The Queen Is Dead - LOVE this one. It has the same feel as much of my favorite other 80s music. If it wasn’t so long it might be an instant add to my regular playlist - it might still be.
Frankly Mr. Shankly - Fun! Nothing mindblowing but it’s definitely a pleasant listen.
I Know It’s Over - Big tone change, but not unwelcome. Probably my least favorite so far, but the bar is VERY high, so that’s not saying much. I really like the part where the chorus hits.
Never Had No One Ever - Another slower one, which tends to be a type of song I like less, but this is still a good one. Haunting little slow jam.
Cemetery Gates - Another tone change, and way more upbeat than I expected from the title. I really like this one!
Bigmouth Strikes Again - Oooh I really like this one. The feel of it is really nice. Might be another favorite on this album for me. Yeah I REALLY like this one.
The Boy with the Thorn In His Side - I don’t think this one is really clicking with me. It’s nice, I just don’t think it’s exactly my thing!
Vicar in a Tutu - This is also a jam! Not my favorite, but a nice listen. I really like the upbeat sound of it.
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out - I like this one. Also not a favorite, but feels nice to listen to. Really enjoy the lyrics. I think I may have heard this before or seen it referenced? This is rising up my favorites list the more I listen, too.
Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others - This one is a little weird and repetitive to me? I like the sound of it though.
OVERALL: This was a good album, just a lot of it didn’t fall into my particular tastes. I would give it 3.5 if I had half stars but I don’t. My favorites were The Queen Is Dead and Bigmouth Strikes Again.
My notes on this got replaced by my notes on my previous album somehow, so I lost all my specific notes, but I liked this one and it made me appreciate a genre I don’t usually listen to. Favorites were Commotion, Bad Moon Rising, and Sinister Purpose.
Gotta Get Up - Wow this is not what I expected from the cover. I like this! It has a kind of dissonant feeling I really enjoy. I like how the chorus sounds the most, and I really like the horns.
Driving Along - A little less of my vibe, but it’s a pleasant listen. Not much to say about this one.
Early in the Morning - I really like the instrumental on this one, I assume it’s some sort of synth? It’s very nice. A little slow for me otherwise but a very chill song.
The Moonbeam Song - Also a lot slower than I genuinely like. It is very pretty. Feels like it’s going to put me to sleep though.
Down - I don’t have much to say about this one. It wasn’t bad or anything, just very neutral. Kind of just slipped by me.
Without You - I like the piano in this one a lot! Very pretty. Still slower than I usually like, but it’s got a sound that makes me enjoy it more. Oh this chorus is GORGEOUS. Wow! This is going on my melancholy playlist. That’s beautiful.
Coconut - …this is where this song came from? I know this from my dad referencing it all the time. It at least gets points for being weird and interesting to listen to.
Let the Good Times Roll - This is fun! Very nice and upbeat. I like it.
Jump Into the Fire - Oh this bass line is AWESOME. Beautiful intro. I like this one a lot. It jams. The guitar at the end is very very fun.
I’ll Never Leave You - Oooh nice strings. Very pretty song. Not so much my thing, but very pretty.
OVERALL: This would be a 3.5 if I could, but I can’t, so it’s making a solid 3. It’s a nice album, just mostly not my style. A bit too slow for my tastes. Favorites were Gotta Get Up and Without You, which was the one slower song that really hit for me.
Chain of Fools - Oh I know this one! Really good. I like this genre, so I already know I’m gonna enjoy these. Really gorgeous song, very smooth jam. Love the bass line.
Money Won’t Change You - Oh I REALLY like this one. Very fun! Love the upbeat vibes of it.
People Get Ready - A bit slower than I usually enjoy, but I still love this one. She just has such an incredible voice, every song is going to be beautiful.
Niki Hoeky - Oh this one is fun! The instrumentals are sooo nice. This one makes me feel like dancing haha.
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman - Of course I already know this one. Absolutely beautiful song, it’s a classic.
Sweet Sweet Baby (Since You’ve Been Gone) - Oh this is another fun one! I love the piano/horn line that steps upwards, feels really nice to listen to. Been a huge fan of the horns on this whole album, but they feel especially present here. Really good song.
Good To Me As I Am To You - This one’s pretty! Another one that’s a little slower than I usually like, but still very enjoyable. Absolutely gorgeous vocals in it too, although that goes for the whole album.
Come Back Baby - I don’t know how to have more individual notes for these songs other than they’re all good and they’re all jams. This is another fun upbeat dancing song! Really good.
Groovin’ - Ooh now this is the type of slow song I love! “Groovin’” is a very accurate description. Real smooth, real nice.
Ain’t No Way - Another gorgeous slow song! The vocals really shine on this one, although again, that’s true of every song on here. Very pleasant. I like it.
OVERALL: Easy 4 stars for me, would be a 4.5 if I could. My favorite album I’ve listened to from here so far. Absolutely gorgeous vocals, very nice instrumentals, especially the horns, this is a classic for a reason. Favorites were Chain of Fools, Money Won’t Change You, and Groovin’.
Strange Brew - This is a fun jam, I like it! Not my usual type of music but it’s fun.
Sunshine of Your Love - Oh hey, I’ve heard this one before! Really like it. The riff is real nice. Quick favorite so far. Really like the guitar solo too.
World of Pain - Ooh, very groovy, very smooth! I like it! It has a very interesting feel to it that I’m enjoying.
Dance the Night Away - For some reason this isn’t really clicking with me right away. It’s not bad, it’s just not really hitting for me either. I do think it grows on me a little the longer I listen, though.
Blue Condition - This one also isn’t really my thing. Slow in a way I don’t really enjoy very much. Again not a bad song, just not my thing.
Tales of Brave Ulysses - Ooh, I like the start of this. I like the rest of it too! Another favorite I think. Really nice, really interesting, good jam!
SWLABR - Ooh another immediate favorite, this is really fun! This is much more in line with the vibes I usually enjoy in music. Really nice and upbeat.
We’re Going Wrong - A good slow song, not so much my thing though. I really enjoy this guitar in this one though.
Outside Woman Blues - Oh this is fun! I like the intro. Some more really nice guitar.
Take It Back - Oh this is a really nice one. Another upbeat one which I enjoy. This would be a good song to dance to. I really like it! A head bopper of a song. Like literally, I am bopping my head listening to it.
Mother’s Lament - This one is really different from the rest of the album, huh? A nice change up, but not really something I’d listen to independently.
OVERALL: A lot of it isn’t my usual style, but it’s nice! Another one I would rate 3.5 if I could, but I can’t, so it’s a 3. Favorites were Sunshine of Your Love, Tales of Brave Ulysses, SWLABR, and Take It Back.
This Is - Good intro track! That’s all it is, but I like the tone it’s setting.
Freedom - Oh I’m going to love this album. This is already incredible. Absolutely gorgeous instrumentals, and I really enjoy the lyricism. Immediate favorite, but I suspect most of these will be.
If Only You Knew - Oh hey, is that flute in there? I’m biased but I love a good flute riff. Also loving this one. A real head bopper.
Break - Oh I LOVE the beat on this one. This album is great. Every song becomes my new favorite immediately, haha. The rapping on this one is probably my favorite so far, there’s a really nice rhythm to it that feels great to listen to.
React - I really like the intros and interstitials on this album. I like albums that feel like a full listening experience front to back. It definitely adds something important.
A Day At The Races - Can I just say “favorite” for every song? These are all so good. This one feels the most fast paced so far, and I really enjoy that. I’m really enjoying all the super chill instrumentals on all these tracks, but this one is especially good. The guitar strums in the background give it a very particular feel that’s great to listen to. Some very satisfying lyricism and rhyme schemes in here too.
Remember His Name - Oh wowwww. Okay. This is my new favorite for real. I love the use of sound bites to add to the overall soundscape. I love the conversational set up. I love the instrumentals. This is really something else, holy shit. Oh my god, the end? Okay yeah immediate favorite. I need to relisten to this one.
What’s Golden - I feel like I’m still reeling from the last song, but this is great. Really fun little jam. Really enjoy the little breakdown on “hip hop music”.
Thin Line - I can’t just say “this is a really nice jam” for all of these, but also it’s true for all of them! There’s a very specific feel being curated here that I really really enjoy. I really like the featured artist on this one too.
After School Special - Oh, great beat on this one. Another one that just makes me instinctively bop my head. I really like the rhythm of the rapping too.
High Fidelity - Oh really fun. Some great lyrics in here too. Another flute riff, I think? Which I always love. This is jumping up on the favorites list for me. I really like this.
Sum of Us - I keep saying this but, great song, a jam, great beat, etc etc etc. This album is so consistently great I just keep saying how great every song is. It’s true though. There’s a really fun synth, I think, in the back of this one? Really good. Also really like the lyrics in this one. Really nice hook.
Ddt - Ooh another great interlude. This is such a satisfying one.
One of Them - Oh I looove the intro to this. Really great instrumentals going on here. Okay, this has a really nice sound, but I don’t think I as a white queer in 2026 have enough social context to have an opinion on the content of the lyrics, so I just won’t!
Hey - Nice slow jam. This is great. Another head bopper. The instrumentals on this album are all so good.
I Am Somebody - Really nice funky feeling to the instrumentals on this one that I’m really enjoying. Every song on this album is great and I’m running out of things to say about how great they all are, haha.
Acetate Prophets - Oh very unique sound to this. I really like it. I really enjoy a good experimental track, and this one is awesome.
OVERALL: I think this has to be my first 5 star. I loved this. Every song hit for me. I think Remember His Name was my favorite, but it was closely followed by literally every other song on the album. Pretty much all of this is going to make it into my regular listening rotation.
Not doing song specific notes for this one, I don’t think. I’m a little tired so I know it’s affecting my ability to enjoy a pretty slow album, but this is a solid 3 for me. I know it’s a good album, it’s just not the music that feels good to listen to right now. Standout favorite is as Sock It 2 Me. Otherwise it’s pretty good, just nothing particularly clicked with me, personally.
Going to experiment with not doing track by track notes so I can do more things while listening without writing all the time!
I really like this one! Solid 4 stars from me. Reminds me how much I love horns. Not much to say other than it’s just a very enjoyable listen.
Favorites: Let The Good Times Roll, When Your Lover Has Gone
This isn’t really my usual style but I’m appreciating it artistically. Very pleasant listen. The more upbeat songs are much more up my alley for sure. I also really like the vocals! Also didn’t realize beforehand that I knew The Weight, but I’ve definitely heard that one a lot.
Favorites: To Kingdom Come, Chest Fever (holy shit the intro to this one)
I really enjoy the sound of this! I don’t listen to music like this much, but not because I don’t like it, I just don’t really seek it out. Some very unique sound and instrumentals happening on this one that I really like. The fully instrumental tracks are also still really nice to listen to, they feel like they’d be great to have in the background while studying.
Favorites: Sleep on the Left Side, Butter the Soul, We’re in Yr Corner, What is Happening?, Good Shits, Candyman
Oh, this is a really interesting one. Very fun! This is a style of music I really enjoy, and I’m a sucker for unique song structure, so it’s probably a given I’d love this one. A solid 4, would be a 4.5 if I could.
Favorites: Can I say the whole album? I just like this album.
I’m really enjoying this! I recognize a few songs on it too. It’s been a nice thing to listen to while I’m getting ready in the morning. Once again I wish I had half stars, because this would be a 3.5, but without them it’s leaning 3.
I like this one! Very funky. This is a really fun listen. It’s a style I don’t listen to a whole lot, and this makes me want to get it into my regular listening rotation more often.
Favorite song: Summer Breeze
Wow, this is aggressively not my thing. I’m sure it’s a good album to people who like this style of music, but I am not one of those people. Once again wish there were half stars, and this would be a 2.5, but there’s not, so it’s a 2. I did really like Lookout Joe, though!
This was a rough start at first, but it really grew on me. I think the only thing holding it from 5 stars for me is that sometimes the vocals are a little difficult to hear and difficult to listen to. Other than that, I really enjoyed this, and a lot of these songs will probably make my regular rotation!
I really enjoyed this one! Very pleasant listen to start my day with, and of course I already knew a couple of the songs. Nothing mindblowing in my opinion, but would be a solid 3.5 for me.
I really enjoy this! It’s a little different from most other stuff I’ve heard, and I find it really interesting. Definitely a weird album to start my day with, but not bad weird! I’d probably listen to a lot of these songs again of my own volition. Solid 4 from me.
Favorite: Of Lilies and Remains
This is exactly the kind of weird pop I *should* like. For some reason, it’s just not clicking with me. It’s fine, just not especially memorable and not really leaving a huge impression. Solid middle of the road 3. Maybe on a relisten some of it might hit better, but on first lesson it was just okay.
I mean, what do you want me to say? It’s Tina Turner. This is amazing. Of course it is. 4.5 stars easy.
