Year Album Artist Stars Score Genre 1996 Endtroducing….. DJ Shadow ★★★★½ 91 Electronic Alternative Hip-Hop Trip-Hop DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing….. is a pioneering album that set the standard for sample-driven instrumentals in electronic and hip-hop music, and solidified the sound that would come out of most trip-hop artists for the rest of the decade. Sample-heavy musicContinue reading “Endtroducing….. – DJ Shadow ★★★★½”
Category Archives: Album Reviews
Harry’s Room – Harry Styles ★★★
Year Album Artist Stars Score Genre 2022 Harry’s Room Harry Styles ★★★ 62 Pop Pop Rock Harry Styles has gotten really good at making pop records that still feel like indie music, even though there isn’t anything indie about a former member of a boyband who puts out a few smash Top-40 hits every twoContinue reading “Harry’s Room – Harry Styles ★★★”
Be – Common ★★★★½
Year Album Artist Stars Score Genre 2005 Be Common ★★★★½ 90 Hip-Hop The concept of a comeback record wasn’t really a thing in hip-hop back in 2005. One reason, and a big one, is that the genre was still relatively new at the time. With only 20 years or so of history — and closerContinue reading “Be – Common ★★★★½”
Finding Forever – Common ★★★½
Year Album Artist Stars Score Genre 2007 Finding Forever Common ★★★½ 72 Hip-Hop Finding Forever is the victim of being in the shadow of the classic Common album that came out just a few years prior. The album is a clear step down from Be, both for Common as an emcee and for Kanye WestContinue reading “Finding Forever – Common ★★★½”
Universal Mind Control – Common ★½
Year Album Artist Stars Score Genre 2008 Universal Mind Control Common ★½ 39 Hip-Hop There was a lot to be excited about in late 2008, when Common was about to release new music. Common was coming off of his two most successful albums, and was about to make the third of his deal with GOODContinue reading “Universal Mind Control – Common ★½”
To Pimp A Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar ★★★★★
Year Album Artist Stars Score Genre 2015 To Pimp A Butterfly Kendrick Lamar ★★★★★ 96 Hip-Hop West Coast Hip-Hop Jazz Rap I remember the night To Pimp A Butterfly came out. The album’s two lead singles helped build up hype in Kendrick Lamar’s fanbase — which had slowly but steadily grew in size since 2012’sContinue reading “To Pimp A Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar ★★★★★”
Deathconsciousness – Have a Nice Life ★★★½
Year Album Artist Stars Score Genre 2008 Deathconsciousness Have a Nice Life ★★★½ 77 Rock Shoegaze Post Punk Deathconsciousness is an atmospheric, muddy, desperate feeling record that draws from the dark, post-punk sounds of Joy Division, the heavy, slowcore plodding of Low, the drawn-out post-rock creativity of Slint and the haunting noise-rock production of earlyContinue reading “Deathconsciousness – Have a Nice Life ★★★½”
Turn On the Bright Lights – Interpol ★★★½
Year Album Atrist Stars Score Genre 2002 Turn On the Bright Lights Interpol ★★★½ 74 Rock Alternative Rock Post Punk Revival It’s nice when you can pinpoint the birth — or revival — of a genre. Interpol’s debut Turn On the Bright Lights might not have technically been the first Post Punk Revival record, butContinue reading “Turn On the Bright Lights – Interpol ★★★½”
The Bravery – The Bravery ★★★
Year Album Artist Stars scoore Genre 2005 The Bravery The Bravery ★★½ 57 Rock Alternative Rock Post Punk Revival The Bravery’s self-titled debut is a boilerplate Post Punk Revival record from a band trying to break into what was the genre’s growing scene in 2005. It’s a well produced album, and the band puts everythingContinue reading “The Bravery – The Bravery ★★★”
LULU – Conway the Machine ★★★½
Year Album Artist Stars Score Genre 2020 LULU Conway the Machine ★★★½ 78 Hip-Hop At only 22 minutes long, Conway the Machine might technically consider LULU an EP, but it feels like a complete album, and The Alchemist’s production just transports you into Conway’s world, with HARD bass notes, menacing, dissonant synths and gritty, methodicalContinue reading “LULU – Conway the Machine ★★★½”
Fresh Out The Deli 