Reviews by jacjac

Now this right here is a near-perfect album. It's so deceptively simple, and Ian Curtis' haunting vocals really take front-and-center stage. Even more haunting, having just watched Control and knowing how tortured he was…

Love to see that the Parquet Courts revival is happening, and out of New Orleans no less. This album is fresh as hell, punky as fuck, and just the right amount of twangy. Gravelly & raspy lyricism delivered one step below a yell, accompanied by tight pedal steel. This one will definitely be on repeat for a looooong time.

It was such a shock to get another Twisted Teens album just 5 months after the first, but what a joy! A little more experimental and a lot less fuzzed out than their first album (which I enjoyed a bit more than this one), but I still had a good time with this one as well. This band has so much potential, and I can't wait for even more!

Goddamn, this group doesn't miss! The third album of the year and yet it still feels fresher and even more mature in its songwriting than the last two. A little more mellow and less thrashy, especially compared to Blame The Clown - I thoroughly enjoyed this. Garage rock, sure, but this is something more than that. I love the way this album grips you from the first note, swings you around a bit, and only lets you go at the final chord. When an album chews me up and spits me out like that, I know I've got something good. Simple tunes laced with contradiction and deep emotion, I think this would appeal to a lot of people (especially Parquet Courts fans...lol). Steel guitar FTW!!!

The warmest guitar tones, some funky synth play, AND a Waxahatchee feature? What more could a girl ask for? I'm into any album dripping in neo-Laurel Canyon vibes, even though this album is so genre-bending that I have trouble describing it. Haven't listened to any of her albums in full before (so sorry), but wow, I'm glad I started with this one. This one is gonna be a true classic.

Reminds me of R.E.M., but if it were pared down & with slightly less adroit lyricism. I guess kind of an R.E.M./Smashing Pumpkins/Pavement hybrid, with some Front Bottoms vibes? Slow and mellow but still crunchy, a la other post-grunge releases of this era (I'm looking at you, Bush). I've got a soft spot for Seattle bands, and I think there's potential for this one to grow on me.

If there's one thing about Faye Webster, it's that she's consistent. I can always expect melancholy lyrics (with an oft-repeated line, of course) and a hefty dose of pedal steel guitar - and that's exactly what you get from her sophomore album. Not my favorite of hers, but gosh, she is easy to listen to. Dare I say the queen of "y'all-ternative".

Now this is some formative art rock right here - clean sound, good vibes, and adds a little spice to the punk scene at the time that is refreshing and indicative of their musicality. I'll be returning to this one, especially as a lover of the title track for many years already.

Would have loved to see this on the KEXP Top 100, but alas. It didn't get on my radar either. Really cool & modern shoegaze sound - this one has been on repeat for me since I listened to it. "the chase" is like "Popular" for Gen Z, and I'm living for it. Will be keeping my eye on TAGABOW, as the kids are calling it.

"About To Begin" is quite literally one of the best EDM songs I've ever heard. This album solidifies Barry as a formative electronic artist of the 2020s - it's loud, unapologetic, and artfully layered, with ungodly clean production. My platonic ideal for what a dance music album should sound like.

This album came to me at the perfect time in my music listening - I'm exactly at the interface of indie rock and folk, and this hits ALL of those notes. Waxahatchee-adjacent twangy vocals with some heavyyyyy guitars…I fucking love this! Will 100% be on repeat.

This album was…crazy? "Girl Feels Good" and "Striptease" are straight heat, but the album leaned too balladic or Bjork-like at points for me to want to listen to it in full again. Overwhelming at points but fun in an avant-garde sort of way, definitely outside of my comfort zone.

Chock full of sun-dazed California vibes. Bouncy, nostalgic, and sexy. Feels like walking down a tree-lined street during the summer (which is a trip when listening in the dead of winter). I enjoyed this overall, but it's pretty formulaic and a little forgettable.

I don't usually enjoy "talk-singing", but maybe that's because it's usually men doing it…HAH. With crystal-clear vocals reminiscent of Nico and expertly crafted basslines to boot, this album is introspective, genre-bending, and downright funky.

Math rock always makes me feel like the artists know both nothing and everything about how music works. Trying to get used to Geordie's voice is like swallowing dry toast in the best way. Weirdest album I've listened to so far this year; very grating, but I think I could get used to it.

This album rips!!! Love the cohesive synth tone and groovy bass throughout. An album where all of the songs have a cohesive sound (without being a concept album) is my kryptonite. They have really honed their sound since Signal.

Reminiscent of Mannequin Pussy and Wednesday, charged with the same gritty undertones and visceral emotion. Atmospheric instrumentals, great mixing, and bratty vocals make this a total sleeper hit of 2025. I hope they blow up.

Like Amyl & The Sniffers and IDLES had the most badass feminist lesbian baby. The punch-you-in-the-face messaging had me grinning the whole time (while simultaneously wanting to laugh & cry at the accuracy). This album fucking rules!!!!!

The hyperpop lovechild of The Flaming Lips, TV Girl, and This Is Lorelai. Feels like I'm in a weird British video game.

Going in I was not ready for a triple album, but it was more than okay. Classic acoustic riffs, clean instrumentation, and beautifully compelling songwriting in true Tweedy fashion. Love the "Summerteeth reimagined" cover as well.