Tag Archives for Taylor Swift

The Rundown: June 2024

Cast your minds back to March or so, when I discussed a work thing keeping me impaired from listening to as much music as I wanted to. Well that has happened again this month, at least briefly. I was tearing through albums when I was suddenly restricted to just listening to stuff on my commute. But have no fear, I’m still doing blast reviews, and this post contains a whopping 28 of them. I debated cutting it into two posts so I don’t crash your browser. I didn’t. Sorry! These aren’t in any real order, just tossed around so you don’t get genre- or length-fatigue.

Despite everything, my 2024 listen-to list is still hovering around 180 releases, an absolutely impenetrable number. In this post, you’ll get some great alternative, throwback punk, a lot of passable metal, a trio of semi-Spanish indie artists, check-ins from a pair of veteran rock bands, and two of the biggest pop albums of the year. I have barricaded my apartment and armed myself, because I will dive deep into the Taylor Swift record. Lord help us.

Orville Peck – Stampede, Vol. 1

Happy pride month to all my cowboys, cowgirls, and cows who don’t fit on a binary. Any of you who follow me on social media know my borderline obsession with the masked man. Our yeehaw ambassador is back with “new” music – an EP of mostly covers, performed with many of the original artists. The standout is, of course, the opening track “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond Of Each Other,” done with Willie Nelson, who made the song famous back in the 80’s. The EP is very gay and joyous, and isn’t meant to be any grand statement. Most of the songs are…fine! Peck is listed as a writer on three of the seven songs, with the rest being covers. An Elton John cover is fun, as is a Billy Ray Cyrus cover done with Noah Cyrus. Other tracks are fine but not memorable. A Latin track “Miénteme” is a bit misguided. This is not an important release, but as a holdover until the next record, it’s fun enough. Given that this is a volume, and given that Peck’s last album came in installments, there will surely be more. However he has yet to announce a follow-up, so for now I’m seeing it as a standalone EP.

Grade: 7/10   Initial release date: 5/10/24

Charli XCX – BRAT

For years, Charli XCX has been in sole possession of a sweet spot in pop music. She’s consistently made music poppy enough for wide appeal, but offbeat enough to avoid Top 40 weight and arena tours. It’s allowed her to keep getting blank checks to make big-budget weirdness, and time to exist in the fashion and modeling worlds. Put simply: she’s the coolest artist around. So I was disappointed in her 2023 album Crash which, despite the literal car crash cover, was her most conventional album since her rudimentary debut. I was afraid to address it at the time, solely because I was worried that that path would continue. It didn’t. BRAT is completely wild. This is hyperpop at its finest: boppy and melodic, but extremely unpredictable and glitchy everywhere. No, not on the level 100 Gecs or anything, but still chaotic. Save a couple of more tender songs, these are jams.

Charli has spent years branding herself as a cold, partying brat with an impressive clique – “Mean girls” backs this up. But despite this image, Charli is very upfront with her emotions on this record. There’s songs of self-doubt and gender questionings. These are vulnerable songs, sung loudly, but still masked behind boisterous music. The lyrics are there for dissecting, but they’re easy to miss as well. That I picked up on all of this in one listen is itself impressive – I normally don’t pay attention to lyrics much on the first go-around. This is such a complete portrait of an artist who knows her personal strengths and weaknesses. I don’t really listen to full records multiple times unless they’re instant favorites, but I will for this one. It demands it. Maybe it’ll be a favorite anyways. One of the best pop records of 2024, easily.

Grade: 8.5/10   Initial release date: 6/7/24

Mount Kimbie – The Sunset Violet

I don’t quite “get” Mount Kimbie, but that doesn’t stop their 2017 song “Blue Train Lines” from being one of my all-time favorites. The UK duo makes electronic music that doesn’t really align itself with any one genre. Similar to someone like DJ Shadow or even late career Gorillaz, some of their songs are collaborations, and they morph their sound to the style of music that their guest normally makes. This results in multiple King Krule songs that sound like, King Krule. But most of these songs are unassisted, and they straddle an invisible line between electronic and indie. They don’t really do a lot with either, honestly. These songs are richly textured and feel very warm, but most of them finish where they started; they’re based on vibes solely. It’s a summery album, I can see it getting put it on at a tame beach party. But as something to put on just to listen to, well it leaves something to be desired. “A Figure In The Surf” was my favorite of the bunch, and probably the only song I’ll go back to. Definitely one of the best album covers of the year, though.

Grade: 6.5/10   Initial release date: 4/5/24

Cloud Nothings – Final Summer

I love Cloud Nothings, for two reasons. One, their base template is sweaty and tantric full-force indie rock, in a manner that isn’t done much these days. The other reason is that sometimes they just take full album detours, and Final Summer is one of those. The songs on this album are much more restrained than normal. They’re still completely guitar-centric, and the band is as melody-focused as always, but these songs edge closer to pop-punk than post-hardcore. That’s not really my type of thing, mind you, and this is one of my least favorite records of theirs because of it. However, they nail the new direction. One can imagine someone getting into the poppiness of the title tune only to dig deeper and get pummeled by “Wasted Days.” I can see this being an album that grows on me. Hell, I may have just not been in the right mood. On the first listen, it was pleasant, but nothing particularly exciting. Very great, but not really “for me.” On a second listen, who’s to say. If I was rating these on an impartial scale, the grade would be higher.

Grade: 7/10   Initial release date: 4/19

Stompbox – Final Summer

No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you – we’ve hit the highly improbable double album title. The Boston post-hardcore underdogs are back with their first new music in 30 years, a five-track EP that sounds ripped from the 1994 world that Stompbox walked away from. It also shares a title with the new Cloud Nothings release! Admittedly, I don’t know much about these guys, despite being in the Boston punk scene – I mostly included it because of the title thing. Honestly, I stumbled onto this on Bandcamp! I’m glad I did though, as someone who can never get enough local and/or post-hardcore music. TAD showed up as the top related artist, and fittingly so. These are post-hardcore songs that edge on metal. They’re not exactly original, but they’re great throwback tunes. I’d be down for a second run.

Grade: 6.5/10   Initial release date: 3/26/24

Lime Garden – One More Thing

I know little of this band, but picked them out from a radio show I heard early in the year. Their debut record is a little indie gem! Ostensibly, they’re an electro-indie group, with some strong synth influences. In most cases, this is true – songs like “Floor” and “Pop Star” have a vibrant sound that borrows equally from 80’s pop and the current hyperpop scene, all bundled in a package that’s more quaint than that combo might suggest. But there’s misdirections, too. Opener “Love Song” (the one that initially hooked me) is more of a true indie song, primed for alt-rock radio. And “Fears” is a more experimental, muddied mess of glitch and buried vocals. There’s a lot going on in this record, and basically all of it works. While it’s not one of the albums of the year or anything, I was taken aback by how much I enjoyed it. It’s sitting at a 7.5 right now, but it could get bumped into the elite 8 section. 

Grade: 7.5/10   Initial release date: 2/16/24

King Hannah – Big Swimmer

Another fascinating British indie album from a group I know little about. The title track from this album is one that’s been picking up steam on the indie radio station I listen to, and Merrick’s smooth vocals and unconventional song structure really hooked me. This duo sounds very zeitgeist-y in their production, but the songwriting goes back to 90’s alternative. Many of the songs here are soft and vulnerable, but some of them opt instead for chaotic guitar. There’s two ends of the spectrum, and even when the songs investigate both, they never do it in the middle. Not to mention, Hannah Merrick’s vocals are entrancing. She sings wistfully, poetically, like she’s telling you a secret. Often there aren’t really vocal rhythms, her voice just naturally sounds melodic. These songs wouldn’t work with a more indifferent singer. The album does suffer from too many slower moments on the back half, and a pair of songs at the midpoint that are a touch too long, but on the whole, this is a stellar release. If nothing else, check out the title track. 

Grade: 7.5/10   Initial release date: 5/31

Necrot – Lifeless Birth

This album already had a high hurdle to climb; Necrot’s previous album all the way back in 2020 was an out-of-nowhere gold standard for modern death metal. It remains one of the best metal albums I’ve listened to in the past few years. Unfortunately this one did not live up to the standard. But that’s not to say it’s bad, because it still rips. I mean, look at the cover. You know exactly what you’re getting here. Lifeless Birth is full of nonstop death metal rippers with a tongue placed halfway-in-cheek. The best songs are the ones that do truly just let loose, like the title track and “Cut the Cord.” Other longer tracks don’t sustain the energy, so even a short album gets some lag at times. But most of these songs are a full drill to the skull.

Grade: 7/10   Initial release date: 4/12/24

Of Montreal – Lady On The Cusp

I’ve never really been onboard the Of Montreal train, to be honest. It’s partially the daunting catalog, and partially the mix of experimental and straightforward indie stuff that doesn’t really work for me. I’ve never separated them from the Flaming Lips in my head, even though the bands aren’t too similar. I haven’t listened to too much of their catalog, and I should also note that some of this album was consumed while I was in a subway station, humid and getting increasingly frustrated at a nonexistent train. But, I got very little out of this. The top half of the album is pretty fun, with a bunch of songs that add some sonic experimentation into melodic pop-rock songs. The songs are enjoyable, but none of them are particularly exciting. The back half is mostly softer stuff, and it’s equally pleasant but forgettable. These songs have a home and an audience, and I wish I could diagnose why I don’t connect with the music of Kevin Barnes but, this isn’t for me. 

Grade: 6/10   Initial release date: 5/17/24

Perennial – Art History

Another local artist that has broken containment and is getting a proper review here. I have had the absolute pleasure of interviewing two members of this band, two people as bubbly as the music is. I’m a massive sucker for mid-00’s dance-punk, a la The Hives and Be Your Own Pet, and that’s exactly what Perennial does. Their third album continues the trend, just a bunch of quick little blasts of melodic punk. No song sticks around long – the record is 12 songs and 21 minutes. Most of them are sonic bursts, high-energy party songs, with a couple more experimental tracks (or segments) thrown in to break the pattern. Clean guitars, dual vocals and nonstop ferocious energy will make you feel like you’re in a club in 2005 seeing a great short-lived band with a terribly long and stupid name all over again. This is punk for everyone, get to this one immediately. Long live Perennial. 

Grade: 8/10   Initial release date: 6/7/24

Dehd – Poetry

I didn’t really vibe with the singles off of Dehd’s last album, but I didn’t listen to the full thing and I’m always down to give a band a fair shot. Unfortunately this really didn’t do anything for me. The indie band takes on a lot of different influences, and it would be objectively incorrect to say that their works are repetitive. But there isn’t really any juice here, either. They come off like they’re still looking for their signature sound, and I think they are. Some songs work, and all of them are pleasant enough. But a big majority of them just don’t have anything going for them. They end where they start and they fill the silence, nothing more. I’m not writing them off, the band’s multi-singer approach and varying influences have a lot of promise still. Poetry isn’t what it’s titled, though. It’s boring. 

Grade: 6/10   Initial release date: 5/10/24

NØ MAN – Glitter and Spit

I don’t know anything about this band so I’ll keep this brief. This is solid hardcore! It doesn’t edge too far on the abrasive side, mostly keeping things on the punk side of things instead. It’s fairly melodic, most of these tunes have something to latch on to. Opener “Eat My Twin” is expansive, pounding like a post-hardcore tune. “Poison Darts” and “Can’t Kill Us All” rip, they were my two picks. Otherwise these songs are enjoyable punk tracks. Nothing revolutionary, but worth a listen.

Grade: 6.5/10   Initial release date: 3/29

Lily Seabird – Alas,

Another indie artist I know little at all about. Shout out to Allston Pudding radio for introducing me to this one (hey Andrew, when does it air? Every Monday 4-6pm and Tuesday 10-noon EST!). This album has all the makings of a quaint little affair, but some of these songs get deep and heavy. The heavier songs start to take on a 90’s fuzzy quality, even shoegaze-y at points. But not all the time, often Lily keeps things softer. Everything works, there isn’t too much of a good thing. Every song feels introspective, some feeling vulnerable while some feel distant and cold. This is earnest music, and that something so well-developed and well-produced can come from an upcoming indie solo artist like this is just impressive. To be blunt, I loved this. 

Grade: 8.5/10   Initial release date: 1/12/24

Witch Vomit – Funeral Sanctum

With a name like Witch Vomit, you have to know that you’re getting semi-serious death metal. And it’s exactly that: dense, fun and forgettable death metal. This is very standard-fare stuff, I already don’t remember this album much after a few days. But the opening tracks “Endless Fall” and “Blood of Abomination” go hard as hell, nice little treats. If you like death metal, you can do better, but you can certainly do worse. Completely passable. Not much else to say!

Grade: 7/10   Initial release date: 4/5/24

Pearl Jam – Dark Matter

While I was listening to this, I kept thinking about Pearl Jam’s 2006 self-titled album. I was 16 when it came out, and although I was already deep in the throes of their catalog, it was the first new Pearl Jam album I got to hear. In my teenage baby brain, the band’s 1991 debut felt like a century ago, and I accepted from the jump that this was an older and different band. That was eighteen years ago, now in the first half of their careers. And yet, in my now adult baby brain, that initial divide still seems bigger than the current one. 

This album really is similar to the S/T, though. On the surface, this is a relatively nondescript PJ record. It lacks the groundbreaking qualities of their earliest records, and the experimentation of their surprisingly excellent previous effort Gigaton. But it’s punchy, an album that’s got a lot of energy to it. A lot of bands entering their fourth decade will shit out complacent albums of half-baked slow-burners, content to play the hits on tour. These songs are still tenderly cared for. Many of them are slower, but they’re not without effort and inspiration. There are still some real bursts of energy, too, the guys have still got the punk spirit. That hasn’t always been the case (check out the dreadful 2013 album Lightning Bolt). Although the self-titled wasn’t their first album in a new decade, it felt like the first in their second phase. It was the first album where they had nothing to prove. Dark Matter is remarkably similar to that record; the only thing they have to prove is that they can still prove something. 

Grade: 7/10   Initial release date: 4/19

Bossman Dlow – Mr Beat The Road

I know little of this rapper, including how he ended up on my list in the first place. It looks like one of his songs blew on on the tick tock website, I wouldn’t know much about that (old). Regardless, this is a fun ass record. It’s more of a throwback to 00’s rap, with big beats, clean production and a general boisterousness. The album is not very serious, with frequent sound effects and tongue-in-cheek boasts. It’s designed to be fun and funny, and it largely succeeds at both. Most of the tracks are under three minutes, so no idea sticks around too long. Nearly every song (and there are seventeen of them) is identical in structure, tone and tempo, so the album is repetitive long past a fault. The weaker songs are forgotten immediately, in the wake of the sprinkled-in big songs. But, every track is fun, and even the skippable ones don’t reduce the record all that much.

Grade: 7/10   Initial release date: 3/15

Mdou Moctar – Funeral For Justice

I was pumped for this one, I love Moctar’s previous album Afrique Victime. The Nigerien songwriter blends traditional African music sung in Tuareg with western indie and healthy amounts of guitar licks. A little secret about me is that I love African music, despite my translucent Irish skin. So naturally I took a liking to Moctar. This album has a few songs that are frustratingly slow, so it didn’t really meet my expectations, but those expectations were also high. It’s a lot of fun, and it does come with a lot of excellent guitar work. This album is unique, and in a just world it’ll open up western audiences to African music. I think it’s already working. Some of these songs may work tremendously live – I’ll let you know, I’m seeing him in a couple of hours. EDIT: Confirmed that he absolutely kicks ass live, you need to see him when he comes to your city.

Grade: 7.5/10   Initial release date: 5/3/24

Shabaka – Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace

I needed this as a Monday morning commute album, as a hangover for the Sunday night Mdou Moctar show. I listened to Shabaka’s previous solo effort, as well as some of his work with Sons of Kemet, but this is a proper debut album. And I was not prepared for it at all! Shabaka dials things back, softening his jazz and way softening his African elements, resulting in something that’s beautiful world music, and not the funkier jazz I was anticipating. It is very flute-based, and yes, Andre 3000 does have an uncredited assist. The best songs are the two longest, right at the album’s midpoint – “Body to Inhabit,” which is aided by some straight rap from E L U C I D, and “I’ll Do Whatever You Want,” a journey of a tune with some helpful collaborations from Floating Points and Laraaji. These songs are quiet and peaceful, but well-developed. It’s music I’ll only purposefully seek out in a very specific mood, but it’s a gem. It’s Monday morning music. 

Grade: 7.5/10   Initial release date: 4/12

Chicano Batman – Notebook Fantasy

This band came on my radar years ago due to, naturally, their name. I caught one of their sets on some livestream (Coachella?) and was impressed with their punk spirit and melodic tunes. Years later and they’ve really only expanded. The punk influences are mostly gone, which is usually a no-no in my book. However these songs are good enough that I took no issue. The tracks here range from low-key indie to hypnotic soul to Latin pop, changing on a dime. If you don’t like the sound of one song, no matter, the next one is different. And it all congeals well, because there’s an authenticity spawning from the multicultural heritage of the band’s background. Ultimately, it draws close to indie-pop, if that’s your speed. Whatever – I recommend.

Grade: 7.5/10   Initial release date: 3/29/24

Alisa Amador – Multitudes

Just like Chicano Batman, this record blends Latin & American influences well. Amador is a local, another album that I feel has broken containment from the corner I relegate local stuff to. If you’re a fan of NPR’s Tiny Desk shows, then this name may seem familiar – Amador won the contest they ran a few years back. Her debut album, one I’ve been quietly anticipating for a long while, is a delightful and glistening indie-pop romp. Spanish-language ballads and American bedroom pop songs live in harmony, and are often better than anticipated. There’s a number of sneakily excellent songs here, and they’re all unique from each other while still being familiar in concept. Get in on the ground floor here!

Grade: 7.5/10   Initial release date: 6/7

The Marias – Submarine

I have a few friends obsessed with this group, so I’ve been making sure to keep them on my list even though I felt like it might not be a me thing. Unfortunately, it’s not. The band does quaint, Spanish-influenced bedroom pop. Like Chicano Batman and Alisa Amador, the quartet mixes Spanish language lyrics and Latin music influences with American indie, making music that is soft, breezy and a bit sultry. It’s a bit too dry for me. While I like bedroom pop sometimes, it can easily get repetitive, and I struggled to glean individual tracks from this. I can see why people are getting quickly hooked on this group – and it’s a great summer record. With more listens I could warm up to it. But for now, I was left wanting more. 

Grade: 6.5/10   Initial release date: 5/31/24

Kings of Leon – Can We Please Have Some Fun

I’d ask you the same question! Much like The Black Keys in a previous post, this quintessentially American rock band was already peaking when they struck gold in the late-00’s. It’s now 2024, and they’ve settled for complacency. While the Black Keys have entered a middle-aged paranoia, the Kings seem content to release the same album they’ve been releasing for fifteen years. To their credit, it’s probably better than the Keys album; it’s simply boring. It isn’t try-hard, in fact they’re not trying at all. There’s even a song that has lyrics about not having anything to say! This is mom music, not many steps removed from Coldplay*. There’s a place for music like this, and maybe we wouldn’t be so critical if these guys hadn’t transformed so much. But this isn’t the same band that did “Four Steps.” There are some highlights – the opener “Ballerina Radio” is a touching and hyperaware song about the current state, and “Nothing To Do” is a rollicking song that sounds like the old KOL. But the other songs just exist, and “Nothing” makes one wonder why the guys don’t force themselves to have, well, fun. 

* – I love Coldplay, genuinely, and I’m hype for their new one. Sue me!

Grade: 6.5/10   Initial release date: 5/10/24

Les Savy Fav – OUI, LSF

If you can follow the trends across these posts, then it should come as no surprise that I adore this band. I mostly missed them on their original run, only really latching on once I saw a reunion set at Riot Fest on a whim. Their first new album in a 10+ years is both a continuation and an extension of their sound. The album currently sitting on the #1 throne on my ranked list is Pissed Jeans’ Half Divorced, and LSF have always been comparable to those guys – fun, raucous post-hardcore that’s often fast and heavy but not exactly abrasive. Some songs here carry on the tradition – “Guzzle Blood,” “Void Moon” and “Oi! Division” are all old school LSF classics. But there’s more patient and mature tracks, too; a symptom of reunion albums. The balance works remarkably well, and the resulting album is one that’s emotionally complete. Even if half of the songs are on the softer side, the band is still melodic, funny, and just a blast to listen to. These guys deserved a bigger spotlight, maybe this time around they’ll get it. 

Grade: 8/10   Initial release date: 5/10/24

Full Of Hell – Coagulated Bliss

If you asked me to list my favorite metal bands, I’d list a couple of heavy-hitters before spouting Full Of Hell right out. The extreme metal band has been pushing the sonic limits of metal and noise for years now, in between more experimental collaborative albums. But their latest solo (?) album takes a half-step back. Sure, these songs are still ostensibly grindcore, often clocking in at under 120 seconds, but there’s elements of hard rock and classic heavy metal thrown in. There are breaks, and more development to (some) songs. I mean look at the cover – their previous non-collaborative albums all feature dismal black and white art, but this one is vibrant. It represents a minor but maybe necessary shift in their music. This record fits in with the others, but has enough going to stand out, too. Plus, there’s plenty of abrasive bruisers still. Great stuff from an always excellent band. People going in thinking “metal” may mean something like Sabaton are going to be shocked and disappointed, but for those that like the experimental noise, this is the one to beat. 

Grade: 8/10   Initial release date: 4/26/24

Lord Dying – Clandestine Transcendence

Don’t judge a book by its cover, don’t judge a metal subgenre by its band name/album name/album art. I went into this one blind, expecting some good old pounding death metal, but what I got was much more. There’s elements of stoner metal, heavy metal, even hard rock. No two songs are the same, not even close really. This isn’t a recommendation for those close-minded metalheads who only like their ONE style, this is for all the metal freaks. It’s a little too long, and it feels like it’s missing that one key song to really sell it. But, it’s unique and basically every song is fun and original in some way. I’m itching to spin this one again.

Grade: 7.5/10   Initial release date: 1/19/24

Rejoice – All Of Heaven’s Luck

This is another metal album I went into blind. This appears to be the band Rejoice’s first full release – the band isn’t even on the expansive metal archive website yet. It’s super blackened hardcore, somewhat in line with black metal even. It’s exhausting music, even at a grand total of 17 minutes. There’s a few different ideas floating around the eight tracks, though the back half gets pretty rote at times. There’s a lot of promise here though; if this group can learn to diversify ideas and stretch some songs out (if they want to), then they’ve got a good path forward. Good start!

Grade: 7/10   Initial release date: 1/5/24

Bad Nerves – Still Nervous

Hell yes some old-school punk, this is extremely me music. The first handful of songs on this album are fast, clean and extremely high-energy. They sound ripped from the songbooks of my favorite bands like The Damned or The Adverts. By the album’s end, there’s more matured and diversified songs, though I’m usually always partial to the bangers. This was a pleasant little find, I forget where exactly I picked it up from. Even in a brief release, there’s a little too much downtime. But, when this hits it really hits. I’m a sucker for no-frills punk!

Grade: 7.5/10   Initial release date: 5/31/24

Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department (Anthology version)

Alright folks here’s your main event. I may be one of the few remaining Americans who has a measured view of Taylor’s music. I love Red and 1989. I liked Midnights. I hated Reputation. Hell, I liked Lover! Mostly, her music doesn’t really leave much of a mark on me positive or negative – but I’m not against her. I say all this to hopefully wave off the Swifties when I say that this new behemoth album is truly, truly bad. 

I listened to this album in segments on the subway and made a bunch of notes on my phone, ready to vomit up a minor treatise on what works and doesn’t. But it wasn’t until I was in the trenches of the extended edition’s tracklist that one cohesive thread clicked: this is just inauthentic. Swift has never been a particularly adept singer or musician, knowing her strength is in songwriting. Even when she’s weaving a fictional story (and even on her bad releases), there’s a thick layer of genuine care present. From day one up until Midnights, it’s been her greatest strength. It’s gone here. This album presents itself as one of poetry, and Swift seems to use that to take on personae that she could never use before. There’s nothing wrong with that – imagine how boring music would be if every song were truth! – but the ends she reaches towards are comically out-of-scope. The record is littered with references to things like heroin, asylums, the Chelsea Hotel, and are all sung with the glee of a teen saying the F-word for the first time. The Patti Smith and Stevie Nicks namechecks are cool, but if she’s going to insert herself into this scene, the artist she should be saying should be bigger would be, like, Yo La Tengo, and not the king of ho-hum Charlie Puth. 

Very little about this record makes sense lyrically, and even the moments where she’s clearly singing about real events come off as fake. Swift has spent years cultivating her image as that of an everyday American girl; she has cats, she dates a football player, she probably falls asleep at 10pm watching TV like the rest of us. It’s an image of inoffensive easiness, one that’s relatable and almost impossible to hate (despite Republicans spending a couple months trying for reasons that are still unclear). So to hear her suddenly sing about Aston Martins is off-putting in a way that’s fatal to the rest of the record, even the real tunes. One highlight, though, is the proper album’s final track “Clara Bow,” an earnest look at Taylor’s own relationship with the media that dog her relentlessly – the sheer earnestness of that song nearly makes it all worthwhile.

There’s almost nothing interesting about this album musically. That’s not really Taylor’s fault; you’ll find in previous posts that I really, really hate the production work of the scoundrel Jack Antonoff. His crusade to dilute any interesting female artist he can get his hands on continues. Swift’s voice just isn’t strong enough to carry these songs on their own, but she has to, because many of these songs are nothing musically. Aaron Dessner actually tackles about half of the production (mostly on the expanded edition), and his tunes fare a bit better – but not by much. Crucially, the most interesting song from a melody standpoint is “The Black Dog,” one of the only five songs that Swift is credited on alone. So many of these songs, especially early on, are just windy pop songs, soft on volume and melody, and even softer on ideas. 

The major sites all tripped over themselves to be the first ones to review the album. That led to some bizarrely hilarious outcomes like an automatic 5 stars from Rolling Stone and an anonymous review in Paste. But regardless of what their reviews said, they all missed something important – this is an inessential record. In the age of immediate opinions, it’s easy to forget that sometimes artists just whiff. This is a whiff. It happens! It was released in the middle of the biggest tour in music history, so it’s not like she’s going to be affected in the slightest. Her stature does not exclude her from whiffs. Dylan whiffed, Springsteen whiffed. It’s okay to just say it! There are some songs here I liked (“Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me?”) and some I really didn’t (“I Hate It Here”). The expanded edition is 31 songs long. The good ones are not particularly memorable, the bad ones are new career lows. As for the 26 or so other songs? So forgettable that they already don’t exist. 

As it stands, this is my lowest-reviewed album of 2024. I hope it doesn’t stay this way; I want to like it more. 

Grade: 4.5/10   Initial release date: 4/19/24

Sorry about all of that text, shout out to anyone who read all of it, I only skimmed it personally. I hope you can cherry-pick some albums from here that you may have missed, I always urge people to dig deeper and find new stuff. Even if I personally gave something a middling grade, you may enjoy it more, and there’s only one way to find out.

I’ve been enjoying this a lot even though it is tedious. I had no idea this year was going to be this ridiculously stacked, I hope I can keep making dents in my unwieldy listen-to playlist. Time will only tell what next month will feature, but I can give you a couple that I’ve already listened to: Friko, Mk.gee, Local Natives, and Thou. And knowing me, probably ~25 others. See ya next month!

Grammy Predictions: Who Will and Who Should Win

(Photo Credit: The Grammy's)

(Photo Credit: The Grammy’s)

Well, it’s that time of year again. It’s the time for awards to distract you from taxes and the bitter cold. And music’s biggest night is quickly approaching! With performances from Adele, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, Justin Bieber, a David Bowie tribute from Lady Gaga, a Glenn Frey tribute from The Eagles and Jackson Browne and a Lemmy Kilmister tribute from Hollywood Vampires (the band that includes Alice Cooper, Joe Perry, and Johnny Depp), it’s bound to be an eventful night. While I cannot comment on every award, I’m presenting the major ones with my predictions, as well as who should win and who should have been nominated. The Grammy’s are notoriously unpredictable (remember this?), so if I get every one of these wrong, blame them.

Best New Artist: Nominees: Courtney Barnett, James Bay, Sam Hunt, Tori Kelly, Meghan Trainor

Will Win/Should Win: Meghan Trainor/Courtney Barnett.

Although Trainor technically isn’t even qualified to be nominated for this award – she was nominated for a major award last year – this is hers to lose. She’s an excellent songwriter and a talented performer, and does the kind of just-barely-biting-but-still-bubblegum pop that the Grammy’s love. Her album, uh, wasn’t great, though. Barnett deserves this award. Her debut full-length was a wholly original blend of 90’s guitars, Dylan vocal ramblings and suburban Australian apathy.

Should Be Nominated: Fetty Wap. Where was Fetty Wap?

Best Pop Solo Performance: Nominees: Kelly Clarkson, “Heartbeat Song,” Ellie Goulding, “Love Me Like You Do,” Ed Sheeran, “Thinking Out Loud,” Taylor Swift, “Blank Space,” The Weeknd, “Can’t Feel My Face”

Will Win/Should Win: The Weeknd, “Can’t Feel My Face.”

Unabashedly one of the best songs of the year, The Weekned brought semi-subtle darkness to the best rhythm MJ never moonwalked to. The song’s explosive bassline counteracted the lyrics, that sound like a love song, until you realize they’re about an inevitable cocaine overdose. It was the second biggest hit of the year!

Should Be Nominated: The utterly neglected Carly Rae Jepsen. Not for “I Really Like You,” but for the non-single “Run Away With Me.” It’s my blog, I can say what I want.

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Nominees: Florence & the Machine, “Ship to Wreck,” Maroon 5, “Sugar,” Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars, “Uptown Funk,” Taylor Swift & Kendrick Lamar, “Bad Blood,” Wiz Khalifa & Charlie Puth, “See You Again”

Will Win/Should Win: Khalifa & Puth/Swift & Lamar

This one is really tough. Swift, Ronson and Khalifa all stand a big chance. But I have to give it to “See You Again.” While I have made my thoughts on Khalifa known, it is a genuinely great song. It also has two benefits: one of the 10 YouTube videos with over a billion views, and a now very famous spot in a movie – used in Furious 7 to commemorate Paul Walker’s untimely death. Plus, it was shunned by the Oscars, where it failed to even be nominated in a category it was expected to win. That said, “Bad Blood” was one of the most entertaining songs of the year, and brought together two artists that are usually hesitant with collaborations, and two artists who are otherwise competing tonight.

Should Be Nominated: Selena Gomez & A$ap Rocky, “Good For You.” Selena was among many former Disney stars who went through a whole career reboot this year, and the lead single from her great (and aptly named) album “Revival” is a sultry and engaging duet. Now, frankly, A$ap doesn’t help the song, and when it was released as a single, his verse was cut.

Best Rock Song: Nominees: Alabama Shakes, “Don’t Wanna Fight,” Elle King, “Ex’s and Oh’s,” Florence & the Machine, “What Kind of Man,” Highly Suspect, “Lydia,” James Bay, “Hold Back the River”

Will Win/Should Win: Alabama Shakes, “Don’t Wanna Fight”

I will hesitantly say that this one is almost guaranteed to the Shakes. “Don’t Wanna Fight” is not only one of the bluesiest and spine-tingling sons of the year, it’s one of the most this decade. Brittany Howard’s booming vocals are reminiscent of Ella or Aretha, but it a modern-tinged setting. It’s one of the best songs of the year, and the type of thing the Grammy’s love.

Should Be Nominated: After frustratingly finding out that Royal Blood’s “Figure It Out” was eligible last year, I’ll say Courtney Barnett’s “Pedestrian at Best.” It’s one of my favorites from the year. It would go under Best Alternative Song, but that’s not a category.

Best Rock Album: Nominees: James Bay, “Chaos and the Calm,” Death Cab For Cutie, “Kintsugi,” Highly Suspect, “Mister Asylum,” Slipknot, “.5: The Gray Chapter,” Muse, “Drones”

Will Win/Should Win: just throw a dart at the list/anything besides these nominees

Muse’s album was terrible, Death Cab’s album was worse. “Kintsugi” was the only album in 2015 I couldn’t make it through. Slipknot haven’t been relevant in years. I cannot say I am overly familiar with the music of Highly Suspect or James Bay and cannot comment on them further, I imagine they’re talented acts, to share the bill with three outdated artists. I have to make a prediction? Ugh. James Bay probably.

Should Be Nominated: METZ. Motorhead. Viet Cong. More than anyone else, Marilyn Manson.

Best Alternative Album: Nominees: Alabama Shakes, “Sound & Color,” Bjork, “Vulnicura,” My Morning Jacket, “The Waterfall,” Wilco, “Star Wars,” Tame Impala, “Currents”

Will Win/Should Win: Alabama Shakes, “Sound & Color”

With all due respect to Wilco’s phenomenal album, this is again the Shakes’ to lose. I mean, it’s also nominated for Album of the Year, so it’s a surefire. Through and through, the best rock album of the year. Might as well take this time to highlight on of my favorite songs of the year, Tame Impala’s “Let It Happen,” which vaulted the album into nomination.

Should Have Been Nominated: How many times do I have to say this? Courtney Barnett, for “Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit”

Best Rap Song: Nominees: Fetty Wap, “Trap Queen,” Kendrick Lamar, “Alright,” Common & John Legend, “Glory,” Drake, “Energy,” Kanye West, Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom & Paul McCartney, “All Day”

Will Win/Should Win: Kendrick Lamar, “Alright”

As much as I want to see Sir Paul McCartney pick up a Best Rap Song award, I don’t see the Grammy’s giving this to anyone other than Kendrick. His album is filled with topical and devastating muses on the state of black culture, and “Alright” cuts the deepest. It’s a true rap song for the ages. That said, if Fetty Wap wins, it is well deserved.

Should Have Been Nominated: anything from Nicki Minaj’s “The Pinkprint.” How about “Want Some More”?

Best Rap Album: Nominees: J. Cole, “2014 Forest Hills Drive,” Drake, “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late,” Dr. Dre, “Compton,” Kendrick Lamar, “To Pimp a Butterfly,” Nicki Minaj, “The Pinkprint”

Will Win/Should Win: Kendrick Lamar, “To Pimp a Butterfly”

Easy. This is a stacked category – really, these are all great albums – but Lamar is fighting T. Swift for Album of the Year, and none of these will stand in his way. His album is one of the greatest rap albums ever, and the Grammy’s owe him one from last time. That said, “Pinkprint” was my favorite album from last year, and a win for Nicki would be huge for her career.

Should Have Been Nominated: I don’t really have a true answer for this one so a personal pick, Heems, “Eat Pray Thug”

Record of the Year: Nominees: D’Angelo & the Vanguard, “Really Love,” Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars, “Uptown Funk,” Ed Sheeran, “Thinking Out Loud,” Taylor Swift, “Blank Space,” The Weeknd, “Can’t Feel My Face”

Will Win/Should Win: The Weeknd, “Can’t Feel My Face”

So, let’s get this straight. I still don’t entirely understand the difference between this and the next category, Song of the Year. From my understanding, it relates to the overall production of a song, not just the writer/performer. All that said (or not said), The Weeknd made the best damn song of the year, and although he has competition here, I’m pulling for the Grammy’s picking him. It’s truly one of the grooviest songs in years.

Should Have Been Nominated: There’s a million answers to this. Elle King? I love “Ex’s and Oh’s.” The production on Bieber’s album was excellent too, it’s surprising not to see him nominated in this category.

Song of the Year: Nominees: Kendrick Lamar, “Alright,” Taylor Swift, “Blank Space,” Little Big Town, “Girl Crush,” Wiz Khalifa & Charlie Puth, “See You Again,” Ed Sheeran, “Thinking Out Loud”

Will Win/Should Win: Taylor Swift, “Blank Space”

This is a surprisingly weak category, given all of the great songs that came out this year. Khalifa could easily take it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Grammy’s give Swift this award as a consolation prize (see below). It is probably the best song of the bunch, and Swift is deserving of at least some awards for “1989,” which really is a great pop album. Maybe the name she’ll be writing is “Grammy” or something, sorry, that’s, never mind.

Should Have Been Nominated: Although chart success does not necessarily equate award success, there is a conspicuous lack of both “Uptown Funk” and “Can’t Feel My Face” from the list. The Weeknd deserves this award. End all, be all.

Album of the Year: Nominees: Alabama Shakes, “Sound & Color,” Kendrick Lamar, “To Pimp a Butterfly,” Chris Stapleton, “Traveller,” Taylor Swift, “1989,” The Weeknd, “Beauty Behind the Madness”

Will Win/Should Win: Kendrick Lamar, “To Pimp a Butterfly.”

I saved this for last because I truly cannot decide if I think the Grammy’s will give it to Kendrick or Taylor. No discredit to the other nominees, who are all very deserving, but this is a two-person fight. There’s some factors here: 1) The Grammy’s love Taylor, who released what might be her best album yet, 2) The Grammy’s know they messed up by not giving “good kid m.A.A.d city” Best Rap Album in 2013, 3) “To Pimp a Butterfly” is a much better album than “1989.” I think it’s going to go to Kendrick. There will be upset if he loses, although Swift also deserves the award. But man, it’s been years since there has been an album as politically relevant and important as Lamar’s. Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Vice, EW, Billboard, President Obama and me all agreed it was the best album of the year. If he doesn’t win this award, he’d better call for a permanent boycott of the Grammy’s. #GrammysSoWhite

Thanks for reading! Check back in tomorrow to see what I got right and what I got wrong. And tune in for next year’s coverage, to see how many awards Adele wins.

-By Andrew McNally

Sorry Guys, Women Won Music (Again) in 2014

Man, us men really spent the year treading water. As 2014 comes to a (well-deserved) close, and we discuss the best and worst in music, one thing in evident – women really lead the way. Women released better songs, better albums and had more progressive things to say than men did. So although men can boast, dick around and talk big, it was women that paved every path this year. Aloe Blacc was the man? Well Beyonce was Flawless. From Laura Jane Grace to Ariel Pink, Wiz Khalifa to Mish Way, both men and women helped women become the beacons of music in 2014.

2013 was an exceptional year for women in music, too. I almost wrote this article last year, but I was then too devoted to keeping this blog strictly reviews. It’s amazing to think it was only last year that unknown teenager Lorde nearly overtook Robin Thicke for biggest song of the year. But where 2013 was all about new acts establishing themselves in new niches of music (like one Crutchfield sister in Swearin’ and the other in Waxahatchee, both redefining punk), 2014 was all about the big names taking sides and taking stances.

2014 began on December 13th of last year, when “Beyonce” dropped unexpectedly. Not even the album’s guest stars knew there was an album coming out. Only Beyonce could have a release that huge, that unannounced and that coherent. It would go on to champion a year full of feminism and sexuality where women dominated, with only minimal exceptions.

Women Dominated Albums

“Beyonce” may have been the year’s best album (if you count it), but it was one of just many great albums from women. Charli XCX and Nicki Minaj followed in Beyonce’s path and released December albums – a month usually reserved for contractual-obligation Christmas albums. Tinashe and FKA twigs released two of the year’s best debuts, two R&B albums that establish each singer’s other-worldly confidence. And speaking of other-worldly confidence, the year’s best album unabashedly went to St. Vincent. Annie Clark’s guitar-drenched songs of surveillance and snakes were nothing else we heard all year, in both scope and confidence.

Taylor Swift did something usually disastrous for musicians and switched genres (Remember “Forever“?). But she went passive, attacking armchair critics on “Shake it Off,” not coincidentally one of the year’s best/biggest songs. “1989” was a big mess of a pop album that convinced many people (myself) that there really is more there than angry break-up songs.

Another one of the year’s best albums came from Lana Del Ray, who listened to criticisms and improved her music in every way. “Ultraviolence” was dark, brooding and seductive – a 60’s minimalist pop work that’s ready to defend itself from Youtube comments. With songs like “Fucked My Way to the Top,” Lana owned her identity, to the chagrin of many. In comparison, Sam Smith provided one of the year’s best songs – “Stay With Me” – but struggled to find his own musical identity, with a lackluster debut and less of a personality than his minimalist pop peers.

And this brings us back to last year’s minimalist dear, Lorde. Lorde didn’t release any music in 2014 save one song, “Yellow Flicker Beat.” But the song came from the soundtrack to the recent Hunger Games movie, a soundtrack she was assigned to curate. That, itself, is a huge deal for anyone – especially someone still in their teenage years. And, she chose people of a like mind – CHVRCHES, Tove Lo, Tinashe, HAIM, Bat For Lashes, Charli XCX and Grace Jones (!!!) all make appearances.

Women Dominated Songs

“I got one more problem with you, girl”

“I go on too many dates / at least that’s what people say”

“Fuck the skinny bitches in the motherfucking club”

Women seemed to rule the radio this year, too. The year’s best songs and most provocative lyrics belonged to women. Let’s look at these three examples – Ariana Grande dominated the charts this year, with no bigger song than “Problem,” with Iggy Azalea. It was a horn-blasting, bombastic pop song influenced by DJ Mustard’s production but without any unnecessary DJ attachment. Taylor Swift tossed critics askew in a side of her we’ve never seen before, and Nicki Minaj rallied against pro-look pro-anti-feminists. “Anaconda” was one of the year’s best songs – she took a comedically remembered hit from ’92 about the male gaze and repurposed it into a song about female body positivity. What’s better than that?

Elsewhere, there was the female talent showcase of Jessie J/Grande/Minaj on the excellent “Bang Bang,” a song that’s just about bangin,’ and it’s great. It’s just a fun, upbeat pop song that shows off some talent. Grimes’ only contribution to 2014 was “Go,” a crazy, pseudo-steampunk song that reflects your every mood when you listen to it. Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” might not be one of the year’s most revered songs, but it tied Janet Jackson for most weeks at #1, and it’s just another notch in her book.

Women Owned Feminism & Sexuality

So let’s talk about the most important woman of the year, alright? Laura Jane Grace, of Against Me! In 2012, after Against Me!’s miserably regressive “White Crosses” album, Tom Gabel announced that he was going to start living as a woman, Laura Jane Grace. Grace joined Janet Mock and Laverne Cox, among others, in a year where the transgender movement finally came to a public eye. So Against Me!’s 2014 album, “Transgender Dysphoria Blues” opened a wide audience to a previously closed movement. And while the album had some weak points, tracks like “True Trans Soul Rebel,” “Unconditional Love” and “Drinking With the Jocks” illustrate Grace’s struggles with gender identity in the way of some of Against Me!’s most abrasive lyrics yet.

And while we’re on punk, two of the year’s best feminists were Mish Way and Meredith Graves. Mish Way’s band, White Lung, released one of the year’s best albums in “Deep Fantasy.” The album is heavy and real from start to finish, but it’s centered around its second best song, “I Believe You,” a song that’s written from the POV of a surprisingly understanding friend of someone who’s admitting they’ve been sexually assaulted. The song is both musically and lyrically the heaviest thing they’ve done, and it’s one of the year’s most important minute and 42 seconds.

Meredith Graves, of Perfect Pussy, had a busy year. Perfect Pussy’s debut, “Say Yes to Love,” was secretly modeled off the line, “Why do we say yes to love?” The album has a feminist tone throughout, with Graves frequently taking on the established male punk precedent (if you can hear the vocals). Punk music needs a reason to be energetic; Graves and co. don’t hold back about that reason.

Outside of the band, Graves published essays on being a woman in the music industry, comparing Andrew W.K. to Lana Del Ray, and on male pattern violence after Mark Kozelek made an unnecessary, public feud with the War on Drugs.

On the sexuality side, it’s easy to say that sexuality in music as all about confidence – whether it’s outward, like Beyonce’s “Drunk in Love,”  Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” – or sultry and subversive – FKA twigs “Video Girl,” Tinashe’s “2 On,” this year was full of strong, confident women, and it’s been a joy of a ride. Keep it up, 2015.

There Are Always Exceptions

Of course there’s exceptions. With Azealea Banks finally getting to release her excellent debut, “Broke With Expensive Taste,” came some harassing, homophobic Twitter rants that diminished credibility. (I won’t link to them – know that they’re out there).

She also started an ongoing feud with 2014’s most problematic female, Iggy Azalea. For those of you reading this, by now you’re surely at least familiar with the name – she had a number of huge hits in the summer – “Problem,” with Ariana Grande, “No Mediocre,” with T.I., and her own songs “Fancy” with Charli XCX and “Black Widow” with Rita Ora. I have to admit, from a music standpoint, I think they’re all great songs. But I wish I didn’t know anything about her when I listen to them. Azalea is Australian by birth, British by upbringing, and whiter than a jar of Hellmann’s. But she raps in a fake, black Southern accent (see: Atlanta) to mimic those who “influence” her. She’s trying way too damn hard and yes, it’s really racist. And yes, she has dropped the N-word.

Lana Del Ray also sparked some controversy by saying she would rather talk about space travel than feminism. The degree to which it’s just to fit in with her old-money, Gatsby-befriending persona is debatable, but it’s something that was said and can’t be forgotten.

Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus also made trouble with some serious, continuous cultural appropriation, done for their own “artistic benefits.” Both artists have remained silent when asked by fans to stand up for actual black issues like Ferguson.

But Here’s What Men Did This Year

Men accomplished little this year, in terms of music (and most other things). As always – exceptions. Pharrell’s “G I R L” album was a great, feminist work (and acted as an unintentional apology for “Blurred Lines”). Perfume Genius’ song “Queen” was one of the most honest, heartbreakingly rattling songs of the year. Patrick Carney, of the Black Keys, had a year spent on the offensive where he called out people like Jack White for their actions. And, artists like John Legend and J. Cole led the movement to recognize the need to acknowledge Ferguson, with ?uestlove adding that we need more Bob Dylans and Rage Against the Machines – artists with political motivations. But for every Run the Jewels, there’s at least one Eminem, so let’s look at men being men:

Eminem. Eminem released a song where he threatens to punch Lana Del Ray. Why? To what purpose? Eminem is 42 years old, and his fight for relevance includes threatening the most passive, pacifistic singer you can think of? That’s not intimidating. If Eminem wanted to stay popular, he’d retire and let his record speak for itself. Or, he could actually focus on the quality of his music, since he hasn’t had a good song since “Lose Yourself” (arms spaghetti) and his 2014 contribution was a Shady greatest hits compilation no one asked for.

Mark Kozelek. Sun Kil Moon’s 2014 album “Benji” was remarkable, but the 47 year old singer is also fighting a losing battle with aging, as he started a one-sided, unnecessary feud with the War on Drugs, a band that has looked up to him, and has taken no part in this imaginary feud. It all culminated with the admittedly silly and meta but still homophobic single, “The War on Drugs Can Suck My Cock.” The fact that these attacks are unresponded to amounts to nothing more than Kozelek trying to prove his manliness and yelling at a crowd that isn’t listening.

Ariel Pink. Human clickbait Ariel Pink’s 2014 album, “pom pom” made a lot of year-end lists. I didn’t listen to it. Ariel Pink called out Grimes, for some reason, calling her “stupid and retarded,” insults I never realized people used after the age of 12. Pink said he was contacted by Madonna to record for her new album only to say she’s been on a big downward spiral. Madonna’s publicist said he was lying, that she had never heard of him. Downward spiral? Meet Ariel Pink.

Robin Thicke. Thicke! Thicke was quiet in 2014, but he wasn’t trying to be. Black metal bands be damned, the creepiest album of 2014 went to “Paula,” Thicke’s in-depth, hyper-specific public apology to his ex-wife. First week sales counts: USA – 24,000. UK – 530. Australia – 158. 158 copies in Australia didn’t crack the Top 200.

Phil Rudd. For a band that sings constantly about manly stuff like rocking and violence, AC/DC’s first controversy didn’t come until this year, when drummer Phil Rudd was arrested for trying to hire a hitman to kill his wife. The band was as shocked as it’s fans, where was this rock and roll stuff in 1977?

Future killed the good fortune he’d set up with one of the best albums of the year, “Honest,” by admitting he cheated on Ciara and by guesting on the atrocious “Pussy Overrated” with Wiz Khalifa. Jack White did interviews where he groomed his image by verbally attacking respected artists like Adele, the Black Keys, and even Meg. Chris Brown got arrested a few more times, and had the gall to release a song about disloyal girlfriends. I could keep going on about men in music, but these are the biggest examples. Most of the best music of the year was done by women, and women made the bigger stories. They’ve had to, because to be anything less than extraordinary is going to get them shelved under male musicians. Let’s keep this going. 2015 should be the return of Adele, and Beyonce might even give us another album. We’re starting on the right foot.

-By Andrew McNally. Inevitable responses can be directed to amcnal817@gmail.com. Article can be reprinted or referenced, with citation. Feel free to remove links if ya do.

Taylor Swift – “1989”

Grade: B

Key Tracks: “Out of the Woods” “Shake It Off”

Taylor Swift’s first full foray into pop music is a beautiful mess, an experimentation in something that’s never an experiment. For the most part, “1989” is standard-fare pop, behind equal parts music and vocals. Swift’s music really isn’t any different, it’s just more pop-based. It doesn’t always work, but it’s more than enjoyable enough to make up for it’s weaker moments.

“1989” plays like a typical pop album. It flows through songs upbeat and ballad, with fairly standard lyrics. Opener “Welcome to New York” is a little slow to open a pop album, but it’s got a strong synth beat and the lyrics about the country’s biggest city mark a snarky metaphorical change from small town country. The album is held up by strong synth rhythms throughout. “Style” is helped by a synth beat, as is the Imogen Heap-collaborative finale, “Clean.” And, massive smash “Shake It Off” has a pretty strong rhythm to it too.

Swift’s lyrics are pretty self-serving. She knows her audience, her lyrics pander most to pseudo-literary young women, the type of songs that are relatable to a girl in high school but have a poetic aura. If Swift’s lyrics didn’t win you over before, they probably won’t here. They’re not bad – just not for everyone. “Shake It Off” is one of her stronger songs, rallying against sexist portrayals of her relationships in the media. “Clean” marks an interesting simile between a break-up and curing addiction. But the strongest lyrical song is probably “Out of the Woods,” a track with music written by Jack Antonoff. It deals with relationships, as always, but it’s more subversive and just a little darker than listeners are used to.

What makes this album different is principle. It’s: “Hey, T Swift’s doing something kinda different,” and that works for it. Transpose these songs into a different singer’s catalog and half of them wouldn’t register any sort of response, but Swift is experimenting in conventionality. And what results is an imperfect record that feels like it wants to be imperfect. It’s cohesive and tight, and asks to be weighed as a whole instead of by individual track. It’s kind of a mess, but it succeeds because of it. It’s a fitful new direction for Swift to go in and it’s easy to forgive the mistakes.

-By Andrew McNally

Side note: This review took a while partially because I just don’t have time, but partially because I had the stream the album track by track via Tumblr. I get the marketing strategy of pulling it off Spotify but I don’t necessarily agree with it. It doesn’t sit well with fans.