Type: Album Genre(s): East Coast Hip Hop, Conscious Hip Hop From: USA, New York, White Plains/USA, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Release: August 12, 2022 Producer(s): Danger Mouse Just by looking at the cover, you can tell that this album is unequivocally excellent. Once inside, there is an alluring smoothness present in the tracks themselves, but also in the fantastic transitions song-to-song-to-song. This …
Type: Album Genre(s): Art Rock, Post-Rock, Chamber Pop From: England, Cambridgeshire Release: February 4, 2022 Producer(s): Sergio Maschetzko This effort is most definitely a rewarding metamorphosis into an admirable albeit truly unexpected musical outcome. What’s more, the band’s attempt to make an album with a clearer through line is also quite successful and charismatic yet personal. The lyrical and structural …
Type: Album Genre(s): Post-Rock, Experimental Rock, Post-Punk From: England, Cambridgeshire Release: February 5, 2021 Producer(s): Andy Savours Generally, every time I hear this effort I’m left with the sensation that I’m listening to a diamond in the rough — which is why it’s so impressive for it to have such a massive amount of raw power and pure artistic merit, …
Type: Album Genre(s): Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Indietronica From: USA, California, Irvine Release: August 12, 2016 Producer(s): Alex Salibian & Jeff Bhasker I’m honestly impressed by this record’s lyrical concept and choice of topic. The lyrics have a constant double meaning that is rather intricate and plainly enjoyable. The themes are (mostly) cohesively carried out, with only some minor deviations …
Type: Album Genre(s): Neo-Psychedelia, Indie Pop From: USA, Maryland, Baltimore Release: August 12, 2009 Producer(s): Animal Collective, Avey Tare, Ben H. Allen III, Geologist & Panda Bear This record has heaps of possible qualities to comment on. Probably, the most striking and evident is its exquisite flow between songs. This whole album feels like one experience, greatly orchestrated in order …
Type: Album Genre(s): Art Pop, Indie Rock, Progressive Pop From: England, Manchester Release: June 22, 2015 Producer(s): Everything Everything, Jim Abbiss, Stuart Price & Tom Ad Fuller Compositionally and performance-wise, there’s not a single track that is describable by any denotation beneath “superb”; however, some elements are —only mildly— disappointing at times though. That being said, things that deserve nothing …
Type: Album Genre(s): Radio Drama, Experimental From: USA, North Carolina, Chapel Hill Release: April 5, 2017 Producer(s): Coin Locker Kid (Devyn Smith) Alright, so this album is difficult to approach and review for sure. Foremost, it’s not —in its entirety— music, it’s a radio drama with quite a hefty narrative weight; that is today, spoilers are ahead. In order to …
Type: Album Genre(s): Experimental Rock, Post-Rock, Experimental, Drone, Dark Ambient From: USA, New York, New York City Release: October 22, 1996 Producer(s): Jarboe & Michael Gira The absolute pinnacle of sombre in music form, in double album format. Themes of ageing, codependence, addiction, and affliction; all juxtaposed with overtones of negligent parenthood: not a single moment of the two-hour and …
Type: Album Genre(s): Avant-Prog, Brutal Prog From: England, London Release: July 15, 2022 Producer(s): Marta Salogni, Max Goulding & Steve Albini Well wow! What a narratively compelling record with continuously absorbing lyricism. Moreover, The easy-to-miss allusions to this being somewhat of a concept album are also a nice touch for those who enjoy diving a bit deeper. However, the conclusions …
Type: Album Genre(s): Indie Folk, Contemporary Folk From: USA, Nebraska, Omaha Release: January 25, 2005 Producer(s): Mike Mogis This effort is quite a treat. I was welcomed by a folky and wide-open set of arms, only to be surprised by lyrics full of very downcast frames of mind. From nihilism to substance abuse to loss; there is not a single …