Album Reviews!

This album did not do a lot for me. I think a lot of quiet, quirky, indie girl music is being made right now, and this just didn’t have anything that set it apart. Most of the songs sounded more or less the same and tended to blend into each other. Her voice sounds fine at first, but by the end of the album started to annoy me. The vocals themselves sound over-processed compared to the indie/acoustic vibe of the music, and are often muddled in the mix. I found myself unable to understand what she was saying at times. I don’t think this album was bad, but I was not personally a fan. I have no reason to listen to this over the many other albums just like it. I wouldn’t mind listening to a song here or there, but 11 in a row wore me down. The only song that stood out to me was the title track, “flounder.”

I tried to listen to this album for the first time when it originally came out because there was a lot of hype around it and I gave up before I finished it. But people KEEP talking about how awesome and groundbreaking it is so I was like ok let me sit down and actually give it a try. I went back and forth between thinking this was the dumbest shit ever and actually thinking it was good too many times to count. Frankly, I’m scared to say it’s not that good because the elitist music people will think I’m dumb and don’t get it, but it’s just not that good. It’s not bad! I actually sort of liked it! But just because it’s a little weird and not super digestible doesn’t mean it’s a masterpiece.

This album feels like if you let Jacob Collier produce Hamilton, which I can say because I have been fans of both. He sings so theatrically and the lyrics are so on the nose that it genuinely felt like a musical. Additionally, the melodies are so wandering at times I can’t help but wonder if he was free styling on most of this. Sonically it’s all over the place. Imagine a group of classically trained musicians trying to impress each other. If I liked what was going on musically, I didn’t like the way he was singing, and if he finally had a good melody, the music was doing weird shit.

Regardless of how weird it is, this album is definitely an interesting listen. Parts of it are genuinely beautiful or interesting or catchy, but every song is such an insane mix of ideas that even if you like a 15 segment from a song, you might not like the rest of it. They go in so many different directions and trail on for so long they lose my interest. I know there are people out there that listen to music like this and feel like they’re reaching nirvana or something, but it just ain’t for me. It was an enjoyable album to listen to, but it’s not something I can see myself listening to casually. It’s something you have to sit down for and listen to front to back.

I can’t really describe the sound of this album besides telling you it is some combination of rap, nu metal, and electronic pop. Vibes wise it’s what I imagine as the lesbian version of hot girl walk / girl boss music. A little corporate at times, sounding like it could be the background for a commercial, but also very dark and vulgar at others (vulgar a lot actually). I definitely think you can’t focus too much on the lyrics for this one. The songs are fun and engaging to listen to, but then I’ll look at what she’s saying and I’m not sure how to feel. The album closes with an Ethel Cain feature on “Dying Star,” a completely different vibe from the rest of the album and also my favorite. The production is completely stripped back and her vocals are much cleaner (still with lots of layering and auto tune but it’s not as overdone), giving the track a dramatic feel that makes it perfect as a closer. I also thought it was cool how she ended with “I’m tired of the dirt and grit, I want something soft,” since the album as a whole felt very dirty and gritty. Overall I think she’s doing something different and following her own artistic vision which I respect. Besides “Dying Star,” I also enjoyed “Miss Nectarine” and “Moonlight Magic.”

I feel like I’ve listened to this album all the way through at least 3 times before I actually sat down to listen it with how often it’s playing in Gareth’s car. This album is good for what it is. It’s fun to listen to and it’s produced well. After a while, the songs do start to sound the same. Two guys rapping in the verse and then the one dude singing the chorus. They figured out their formula and they put it to work. If you like divorced dad rock then this definitely your shit, but you also probably already knew that. I will say that I pretty much liked all these songs equally, but to pick a stand out, I’ll go with “One Step Closer.”

I enjoyed listening to this one. It’s not what I’d normally listen to, but it was so well done that I think anyone could (and should) appreciate it. I knew “Fast Car” going in obviously, but hadn’t listened to anything else. I love the messaging behind every track. She had my attention the whole time because she was always saying interesting things. The whole album has such a distinct sound, but all the tracks are different enough to stand on their own. My favorites were “She’s Got her Ticket” and “For My Lover.”

First things first, this album is not bad. But I have struggled for basically the past month to think of literally one thing to say about it, and I can’t come up with anything. Every time I put it on, I end up zoning out and doing something else. It’s background music for me. Good? Sure! But memorable? For me, no. So out of a lack of literally anything to say about this album, this is my review. If you need something to put on while you do homework, maybe give it a try, but in my opinion, you’re not missing out if you don’t.

Ok I must be fully transparent on this one. I saw The Home Team last semester when they opened for Neck Deep, and I must admit I was not a fan of them. They are great performers and all but the lead singer gave me the creeps and the music felt corny (coming from someone who likes Neck Deep, I know, I know). They gave off the vibe that they thought they were super punk and heavy, which made the actual music fall flat for me. So that was my impression going into this. I stand by parts of what I said, but I think I judged them too harshly. If I switch my mindset about what I’m expecting to hear, it can be a good time. For this review I’m going to refer to them as pop punk, because I think that’s what they are generally regarded as, but imo they are more pop rock. Pop punk is interesting to me because it seems like an oxymoron; to be “popular” feels like the antithesis to what it means to be “punk” on the surface level, but it can definitely be done right. These guys ride the line more on the mainstream side of the genre, feeling closer to MGK or YUNGBLUD than to The Story So Far or Knuckle Puck. That being said they are absolutely more genuine and infinitely more enjoyable to listen to than our beloved MGK. They do feel slightly performative but not enough to make me completely suspicious of them. I don’t want to come off too harsh but I have a complicated feeling towards this band that I wanted to explain.

Now that I have thoroughly explained how I feel about this band, I want to try and give an unbiased opinion on this album. It sounded good. Very clean and well produced (which isn’t always the move for this genre but I digress), fun riffs, catchy choruses. Parts of it do feel like they are checking boxes on what a pop punk album needs, but overall they have a definite sound that sets them apart enough for it not to be a huge issue. I honestly can see the appeal, and I think they absolutely have a bright future. I apologize for being a bit of a hater on this one, but I need to be honest.

I’ve been meaning to listen to this for a while, so I was glad to finally sit myself down and do it. Except I wasn’t actually sitting I was just walking around campus and stuff. Listening to this definitely made me feel like a girl boss in the 90s walking around New York. Can’t explain you just gotta listen. I think a lot of these tracks are good, but they work better together than apart. This is an album I feel would be best listened to in whole. The vibes are absolutely there, but it doesn’t have me hanging on for more. The hits from this one (”Cherry-coloured Funk” and the title track) are great, and I also quite enjoyed “Frou-frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires,” but mostly toward the second half of it. It’s a great album closer. Overall enjoyed this one and happy I gave it a listen.

I liked this one! It felt very comforting with the fingerpicked guitar and occasional banter/story. Definitely dates itself with some of the lyrics but you gotta expect that from a record from the 80s. Listening to this made me want to road trip out west and reconnect with nature. Each song has it’s own charm, but my favorites were “Fish and Whistle” and “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness.” I first listened to this on the 26th and re-listened a couple days later to write the review. I had added both to my liked songs on the first listen, and when each came on through the second listen I went to add them again, only to realize they were the two I already had. I think that speaks to their merits. I also enjoyed “Blue Umbrella,” “Angel from Montgomery,” and “Illegal Smile.” I really like the part in “Illegal Smile” when the crowd sings, it’s so cute.

This album sounds very 2019/2020 to me. Which makes a lot of sense because it did come out in 2018. Just the way that she sings and the sound of the guitars is definitely reminiscent of what I listened to in quarantine era (in a good way). This album has a couple stand out tracks, but the rest of it felt a little forgettable for me. I liked the opener “How I Get Myself Killed” and the next track “Take Off Ur Pants” (I didn’t realize until I heard it, but I knew that song going into this), which had me hopeful for the rest of the album. I won't say I didn't like it, because it was mostly just more of the same, but I will say I got a little bored a couple songs in. I might just not have been in the right mood for it. Also I need to point out the absolutely insane line "These tits will ghost on you forever" in the song "Ghost," I had to check the lyrics to make sure I heard them right. Overall a relatively good listen, but I probably won't revisit too often.

I fuck with this album in the way that I fucked with Spanish indie music back in high school. I have no idea what they’re saying but it’s mad chill and sounds really good. I was surprised to see this came out in 2004, I’m not sure why but it feels more modern. Listening to this definitely put me in a good mood and motivated me to get stuff done. I really liked it, definitely recommend if you want to put something on while you study. My favorites were “Tomorrow Comes I Will” and “HIROGARU-NAMIDA.”

I love this album!! I found The Marías in June of 2021 with their song “Hush” from their last album, but didn’t really listen to them past that until this album. I loved “No One Noticed,” and when I watched their Tiny Desk Concert I was sold. This record is just such a vibe; the perfect mix between groovy and sad. I love to put this one on when I’m cooking, going for a walk, or just trying to relax. I love her voice, and the way they mix electronic components with real instruments is so good. Every time I listen to this I fall in love with it again, and since I hadn't put it on in a bit I'm happy I was forced to come back :) I want to just list every song as my favorites, but if you are going to listen to any, definitely try “Paranoia,” “Run Your Mouth,” “Sienna,” or “Echo.”

I listened to this one when it first came out, but hadn’t relistened to any tracks besides “luther” and “gloria,” the SZA songs. I’m glad I listened back to it in full, because this time I was paying closer attention since I knew I’d have to write about it. This whole thing is really just so good, it’s insane to me that he surprise dropped it. I’m struggling to write anything about this record without sounding really corny because I don’t listen to a lot of hip hop. That being said, I enjoyed this one a lot and would definitely recommend it to anyone, even if you don’t normally listen to rap. My favorites from this listen are “heart pt. 6” and “dodger blue.”

This was a really powerful album. The first track “King” was a perfect opener, setting up the rest of the record well both thematically and sonically. The line “I am no mother, I am no bride, I am king” slapped me right across the face and definitely made me pay attention to what she was saying. I can’t speak to it too much since I’ve only listened through about twice, but from what I gathered she talks to a lot of tough themes on this, and does so while making it sound so cool. Her voice is so sick. “Girls Against God” was another song that was just an absolute sucker punch to the gut. “What a thing to admit that when someone looks at me with real love I don’t like it very much, kind of makes me feel like I’m being crushed” is an INSANE line to START with like omg where do we go from here. All the religious themes throughout were definitely interesting for me. My favorites besides the ones I’ve mentioned were “Free,” “My Love,” and “Morning Elvis.” This album is overall not my usual taste but it was still a very enjoyable listen.

This album pisses my off for two reasons, and neither have anything to do with the music itself. First of all, that damn album cover. I am a known roach hater and having to look at that continuously put me on edge. The second reason is because the first time I put this album on to review, a roach appeared in my bathroom. I hadn’t yet seen one this semester and it freaked me out so I didn’t listen to this for a few days, hence the lack of reviews. But I am powering through and finally got through it (with no more real roaches) so here is the review.

The most accurate way I could describe this to someone is Rage Against The Machine if Zack de la Rocha (Roach? Rocha? makes you think) was white and the band was less into punk and more into nu metal. It’s mostly the way he sings/raps during some verses, like it is so similar. I haven’t listened to this genre too much, but from my little experience this is pretty good. Can’t say it’s something I’ll be regularly bumping but can’t say I hate it. I mostly won’t be regularly bumping it because of that freaking album cover dude. I liked “Dead Cell” and the Tight Rope half of “Thrown Away/Tight Rope.” It was such a random change of pace but I liked it. “Last Resort” is a classic of course. Now for the negative: I think a lot of the songs are a little too similar to each other at times. Like they pick one guitar riff, repeat for the whole song, and then change one note and use the same riff on the next song. That’s just a pitfall of a lot of punk/metal music though so it’s not that serious.

I listened to this one on my flight home to Chicago last weekend, and it was the perfect vibe for that. Full of yearning, easy to listen to, and melancholic without being too depressing. I knew “Moves” going into this one, so I had high expectations. I would say this was exactly what I was expecting it to be. Perfect for being in your own mind without wanting to feel like killing yourself. Her voice is so angelic and the music is chill; it’s so calming. “Melrose Meltdown” was definitely giving Lana. My favorites (besides “Moves”) were “Slip” and “Bullshit on the Internet.” I listened to the latter as we were flying over Lake Michigan about to land. The sun was setting behind the skyline, illuminating it and casting its shadows across the shoreline, and it was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. That song was a nice backtrack for that. The one downside I’ll add (I have to give one for each album) is that while the album as a whole works well for a certain vibe, I don’t know if I’d pick any one of these songs out individually to play.

This review is a bit different, because no one actually recommended this album. I love Inhaler and have been anticipating this drop for months, and now that it's finally out I want to write about it! This is a bit longer than usual because I'm excited and need to convince you all to listen to this.

Let’s start with the singles, since they set up the expectations I had going into this. The first track we got off this record was “Your House,” which came out back in October. At first I was pretty indifferent to neutral on it; it was a good song but didn’t really wow me. Then, with each listen, I got more and more hooked. Eventually it became an obsession and was always stuck in my head. My hype for this album had begun. The following release of “Open Wide” had a similar reaction from me: at first a bit underwhelmed, but then in love. However, the third single “A Question Of You” had me immediately. There is straight dopamine in that song I swear to God. I can’t listen to that song and not want to dance. By this single, I had a pretty good idea of what was to come with this record, and I was incredibly excited. “Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah)” dropped two days ago, playing into to the slower, but still rhythmic, themes from “Open Wide.”

Now let’s get into the actual album. I haven’t felt like this listening to a newly released album for the first time since Fontaines D.C. released Romance, and if you’ve spoken to me about music in the past 8 months, you know how big of a complement that is. Every single song had my full attention from the first measure, and didn’t put it to waste. Each track has it’s own distinct vibe, but the album still feels cohesive and authentic to the sound they’ve been developing. It feels fresh! (side note: I hate when artists put out music that sounds exactly like their last album—let’s get creative with our art maybe). I mean it when I say that every time the next track came on through my first listen, I was excited about something new they incorporated. But maybe I’m just fangirling too hard.

Something about getting GOOD new music from an artist you love really does feel like doing ecstasy, because why am I in my room listening to this album for the first time feeling like life is full of beauty and purpose. The timing of this drop was perfect. It feels like a late spring early summer album (although I will in fact be listening year round), when the weather starts getting better and my music starts getting less sad. When I was listening to “Even Though” and then “Again” back to back, it had the vibe of a summer sunset, whether it be drunk on the beach or driving around a lame ass suburb. Just that feeling of calm and excitement at the same time. The feeling that everything is where it should be. Do I sound crazy rn be fr w me.

I wanna write a thesis on this album, but I’ll spare you and just share a little sneak peak of each track. The record starts with “Eddie In The Darkness” which I have to say threw me off slightly. This song is really good, but felt like a bit of an abrupt opener. That aside, this chorus absolutely bangs. “All I Got Is You” and “X-Ray” both have these killer riffs that feel a little surf-punk and a maybe a little western. The way “Little Things” starts had me SO excited they were about to randomly end on a shoegazey rock song, but it unfortunately wasn’t as out of character as I was hoping. Still a great track though. “Still Young,” “Concrete,” and “The Charms” are probably the most classic Inhaler, but there’s something about them that still feels new, or maybe even old. I can see a bit of 80s/90s influence.

So those are my initial thoughts. The album came out literally two hours ago as I publish this so when I say initial I mean it. My favorite (after the first listen. subject to change) is “Again.” The bassline is just too juicy. The chorus too catchy. The rhythm guitar too heavenly. They’ll kill you. I know not all of you love indie rock / pop, but if you need a fun, feel good album to listen to, give this one a try.

This was such a cool listen. The music itself is so beautiful and has such a specific feeling to it. It’s haunting, maybe bittersweet, but still hopeful? The acoustic and folk sound reminds me a lot of Gregory Alan Isakov, but it’s also so distinct in its own way. The songwriting, and more specifically the storytelling, is what really set this apart for me. I really loved hearing the story behind the guitar and how it inspired the album throughout Disc 2. I think the fact that the stories are accompanied by such nice instrumentals really made me listen to what they were saying instead of zoning out for it. There’s so much I could say about this album, but I feel like I couldn’t do it justice only having listened through 2 times. The whole thing is awesome, but my standouts are “Georgia Moon,” “Proper Fence,” “Lonely Hill (Alt-Version),” and “To Cure What Ails.” The title track is also worth a listen. If this is a genre you enjoy, you’ll definitely like this.

This album was really cool, and I'm happy to be able to say I've listened to it all the way through, but it also isn't exactly something I can see myself revisiting very often. It wasn't bad, just not for me! It was unique, it was interesting, but I can't say it has me wanting more. I knew "Once in a Lifetime" going in, which is of course a great song, and I enjoyed "Houses in Motion."

Loved this one. It’s got the classic emo stuff with the fun guitar riffs and whiny lyrics but I feel like it’s still clean enough for a majority of people to like it. Like maybe I have emo brain rot but his voice sounds good. It’s sad lyrically, but I still have fun listening to it. Reminds me a bit of Riley! and The Front Bottoms sonically. My favorites are “greens” and “the feelings you will feel the summer before going to college,” but I think once I spend more time with this album they’ll all grow on me. This has all the ingredients for a great emo record, but still remains super approachable for non emo listeners.

This was such a great album to start this little project off with. So funky so jazzy and so perfect for the nicer weather recently. It was short but sweet, only about 40 minutes but less if you don’t listen to the radio mixes. My stand outs were “Fingers Can’t Calculate (The Love I Have for You)” and “Never Found a Girl,” although all of the tracks were amazing. Really just an album that makes me feel warm and hopeful. Feels like something I’d be dancing to while I’m cooking myself dinner or something. I also know this would be so hard on vinyl.

At first I was a little hesitant about this record, because artists’ work being released posthumously is a sticky topic, but I looked it up and he released this in 2014 as a free mixtape and it just got officially released after his death. The biggest point I have about this album is how perfectly he contrasts the absolutely heart wrenching themes of addiction and depression with the most beautiful instrumentals. In “Malibu” he says, “I’m the only suicidal motherfucker with a smile on,” and I feel like he really captures that throughout the whole album. There’s also a lot of messaging about not thinking he’ll be alive much longer due to his addiction/depression, which makes it so sad to listen to knowing how it ended for him. This was really just such a profound and beautiful piece of work. My standouts are “Thumbalina,” “Grand Finale,” “Yeah - bonus,” and “Therapy.” The only negative thing I’ll say about this album is that it’s pretty long so I found myself zoning out at parts just because it was a lot all at once. Overall spectacular though, thank you for the rec!!