5/10
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The production and vocal performances on Pony are considerable steps down from Rex Orange County’s previous efforts.
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While Battles maintain their unique style of math rock on Juice B Crypts, the band sounds like a shadow of its former self.
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Sturgill Simpson’s rock experimentation on Sound & Fury sometimes goes over well; other times it goes awfully awry.
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There’s no doubt DaBaby can flow; it’s just unfortunate he spends so much time on KIRK, as he says, “fuckin’ around.”
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Birth of Violence‘s stripped back presentation, despite its bewitchingly dark vibe, mostly exacerbates the relatively weak songwriting.
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House of Sugar is sprinkled with some brilliant and beautiful ideas, but is on the whole marred by an unsatisfying flow, dodgy songwriting, and faint lead vocals.
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Post Malone loses focus on his sophomore album.
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Sleater-Kinney tries new things throughout The Center Won’t Hold and, more often than not, they don’t pan out.
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Immunity is at its best when Clairo manages to find power in simplicity and subtlety, which happens only some of the time.
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Case Study 01 sounds much less polished and labored over than Freudian—perhaps in an attempt to catch lightning in a bottle—but, more often than not, the results are less than electric.
