Courtney Barnett, Creature of Habit ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Courtney Barnett is finally back with a new album after five years of waiting. I mean, technically she did release End of the Day in 2023, but it was an instrumental soundtrack. This is also her first release not on the now defunct Milk Records.  This is very much a Courtney Barnett album, in that you get the eclectic, almost awkward musical excursions, and the wisdom seeking lyrics. But this album is probably her most varied yet. Her albums always kind of have a unified sound, but on this one, from song to song...

St. Vincent, LIVE IN LONDON! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ St. Vincent is back with a live album. Somehow I had no idea this was coming out, so this was a nice surprise. This was recorded with the Jules Buckley Orchestra backing her, and holy jeez is it great. I mean, St. Vincent has always written these huge, epic sounding songs. So to hear them with a full orchestra backing? It just makes them even more powerful sounding. The orchestral arrangements are beautifully and skillfully done, too. Sometimes they are more faithful to the source material, and other times they deviate wildly. For example,...

Kim Gordon, Play Me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❌ Sonic Youth alum, and indie rock legend, Kim Gordon is back with a new solo album. It’s called Play Me, which is actually a very helpful title. I wish more albums would come with instructions. This album continues her experimentations with trip-hop music with producer Justin Raisen. Musically, it’s very potent, and lyrically very stream of consciousness, almost free verse at times. I think this sound suits her and her style well. It’s kind of the natural progression in my mind. It just makes sense. The production is top notch. It keeps you unnerved, which...

Harry Styles, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Harry Styles is back with a new album. He does that, occasionally. But I’ll listen and review it all the time. This album really took me by surprise. I mean, I know that at this point Harry Styles is a bonafide pop star, but I’ve never really paid much attention. But this is just a really great dance pop album. The music is great and the production is top tier.  One thing that did bother me, though, is the phrase “tummy tickled” in “Are You Listening Yet?” Made me think of...