Loveless

What sets this apart from other great albums is the consistency. There's no filler, no dips in quality, just track after track of brilliance. The emotional arc from start to finish is perfectly constructed. An easy 5.

What sets this apart from other great albums is the consistency. There's no filler, no dips in quality, just track after track of brilliance. The emotional arc from start to finish is perfectly constructed. An easy 5.

The singles are obvious highlights but the deep cuts are excellent too.

Started strong but lost me in the back half. The opening three tracks had me excited and then it just sort of coasts on autopilot. Would have been a much stronger EP than it is an album.

I played this for my partner who doesn't even like this genre and they were blown away. That's the sign of a truly great album — it transcends taste. The hooks are undeniable, the depth is real, and the replay value is infinite.

Some truly transcendent moments here. A few tracks feel like filler but overall stellar.

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

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.

A few good tracks don't save a mostly underwhelming album.

Not their absolute best work but still head and shoulders above most albums.