Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

A rich, layered album that reveals more with each listen.

There's a before and after with this album. It changed everything.

I wanted this to be better than it is. The ingredients are all there — the talent, the ambition, the production budget — but it never quite gels into something greater than the sum of its parts. Still a pleasant enough listen though.

Fine album from a good band. Nothing offensive, nothing transcendent. It sits comfortably in the middle of their discography and that's okay. Not everything needs to be a masterpiece to be worth your time.

Really impressive album that showcases an artist at a creative peak. The range of sounds and moods they explore here is remarkable, and what's more impressive is that it all feels cohesive rather than scattered. The transitions between tracks are so smooth you barely notice them. There are a handful of moments where the ambition slightly exceeds the execution — a lyric that doesn't quite land, a sonic idea that needed a bit more development — but these are minor blemishes on an otherwise excellent record. The standout tracks here are among the best songs released in the last decade.

Strong songwriting throughout. The production choices are bold and mostly pay off.

Every generation has a handful of perfect albums. This is one of them.

Overrated in my opinion. There's some good stuff here but not enough.

There are flashes of brilliance but also some tracks that feel underdeveloped.

Has its moments but feels bloated. Would benefit from trimming a few tracks.