Posts in album reviews
ALBUM REVIEW: The Record

This irreverence is borne of a friendship that comes straight out of a Wes Anderson movie: three rising indie artists form an instant bond before entering the studio to record one song, maybe two, before emerging five days later with a lightning-in-a-bottle EP. On The Record, Boygenius explores the etches and grooves of this friendship, both sharing anecdotes of missing their exit while listening to music together on the interstate and reckoning with the struggles of being wholly seen, flaws and all, in this life and the next.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Live at Bush Hall

In 2022, four days before the release of their second studio album, Ants from Up There, frontman Isaac Wood left the band, citing mental health reasons and opting for a quiet life instead of stardom. The album went on to reach unprecedented heights for the band. They received universal acclaim from critics, landed on numerous end-of-year lists, cemented an incredibly loyal following, and became stalwarts of a new scene of British indie rock rooted in avant-garde instrumentation and experimental post-punk. In the wake of a standing ovation, Wood simply walked away, leaving the band with the impending question of what to do next.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Houses of the Holy

Released March 28, 1973, this iconic album is celebrating its 50th anniversary, so it is only fitting to write a review. Houses of the Holy was a transition out of the band’s iconic quadruple self-titled albums (Led Zeppelin I, II, III & IV), and it is heard in their sound. Houses of the Holy was the album they began experimenting with genres, delving into funk, reggae, ballads, and some psychedelic. There is also more focus on instrumentation and emphasis on instrumental breaks than in the previous four albums. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: This is Why

Veteran pop-punk band Paramore is back with the 2023 release of their 6th studio album, This is Why. Six years after their widely acclaimed LP, After Laughter, Paramore sought to contrast their previous release and reflect on their own journey as a band and as individuals. Almost 20 years after the band’s inception, we see the group harkening back to their original “guitar-led” sound as opposed to their more recent pop endeavors both in Paramore and in frontwoman Hayley Williams’ solo career.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Today My Friend You Drunk the Venom

If you like the relentless energy of early Strokes albums, the gothic kickdrums of Molchat Doma, and the monotonous vocals of Fontaines D.C., this album is worth a listen. It’s good if you like repetitive music – which I really do love! A more generous term for the category is trance-like, hypnotic even. I’ve long said that the Strokes are the most genius, most universally beloved pop band to ever exist. So if you give this album time, it’ll earworm its way into your brain.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Gardening

Unafraid to get her hands dirty, Norwegian singer-songwriter Siv Jakobsen unearths her past and weeds out her pain on her new record, Gardening. Drawing inspiration from her green thumb, the Oslo-based songstress tends to her emotional nursery.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Nacarile

The first track off Nacarile, the third studio album from Puerto Rican artist iLe, starts unexpectedly with a wavering, extraterrestrial coo reminiscent of 1950s science fiction programs. iLe is known for pulling from traditional Caribbean genres like bomba, mambo, and bolero while maintaining a masterful balance of lament and defiance, but “A la deriva” immediately signals a new era of experimentation in her career.

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