| 5.0 classic |
| Brand New The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me |
| Some albums grow on you and some albums hit you hard on the first go. This is both. It's a demanding album that rarely lets up its unrelenting wave of depression and doubt, with countless moments of catharsis along the way. Jesse's tortured shouts make the album, cutting deep to the center of the soul. Just try to listen to "You Won't Know"'s thunderous chorus without getting chills. I dare you. |
| Brand New Science Fiction |
| They actually did it. |
| Jack's Mannequin Everything in Transit |
| This is the ultimate summer pop album. With a emotional, yet laid-back style, Andrew McMahon croons his way into your heart with catchy piano melodies and an unshakably sunny atmosphere. |
| Neutral Milk Hotel In the Aeroplane Over the Sea |
| What it lacks in quality recording, it more than makes up for in Mangum's passionate vocals and abstract lyrics that almost make you feel like you SHOULD know what they mean. The man can do more with one chord than most bands can do with four. Two-Headed Boy is a definite contender for the best acoustic song of all time. |
| Say Anything ...Is a Real Boy |
| Bemis carefully walks the line between "beat you over the head" bluntness, and "what the hell does that mean?" cryptic lyricism, and does so while a rock opera plays out in the background, complete with la's, da's, and doo's. Every song on here is intensely catchy as well as thought-provoking, perfectly capturing Bemis's schizophrenia in one of the best albums ever concocted. |
| Say Anything ...Is A Real Boy (re-release) |
| Bemis carefully walks the line between "beat you over the head" bluntness, and "what the hell does that mean?" cryptic lyricism, and does so while a rock opera plays out in the background, complete with la's, da's, and doo's. Every song on here is intensely catchy as well as thought-provoking, perfectly capturing Bemis's schizophrenia in one of the best albums ever concocted. |
| Say Anything In Defense of the Genre |
| Whereas ...Is a Real Boy was carefully structured (albeit with some memorable spastic moments), In Defense of the Genre does no such thing. Bemis throws absolutely everything at the wall, including showtunes and minute-long Italian influenced laments, and just about everything sticks. While it is a bit difficult to digest due to its length, once you scarf it all down, you will be completely satisfied for a long while. |
| Taking Back Sunday Tell All Your Friends |
| This album is laced with such a ridiculous urgency and melodrama that it's almost impossible not to get sucked in. Lazzara and Nolan complement each other perfectly with their imperfect yet passionate vocals, and each song builds to capacity, never letting down until the anthemic release of Head Club. |
| The Beatles Abbey Road |
| There's not much to say about this record that hasn't been said. The first side is a great selection of catchy, varied songs, while the suite on the second side is brilliant in it's flow and feeling. It's home to some of Paul's greatest work, and certainly Ringo and George's as well. Definitely the best Beatles album as a whole. |
| The Hotelier Home, Like NoPlace Is There |
| This is one of those albums that I wish I could have written. |
| Weezer Pinkerton |
| This album is far too personal. And that's what makes it great. It's pure, unadulterated Rivers Cuomo doing what he does best. With much of the album being remnants of a failed space rock opera, you'd think it wouldn't rise and fall as well as it does. But by the time "Butterfly" rolls around, you reflect back on the album, and what a great journey it was, and how it felt to live inside Cuomo's head for half an hour. |
| Weezer Weezer |
| This might be the catchiest album of all time. Complete with Beach Boys harmonies and Rivers' least direct lyrics of his whole career, this album is impossible not to love. |
