6/10
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While Lust for Life might be Lana Del Rey’s weakest attempt at reconciling her old school and new school influences, it’s also the first time I’ve come away from one of her albums with more highlights than lowlights.
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Vince Staples’ Big Fish Theory is the Long Beach rapper’s most eclectic project yet, but still exposes major songwriting deficiencies.
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Murder of the Universe might be King Gizzard’s most musically and conceptually ambitious project to date, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired.
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On their third studio album Renaissance, The Underachievers still have great fundamentals and chemistry, but much of the time it sounds like they’re on autopilot.
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Witness finds Katy Perry heading in exciting new sonic and lyrical directions, but is sometimes held back by Katy indulging in safer, staler sounds and her usual cliches.
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Full of Hell offers a fleeting thrill of sludgy grindcore on their latest album.
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Melbourne’s Smith Street Band have a lot going for them with their emo-tinged pop punk sound and passionate frontman Wil Wagner, but are let down by some familiar production, basic song structures, and cringeworthy lyrics on their latest album.
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The Far Field, the fifth album from NC synthpop trio Future Islands, is a serious case of musical déjà vu.
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Freddie Gibbs makes a rushed return with You Only Live 2wice.
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Rick Ross takes a more introspective approach on his latest album.
