Monday, January 21, 2019

Emma Blackery - Villains

Emma Blackery - Villains (2018)



Genre: Synth-pop, Dance-Pop

I'll admit that I would have never reviewed this if it weren't for a friend's love for this album, because admittedly, I don't really care for YouTube content creators' music... As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade. 

Prior to my friend recommending me this album, I had never even heard of this girl, hence I had absolutely no expectations going into this. And yet somehow, my non-existent expectations were still slightly shattered. Let me explain though, because sonically, this ain't half bad. Emma actually has quite a nice singing voice, which is not to say that it's very distinctive, but she exhibits a spunky quality to her vocal delivery, which feels welcome given the lyrical themes throughout most of the album. Themes of relationships, social life issues, and exes, all with a hearty dosage of aggression. I honestly don't care much for the lyrics, but my main gripe with this album lies more with the core musical ideas.

I can honestly tell that Emma was putting some soul into this release, I truly do. The problem here is that a lot of the content seems very generic. Dirt starts off with one of the most cliché-sounding and obnoxious synth hooks that I can only describe as "electronic-muzak fluff,' which carries on throughout the track. Petty is also guilty of having a pretty irritating sound. The other songs still lack in creativity and flair, however. Some highlights for me, such as Villains Pt. 1 and Icarus, are only fun thanks to their catchy and pronounced beats, but otherwise, there's nothing overtly interesting about them.

One thing I want to mention is that, although I did compliment Emma's singing, there is one painful outlier here, and that's on the track Villains Pt. 2. Near the end, she tries to hit these wailing high notes, but they come off seemingly forced and awkward. It did make for some ironic comedic relief, though. I do applaud Emma for certainly trying, but this album is just not that compelling to listen to, save for a few mildly catchy tunes here and there. I can bet that this album would appeal to a lot of angsty teenage girls, however, so if that was Emma's intention, then well done.

D

Favorite Tracks: Villains Pt. 1, Icarus, Take Me Out

Least Favorite Track: Dirt

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (2007)



Genre: Indietronica, Indie Pop, Synth Pop

Now a well established duo in the indie pop scene, their debut record showcased a gorgeous atmosphere of electronic influences and self-aware, true to life songwriting. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade. 

Starting off with a bold testament on the life of stardom through the use of tongue-in-cheek humor and sarcasm, Time to Pretend is a perfect introduction to this album from a musical standpoint, but also serves as a statement of the duo's state of mind. They had ambition, and whether they took off was only a matter of time. There's nothing wildly experimental about their sound, but instead, they make it work by creating an intoxicatingly catchy atmosphere of fun synth melodies and occasional haunting vocals.

Songs like Weekend Wars and Kids are care-free throwbacks to years long past, serving as anthems for childhood imagination and childhood innocence, respectively. The latter song features what I believe to be one of the most uplifting synth riffs to come out of a pop record. It's fitting, as it's almost child-like in nature; simplistic and cute. There's also other highlights that slightly shift away from the synth pop influences, such as Of Moon, Birds & Monsters, which more often than not plays out more like an indie rock evaluation of the human psyche, slowly evolving into a psychedelic electronic jam session near the end. Make of it what you will.


Admittedly, Pieces of What is a song that initially feels out of place on this record, maintaining an acoustic aesthetic throughout. It's quite nice though, and it shows that MGMT were certainly capable of branching out a bit, even if it's for more traditional forms of composition. It was probably a sign of things to come, such as in their second album, Congratulations, which featured the gorgeous title track. There's no shortage of lovely tracks on here though, mostly of the neo-psychedelia variety.

The strength of this album is measured by its varied and eclectic mix of trippy soundscapes and melodies that make for a consistently beautiful experience. 4th Dimensional Transition is one of the few songs where I have ever truly felt like the title means what I felt, if that makes sense. It's a great experience. Sure, there were a couple songs that I didn't feel as strongly for, most notably, Electric Feel, which for being a hit, I expected a bit more outside of its basic groove and muddled disco influences. Nevertheless, this is certainly one of the better debuts of 2007, and one that is mostly a spectacular (pun intended) listen from start to finish.

A

Favorite Tracks: Weekend Wars; The Youth; Kids; 4th Dimensional Transition; Pieces of What; Of Moons, Birds & Monsters

Least Favorite Track: Electric Feel

Sunday, January 13, 2019

Iceage - New Brigade

Iceage - New Brigade (2011)



Genre: Post-Punk, Art Punk

While not exactly breaking new grounds, Iceage show some promise on their debut, mixing various genres to create a solid post-punk album. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade. 



I understand that objectively speaking, a good punk record needs to have healthy doses of aggression, attitude and energy. This band definitely has all three, but I can't help but feel like the amount of praise this album received upon release was due to hard-rock deprived critics who were quenching for something a bit more hardcore among the soft rock flooding the market. Granted, I can somewhat sympathize, and at the end of the day, this is still a solid record.

Excluding the minimalist intro track, there are 11 hard hitting tracks here, all wrapped up in a cozy 23 minute package. Something to be noted is the impressive mix of genres that can be heard. While this is very much a post-punk album at heart, there's plenty of influences of no wave, noise rock and hardcore punk. Rotting Heights is a clear example of these genres molding together to create a raw, crunchy and dissonant sound that distinguishes this band's sound from a lot of other art punk groups. White Rune is another highlight, but conversely so for its more subdued pacing while still maintaining the same aesthetic.

The album's strengths are greater exemplified by it's short length, but while this band has established themselves well with this release, I can't help but feel like they still lacked a bit more. As it stands, this is a great album to listen to as a whole, very much short and sweet, but outside of a technical standpoint, there weren't many tracks that really hooked me. But to end on a positive note, the loud, muddled and abrasive production stand to this album's benefit for a short, but powerful listening experience.

B

Favorite Tracks: New Brigade, Total Drench, Count Me In, You're Blessed

Least Favorite Track: Collapse

Daughters - Hell Songs

Daughters - Hell Songs (2006)



Genre: Mathcore, Noise Rock

Daughters' follow up to their grind-influenced debut saw a somewhat radical departure from their formula, and personally, it was for the better. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade. 

Gone are the screaming, indiscernible vocals. Gone is the absurdly repetitive structuring. Daughters were reborn with this album, and it was the beginning of something truly great as far as where their musical direction was going. At only 23 minutes, I was honestly kind of hoping for a bit more, which is a complete 180 from my thoughts on Canada Songs. Let me start my complimenting the compositional styling, which is still very much rooted in mathcore.

The technical intricacies and dissonant distortion is still very much present, but without the intensity and overtly loud and aggressive delivery that was present on their debut. This makes for a much more sonically interesting listen, as not only can one appreciate the technicality of the instrumentation, but also the nuances of Marshall's vocals, which can come off as intriguingly awkward, but subtly aggressive. Honestly, he sounds like a very enthusiastic drunkard mostly throughout, but that's not a bad thing in the context of this album. It's quite fitting. I love the raw and intense noise fiddling and brutal tone that is achieved by every single one of the songs on this record.


Hyperventilationsystem features Marshall singing the line, "Love is a disgusting thing," for two minutes straight, which does wear on you a bit, but I wanted to mention it simply because of how ironically comedic it was. The technicality of the piece is still something to appreciate, just like the rest of the album. As far as highlights go, I feel like I did with their first record, in that all the songs seem to compliment each other. It was a thoroughly enjoyable album, albeit somewhat short, but one that laid the groundwork for Daughters' successful formula. I really don't have much to say about this record except that it was certainly better than I expected it to be.

A-


Favorite Tracks: Daughters Spelled Wrong, Recorded In A Pyramid, Providence by Gaslight (These are just highlights. The rest are still great.)


Least Favorite Track: Hyperventilationsystem

Friday, January 11, 2019

Massive Attack - Mezzanine

Massive Attack - Mezzanine (1998)



Genre: Trip Hop, Electronica

House M.D. introduced me to Massive Attack, which sucks, because for the longest time I disregarded Massive Attack as a generic EDM project. Well, better late than never. This album is being reviewed per request. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade. 

As this is the first album I have listened to by this group, I have nothing to compare it to, but I am aware that this seems to have been a departure from their previous two albums. One thing I really loved about it is the atmosphere that it creates. The intense bass and electronic pulses that are present throughout give a sense of dread; an almost claustrophobic feeling. The irony from this is that it's borderline mechanical sounding, while still sounding very much human at heart.

The lyrics establish this sort of disconnected relevance, most prominently on Inertia Creeps. Its lyrical content deals with a very human, emotional activity of sex, but is reduced to a metaphorical, robotic sort of meaning, with the line, "two undernourished egos, four rotating hips,” serving as an example. The nuances that comes with creating such an atmospheric tension has some downfalls, though. For one, while I was very much a fan of this record, a lot of songs could be borderline unmemorable for a lot of people, because of its favoring towards experimentation rather than creating an established and memorable melody.

Personally, a lot of the tracks did stick out to me though, as I for the most part I did enjoy the intricate sound textures and samples scattered throughout, like in the song Risingson, using a sample of I Found a Reason by The Velvet Underground. But, the aspect that really solidifies a lot of these songs for me are the vocals, especially from the female guests. Listening through Teardrop all the way through as opposed to just an edited snippet on House, was a beautiful experience, which further haunts me after reading up on some backstory. Dissolved Girl is another fantastic song with some great vocal deliveries and hard rock aesthetic. And not to take away from the male voices on here either, as they're all generally very good as well. Man Next Door is just chilling.

For the most part, I did enjoy this album pretty thoroughly, though I did feel like it slogged a bit during a handful of songs I didn't find as enjoyable. I loved this album for its sonically dark, moody vibes and how well it blended together with some of its themes and varied vocal performances. I'm glad to say that it has opened the floodgates for me when it comes to the rest of Massive Attack's discography. 

A-

Favorite Tracks: Angel, Teardrop, Inertia Creeps, Dissolved Girl, Man Next Door, (Exchange)

Least Favorite Track: Mezzanine 

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Lana Del Rey - Born To Die


Lana Del Rey - Born To Die (2012)



Genre: Baroque Pop, Trip Hop

With a new image and much controversy regarding it, Lana Del Rey amassed a huge following after the release of sophomore effort, thanks in part to its well received single, Video Games. This album is being reviewed per request. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade. 

After listening to this, I feel very conflicted. I can understand the appeal here, truly. There's some rather gorgeous orchestration to be found on some tracks that lend themselves well to the whole baroque aesthetic that Lana was going for. Hence, I really don't have much issue in the way of instrumentation, but rather the production and at times, even the songwriting. Let's start with the former, though.

There's lots of ambition here, and that ambition is further emphasized on a lot of the records' final cuts, which more often than not, seem to prioritize the volume and scale of the string arrangements, rather than Lana's actual voice. Million Dollar Man was enjoyable enough, but its overproduced sound killed some of its vibe for me. And it wasn't just the instruments, but Lana's voice on this track was off as well, as it came off as hissy and awkwardly loud. And this has nothing to do with her actual ability as a singer, because for the most part, she seems to be a solid vocalist. 

I found Off To The Races to be quite interesting, if only for Lana reaching for a higher register, almost sounding like a cutesy young teen girl. It's also a prime example of the hip-hop elements that are infused throughout this record, as is heard in other songs like National Anthem and Diet Mountain Dew, which come about due to heavy beats and basslines. To mention some highlights though, I loved Blue Jeans. Lana's vocal delivery on the lyrics, "I will love you till the end of time," is sort of haunting. Video Games is understandably popular for its beautiful baroque arrangement, but I can't help but laugh at the subject matter, which sort of leads into my second main issue with this record.

The lyrics here are completely uninspired. It relies way too heavily on tried and true clichés to deliver mixed messages about broken relationships and some cringe-inducing lyrics about being a "bad girl." It seems that when Lana's image changed, this record shows she was trying too hard to pass herself off as a sort of "rebel." It just doesn't work very well on here. That said, I applaud the clear ambition that is present on the album. More often than not though, the ideas that come with said ambition aren't effectively communicated. It might be cheating, but a couple of the tracks found on the "Bonus Tracks" version of this album, Lolita and Lucky Ones, prevent me from giving it a lower rating than I originally was going to.

C-


Favorite Tracks: Blue Jeans, Video Games, Dark Paradise, Lolita, Lucky Ones

Least Favorite Track: Carmen 

The xx - xx

The xx - xx (2009)



Genre: Indie Pop, Dream Pop, Indie Rock

With a minimalist approach to what is essentially indie rock, The xx's debut album was a sleeper hit that took many by surprise. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade. 

I'm shocked, honestly. How did this happen? Normally, an album that is as sonically stripped down as this one would constitute music that puts me to sleep, but The xx make it work. Minimal guitar work, funky beats, and prominent bass riffs that are simple, but effective. Truly, there isn't a whole lot going on here, instrumentation wise. Yet, this is a record that somehow caught my attention all throughout. It's hypnotic in a way. 

Part of this stems from Oliver and Romy's vocal chemistry found on many tracks. There's something so soothing and beautiful happening on Infinity as Oliver sings, "Give it up...," while Romy responds with such a smooth delivery, "I can't give it up..." It's funny because Oliver isn't even a very expressive singer. He seems to have this almost monotone-like voice pretty consistently, but it happens to work against the subtle instrumentation. This group seems to know what they were doing with their sound though, as the album opens with a track titled Intro, which is purely instrumental, showcasing the soft and minimalist approach that awaits listeners.

The song that seems to have the most fleshed out composition is Islands, which was actually the track that introduced me to this group, and it's pure bliss. Certainly the highlight of the album. There's honestly not much else to say here. The lack of grander music ideas here prevent me from delving much more into it. That said, this is an album that makes up for it's lack of fleshed out sounds with its superb execution of simple, catchy hooks and sultry vocal deliveries. And overall, it's just a super relaxing album to put on for a nice morning mood.

A-

Favorite Tracks: VCR, Crystalised, Islands, Heart Skipped a Beat, Basic Space, Infinity

Least Favorite Track: Fantasy

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Best Coast - Crazy For You

Best Coast - Crazy For You (2010)




Genre: Indie Pop, Surf Rock


I was first introduced to this pop rock duo upon first playing Rocksmith years ago, and I honestly wasn't a fan of the one song they had in that game. Regardless, I thought I'd check them out and see if they had any other songs I might enjoy. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade. 

Right off the bat, I can totally see where these two are coming from with their influences. This is a record that seeks to indulge on the simple, upbeat formula of 50's and 60's girly pop, as well as some of the nuances of classic surf rock. At 31 minutes, it's not a long album, but with the overall formula of the songwriting being pretty consistent, it tends to drag down after a while. The opening track Boyfriend gives a clear indication of where the music is going, both sonically and lyrically.

Having crushes and summery days are about as deep as the lyrics will go on here, and for the context, it's not necessarily a bad thing. This is certainly the kind of cheerful, up-beat music you would play on a nice summer day, while out on the beach or whatnot. I just don't see myself being able to enjoy this all the way through in one sitting. This is especially true, considering that Cosentino's ability as a lyricist, is certainly lacking. If anything, The End and Summer Mood are two songs that I would definitely add to some sort of feel-good playlist. I love their dream-like aesthetic and the reverb on it certainly made me feel some type of way. And to be fair, I acknowledge that all these songs do seem to use reverb to some extent, but I just found it more effective on these two.

Aside from those two tracks though, there were certainly a few others I enjoyed quite a bit, but most came off as a bit generic. I did enjoy the vibe that this record gave off though, as it's certainly nice to enjoy some more care-free, simple pop rock tunes from time to time, but I just wish these two could have deviated a bit from the basic, formulaic songwriting. For what it is, it's certainly catchy and cutesy at times, but I expected more. And as a side note, I did enjoy Bethany Cosentino's laid-back vocal delivery, as I thought it fit really well within the context of the music.

C

Favorite Tracks: Boyfriend, The End, Summer Mood, Honey

Least Favorite Track: Each And Everyday

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Radiohead - OK Computer

Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)



Genre: Alternative Rock, Art Rock

I don't think there's anything I can see here that hasn't be said before. This is a legendary album, and one that established Radiohead as one of the biggest innovators in music to come out of the 90's. This album is being reviewed per request. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade. 

I know a lot of hardcore fans will defend Kid A with their life, but not only do I think this album is better, but I think it's significance holds more depth than Kid A. This is an album that demonstrated their ability to branch out and create something new and fresh. This is not the experimental frenzy that a lot of their later albums would showcase, but it was a major step towards that. And as much as I love the weird side of this band, I believe this record perfectly meshes together alternative rock with the beautiful sounds of synthesizers and orchestral scores.

Let Down is a gorgeous example of these elements coming together in perfect harmony, which is apparently one of the album's growers to many. This certainly took me by surprise, as I loved this song from the first time I heard it. Similarly, Exit Music (For a Film) is a masterclass in somber tonality, with the orchestration creating a sense of anxiousness and depression. Really though, I could list most of the songs here in relation to mood, as they all work amazingly well in creating an atmosphere that is relevant to its themes. I even love Fitter Happier, which gives off a sense of dread, as a Mac computer recites some words of oppression and propaganda upon the protagonist, or society as a whole. It's more of a poem really, but the subtle piano greatly compliments it.

One can't forget about the three big hits to come out of this record. Karma Police and No Surprises are simply classics. They're a couple of the most well-known tracks in the band's discography. While not as popular as these two, Paranoid Android is in my opinion the band's greatest hit, and not just by popularity's standards, but as many critics have pointed out before, it really is the Bohemian Rhapsody of the 90's. It's such an incredibly progressive song, and it easily ranks among my top ten songs of all time.

I could talk about how great the rest of the songs are, like Electrioneering, with its tasty and hypnotic riffs, and Lucky, which still gives me goosebumps to this day. But, this really is an album that I believe must be experienced by everyone at some point, and simply explaining my love for it doesn't do it justice. Every song is incredibly expressive with its beautiful structures and instrumentation. All songs are equally impactful in their delivery of serious themes that are brought up. This is an intelligent, socially aware and incredibly expressive record. It's easily one of the greatest albums of all time, personally. 

A+

Favorite Tracks: Paranoid Android, Exit Music (For a Film), Let Down, Karma Police, Fitter Happier, Electioneering, No Surprises, Lucky

Least Favorite Track: Climbing Up the Walls (If I had to pick)

Monday, January 7, 2019

Phil Collins - Face Value

Phil Collins - Face Value (1981)



Genre: Art Rock, R&B

Phil Collins was one of the first English musicians I was turned on to since loving the Tarzan soundtrack as a kid. Believe it or not, this is my first time properly listening to one of his solo albums all the way through. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade. 

As a huge fan of Peter Gabriel's Genesis, I don't discredit Phil completely in evolving Genesis into primarily a pop rock band. They made some big stinkers for sure, but there were always plenty of catchy tunes to be found among their later discography. With that said, I guess the reason I never delved into Phil's solo material was because In The Air Tonight is so overplayed on the radio, that I lost motivation. And I'll admit, it took a little while to grow on me, but I did enjoy this record more than I thought I would.

As I said, I have grown pretty tired of In The Air Tonight, but I can't deny how great of a song it is; one that gave rise to many aspiring drummers for its awesome drum fills. Really though, most of the tracks on here show that they're a product of their time. Mostly lovey-dovey songs with the occasional upbeat dance type groove, but mostly slow, ballad-like instrumentals and the occasional seductive sax playing, which is most prominent on the track If Leaving Me Is Easy. It's easily one of my favorites on the album. I don't know what it is, really, but I just love the sax playing and Phil's voice on that one. Behind The Lines, a song that Phil sings on the Genesis record Duke makes an appearance here, but arranged in more of a funk style, which I can't vouch for in terms of superiority, but it's still quite catchy.

Droned and Hand in Hand are the two instrumentals that play at the end of Side A. Droned was amazingly infectious, bringing about African-inspired beats and an almost tropical sort of vibe at times. Hand in Hand however, happens to easily be my least favorite on this record, and it's funny that I say that, because it is one of the more sonically interesting ones. There's lots of brass and an undeniably upbeat dance-like quality about it, but I just personally feel like it's way too overblown, and as an instrumental, it often sounds more like something you would hear in the background of a Spanish music festival.


While I didn't think there were many standout tracks to be found here, most of them were quite pleasant. This is definitely an album I would only really play when I'm in a summery, easy-going mood, though I guess that's how I've felt about a lot of 80's R&B records. One song I want to point out as an anomaly is the cover of The Beatles' Tomorrow Never Knows. While still holding back on the heavy experimentation that was used in the original, it still sounds odd within the context of this record, but it's nevertheless a pretty solid cover, in my opinion. Overall, there's good vibes here, even if it's somewhat clichéd at times. 

B+

Favorite Tracks: In The Air Tonight, The Roof Is Leaking, Droned, If Leaving Me Is Easy, Tomorrow Never Knows

Least Favorite Track: Hand in Hand

Saturday, January 5, 2019

Kero Kero Bonito - Time 'n' Place

Kero Kero Bonito - Time 'n' Place (2018)



Genre: Dream Pop, Twee Pop, Synth Pop, Noise Pop

As much as I loved their debut for its bubblegum-like, upbeat and catchy tunes, their sophomore effort brings about a new sound that I have eagerly embraced. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade. 


Figuratively, I think I'm falling in love with this group. Never in recent memory has a group managed to divert from their original sound as much as KKB have done and still manage to be every bit as good in my ears. On this sophomore effort, the group seems to embrace a much more mature and experimental sound, with some songs like Outside and Only Acting making use of some very tasty distorted guitar riffs. The later song also demonstrates the group's willingness to approach noise music, as there's lots of off-handed breaks and aggressive synth use near the end of it.

Even though there has been a shift in style, there's some qualities to be found here that are still very much standard of KKB. For one, the synth use is still very much prominent here, and while it is more heavily used in more experimental contexts, it's still used quite well in more mellow songs such as Dump and more upbeat tracks like Make Believe. And while J-pop influences seem to be rather non-existent for the most part, the spirit of their debut's cheerfulness it still aplenty here. 

Personally, a huge part of this trio's charm comes from their lyrics, which have always seemed to deal with many of the simple things in life. This is no exception here, as we get some very sweet and cutesy songwriting with themes ranging from how busy one's life can be, thinking back on missed opportunities, and picking yourself up when you're done. The latter is the theme of Sometimes, which almost plays out like a campfire song, upbeat acoustic guitar playing and all. It's incredibly sweet and infectious.

Many fans may not exactly enjoy the new switch in style that KKB have demonstrated on this project, but I for one find it a welcome one. The fun and insanely catchy songs on here, some of which transition very smoothly into each other, all resonating with a mixture of interesting instrumentation and Sarah Bonito's pleasing voice, make this one incredibly satisfying record. I guess if I had to nitpick, the closing track Rest Stop was maybe a bit too experimental for its own good, as halfway through it just seemed like Sarah was quietly singing over some seemingly random noises. It certainly doesn't bring down the album's overall quality though, especially considering that this only plays out for about a minute at the very end. With that said, I still very much believe that this was one of the best albums of 2018, period.

A+

Favorite Tracks: Only Acting, Flyway, Make Believe, Dear Future Self, Visiting Hours, If I'd Known, Sometimes

Least Favorite Track: Rest Stop