You Are The Morning

You Are The Morning is the debut album of jasmine.4.t. It is an album full of country and folk based indie rock with strong ties to the Boygenius members (Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers). The album contains strong songwriting, but the vocals are nasal and boring after a while. I've seen them perform at the Best Kept Secret festival where this vocal issue was not so annoying. All in all it's a good, but not a great album. Of course it has a significant meaning in the trans community, but that is not a reason to act like it's an essential album to listen to before you die. Speaking of the Boygenius members, would their album or one of Phoebe Bridgers' not been a better submission to the list?

They cut Fetch the Bolt Cutters to add this?

Call me a conspiracy nut, but this album would have a higher rating if the artist wasn’t trans. People claim that they don’t care, but can’t handle being exposed to them. That’s my little rant. Anyways, I really liked this album. I enjoyed it when it first came out and I enjoyed it now. Not all bangers, but none of the songs are terrible. Several certified bops, in my opinion, give this album a good bit of range, but it could use a tad more to really get it to where I feel like it could be. Looking forward to their next release. Great suggestion. 4/5

Pleasant but dull. How this rates a spot on the list, I will never understand. The most interesting moments are when members of Boy Genius guest, which immediately makes me wonder why Boy Genius or members thereof -- Phoebe Bridgers especially -- aren't on the list. Their albums are better and more prominent. What on earth is Dimery thinking? At least it didn't drag on too long...

i'm not sure what demon possessed them to include this instead of something less obscure and more mediocre in the latest book but I'm glad they did

It's OK. It's fine. Whatever. For the first time for more than five years now (spent exploring the original list, and then the user list), I sense an overbearing feeling of tiredness about the whole 1001 Albums project. And it's interesting that this happens just as Dimery and co. are bringing me back to the original list for one of their thirteen 2026 edition picks -- one which will have many people scratch their heads in puzzlement as well... Somebody recently pushed the "thumbs up" button for my review about Hookworms' album (one of the acts that were replaced by others for that 2026 edition, incidentally). It's been a while since I wrote this review, so I read it again, to remember what I said in it. Turns out I correctly predicted that this other 21st century pick would be scrapped, like quite a few others before it. I also mentioned that this former addition to the list was puzzling as well, and yet I still had somewhat benevolent words about Dimery as a curator at the time. I said that the death of "monoculture" explained why it was impossible to helm a project that would have everyone agree about relevant albums of the past 15 / 20 years. So I guess that the 1001 Albums book editor still had my blessing back then... I stand by the overall statement expressed in that old review -- monoculture is indeed a dead thing -- but I feel far less benevolent towards Dimery today. In a sense, I reverse that particular part of my stance that found excuses for him: he's not doing his job right at all, and this goes beyond the expression of subjective tastes. Actually, anybody using this generator who has reached the users list could do Dimery's job as a curator for current artists in 2026. And by that I mean *anybody*, even the people I would strongly disagree with about what it is that makes good music. That's how utterly absurd the whole thing has turned. And the case of jasmine 4.t.'s *You Are The Morning* will help me explain why... Most of what I am about to write under revolves around the question of *context*, minus a couple of subjective takes about the music on this debut album, going from negative ones to positive ones... Context 1 - if it's a matter of connections, why don't you connect the dots better then this, Robert? jasmine.4.t is a British folk and folk-rock artist. She is the protégée of the Boygenius gals (Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker), who signed her to their label, and produced this debut. Their production work is terrific, by the way, with a lot of interesting details and evocative flourishes that are exquisitely pulled off. I couldn't help noticing that it's on "Roan" that Phoebe Bridgers probably beta-tested electronic treatments for jasmine's vocals that sound very close to the ones she would use again for her own vocals on the album she released this year, *Lost Weekend*. Very interesting... All of this is fine and well, but what does it say about Robert Dimery as a curator? Well, the fact that none of the Boygenius girls' albums (either as a single outfit, or for the LPs they have released solo -- and there's been quite a few of them now) have ever been curated by the 1001 albums projects sheds a curious light on the inclusion of *You Are The Morning*. It's as if Dimery was being a very opportunistic fox again, and it shows -- he would do anything to promote British artists, everyone knows it, even to the point of suddenly jumping on bandwagons he wouldn't give a rat's ass before, just because the people in said bandwagons were at first Americans. Hey, Robert, "Cool Britannia" is a thing of the past, stop trying convincing us it's the center of the Western music world! Overall, jasmine's music sounds very close to the slightly streamlined, delicate folk-rock artistry represented by the Boygenius crew -- it's not a lesser version of it, but it's certainly not *better*. You have the same mix of catchy moments, moving intents, and more meandering dirges. You have the same sort of topsy-turvy tracklist, where you can be equally excited and underwhelmed at times. Was it simply because jasmine was the first British artist to be signed on Boygenius' label that Dimery and his collaborators made a sudden 180-degree turn? Looks probable, unfortunately. Context 2 - ever heard of Big Thief? Heck, have you ever *listened* to them? Everyone who knows Adrianne Lenker's band knows what I mean with this heading up there, so I won't elaborate for long. In that realm of current folk-rock music harbouring touching or transcendent moments, Big Thief is still the proverbial ONE today. Snubbing this American act after the incredible albums they've released in the last decade or so is not a good look. You can bet your boots that jasmine knows who Big Thief are herself -- you can sense their influence on the very delicate "Highfield", or on the title-track. Which makes those songs excellent cuts in my own "book", of course. But subjectivity doesn't even play that big a part in my criticism of Dimery, I say it again. It's just that there are probably a lot of people, both in the target audiences and in the "industry" (what a horrible word), who would agree with me that if *really* you have to select folksy stuff, there are better choices out there. And that makes Dimery's pick a questionable one all by itself. Context 3 - The question of representations (plural emphasized) If it's cultural zeitgeist that Robert is chasing after, the inclusion of "You Are The Morning" feels like a questionable choice, once again. I am not saying that all the new picks for the book should exclusively concern famous and commercially successful artists and musicians. I mean that the new picks should represent something *pivotal* for the various music genres they harness -- either because they're groundbreaking, or because they offer a platonic ideal for such or such music style. If it's a genre that doesn't sell that much because it's an acquired taste (abrasive styles such as noise-rock, hardcore punk, underground rap, metal, post-rock or experimental), the inclusions should at least speak to the soul of a large swath of the fans of the type of music that's written and performed. And if it's more accessible music such as the one played by jasmine.4.t, a new pick should at least leave an imprint that you can sense beyond the intended target audience. This thing happened to Boygenius by the way, or, quite a while ago now, to Anohni and the Johnsons (an act which the British singer-songwriter also takes a page out of at times, thanks to her deep yet mellifluous voice). But this crossover success didn't happen for jasmine, at least not yet. And the inclusion of *You Are The Morning* feels like a very artificial way to create such a zeitgeist. Album highlights "Skin On Skin", "Tall Girl" and "Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation" -- featuring Boygenius on guest vocals, more prominently Phoebe Bridgers -- are designed to speak to general audiences, sure -- which also brings some limitations to them, because those tracks sound a bit "manufactured" to reach that goal as well. But those songs haven't really reached a landmark status anyway if you take a quick look at their streaming numbers. And if you add underdeveloped cuts such as "Best Friend's House" in the tracklist, you end up with a meat-and-potatoes, folk small fry impression, as far as full-length intents are concerned. Honestly, you need more than this to make waves in modern folk-rock / indie-rock music. The end of the album is great by the way -- greater than anything that preceded it. "Elephant" is a very moving and impressive track, with a clear and effective build-up at the end. The instrumental "Transition" tying "Elephant" to closer "Woman" -- laced with eerie vocals suggesting mystical ravishment -- is a terrific moment as well. And the barebones, authentic-sounding "Woman", which sees jasmine make a gently emotional statement about her identity as a trans woman, is the stuff that potentially iconic songs are made of. The thing feels both topical and artistically relevant. The album should have started *there*, and then developed those intents into a more cohesive and impactful artistic accomplishment. I sincerely hope that jasmine.4.t can pull this off in the near-future, through an album that will move listeners from start to finish -- one that will make her songs shine brighter than they do here. She certainly has it in her. Who knows? If she manages to release such a magnum opus, maybe next editions of the book will scrap her debut, and replace it with a truly iconic record. I won't see me grumbling when it happens, in spite of how absurd the additions to new editions of the book are, generally speaking. I want to end my sourpuss and overlong "review" on a an encouraging note, at least. After all, some mornings don't look like much, but they sometimes lead to glorious afternoons and evenings. 2.5/5 for the purposes of this list dedicated to essential albums, rounded up to 3. 7.5/10 for more general purposes (5 for the musicianship and production values + 2.5 for the artistry) ---- Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 + 1 (addition to the 2026 edition of the book) Albums from the original list I *might* select for mine later on: 288 + 4 (additions to the 2026 edition of the book) Albums from the original list I won't select for mine: 336 + 5 (*including this addition to the 2026 edition of the book*) ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 124 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 142 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 319

Didn't realize someone could make a whole album of singing thru their nasal passages... Yet they did... They shouldn't have but they did. 40ish minutes of that. It never changed.

I usually think the supposed British bias is a bit overblown, but I don't know how else to read this inclusion other than it's the closest thing to adding Boygenius if they were British. Jasmine.4.t is trans and deals heavily with trans topics, which is sort of new to the list (emphasis on sort of, I haven't forgotten about Anohni) but I think this gap could have been filled with a better artist, such as Jane Remover. The album is indie folk, and feels very inspired by Elliott Smith, probably primarily due to Jasmine's quiet, intimate, breathy vocals. There's some rockier tracks and I think this is where Jasmine's musical talent really blooms, unfortunately there aren't very many of them on the album. Lyrically the album has a lot of emotion to it, I feel Jasmine's joys and pains of being transgender, but as a cis person it does very much feel like I'm on the outside looking in rather than feeling it in my heart, which stunts my enjoyment with it unfortunately. I actually quite like her lyrical style though. Was it a good addition to the list: No Top 3 songs: Skin On Skin, You Are the Morning, Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation

You Are the Morning is a very pleasant album. jasmine.4.t shows off a wide range of indie-pop songs, moving between Sufjan Stevens, Perfume Genius and Arcade Fire. I think I hear a bit of Elliott Smith in there as well. It’s no wonder Phoebe Bridgers signed her so quickly after hearing her demos. I was expecting something quite different when I saw the album cover. The lyrics are bare and open, dealing with an unhappy marriage, parents who don’t support her decision to live as a trans woman, and a life that has left her out on the streets. That’s more than enough material to fill entire albums. “Elephant” is my current favourite, and the whole thing feels real, true and honest. If I have to find fault somewhere, it’s Jasmine Cruickshank’s voice, which sounds a bit like a female Bon Iver.

I did not particularly enjoy this. Pretty mumbly and incoherent at times. Like a cross between the Juno soundtrack and Bon Iver. It’s not horrible, it’s just not for me.

I don't love Boygenius, I find that kind of indie music to be very boring. So this is just more of that. Bland, boring, white paint on a wall kind of music.

# In-Depth Review: *You Are The Morning* by jasmine.4.t **Verdict:** A strikingly vulnerable and musically adventurous debut that transforms personal trauma into a communal statement of trans joy and resilience, though its reliance on familiar indie-folk templates occasionally blunts its sharper edges. Jasmine Cruickshank (jasmine.4.t) wrote the bones of *You Are The Morning* during the most precarious period of her life: after coming out as a trans woman, she faced homelessness, the dissolution of her marriage, and severe PTSD, couch-surfing through Manchester’s queer community . The album, produced by all three members of boygenius (Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker) and released on Bridgers’ Saddest Factory label, is less a polished career launch than a document of survival and chosen family . ## Lyrics: Confession, Community, and the Specificity of Trans Experience The lyrical strength of *You Are The Morning* lies in its refusal to generalize. Cruickshank writes with a diarist’s specificity that makes the political deeply personal. **The opening track “Kitchen”** sets the tone with self-lacerating honesty: “How could you want this, this broken girl full of love, with no capacity for romance” . It is a song about being loved when you feel unlovable, and the lyrics carry that tension without resolving it neatly. **“Skin on Skin”** is a frank, joyful celebration of t4t (trans-for-trans) intimacy, rendered with a visceral physicality that avoids both coyness and clinical distance . **“Breaking in Reverse”** similarly traces the stop-start rhythms of a first trans love, capturing how being understood by another trans person can be “healing” in ways that feel almost structural . The album’s emotional anchor is **“You Are The Morning,”** written for Cruickshank’s friend Han, whose floor she slept on when she first arrived in Manchester. The lyrics are imagistic and devotional: “You are the morning you make the grass grow / You are the hawthorn tangled in dog-rose / The open window with the curtains closed” . It is a love letter to friendship as salvation, and it earns its title-track status by articulating the album’s core thesis: queer solidarity is a form of world-making. **“Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation”** deserves particular note for its formal ambition. The song dramatizes a dissociative episode on Guy Fawkes night, with lyrics that mimic the staccato, dislocated quality of the experience: “With my eye movement I’ll see you dent cans just for to get the discount / We can rewind and un-dent reprocess and desensitise” . It is one of the few moments where the album’s lyrical experimentation matches its emotional risk. The closing track, **“Woman,”** recorded with the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles, is the album’s most overtly political statement—an affirmation of trans womanhood backed by a cross-generational chorus of trans voices . It risks grandiosity but earns its scale through the sheer force of communal presence. **Weakness:** A few tracks, particularly **“Elephant,”** lean on impressionistic repetition that gestures toward catharsis without quite achieving it. The Elliot Smith-indebted verse structure eschews a chorus in favor of rhythmic momentum, but the lyrics in these moments are less memorable than the album’s more diaristic passages . ## Music: Folk Bones, Rock Muscle, Chamber Pop Tenderness The album’s sonic palette is rooted in the finger-picked acoustic folk that Cruickshank’s influences (Elliot Smith, Iron & Wine, Adrianne Lenker) inhabit, but it refuses to stay contained there. **The folk core** is strongest on “Kitchen,” the title track, and “Best Friend’s House.” The title track in particular benefits from a clever production trick: recorded to tape at a fast tempo, then slowed down, the acoustic guitar takes on a “lower, warm, woody tone” that suits the song’s intimate address . “Best Friend’s House” is a campfire singalong in the best sense, with a chorus of voices (including Bridgers, Dacus, Baker, Claud, and Becca Mancari) that feels genuinely communal rather than star-studded . **The rock excursions** provide necessary contrast. “Skin on Skin” and “Tall Girl” bring crunchy guitars and pushy rhythms, with Julien Baker’s searing lead work on the former adding a welcome edge . “Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation” is a full-on hoedown, all staccato guitars and cathartic release . These moments prevent the album from settling into a single register of hushed confession. **The chamber pop touches**—Phoenix Rousiamanis’s violin and piano arrangements, the echo-chamber backing vocals on “Woman”—add texture without overwhelming the songs . The Trans Chorus of LA’s appearance on the closing triptych (“Elephant” → “Transition” → “Woman”) is the album’s most ambitious musical gesture, and it mostly lands: the massed voices in Studio A (the room where *Rumours* and *Nevermind* were recorded) carry a symbolic weight that the music rises to meet . **Weakness:** The album occasionally drifts into a mid-tempo sameness across its 13 tracks. Tracks like “New Shoes” and “Roan” are beautifully rendered but lack the distinctiveness of the album’s peaks; their fragility is affecting but can blur together on repeated listens. ## Production: boygenius as Enablers, Not Overwhelmers The central risk of a boygenius-produced debut is that the producers’ sonic signature—the polished sadgirl indie folk that has become ubiquitous—might swallow the artist. That risk is largely avoided here, though not entirely. Bridgers, Dacus, and Baker function primarily as **enablers of Cruickshank’s vision** rather than imposers of their own. Dacus’s editing instincts on the title track (suggesting removal of “wordier” sections) tightened the song without diluting it . Baker’s guitar work adds muscle where needed. Bridgers’ duet on “Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation” is a genuine collaboration, not a spotlight-steal . The recording at Sound City Studios in LA, with Cruickshank’s all-trans band (Rousiamanis, Eden O’Brien on drums, Emily Abbott on bass) flown out to join her, gives the record a cohesion that belies its patchwork origins . The production knows when to step back (the hushed “Kitchen”) and when to build (the closing suite). The echo-chamber ghost vocals on “Woman” are a particularly nice touch—haunting and supportive rather than decorative . **Weakness:** The production is *tasteful* to a fault. For an album born of such extremity—homelessness, dissociation, the deaths of friends—the sonic presentation is often quite polite. The moments where the band lets loose (“Elephant,” “Skin on Skin”) suggest that a rawer, more volatile record might have been possible. The boygenius touch is light, but it is still a touch, and occasionally one wishes the rough edges had been left rougher. ## Themes: Hope as a Political Act The album’s title is its thesis. “You are the morning” is an address to a friend, to a community, and to a self that has survived. The record refuses the easy binary of trauma and triumph; instead, it insists that hope is something built collectively, in kitchens and on borrowed floors and in the spaces between people. **Trans identity** is central but not monolithic. Cruickshank writes about t4t desire, about the specific horror of dissociation, about the exhaustion of being a visible trans woman in a hostile political climate. But she also writes about the ordinary textures of friendship, the relief of a safe place to sleep, the joy of new shoes. The album’s refusal to reduce trans experience to suffering is its most quietly radical gesture. **Community** functions as both subject and method. The all-trans band, the Trans Chorus of LA, the friends who provided floors and couches—these are not background details but the album’s infrastructure. The closing triptych makes this explicit: “Woman” is not a solo statement but a choral one . **Influence and lineage:** Cruickshank’s debts are clear and openly acknowledged: Elliot Smith’s double-tracked thin vocals and DIY intimacy, Adrianne Lenker’s intricate guitar and poetic compression, Iron & Wine’s southern gothic imagery . The album sits comfortably alongside boygenius’s output and the broader Saddest Factory roster, but it also carries something of the Manchester DIY punk scene where Cruickshank cut her teeth. Its closest spiritual sibling might be Ezra Furman’s *All of Us Flames*—another album by a trans artist that insists on hope as a form of resistance . --- ## Pros and Cons ### Pros - **Lyrical specificity and emotional honesty:** Cruickshank writes about trans experience, homelessness, and mental illness with a diarist’s precision that makes the universal feel earned rather than assumed . - **Musical range:** The album moves convincingly between hushed folk, cathartic indie rock, and chamber pop, preventing monotony . - **Production that serves the songs:** boygenius’s involvement adds polish and muscle without overwhelming Cruickshank’s voice or vision . - **The closing triptych:** “Elephant” → “Transition” → “Woman” is a genuinely moving finale, with the Trans Chorus of LA providing a communal weight that the album has been building toward . - **A cohesive statement of purpose:** For a debut, the album has a remarkably clear sense of what it is and what it wants to say. ### Cons - **Mid-tempo drift:** Several tracks in the middle stretch blur together; the album’s quieter moments are beautiful but not always distinctive. - **Tasteful production occasionally blunts impact:** Given the extremity of the circumstances that produced these songs, the record sometimes feels too polite, too carefully managed . - **A few lyrical passages lean on impressionism at the expense of memorability:** “Elephant” in particular gestures toward catharsis without fully achieving it. - **The boygenius association may overshadow the artist for some listeners:** Despite the album’s distinctiveness, the presence of Bridgers, Dacus, and Baker will inevitably shape reception in ways that may obscure Cruickshank’s own voice . --- **Bottom line:** *You Are The Morning* is a debut that earns its title. It is an album about surviving the night and recognizing, in the faces of the people who took you in, the first light of something new. Its flaws are the flaws of a first record still finding its footing, but its strengths—lyrical courage, musical curiosity, and an unshakable belief in community—suggest a artist worth following for years to come.

this is pretty good but its inclusion here seems pretty inexplicable. in my opinion, there are better and/or more notable recent albums in similar styles and genres (phoebe bridgers, lucy dacus (which is only comically underscored by their involvement in the album itself) big thief) from trans people or about the trans experience (underscores, backxwash) or both (Ezra furman, ethel cain, adult mom). I try to stay pretty plugged in to current music and especially queer music, and i had never heard of this album; it doesn't even have a wikipedia article. of course, it's not like that's the sole qualification you need, and if i had been totally floored by the album i wouldn't have cared how "notable" it is, but it's not exactly stunning or amazingly innovative either. sorry Jasmine!

Well, that's three new albums in a row that don't have Wikipedia articles. Really diving into the depths of music journalism for these picks, are we? Yeah, I don't have to be the first person to tell you that this album makes no sense being on this list. However, there is something positive that we can get out of this pick. Well, two things actually. One of them is a pretty solid album, but we'll get there when we get there. The other is something that this inclusion tells us about the people behind this list. You see, the justification given in the 1001 Albums book for the inclusion of this album, You Are The Morning, basically boils down to "This is an album by a trans woman that has lyrics about being a trans woman." Now, I fully recognize that this probably isn't enough to justify the inclusion of such an obscure album, but consider this. The fact that the people making this list, who are a bunch of old British men, mind you, were even willing to include an album from a trans artist in 2026 tells me that they're not a bunch of right-wing chuds. They might be on the wrong side of music history, but at least they're on the right side of history in terms of knowing that trans people deserve rights, which is probably more important in the grand scheme of things. Are there better albums that they could've used to demonstrate that point? Yes, absolutely, but the fact that they even demonstrated the point at all makes me happy. Okay, let's actually talk about the album now. First off, since I've mentioned it, I might as well talk about the lyrical themes a bit. This album does have themes relating to the artist's struggles as a trans woman, though there were actually a lot more romantic songs than I had expected. Now, you probably don't know this seeing as I've only mentioned this in one previous review and I highly doubt that anyone has been reading up on all of my reviews, but I also happen to be a trans woman. Pretty cool, huh? Naturally, I found many parts of this album to be quite touching and relatable on a personal level, with the songwriting being one of them. Songs like "Tall Girl," "New Shoes," and "Woman" resonated a little with me. They kind of had to, honestly. I really appreciate art like this for obvious reasons. There are other parts of the album that I like though. The music is pretty great. It's not the most unique, but the blend of folk and indie works more often than it doesn't. The production is also nice, which makes sense seeing as it was handled by the members of Boygenius, with Phoebe Bridgers even having an appearance on one of the album's songs. Of course, this does make me question why none of their albums are on this list despite being way more popular, but I digress. Now, the most divisive part of this album seems to be the vocals, which aren't for everyone. It's with this part of the album, among the other things that I just mentioned, that I'm reminded of another transfem artist on this list, Anohni and the Johnsons. Similarly to their album, I didn't find myself having any issues with Jasmine's voice, though there are singers that I prefer. I am fully willing to admit that I'm kind of biased, but I enjoyed this album more than most. It's not perfect, not by any means, but it serves its purpose well. Ultimately, I think this is a case of a trans artist making music for a trans audience, and if trans music nerds such as myself get anything out of the album as I have today, then I'd say that the album is a success. Not a must-listen, but I'm still glad that I heard it. Low 4/5.

With the removal of I Am a Bird Now, I'm very pleased to see the inclusion of another transformationally vulnerable trans experience album. 1001 Album to Hear Before You Die says trans rights! I didn't love this one as much as I Am a Bird Now, but though the music was undeniably well crafted, it didn't quite scratch any of my itches.

Interesting ethereal sound which didn't quite land but I wouldn't mind if someone else put it on.

Chill indie music, but it sounds like other things. It doesn't stand out enough for me to remember, just makes me want to listen to the artists of the style I'm already familiar with.

Rubbish

Gear: ZMF Auteur Classic LTD Shedua Artwork: 📸👱‍♀️⬅️ Production: 👂🩺🧈 Music: 🎤👃🤷 Rating: 🌄🌄/5

Thought this will be whining indie shit all the way, but surprisingly in contains 3 solid groovy tracks. Sadly, all the other stuff is still whining indie shit. But 3 good tracks is already a decent result.

I’d never heard of Jasmine.4.t before this album, and I doubt I’ll be seeking out more. Very nasal vocals, with a mix of Conor Oberst and indie rock vibes. It’s perfectly fine, but nothing really grabbed me. Two stars for an album I’m fine to have listened to but probably won’t add to my Library. ★★

Very soothing, bit sad. I liked the tesco song aha

1.23

The debut album from Jasmine.4.t was released on Phoebe Bridgers' Saddest Factory Records and produced by the Boygenius trio. You Are The Morning is a heartfelt window into the life of the artist, their life as a trans person, and how that transition has affected their life. Musically it has a very DIY feel, akin to Elliott Smith, the production team using a delicate touch to allow Jasmine to carry the songs. Unfortunately the quality of the songwriting is up and down, with some songs really connecting and others being monotone slogs that drag down the end of the record. The good makes up for the bad but it does leave you wondering what could've been.

Recency bias much? Good music but not sure why it cracks the top 1000.

Never heard of jasmine.4.t. Definitely strong similarities with Elliott Smith here. Think it's the kinda breathy, quiet singing with the acoustic guitar. Enjoyed this though. My favourites were kitchen, guy Fawkes Tesco dissociation and elephant. Which I think were probably the more Elliot Smith ones. 4

Сара 4 Марко 4

It was fine. Low-key songwriter indie stuff.

This is nice! My favourites were Skin On Skin and the title track.

2 stjerner

Much better than I expected. I added several songs to my playlists. 4,5/5.

I couldn't really understand most of it, it sounded like mumble-pop?

This Indie Folk album feels like sitting in a quiet living room while someone shares deeply personal stories with a group of close friends. I can sense the intimacy and emotional importance of what is being said, but I remain more of an observer than a participant. The gentle guitars, familiar indie-rock arrangements and Jasmine's nasal, sometimes mumbly vocals create a soft, confessional atmosphere, yet much of it begins to blend together. Even when the music grows louder, it rarely holds my attention for long. I can appreciate the sincerity behind it, but the songs don't leave enough of an impression to make me want to return.

Listened on my drive to work and ended up switching to something more upbeat for my commute. Not horrible, but I'd have to be in the right mood to revisit.

Pretty solid.

Album #1099 (1,001 challenge): "You Are the Morning" by jasmine.4.t (2025) "You Are the Morning" is the debut album by British indie rock singer-songwriter jasmine.4.t (Jasmine Cruickshank). Indie rock and indie folk are the referenced musical genres. The album was produced by Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus. The album was written on 2021 after jasmine came out as trans and experienced a subsequent divorce, family estrangement and a period of homelessness. The album received critical acclaim. Melodic acoustic guitars open the album in "Kitchen." Soft, tender vocals as she's in love. Nice harmonizing backing vocals. A plucking guitar begins "Skin on Skin." Clear vocals as she pleads to her lover to take her places she's never been. An electric guitar and drums enter and there's a more rockin' vibe. Nice layering of guitars. Strings join the acoustic guitar in "You Are the Morning." A pitter-patter drum beat. Exquisite guitar layering. Phoebe Bridgers shares lead vocals with jasmine in the wonderful "Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation." Country tinged with the fiddle. An electric guitar melody. Criss-cross vocals. Catchy, catchy. A song about jasmine's dissociative episodes. "Elephant" starts out slowly with an acoustic guitar. An electric guitar and drums come in and we're more rockin.' The song builds with a screeching guitar solo. A chanting chorus outro. Another fantastic song. Intimate, tender and personal as jasmine takes us on her journey into who she is. Equally folk with acoustic guitar songs and rock with the electric guitar and rock beat. And the rock is more like country rock. Strings, a mandolin, a piano and slide guitar are added at times giving the songs a country/Americana vibe. The production of Bridgers, Baker and Dacus shine especially with their harmonizing backing and lead vocals. This is a strong album and a high recommendation for everyone. 4.5 out of 5

There was something unsettling about this, but I can’t put my finger on what or why.

Huh, so the only representation that Phoebe Bridgers or any of the Boygenius members get on this list is as collaborators on a much less famous singer’s album. That’s classic 1001 albums stuff. While this album is a similar vein to the confessional indie-folk of Ms Bridgers et al, it’s not as good as a Stranger in the Alps or a Punisher, and there were times when I got bored. But there were also 4 or 5 tracks that were up my street (usually the more upbeat stuff - Elephant is great, for instance), so I think I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt, hit the 3-star button and sign off from this website for the next 5 years, or whenever the next contentious update drops.

She works well with Phoebe on the more upbeat tracks. I’d still take Jurassic Five tho, they were a top discovery from the list

Really? THIS is what deserves to be on the list from 2025? If we wanted to be 2025 specific, there are better albums to choose from (Bad Bunny, Mayhem by Lady Gaga, Moisturizer by Wet Leg). If we wanted to fill the gap from the last revision, I'd look at Olivia Rodrigo or something. What a miss here.

Свіжий альбом, який не тягне на статус instant classic. Тому не дуже розумію чому на ньому зупинився вибір оновленої редакції укладачів списку. Якщо вже про музику, то тут приємний фолк, десь дали бон івера, десь трохи суф'яна. Окремі пісні привертали увагу, але загалом не можу сказати, що вистачає дійсно яскравих моментів.

Доволі нудний альбом типу суфьян вдома, але без хітів. Співає пані Жасмін непогано, але враження шо цей альбом тут по транс-квоті (а може я це вигадую)

Gentle, slightly whimsical guitar pop

Glad to know Demory chooses to remain out of touch. 2/5

En mä oikee…. ⭐️⭐️

There's a real potential here--mostly satisfied--to really explore, musically and vocally, the emotionality brought up for the songs. I fear there is a hesitancy to take what you have and run with it. Just when I like something it comes to an end.

I really enjoyed this. Wasn't sure what to expect, but I dug the whole vibe.

I dig this whole vibe!

Better then i was expecting. Sort of catchy.

This was a pretty solid album by a new-to-me artist. It feels a lot like the breathy indie music of the 2010s, which I'm into, but I don't understand why someone 15 years late to the genre is being put on the list. No matter. I liked it, and I'll add this to my collection. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Not even Phoebe Bridgers could save this album. The vocals are just not good enough to be on this list. I'm sure there are other reasons why it was included, and the lyrics are actually pretty decent, but I can't stand the vocals. I understand who this artist is, and I'm happy for them that they are themselves, but it's just a no from me dog personally on the music side. I feel like a jerk, but it's just the truth.

It was fine but not very interesting. Everything was very polished and modern and didn’t hold my attention.

6.5/10. This album just wasn't really for me. The music was okay, and there was some true trauma being expressed through song of the artist's struggles around gender identity, among other things, but the vocals and lyrics weren't on the same level, they were not that good. I don't think I'll come back to this, but I'm glad to have heard it once in my life.

One for the t-girls! They're a Saddest Factory artist, so of course its low key and chill. You Are The Morning has great lyrics. Wow hey Phoebe Bridgers on Guy Fawkes Tesco Disassociation

Interesting to be made aware of the artist, but it didn't grab me especially

First of the new 2026 Edition listens, and it's a pretty pleasant listen. If I ever get back to listening to it again, probably will playlist a song or two. Definitely giving me some Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens vibes. That said, even for as good as it is, this doesn't feel like a good pick for the list, especially when they only allowed themselves 13 new picks, and especially when the influencing artist (Bon Iver) isn't represented on the list. Neat album, poor pick for the list.

Boy Genius, but make it nasal.

You Are The Morning was actually a very lovely album. This sounded very differently from what i was expecting it to sound like. When i saw the album art and artist name on the Amazon listing of the new edition, i thought this was going to be an electronic album but this ended up being more of a singer-songwriter sort of album. And it was a very nice listen with some very good musicianship and songwriting and Jasmine's voice was quite nice to listen to. I do think that some of the songs (especially in the first half) did sound kinda samey but the album rectified that as it went on while maintaining it's relaxing vibe. I was shocked at how much i enjoyed this one. Best Song: Roan Worst Song: Kitchen

This was a pleasant surprise for us: a discovery of an artist we will likely go back to (it's felt like it's been a while). Very much our genre of soft, ephemeral indie folk. The vocals were great and the album on the whole felt very put together.

Some interesting subject matter, and a very personal album for the artist. Some of the more upbeat songs are well played, but some of the slower songs are a little boring and drag on. Conceptually a good album, but in the end, not for me. 2.5/5 Probably won't listen again

01) Kitchen - 6,0 02) Skin On Skin - 7,5 03) Highfield - 7,0 04) Breaking In Reverse - 7,0 05) You Are The Morning - 7,0 06) Best Friend’s House - 6,5 07) Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation - 7,0 08) Tall Girl - 6,5 09) New Shoes - 6,5 10) Roan - 6,0 11) Elephant - 6,5 12) Transition - / 13) Woman - 7,0 TOTAL: 6,71 (67/100) Current ranking: 699/1081

big 2

Not listening to this but 1 star out of protest for a 2025 album being on here

The boygenius extended universe has hit the list, interesting to include this and not any Julian Baker or Lucy Dacus? Put historian or home video on the list you cowards. This is really good. I really enjoy all three boy genius members, this only goes to show they can influence artists already. Phoebe Bridgers is the new Pete Wentz and Saddest Factory is the new Decaydance and jasmine.4.t is the new Panic! At the disco. I’d rather be listening to a fall out boy record (a phoebe record, are you following me???) but this’ll sure do in the meantime. That best friends house song is cute but it’s a standout bad track on this otherwise solid album. I’m wavering between 4 and 5 and what’s keeping me from 5 is that I’d rather be listening to the music this is so obviously pulling from. But elephant is too good. I went back and listened to elephant-transition-woman like 7 times in a row what a masterclass.

Jamais imaginaria que veria a Jasmine aqui, to morrendo!!!!!!

такой вокал не люблю( в слова не вслушивалась но есть подозрения… сама музыка вроде приятная, действительно бойджиниус стайл

Very derivative of this trend of sadgirl indie. I dig some of that genre but I think it's tough to really stand out within it. This one doesn't really do that in my opinion. It's inoffensive but lacking depth.

Music not bad but the vocals are a bit whiney

Occasionally beautiful, often annoying.

Rather dull, another questionable addition to the updated edition

Good album… way too early to be on this list! 2025!

Most was just okay, but I did quite like "Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation."

I appreciated the honesty, straight to the point lyrics and vulnerability of this album. I don't think Jasmine has a particularly great voice, but it does the job and gets the point across. I can forgive a not so great voice if the artist is able to transmit their feeling through their songs and this was able to do that for the most part. the 2nd half of the album was stronger than the first half and the final 3 or 4 songs were probably the highlight.

Did absolutely nothing for me. Im sure there's tons of people that resonate with this but I am not one of them. Favorite song: Elephant

Wasn’t expecting what I heard but not really what I would go out looking for either. Not bad though. 2.5 goin down.

Why is this here

I appreciate the artistry but absolutely not for me.

A really tremendous way to finish this little coda to the Project, although I can just about acknowledge that it's strange to have jasmine on here rather than some of the Boygenius gang who clearly influenced, championed and participated in this record. But to be fair, quite a lot of my qualms throughout boil down to 'I think it's mad that Big Thief isn't on here'. Still, it's exactly in my wheelhouse, something I didn't really know and one that I'll come back to repeatedly - and as far as the Project goes, isn't that what it's all about?

Some good stuff here but a little to slow for my mood while listening.

A good album, but the first few tracks are ordinary and a little too nice. The album picks up with "Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation". The only problem with that song is that you recognize instantly that Phoebe Bridgers has a better voice than jasmine.4.t. "New Shoes" and "Roan" are nice closing tracks.

Uhhhhhm this is too woke for me. 1 star.

3/4

It wasn't bad. It's a pretty pleasant album for the most part. The vocals are a bit too nasal, which does start to grate on me. But there were some good tracks: songs like "Skin On Skin" and "Breaking In Reverse" have some great folk moments, which I appreciated. Should it have moved another album off the list? I don't know. For every album you put in, something's gotta go I guess. Top tracks: "Skin On Skin", "Tall Girl", "Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation", "Breaking In Reverse"

All over the place, never really seemed to coalesce for me. And a bit weak on the lyrics.

To see an album from last year on the list was exciting, it also put a big set of expectations on this album, expectations the album could not live up to. This was arguably good, rather than instant classic.

Intricate guitar work and magnificent songwriting makes for a good album, who knew? jasmine.4.t bears her soul on every track, making You Are The Morning feel more like a personal diary than a mere collection of songs. On top of that, there is enough variety from simple acoustic accompaniments to rocking full-band tracks to keep the album from getting stale. From there, jasmine.4.t's voice only seems to carry a new weight with each song bringing out a new side of her story. I think the lack of stories from trans women on the list makes this a refreshing and welcome addition in the new edition, and I happened to enjoy a lot of what You Are The Morning had to offer, especially with its carefully-crafted production bringing out the best in every song. It is no wonder, then that it was produced by all three members of the indie folk supergroup Boygenius. Turns out that they have a good ear for this stuff! Glad to see they're supporting fantastic up-and-coming artists like this.

Nice.

There's nothing wrong with this album, except that perhaps while listening to it you are reminded that there are many other stronger examples of this genre that could have been included in the list.

Ahhh, that makes a change, more bland easy listening indie folk pop. Dimery, in the highly unlikely chance of you reading this: You're a joke of a music critic. It annoys me that you get the privilege of being able to write and publish a book like this and you have no fucking clue on how to do it. Fuck you. This album? It's fine. Best Tracks: Skin on Skin; Guy Fawkes Tesco Dissociation; Elephant

This album did not do much for me. I found myself bored through the majority of it. The song that stuck with me the most was probably Elephant.

3.5/5

Oh my, this album has less than 500 reviews while I’m writing this. What an immense pressure. I haven’t listened to the album (or artist) before, so I went in with no specific expectations. I’ll say I thought the cover to be a bit misleading, I expected something more pop-maximalism. I think the singer has a nice voice in the lower registers, it could get a bit annoying when she sang in a higher register for a long time. The somewhat nasal voice wasn’t bothering me. The tracks were very calm and for some of them kind of blended together. I think a lot of the tracks work more as a collected album than as stand-alone tracks. I thought the first few songs were very good, but with time it all did become a bit much of the same. The final song was a nice closing statement and I really enjoyed the production.

Jasmine is clearly influenced musically and professionally by her association with Phoebe Bridgers and her Boygenius bandmates, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus. Why are none of them on this list? This spot should have gone to Phoebe Bridgers' 2020 album, "Punisher".

the first of the added albums to tempt me with rating it a 5. definitely not less than a 4 and i immediately listened to it again, to her previous EPs, and i've replayed the album subsequently. strong 4.5 rounded up.

Fun appearance by the boys genius in here. This was pretty unusual, I liked it.

Bij Poppy was ik net nog verrast door hoe vet het was en daardoor kon ik me erbij neerleggen dat het veel te snel in deze lijst is opgenomen, maar bij dit album durf ik wel te stellen dat het echt niet in deze lijst thuis hoort. Ik vind aanvankelijk de sfeer wel lekker, maar vroeg of laat komt er verveling om de hoek kijken bij zoiets. Ik denk dat ik dat bij alles in dit genre een beetje heb. Ik ben na een tijdje m'n interesse hiervoor ook echt kwijt, al komt er her en der nog een nummer met iets meer tempo en iets meer gitaar en dan vind ik het wel weer aardig ('Tall Girl'). De hele rustige plinky plonky hipsternummers met kopstem vind ik minder. Dan zet ik liever dat Billie Eilish album (wat ik ook vandaag heb geluisterd) nog een keer aan. Ik hou het op 2 sterren.

Honestly, I'm pretty torn on this one. I keep wanting to give it 3 stars and just be done with it, but every time I listen in to what's happening, it's interesting. It's like everything is not quite what it should be, but in a way that fits together in a meaningful way. One thing I do know for sure is that the people who upload albums to YouTube and then stick 3 songs from another artist in the middle for no apparent reason should be put in jail. For some reason, the people that try to sell me cryptocurrency in between songs don't bother me as much, I guess because it's generally just one interruption. Regardless, her voice takes a bit of getting used to, but it's not bad by any means 4/5 Fuck it. I'm not exactly sure what musical statement this album is making, but it is making a statement, and it works

For pop

Nice surprise. Had some fun songs

Very nice album. Super mellow, but lots of interesting melody and arrangement, and lyrics ranging from devastating to very steamy. 4/5