Carrie & Lowell

An absolute masterpiece from start to finish. Every track earns its place.

Arguably the greatest album in its genre. Hard to argue otherwise.

Enjoyable but not groundbreaking. Good for what it is.

This has some of the best individual songs of the decade even if the album has weak spots.

The talent is obvious but the execution is inconsistent.

Terrific front to back. There's a reason people keep coming back to this.

A thoroughly enjoyable listen from start to finish.

Good album that suffers a bit from inconsistency. The highs are worth it though.

The arrangements here are stunning. You can tell real care went into every detail.

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.