Category: Archival

The following is an archive of my albumoftheyear.org reviews with the scores attached to them. This post is dedicated to all reviews from 2025. Any review edited after posting is labelled as such, and if necessary I put a clarification to try to explain what I meant.

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Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures (90)

Incredibly fun album, but it goes on a little longer than it should. But the sound is so much fun to listen to, so I expect it to grow on me a little.

defrog – Dreaming of a Better World (65)

CLARIFICATION: This one was made by another AOTY user.

Thank you to @frogofprog for both the recommendation and the music! My favorite here was easily “Short Song”, the ambient feel reminded me a lot of C418’s Minecraft soundtrack, which I adore. I don’t have too much to say on “Intro 2”, it’s alright, but nothing crazy. “Long Song”, however, in my opinion, lives up to its name, but it’s a bit too long. I wish it were separated into multiple short songs, as it’s packed full of unique musical ideas sorta like Shine On You Crazy Diamond by Pink Floyd, but the combination doesn’t do each part favors. Parts I love, like the intro with the chanting, I feel get dragged down by being attached to the more ambient parts that I don’t like as much.

2024 Pop Music Binge

CLARIFICATION: These are a bunch of pop songs from 2024 and my scores/reviews. I did it one day, it was fun.

Billie Eilish – BIRDS OF A FEATHER (100): 2024 Pop Music Binge Part 1:
This is just so nice. The vibes and the feel of the song are unmatched.

Taylor Swift – Fortnight (10): 2024 Pop Music Binge Part 2:
The synth plays one single note the whole song. Taylor Swift gives a nothing burger of a vocal performance. Why did this hit #1?

Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – Die With A Smile (90): 2024 pop music binge part 3:
Not my favorite song by either Bruno Mars or Lady Gaga, but the vocal performances from both are outstanding.

Chappell Roan – HOT TO GO! (70): 2024 pop music binge: This one is catchy as hell. But it’s nothing too special that brings it to the next level, in my opinion, even if it isn’t bad at all.

Chappell Roan – Good Luck, Babe! (95): 2024 pop binge: Way better than Hot to Go. Equally as catchy, plus it has the sauce that makes it special (I can’t explain good). My only problem is the song just kinda dies, the ending feels a little too rushed.

Kendrick Lamar – Not Like Us (99): 2024 pop music binge: It might be my least favorite of Kendrick’s 4 diss tracks, but look at the score I gave it.

Tyler, The Creator – Sticky: I really hate the “IT’S GETTING STICCKYYY” but otherwise it’s pretty good.

Charli xcx – Apple: This is just fun.

Shaboozey – A Bar Song (Tipsy; 75): I hate country but this isn’t bad at all. Now most popular song ever? How?

Future – Like That (50): The song is really boring until Kendrick. But on the other hand, Kendrick.

Sabrina Carpenter – Espresso (90): This is fun.

Beyonce & Miley Cyrus – II MOST WANTED (80): I don’t like country but I do like Beyoncé so I guess I know which of those two forces is more powerful.

Beyonce – TEXAS HOLD ‘EM (85): “Don’t be a bitch, come take it to the floor now” is such a fun line, turns out all country needs to be great is gambling.

Charli xcx – 360: I see why people liked brat

Ariana Grande – yes, and? (80): This is fun again

Billie Eilish – CHIHIRO (100): This is peak

Masayoshi Takanaka – SEYCHELLES (85)

I have no words really but I like this. Guitar good.

The Beatles – Rubber Soul (80)

It’s my birthday! I got every Beatles album on CD, so I listened to one new to me. While not the most consistent, this album is nice.

Nails – Every Bridge Burning (80)

The album doesn’t let up for a second. Very fun.

Tame Impala – Innerspeaker (edited after posting, 100)

I sense this will grow on me to fully be a 10/10, but if an album ends and I’m like “Oh yeah! That’s the end.” I really do want some more. Lonerism is not more by the way.

SCORE ADJUST: 99 -> 100: Yeah, it grew on me.

Yes – Fragile (edited after posting, 90)

Roundabout is generational. The rest is good prog rock and some interesting transitions. I particularly like We Have Heaven.

SCORE ADJUST: 80 -> 90
I’ve learned to appreciate the other long songs here a lot more. Really this is a full-album listen but it’s so much fun!

Bjork – Debut (70)

I really loved the first half of this, but the second half just didn’t do it for me.

Bjork – Post (90)

What an improvement from Debut! Instead of only really getting into the first half, I loved this album. Although I’d like to highlight the jazz songs It’s Oh So Quiet and I Miss You, those are really just incredible.

Kanye West – The College Dropout (99)

Ah, I sure hope this Kanye West fellow doesn’t become incredibly controversial!

Tame Impala – Lonerism (edited after posting, 89)

CLARIFICATION: The edit refers to the release of Tame Impala’s album “Deadbeat.”

If this is your WORST album, you’re pretty good at this whole music thing.
Edit: fuck

Frank Ocean – Blonde (79)

Re-review because my old review was dated to 2023 (It was a Frank not dropping joke). The highlights here are beautiful, but the worse songs on here are just kinda boring to me? Like they are well-constructed, but I sorta feel it might be an album length problem? After a bit I get the point.

Michael Jackson – Thriller (95)

So, Thriller! The highest selling album ever made, I should know this because I have a copy. This album is actually a mini-Evan classic! Michael Jackson especially served as my soundtrack to 4th grade, which started my focus on albums which eventually led to here. So in a way this is coming full circle, as I’ll also review a few more of the albums that got me hooked on the album format, mostly because just like in the case of Thriller, I haven’t heard these albums in some time.

With Thriller, it’s been half a decade. With the benefit of a much larger range of music I’ve listened to, it’s no longer the pinnacle of all music with his next 2 albums for me, but damn if this isn’t close! The album opens with its worst song, and that song is Wanna Be Starting Something. A mini-Evan classic here, but on this most recent listen, I didn’t fully feel it. It’s a good song, but compared to what comes next, it feels sorta like he’s holding back.

Then you have Baby Be Mine. One interesting thing about Thriller is all but 2 songs were released at singles, this being one of the unlucky 2. I guess you have to buy the album for this banger. This song in particular made me love the album format due to album-only songs, in my mind, really encouraging a listen from the single. Oh my sweet mini-Evan, you were not ready for the rabbit hole you proceeded to go down. Next up is a song I hated as a wee lad, The Girl is Mine. The reason I used to hate it was my hatred for anything Beatles, which persisted until 7th or 8th grade. With the benefit of knowing The Beatles are good, I don’t hate this one at all. Paul and Michael have some fun with it, what can I say?

The next 3 songs on the album I could completely skip over and my 9.5/10 rating would be justified still. You know why Thriller, Beat It, and Billie Jean are good. So I’ll just highlight one thing on each: firstly, the ending narration of Thriller is killer. Beat It has Edward Van Halen, who is goated. Finally, the guitar on the outro of Billie Jean is so good.

The final third of this album really continues this momentum from the last 3 songs. Is it as good of a run? According to 4th grade me, absolutely not. But, as I’ve aged, my opinions have improved. For example, I now know the best song on this album is Human Nature. The falsetto is beautiful. Not to mention, it is perfectly placed on this album. It serves as a wonderful break from the energy of the last 3 songs, before PYT fucking blasts you into space. Yeah that one is great too. From the very fun to sing along with first verse, to the equally fun refrain, the robot voice on the breakdown immediately followed by the “Uh”!, and I like the fun outro at the end too. What a banger. Finally, The Lady in My Life was my least favorite cut on this album when I was a wee lad, but apparently I was an impatient fool. The song builds beautifully. Now, for my hottest take in this review, I like this 3 song run better than Thriller-Billie Jean. Not to discount that run at all, but Human Nature and The Lady in My Life are so smooth, and PYT is one of the most energetic pop songs ever.

In conclusion, yeah this one holds up what can I say? Somehow when I was a wee lad this was my 4th favorite MJ album. Now, I could’ve been an idiot, or that’s instead really promising, because this is already fantastic. Most likely it’s the first, but I’ll listen to and review a few more of MJ’s albums with the mini-Evan deep dive, but to conclude this review, take a listen if you somehow haven’t, you uncultured fool

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation (95)

Forgot to review this

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Phantom Island (89)

They got spiritual with this one! The title track and Deadstick especially give the wrong impression, this is a much more relaxed album than b741, while those two, ESPECIALLY THE LATTER are b741 with orchestra.

But once it gets spiritual, I love it. I wasn’t loving tracks 3 and 4 that much, but after that the band proves you should never doubt them and delivers peak. Thank you yet again gentlemen.

Oasis – Be Here Now (75)

Ok, it’s time for the big one. Since I listened to Oasis’ first two albums, I knew what was coming next. I kind of dreaded it, even. But now that I finally hear it, is it truly as bad as people say? No! It’s actually not too bad! The problem is some songs are so long that all together, this album has no flow.
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IN-DEPTH REVIEW BEGINS HERE!
D’You Know What I Mean starts this album off, and going off Rock n Roll Star and Hello, I was expecting another classic opener from the brothers Gallagher. I did not get that. I instead got a 3 minute not-bad opener, followed by about 4 minutes of them continuing the song for no other reason than they could. “I got the point Noel, please stop it!” was all I was thinking by the end of this one.
My Big Mouth, though, hit me with the “OK here’s the good Oasis!” I heard this and thought, “you know maybe there’s hope!” It’s fun! I like this one. It’s also not 8 fucking minutes! Seriously, it was just that easy. This simple lesson was not something learned on the next track, Magic Pie. 7 minutes? I don’t even hate long songs, my favorite song ever made is an 18-minute song by another British rock band, and Champagne Supernova is also 7 I really enjoyed the psychedelic shoegaze sound of this record! If the track list was a little tighter, it would be better, but this is a very fun album.minutes, and that’s my favorite song by this band. The problem with Magic Pie, and to go back to D’You Know, as it shares the same problem, is the song’s structure. Verse-Chorus-Verse is the structure, which is the exact same structure this band used for 2 albums with much shorter songs. This structure really works for a 3 or 4 minute jam on the last albums like Hello, Roll With It, Live Forever, or even a Wonderwall. It doesn’t work with it for a 7 minute track, as it just, to me at least, feels aimless. I already got the point, move on with it!
To actually move on with it, Stand By Me reminds me of the song “Slide Away” on Definitely Maybe. A little long, just maybe, but the Liam and Noel harmonies are actually really nice on this one, and I only feel that extra length in the last 30 seconds of the track, where it’s more of a “Huh, six minutes have passed” than a “6 FUCKING MINUTES NOEL? HOW MUCH COCAINE WERE YOU ON?” For the track I Hope, I Think, I Know, the answer is actually not too much. This is the track to me that most feels like it could be slotted into Morning Glory without me thinking it would worsen that album. Because I think that is a perfect album, this is a great honor for this track to be given. Liam has a great vocal performance, the repeated chorus of “You’ll never forget my name” is catchy as hell, they did a good job on this one. Next up, The Girl In The Dirty Shirt is another track that’s almost there, but maybe could use a little bit of a trimming? But then again, I don’t know which part I’d cut. Maybe a speed up in tempo could help? But the added length, just like Stand By Me, is more of a small grievance than an actual annoyance.

As a small little note, I did something I never do with listening to albums. If something interrupts it, I usually just restart the album later. I just continued where I left off on this album. It’s a lot! But after my extended break, I turned on the album, ready for some more cocaine. But, surprisingly, Fade In-Out kicks ass. Like what do I say? It’s fire. Oasis goes western! This one, I didn’t even realize it was 7 minutes! They did it! They made a good long song on this album!
Don’t Go Away is another track that reminds me of a previous Oasis album, this time though, it’s Definitely Maybe. This one could slot in there. I don’t like that album nearly as much as its successor, but this track isn’t too bad. It just has the slightly more “light” tone I associate with Maybe, compared to the louder Morning Glory. It’s pretty fun though. Next up, the title track is also pretty good. It reminds me of Columbia on the first album, and Morning Glory on the second. The “YEAH YEAH YEAH” on the outro is really nice.
Now, time for the moment you’ve all been waiting for. I have been complaining about song length this whole album, and here we are, the 9 minute cocaine fueled ride of All Around The World. Noel wrote this during the era of Definitely Maybe, and kept it until he had the budget to make it as grand and extravagant as he wanted. And let me just say, I see the vision entirely. The objectivity in me is like “No, this has to be terrible. It just keeps going,” but then Noel hits me with 3 key changes, I love this! Like I actually think this album was just a front for them to make All Around The World. Nothing compares to this one. In my opinion, one of Oasis’ best song. Although, to be fair, it is LONG. When I first heard it, I thought “this is fucking great,” then saw I had 5 minutes left. But those last 5 minutes aren’t 5 minutes of the same thing, turns out all every song needed was a key change! They even sprinkled in 2 more just for fun, as well as changed up the lyrics. They figured this shit out! They made a long song the level of Champagne Supernova! It only took them the whole album.
Then, just to spite me, they give me 7 minutes of nonsense again. They actually did a song where they tried something new as it went on, as simple musically as it is, and then followed it up with another 7 minute shitter. 2 and a half minutes of this song are spent repeating the same phrase over and over with 0 change. SOMEHOW, SOME FUCKING WAY, THE 2 MINUTE LONG REPRISE OF ALL AROUND THE WORLD HAS MORE THINGS GOING ON! This is not a compliment to that, yet, I haven’t gotten to it. It’s Getting Better (Man!!), in conclusion, is easily the worst song on this album. At least Magic Pie tried something, this is just 7 minutes of nothing. Continuing, 2 minutes of an All Around the World reprise end this album. Honestly, it’s pretty good, mostly because after 69 minutes of pure cocaine, all I could think was “They did it! They made a short song!”.

So, what went wrong with Be Here Now? 3 tracks. 3 tracks are 7 minutes, and either should’ve been cut entirely, or should’ve ended 4 minutes in (D’You Know What I Mean would be the one I would spare). These 3 tracks ruin the flow of this album. By removing the 2 long songs, and shortening the third, you’d have a 53 minute album. That would be one minute longer than Maybe, and 3 minutes more than Morning Glory. Be Here Now isn’t a bloated album, it’s suffering from cancerous tumors of songs! All it really takes to improve this album is cutting it down, even if it was each track by a minute or two! The actual songwriting here is just like the last two albums. It’s still Oasis, just consumed by cocaine. All Around The World is genuinely great, though.

Thee Oh Seas – Mutilator Defeated at Last (90)

To me, this albums sound was like a mesh of the fast-paced fun of Is This It-era Strokes, and the psychedelic flair of King Gizzard, some of my favorite bands! So, this one really worked for me.

Tyler, The Creator – DON’T TAP THE GLASS (89)

CLARIFICATION: not quite sure what he did again, I know this was a joke between me and my friend, though.

He did it again

King Crimson – In The Court of the Crimson King (85)

Rereviewing this one! This album is 4 great songs and uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh something else in the middle.

21st Century Schizoid Man, what can I even say? I was introduced to this one from Kanye West’s Power, and even back when I didn’t listen to rock much, I absolutely adored the intro of this song. Then, I started to like rock and I can appreciate the batshit insane middle of the song. Then it all comes together in such a satisfying reprise of the opening melody as Greg Lake starts yelling “DEATH’S SEED, BLIND MAN’S CREED!” which is in fact the best part of the song.
I Talk to the Wind was a song that on first listen, I did not vibe with at all. But it has grown on me so much, that I might even call it my favorite song on this album at times. If I’m angry, Schizoid Man is the clear victor but ITTW is such a mellow vibe that I adore. The 2 minute flute outro is when I ascend to the heavens.
Then, to continue this insane run, Epitaph. What can I even say? This is for sure the album’s lyrical strong point, a critique of the Cold War that is really cool. The lyrics and sound combined feel almost apocalyptic in scale, and it all comes together in a 9 minute masterpiece of a song.

Then, Moonchild hits. I really do love the first two minutes of this track, but the band needed to learn less is more. As a result of having 10 minutes left for the album, they created 10 minutes of free improv. It is really, really boring. The band eventually gets good at this, like on Providence from their album Red, but this just feels aimless. It’s the entire reason I don’t get why people give this album 10/10s, like did they forget this existed?
But of course, after Moonchild, comes The Court of the Crimson King. What a great outro song, another very experimental prog track with a lot of changes in its 10 minute length. Really good stuff.

Overall, this is a collection of 4.16 songs that are beautiful, and 10 funny minutes in the middle where they throw what would’ve been one of the best albums ever away just for fun. Still highly worth a listen for the first 3 and final tracks, though.

Melody’s Echo Chamber – Melody’s Echo Chamber (80)

I really enjoyed the psychedelic shoegaze sound of this record! If the track list was a little tighter, it would be better, but this is a very fun album.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava (85)

Dudes being dudes in the studio. Iron Lung is a top 3 KGLW track.

Kanye West – ye (90)

I don’t know what made me decide to relisten to this today, but I mean my last review of this album did suck ass, so I can fix it. This album, is, fittingly for Kanye’s bipolar disorder, all over the place. When I got into listening to music more critically, it was through Kanye, and this and Kids See Ghosts were his two newest albums at the time. While I have always preferred the latter, this is fantastic. For the first time in his career, Kanye made an album dealing with himself. The braggadocious, contradictary madman he is. I’m not going to touch on Kanye after Ye, for one because he is a terrible person (fuck Nazis), and for two because it doesn’t matter for this project, but unlike if he were to do it now, Kanye examining himself as a flawed human being is really nice. Ghost Town is the big favorite here, and it is my favorite as well, but I think every track is essential for forming the whole album.

Frank Zappa – Hot Rats (99)

I think I like Zappa now

Frank Zappa – Waka/Jawaka (75)

Hot Rats Part 2! While I like the tracks on Hot Rats more, I like how this album got even more experimental with the two longer jazz fusion tracks feeling even more jazzy.

Black Sabbath – Paranoid (90)

Love guitars

Black Sabbath – Master of Reality (95)

I like this more than Paranoid. The lower pitched guitars are just a treat to my ears

Tame Impala – Deadbeat (30)

I was really looking forward to this. I love house music and psych rock, so I was really hoping that this would be great. When the first single released, I wasn’t a fan, but I enjoyed Dracula and Loser, so I thought I’d get something out of this.

My main problem with this is that most of these songs took a page out of the Oasis album Be Here Now and never fucking end. I would argue this is 30 decent minutes of music stretched to make 55. But in terms of the new sound, I came in with an open mind but I also sadly did not vibe with it at all. It just felt like he was goofing off in FL Studio for the making of the album.

But to stop being so negative, I really liked 3 of these songs. Dracula and Loser are two of them (no wonder they were singles!) because these felt like fun evolutions to the sound seen on The Slow Rush. And Ethereal Connection I like for being the only song that changes up in its runtime; it feels like a fully realized song and not a demo for the album’s sound. Ironically it feels to me as one of the shortest while being the albums longest song.

I would go on longer, but I fail to see the point. I really don’t like the last 2 thirds of this album. It feels like one actual song mixed in with way too many concepts for songs that would be decent if there was just more to it.

Highlights: Dracula, Loser, Ethereal Connection

Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (69)

Syd Barrett’s silly songs are actually pretty charming. I’m just not a fan of the improv tracks here.

Metallica – Kill ‘Em All (85)

Start of my Metallica deep dive! Don’t expect any reviews until either AJFA or Load because my opinions are set on these next 2.

Anyways Kill Em All is a little messy, but overall a great debut! I particularly love Seek and Destroy and Pulling Teeth. Those songs are just really cool! I don’t have much to say here honestly, good album, you should check it out.

Metallica – Master of Puppets (100)

Surprise! I actually am writing a review for this album. I thought on the Metallica deep dive I knew what I thought of this one and was listening because it’s simply just that good.

I mean yeah but like I bumped this up to an 100 from a 95. Why? Damage, Inc. is really fun. I didn’t know how to have fun when I reviewed it I guess. Anyways best track here is Disposable Heroes, which is probably my favorite Metallica track. Awesome album.

Metallica – …And Justice for All (85)

The lack of bass kills this one. The songs just don’t feel as dynamic as the ones on MOP. But they actually are quite good again, although I think the title track and Eye are a bit overlong.

Melody’s Echo Chamber – Unclouded (85)

This is just a nice vibe. My only real complaint is that the album stays in its lane, but it is a very, very nice lane, so why should it?

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The following is an archive of my albumoftheyear.org reviews with the scores attached to them. This post is dedicated to all reviews from 2024. Any review edited after posting is labelled as such, and if necessary I put a clarification to try to explain what I meant.

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¥$ – VULTURES 1 (edited after posting, 5)

Kanye went modern rap… and it’s really boring

SCORE ADJUST: 50 -> 6: What was I thinking when this album came out? This is one OK song and 15 of Kanye’s worst.

Beyonce – Lemonade (89)

I have never heard a Beyoncé album so marriage troubles was not what I was expecting, it’s great though.

Jeff Buckley – Grace (95)

I think this album has weird sequencing, like Lover You Should Have Come Over could’ve been the greatest closer of all time, but no, instead it’s the 3 quarters mark of the album.

The Strokes – Room on Fire (95)

CLARIFICATION: This is a rereview, but the original review seems lost.

REREVIEW:
A bit better than I originally thought. My only problem is the 4 seconds of silence at the start of every single song.

Shiro SAGISU – The End of Evangelion

tumbling down tumbling down tumbling down

Prince and The Revolution: Purple Rain (99)

Reranking the Apple Music Top 100 Albums: Never heard this one before despite how iconic it is, and surprise surprise it’s a magnificent album.

FAVORITES: Let’s Go Crazy, Darling Nikki, When Doves Cry, Baby I’m A Star, Purple Rain

Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly (90)

To Pimp A Butterfly as a whole is magnificent. This album has what is quite possibly the greatest 6 track run to open an album, and an equally as crazy 6 track run to close the album. I understand why this album is loved like it is, and to some extent, I share that with everyone else, but there’s that small issue of the middle tracks just not doing it for me. Alright is fitting for a title because that’s all I find it, it feels like a decline in quality from the masterwork the album is before that. For Sale (Interlude) is a fine song but it does absolutely nothing outside of its place in the story of the album, a sentiment I share with the next two songs, which I don’t have any reason to go back to, and in the case of Hood Politics, downright hate. But then How Much A Dollar Cost comes and I realize I’m stupid and the album is great again.

Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city (99)

I feel that good kid, m.a.a.d city is almost a perfect album. The story of the album, while not the most impactful of Kendrick’s career, I feel better suits an album as unlike To Pimp a Butterfly, I don’t feel the middle of the album makes perfect sense but I have no urge to ever go back to. So it’s a better album, no complaints, right?

What makes this album imperfect in my opinion is that just like To Pimp a Butterfly, I downright hate one song. In To Pimp a Butterfly’s case, that track is Hood Politics, but here it is Compton. Surprisingly to me, Real is often seen as the most hated track on this album, but I don’t get it. I like Real a lot actually. Compton is just downright boring, and the vocoder hook is what people act like the hook of Real is.

Tame Impala – Currents (99)

Currents is modern psychadelic rock done to near perfection. From the multiple part absolute ascension in Let it Happen, to me resisting my primal urge to sing along to The Moment, to Yes I’m Changing and Eventually hitting me in the feels, to Gossip and Nangs before that serving as perfect interludes, to The Less I Know The Better once again needing me to sing along, and the last 4 tracks hitting me with the vibes again in the middle 2 and being bookended by the feels.

SCORE ADJUST: 95 -> 99: The two songs I thought were just OK have grown on me a bit. Masterful album.

Radiohead – In Rainbows (90)

In Rainbows stands in stark contrast to Radiohead’s previous five albums. The Bends, as an album, is angsty and anxious, and to some extent that feeling of anxiety is present in the next four Radiohead albums. OK Computer and Kid A take that anxiety and add a more depressive mood to it, and those albums are brilliant for it. Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief also use the feeling of anxiety, but similar to The Bends, they’re angsty albums.

In Rainbows feels different. The band feels free, the anxious feeling of the previous albums is gone. Now, at the same time, Radiohead was no longer under a record deal, so could that allow them to be free and do what they want without the pressures of record executives? Absolutely. And what Radiohead wanted to do was something brilliant.

My problem with the album is that Videotape doesn’t really click with me, it just doesn’t feel right coming after nine songs of the new free Radiohead happier and at peace with the music. Videotape is sadder, which is nice in a way to break up the pace, but In Rainbows I think didn’t need that. So while I find the album magical, Videotape feels like you’re snapped out of the album’s spell.

Paramore – This Is Why (80)

This is a great album that oozes personality, has some fantastic instrumentals, and shows that rock in the current day is alive, if only for one album. My problems are as simple as two tracks, those being Big Man Little Dignity and Liar, don’t really click with me. However, that’s more a problem with my subjective opinion of the album than the album itself, as is all music criticism.

MF Doom – Operation: Doomsday (90)

Some of the songs on here are one of the most fun rappers giving us A-game level material over some very nice low-fi beats, and I love it for that. My problem with this albums is it feels more of a proof of concept than a whole album. You could easily shorten this down to 10 or so tracks and it would be one of DOOM’s best, as it is it is a little bloated.

Fishmans – LONG SEASON (99)

LONG SEASON is a brilliant, 35 minute album that is absolutely enchanting and magical. The only problem is during Part 3, the water sound effects take me out of the magic a little, and if there was a version of this album performed live on the 28th of December in 1998 without that part, I’d find an already magnificent album to be improved to be an absolute masterpiece.

Radiohead – Amnesiac (99)

Amnesiac is different than Kid A. Kid A is depressive and anxious, much more like a synth-heavy OK Computer in tone. Amnesiac, with guitar-heavy and angsty writing, reminds me much more of The Bends. While I think it’s slightly worse than Kid A, I think Amnesiac is a brilliant album on its own that shows Radiohead at some of its strongest in rock tunes, with some different songs to break things up, such as the piano-centric Pyramid Song, the electronic Pulk/Pull, the backwards Like Spinning Plates, and the jazzy best song on the album, Life in a Glasshouse.

Nirvana – Nevermind (99)

12 iconic songs in a row. While I don’t like the cleaner sound as much as Bleach and In Utero’s unrefined sound, I have to acknowledge Nevermind is a phenominal album.

Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (100)

CLARIFICATION: If I remember correctly I think I gave this an 80, and then rereviewed it.

Relistened to this one, and the songs that didn’t click the first time around did now. This is just 10 beautifully crafted rock songs and 2 funny interludes.

Weezer – Weezer (Blue Album; 90)

It’s fun nerd music

Radiohead – In Rainbows: From the Basement (100)

In Rainbows but every song is somehow elevated to an even crazier level.

Martin Luther King Jr. – Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam (no rating)

CLARIFICATION: I don’t know exactly how I found out MLK is on albumoftheyear, but these next two reviews just me writing nonsense because I could.

I agree vietnam was baaaaaaaaaaaaaaad

Martin Luther King Jr. – I Have a Dream (100)

Shoutout civil rights loved you in Black Panther (2018)

Daft Punk – Random Access Memories (100)

This is my favorite album of all time. Every last second and note is a wonderfully crafted tribute to not just the inspirations of Daft Punk, but music as a whole.

C418 – Minecraft: Volume Beta (100)

I think the nostalgia of playing Minecraft for 11 years may have hit me while listening to this one. Regardless, the music is fantastic.

R.E.M – Murmur (80)

The beginning of Alt Rock. It deserves a lot of credit.

Weezer – Pinkerton (edited after posting, 95)

The raw sound of this album is something I really enjoy, and the lyrics add together with that to create a very unique album like nothing else I’ve heard.

SCORE ADJUST: 100 -> 95

Oasis – Definitely Maybe (80)

This album to me, while good, feels more of a proof-of-concept for a bigger, louder, and better sophomore album. Still not bad but just feels like it doesn’t experiment enough.

Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (100)

Pink Floyd made two perfect albums in a row, this being the first. The human within the album is what makes it such a joy to listen to.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Nonagon Infinity (99)

CLARIFICATION: This is a joke relating to the fact that the album is an infinite loop, and not really a review. My Murder of the Universe review is like this too.

It’s been 3 weeks when does the album end

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – I’m in Your Mind Fuzz (edited after posting, 100)

Please stay in my mind it sounds nice
SCORE ADJUST: 95 -> 100

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – 12 Bar Bruise (60)

Some jams and some songs I just don’t like.

Daft Punk – Human After All (95)

evil discovery

C418 – Minecraft: Volume Alpha (100)

Yeah I’m not immune to nostalgia

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Murder of the Universe (90)

This Nonagon Infinity was sponsored by Audible

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Flying Microtonal Banana (90)

Microtones is a very interesting sound for a rock band to go to but this is King Gizzard so of course they pull it off

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Infest the Rats Nest (75)

KING GIZZARD AND THE BAND ARE WIZARDS HOW THE HELL CAN THEY DO EARLY METALLICA PERFECTLY

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Paper Mache Dream Balloon (95)

What nice music I sure hope the lyrics aren’t about murder

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Float Along – Fill Your Lungs (edited after posting, 75)

CLARIFICATION: I think the second score adjust is referring to me changing my scoring system of music. I’m not quite sure when I did that, though.

I liked it but nothing really stood out

SCORE ADJUST: 75 -> 80
Head On/Pill became a very big standout.

SCORE ADJUST 2: 80 -> 75
Yeah this is kinda carried by Head On/Pill, but I am rescoring all my reviews so

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Fishing for Fishies (99)

I like the boogie

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Quarters! (edited after posting, 79)

I know it kind of ruins the concept but I wish these songs were all 8:08 instead of 10:10

SCORE ADJUST: 85 -> 79: With time to reflect, I absolutely ADORE God Is in the Rhythm and The River. The other two tracks are solid 6/10s.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Flight b741 (edited after posting, 80)

Silly billy

SCORE ADJUST: 75 -> 80

Nektar – Remember the Future (edited after posting, 99)

Thank you @frogofprog for the recommendation. In one of my previous reviews, I called Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here a joy to listen to. @frogofprog said this was a joy to listen to as well. He’s right.

UPDATE: SCORE ADJUST 95 -> 99, please help I can’t stop listening.

Metallica – Ride the Lightning (100)

Re-listened to recently, I would like to formally apologize for not liking The Call of Ktulu.

The Beatles – The Beatles (White Album; 70)

This is an album that I always know how I feel on. It’s the band’s best and worst work, an absolute mess. But that mess is also the band’s masterpiece, in a weird way.

HIGHLIGHTS: Back in the U.S.S.R, Dear Prudence, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Happiness is a Warm Gun, Birthday, Yer Blues, Helter Skelter, Revolution 1
DO NOT LISTEN: The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill (this may just be my least favorite song of all time), Piggies, Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?, Honey Pie, Revolution 9, Good Night

Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral (89)

This is a gross album. Not that it’s bad, it just sounds gross in a way even though it’s really good if that makes any sense at all.

Eve – Bunka (75)

Recommendation from a friend. I like this guys vocal range.

Highlights: The two instrumental tracks, Dramaturgy, Anoko Secret, As You Like It

Eve – Otogi (69)

I liked it but I thought the album didn’t really change much. It kind of explored one sound and kept at it for 40 minutes

Highlights: Last Dance, Dawn

Tyler, The Creator – CHROMAKOPIA (70)

Is this what happens when you turn 30?

Talking Heads – Remain in Light (30)

This is a hot take I know, but the first half of the album to me is just NOISE. It also gave me a headache, so that sucks. Then you get Once in a Lifetime, and yeah, I am not afraid to admit that it is the one part of this album that isn’t horribly overrated for me. But the second half of the album, while not the headache-inducing mess of the opening, is just kind of…boring?

Highlights: Once in a Lifetime

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Sketches of Brunswick East (75)

Jazzy Gizz? Jizz?

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Phantom Island (100)

CLARIFICATION: This is the release of the single, not the album!

The single best musical moment of 2024 is when Amby screams “16 HORSES GALLOPING” and the song ascends into another dimension.

David Bowie – Blackstar (100)

Bowie’s final album, the second I’ve heard from him, is simply outstanding. I adored the jazz-influenced sound; it reminded me of the sound of To Pimp a Butterfly. Although I think this album utilized that sound much better than TPAB did. The experimentation on display is so much fun, even if the lyrical content and context of the album are not.

Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV (edited after posting, 100)

I liked this one. For me, songs on this album could be sorted into 3 camps: ones I know, ones with Lord of The Rings references, and Four Sticks (the bad one). But outside of Four Sticks, my main problem with this album as a whole was sequencing. Stairway to Heaven should not be a halfway point to an album.

SCORE ADJUST: 80 -> 100: I am a big dumb dumb

King Crimson – Red (85)

I liked how aggressive this was. But my main problem with the album is every song that isn’t called Starless goes on a little too long in my opinion. Providence also just completely doesn’t fit at all here.

Tame Impala – The Slow Rush (99)

14 hours has got to be the fastest an album has ever grown on me. Even though my first listen I gave this one a 90, I re-listened to it this morning, and it was somehow transcendent.

Assorted Song Reviews (100):

CLARIFICATION: I did a bunch of reviews for some of my favorite songs. All are very short, and all are scored 100.

The Muppets – Rainbow Connection: One of the best songs ever made.

Nirvana – The Man Who Sold The World: Thank you Bowie, but Kurt Cobain made the best version of this song.

Radiohead – Let Down: The part where there are two Thom Yorkes. That is music.

Oasis – Champagne Supernova: I get sad when this song ends.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Crumbling Castle: The outro on this song is the single best part of the entire KGLW discography.

Tame Impala – Let It Happen: The riff is so nice.

Kanye West – Runaway: What a great song on a great album! I’m sure this guy will not tank his career from 2019 onwards!

R.E.M – It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine): Might be the catchiest song ever made.

Daft Punk – Get Lucky: I have loved this song since it came out. While it is no longer my favorite song (apologies to my 4 year old self), this song is beautiful.

Daft Punk- Face to Face: Holy shit the sampling on this one.

Pink Floyd – Time: That last verse before Breathe (Reprise) is godlike. Not to mention right after you get Breathe (Reprise) like come on

Radiohead – Jigsaw Falling Into Place: JIGSAW FALLING INTO PLACE, SO THERE IS NOTHING TO EXPLAIN!

Queen – Don’t Stop Me Now: What a guitar solo.

Eric Johnson – Cliffs of Dover: Thank you Guitar Hero 3.

Daft Punk – Something About Us: Love.

Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven: AND AS WE WIND ON DOWN THE ROAD!

Kanye West – Lost in the World: 3:27 on this song is so good like seriously shame this song is made by that guy. Good he is at making music though.

The Flaming Lips – Fight Test: When the two vocals overlap in the outro is a nice (chef’s kiss)

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – All Along the Watchtower: Thank you Bob Dylan, but guitar solo makes song better.

Radiohead – Fake Plastic Trees: I think this is the song that made Radiohead as a band click for me.

Modjo – Lady (Hear Me Tonight): oh we groovin now

Tame Impala – One More Year: oh we really groovin

Radiohead – Optimistic: DINOSAURS ROAMING THEEEEEEEEEEEE EARTH
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Daft Punk – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: Daft Punk is really good at making songs anybody will love.

David Bowie – Starman: The way Bowie sings “waiting in the sky” the first time on the 2nd chorus is ever so slightly different and so beautiful.

Nirvana – All Apologies: I’m gay now the song has ruled it.

The Strokes – Someday: Too short.

Black Sabbath – War Pigs: Outro is stuff of legend.

Pink Floyd – Atom Heart Mother (70)

Side 1, the titular suite of this album, is easily the highlight. It’s very much like a combination between Echoes and Shine On You Crazy Dismond, with the more experimental aspects of echoes mixed with the blues of SOYCD Part 8.

I like If a lot too, a nice acoustic ballad. Summer 68 is similar feelings-wise for me to If, although I think If is the better song. Fat Old Sun, closing the 3 acoustic songs I like but don’t have much to say, is indeed nice too.

Then there is breakfast ASMR. Easily the worst song on the album, especially considering the more musical elements on the track are actually quite enjoyable, I’d like them on their own.

Pink Floyd – Meddle (85)

Hell yes.The second album of Pink Floyd in the 70s is a welcome and big improvement from the first. Similar to Atom Heart Mother, one side of this album is a big song, and the other are little songs.

In terms of the little songs, One of These Days is an incredible opener. When the title is dropped and the song explodes is one of the best moments on the album. A Pillow of Wind is a nice acoustic track, I really like the guitar on Fearless, and San Tropez puts it all together into the best song on Side 1. Seamus is a peaceful little closer, not the best but it doesn’t harm the album in any way.

Then there’s Echoes. While I think the band will make greater long songs in the future, this is incredible. My only complaint is the “whale noises” go on a little long. But I love it nonetheless.

Pink Floyd – Obscured by Clouds (95)

An underrated gem. The band just makes some great rock songs.

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The following is an archive of my albumoftheyear.org reviews with the scores attached to them. This post is dedicated to all reviews from 2023. I do not think any of these reviews hold up to my current writing quality, but it is nice to preserve all the ones I haven’t quite gotten to replacing. Any review edited after posting is labelled as such, and if necessary I put a clarification to try to explain what I meant.

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The Strokes – Is This It (100)

My fav albums section I’m all posting on Day 1 of AOTY, so this is the last album. Fantastic indie rock.

AND ALL TOGETHER IT WENT WELL: All songs
THEY AIN’T TOO SMART: No songs, I just didn’t want to waste a good least fav track name

My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (79)

Repetitive as all hell, worse mixing than Cherry Bomb, So much distortion it puts a 2017 meme to shame, vocals that make me want to tear my ears off, and yet it’s still pretty damn good.

Favs: Only Shallow, I Only Said, Soon
Least Favs: To Here Knows When, Come in Alone
Everything else doesn’t stand out but is pretty good.

David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s really good.

Fav tracks: Five Years, Soul Love, Moonage Daydream, Starman, It Ain’t Easy, Lady Stardust, Hang on to Yourself, Ziggy Stardust, Rock n’ Roll Suicide

Least fav: Suffragette City

Radiohead – Kid A (edited after posting, 100)

Everytime I listen to it, it gets better (it got better this used to be a 90)

This One’s Optimistic: Everything in it’s right place, Kid A, National Anthem, How to Disappear Completely, Optimistic, In Limbo, Idioteque, Morning Bell, Motion Picture Soundtrack

This One Just Came Out of The Swamp: Treefingers

Viktor Vaughn – Vaudeville Villain (90)

The opposite of Operation: Doomsday. Angry production, but still fun wordplay from the villian himself.

THE TRAVELIN VAUDEVILLE VILLIAN: Title track, Lickupon, The Drop, Lactose and Lecthin, A Dead Mouse, Can I Watch, Saliva (my favorite), Modern Day Mugging, Never Dead, Mr. Clean, GMC, Change The Beat

AIN’T NOT FEELING HIM: Open Mic Night 1 and 2, Raedawn (the beat only)

Madvillain – Madvillainy (95)

We already know how good this one is. But why does nobody talk about Raid, it’s probably the best one on here.

Doritos, Cheetos or Fritos: Everything but
Least fav: The instrumental tracks aren’t bad in the slighest but no Doom. Except Do Not Fire, the SSF2 Turbo SFX is genius there.

MF DOOM – MM.. FOOD (99)

This is like going to a nice place, and getting the best hamburger ever made. Perfectly cooked beats, beautifully sauteed bars, and it’s MF DOOM come on.

Favs: all
Least favs: none

The Strokes – Comedown Machine (100)

To quote Christoph Waltz in Django, “I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist.” How can someone say an album with 11 straight phenominal tracks is bad? Is it different? A bit, but I still felt a Strokes sound. In the end, great album.

Fav Tracks: All
Least Favs: none

Daft Punk – Alive 2007 (100)

Probably the best live album of all time. The vibes are immaculate.

A Tribe Called Quest – We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service (89)

I haven’t listened to any other Tribe album, but knowing the circumstances of it being made (R.I.P Phife), it’s a damn good album.

FAV TRACK: Solid Wall of Sound, The Killing Season
LEAST FAV TRACK: Whateva Will Be

Kanye West – The Life of Pablo (89)

ABSOLUTE INSANITY. Some of Kanye’s best, some of his mid.

TOP 3: Saint Pablo, Waves, No More Parties in LA
BOTTOM 3: Freestyle 4, Pt. 2, and IDK the rest is pretty good.

Green Day – American Idiot (85)

fun guitar riffs

TOP 3: Jesus of Suburbia, Homecoming, St. Jimmy
BOTTOM 3: Give Me Novacaine, Are We The Waiting (ok), Extraordinary Girl (bad),

Tyler, The Creator – IGOR (95)

S O U L.

HIGHLIGHT: ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?
WORST TRACK: RUNNING OUT OF TIME

My Chemical Romance – The Black Parade (85)

The greatest punk rock you’ve ever heard mixed in with a dud of an ending.

TOP 3: Dead!, Welcome to the Black Parade, House of Wolves
BOTTOM 3: Disenchanted, Famous Last Words, Blood

Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (100)

I don’t get why people consider this album sad, it’s too happy to be sad.

HIGHLIGHTS: King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1, 2, and 3, Holland 1945, Communist Daughter

Daft Punk – Discovery (edited after posting, 99)

groove

Kid Cudi – Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager (85)

When will we admit this is the best of the trilogy?

TOP 3: Scott Mescudi vs. The World, Erase Me, GHOST!
BOTTOM 3: Don’t Play This Song, Wild’n Cuz I’m Young, The End

Kanye West – Late Registration (90)

Orchestral soul, but Kanye, you didn’t need to put two duds on what would’ve been your second best album. Now it’s 4th!

TOP 3: We Major, Diamonds from Sierra Leone (without Jay-Z), and Gone
BOTTOM 3: Diamonds but with Jay-Z (mid ahh verse), Crack Music, Addiction

Kid Cudi – Man On The Moon: The End of Day (85)

Nearly as good as Man on the Moon 2, just slightly less consistent.

TOP 3: Cudi Zone, Pursuit of Happiness, Up Up and Away
BOTTOM 3: Heart of a Lion, My World, Make Her Say

The Weeknd – Beauty Behind The Madness (85)

i have no idea what to write for a review, it’s pretty good though.

TOP 3: Real Life, The Hills, Can’t Feel My Face
BOTTOM 3: idk for 2nd and 3rd worst but the worst is the Ed Sheeran one.

Tyler, The Creator – Flower Boy (90)

I ROCK. I ROLL. I BLOOM. I GROW.

Top 3: Foreword, Where This Flower Blooms, Boredom
Bottom 1: Who Dat Boy

Tyler, The Creator – Cherry Bomb (edited after posting, 89)

I might be the only person who actually things this is the best Tyler album, but yeah IGOR’s better. But Cherry Bomb, the variation and experimentation on display…

TOP 3: DEATHCAMP, CHERRY BOMB, SMUCKERS
BOTTOM 3: RUN, FIND YOUR WINGS, KEEP DA O’S

SCORE ADJUST: 93 -> 89
I had a stroke reading my old review for this.

Nirvana – In Utero (100)

Nirvana has got to have one of the best discographies of all time. In Utero probably being the actual best album, I just like Bleach more.

HIGHLIGHTS: Serve the Servants, Heart-Shaped Box, Rape Me, Frances Farmer, Dumb, Very Ape, Milk It, Pennyroyal Tea, All Apologies

Nirvana – Bleach (score edited after posting, 95)

I can’t decide which Nirvana album is my favorite, but I can admit when something probably doesn’t deserve a 10/10 unless it’s any other album not gonna lie.

HIGHLIGHTS: Blew, Floyd the Barber, About a Girl, School, Love Buzz, Negative Creep
Rest is good too.

Nirvana – MTV Unplugged in New York (100)

OK, if Alive 2007 isn’t the greatest live album ever, this sure is. It’s like listening to someone’s funeral (but like in a way that it makes for some GOAT tier music)

HIGHLIGHTS: The Man Who Sold the World, On a Plain, Something in the Way, and All Apologies are especially good. Not to discredit the rest of the album, but these four in particular are just my favorites of 14 10/10 songs.

OutKast – Stankonia (80)

I’m not going to contribute to the Stankonia/Aquemini debate. Because ATLiens beats both and it’s debatable if Speakerboxx/Love Below does too. But masterful rap from Big Boi and 3 Stacks

HIGHLIGHTS: Gasoline Dreams, So Fresh So Clean, Ms. Jackson, BOB
LOW LIGHTS: I’ll Call B4 I Cum, We Luv Deez Hoes

OutKast – Aquemini (79)

The skits being at the end of songs sure is something I hate about old rap albums. Also Mamacita. But then on the other hand, this is still some great rap, just I might think it’s Outkast’s worst ATLiens, Aquemini, Stankonia, and Speakerboxx/Love Below.

HIGHLIGHTS: Rosa Parks, Da Art of Storytelling (Pts. 1 and 2), SpottieOttieDopaliscious
LOWLIGHTS: Mamacita

OutKast – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (70)

Maybe just slightly better than Stankonia, a combined rap album taking the best of both of these would be an inarguable best rap album of all time, but as it is, it’s OK, too long.

HIGHLIGHTS: The Way You Move, Church, Love Hater, Spread, Hey Ya!, Roses, A Day in the Life of Benjamin Andre (Incomplete)

OutKast – ATLiens (89)

Outkast’s best.

HIGHLIGHTS: Two Dope Boys (In a Cadillac), ATLiens, Wheelz of Steel, Elevators, Babylon

Metallica – Metallica (70)

It’s more straight-forward and accessible than the first 4 albums, but part of me preferred the absolute insanity at crazy BPM that was Metallica doing thrash. This is fine though, just a bit more forgettable.

HIGHLIGHTS: Enter Sandman, Sad But True, The Unforgiven, Wherever I May Rome, Nothing Else Matters

Slayer – Reign in Blood (79)

Fine metal, and also the worst tier 8 song on Guitar Hero 3 there I said it.

HIGHLIGHTS: Angel of Death, Altar of Sacrifice, Criminally Insane, Raining Blood

The Weeknd – House Of Balloons (89)

The Weeknd: Episode I: The “Scaring the Hoes” Menace

HIGHLIGHTS: High for This, What You Need, House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls, The Morning, Wicked Games, Coming Down
LOW LIGHTS: The Party & The After Party

The Weeknd – Dawn FM (90)

Welcome to cooking with the Weeknd, today we are making one Dawn FM.

You take one scoop After Hours, twenty-seven extra scoops of 80s synths, a little bit of BBTM, and maybe if you’re feeling an extra kick, a spice of Trilogy on top, and congratulations, you’ve made the best Weeknd album.

HIGHLIGHTS: Gasoline, How Do I Make You Love Me, Take My Breath, Sacrifice, Out of Time, Here We Go… Again, Is There Someone Else?

The Weeknd – After Hours (85)

Synths!!! Yay!!!

HIGHLIGHTS: Alone Again, Too Late, Hardest to Love, Heartless, Blinding Lights, In Your Eyes, After Hours, Until I Bleed Out

Tyler, The Creator – CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST (85)

This is just one giant victory lap of an album (not that there’s anything wrong with that)

HIGHLIGHTS: CORSO, WUSYANAME, LUMBERJACK, HOT WIND BLOWS, SWEET / I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE, RISE!, JUGGERNAUT, WILSHIRE, SAFARI

Parannoul – After the Magic (79)

This album feels like all of a sudden you just start floating and just go with it and it’s really good (which is a weird way of saying this is crazy good)

HIGHLIGHTS: Polaris, Insomnia, Arrival, Sound Inside Me Waves Inside You, After The Magic

J Dilla – Donuts (85)

43 minutes of straight production work that manages to keep me engaged throughout. Thank you, Dilla.

KIDS SEE GHOSTS – KIDS SEE GHOSTS (100)

If I have to pick one thing to highlight, it’s how 4th Dimension shows the sample forwards, normal, and then reverses it to how it is in the song. A moment that made me go “Ohhhhhhhhhhh oh oh!”

HIGHLIGHTS: Feel the Love, Fire, 4th Dimension, Freeee, Reborn, Kids See Ghosts, Cudi Montage

Kanye West – Graduation (85)

Even I’ll admit it’s a bit overrated, as a guy who thinks Kanye is in fact peak music.

Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak (89)

i don’t like pinocchio story there’s too many dinosaur fans

Kanye West – JESUS IS KING (35)

Follow God, God Is, and Use This Gospel are great, but the rest is so forgettable and just whatever. Kanye’s worst, especially when you consider Yandhi was right there.

Kanye West – Donda (75)

CLARIFICATION: I believe I’m trying to say that the following tracks would be my ideal tracklist for the album, and to cut the rest.

Cut stuff, and this is Kanye’s best album.
AKA Jail, God Breathed, Off The Grid, Hurricane, Believe What I Say, 24, Moon, Heaven and Hell, Never Abandon Your Family, Life of the Party, Keep My Spirit Alive, and Come to Life.

Kendrick Lamar – DAMN. (79)

CLARIFICATION: I believe I was trying to joke on the fact that all the songs on this album are formatted in all caps with a period at the end, so I wrote the review in that way.

PRETTY. GOOD. BUT. THE. SOUND. ISN’T. AS. GOOD. AS. THE. JAZZ. OF. SECTION 80. AND. TPAB. OR. THE. GKMC. SOUND.

Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (85)

I don’t think it’s controversial to say double albums are messy, and Mr. Morale doesn’t change that. But after 5 horrible
silent years according to Kendrick fans, (idk i got into him while there were only 2 horrible years left) Mr. Morale is a messy masterpiece that shows a realistic view of those last five years.

Daft Punk – Homework (80)

w e g r o o v i n
(but a bit less than discovery ram alive 07 and even haa)

Drake – If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late (85)

I BEEN RUNNING THROUGH THE 6 WITH MY WOES

Drake – Nothing Was The Same (79)

This is like when you’re on a lift hill of a roller coaster knowing you’re almost at the peak and it’s all downhill past that.

Drake – Scorpion (30)

When I first got Spotify to get into music it was 2018, prime “THIS ACCOUNT HAS NOT LISTENED TO SCORPION. LISTEN TO SCORPION. IF YOU WOULD NOT LIKE TO LISTEN TO SCORPION, MAY WE RECOMMEND SCORPION?”

so i listened to scorpion and swore off rap until i got into eminem the next year this isn’t good.
but an enlightened me relistened and… it’s still bad but hey sandra’s rose mob ties and nice for what are cool

Drake – Certified Lover Boy (35)

Oops! All Filler!

Drake – Honestly, Nevermind (60)

You know, Drake trying house was an idea I was open to, and it’s not bad? 100% overhated it’s chill house and even though it’s decently forgettable, at least it isn’t all filler like the 2 albums preceding it.

Drake – Views (45)

To reuse the rollercoaster metaphor of Drake’s career, we have passed the lift hill, down we go.

The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (85)

This is the soundtrack to floating in space, would be an 100 if the last song wasn’t just OK.

Frank Ocean – channel ORANGE (89)

Channel Orange > Blonde and it’s not too close.

The Strokes – The New Abnormal (100)

CLARIFICATION: I’m not exactly sure what I meant here, because rock is my favorite genre. I should know it exists after 2007?

You know, maybe rock didn’t die off in 2007.

Ramones – Ramones (edited after posting, 60)

Wait this is just Blitzkrieg Bop and then Blitzkrieg Bop 12 more, worse times

Lil Uzi Vert – Pink Tape (60)

I actually didn’t mind the experimentation, I just thought the more “basic” songs were too repetitive and long because of repetition.

Radiohead – Hail to the Thief (80)

With how tight Radiohead releases are, it’s sad to see one even slightly bloated.

Mingus – The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (90)

I like how it feels so passionate yet effortless, like the music truly pops out.

Fine ambiance, just disappointing coming off Radiohead’s hot streak of The Bends through In Rainbows.

FIFTY FIFTY – THE FIFTY (50)

Tell Me is peak!

The rest is OK.

Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool (75)

I do not get this one.

Travis Scott – UTOPIA (edited after posting, 30)

On it’s own, it’s an OK album carried by production. With a 5 year wait, it’s slightly more disappointing.

SCORE ADJUST: 60 –> 30: Another album where I don’t know what I was thinking at first. This is just boring.

Daft Punk – TRON: LEGACY (99)

Daft Punk. I mean that’s all I have to say.

Fishmans – 98.12.28 Otokotachi no wakare (100)

The passion in the performance is unreal, sucking you in for a phenominal 2 hours.

Fishmans – Kuchu Camp (79)

I enjoyed this album. The dream pop sound was a type of sound I think the band nailed, especially on the songs BABY BLUE and Nightcruising. However, I was not as much of a fan of the more experimental songs which closed the album.

Justice – Cross (aka Justice, †; 80)

The synth-heavy sound mixed in with a more traditional bass was a sound I enjoyed a lot. However, I felt the album would have a run of 3 good songs, then a mediocre song, although the mediocre song comes first the 3rd time around.

DANGERDOOM – The Mouse and the Mask (95)

The finale to DOOM’s untouchable run from 1999 to 2005, I was a huge fan of the Adult Swim cartoon production, and of course DOOM’s bars are phenominal as always.

Paramore – Riot! (75)

Not as good as This Is Why, but still a very solid pop-punk album, though I would’ve liked the album to have a bit more variation.

Pink Floyd – Animals (100)

I don’t even know how or why they thought an Animal Farm-style critique of capitalism was a good album idea, but goddamn, it worked.

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