Year Album Artist Stars Score Genre 2023 Heavy Heavy Young Fathers ★★★½ 79 Hip-Hop Neo Soul On Young Fathers’ first album since their great 2018 record Cocoa Sugar, the Scottish indie group replaces their usual dissonant and tense hip-hop production with gospel, soul and world music elements that introduce so much warmth and life. EvenContinue reading “Heavy Heavy – Young Fathers ★★★½”
Category Archives: Album Reviews
UGLY – Slowthai ★★★½
Year Album Artist Stars Score Genre 2023 UGLY Slowthai ★★★½ 78 Hip-Hop Post Punk Subsections of hip-hop continue to inch closer to traditional rock and punk music — using elements like live guitars and drums, sung passages and screaming choruses. British rapper Slowthai’s 2023 album UGLY is essentially a rock record, with heavy doses ofContinue reading “UGLY – Slowthai ★★★½”
Real Melody – Horse Rider ★★★½
Year Album Artist Stars Score Genre 2023 Real Melody Horse Rider ★★★½ 75 Rock Alternative Rock Emo Central Texas-based band Horse Rider’s 38 minute debut album Real Melody provides emo-influenced lyrics and vocals with a grunge soundboard and slowcore energy. The opening half of the album is really strong— with “Hollow” being a standout andContinue reading “Real Melody – Horse Rider ★★★½”
Everything Harmony – The Lemon Twigs ★★★★
Year Album Artist Stars Score Genre 2023 Everything Harmony The Lemon Twigs ★★★★ 81 Rock Pop Rock Jangle Pop I mean this in the best way possible. Everything Harmony sounds like a collection of songs written as 1970 and 80s sitcom theme music, or written for cheeky, modern television commercials trying to somewhat ironically captureContinue reading “Everything Harmony – The Lemon Twigs ★★★★”
Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd – Lana Del Rey ★★★½
Year Album Artist Stars Score Genre 2023 Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd Lana Del Rey ★★★½ 72 Pop Singer-songwriter Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd is probably my favorite Lana Del Rey album. I’m not usually a fan of Lana’s albums, and some of the thingsContinue reading “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd – Lana Del Rey ★★★½”
The Loveliest Time – Carly Rae Jepsen
Year Album Artist Stars Score Genre 2023 The Loveliest Time Carly Rae Jepsen ★★★ 68 Pop Dance Pop Disco At this point, Carly Rae Jepsen is a dependable, seasoned pop professional. She has yet to have another song explode the way “Call Me Maybe” did in 2012, and none of her albums have topped 2015’sContinue reading “The Loveliest Time – Carly Rae Jepsen”
i was mature for my age, but i was still a child – grouptherapy.
Year Album Artist Stars Score Genre 2023 i was mature for my age, but i was still a child grouptherapy. ★★★½ 71 Hip-Hop Alternative Hip-Hop It’s impossible to listen to grouptherapy. — a young, alternative hip-hop collective that uses internet-aged DIY production to blend rap, pop and R&B while discussing Gen Z themes — withoutContinue reading “i was mature for my age, but i was still a child – grouptherapy.”
That! Feels Good! – Jessie Ware ★★★½
Year Album Artist Stars Score Genre 2023 That! Feels Good! Jessie Ware ★★★½ 77 Pop Dance Pop Disco Jessie Ware continues to get better and better with each release, and her 2023 album, similarly, gets better and better as it goes. After 2020’s What’s Your Pleasure? saw her fully embrace disco music, That! Feels Good!Continue reading “That! Feels Good! – Jessie Ware ★★★½”
GUTS – Olivia Rodrigo ★★★★
Year Album Artist Stars Score Genre 2023 GUTS Olivia Rodrigo ★★★★ 80 Pop Pop Rock Pop Punk I thought Olivia Rodrigo’s first album was good, but a little basic from start to finish. However, GUTS, her sophomore record, is really an improvement at every level — confidence in the vocal performance, maturity in the songwriting,Continue reading “GUTS – Olivia Rodrigo ★★★★”
808s & Heartbreak – Kanye West ★★★½
Year Album Artist Stars Score Genre 2008 808s And Heartbreak Kanye West ★★★½ 71 Hip-Hop R&B I know 808s & Heartbreak — Kanye West’s first venture into the R&B world — isn’t for everyone. But — when looking back at where hip-hop went in the 10-15 years after 2008 and how prominent R&B production, auto-tunedContinue reading “808s & Heartbreak – Kanye West ★★★½”
Fresh Out The Deli 