Young and Beautiful

Really strong album with only a couple of tracks that don't quite land.

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.