Heaven or Las Vegas

Really impressive debut that announced a major new talent. There are a few rough edges that betray inexperience, but the raw ability and creative vision are undeniable. Can't wait to hear what comes next.

The first half is near-perfect. Second half is still great but slightly less focused.

I don't think music gets better than this.

A disappointing effort from an otherwise talented artist.

Really strong record that just misses the mark of perfection in a few spots. The highs here are genuinely incredible though, and even the weaker tracks are better than most artists' best work. Highly recommended.

Returned to this after a few years away and it hit even harder than I remembered. Some albums age poorly but this one has only gotten better with time. The themes feel more relevant now than ever and the sonics still sound fresh.

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

I've introduced maybe a dozen friends to this album and every single one of them has become a fan. That kind of universal appeal combined with genuine artistic depth is incredibly rare. This is the real deal.

I can hear why this was praised at the time — the production was clearly ahead of the curve, and there are a few genuinely innovative moments. But stripped of its historical context, this is a pretty uneven listening experience. The first third is strong, the middle is forgettable, and the back end is a slog. I don't think this is bad by any means, but I do think its reputation has outpaced its actual quality. There are better albums in this genre that get a fraction of the attention. Worth hearing once for context, but I won't be coming back to it.

The emotional weight of this album is remarkable. Very moving stuff.