This album was basically like if The Clash were a better band (sorry, Clash heads). I loved it. This was early punk rock, storming into the early 80s whilst still holding onto the boyish charm of the 60s and 70s. I found the vocalist so endearing and was very impressed with the lyricism too. I had a vast majority of the songs favorited at the end of my listen, which is always a good sign. This one was probably closer to 4.5 stars because the last couple of songs fell a bit flat for me, buuuut I'm opting to round up! So so good though. Emotional highs and lows. Beautiful music. Fun moments. This album has it all.

I hadn't listened to this album in full before, even though AM was a very important and formative album for me in my adolescence. I think it's a solid album, but definitely didn't trip my trigger as much as I expected. This debut definitely has the Arctic Monkeys sound, but lacks the refinement that makes their later work so special. While it starts strong, it kinda just stays like that for most of the album, not really going anywhere interesting or playing with highs and lows. It's not that I didn't enjoy this, but I think it does blend in to the other indie rock being made at the time. That being said, Alex Turner's vocals and songwriting will always stand out and are sharp here.

Ah, one of my high school comfort albums. Even years after my adolescent obsession, In Utero still holds up. The lyrics here are sad, twisted, and, in classic Cobain fashion, full of sarcasm. The band really lets lose on this album, especially compared to Nevermind's more polished and pallatable approach. The grunge sound that the band helped pioneer is present in full force. This album is cathartic. It swallows you in its sound, engrossing you within its messy walls. It hits hard, but also breaks down, often in the same song. It's a masterclass in honest emotional expression in music, and is a lasting testament to the fact that music doesn't always need to sound pretty to be stellar. Sometimes the music calls for ugly, and this is a perfect response to that call.

I have complex feelings about this album. The ripples of this release are still felt in music made today. Some of my favorite records are infused with the Bossa nova sound that this album pioneered. During my listens, I did enjoy having it on and felt like it blended in to the background seamlessly. But that seamlessness turned out to be one of my biggest issues here. I hate to say it, but I found this album quite boring. Aside from the iconic first track ("The Girl From Ipanema"), all of the songs seemed to run into each other without much ado. I know it was intended to be easy listening, and it was easy. The problem is that it wasn't much else. Even though it's an important and extremely well-done piece of work, I just don't think this album is for me. It left me feeling a bit unsatisfied, like it was a beautiful setup for a story that said nothing.

Generally speaking, this kind of rock music has never really been my jam. That being said, I did like this album significantly more than I expected. The guitar solos were engaging and impressive, and the sound design was superb. There were sonic highs and lows, although Deep Purple seemed to be the most comfortable during the highs. That's one of the reasons heavy metal has never spoken to me; it often fails to acknowledge that being loud and busy can still result in a one-note album. I did like this album more than most heavy metal albums I've listened to, but I still wasn't moved by it. It didn't really say anything, and often felt more like playing with sound and instruments rather than a full-fledged album. I appreciate the skill displayed here, but good music can't exist on skill alone. There needs to be heart, and that's exactly what was missing here.

Okay fine.... I think I finally get Radiohead.... This album was awesome. It held my attention the entire time, and existed in its own, unique musical world. So many of the lyrics were just crushing, and when they paired with the soft, yet striking sonic landscape, something seriously magical was born. It's funny because I listened to this album a few months ago and wasn't impressed, but I guess the stars finally aligned during my most recent listens. I was so impressed by every second of this, and now understand why people say this is one of the greatest albums ever made.

True to the name of the genre it helped shape, this album felt like a dream. It was misty, and felt like it picked you up and ushered you along the fuzzy memories of its story. This album impressed me by being an extremely easy listen, one I could probably leave on for days, whilst also being a genuinely interesting piece of music. The vocal layering and looping in this album were powerful and really added to the overall haziness of the music. This is some of my favorite production work I've heard, and all of its converging strengths result in a striking finished product. I've recently spent less time with this type of shoegaze-y music, but I still enjoyed every minute of this album. It's just an objectively beautiful and well-done album all around. Definitely worth all the hype that surrounds it.

I am obsessed with this album. It was fun and loose, but somehow didn't feel messy. At times, it just felt like listening in on a group of friends messing around with each other, and those moments were some of my very favorites. The production was energetic and really just melted around the vocals. There were so many clever lyrics and different stories told. The jazz element of this album was great, too. I think that really brought it to another level. This was one of my most enjoyable listens in recent memory, and may be my new favorite hip-hop album... Just so, so good the whole way through.

This album is a true testament to Muddy Waters' talent and ability to engage with an audience. He built up the crowd's energy gradually, until they were at their peak during his back-to-back renditions of "Got My Mojo Working." That build was so fun to listen to. While some of the energy definitely translated to the live recording, it didn't all translate. I'm sure seeing this performance in person would be one of the best concert experiences ever, but I felt disengaged with this album at times. I think I'm just not a huge fan of live albums generally. To me, they often fall flat sonically and feel far away. This definitely was not a bad album, but it was one I don't think I'll return to.

I listened to this album with Rylee, and we both really enjoyed it. The songwriting specifically really stuck out to me, which I appreciated. I think that sometimes, with bands similar to Dire Straits, the lyrics get lost in the music, but I felt like both aspects melded together beautifully here. This album was groooovy in a laid-back way. The guitar really led the way for most of the time, but it felt intentional, not lazy. I've listened through this album a few times now, and it's gotten better with each listen. I think this will most definitely be an album I'll revisit many times.

I enjoyed every minute of this album! It's definitely one of the strongest debuts out there. Björk is truly one of a kind, and her first solo album proves it instantly. The genre blending on display here is something else, and her ability to blend soft and harsh sounds together into one cohesive song is so nice to listen to. Speaking of softness, there was so much more of it in this album than I expected; It was really quite beautiful. In just this one album, Björk both displays her musical prowess and then goes even further by using her expertise to create something brand new. If that isn't the sign of exceptional music, I don't know what is. This is a dance album, yes, but that's just one small sliver of its makeup. It is a free-flowing body of work that exists and operates only within its own boundaries. It may be my favorite Björk album I've listened to yet.

I definitely liked this album more than Getz/Gilberto, but I think I learned that bossa nova is not my jam. It's the perfect soundtrack for a summer beach day, but outside of that context, I just struggle to connect with the genre. This album fell victim to that struggle as well. I did like the overall listening experience that Gilberto delivered, and her voice was so pleasant and smooth. I'll probably end up re-listening to this eventually, and I enjoyed the world it created. I just wish bossa nova lent itself to more variety.

This was a good album. It didn't blow my mind or do anything revolutionary, but I liked almost all of the tracks and thought the production was interesting. It was a very Y2K attempt at genre blending, kinda like a better, more interesting version of that early 2000s, Maroon 5-esque rock. It definitely had a good groove to it, even if that groove did get a bit lost at times. This one definitely grew on me after a few listens. At first, I wasn't sold, but eventually I really started to enjoy it. I give it points for being a truly unique, even if largely evocative, album, and then extra points for also being a generally enjoyable, fun listen.