Rain Dogs

Inventive and consistently engaging. One of the better albums I've heard this year.

Ambitious and mostly successful. A couple of missteps keep it from true perfection.

Took a few listens to click but now I can't stop playing it.

Took me three listens to fully appreciate what was happening here but once it clicked, it really clicked. The layering is incredible — you hear new things every time. A rich, rewarding album that demands your attention.

This is the kind of album that makes you reconsider your entire relationship with music. I thought I knew what this genre could do, and then this came along and expanded the boundaries so far that everything before it sounds slightly incomplete in comparison. Bold statement, I know, but I stand by it. The production is absolutely jaw-dropping. There are textures here that I've never heard on any other record. But what really makes it work is that all that sonic experimentation is in service of genuine emotion. It never feels like showing off. Every choice, no matter how unconventional, feels emotionally motivated. That's mastery.

This is one of those albums where even the deep cuts could be singles. The level of quality control here is insane. You can tell every decision was agonized over and it shows in the final product. A genuine landmark.

One of those albums where you can hear the artist really pushing themselves.

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

Probably the most perfectly sequenced album I've ever heard. Each track sets up the next one beautifully and the climax hits like a freight train. The fact that they pulled this off is honestly kind of miraculous.

The atmosphere this album creates is incredible.