The Sunset Tree

Some great moments here but it doesn't quite sustain over the full runtime.

Some great moments here but it doesn't quite sustain over the full runtime.

Bold artistic choices that mostly work. Rewarding for patient listeners.

One of those albums that people praise because it's 'different' and 'challenging' but different and challenging aren't inherently good. The few moments of genuine quality make the rest feel even more disappointing by comparison.

The production is excellent but the songwriting doesn't always match up.

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

A disappointing effort from an otherwise talented artist.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I genuinely think this is one of the most overrated albums of all time. I've tried to hear what everyone else hears — the groundbreaking production, the emotional depth, the artistic vision — and I just get boredom. Track after track of self-indulgent noodling dressed up as profundity. The emperor has no clothes on this one, and the fact that so many critics fell over themselves to praise it says more about groupthink than it does about the music. I'm sure the artist put real effort and passion into this, but passion doesn't automatically equal quality. Skip it.