Mitski - The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We

Release Date:  September 15, 2023

maybe i need to be on tiktok

Review:  Mitski has a certain singing style that I still haven't warmed up to yet. I know the first song started out okay, but I though the album was pretty boring with not a lot of memorable hooks. Until "My Love Mine All Mine" and "The Frost," it started to sound good. The later parts of the album, I felt like I gained something. I was hoping on a re-listen, I would find something, but yeah, it's still on the boring side. Like there's strings in the songs, but I heard them before. Maybe if I loved her voice, I would catch what her words mean, but I feel like I'm listening to someone be deep for the sake of being deep.

Summary:  It's rare, but i feel like the backend is stronger than the first.

Favorite Songs: My Love Mine All Mine, The Frost, I'm Your Man
Rating: 7/10

JPEGMAFIA / Danny Brown - Scaring the Hoes

Release Date:  March 24th, 2023

party's over grandpa

Review:  so i listen to danny brown earlier, but jpeg is new to me. sometimes he sounds like childish gambino, which surprised me. I would describe the music to be more erratic, like the wrestling samples and the electronic noises. Since the songs are short, i don't get bored. And thankfully the two MCs here are hype to keep my attention.

Summary: My opinion on danny brown are still the same, but this album got me interested in Mr JPEG.

Favorite Songs:  Steppa Pig, Burfict, Shut Yo Bitch Ass Up / Muddy Waters
Rating: 7/10

Avalon Emerson - & the Charm

Release Date:  April 28th, 2023

When I saw the name and album cover, I thought this was for a movie soundtrack.

Review:  And I'd like to imagine it is for a coming-of-age movie. the music is very light and fluffy. The singing isn't that good, but since I like female vocals of any kind, I find her to be calming and soothing. There isn't much range, but whatever. A quick google search tells me that she is mostly known as a DJ, so this debut album is interesting under that light. My big negative is that when there isn't much singing, those parts can feel boring.

Summary:  It sounds great if you imagine it's from a coming-of-age movie.

Favorite Songs:  Entombed In Ice, Astrology Poisoning
Rating: 7/10

MiSaMo - Masterpiece

Release Date:  July 26th, 2023

if you know the story, this album is a dream come true for the girls.

Review:  Vocally, i don't think anybody considers these ladies to be main or lead vocals, but they all have their own tone. so how would this work? well, I'm glad they kept it within their strength which is that smooth silky rnb vibe. Sometime Momo raps and it's awesome. The best songs are the ones with music videos. As for the rest, it's fine. it's good. but it's hard to tell because I'm too deep into Twice. This album isn't very catchy so I know it's not something I will choose to listen to, but I don't know if it's amazing or just middle of the road. It does sound mature because it has a sexy vibe to it.

Summary:  walk rest running, rest rest running

Favorite Songs: Do not touch, Marshmallow
Rating: 7/10

Yunè Pinku - Babylon IX EP

Release Date:  April 28th, 2023

The album cover looked interesting

Review:  the music sounds like 90s Dido or Frou Frou, or some generic club mix that blows cold air at you with a spacey trance. it's only 6 songs, but Trinity and Blush Cut really stood out to me.

Summary:  windows down, cold air to your face.

Favorite Songs:  Trinity, Blush Cut
Rating: 7/10

Sufjan Stevens - Javelin

Release Date:  October 6th, 2023

I though it was interesting that for the press release, it said that this was a return to the "singer-songwriter mode" of Carrie & Lowell. I liked all the singles leading up to the release, then learning that he couldn't do much press because of Guillain-Barré syndrome. and to top it off, his partner passed away in April.

Review:  Yeah, I hope he's okay. But to be honest, this album didn't blow me away like Carrie & Lowell did. It sounds good, but i found it to be reminisces of All Delighted People and "My Red Little Fox" could be a Christmas song cut. I think the climax or centerpiece is the 8 minute long "Shit Talk" and I do enjoy it, but it's missing something to make it next level. The last song is actually a Neil Young song, but I wouldn't have known it was a cover because it sounds very Sufjan.

Summary:  I feel like a jerk not praising this because I'm sure he's suffering, but I didn't connect with this album, nor did I feel like the songs were extraordinary. I just thought it was the singer songwriter you expected, nothing more. nothing less. Still, it's good.

Favorite Songs: Will Anybody Ever Love Me, So You Are Tired, Shit Talk
Rating: 7/10

TisaKorean - Let Me Update My Status

Release Date:  March 24th, 2023

Review:  I thought people hated soulja boy's music so when i read a burp that this guy makes nostalgic music from the late 00s that recalls soulja boy, i had to listen. and it's not that deep. I want to say it's shit, but it's funny how one trick it is. A lot of repeating phases. it's fun.

Summary:  silly

Favorite Songs: SiLlY MoAn.mP3, hOw yOu gOnE Do dAt.mP3
Rating: 7/10

Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want To Turn Into You

Release Date:  February 14, 2023

Review:  The first four tracks, the album was headed towards all-time great territory, but it dips because of track 5, goes back up for track 8, and the album kind of stays in this 90s/00s trip-hop era, which I always found it tough to get into. It's interesting that she got Dido to guest on "Fly to You" because I get a lot of "Life For Rent" vibes from this album. 

Summary:  The songs are good, but it doesn't feel like a genre defining record like some people are rating it.

Favorite Songs:  Pretty in Possible, Blood and Butter
Rating: 7/10

The National - First Two Pages of Frankenstein

Release Date: April 28, 2023

The National are my favorite band, so I can't help, but be bias.

Review: This album doesn't suck, but I can understand why some people would think so. It just doesn't flow right. I often read on reddit that fans wish the band would go back to their more loud rock energy, but I'm more of a Boxer type, so I don't mind the soft finger-picking slow burners. Still, when they released 4 songs before the release of the album, "Eucalyptus" was the only one that got me excited. But then they released a live version of it and now I can't listen to the album version without feeling a bit let down.

When they released "Tropic Morning News" in January, I wasn't feeling it, but they are my boys so I can stomach it. It reminds me a bit of "Humiliation" where the music doesn't feel like it goes anywhere, but enough times you listen to it, you sort of get the melodies. On the album, i feel like this song is too long. "New Order T-Shirt" has that finger picking that I love, but there isn't a lyric in the song that grabs me so i also felt this one drags. and the last of the pre-release, "Your Mind is Not Your Friend" sounds like that portal song. I think if this was a soundtrack single or a bonus track, it would be fine, but I found it so boring. 

So based on the 4, I was only excited by 1, but then I read on reddit that this was their best album since TWFM which I thought was crazy because IAETF and SWB were both great. The album started masterfully with "Once Upon a Poolside" that had sufjan stevens background vocals. track 4 has Phoebe Bridgers on "This Isn't Helping" and I thought it was beautiful in a downer way. I really like "Alien" because it has those slow burn Boxer qualms.

I guess the song people were expecting the most from is "The Alcott" which features Taylor Swift. I think it's a great song and deserves to be recognized, but now that enough time has past, it doesn't fit here. it sounds closer to "Coney Island" or "Renegade" and I actually feel it breaks the flow of the album.

"Grease in Your Hair" is high energy, kind of. I like Ice Machines" because of its subtle melodies. and lastly, "Send for Me" is kind of sweet, but also a bit boring.

Summary: I know, its 47 minutes and I love that The National are still able to make music, but I don't think it's a good album from start to finish. There's a video of them at Bearsville Theater where they performed most of the album and they all sound alive. Something is missing here. Still, it's The National and I'm bias.

Favorite Songs: Once Upon a Poolside, This Isn't Helping, The Alcott
Rating: 7/10

Michael Jackson - Off The Wall

Release Date: August 10th, 1979

The real debut of Michael.

Review: I've heard the first two songs before, and when i got to the midpoint of the album, I actually thought this would surpass Thriller. "Girlfriend" isn't a bad song, but it's a bit fluffy, and sadly "She's Out of My Life" kind of sucks.  "I Can't Help It" is chill, and i like "It's The Falling in Love." I was ready for this to be over when the last song came on. anyways, the first half of this album is really good. Not catchy like his later singles, but it has a good vibe to it. I don't know what it was like to be out dancing to disco, but i can picture people enjoying themselves for the entirely of those songs.

Summary: first half is really good.

Favorite Songs: Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, Rock With You,
Rating: 7/10

Joanna Newsom - Divers

Release Date: October 23rd, 2015

I wasn't seeking out music in 2015. I know I was aware of this album, and if I did give it a listen, I have no memory of it, but I do remember telling myself that I'll eventually get to it.

Review: and so here we are. It's no Ys, but I can hear these songs sitting side to side with "Have One on Me's." I don't think the first two tracks are all that interesting, and the title track, "Divers" isn't all great either. I did however like "Goose Eggs" and "Waltz of the 101st Lightborne" and the 2 songs under 3 minutes. The last song has a cool climax to it, but I feel like I heard it before.

Summary: It's a fine album, but i don't think it's an "attention to detail" album like her past work. I could be wrong, since it's only been a few days listening and i'm more focus on the sound and not the lyrics. None of these songs are bad, but just compared to her other stuff, these just feel like songs, not magical.

Favorite Songs: Goose Eggs, Waltz of the 101st Lightborne, The Things I Say
Rating: 7/10

Danny Brown - Atrocity Exhibition

Release Date: September 30th, 2016

listening to my 3rd danny brown album in 3 days

Review: I felt this had more ups and downs moments, but i really didn like "white lines" and "pneumonia."

Summary: since i'm used to him now, i can tolerate his voice, but the album didn't impress me the way "Old" did.

Favorite Songs: Rolling Stone, Ain't it Funny, Dance in the Water
Rating: 7/10

Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)

Release Date: May 10th, 1994

i wasn't around in 1994, but time does weird things when it comes to the perception of music.

Review: obviously the 3 singles, "undone," "buddy holly," and "say it ain't so" are classics. the other seven tracks sound a bit basic. usually in a decade, you can lump bands that are different shades of each other, but River Cuomo doesn't sound like other alt-rock bands of the late 90s. maybe ben fold fives, but still, weezer sounds like weezer. and so, i think the whole album is fine, but since i'm not in 1994, i don't know how fresh this would sound because I'm so familiar of what weezer is suppose to sound like.

Summary: sounds like Weezer's debut

Favorite Songs: No One Else, Undone, Say It Ain't So
Rating: 7/10

Joy Division - Closer

Release Date: July 18th, 1980

Their second and final album.

Review: i read somewhere that said this album reads like a suicide letter since the lead singer died two months prior. maybe that's true if i actually paid attention. Just on the sound alone, i can hear how current bands have taken parts of what Joy Division has done. "Isolation" has a quirky pop sound to it, and i kind of think it sounds shitty. yet, the lyrics are a bit bleak. It doesnt sound like The National, but a lot of what people say about JD can apply to The National.  

Vocally, I'm starting to hear more of the REM guy and i was never a fan of that band. I read some people say that his vocals are so hopeless, but to me, it sounds like he has a stick up his ass. The drumming on "heart and soul" is cool.

Summary: I've grown to appreciate Unknown Pleasures, but Closer has synth usages that doesn't sound right. Because it all sounds the same, if i'm in the mood for something dreadful, here it is.

Favorite Song: Colony, Heart and Soul
Rating: 7/10

Sabrina Carpenter - Emails I Can't Send

Release Date: July 15th, 2022

This is her 5th album and I have yet to hear her on the radio. I know lots of people cite Taylor Swift as one of their inspirations, but recently at the AMAs, Sabrina and Taylor were seated next to one another and they seemed friendly to one another.

Review:  and yeah, musically it's whatever, i expected the pop sound. But I love how wordy she can be just like taylor is. She reminds me a bit of selena gomez vocally. Anyways, my favorite song goes to "Already Over" because it sounds breezy and there's this clapping for the chorus that makes the song chirpy.  "Nonsense" sounds like an ariana song.

Summary:  Riley Matthews' best friend can write a bunch of words.

Favorite Songs:  Tornado Warnings, Already Over, Nonsense
Rating: 7/10

Sudan Archives - Natural Brown Prom Queen

Release Date:  September 9th, 2022

i guess i expected too much

Review:  I watched her perform on the late show and I thought she looked so different holding that violin. But truthfully, I don't hear much of the violin on this album. and if it's there, it doesn't feel like the main star. Don't get me wrong, I was into the music for Home Maker and the lyrics to NBPQ were pretty memorable. Then I got lost until Copycat. I like the music of TDLY and Freakalizer was easy to listen to. Homesick is really sensual. Milk Me is really horny. Yellow Brick Road has a cool old school vibe.

Summary:  Maybe I need more time, but I expected this to be transcending, but I found it more in line of what rnb sounded like. I do think the second half is stronger than the first half.

Favorite Songs: NBPQ (Topless), Copycat (Broken Notions), TDLY (Homegrown Land), Homesick
Rating: 7/10

Beyoncé - Renaissance

Release Date:  July 29th, 2022

Beyoncé is in a category all on her own.

Review:  Ever seen she dropped that surprise album in 2013, it seems like Beyoncé could do no wrong. I wasn't too keen on "Break My Soul," but the high critical acclaim really intimidated me. Listening to it now, after the first 6 songs, I was a believer that this album was headed towards perfection. But "Church Girl" was questionable, and then it slowed down a bit for POTS and "Virgo's Groove." "Move" and "Heated" got things up again, even thought the ending to "heated" was a bunch of nonsense like "yadda yadda yadda bom bom kah kah."

"Thique" sounds hot. For some reason, the sample used on "America Has A Problem" reminded me of mortal kombat, but I can't find any info on that. I like the ending towards the honey section of "pure/honey" and finally, "Summer Renaissance" samples a bit of Donna Summers.

Summary: The album starts off very strong, but it becomes very apparent that this album isn't a pop album, it's a dance album. So I sorta checked out. I've seen headlines that say this album honors black musicians contributions to dance music, which is cool, but I always thought that was obvious. Anyways, I respect the album, but I didn't feel any connection to it, and even thought I could feel the bpm, I didn't think it was all that memorable.

Favorite Songs: Alien Superstar, Cuff It, Thique
Rating: 7/10

BLACKSTARKIDS - CYBERKISS*

Release Date: September 23rd, 2022

not gonna lie, I never liked rappers who tried to be rock stars. That's why I never gave gym class heroes a chance.

Review:  But this group isn't trying to be rock stars, they are more like pop punk stars. My first thoughts were, "sounds like kid cudi." and my second thoughts were, "does this sound like timbaland?" because I never thought timbaland's was all that great of a producers. But nostalgia is a powerful thing. For reals, listen to "Sex Appeal" or "Digital World" and tell me if it's a Timbaland song. This group really nailed that 00s sound without sounding like they are from the 2000s, if that make sense.

on "Joy" they kind of made a turn to the serious when they talked about their skin color, and maybe this is a stretch, but it reminds me of a Tupac song. "Boycott"  reminds me of The Go Team. I wanted to say that "Keep me around" reminds me of INOJ's "love you down" but after going back, it doesn't sound similar at all. The group makes me feel like it's retro, but they have their own spin to it, but it sounds nostalgic.

Summary:  I'm trying my hardest to not say this is a guilty pleasure, but who gives a shit. This group has some interesting takes on the past and I love that I can't pinpoint a song that they are paying homage to, they just have a vibe for the 00s, and it's rough and embarrassing and lighthearted, so that's what makes it fun. I also like that they have male and female vocals.

Favorite Songs: How to Self Destruct, Joy, Keep Me Around
Rating: 7/10

Plains - I Walked With You a Ways

Release Date:  October 14th, 2022

Waxahatchee and Jess Williamson

Review:  I'm a big fan of Waxahatchee, if i was consistent with my blog, all of her albums would have appeared on my "end of the year" list. I never heard of Jess Williamson, but I really like her voice here. I think her voice is more suited for the really country stuff. As for the music, it's a country album. If Katie wasn't on here, i think i would still dig it. It's only 30 minutes so it's an easy listen. There isn't enough time for me to feel bored.

Summary: It's a country album.

Favorite Songs: Problem With It, Abilene, Last 2 on Earth
Rating: 7/10

Bad Bunny - Un Verano Sin Ti

Release Date:  May 6th, 2022

One of the best selling albums of the year, 13 weeks at number 1, gotta give props to the former 24/7 champion.

Review:  I think i said this about his YHLQMDLG album, i liked that he sounds like he's crying in some of his vocal performance. those emo sounding tracks are easy for me to digest, but with a runtime of 81 minutes, this album does take a toll. I'm sure I'm missing out on context for not understanding Spanish. and despite him being a massive star, I love that someone like him is on top.

I'm sure other people will say this album has many genres, but for me, it just sounds like a good summer album. Shoot, the lyrics to "El Apagon" are "i like the pussy of Puerto Rico." It's not that deep, people just want to have fun.

Summary:  This is Bad Bunny, you know what it sounds like.

Favorite Songs: Después de la Playa, Neverita, Ojitos Lindos
Rating: 7/10