Year: 2018
ALBUM REVIEW: Earl Sweatshirt Does It Again on ‘Some Rap Songs’
A profound, honest marvel of emotionally bare hip-hop.
ALBUM REVIEW: The 1975 Prove Millennials Are Deep Too on ‘A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships’
Emotionally complex, hyper-modern genre-hopping rock.
ALBUM REVIEW: Black Thought Ages Like a Fine Wine on ‘Streams of Thought Vol 2’
Aspiring MCs: don’t quit your day jobs.
ALBUM REVIEW: Jeff Tweedy Is at His Most Raw on ‘WARM’
Three decades into his career, Tweedy’s first proper solo LP is another understated work from the humble master.
ALBUM REVIEW: Ryley Walker Makes Dave Matthews Band Cool Again on ‘The Lillywhite Sessions’
But let’s not do it again.
Kanye West’s ‘808s & Heartbreak’ Turns 10
The album that made it okay to cry in hip-hop.
ALBUM REVIEW: Anderson Paak Takes It Home on ‘Oxnard’
Give it time. It’ll grow on you.
ALBUMS WE’RE THANKFUL FOR: Deerhunter’s ‘Halcyon Digest’ Showed Me What an ‘Album’ Can Be
For Thanksgiving, MMC Writers are sharing records they’re grateful for.
ALBUMS WE’RE THANKFUL FOR: Beastie Boys’ ‘Check Your Head’ Started Everything for Me
For Thanksgiving, MMC Writers are sharing records they’re grateful for.
ALBUMS WE’RE THANKFUL FOR: Greenday’s ‘Dookie’ Gave Me Courage To Be Myself
For Thanksgiving, MMC Writers are sharing records they’re grateful for.
ALBUM REVIEW: Charles Bradley’s ‘Black Velvet’ Is a Reminder of What We Lost
The frequently compared late-bloomer deserves to be first remembered as the singular voice he was.
ALBUM REVIEW: ‘The White Album’ Deluxe Edition Is an Exhaustive (And Exhausting) Document of Its Making
Did I need to hear Take 44 of “Long, Long, Long”?
ALBUM REVIEW: Action Bronson Shows His Maturity on ‘White Bronco’
But is that good thing?
ALBUM REVIEW: J Mascis Spins Another Melancholy Yarn on ‘Elastic Days’
The Dinosaur Jr. hero gets extra tender when left to his own devices.
ALBUM REVIEW: ‘More Blood, More Tracks’ Reveals the Folk Album Hiding Beneath the Rock Classic
A gorgeous and fascinating dissection of one of the greatest breakup albums of all time.
ALBUM REVIEW: Metro Boomin Flexes Hard on ‘Not All Heroes Wear Capes’
Further proof Metro is one of hip-hop’s greatest producers.
ALBUM REVIEW: ‘Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 2′ is a Glimpse of What Lil’ Peep Could Have Been
“I was dying and nobody was there.”
ALBUM REVIEW: Vince Staples Makes His Point on ‘FM!’
Few can do it as well as he can.
ALBUM REVIEW: Joij Completes His Transformation on ‘Ballads 1’
Ballads 1 is the heavily anticipated debut full-length from internet sensation turned serious musician Joji.
ALBUM REVIEW: Mick Jenkins is the Rightful Heir of Gil Scott-Heron
‘Pieces of a Man’ might be this year’s most artful hip-hop album.
ALBUM REVIEW: ‘Village Green Preservation Society’ Is The Kinks’ Magnum Opus
The definitive edition of the Kinks definitive masterpiece.
ALBUM REVIEW: NAO Soars Through Space on ‘Saturn’
British R&B doubles down on her electric sound on sophomore effort.
ALBUM REVIEW: Homeboy Sandman and Edan Bake Up Something Special on ‘Humble Pi’
If you’re sick of generic beats and rhymes about sex and drugs, here’s the real deal.
ALBUM REVIEW: Boygenius is the Indie Rock Supergroup We Need
Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus slay on their collaborative EP.
ALBUM REVIEW: Julia Holter Sacrifices Simplicity For Grandiosity on ‘Aviary’
A sprawling, dense opus that will move you to your core.
ALBUM REVIEW: Robyn Is as Sweet as Ever on ‘Honey’
A master class in seamless, universal dance pop.
ALBUM REVIEW: Cloud Nothings Scorch The Earth on ‘Last Building Burning’
A hot and heavy contrast to 2017’s polished ‘Life Without Sound’.
ALBUM REVIEW: Colter Wall Reminds Us That Canada Has Cowboys Too on ‘Songs of the Plains’
Wall doubles down on the stripped-down sound of his striking debut.
ALBUM REVIEW: Khalid’s ‘Suncity’ EP is All Surface
The follow-up to ‘American Teen’ features syrupy, by-the-book R&B.
ALBUM REVIEW: Neneh Cherry Is as Sharp as Ever on ‘Broken Politics’
With none other than Four Tet behind the boards.
ALBUM REVIEW: How To Dress Well Gets Dark and Gritty on ‘The Anteroom’
A brilliant hybrid of mangled sonics and sheer beauty.
ALBUM REVIEW: Behemoth Show Us Everything They’ve Got on ‘I Loved You At Your Darkest’
Forty-five devastating minutes of unmitigated chaos and despair.
ALBUM REVIEW: Ella Mai Arrives Fully-Formed on Self-Titled Debut
Sultry vocals, direct lyrics, luscious harmonies and 808s.
ALBUM REVIEW: Kurt Vile Keeps on Keeping On on ‘Bottle It In’
Another hazy trip from the easy-going guitarman.
ALBUM REVIEW: Adrianne Lenker Strips down to Her Elements on ‘abysskiss’
An insular, stunning record from the Big Thief singer.
ALBUM REVIEW: Calvin Johnson Keeps It Weird on ‘A Wonderful Beast’
The indie legend is still having fun.
ALBUM REVIEW: High on Fire Finds Their Inner Kilmister on ‘Electric Messiah’
Overall a great album from the gang.
ALBUM REVIEW: Petite Noir Melds African and Western Into Something Entirely New on ‘La Maison Noir’
La Maison Noir / The Black House is the new visual EP from Petite Noir,
ALBUM REVIEW: Phosphorescent Does It Again on ‘C’est La Vie’
A feat of album craft that never overstays its welcome.
ALBUM REVIEW: Molly Burch Demonstrates Her Range on ‘First Flower’
She just doesn’t quite reach her potential.
ALBUM REVIEW: Cat Power’s Many Lives Coalesce on ‘Wanderer’
It has a quiet determination to that’s totally captivating and right for the times.
ALBUM REVIEW: Kero Kero Bonito’s ‘Time ‘n’ Place’ is a Spectacular Departure
The London trio comes through with a wild, genre-defying release.
ALBUM REVIEW: Buck Meek Does Something Different on Solo Debut
Big Thief guitarist gives aa deconstructed take on desert-fried folk, country and indie rock.
ALBUM REVIEW: Mudhoney Calls B.S. on ‘Digital Garbage’
The grunge grandaddies still have a lot to say, and it’s more poignant and needed than ever.
ALBUM REVIEW: At Long Last, ‘Tha Carter V’ is Here
Lil Wayne’s long-delayed album doesn’t disappoint.
ALBUM REVIEW: There’s No Pretending on Villagers’ ‘The Art of Pretending to Swim’
Another stunning work of remarkable craft and nuance from Conor O’Brien.
ALBUM REVIEW: 6lack Has Found His Formula with ‘East Atlanta Love Letter’
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
ALBUM REVIEW: BROCKHAMPTON Just Keeps Getting Better on ‘iridescence’
It’s hard to imagine anybody not loving this album.