall. Hey, sometimes there’s nothing wrong with that.

Really awesome fusion of post-punk, industrial, hard rock, and hip-hop with great collaborations with Teezo and Kenny Mason. Tons of highlights, yet still a consistent record that doesn’t take itself super seriously.

Despite the fact that I don't find Beatrice to be that talented, I appreciate her artistry and willingness to try [slightly] new sounds and genres in a light-hearted way. However, one has to think that by her 5th record she would have come into her own more. With Rick Rubin production, I did expect more at the end of the day.

While I appreciate some of the artistic exploration embedded within this record (shout out to “Ride”, “At No Puedo” and “Paranoia”), it feels like they ran out of ideas and tried to replicate earlier tracks (see “If Only” and “Sienna” for examples). Uniquely, I got to see them perform the album live today and it is definitely better experienced in a live setting.

Is anyone else getting fatigued by this version of Porter Robinson? I feel like this album still shows growth in his musicianship, like some great tracks in "Knock Yourself Out", "Kitsune Maison Freestyle", and "Easier to Love You", but is too hit or miss for me. It's not a bad album, per se, but is lacking much substance in half of the tracks. I'm definitely left wishing I had more to chew on.