Autechre’s mass and density hasn’t changed so much as has its distribution of those welcome, riveting qualities. Only in the world of Autechre could the…
Savage Mode II’s half-hearted experimentation makes for diminishing returns this time out for 21 and Metro. If Savage Mode is the cult classic that introduced…
The superb, three-volume Boots No. 2 proves there’s no need to worry about Welch running out of material any time soon. Sometimes you have to…
Whole Lotta Red is a versatile, experimental, and grand pop statement from a singular artist in full command of his authorship. Whole Lotta Red is, above…
Lopatin’s patchwork panoply of snippets and songs in collision is kaleidoscopic, peaceful, and placating. The purloined production of Daniel Lopatin’s Magic Oneohtrix Point Never, “recorded”/constructed…
The Album isn’t the mic drop record its title suggests but still mostly thrives on the strength of BLACKPINK’s exuberant stylings. After spending the past couple…
The two volumes of Cuttin’ Grass succeed at the difficult task of making retrospective work feel both new and essential. The concept of the “greatest hits” set…
Cam remains a talent worth following, but The Otherside doesn’t make it clear where she’s going. Since releasing her well-regarded debut, Untamed, in 2015, Cam has released…
Playboi Carti Whole Lotta Red is, above all else, very cool. And as with anything cool being released into the contemporary pop landscape, Playboi Carti’s…
Positions finds Ariana in full superstar mode: as confident, in control, and willing to define herself as she has ever been. After two album cycles that…
My Life 4Hunnid reflects yet a further dip in quality from YG’s long-ago days of Still Brazy. My Life 4Hunnid, YG’s latest, is the type of…
If songs/instrumentals is to mark a pause in Lenker’s prolific output over the past couple years, it’s a fitting and intimate ellipses. After a prolific year that…
The Truckers are no less biting than usual, but The New OK reflects the group’s discernible joy in making a ruckus amidst society’s grimness. The Drive-By Truckers…
The only form CYR represents a return to is Corgan’s familiar, tedious navel-gazing and nostalgic rehash. The year is (was) 2020, and Billy Corgan, the…
Ariana Grande After two album cycles that culminated in a massive sold-out tour (with multiple headlining dates at major music festivals), Ariana Grande has returned,…
There is a satisfaction in seeing Yves Tumor deliver an album like Heaven to a Tortured Mind, at once a clever progression of their sonic…
Selena Gomez’s solo albums have always had an intensity that’s been largely misunderstood (or simply written off as an attempt to capitalize on her publicly…
A hip-hop album for old heads and connoisseurs, made by two guys who grew up in the golden age of rap and love it too…
The leanest and meanest country record of 2020, Tami Neilson’s CHICKABOOM! is the dynamic singer-songwriter’s fourth straight career-best album. Over a breakneck set of country…
Hook begins Crashed My Car, her first of two mixtapes from 2020, in hysterics, detailing how she, yes, crashed her car. While the Riverside rapper…