Avalon

Overrated in my opinion. There's some good stuff here but not enough.

Strong songwriting throughout. The production choices are bold and mostly pay off.

A landmark release that deserves every bit of praise it gets.

I went into this with an open mind and came out confused about its reputation. The songwriting is meandering, the production choices are baffling, and the whole thing feels about twice as long as it needs to be. There are maybe two tracks that justify their existence and the rest is filler. I don't begrudge anyone who loves this — art is subjective and all that — but I find the unanimous critical acclaim mystifying. This felt like homework, not music. I kept waiting for the moment where it all clicks and it just never came.

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