Sean Sharp's Albums
937 rated, 0 logged
shut up and love me
Aidan Bissett
★★★★★
This album is the standard for a debut album. It's not perfect and features plenty of flaws and parts that could be cut but overall it has several unique enough songs with engaging melodies. The whole thing is glued together with a pretty tight musical instrument array. There isn't a ton of variety of the instruments, let alone the mixing. This is something that can be improved going forward. This could have benefited as well from being a 30-minute album instead of 40. While these issues are pretty standard for growing artists, they are often detrimental to an album's success. In Aidan's case, the highs are frequent enough that it balances out these mistakes quite well. To start, there are more than enough solid songs on here. "are you curious?", "ricochet", "my funeral", "dance around it", "when i die", "bloodtype". All of these make the disc well worth the listen. Several of these songs I've highlighted are the breaks from the momentum he seems to get stuck on so it really capitalizes on the mood change. The instrumentals aren't revolutionary but are solid in their own right and do what they need to on each track. I see this as a great path for him to springboard into some crazier ideas and production because otherwise this will become a bit dull and I don't want to see him stagnate.
Mar 19, 2026
Comfort In Chaos
John Summit
★★★★★★
EDM these days is an interesting thing. Lots of it is just repeated ideas with different singers and names. Then there are distinct styles that stand out from the bunch, and a lot of times these are the artists who blow up and gain worldwide fame. Then the fans of these artists are called normies and looked down upon by the "real fans" of EDM. That then alienates people, and the newer popular artists in EDM tend to have a more traditional style. That's fine to have a traditional style, but right now I find most of the popular work in EDM pretty generic and boring. I say this as someone who loved EDM growing up in the 10s. I'm 26 now, and seeing these new names like Summit pop up is fun to see, but when I listen, I don't hear anything that is much different than a lot of stuff from the past. I'm not sure if it's new fans or hardcore fans leading the charge on a lot of these new names, but I find it hard to dive in like I used to. This album is just a continuation of that. Nothing bad, but I've heard a good amount of this all before. I still find EDM and EDM crossover artists that I enjoy, it's just that they don't seem to really have much traction, even though I feel their sound is very unique (Goth Babe). I hope artists like John Summit continue to succeed, but I also welcome some more unique flavors in the genre, as right now, it seems to be a large heap of recycled styles.
Mar 19, 2026
SWAG
Justin Bieber
★★★★★★
Listen 1: Smooth and slow. Maybe a little too slow. Justin's voice sounds beautiful one sec and like "Baby" the next. Nice change up from him but I'm not sure if anything is memorable other than Sexyy Red saying some out of pocket things and Druski trying to get him to hit a black and mild. Listen 2: Started to notice some more stand out moments but overall I don't think anything swayed my opinion of the album. Is this album title like, cheek-n-tongue? I can't tell if he's seriously calling it SWAG or not. I do like this slowed down different style rather than just aiming for billboard topping hits. Really, I like the idea of Justin doing an album like this rather than how it actually sounds. 1 Week Later: Good idea, just not fully there in execution. This felt like the right direction for him to take after Changes and Justice. Biebs will likely never be expected to put out instant classic albums, but if he's able to find some of that fire that made Purpose so good a decade ago, he can at least make an overall "good" record.
Mar 19, 2026
NO HArD FEELINGS
Marc E. Bassy, Nic Nac
★★★★★★
Listen 1: Love this dudes music. Never fully understood why he fizzled out of popularity. Probably due to going independent which I respect and understand that decision but this guys voice is too good to not be on more hit songs. My critical opinions of him have always been the lyric matter as they are often questionable if not outright disrespectful towards women or other groups of people (not racist or anything, but just one of lines like on Change My Ways when he references bipolar disorder). Just sometimes in poor taste. This album has some more of that, which was to be expected. Specifically the woman talking throughout the album. You just know Marc or Nic Nac had her say that shit which is just always silly to me. Like it's so constructed and inauthentic it feels kind of gross to have someone say stuff like that. I'm not a prude but it has always seemed off to me how Marc writes about women. Anyways, the album overall has some unique R&B styling to it, thanks to Nic Nac. Good for a little mix up from his usual style but still in the vein that made him popular to begin with. A good portion of the songs on here did miss the mark with the melodies. A bit aimless with no resolution. The latter half of the album is a bit better in that regard. Listen 2: There was a few moments on here where I would say Marc has gotten a bit lazy. The melodies aren't as smooth, his singing can get slightly whiney even though I've heard him hit these note better in the past. I was hoping a collab with a producer might ignite some new inspiration but the only thing new here is the style of production and even that is just a slight change up from Marc's usual style. 1 Week Later: Marc's a man that can put out multiple duds and then drop 2 or 3 bangers back to back so I'm not truly let down by this as my expectations are usually pretty low to begin with. A low floor but a high ceiling. I'm hoping whatever isn't working with this project is just a bump in the road and not a sign of laziness to come as some of the songs on here show a pretty lackluster amount of effort on Marc's part. Specifically in the first half of the album which caught me a bit off guard.
tension
Haiden Henderson
★★★★★★
Listen 1: Might as well have been one long song. There is no versatility whatsoever. Really just boils down to if you find it catchy or are really into this genre. I don't think it sounds bad at all but it's really just picking out of a hat. AA in my opinion is a bit catchier but the rest of these are essentially nameless to me. Listen 2: This really just feels like pop from 2019 with some guy that's a little disconcerting to look at because of his style. Did enjoy the second listen more. Really a clone of other stuff that's come before it but it's not bad. Just formulaic. 1 Week Later: Not a whole lot more to say about this. The lack of word to say about this is rather telling on it's own. Not a lot here that hasn't been done before and done better. Nothing has stuck that hard and nothing has sucked that hard. Not sure if it's the overall style mixed with this, but the sexual moments on the track make me feel rather uncomfy.
Mar 19, 2026
WOW!
BETWEEN FRIENDS
★★★★★★
Listen 1: Has me going "hmmm". I appreciate the experimentation of raw sounds in their music. Nothing almost ever sounds that muted or soft. They tend to go all in with their sound design and production which can often lead to some legitimate bangers or lead to tinnitus. This album embraces this style in full force but more often than not ends up feeling a bit over the top. Leaning into hyperpop territory, it's an acquired taste that I have to be in a certain mood to enjoy. Listen 2: Found a bit more enjoyment in it this time around. Also found some more specific things I wanted to touch on. That hyperpop sound I described in my first listen almost borders on older EDM like Sandstorm. Nostalgic which I appreciate they took that path. The major thing that rubs me wrong is some of the vocal performances. She has a good voice but sometimes more takes could have been taken to find the right one. What's particularly irritating is that some of the catchiest songs, which I would dare say is one of the main draws of this style of music, is right next to some horrendous singing of a different melody. American Bitch, Parking lot, Jackie, JAM !, DJ all have this in common.
Mar 19, 2026
Rule of Thirds
Yot Club, Glitter Party
★★★★★★
They only made 3 songs and they literally sound identical. What was the point? When the third song started and I glanced at Spotify, I thought I somehow skipped one or had shuffle on. How are you going to do a 3 song EP and have no variety.
Mar 19, 2026
Rocket
Dominic Fike
★★★★★★
Dominic Fike has always gave me the vibe that he would be really great at mixtapes given how his sound feels so laidback so a more relaxed, unpressured format for a project would be best. Yet in practice, I really prefer his more fully fleshed out work. Without some of that extra attention that a bigger budget or team, it lacks some of the same flare that gives his albums such a memorable spark. Maybe it's a bit of placebo if his mixtapes aren't really mixtapes and more of a marketing tool somehow.
Mar 19, 2026
Dark
EDEN
★★★★★★
I get that EDEN has taken a path that a lot of people might like cuz it's a bit edgier than how he used to be. In my eyes, I feel he was one of the biggest fumbles of the Electronic Pop of the 2010's. Dude has a ravenous fan base and followed it up with a decent album after ityttmom but since then he will have an occasional song that slaps but overall, I've lost grip of the vision. He still has a fan base but it's much more niche and there is nothing wrong with that either. I feel isolated I suppose. I wanted to be into his music cuz I loved it so much as a teen now I can't really appreciate his new stuff and that frustrates me!!!
Mar 19, 2026
DIRTY DIRTY JON JON
BabyJake
★★★★★★
Man what a pretty lackluster outing. I recently got into some of his hits and was wondering if this would have some more of that spice but unfortunately, it gets pretty pretty pretty generic here.
Mar 19, 2026
purity ring
Purity Ring
★★★★★★
An unfortunate offshoot. My favorite part of this whole thing is the end of 'between you and shadows'. It was the first moment I darted to see which song I was on so I could remember it once I finished the album, only to find that it was just a detached outro of the song. Womb will always be my favorite, and the long wait may have left me several years ago. I may have grown out of this style of music, too. When I compare this to what I'm listening to in 2025, there isn't much that is similar. I used Womb as well as The Weeknd's 'After Hours' as my main points of inspiration for my own music for a year. As many others have said, there is a bit more acoustic in here than anything else they've done. I'm open to the idea, but they don't do much in terms of blending the acoustic sound into it, and it just feels like it was placed near the more traditional Purity Ring songs.
Mar 19, 2026
Curve +1
Mura Masa
★★★★★★
I miss the days when Mura Masa dropped, and I was storming to see what crazy production he whipped up. I support artists who change their style as it shows growth, but like a doomed relationship, I have not grown with them. Neat little sound pieces here and there, but it seems to be catering to an audience that doesn't include me. That, or he has lost a lot of inspiration and is just pumping out anything he can think of. It's not like it's bad; it's just a more standardized style of dance music. Some of this I would imagine playing at a decently cheap club somewhere tropical, and instead of dancing, people are more socializing. Like a mixer, or something similar. No hate, just not much love either.
Mar 19, 2026
ORIGO
Martin Garrix
★★★★★★
At this point, you know if you're going to love or hate this. Never go into listening to a Martin Garrix album expecting something new, but if you love the 2010s radio-tailored sound he creates, he's your guy. Ten years ago, I would have loved this because it is well-made. A lack of innovation can kill a large fan base, except for those few diehards. EDM is represented by artists like this, and Martin is one of its poster children. I hope one day EDM can regain some variety, returning to a more mainstream sound, but trends are cyclical. Since EDM had its time in the spotlight last decade, it'll probably take some time for that to happen as all the previous A-listers continue or fizzle out and others look to mimic their style.
Mar 19, 2026
Nomad
DJ Snake
★★★★★★
A real everything bagel of an album. Love what DJ Snake did for mainstream EDM in the 2010s, but it's Groundhog Day for him. He can't escape. Every song on this album features a different popular EDM style from the 2010s. It runs as a good resume track sheet, but doesn't show any depth. I can definitely tell he knows how to make just about any style of EDM-influenced music, which is impressive, but it really only scratches the surface of what these different genres have to offer. No one ever becomes a diehard fan of someone who just genre-jumps every song.
Mar 19, 2026
Drunken Fits of a Modern Age
Two Feet
★★★★★★
Moody as ever, Two Feet strikes a chord with this one. Like a literal single chord, not a whole lot of variety here, but if you like Two Feet's signature style, you'll like this. I'm not sure if it was accidental or intentional, but I'll give him props for it either way. The ooo-ing on "Remember Us?" is just slightly different from the ooo-ing on "Nostalgia". If this was intentional, I love the clever idea of a slightly adjusted melody from one song to the next when "Nostalgia" is looking back at a previous time that "Remember Us?" refers to. The downside to this is that the two songs sound EXTREMELY similar. I mentioned earlier that Two Feet doesn't branch out much creatively here, but these two songs are nearly exact copies to my ears. The rest of the songs could be a (two)footnote.
Mar 19, 2026
FEAR
NF
★★★★★★
I hate to say it, NF, but you might be WASHED UP. As I grow older and listen to these albums and EPs by artists I grew up with, it becomes readily apparent which ones are evolving with the times and which others will serve as checkpoints along a few-year span. With this EP, NF strikes me as the ladder. Some voices are perfectly suited for a certain style of music, and NF excels at this melodramatic rap, which can sometimes slow down for a sad song. Unfortunately, that is not part of the zeitgeist in the 2020s. Much like many artists from the 2010s who have fallen off, it's not that they've forgotten their craft; rather, both the public and individuals move on from certain styles as they grow. So yes, NF can still have a long-lasting career, but his fans will come and go as they grow since NF's music style refuses to evolve.
Mar 19, 2026
GRACE
Reaper
★★★★★
So he disappears for 7 years, drops an EP with a complete tone switch, but it's pretty quality, then returns 6 months later with a new EP and a new tone switch. This one keeps it short and sweet, only featuring 4 songs this time around. "UP" was oddly the first track he released after his hiatus last year, even before "SHARK", and I absolutely loved it, finding it odd that the song and its style were not found anywhere on "SHARK". For whatever reason, he delayed "UP" from appearing on "SHARK" and instead it shows up here, and it is much more fitting in all fairness. While "SHARK" embodied a darker synth experience, "GRACE" plays as its counterpart. "GRACE", the song, is quality. A fantastic use of vocal mixing and ambience in the glittery synths. Reaper has almost nailed down the art of slow-moving production. He finds ways to keep the music interesting while maintaining certain chords or noises for a good length of time, and "GRACE", the song, is a great example of this. The middle two tracks, "HEAVEN" and "LIBERATION," do falter slightly, not matching the same quality as the opener and closer. They suffer a bit from not capitalizing on the same strengths as the other songs do. The slow production I mentioned earlier hinders these a bit. It's not like they are unlistenable, but a bit more time in the oven, and I think these could have at least neared the quality of the others. I hope Reaper sticks around and continues doing whatever he's doing. It seems every time he releases something, it's pretty different, but I am consistently a fan. While I wish this could have been a song or two longer and a few tweaks to keep the interest in a few songs, I'm still satisfied with the EP, especially considering how close together he released this to his previous outing.
Mar 19, 2026
EVERYONE'S A STAR!
5 Seconds of Summer
★★★★★★
This return to their roots is quite satisfying, as they display a significant amount of new evolution in how they represent pop punk. Resting at the heart of one of the main themes of the album, their transformation over the past decade is evident. The Neighbourhood just came out with "Ultrasound," which I feel this review will echo many of the same feelings as I have towards that one. 5SOS is the first mainstream boy band I have ever seen age gracefully. Adding new elements, synths to the instrumentals, and fun chord progressions, this shows that 5SOS is making music for the beauty of the art. 12/20 Update: After a week, I have had a hard time wanting to relisten to much of this. While I think the album works well as a whole and do appreciate the unique application of standard pop in this more punky style, I don't think the songs are as gripping as I first thought.
Mar 18, 2026
Quantum Beats
Alan Walker, Steve Aoki, Lonely Club
★★★★★★
On the positive side of things, it's nice to see 2010's EDM artists that haven't changed a bit work together as it may produce some new ideas. The realistic side is that this mainly just sounds like Alan Walker's brand. Only in slight moments can you see any influence of what you would call Steve Aoki. This may be due to the fact that Alan Walker's music is so recognizable and Steve Aoki tends to make more "generic" EDM in the sense that you would likely not know it's his song if you didn't know beforehand. These artists know their craft and are good at it but seem to be too comfortable to make something that may interest anyone but diehards.
Mar 18, 2026
Monica
Jack Harlow
★★★★★★
This thing is bizarrely R&B coded. Like so far at certain points where it begins to circle around to jazz. Not fully, but you can feel it. The jazz bar vibes are there. Love a good switch up from an artist and I think Jack has done the genre well here. From my POV this album is probably better from a technical or objective standpoint, but from a more subjective standpoint, I think it can be a little dull here and there. I would absolutely love for him to take another stab at this though. Definitely some great foundations to build off on. While not a 1 to 1 in the styles but this reminds me of Mac Miller releasing Swimming before his death. It was an adjacent step to his typical style but it just felt right. "Lonesome" and "All Of My Friends" are the two that deliver the absolute most while staying minimal in their styles. It blends his catchy vocals perfectly into the full R&B tracking. "Trade Places" works on a different level. While the vocal melodies are good, the real highlight is the production, which pops at different points in the song. The other songs simply don't have the same addictive qualities these three do but work well in the album as a whole. Worldbuilding songs in a way.
Mar 15, 2026
Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.
Harry Styles
★★★★★★
Thematically, it seems Harry set out to make a pure-blood disco album, but he and his team ran out of workable ideas and ended up making a few artsy pop songs. Then decided to give the album this title to make it seem intentional. The vibe throughout this thing is pretty unique to say the least. It seems only Harry, Kid Harpoon, and Tyler Johnson had input on this, and so I decided to do a little bit of digging on the background of the producers. Kid Harpoon is, historically, a pop producer. Tyler Johnson seems to be more on the writing side of things and has had a long history of working with Harry. Meaning that these three focused their efforts on a disco album, something that none of them seem to have any experience with, based on my little bit of research. Because of this, they harness some of the elements but completely miss at other points on the direction of this thing. The unique vibe is probably also attributed to their lack of experience in the genre. Their experience as a whole in the industry does serve them well, however, as it does provide as a one-of-a-kind listen. To quickly run through some of the track list to drive the point home, "Aperture" is long, which is not an uncommon thing in disco, but it loses a lot of its grip when it's not peaking at its chorus. "Ready, Steady, Go!" has some very cool vocal details and layering but the production as the song progresses seems like they flew a little too close to the sun as it begins to become a bit of a jumbled mess. Then heading down to "Paint By Numbers", it abandons the style of the album altogether. Truly no idea what they were even thinking by including this track on here. But... the album is good. As much as it seems like it shouldn't work, something about it does click. They knew they had a gem with "American Girls," with it being one of the more pop-focused but still embodying a more disco core. "Taste Back" through "Season 2 Weight Loss" finds a more consistent groove with some songs that are both catchy but features little electronic touches that are typically associated with disco. Then there is "Pop". Despite the name, it really is a crisp example of how this unique style comes together well. A roaring chorus and production that shows the skills of the producers. This song to me seems like the refined version of "Aperture". The closer "Carla's Song" has an excellent ending as well which really is a nice bow and tie to the ambitious project from the trio. While I imagine we will never get something like this from Harry again, I am happy that he took this detour.
SongsToSleepTo
BONES
★★★★★★
Figured it was time to do my occasional check-in on BONES. This dude confuses me to the extreme. I constantly find songs by him that I absolutely love but anytime I listen to a "full" project by him, it's mediocre at best. I suppose when he releases as much music as he does, he's bound to hit the target every once in a blue moon. This album doesn't really seem to land at almost any point. The emo screaming on "HouseMadeOfSticks" is just downright hard to listen to. While most of the rest of the album doesn't drop that low in quality, it is just boring. His albums are always short but typically his rap style and eerie production really work well with the format. This album doesn't feature any traditional BONES production or rapping which he has been straying away from in recent years. BONES is definitely one of the artists that people will be nostalgic for his older work, and typically it's because the new style doesn't meld well with how the old fans' personalities age, but in this case, BONES has just started making worse music in a different genre. The only redeeming quality here is when he briefly finds the light on what this genre could sound like if he put a bit more thought and effort in it. "SuitYourself" and "TallPaleAndUgly" feature some vocal effects that make his vocals more spacious matching the midwest light guitar a bit better. When his vocals are at the forefront of the production, he losses the atmosphere that could be there. Overall though, even if he did capitalize on this throughout the rest of the album, it still misses interesting verses, gripping choruses, and it has an abundance of dead air where boring production just plays... and plays... and plays. Somehow it still only manages to be 26 minutes in total.
Stupid Kids
Master Peace
★★★★★
I've heard singles here and there from this guy and have always enjoyed them and finally decided to give a project of his a shot. Considering he has been 100% on singles that I've listened to, the math says anything less than perfect is a disappointment but I realize EPs and albums usually have a drop in quality. "Spin The Block" was the only one on here that I heard prior and absolutely loved it. "My Guitar" was the only other track on here I ended up really enjoying. His in your face style is fun and the guy knows how to write a good chorus. I think some of the tracks here lose me a bit with their direction. Especially, "There's No More Underground" and "Fuck It Up" both start to tread into teen band in garage territory which isn't doing the project many favors. I'll still be happy to see what this dude is up to in the future but hopefully the quality increases at least a tad.
Mar 8, 2026
Strictly 4 The Scythe
Denzel Curry, The Scythe
★★★★★★
My is so goat is back... sort of. Although not a purebred Denzel Curry release, putting his name on the album and every track despite no full appearance on each track is a bit of a letdown. KOTMSV2 was by far from my least favorite of Denzel's and this album definitely returns to a level of quality that I expect from him. I would still heavily like to here a Denzel heavy album, which apparently we will be getting later in 2026. As for what's here in March, it's pretty great. Short and sweet, The Scythe shows out in grade A form. Legends like Juicy J and A$AP Ferg are on here as well as a few up and comers like BKTHERULA and TiaCorine. TiaCorine is the real standout newbie on here. Her verses are the definition of swag, just like she says on "THE SCYTHE". My favorite track is "MUTT THAT BIH". The production is bouncy and energetic and Denzel's verse is fun but, and this is probably a hot take, 1900Rugrat's verse is oddly addicting to me. Typically whiney rappers like him have no part in my listening habits but something about that verse is just fun. The production here though is done to perfection, nearly front to back. There is unique touches around every corner that still fit a typical gritty hip-hop style but are still unique in ever sense of the manner. The only track that loses me a bit on the production side of things is "HOOPTY" with has a pitched up vocal as part of the beat that doesn't do it any favors. Sadly it features TiaCorine and Smino which should have been a great song on here. Otherwise, the last half of this features some of the best production I've here in a hip-hop album in years. A true chef's kiss.
The Romantic
Bruno Mars
★★★★★★
A let down from the standard that Bruno usually holds. By far and away his most boring album to date. Every track on here sounds nice but nothing really stands out that heavily. "I Just Might" being the lead single is the catchiest and by default becomes my favorites since the rest do not differ all that much. "Risk It All" and "Cha Cha Cha" do add a little bit a spice that the rest of the tracks sincerely miss but do not has other gripping elements like an addicting chorus or hypnotic drums to really draw me in. It may do the trick for others, just not me personally. "God Was Showing Off" was the only other track I thought the chorus was fairly interesting from and it does have my favorite lyrics on the who shebang. Given Bruno's impeccable track record, I assume next time he will be back with something I'll appreciate a bit more but his usually extended wait will have me a bit more impatient than ususal.
Mar 6, 2026
Wuthering Heights
Charli xcx
★★★★★★
Man the production value here is off the charts. That is always the nice thing about having a movie budget backing an album. The quality can be insanely good and the distraught strings on here are gorgeously unsettling and lovely. My favorite production on the whole thing is "Dying for You". The more staccato strings do wonders with the wavy synth that floods the song. The travesty of it is the chorus is just meh. Could have been a song I loved by the chorus and verses in general are extremely weak which is a real let down. The opening track is the most artsy of the bunch and it's crazy strings and production that begin treating your ear like a punching bag is pretty neat. That leads me to my only major issue here. There is a few times where the album is just too loud. I'm sounding like old man Jenkins here but honest to god, "House" along with one or two others were just difficult to listen to at my normal volume then when Charli would start singing on the next sound, she sounded quiet. The second half of this is where I think the pieces finally start to come together a bit better. The filter masking Charli's voice on "Seeing Things" is a good one off on here. The song feels more traditional in it's production without as much of the crazy strings staying more elegant. The following song "Altars" is another highlight. The production is the most pop-centric but the chorus is by far and away the best. The way her voice floats with the reverb on the strings on the chorus is mixed to perfection. Finally, the track "My Reminder" embraces glitchy vocals on the chorus while keeping the beat a bit more subdued which is a nice change in combination with the gritty synths. Overall a strong soundtrack to accompany the film but I wish they would have revisited the first half a bit more.
ONLY IF I DIE, WOULD I NOT BE
1nonly
★★★★★★
Pretty good overall. 1nonly has certainly found a niche in the gritty rap scene that has been unexplored and he's living up to it's potential. The first half of this album is almost all quality. Loved "GRAILED" on it's release as a single and "LATELY" with Pouya is an excellent change of pace. My main critic is that it doesn't vary much. "LATELY" diverts slightly from the rest and "MOVE FAST" has a bit more of a rock feeling to it even though I wouldn't say it nears rock. The haunted aggressive vibe is abundant here and sounds slick. The production is top notch and works perfectly with his voice. A match made in heaven. "PUSH UP" with Project Pat and 870glizzy struggles. I don't really like 870glizzy's voice and Project Pat on this type of beat feels wrong. Like one of those intentionally bad meals you see on social media. I know 1nonly's still very fresh to the scene but I hope he doesn't get pigeon holed into this forever because I think there is a bit more variety he can explore but it's a solid first outing.
Mar 1, 2026
Ca$ino
Baby Keem
★★★★★
The variety on here felt pretty abundant to me. Still honed in on a certain genre but none of the tracks sounded that similar. I ended up liking this a lot more than I was anticipating but I've liked Keem's stuff in the past. I think it is missing a really stand out track but maybe I need to give the ones I do like a bit more time to age on me. Keem's vocal style is almost off-putting given how his delivery is lackadaisical at times but that's part of the charm. Makes sense that he is related to Kendrick because they have similar mannerisms in how they "perform" on a song. Not afraid of doing something a little bit wacky or goofy but is done tastefully where it's not portrayed as cringe. Very let down by "Good Flirts". Was hoping the main Kendrick feature on here would just be him talking about butts. It's a bit funny but not a ton of reliability. Given the vibe of the song, not exactly a party banger. A lot of the other songs on here are freakishly good.
Feb 28, 2026
LET'S DO SOMETHING STUPID!
Bryce Vine
★★★★★
For some reason I felt this coming in his discography. Have always had a love-hate relationship with his music. On one hand a lot of it is the epitome as corny and other time I can't help but appreciate how well written the melodies and the actual music is. He knows how to make catchy music but not necessarily good music, but he very often brings the two together accidentally. Starting with the negatives, some of the lyrics and songwriting on here is piss poor. Sounds like an edgy 15 year old that hates his parents for no real reason. "Superman", "Mommy's Little Monster", "Right Thing, Wrong Time". All contain this self-deprecating attitude that becomes old very quick, even if you haven't listened to his prior work. I think he shines brightest when doing what he typically does, pop. This punk rock sounds dated, but what punk rock isn't a product of it's time and it's likely something he knew going into making this. It feels like something not for the listeners but for himself. Circling back to what I mentioned earlier, he does stumble across fun, catchy songs. "Catalyst", "Still Want You", and "Otherside" all fall within this. The feature on "Still Want You" does take away a bit of the enjoyment as his vocals do not match this type of music whatsoever in my opinion. Looking at their background, they make "heavy synth pop - Real Rockers". Not sure what that means. But I don't think this qualifies. The rest of song where Bryce is actually singing is the catchiest on here. The other songs fall more into this category too where I just want Bryce to be singing cuz his pop vocals do translate well into this punkier style. Overall, I hate that I like some of this as much as I do considering how bad some parts are. I would feel I'm doing a disservice saying this is average overall.
California Calling
Møme, Ricky Ducati
★★★★★
Not sure why they landed on calling this "California Calling" as there isn't much of anything that sounds like California's ambiance. It does have some good rich synths throughout but I wouldn't call this too much of an upgrade of their last team up project, "Flashback Fm" back in 2021. While the production in good, this could have been made by Mome back in 2016 when he released "Panorama". I would also say that his more interesting work still remains on that record. This serves more as a synth-pop background for Ricky Ducati to lounge around on. Not sure I'm really a fan of that set up either. Ricky's voice isn't always bad but you can tell sometimes it's like he's a dog toy getting chewed on. The air is being forced out of his lungs at points and it's a bit rough around the edges. There are definitely highlights though. "Do You Know Me" is a softer song on here that is a bit more fleshed out and as a result makes it a more engaging and interesting listen. "In Your Arms" almost sticks the landing with a very catchy chorus but Ricky might have been trying to do a little to much on it. That's TBD on my end though. Then the best piece on here is "Don't Forget Yourself". The most California sounding, however still nothing close to justifying the name of the album, it blends in some guitar backing to make for a more upbeat experience where a lot of these feel like a drive at night on a highway in a city. The melody on the chorus is perfect and the production goes hand in hand with Ricky's voice. Definitely the best song these two have collaborated on. Mome's 5 year gaps between releases doesn't give me much hope for the future considering he doesn't really seem to improving or evolving that much as an artist but he does have his occasional highlights.
BRODIE WORLD
AG Club
★★★★★★
A very colorful album. The rapping & singing isn't really the forefront. These energetic beats are really the draw here. The opener "eva" is a prime example of this as the main melody is mixed so much higher than the vocals and I really hope it was intentional because this might be one of the only songs I've ever heard where this unorthodox mixing style works perfectly. The wacky ideas sometimes lose me here and there like on "that's right daddy" and "The Iron Giant" but generally speaking it's pretty fun overall. "Sabine" is also a nice closer given the more R&B choice over the pop rap scattered throughout the rest of the album.
Feb 15, 2026
Melt
Beach Weather
★★★★★
First time ever listening to Beach Weather. Immediate comparison is a more upbeat Lord Huron, which I think has its place. This style of music sometimes doesn't grip me from one song to the next, which isn't any fault of Beach Weather's. However, I liked a few songs on here, such as "High or Low Places" & "Hottest Summer on Record." Not too much to say otherwise. I'm sure this band will be around for a while, just based on how bands in this genre have historically developed a slow-burning fan base. It'll be interesting to see what they do next.
Feb 15, 2026
Icon
Brent Faiyaz
★★★★★
Brent returns with a more minimalistic, synth heavy outing. "WASTELAND" has surely broken my expectations with him as some of my favorite modern R&B production is on there. This time around, the same level is there but that minimalistic difference leaves some of the space feeling a bit bare and empty. "have to." is the move full song in that sense while a lot of these other ones are just a tad too slow. "four seasons." is the only other that comes close to what I really love from him but it isn't at that same level. "butterflies." also has some some gorgeous synths at the end of the song that make me wish more of it had it. Overall, I don't have a lot to say about this. Minimalistic in it's style leaves me with not too much to talk about.
Feb 14, 2026
Blush
Kevin Abstract
★★★★★
Listen 1: Equivalent of throwing paint on a wall. Cool but debatable on if it's good, lucky, or just bad. Wide range of features makes it feel very full, like the lo mein I had a few days ago. Listen 2: Wtf is NOLA. Sounds like absolute garbage until JPEG shows up and tears it up. Bizarre how someone's voice and flow can completely make or break a track. That beat should just be for JPEG and be on a solo project of his. No one else on it should make a peep. Credit where credit's due to the album cover as well. Sums up the how the music sounds quite sufficiently. 1 Week Later: It sounds colorful and sometimes the colors don't mix well. It's fun and wacky and quirky and that's all great but it just doesn't always land the punch. Some flows are just aimless while others grip you before you see it coming. I'm sure the length of the project has something to do with this as well. There's a fair amount of it, that's not filler, but just experimenting. That is always commendable. Experimenting is going to produce some lackluster results but also put out defining art styles. This landed somewhere in the middle. Nothing outright atrocious (other than some of NOLA) but nothing really pushed a boundary that I would consider new. It's diet experimentation.
Feb 14, 2026
BELOVED
GIVĒON
★★★★★
Listen 1: Beautiful voice. Some parts become very repetitive. He was going for a certain style for sure and he nailed it. It may just not vary enough. TOO consistent one could say. Listen 2: This has the bones of a great album but still kinda ugly on the outside if you get what I mean. Not saying it's bad, don't get me wrong. Has redeeming qualities like TWENTIES and MUD but you could pick 1 or 2 songs and say you've pretty much heard the whole thing. 1 Week Later: TWENTIES is by far and away the best track. This overall works great as a project but for individual songs to listen to, doesn't have a ton or replay-ability. I hope this man finds some more ways to mix this classy, pinky lifted, type sound while making it a bit more addicting. Once he's done that, he will have struck gold.
Feb 14, 2026
WWP
Tyla
★★★★★
Listen 1: I have never really gotten into this sound all together but I think this EP does weave together an almost watered down version of it. I don't mean this in a bad way either. It bridges the gap between standard R&B/Pop with some Afrobeats which for me is the kind of music that needs to exist if I will ever fully appreciate genres like Afrobeat or Reggae. I'm sure they are fantastic genres in their own rights, but just like how many of the people on this website or other critic oriented websites look at EDM, it will take more than just a simple run through of Afrobeat's' greatest hits for me to appreciate the genre as a whole. Listen 2: This does have some fun bounce to it but is held a bit short due to it's repetitiveness. Contrary to the first listen as well, I think the boiled down version of mixing this with more mainstream pop does take some of the flavor away. It's a bit of a double standard considering what I previously said, but it's a tough line to walk so sue me for feeling split. 1 Week Later: Truthfully, I will likely forget about this by the years end and will only be reminded when I'm scrolling through all the different things I listened to. The beat for Mr. Media is excellent but unfortunately the melodic element is quite lacking for it to have any sort of long term replayability.
Feb 14, 2026
LOOK! I'm Alive
Quinn XCII
★★★★★
Listen 1: Very soft and soothing album. I think everything on here is a real recorded instrument which he has slowly been shifting towards over the last several years. I like to refer to music like this as sunflower pop. It feels like a beam of light is shining down on you. The danger of sunflower pop, which is relevant to this album, is becoming too stagnant or boring. It's about doing a lot with a little. In the same way Yeezus is a minimalist album for electronic music, "LOOK! I'm Alive" is a minimalist album for pop heads. The quality comparatively is up to debate, don't get me wrong but the simple movement through instruments makes this easy to listen to. Especially as background music, which has it's place. The only slight to this record is "Kissed The Sun". Only song on here that made me want to skip. Listen 2: My second listen just solidified my already existing thoughts. This album is all face value and there's nothing wrong with that. The simple melodies and chill production are just that but they fit what's needed. 1 Week Later: I will almost always listen to his new music but I know deep down I will never like his newest stuff more than his earlier work. He's simply a nostalgia artist for me. I'm sure he will have a song here and there that I really like but overall, unless something changes drastically, I don't see his music style being something that I'm head over heels for. This album is decent listen front to back and definitely delivers on what it's trying to get across but I'm not ready for that message.
Feb 14, 2026
God Does Like Ugly
JID
★★★★★
Initial: Love me some new JID. I've been noticing a lot of rappers, especially new age acclaimed ones, fading away from a typical radio song structure of 2 or 3 choruses with a few verses and maybe a bridge. This is a dangerous game to play and really shows who is a step above the rest. I believe that if you are able to make not only an interesting listen that doesn't have a lot of repeating melodies or choruses, for it to really stand out, it needs to be replayable. Unfortunately, I think JID isn't quite there yet. I love his choruses on prior albums and his memorable verses. He does have a good few of them on here like on Gz. Overall though, this is still just missing that extra umpf that pushes this into that next stratosphere of artistic rap. 1 Week Later: I would call this a bit overly ambitious. I heard those preluxe songs and assumed they were preluxe because they sound cool but they don't really have any gripping moments. The album as a whole follows some of that same trend. There are some cool spots specifically but there is just so much going on here that it all gets jumbled together at times. Nearly every song has a "Well X was cool but Y was a bit weird".
Feb 14, 2026
WHERE IS MY HEAD?
Rich Brian
★★★★★
Yeah, a wait that was worth it. On "The Sailor" he was going down an a more introspective route but it didn't feel fully fleshed out. Considering it was only a year after his debut Amen, there didn't seem to be much time to look back on. Now that it's been 6 years, that introspection has some life to it.
Feb 14, 2026
Goofs
Medasin
★★★★★
This has been a fun spin Medasin has taken over the last few years and this just goes further down that path. Never would have seen this coming if you told me he would be making electronic jazz back in 2018 but I'm still as happy to listen as ever.
Feb 14, 2026
DUMB
Emma Louise, Flume
★★★★★
A part of what has always made Flume so appealing is the wide range of sound he achieves with such a sprawling cast of artists. Flume doing this with Emma and the recent JPEG EP are essentially Flume in a box. Not that Emma Louise (or JPEG) don't work with Flume, but it doesn't leave much room for different styles with a lot of these follow a lot of the same structure and sound with screaming synths. Still evolved from previous work, it is all in the vein of Flume's more pop centered songs and lacks that diversity which is dearly missed.
Feb 14, 2026
Play
Ed Sheeran
★★★★★
You're listening to an Ed Sheeran album. Simple as that. Got some good range of tracks with some being catchy, some being ballads, and some that are just kinda forgettable. If you are listening to Ed Sheeran waiting for his "big breakthrough" I don't quite know what to tell you. This dude knows his sound and is pretty good at it so I wouldn't ever expect some big brain culmination album where he is going to do ???. Listening to this and expecting something other than what he has put out over the last decade and some is only tricking yourself. You're either on the boat or off it with him.
Feb 14, 2026
A Quiet and Harmless Living
Matt Maeson
★★★★★
An album of ranging quality, not in one song to another, but certain aspects as a whole. Starting with the good/great. The lyrical songwriting is S-Tier. If not for the other more negative parts that I'll get into in a minute, this album could go down in history as a great for it's song writing. The down turn of this is coincides with a lot of these pop/folk/acoustic artists that are looking to essentially follow in the footsteps of Noah Kahan. Matt Maeson has made some great pop crossovers and would love if he continued to do so but instead this album feels very stripped and sticks very plainly to some gritty folk/acoustic rock. It all comes together rather generically. I'm all for artists evolving, but it feels like this wasn't a great step for Matt outside of his ability as a lyricist
Feb 14, 2026
Movement II
Petit Biscuit
★★★★★
A standard artist of his time, he delivers quite consistently but doesn't do much to really evolve. When he first broke out, it seemed like his style was going to be much more chill than it was. His hit, 'Sunset Lover', filled a gap that wasn't Petit Biscuit's main genre. That's okay, though, because he typically delivers time and time again. This is no different. A short and sweet EP with the highlight on 'Close Your Eyes'. While it's nothing inventive, he does still find a way to keep a sound that's so 2010s feel exciting.
Feb 14, 2026
Some Kind of Alchemy
Mansionair
★★★★★
Sticking to their guns, Mansionair delivers more of their signature atmospheric electronic pop ballads. To me, they have also struck me as a slightly more pop-driven RUFUS DU SOL. The unfortunate part of it is that I think RUFUS can typically create that big tension that is best fitted for longer form EDM tracks without some massive drop, but more of a world of textures where you get lost in it. Mansionair seems to often aim for that same feeling, but run into either having songs that are too boring when they try to extend the build and momentum of the song, or they feel stunted by not having enough time to accumulate. So the answer to each issue I have with their songs they can't seem to do right when they do what I want them to. Bit of a head scratcher. That said, it's not like it's all bad news. I am a bit of a nitpicking maniac, and this is good overall. The percussion on Orbit, stellar. The production of the synths on Lose Yourself Again is silky. Overall, they are reliable and at the very least, that is a sign of a good artist that does not seem to fall off in terms of quality, even if they're not bringing much that's new to the table anymore.
Feb 14, 2026
I Learned It The Hard Way
DLG.
★★★★★
DLG. always comes in with some very intriguing production but often misses on making a song stick. That glue that keeps you coming back. This entire album has the backbone and production to leave a lasting impression but a lot of the vocal melodies, and maybe his voice altogether, just fade into nothing. It feels aimless while the production feels full of purpose. If he can learn to balance these two elements a bit more, I think he can really make some great tunes.
Feb 14, 2026
Breathe
The Chainsmokers
★★★★★
They may need a hiatus. All of my favorite work of theirs is when I haven't been bombarded with new music by them over the last several years. This could be me growing tired of their style year after year. Or it could be that they do the best when they save up some of these half-baked ideas and put them all on a longer album when they've had more time to flesh them out. When they were brand new, I listened to everything they put out on repeat. By the time they released World War Joy in 2019, I had lost that same excitement for their releases. Then they went on break for 3 years and released So Far So Good in 2022, which was my favorite album of that year (I know, crazy). Now they're slipping down that same path where Summertime Friends was pretty good, then No Hard Feelings lost me a bit. Breathe feels like an improvement, but it lacks any sort of creativity from them. What made So Far So Good so good was the fact that they were trying new ideas and sounds. When they go on these streaks of non-stop releases, that creativity is refocused into pumping out traditional pop/future bass EDM songs, mimicking their golden years. It's time for them to move on from those days.
Feb 14, 2026
PHOLKS
Leon Thomas
★★★★★
I have never been to a party so early before, and I'm happy he's getting his praise! I first discovered Leon back in 2018, and now, 7 years later, he is finally blowing up. Feels like a long time coming. MUTT was pretty good, obviously, and this EP plays well as a mini-successor to that album. Some neat production on 5MoreMinutes that I've never heard before, but couldn't feel more R&B. Baccarat also deserves its props for that guitar. Oh, lord, does it hit right. It's smooth and polished overall and delivers exactly what you would want Leon Thomas to be doing.
Feb 14, 2026
d00mscrvll, Vol. 1
Diplo, d00mscrvll
★★★★★
Made for TikTok but still hits. I would almost call this montage or supercut music. Exists to accompany cool edits of sports or TV or movies or whatever. Diplo wisely used Project Pat on this all over the place. For some reason, Project Pat is the perfect rapper to use for these types of edits.
Feb 14, 2026
ABOVE*GROUND
MEMBA
★★★★★
Back with their unique twist on Future Bass, MEMBA are still stuck on what made them stand out in the first place. They first emerged with a brand of EDM that was a nice offshoot of the typical David Guetta or Martin Garrix wannabes. Several years down the line, and they can't seem to find a new path to follow. I'm starting to fear they will fall into a washing machine of their Eastern-influenced masked version of the genre, not really innovating.
Feb 14, 2026
ODYSSEY
ILLENIUM
★★★★★★
It's been a few years since ILLENIUM has dropped and I can't say you could really tell it's been that long. These tracks could have been made at the same time as his self-titled effort and I would not have known the difference. For a three year gap, I was really hoping for more development, especially given how formulaic the electronic genre is right now. Not sure if this is too many hands in the pot given the TWENTY-THREE different producers that worked on this behemoth. A little stat breakdown of producers per album. "Ashes": 1. "Awake": 3. "Ascend": 11. Starting to get a bit excessive. "Fallen Embers": 12. "Illenium": 11. "Odyssey": TWENTY-THREE! Where even is ILLENIUM here? There are more producers than tracks. This many different people working on something that ILLENIUM could have made with Dabin is insane. It still sounds nice and pretty and polished though. Like to a tee. This album could be a baseline for AI learning languages to produce this genre. It is all "perfect" in the most boring way. My favorite song from his last album was "Shivering". Great change to the typical pace of his genre and perfectly mixes a harder rock style featuring Spiritbox. I think it was pretty apparent that he had struck a new working medium and this time he returned with two more attempts at this. "Slave to the Rithm" with Bring Me The Horizon and "War" with Lo Spirit. "amo" by BMTH is one of my all time favorites due to it's excellent mixture of rock and the electronic sound sweeping the airwaves at the time of it's release. Maybe not a BMTH diehard fan fave, but to me it's timeless. Seeing them on here gave me an optimistic outlook. Hearing the song was somewhat opposite. The mixing on this rock-edm hybrid must be a nightmare to do, even with 23 people, with all the blazing synths, screaming vocals, and heavy guitar. So the beginning of the song suffers heavily. As far as the rest of it, the magic just isn't there like on "Shivering". "War" does pull this off a bit better but I still doesn't capture that same flame. The features slathered across here have quite the track record and I'm sure ILLENIUM is aware of the different crowds he is pulling with these. Mako, Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic, Elley Duhe, Zeds Dead, Dean Lewis, Bastille, Dabin, Alok, the aforementioned Bring Me The Horizon. He even got Kid Cudi. The wide range of vocal style is what does keep the run time refreshing. Just a ton of people with great voices that are easy to listen to. "I'll Come Runnin" did catch my ear as I'm down bad for Zeds Dead's production style. "Not Ordinary" with Kid Cudi also accomplishes what it needs to for me. It doesn't embrace the wall of music a lot of these other songs have. Don't get me wrong though, it still has that big production feel to it. I'm not quite sure if ILLENIUM will ever do anything different. I simply ask for one excellent song each album. As long as I get that, I'll be happy.
The Fall-Off
J. Cole
★★★★★★
Pretty hard to stick the landing on a 100-minute album but Cole scored nearly all tens. It's almost difficult to know where to start when talking about this thing considering how dense it is with material. The production is flat out gorgeous. Tapping into that never ending well of samples, "The Fall-Off" makes me wonder where this level of production was over the last few projects. I haven't really loved a J. Cole album since "4 Your Eyez Only", but this brings me right back. His last two excursions were more pieces of their times. KOD features a lot of electronic production, that I still loved, but didn't have the same quality as the previous few. "The Off-Season" then started exploring post 2020s trap after the dust had settled around the hype of it in the 2010s. We don't talk about "Might Delete Later". I was turning into one of those fans. "I miss the old J. Cole". Now in 2026, 10 years after "4 Your Eyez Only", he returns with this. There is a slew of outstanding tracks on here and they aren't clumped together eliminating any potential dead space on the track list. The lyrics and songwriting are just downright phenomenal. Circling back to the same logic as the previous paragraph, the lyrics are a return to form with perfectly smooth flows in rich stories that challenge "Wet Dreamz". Most notably, "I Love Her Again" does a fantastic job of painting a very real human experience of judgement and self-realization. I don't know another artist that writes as bluntly but as fluid as Cole. He walks that line like a tightrope on here. The range of songs is also sweet. "The Let Out" and "Ocean Way" give such a unique style as a cornerstone on the album that he's never really explored before. Most songs are somewhere in the middle on an intensity scale. "Two Six" acts of the more hype one of the bunch and does it in a refreshing flawless way. J. Cole's completely abandoned his deeper voice version of himself from back in the day and replaced it with a ton of smaller details that fill that absence spectacularly. My two favorites on here are "Lonely at the Top" and "What If". The former is almost the opposite of a relatable human experience but instead serves as a type of honestly that is so refreshing from someone of his stature. Typically the most you hear is just the title. "It's lonely at the top." But never any elaboration. This songs goes in deep to pull out the inner workings of it. "What If" features a gorgeous back and forth by Cole and Morray on the chorus and explores another common human experience. Going back in time to put aside the petty things. I'm very glad to see J. Cole go out this way. I want more but would also love for this to be his ultimate send off.
Songs For February
Two Feet
★★★★★★
More of the same from Two Feet. I could literally copy & paste my review from his previous EP, "Drunken Fits of A Modern Age" and it would pretty much still be spot on. The songs are just exactly what you would expect. "Lost Your Ghost" does features some brighter piano which is a pleasant addition to the mix but it's not like it's a completely new sound. It's just been a hot minute since I've seen even that little amount of variety in his music. He's got this sound down to a science but sometimes it's good to experiment.
Feb 8, 2026
Piss In The Wind
Joji
★★★★★
Joji historically has songs that kind of fall under the banner of being half-demos. They're fully created and mixed and mastered, but are way too short. It really depends on the specific album if they have more or less of these but "Nectar" was the first time this might be a problem with his music. "SMITHEREENS" even had this issue to a degree despite the low track count. Now "Piss In The Wind" returns more to the former's style with it's length. If 21 songs in 45 minutes doesn't tell you what you need to know about this, I don't know what will. The songs themselves are well made but don't really bring to life many of the ideas. "Past Won't Leave My Bed" is probably the closest we get here to a fully functional song acting closer to "Glimpse Of Us". Not meaning that I think he should continue making songs that sound like that, it's just a coincidence that they do, but more so that it feels like a real fuuuulllll song. It has progression. Lots of these other songs are simply ideas. I still liked this as a whole since it does sound good overall. I just hope one day, Joji can dive a bit deeper into some of these and actually finished them.
Feb 7, 2026
Tangerine
Mosie
★★★★★★
This was pretty cool. Especially after it really finds it's groove in the second half. For some reason the first half feels so much more disjointed. Maybe it's just because it takes time to adjust to the many changes each and every song has. I think this "adjustment period" may make the run time seem like nothing. Once I was finally acclimated to how the songs were structured and I could find some interesting moments, it didn't feel like it would take a marathon to get to the end. The sound design and array of production as a whole is also a main factor in this. It is so all over the place instrumentally that it's hard for it to become dull. Somehow in all it's madness, it does maintain a certain style. "Oh! Frenchy" was what brought me here so much love for that song. I also have got to give props to the end of "Roll Up". When it gets all fast paced, it's just a great ending. "Three-Prong Sing-Along" also has a nice softer style to it that broke up a lot of the crazy production. The real star here though is the first half of the closer, "Clementine (Ain't No Clean)". What a great off-beat song that is cultivated in pure fun. Doesn't really seem like Mosie is coming back anytime soon but I'm glad I got to listen to this 8 years late.
Feb 6, 2026
LOOKING FOR THE NEAREST EXIT
Amir Obe
★★★★★★
Amir floated around the hype of Drake and PND throughout the 2010s but never really broke out despite it seeming inevitable. It's pure speculation from the public's part on what happened considering that he did have some decent success with some of his work during that time. Fast forward several years and he has released two albums in back to back years. Technically his debut, "after." released in 2024 which I wasn't a huge fan of. Now "LOOKING FOR THE NEAREST EXIT" has arrived and I think Amir is stuck a bit in the past. When he was supposed to find his success. Some of the songs here are downright forgettable or generic but I don't think that those summarize the project as a whole. "CRASH" has an addictive melody while paying homage to some of vocal styles of the 2010s melodic rap scene. Meanwhile, "LAST TIME" slows down a bit for a softer ride that you don't often see within the genre. "SOS" also serves as a nice outro, really emphasizing on the use of processed vocals to the point where you can't quite understand him but I see this in a way similar to Kanye's humming at the end of "Runaway". The dullness of the rest of the album combined with these highlights balances out quite heavily. I'm not sure if it's rust or just living a bit in the past, but Amir seems to be slowly tinkering away at creating some good songs, just a decade too late.
Feb 5, 2026
My Ghosts Go Ghost
By Storm, Injury Reserve
★★★★★
Very dreary. Today I mourn with Ritchie & Parker, but I also mourn the style of their self-titled effort. I have been hoping they would return to that form at least here or there but since the passing of Groggs, it seems they have taken a different path permanently. I always support change within an artists or bands history as I think that is how the most interesting musical careers take place, but unfortunately the emphasis on experimental and abstract has left me in the dust a bit. I can appreciate some of the production and choices here and there but overall, I either find myself not enjoying what I'm hearing or bored. Parker Corey's production is very distinctive as you can tell there isn't really a default template that he pulls up in whatever DAW they use. This complete freedom in production is cool but often leads to beats or songs as a whole that are way off the mark for my ears.
Feb 1, 2026
COSMIC OPERA ACT I
Labrinth
★★★★★★
Labrinth is tough to pin down as I can tell he has a massive creative mind but it seems he needs someone to reel him in a bit more. I suppose there is a reason why most of the stuff I like by him is in collaboration with other artists. This album is the most out there project that I've heard by him. I mean the ending of "S.W.M.F." is just... lol. He constantly looks to switch up the composition of songs and how they evolve but it feels pretty jolting at times. In comparison to Quadeca's "Vanisher, Horizon Scraper", Labrinth takes abrasive horns paired with almost random synths and tries to ping pong back and forth with the occasional more full orchestral composition. The jumping back and forth feels like a headache. Quadeca is the example of how to do this constant transition well with everything flowing in and out with it never living in a consistent state. Labrinth did task himself with something much harder sonically though. A cosmic opera is a far harder challenge to achieve than the swaying of the ocean that Quadeca goes for. (Not to discredit Quadeca's work. Just pointing out that the idea was something more achievable.) I don't mean for this to turn into a Quadeca glaze. I just think Labrinth could take a few pointers from a macro level and see how he could apply them even though he is obviously musically talented as is.
Jan 31, 2026
![Candy II [Beat Tape]](https://i.scdn.co/image/ab67616d0000b273dddb29b0f7e61894f2e0d2d1)
For The Best
Hailey Knox
★★★★★
Heard "On Nothing" and was really happy with it. Never heard of her before but just that song made me interested in what the full EP sounded like. "On Nothing" does reach a level that I don't think the other track on here are able to reach but you can tell it's got good bones. Definitely a jump pad for more successful music to come. Some of the production is pretty slick but the whole project does feel a little slow here or there. "Double Tragedy" would be another highlight for me. I think her voice pairs well with production that feels more full. Several of these songs contain a slower contemporary R&B vibe but I think she thrives a bit more when it mixes with pop a tad bit more.
Jan 30, 2026
A Quiet Mind
Derek Pope
★★★★★
The production is right up my alley. Gritty but has that glimmer that some darker synth pop holds. I wish he would switch it up just a tad more, as by about halfway through the production doesn't feel much different from any other point. "I Don't Mind" is incredibly catchy and is an example of when all the pieces come together correctly. There are a few cool outros as well that differ from the norm, but I wish some of those elements were implemented more thoroughly throughout their respective songs. The final gripe I have is the vocal melodies. Probably the weakest part of this. Not super catchy. Sounds good, but this album feels like a bunch of singles, and the way these songs are written is begging for more gripping choruses. Overall, it's hard to hate. Well-produced, fun atmosphere, and his vocal tone is unique, making it hard to get bored with his voice.
Jan 25, 2026
e.t.d.s. A Mixtape by .idk.
IDK
★★★★★★
Hearing this compared to a few years back, like on "Is He Real?", it's clear that his vision is slowly but surely being fleshed out. The strong transitions are a real pop-out. Not a real surprise digging into the credits, as the producer list on here is filled with acclaim. The album features several catchy songs and a strong production that complements IDK's voice. The real highlights are "LiFE 4 A LiFE" and "DEViL". I love the interlude that is "STIGMA" as well. The second half does drop the ball slightly, with some production that doesn't quite match the rest of the album. The songs specifically are "SCARY MERRi" and "CELL BLOCK FREESTYLE / CD ON".
Jan 24, 2026
EVERGREEN
PVRIS
★★★★★★
PVRIS returns with more of the same. Not that that's a bad thing! It seems each release dives further into their creative process to pump out new ideas. The downside to PVRIS that I've had a hard time enjoying is some of their harder songs. While the production is good, her voice just doesn't match the rage of the instrumentals. Occasionally, I think they hit the mark on this with songs like ANIMAL but usually falls just short. The good news here is that they are a pretty diverse band and the other darker but softer style they produce, they have perfected. SENTI-MENTAL and LOVE IS A... are prime examples of their softer but still bleak blend. The closer to this album, the self-titled track EVERGREEN, is in my eyes their magnum opus of this. Every sound change in production is done with purpose and her vocals match the recording like a glove. I hope more of this style comes suit but time will tell.
Jan 24, 2026
GDLU (Preluxe)
JID
★★★★★★
Listen 1: Yeah, looking forward to the album. Based off this alone, you can tell there is more evolution to take place for JID. No stagnation. The end of Behold is something else. Listen 2: So fun and crazy. Can't wait for the full project. Not wanting to comment too much on this since it is just the appetizer before the main course. 1 Week Later: The more I listen, the more I hear things I missed on the first few play throughs. Absolute blast for the build up for this album.
Jan 24, 2026
Let God Sort Em Out
Clipse, Pusha T, Malice
★★★★★★
Listen 1: Feels old and new all at the time time. Features are excellent. Unique flows and beats and choruses. Original front to back. The bars make you cover your mouth. Listen 2: Fun. Some of these songs do sound slightly alike with the horns but still fun, front to back. That said, there has always been something about Pusha T that has stopped his music from going to the next level for me. I don't want to say it sounds the same, cuz it doesn't. It might just be him. Like if you took these beats and had Tyler or Kendrick rap over everything instead, I may like it better. No hate against Pusha. Dude is still great and love how snarly he sounds. Probably just a personal preference on vocal tone. 1 Week Later: Although it never breaks through with anything mind bogglingly good, Clipse is the definition of consistently solid. Not one bad or even average song on this record. At the same time, nothing on here blew my socks off. Works extremely well as an album and fun to listen to individual songs as well.
Jan 24, 2026
Don't Be Dumb
A$AP Rocky
★★★★★
After so many years, I think I wanted a little more overall, but it still delivers in doses. There is a wide range of styles and genres here, but the aggressive, electronic-heavy production serves as the anchor point that the album keeps returning to. While I love some of this style, I personally like Rocky when he's a bit more docile on tracks. Many people fell in love with "L$D" back in the day, and it is the biggest highlight here. That style suits him so well, and I feel sad that he doesn't embrace it more. Even if it was just another song or two. Maybe that is what makes it so addictive: as fans, we are starved for tracks that sound like that. The lyrics here have some highs and some basic traditional Rocky bars. Nothing too crazy. Specifically, I like "THE END" where Rocky starts reflecting on the imperfections in the world. He takes several good points and touches on them briefly, using interesting lyrics. My specific favorite is when he references public school lunches tasting like an institution. Returning to "PUNK ROCKY", the more love-laced lyrics fit that style of song like a glove. Nothing on here is particularly bad lyrically, other than maybe a feature's bar here and there. But again, nothing that stands out so much that I think it's worth noting. That electronic grit is prevalent here. "ORDER OF PROTECTION", "STOLE YA FLOW", and "NO TRESPASSING" are some examples where it is executed well and differently each time. I wish there were more traditional instruments at times when there's so much electronic bass and synth; that is what makes some of the other electronic-heavy songs blend in. The songs that divert from this path are a nice surprise. "PUNK ROCKY", I've already touched on, but that is a good detour. "ROBBERY" is the most shocking twist in production, sounding straight out of a jazz bar. Doechii features on here, and their back and forth is rather soothing, but since it's really embodying that jazzy style, there's not really any sort of direction with the song. Vocals throughout this are pretty mundane. Brent Faiyaz does kill it on "STOLE YA FLOW," and Doechii does sound slick on "ROBBERY," but a lot of these features aren't particularly known for their gorgeous voice. Tyler sounds like Tyler and will.i.am sounds like will.i.am, but these are people you expect to give amazing vocal performances. Tyler does sound particularly good at the end of "FISH N STEAK (WHAT IT IS)" when he is singing rather than rapping, but it's just his usual distant style. The real sad vocal performances show up on "STFU" with Keilo Kei. Sounds degrading to listen to, and truthfully, this song as a whole is just a miss. It takes a stab at that JPEGMAFIA grit, but every time I've heard someone try to do it that isn't him, they miss. He's in a lane of his own with that sound.
ADHD 2
Joyner Lucas
★★★★★★
Listen 1: There's like two skits in here where, I'm assuming, Joyner had people talk shit about how he's making another album about ADHD and how he needs to grow up and get over it. I think he's misinterpreting people's hate or criticism of it. It's not that he should grow up, but his style has not changed that dramatically and that's what people are tired of. There are definitely some songs on here that weren't copies of the first ADHD but the headlining tracks (~2-7 or so) are all his bread and butter which most people I think are tired of. I am too. As you get deeper in the album, there are some much poppier different songs that I don't really remember being on the original ADHD and so I have to give props to those. Listen 2: Yes, it's pretty long. Yes, there isn't much reinventing the wheel of any kind. Yes, nothing is really even that great. But, Joyner does consistently put out formulaic songs. None of these are outright bad in any certain way. The production on all of them I have heard a million times before but there is still enough here where I like this album as a whole. I've always considered Imagine Dragons this way (probably because I grew up on them), but Joyner fits this bill as well. Just an album with a whole ton of singles. The theme of ADHD comes and goes whenever Joyner feels like it seems. You could take out the skits and few direct lines referring to ADHD and this would still be a fully packed album. It just doesn't really matter in terms of the entire scope of the project. 1 Week Later: Hard to say more than what I've already said about the project. Joyner has a pretty formulaic approach to making music which obviously has had it's success. It does sound good at times as well. However, for an album this long, it does have it's down sides and head scratching moments considering the theme. Overall, it's a fun listen if you're looking for some aggressive but upbeat rap with some pop songs sprinkled in here and there.
You'll Be Alright, Kid
Alex Warren
★★★★★★
Disc 1 Only Listen 1: Alex's music feels like it made in a lab with how perfectly crafted it is for the radio. Some of these songs feel aimed for late teenagers, who need their music too, but some of this is very good. Eternity starts it off with the best track and then there are some few other decent ones scattered around but compared to the first chapter, this does feel slightly like a deluxe version rather than a whole second companion album. Listen 2: He is very much so in that genre of singers like Lewis Capaldi, George Ezra, etc... but he might be my favorite. I'm a sucker for a good ballad but it seems a lot of other singers in the his vocal range and tone are shoehorned into those dramatic ballads trying to be the next big ballad singer like Adele. This brings in some more energy that I don't get the same taste from those other guys. I still stand by Chapter 1 of this album being better overall, but this one does hit some high highs. 1 Week Later: His voice is perfectly golden, it's hard not to like. I do enjoy when artists try melodies or keys that aren't the typical C Major/Minor and there is a few on here but they just don't sound great to me.
Jan 17, 2026
DON'T TAP THE GLASS
Tyler, The Creator
★★★★★★
Listen 1: Very bouncy. The middle of the album is chaotic, it tends to blur together but the start and last few tracks are extremely memorable. Maybe I'm making this connection since I just wrote my final review for JACKBOYS 2, but this album feels like Tyler's spin on that heavily electronic rap that Travis and Playboi Carti play around in. Obiviously much different, still though, this probably brings the same feeling to some that other's experience with Carti. Listen 2: There is something about this album where I want to add every song on it and simultaneously none of them. This may be in part due to a large majority of them all having a similar sound, which is good for the cohesion of the overall project, but means the sacrifices are the individuality of some of the songs. This is a textbook album I would prefer to listen as a whole than any single song. 1 Week Later: You can tell that this project was just a fun side excursion for Tyler. It doesn't have the same weight that a lot of his other work does but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy it either. I'm sure at concerts some of these tracks will be an absolute blast and I think as a project overall, it works extremely well stylistically. I don't need an album to be super serious to be good either but this just feels like a fun Tyler album, which he has given us before, just without some of the more meaningful moments.
Jan 17, 2026
all my exes live in brooklyn
jigitz
★★★★★★
Listen 1: The kind of music that kills in a dirty industrial club. Fun listen but I think Jigitz has some evolving to do overall. Songs a bit generic as far as the structure goes and repetitive as well. He has great ideas with some killer sound design and this is all needed in a new artists creation of their own sound so no hate here at all. Listen 2/1 Week Later: This is enjoyable and fun. Not entirely groundbreaking but you can really see Jigitz putting his all into it. It's hopefully a matter of time until this guy keeps this up and starts putting out some top tier tracks.
Jan 17, 2026
Accelerator
Bad Suns
★★★★★★
Initial: Nothing revolutionary. Doesn't matter though, they have a style and they stick to their guns and they're damn good at it. Teetering into 80's pop rock, it's just a lot of fun to put it plainly. Dudes voice is nothing special but it just reminds me of a better time (even though I am not nostalgic for their old music whatsoever). Their music just reek of 2010's pop rock in an alternative universe Maroon 5. 1 Week Later: Kind of a guilty pleasure album I suppose? I listen to this and hear nothing new or what bratty people may call "inspired" but I simply just like the sound. Some of the lyrical choices make me question the lead singer's decisions as a human being but overall no harm no foul with it.
Jan 17, 2026
Breach
Twenty One Pilots
★★★★★★
Glad that they are still evolving as a whole. It really seemed like during the Pandemic that they were gonna turn into a suburban band that didn't have any interesting new changes to their sound. Their fan based showed that with the hate towards Scaled and Icy. Personally, I do like that album a lot and don't really fancy Clancy that much. That said, Clancy at least showed they were still putting in the effort to do new stuff and Breach follows right in that trend. While that puts a smile on my face, I find Breach much better than Clancy and the song writing and diverse soundscapes make this an easy listen as a whole with some specific bangers here and there throughout the album.
Jan 17, 2026
Vie
Doja Cat
★★★★★★
Love love love the idea, pretty good on the execution. Despite being only 49 minutes, this feels like it runs 20 minutes too long. The precision and dedication to making these '80s beats and instrumentals so crisp deserve props. Tons of different moments on here are distinctly '80s but lodged in modern-day production to a perfect degree. The only gripe I have is that, due to sticking to such a rigid time capsule of style, it runs a bit long. If you go back and listen to a lot of 80s records that are inspired by this, and I don't mean the greats from the 80s. You will find albums that either start to get a bit boring or branch out and experiment. I think some more experimentation would have done this some good in the latter half. Overall, I do respect Doja even going for some of those slightly out of tune notes from the time period as well. While they didn't stick around for very long in popular music, they show true attention to detail and talent when pulling inspiration from 40 years ago.
Jan 17, 2026
Blue Sky Mentality
Good Neighbours
★★★★★★
It's good. Suffers quite heavily from being like half released by the time the full album came out, but still, the entirety of it is good, especially if it's all new to you. Home is a classic, and several other songs have catchy feel-good melodies and ideas that I can appreciate on any given day. It will be interesting to see if they just keep copy and pasting this formula or try to evolve in some way because much more of this will definitely become a bit repetitive.
Jan 17, 2026
SHARK
Reaper
★★★★★★
Prime example of a project that goes all in on the pizzazz of art and not going for much of a mainstream sound. Using tons of electronic elements and experimenting with transitions and unique vocal inflections, REAPER has been cooking in the cave since "heady". With albums like this, I love it as a whole but have a hard time relistening to tracks individually, which sucks cuz I don't always have time for a whole project (even an EP sometimes, like this, even though it still clocks in at 25 mins). The last album I felt this way about was "Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You" by Ethel Cain. There is such a distinct connection to me when an album hits in nearly every way it needs to, but I know it's almost like a soundtrack for itself if that makes sense. Like you can listen to some of the songs standalone, and some may be completely fine, and you could never need to relate them to the whole project, but they would come together so much more. "SHARK" hits that nail on the head. "HYDRA", the opening track, is the most standalone song on the project, but still tidies the whole idea of the EP up in a bow. You get the general gist, but in order to really appreciate the EP, you have to listen to the whole thing. The sound design on this is so crisp. Welcome back REAPER, always glad to have you.
Jan 17, 2026
Kicking My Feet
Ruel
★★★★★★
Yeah, he definitely landed on his feet here. This renaissance of music with physical instruments has been interesting here in the 2020's as synthesizers and samples have become more balanced with other instruments. Ruel falls right into this "correction" in pop music and his does it pretty well. A lot of what makes this great comes down to a few songs as there are a few songs on here I would call generic, but the ones that do stick out, stick out well. Only Ever, Wild Guess, I Can Die Now, and Kicking My Feet and do a pretty fantastic job and making his vocals pop while maintaining a simple instrumental catalog. A huge part of this is also due to some crisp mixing to make sure each part of the album pops when it needs to. I'm not usually an audiophile in that regard, but for some reason, I'm appreciating the mixing here a lot.
Jan 17, 2026
Ur an Angel I’m Just Particles
BENEE
★★★★★★
It'll be hard for BENEE to ever live up to FIRE ON MARZZ for me, but she has found her footing over 6 years later. BENEE's style has seemed to slowly shift closer to a more traditional pop sound. Or the opposite has happened, and pop music has inched closer to her. One or the other. Either way, this still has some pizazz. Her ability to write melodies that stick out like a sore thumb, but in a good way, is remarkable. Almost like artists who can write catchy lyrics without rhyming. There's another path to success that people like BENEE drive towards. On the other hand, some of the lyrics here may feel dated in the future. Even though we live in 2025, I don't like being reminded of it every time I listen to a song. Not to say something can't be a sign of the times, but it has to do with literal lyrics. The song "Sad Boiii" is fine, but reading "Boiii" will definitely be something I look back on in 40 years to age it.
Jan 17, 2026
GLASS JAW
Aries
★★★★★★
I want to call this "stripped back," but it's still rather abrasive with the detailed complexion of instruments. Compared to his last two albums, there is a definite simplification in the production side of things, emphasizing traditional instruments. Aries has always had a great ability to create some slamming production that complements his binary vocal style. His last two albums are among my all-time favorites, and so it was always going to be challenging to live up to them. While I still consider this album good, even great, I can't help but feel disappointed that it didn't live up to his previous albums in my eyes.
Jan 17, 2026
Forever & Maybe More
Louis Futon
★★★★★★
Over time, Louis has only become more engaging in his unique brand of dance music. There's a 3-man weave of groovy rhythm, popping vocals, and sparkling production constantly at work, and it pays off pretty hard. I would appreciate a bit of a pump on the brakes here and there, just to feel a switch up in tempo. The album does suffer from the pretty common issue of songs blending together at points, but you'll keep bopping your head through each one of them. In comparison to his previous album or even his early work, it's easy to see the vision he had all along and how far he has come in fleshing out something that is unmistakably Louis Futon.
Jan 17, 2026
WORLDS APART*
Tommy Richman
★★★★★★
Very happy with how Tommy Richman has so easily found his groove. An artist who blew up by just being an artist. Listening to his albums, you can tell that he hasn't been searching for a big hit, yet it found him with MILLION DOLLAR BABY. His unique blend of old and new R&B feels so hot to the touch. Traditionally, his vocals would get dogged on by a lot of mainstream pop fans who may expect perfect vocals. It works in its own right in his space. Unique vocals work particularly well in certain genres because the instruments surrounding them complement them effectively. WORLDS APART* is just a prime example of instrumentals that are made for his voice.
Jan 17, 2026
Persona
half•alive
★★★★★★
I am very late to the party on this one. Not sure why or how I missed this back in 2024, as "Conditions Of A Punk" was very solid in my book. Regardless, I finally got around to this, and I'm kicking myself for not listening to it sooner. There is some absolutely stunning song design, production, and songwriting through and through on here. They have always been a band that integrates synths into their slightly indie-pop-rock style heavily, but this album features what will probably end up being one of my favorite mixtures of this with "People". I'll get into the specifics later in the review, but that song caught me off guard in the best way possible. One downside to this was that the songs that weren't great sounded like the great ones. Now this may sound confusing, but hear me out. As standalone songs, those "not great" ones are good, and I would likely listen to them frequently; however, they don't differ enough from the really standout tracks on here and therefore fall short in quality. If they had pushed their boundaries slightly further, this would be a near-perfect album for me. The only other issue is the mastering. I mean, yikes, it was not good. It's not something that I think dictates the quality of the album as a whole, because I don't mind adjusting the volume a little here and there. However, I can understand why this might be more of an issue for others. Diving into the songwriting is like an ocean here. It's very personal and self-reflective, which is always lovely to see the inner workings and thoughts of an artist. His choice of words isn't anything verbose or grand, but at times feels conversational, and at others is a puzzle for the listener to decipher. It's not very complex, though, or left to a ton of interpretation. In my eyes, good songwriting is done in several ways, but one of my favorites is when songs are written cryptically, but there are enough clues to find the true meaning with no room for confusion. Incredibly difficult to pull off, but Half Alive does this well at multiple points. Gorgeous guitars to soothing synths, this album has taken the reins of pop-rock production and made it its bitch. "Automatic" features this entirely out-of-left-field guitar mixing on the chorus that you wouldn't expect from them whatsoever. It's not aggressive but is intense. The distortion built into the chorus of the song ensures that it never gets dull either. "Long Drive" utilizes Kacy Hill in a precise manner. While she does have a decent amount of front vocals, the real treat with her on here is the backing vocals on the choruses. At first, you can hear her reverberating in and out, but it doesn't really come into full effect until the last chorus, when you can listen to her voice breathing life into a speedy and smooth song with production that sounds like walking on clouds. The real star of the show is "People". The instrumental mixing and choices are beautiful, along with the do-dos that start the song off. The chorus sounds pretty strong while remaining catchy with a sunny guitar strum. Then those synths hit. A completely unexpected change in pace, but it works perfectly. When it returns to its original style, it just makes it hit so much harder. Although I'd rather not, because the highs on this album are so high, the lows do need to be addressed. I do wish that "All My Love", "The Point", and "Songs" did stick out a bit more. I mentioned earlier that they aren't bad in any way, but when you have some heavy hitters doing the same thing but better, it may be good to branch out in some way, shape, or form. This is probably just a mindset that people have when they know they have some 10/10 tracks that use the same style, and most conscious artists don't have the same mentality about their music. It's understandable why they choose to go with these, and they are good, just not as noticeable as some others. The mastering, though. I struggle to dock "points" from an album because of bad mastering, so when I have to bring it up in a review, it must be pretty bad. The mastering on here makes me question whether they even listened back afterwards, or just sent it full speed ahead after processing it through an AI tool. Who knows. Songs change in volume significantly from track to track, but if this doesn't bother you much, as it doesn't bother me much, the album should be delightful then.
d00mscrvll
Diplo, d00mscrvll
★★★★★
I'm not entirely sure why this couldn't have been included with the first half that came out last year. Considering how short each half of the album is, having these as separate discs is pretty confusing. This is an album where everything that isn't the music is bad, and then the music itself is sometimes not bad. Where to even start. The album cover? I mean, what the fuck, obviously he is going for some trendy TikTok background music for certain styles of videos, but then labels it as "d00mscrvll". Interesting choice. He is edited into this so poorly that it starts to make me question if the cover is intentionally bad, unlike the cover for part 1 of this, which was not nearly as off-putting. Then, of course, there are the drones and the parachuting tank, or whatever that is. Is this tongue-in-cheek, disconnected from society, or just random? I have no idea. It's not like the music to me is really meant for that style of war footage video, either. There is then the purpose of an album like this. It exists purely to be utilized as background music for short videos. I mean, it's a niche, and I think it's good that any type of content has music directed towards it, but it's not usually something that I give a standing ovation for. This is almost like being commissioned to make an EDM track for some new big pharma drug in a commercial. Just lifeless and usually done by someone who is just trying to get by, not someone with a shit ton of credentials like Diplo. An album like this has practically no direction in terms of lyrics. It's a bit hard for me to judge the lyrics to "UH AH AH" since it's not in English, but given the name, I don't think it gets too deep. "FLOW STATE" is really just a pander lyrically towards the namesake of the song, no real substance there. "Skittles", my favorite on here, is a bit better, but overall, it isn't anything new in terms of lyrics, but more run-of-the-mill for Juicy J and Project Pat. "I LUV U" features just a filtered backing vocal, which I would be surprised if anyone cared about the lyrical content there. It's not as if I didn't know that EDM lyrics usually aren't of high quality, but here they are just abysmal. The beats are mostly just copycats of each other. After all, for what he is going for, it's not like he would really want to switch it up all that much. "Skittles" production does stand out a bit with it being a bit slower and this glittery grit to it that works much better than the typical bell-ridden beat that comprises the album. "I LUV U" executes the copycat style beat on this the best, as it does become a bit hypnotizing. However, given that the songs are mostly under 2 minutes, it's hard to really connect to the track, or any of them for that matter. "UH AH AH" is probably going to be one of the worst songs I've listened to this year. I don't seek out all kinds of new music all the time, but I do like to think I have a decent range. I have never been able to appreciate something like that, though. The beat is literally beating me into a pulp; the woman's vocals are too K-pop for me (sorry, K-pop), and the vocalizing during the main dance part sounds like someone singing along to what it was supposed to sound like. The features are very hit or miss on this. On one side of things, Odetari, Kodak Black, Mc Gw, and Duis Nulla, do not work here whatsoever. No offense to them, but this production needs someone else. The positive note is that 1nonly, and DVRST's vocals work exceptionally well. 1nonly perfectly slots into this style of music, but I think any fan of his would prefer his more dialed-in production, as this feels like 1nonly rapping over a YouTube "1nonly Type Beat". Then there is Juicy J and Project Pat. I'm not sure how this could have worked out, but if this were just a 34-minute album of those three, I would like this a whole lot better. Throw in a few different switch-ups on the beats and call it a day. I would be a happy man. I think Diplo knows how much better this style of music shines with them, considering Project Pat appears across 7 of the 17 tracks on both discs, and Juicy J shows up on 3.
BEFORE I FORGET
The Kid LAROI
★★★★★
Laroi embarks on a slow, reflective journey though a breakup with several highs and lows. In a nutshell, the lows boil down to aimless music where several songs feel like interludes into interludes. The high's meanwhile are where the attempts of this album have the stars align. For some reason, this album doesn't feel like it was created with a lot of specific decisions in mind. That's not a bad thing; many artists excel at creating music through this process, and I think it is generally the standard way, especially for new musicians, to produce music. On here, though, it feels like the only decisions they made before creating this album were a few of the artistic styles, like "A PERFECT WORLD" and "THE MOMENT" being more 80s themed. Several of these songs share a very slow stripped-back R&B rhythm, which, duh, makes sense, it's an R&B album, but the ideas are just rehashes of trendy instrumental themes or copies of each other. This leads me to why it does work! Albums with this style of creation, even if they feel aimless, can come out with several good tracks if working with musicians who even hit every once in a while. That is the case here. Starting with the lyrics, I mean, it's a breakup album. Laroi has never hosted a masterclass in songwriting, and while his writing has improved since his teenage years, it's still not at a point where it would be a main draw. His voice has improved significantly over the same time period, and he's finally finding some good consistency with it. I'm sure his moving away from rap has helped, as now he has more opportunities and more pressure to do it right, given the abundance of singing he's doing now compared to then. The production is pretty consistent in terms of style but varies significantly in terms of quality. This album struggles with creating slower, more stripped-down music. It does succeed when it finally tries to build inthroughto something. "THANK GOD", "PRIVATE", and "BACK WHEN YOU WERE MINE" all show this exactly. "THANK GOD" is perhaps the best version of this as the drums build and build throughout, and with Laroi's nice tempo, the lyrics come to a very great ending. It features a glitchy production that doesn't feel like you're in an EDM track, but is appropriate for the style. This is an example of what I wish there was more of here. Not necessarily slow builds, but just more change within each song. "THE MOMENT," for example, has this nice '80s stripped production, but the only memorable part about it is that there is a feature on it. The song has no movement. Laroi is young and has plenty of time to learn and improve. The amount he has changed over the last 5 years is astonishing in its own right. He's not a messiah of music by any means, but I appreciate his dedication and care in creating something new for himself. He is definitely not one to get stuck in a particular musical trend and live there his whole life, at least from what we can tell so far. I would love to continue to listen to what he makes as the songs that do stick the landing, like "A COLD PLAY", deserve the attention.
Vanisher, Horizon Scraper
Quadeca
★★★★★
I see the vision and the vision is nice. The music is ever-changing and constantly evolving into some new creation or beast. Albums like this seem to generally have wide praise when done right but to me I struggle to get behind them in the same way. I can appreciate the way the music waves between instruments and given the theme of the album, it's rather impressive how well this is done. Still though, I can't come to terms with the fact that many of the songs here aren't that interesting to playback and some parts are downright hard to listen to. The flip side is also true, there are many many moments where I wish certain sounds or melodies could be used as an anchor point but instead are never to be seen again. This once again matches being out at sea very well but for my own personal interest in this project, I can't be bothered to listen to some of these 4-6 minute songs just for a specific 20 second part. I can understand the idea from an artist's perspective too. It's not about creating something that people will replay with their friends in the car or bump at a party. It's about expressing an idea in music in such a way that it perfectly encapsules the core idea. Which, to me, is to "idea" focused. To the point where the idea starts to eat itself. So overall, interesting for a listen, but I doubt I would ever listen to this thing unless I got it on vinyl because that album cover is dope as fuck. The vocals and lyrics in this are a bit timid. I don't mean that he writes fearfully, like "oh jeez, will they like this". But more that they aren't a forefront object. The instruments are the big brain of the operation here, and they're flexing. Quadeca's songwriting isn't bad whatsoever and the parts where he does bring his voice more to center stage, like on "THE GREAT BAKUNAWA" and "FORGONE", he sounds great even with these crazy backings. It's a shame that they are back-to-back on this album, as it would break up the album nicely if they were separated a bit more. The instrumentals are the obvious glory. What he has accomplished to do with everything perfectly melding into the next sound is phenomenal, and this is what artists dream about being able to do sonically when transitioning from one part of a song to another. I would dare say that this album is over 50% musical transitions. It feels like there is almost always something changing. Even the sounds that I don't think are that pleasing to the ear are still transitioned well. They fit the soundscape and even the most aggressive noises are brought in with grace. "NATURAL CAUSES" is a slight highlight given it's slightly more memorable brief vocal melody. As a whole though, doesn't drift far from the norm. The real stand out track is "FORGONE". Talk about a beautiful moment. This song alone practically brings this whole hour of waves together. Even at 7 minutes, it's hard to get tired of it. At most, he could have cut off the last minute or two of the song. It reminds me heavily of a modernized version of Simon & Garfunkel or something from that era in that genre.
Written, Signed, & Dotted (Deluxe)
Sean Sharp
★★★★★
I like my own music, but I can do better.
Jan 9, 2026
after the sun goes down
Khalid
★★★★★
Felt like a long ride, but the first half was really spot on. It's always a shame when an album has such a great start and then by the end, you are just waiting for it to be over. He could have cut 1/3rd of this album, and it would have been much better. Medicine through dumbstruck is a pretty solid streak of tracks, but after that point, it starts to lose its uniqueness and fades into typical high-energy pop. I always feel conflicted when reflecting on albums like this because I do like a good portion of it, but I have to evaluate it as a whole, and as a whole it misses pretty heavily about halfway through. But man, that first half as an EP or a short album would rival some of my favorites this year.
Jan 4, 2026
THY KINGDOM COME
$uicideboy$
★★★★★
Listen 1: At some point their sound will certainly start to feel old right? Nearly every artist either evolves their sound and old fans are unhappy because they're no longer what they used to be (see $b's were better in 2015). Or they just keep making the same thing over and over again and people lose interest. $uicideboy$ have not only changed their sound but essentially created their own path within the music industry. Their older music wasn't different, but more so needed refining and polishing which they have reached since the late 2010's. Since they haven't really switched up their sound too much other than one off tracks here and there but still they retain that ravenous fanbase. I don't think this album is going to go down as their best but their music always tends to be a slow burn with me so I'll appreciate it the more I listen. Only true downside that sticks out to me is the fumbled Night Lovell feature. Dude usually murders in conjunction with the duo but this time his verse falls awfully flat. Listen 2: $uicideboy$ is going to be (if not already) one of this generations non-mainstream sounding cult artists. Such a unique sound to them and I have never heard anything remotely close to this on any radio. This album is the definition of "eating good". It's some more catchy verses and dark beats in their trademark style. It often seems to me that they are just astonishingly good with coming up with catchy choruses but then use them in the verses instead. Almost taking a more pop philosophy of making everything as catchy and memorable as possible. There is a reason why pop music so mainstream and it's because of catchy elements and melodies. $b$ use similar aspects of catchy song writing but push even further by straying away from much repetition. There is just countless moments on this album alone that are extremely memorable and it's not even the chorus.
Portal
Balu Brigada
★★★★★
Loved the singles coming into this. Was extremely excited to see what they would put out into the first major release. Downside is the songs that weren't already released weren't as good as the singles. They showed their cards a bit early. Of course, those singles are also part of the album and make up a pretty good portion of it. As for the release of the album, I am disappointed because I didn't get something great to chew on. I have already gotten the taste of the good stuff and sad this didn't have more of it.
Jan 4, 2026
The Crux Deluxe
Djo
★★★★★
Just the Deluxe Tracks One of those deluxe's where it just comes back even harder, packing an even bigger punch. Djo is slowly building a reputation in my eyes as one of these cult artists that may never be back to the mainstream like he was with "End of Beginning" but will have a dedicated fan base that will be around for years to come. As long as there is some continued creativity like this, idk how anyone that enjoyed his last few albums wouldn't continue to listen to his work. Pretty rare, but I do think this is a case where the deluxe outdoes the initial release
Jan 4, 2026
I’m Only F**king Myself
Lola Young
★★★★★
I really hope her material reflects a previous time in her life. She writes excellently about toxic relationships that she has gone through/is going through, but jeez, hope she can get the help she needs. From the outside looking in, it seems like they are often both at fault, hurting each other. As music, this slaps. The instrumentals are a greatly modernized version of this pop rock from the 2000's and it's hard not to appreciate the delicacy that goes into it and the lyrics. Additionally, Lola's vocals and melodies are becoming increasingly refined, enhancing the overall experience. Definitely her best to date. Hopefully, she keeps this improvement with this creative process, both for the sake of her music and herself.
Jan 4, 2026
Shake Your Tailfeather
Gus Dapperton, Loose Goose
★★★★★
Love a lil side quest like this. Gus has always made dance tunes but really embraces the dance side of his music here. More clubby, more fun, more Gus. What's not to like.
Jan 4, 2026
(((((ultraSOUND)))))
The Neighbourhood
★★★★★
This is a band that is truly maturing as a whole. I have listened to everything they have ever released, and it's a great feeling to see a band age well like this. The dissonance in their music is unmatched, particularly given their large following. In a way, I see them as a successor to Nirvana. A soundtrack for a newer generation's hopelessness and melancholy. This album, in particular, employs innovative techniques to interweave key changes and unique instrument blends, keeping its traditional "Sweater Weather" style fresh and engaging. Additionally, it features songs that can be enjoyed on their own as great singles and work well as a full album. The only main downside is that it is a bit long. With more somber or ambient rock/pop that this genre sometimes delves into, it can start to feel a bit lengthy. That said, checkpoints like Planet, Mama Drama, and Stupid Boy, throughout the album, do keep it refreshing.
Jan 4, 2026
a touch of the beat gets you up on your feet gets you out and then into the sun
Aly & AJ
★★★★★★
The varied use of instrumental ideas and textures, along with different vocal styles, seems to bode well for this record, as it suits its narrative. There may be more that could have been done in total. Keeping an album centered on a specific sound is obviously a challenging task, given that one must maintain the album's focus on its theme while also introducing new ideas to prevent it from becoming dull. Short albums often result from this, as artists struggle to create an ever-evolving sound that doesn't stray too far from the beaten path. At 47 minutes, this is by no means a short album and often delivers on that evolution. As a whole, however, some of the core elements remain too similar. As I alluded to in the opening paragraph, this album achieves a specific vibe and usually succeeds. The soft, sunbathed sound they go for here often leaves me unengaged with the lyrics, as they don't seem to have much weight on the enjoyment of the sound. I think that for specific genres, it can be both a blessing and a curse, as lyrics can make or break your work, such as in rap. This brand of pop is the opposite. The lyrics can be good or bad, but they won't significantly affect my opinion. Not unless the lyrics are just downright horrendous, which they aren't here. The topics generally stick to relationship-related things, but do step out of the box on "Personal Cathedrals," where they sing about the materialistic and selfish lifestyle people live. A topic that isn't usually explored in pop music like this, and I think it works well, being the best-written song on here. It's challenging to categorize this genre as a whole, as it does have some range in its instrumentals; however, I prefer to describe this type of music as Sunflower Pop. A warm feeling and glow, which is entirely fitting considering the name of the album. "Pretty Places" is a prime example of this, as it evokes the same great feeling as other songs I would classify as similar, such as "Waterfalls" by TLC or "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield. There are others, but the point is clear. The closer, "Hold Out," also does a standout job of this, but is much softer, with almost a sadder feel to it. The musical equivalent of a supportive hug. A few songs on here miss at points, with the major one being "Paradise". The pre-chorus absolutely smashes it, being catchy and featuring a great build. The backing features wavy synths, but when it reaches a climax, the synth abruptly fades away, and they simply repeat the phrase "Paradise" over and over again. Disappointing to say the least. A constant use of general guitar and oo-ing and ah-ing throughout here also causes several songs to blend. There is a bass on here that I would typically like, but given the vibe of the album as a whole, it feels out of place. It's most prevalent on "Lucky to Get Him" about halfway through the song, where there is a much more gritty dance part. If this style were embraced elsewhere throughout the album, I think it would work better. However, on this song in particular, it feels a bit out of place, even though it doesn't necessarily sound bad by any means.
THA PLAYA$ MANUAL II
Ramirez
★★★★★★
Listen 1: Time to break out the low rider. Ramirez COOKED with this. I didn't hear one buzzy bass (not that I don't like them) this entire album. Masterclass in focusing attention on fitting a vibe. Listen 2: I made a mistake in the previous portion of this review. There are several buzzy bass filled songs on this but they are all real bass (from what I can tell). Nothing electronic (from what I can tell). The skits on this thing are goofy as hell. Whoever the host is played out those parts perfectly. The end of the album is beautiful too. Instead of just going out with the band jamming, the crowd joins in with the clapping? Perfect way to wrap it up. Rocci's features on this are also killer. The use of him on here is second to none. Utilizing a voice exactly for what it was made to do. Crispy. 1 Week Later: Loved it from the first listen and it has only grew on me. Such a distinct sound on here that has a specific place and feel to it. Ramirez also just has this natural 90's sound to him that slots perfectly into the horns and featuring vocals.
Jan 3, 2026
What No One's Thinking
AJR
★★★★★★
Seems to be their critical magnus opus relative to how their work is usually viewed. For good reason as well. As a long time AJR fan, this hits in every way I want it to with The Big Goodbye being a fantastic beat and overall song. These guys just refuse to make the same thing over and over again and while many people may disagree with that, I don't think I have ever heard them make a song like The Big Goodbye or explore the calm nature of past songs like Turning Out with more care like a majority of this EP. A good way to cap off the summer.
Jan 3, 2026
LOVERCORE
Artemas
★★★★★★
I think I just love his style of music. After yustyna, I had a feeling it wasn't just a one-off, and I was right. His style is obviously not traditionally critically acclaimed, but something about it just resonates with my teenage years, when I listened to EDM and this gritty and dirty style, which I hadn't found before in the genre. Ultimately, I think I love music that is adjacent to other music I already like, but doesn't remind me of anyone directly. This way, I don't feel it's repetitive, yet it doesn't feel weird since it's so out of the ordinary from my usual listening habits. Artemas has that exact niche with me. LOVERCORE just further proves that for me. It doesn't sound exactly the same as his previous work, but it's still in that same vein. Feels fresh but still dedicated to his signature production and vocals.
Jan 3, 2026
Five Five
Pouya
★★★★★
There are several Pouya songs that I really like/love, and a few are even on this album, but I had only listened to one of his other projects in full prior to this one. I really wanted to give this a good shot since I have some deep love for "Void". Listening to albums that are even 7-8 years old is fun, but sometimes even the aging of an album can start to crack open after only a few years. Not at any fault of his own, as timeless albums are something that nearly every artist chases to some degree, and only a few will ever achieve. Being a product of your time is a part of being human, as we are built by our experiences and the culture that surrounds us. Even modern timeless classics are still modern. How today's generations look at classical music from centuries ago, people will look back upon timeless music from now to a similar degree, regardless of how timeless we say it is. Pouya's album does age itself in just this 3/4th decade since its release, but where it succeeds, it does the heavy lifting. Starting with the weakest aspect of this thing. The lyrics. Bad lyrics have always been around, but the latter 2010s hip-hop scene had a pandemic of its own before COVID. Pouya has come down with a bad case of it here, as the lyrics center around the typical stereotypes of the time, like haters, success, money, and women. Music will always explore these topics, but Pouya exhibits a distinct characteristic of late 2010s rap, where nothing is actually being said when he raps about these subjects. Not only that, but it bounces around from one to another at a whim's notice. I've seen worse regarding that ladder point, but it still exists pretty persistently on "FIVE FIVE". Even the introspective sequel, "Suicidal Thoughts in the Back of the Cadillac, Pt. 2," doesn't really deliver on any great lyrical ability. He does stick mainly to his mental state and messed-up past, but it isn't written in a way that positions him as a poet. There are three main styles of instrumentals on here. The 2010s' gritty trap banger, featuring a southern-influenced guitar tinge over trap beats, and a calmer, subdued electronic production. Some of the songs have a mixture of these. The main culprit for the 2010s gritty trap banger is "Don't Bang My Line". Featuring Night Lovell, he's rather beside the point. The synth in the background plays throughout the entire song and undergoes a change only at certain moments, when a filter blocks out the higher frequencies. To make electronic repeating production feel more organic, a backlog of properly mixed effects needs to be applied. "Back Off Me" is the prime example of how to do this right. Still aggressive in nature from a production standpoint, the bells used at multiple points in the song have an expansive sound, dancing around your speakers instead of remaining static. The southern-influenced guitar tinge complements the album nicely, with songs like "One Time" and "Aftershock" utilizing it at the forefront to bring raw emotion to the track. Something the more electronic tracks fail to do so at points. The calmer electronic production is sparse but presents itself quite well on "Weighting on Me." A strength for Pouya is his ability to write catchy choruses. The worst chorus on here is still good on most rap records. There is one exception, however. On "Weighing on Me", Pouya repeats the same sentence multiple times for the chorus. This practice has its place, but if overdone, it makes it dull and boring. I think Pouya could have pulled it off a bit better with 20% less chorus and 20% more verse in this case, as the song has all the right components around it and would favor verse-heavy lyrics. On the other hand, "Aftershock", "Void", "Handshakes", and "Back Off Me" have A+ work in this field. "Void" is a masterclass in crafting an addictive yet speedy chorus with a melody that defies many traditional formulas. The last two have his signature choppy flow, but break it up with a word or words that sway the melody before he resumes his typical pace. This break in the action creates fun and memorable choruses.
THY WILL BE DONE
$uicideboy$
★★★★★★
More time to fully flesh out "THY WILL BE DONE" would have been nice. Serving as an immediate follow-up album to "THY KINGDOM COME", this Christmas release lacks the refinery that this rap machine typically provides. I'm sure it comes naturally to them as well to a degree, as they have been delivering music for so long, so consistently, that they have a knack for being able to put together good songs without a ton of reflection time that other artists seem to need with years between albums to deliver something unique and interesting. $uicideboy$ gives you a live broadcast of their change as you see the good, bad, and the ugly in real time with their frequent releases. Due to this, sometimes their projects may miss a little. Overall, I'm okay with this. If an artist is going to take frequent breaks to really find the exact sound and nitpick what songs they release, I expect high quality every time. If an artist always shares their art regardless of whether it's their best or worst, I respect that in its own right. Not everything needs to be the Sistine Chapel. By now, every fan of $b$ should be familiar with their lyrical content considering their lore. This album isn't really any different in that respect. They touch on several topics that they haven't been afraid to explore lyrically before, like their drug addictions, friends turning to foes, anxiety, depression, and their come-up. "Old Addicts, New Habits" and "Angel Grove" are the real standout picks for how they are written lyrically. The former's detailed depiction of being in New Orleans while being depressed, even though they are finding success, paints a vivid picture. Ruby then contrasts it to being bored, but that's better than being on drugs and blacking out. On "Angel Grove", Ruby proposes hijacking a plane with an atom bomb and crashing it into the ocean to save the world. The real kicker is that it's a plot twist, considering how much of society would look at someone with a ton of tattoos that also makes music like $uicideboy$. A textbook example of 'don't judge a book by its cover.' The musical elements of this thing are all over the place. From the vocal effects to the instrumentals to the singing and rapping. They do diversify the sound. Don't get me wrong, however, as a majority of the album is aggressive and probably more aggressive than their last few outings. The complex layering of vocals on songs like "Leviticus" and "Angel Grove" is refreshing, as they consistently find new ways to showcase their vocals. They aren't the best singers in the world, but I would be hard-pressed to name someone who has a wider range of ways their vocals are presented. The unfortunate part of this is that sometimes it doesn't land properly. Taking a step back, the album's last two songs, "Hypernormalisation" and "Fuck Ups", contain some notable missteps at several points. The vocals, especially on "Hypernormalisation", miss quite heavily. Ruby delivers some great lyrical content throughout the album, but often seems to misjudge his tone in relation to the beat. "Fuck Ups" shares this same issue to a degree but also features a half-baked melodic synth that is rather distracting from everything else going on. Then, to round off the album, Ruby has another moment, becoming tone deaf. To end it off on a good note, "BLOODSWEAT" fully gives me what I want from them. Modern hip-hop finds itself in a challenging position, where people still adore the mainstream rap of the late 2010s, but anything that resembles it now is often forgotten or considered a copycat. Artists need to get creative to find ways to advance a genre that is struggling to find its creative space in the mainstream of the mid-2020s. You can't get too crazy with the changes either, because otherwise, you may ostracize fans who may not like something too different from what they already recognize as classics of the genre. $uicideboy$ does have some leeway with this, considering they have such a cult following, and they don't follow mainstream trends of rap. "BLOODSWEAT" features a bass that is perfectly suited for this forward-thinking pursuit of the genre. Not entirely original, as I have heard similar effects before, but this song effectively utilizes distortion on the bass when playing specific notes, showcasing precision in the production rather than simply applying effects to an instrument or synth and hoping for a decent sound. This song also serves as the catchiest. Something I have always loved about $uicideboy$ is their ability to create songs that sound like a nonstop chorus. Where every single melody and lyric is an earworm. "BLOODSWEAT" is the definitive answer for people looking for that kind of song on this album.