Dig Me Out

A few incredible songs surrounded by more forgettable material.

The production is interesting but the songs themselves are lacking.

A mature, confident album that knows exactly what it wants to be. No wasted tracks, no unnecessary detours. It doesn't reinvent the wheel but it polishes it to a brilliant shine. Thoroughly enjoyable.

This grew on me enormously. What initially seemed messy revealed itself as brilliant.

Not terrible but certainly not deserving of the acclaim.

I don't think music gets better than this.

Lost me about halfway through. The front end is promising though.

Pretentious and meandering. Style over substance.

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

I think this album gets slightly overlooked in discussions about the best of its era, which is a shame because it does so many things right. The arrangements are inventive without being showy, the performances are committed and emotionally present, and the overall arc of the tracklist is really well considered. My only real criticism is that it occasionally feels like it's holding back when it should be going for broke. There are moments where you can sense a bigger, bolder idea lurking just beneath the surface. But what's actually here is still great — a confident, cohesive album that rewards close listening and repeated plays.