2023 Q1 Part 1
Everything I checked thats like a 3.5 or better. |
| 1 |  | Parannoul
After The Magic
indiegaze
4.5
fantastic followup to the debut that improves on that formula and adds some new stuff to the mix. very slightly prefer paraglow but parannoul continues to be consistently excellent anyway so who gives a fuck |
| 2 |  | $quib
Micros
glitch pop/internet rap
3.5
surprisingly adventurous? if you can get past the vocals its really interesting, brief runtime keeps it fresh too. |
| 3 |  | $UICIDEBOY$ & Shakewell
SHAMELESS $UICIDE
grimy trap/rage
3.5
whole lotta grey is an absolute banger and one of the best carti homages so far, rest is pretty decent too |
| 4 |  | 100 Gecs
10000 gecs
hyperpop goes altkiddie
4.0
much has been said already. what it lacks in standout moments a la money machine/hand crushed by a mallet it makes up for in generally being a lot more consistent and well-structured both as an album and within the tracks themselves |
| 5 |  | 1 800 PAIN
⚠
noise hop
4.0
two quick tracks, two of their best so far |
| 6 |  | 40ft to go
The warmth that I felt as I crossed...
lofi skramz
3.5
very lofi at times, occasionally to its detriment, but a promising start from a songwriting perspective |
| 7 |  | Abandoncy/Norse
Split
noise rock-y screamo
4.0
both bands pull their weight here, really solid stuff that gets nice and cavernous at times, especially on the norse side |
| 8 |  | Acid Souljah & octi
#2EVIL
wannabe drainer meets future overdose victim
3.5
inconsistent, and mixing is distracting more often that not, but undeniably has a good energy to it. your mileage is entirely dependent on how well you respond to both of their very monotonous voices. |
| 9 |  | Air Max '97
Enthusiast
hard techy trance
3.5
hypnotic and attention-grabbing, but loses a little on the sound design front. still pretty good though. |
| 10 |  | Andrea
Due In Color
atmospheric breaks and shit
5.0
oh my lord the textures! yeah this instantly hit for me, extremely well put together and one of the few instances in recent memory of more ambient moments actually justifying their existence - in fact i might be as bold to say those moments on this record are where it truely shines |
| 11 |  | Angel Electronics
Ultra Paradise
nightcore motion city soundtrack and some other stuff
3.5
pretty well-executed for as bad as the genre combinations here could be. missing that real killer track to sell the fusion completely but ada and ash have really good chemistry, hope to hear more of this project. |
| 12 |  | Nia Archives
Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against tha Wall
soulful jungle-pop
4.0
just feels like every memorable night out on the town rolled into one |
| 13 |  | Arnaut Pavle
Transylvanian Glare
punky black metal
4.5
raw as fuck, good as fuck. why isnt every band doing this. fuck off with your boring atmo shit. |
| 14 |  | Asian Glow and sonhos tomam conta
dreamglow
nuskramgaze
3.5
a bit of a disappointment really considering the high bar set by both artists, but a lackluster first half is well-redeemed by the final two bangers. i've heard the mix has been updated since release so might get a .5 bump if it fixes the issues i had with it previously. |
| 15 |  | Avey Tare
7s
avey tare avey tares
3.5
yep its an avey tare solo album, which means its gonna be pretty good but not mindblowing. midsection is some of his strongest material to date however. |
| 16 |  | Meg Baird
Furling
slightly psychy dream folk
4.0
nothing new here, but just very well executed mood music that fills a room |
| 17 |  | Kelsea Ballerini
Rolling Up the Welcome Mat
all too well (10-minute version)-core
3.5
obvious taylor inspiration, but luckily im a sucker for this kinda shit. production is really nice. |
| 18 |  | Barabbas, du förtappade
Discussions On Existentialism
more skramz in the year of our lord 2023
3.5
really good performances, misses a bit of the raw aggression of their previous material though. |
| 19 |  | Biig Piig
Bubblegum
chillwavey altpop
3.5
feel like pinkpantheress opened a pandora's box of underground popstars borrowing heavily from non-'edm' electronic genres and i am very here for it |
| 20 |  | Rebecca Black
Let Her Burn
post-friday pop
4.0
redemption arc queen plays it relatively safe here, and while a few more esoteric wow moments wouldn't go amiss it's just really solid electropop for the most part. crumbs has been stuck in my head for weeks. |
| 21 |  | Black Belt Eagle Scout
The Land, The Water, The Sky
just solid dream pop
4.0
music to create headcanons about people sitting across from you in the cafe to until they notice you and get uncomfortable |
| 22 |  | Black Country, New Road
Live at Bush Hall
friendship ended with godspeed! you black emperor, now arcade fire is my best friend
4.5
turbines/pigs probably their best song ever, excited for the new era |
| 23 |  | The Black Dog
Music for Dead Airports
ambientientientient
3.5
very solid stuff, maybe not as gritty or dark as i often tend to gravitate towards but a nice variety of textures on display |
| 24 |  | Dean Blunt
Give me a moment
sigma hipster male avant-g(art)de pop (what does this mean?)
4.0
its dean blunt, its weird and challenges me, but it just gets to me you know what i mean? |
| 25 |  | John Cale
Mercy
[f]art po[o]p (oldie edition)
4.0
impressive feature list and some great production leads to cale's best project in 30 years |
| 26 |  | Channel Tres
Real Cultural Shit
hip(ster) house
4.0
question for the culture: if you don't dance to this, can you be considered human? |
| 27 |  | Charmer
Seney Stretch
emo phase over, we're indie dads now
3.5
strong songwriting carries this one, but don't get all complacent on me ok bb? |
| 28 |  | Cicada (Taiwan)
Seeking the Sources of Streams
lost ghibli soundtracks
4.0
for when you want to be spirited away to a world where 75% of a movies runtime is closeup shots of food and you live in a tiny village in the mountains |
| 29 |  | Gaz Coombes
Turn the Car Around
post-britpop is an actual tag on rym lmao
3.5
cheers gazza this ones pretty dece |
| 30 |  | Cowboyy
Epic the Movie
what zak thinks bcnr is
3.5
this one almost makes ME cringe (very hard to do) with the wack lyrics and the vocalist just not having the confidence or charisma to pull it off a lot of the time. luckily the actual songs themselves are pretty solid. |
| 31 |  | Crochet
Birth Piece
the skramzening
4.0
really interesting one here, lots of mathy rhythmic fuckery makes it unique, but the raw emotional production and performances are what makes it stick the landing |
| 32 |  | Crowning/Eyelet
Split
even more skramz
4.0
crowning are one of the best modern screamo bands around and it's their (brief) side that steals the show, but thee eyelet side is also pretty good |
| 33 |  | Crucible of Sorrow
Sadistic Hymns of Sorrow
meloblack metal
4.0
its just really good ok? you don't have to change the formula when it works this well |
| 34 |  | Crushed
Extra Life
stone roses meets lush
4.0
who the fuck likes baggy? uh wait i do, and i'm all here for it's revival. here it rears its head amongst a crowd of dream pop and trip-hop adjacent indie aesthetica not unlike that hatchie record last year, and whilst this more guitar-oriented take sacrifices ethereal soundscapes for more garage band grit, it ends up being equally as effective |
| 35 |  | Cult Of Fire
Om Kali Maha Kali
fenrizvi shankar
3.5
it comes across pretty gimmicky at times, but its a good gimmick |
| 36 |  | cutspace & Xang
The Angels Floss Their Teeth With My Bones
experimental hip-hop thats actually experimental
4.0
feels like having a bad trip and a nam flashback rolled into one at an afterparty in a stranger's house |
| 37 |  | daine
shapeless
more alt kiddy electropop
4.0
biiiig stepup from her previous work, really catchy and well-crafted. maybe could use a little more vocal variety but this is addictive earworm central |
| 38 |  | Lana Del Rey
Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under...
never escaping the maga allegations-core
4.0
feels like an attempt to recapture the magic of nfr that slightly misses the mark but ends up being pretty good regardless |
| 39 |  | Mickey Diamond & Rat Duke
Oroku Saki
DOOMbots never die
4.0
a 20 minute DOOM and TMNT hybrid concept album that actually kicks total ass |
| 40 |  | Dirty Bird
Riddim Seeker
garage revival
4.0
three tracks of vocal-driven garage, and it's said vocals that really make this hit |
| 41 |  | DJ Kuroneko
Shadows Collide
tiktok breakcore
3.5
very melodic stuff, could use a little more punch but solid overall |
| 42 |  | DJ Kuroneko x gumi
love letter
trancier version of previous
3.5
first track is absolutely transcendent, rest is a bit of a run of the mill affair |
| 43 |  | DJ Manny
Feet Start Dancing
footwork
3.5
comes across a bit amateurish at times, but when it hits it hits good |
| 44 |  | Nicole Dollanganger
Married in Mount Airy
drowning in a wedding dress
4.0
brilliant haunting atmosphere throughout here, tugs at my heartstrings a bit, possibly slightly homogenous by the end of the record but overall excellent |
| 45 |  | .gif from god
Digital Red
ZOMG h0t t0p1c!!!
3.5
not quite up to their usual standards, but as ferocious as ever |
| 46 |  | Lil Tracy and Drippin So Pretty
Pray
emo rage
4.0
pretty good performances from both, beats are excellent, twin is the best yeat song not by yeat |
| 47 |  | Drumskull
Muscle Memory
spacey breakbeats
3.5
more solid stuff from hooversound, can't really go wrong with anything they put out. lone remix of the t/t is standout here |
| 48 |  | Equipment
Miracle
gami gang
3.5
solid power poppy emo, talk to strangers is among the best songs they've written |
| 49 |  | Eyes (DK)
Congratulations
mathy noise rocky metalcore
4.0
makes you feel like a piece of shit and boy you gotta own it |
| 50 |  | Facta
Emeline
groovy chill ambient beats
3.5
nice textures, could use more development on a per track basis but the key ideas here are very good |
| 51 |  | Fred Again..
Actual Life 3 Piano (January 1 - September 9 2022)
when you get home from the club at 4am and have work tomorrow
3.5
random piano cuts in his gimmicky style that still manage to be pretty good |
| 52 |  | Fucked Up
One Day
post-softcore
3.5
wasn't expecting to like this that much but it makes that self defense family-obsessed part of my brain tingle |
| 53 |  | Alice Longyu Gao
Let's Hope Heteros Fail, Learn, and Retire
heteronormativity-destroying anthems
4.0
wrote a review for this, but probably alice's best and most cohesive work yet |
| 54 |  | Gezan with Million Wish Collective
ANOCHI あのち
art punk anthems
4.5
just pure emotional brilliance, this record is phenomenal |
| 55 |  | Giant Swan
Fantasy Food
pulsating industrial techno
3.5
great rhythms about, but lacking a bit of the oomph of their s/t. as a quick ep though, it works fairly well. |
| 56 |  | Gingerbee
Our Skies Smile
zoomer internet skramz
3.5
pretty good for a first attempt, some kinks and amateurish moments that will hopefully be remedied over time but the ingredients are there |
| 57 |  | Tha God Fahim
Iron Bull
griselda-core
4.0
for someone with the work ethic of fahim its nice to see a project a tier above his usual output of pretty good. consistency is king here with some great beat selections, but there's also some of his best performances yet in tracks like opener man of steel. |
| 58 |  | Tha God Fahim & NicoJP
Chess Moves
more griselda-core
3.5
more his usual quality here, which is not a bad thing by any means. the beat selection is a bit more hit and miss, but when it hits like on b faded it's gold. |
| 59 |  | ♥ GOJII ♥
Currents
embarrassing digs abound
4.0
this is pretty good garage-y porter robinson worship. i just wish it didnt have a furry aesthetic. |
| 60 |  | The Go! Team
Get Up Sequences Part Two
sunshiney indie psych pop
4.5
was not expecting them to come out with their best album since their debut, but this is so fun and bursting with life its hard not to get swept away in it all. always nice to see a local band still going strong after all these years. |
| 61 |  | Great Falls
Funny What Survives
violent mathcore done right
4.0
three songs. six minutes. one ripping ep. |
| 62 |  | Guitar Fight from Fooly Cooly
Drought
post-hardcore-y emo kids
3.5
bit of a stepdown from soak, but as what i assume to be a stopgap between future projects it serves its purpose well. |
| 63 |  | Gyrofield
Stimulus
techstep
4.5
absolutely pummeling beats and atmosphere here, this is peak time k-hole anthems |
| 64 |  | Hibou
Arc
dream pop
3.5
opener night fell is a perfect little tune. the rest is a bit less exciting unfortunately, but it vibes enough to make it worth it. |
| 65 |  | Hyperdontia
Deranged
riffs riffs and more riffs
3.5
by the numbers dm that gets enough right to satisfy those with an appetite for it |
| 66 |  | Ice Spice
Like..?
drill hop
3.5
charisma carries ice spice here, which it may not in the future unless she discovers more than one flow. but whats evident is she has a knack for a hook and quotables that make this a promising start. |
| 67 |  | Identified Patient
Elevator Music for Headbangers
see title
3.5
yep thats what this is. dark beats that feel like being in the queue outside the club or in an uber on the way to a rave. |
| 68 |  | Inquietus
Every Star Dies
floating through the ether
3.5
comfy repetitive space ambient that maybe drags a little long, especially on the 20 minute-plus b-side, but makes for a good background moodscape |
| 69 |  | Jehst
Mork Calling Orson
uk hip hop legend
4.0
whilst jehst is unlikely to ever replicate the pure brilliance that is return of the drifter, he's consistently been at that highest level of british rappers for two decades now and this one is no exception |
| 70 |  | JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown
Scaring the Hoes
scaring = onika hoes - burgers
5.0
the most obvious collab in history is just as fantastic as predicted. this one trends more into peggy's style rather than danny's, which could be my only real complaint here, but the flawless production and captivating performances mean this really lives up to its potential and then some |
| 71 |  | JYOCHO
As the Gods Say
math pop anime montage
4.5
while i am already a sucker for this style so take this with a grain of salt, this is some of their best material yet and has some absolutely beauitful moments |
| 72 |  | Duwap Kaine
Remember Who Started the Wave
trap/plugg-adjacent
3.5
decent mixtape that seems to have been deleted everywhere for some reason? some hits some duds, inconsistent but worth hearing (if you can find it) |
| 73 |  | Kelela
Raven
clubby r&b crying on the dancefloor and looking stunning doing it
4.5
her best and most complete project yet. absolutely gorgeous vocals that complement the sparse production style. |
| 74 |  | King Tuff
Smalltown Stardust
elliott smith if he were mac demarco
3.5
slightly psychy slightly rocky very indie singer-songwriter stuff . more consistently good than full of highlights, but paints a pretty picture. |
| 75 |  | Kinoteki
Dawn of the Final Hour
footworky breaks
4.0
nice melodies and lovely vocal choppage - overstays its welcome very slightly at nearly an hour but pulling individual tracks is like drawing raffle tickets and everyone's a winner |
| 76 |  | Klangkuenstler
Die Welt Brennt
hard trance techno
4.0
two more anthemic rollers from the master of the style, got all the heavy untz you'll ever need |
| 77 |  | Knock2
Room202
bass house
4.0
pretty creative and well-produced for an 'edm' project, lots of oomph and groove |
| 78 |  | Kraus
Anything Else
noiseygaze
4.5
two of the greatest tracks kraus has ever put out, ethereal soundtrack to watching the earth collapse in on itself |
| 79 |  | jonatan leandoer96
Sugar World
drunk dads doing t.rex karaoke
3.5
i very much have to be in the right frame of mind to like this (or wrong maybe), but i can absolutely appreciate what's going on and the vibe created despite a couple of duds |
| 80 |  | Nick León/DJ Python
'esplit ep'
cold latin beats
3.5
nick leon's side is definitely the better of the two here, with some great moody latin trap rhythms. dj python's side is perhaps less notable but its more adventurous nature provides a certain level of intrigue regardless. |
| 81 |  | Lil Yachty
Let's Start Here.
soulful psych eclecticism
4.5
what could have been a disastrous (or worse, boring) attempt at a radical stylistic change succeeds with flying colours mostly because it embraces its technical flaws and covers them in layers of charm and grandeur so thick it cant help but draw a smile. of course, with the weight of the talent behind this record, both from yachty and his collaborators, it perhaps shouldn't come as too much of a surprise after all. |
| 82 |  | Liv.e
Girl In The Half Pearl
r&b but not as you know it
4.0
the experimentation and collage of influences behind this record is its main selling point and its one that works. but whilst the variety is what makes this notable, its the songwriting that makes this stick the landing, and barring a couple of slight missteps there is not a dull moment to be found. |
| 83 |  | Mach-Hommy and Tha God Fahim
Notorious Dump Legends: Volume 2
abstract jazz rap
3.5
chronic collaborators with another solid album. not mindblowing but plenty to enjoy. |
| 84 |  | Machine+
Raccoon Eyes
internet emo/rym kid-core
3.5
some neat ideas here that show a lot of promise, but missing that killer hook that makes something like an asian glow record special |
| 85 |  | Manchester Orchestra
The Valley of Vision
too old to rock/softboi dads
3.5
was kinda dreading this one after hearing about the shift in style, but i probably shouldn't have doubted that andy hull's incredible vocals could carry anything |
| 86 |  | Evita Manji
Spandrel?
moody artsy trancepop
4.0
absolutely beautiful moments here like oil/too much, body/prison, the lungs of a burning body. no real complaints other than some of the tracks being less bangers and more moodsetters, but this is wonderful stuff |
| 87 |  | Mantikore
Venerate the Disease
deathcore
3.5
zoomercore that hits that sweet spot of playful brutality and good riffage. far from the best dxc i've heard from the recent revival but definitely a good time for anyone into the genre. |
| 88 |  | Maruja
Knocknarea
godspeed meets wire meets sax wizardry
5.0
review coming for this one, but this is one of the most exciting debuts i've heard from a uk band since bcnr dropped the original sunglasses single, and if these guys can progress in a similar way in the future they may turn out even better |
| 89 |  | Ava Max
Diamonds and Dancefloors
poptimism
3.5
pretty generic all things considered, but it does that mainstream synthpop pastiche competently enough to merit a bit of attention. best enjoyed in small doses, but it is enjoyable so there's that. |
| 90 |  | Metaroom
Oxidized Archive
future bassy breakcore
4.0
a little one-dimensional perhaps, but its a serotonin-heavy dimension that i enjoy quite a bit. catchy and a blast to listen to. |
| 91 |  | Mattachine/Mikau
Eject Modernity, Erase Tradition
trancecore but kinda zoomer good?
3.5
its like if seeyouspacecowboy were into asking alexandria and attack attack. i won't say what it says about me that I enjoy this bite of repackaged nostalgia, but it's good clean fun. mikau side is def the better of the two with its more playful sound design, but both pull their weight. |
| 92 |  | mis sueños son de tu adiós/Burial Etiquette
Split
internet skramz
3.5
ive been following mis sueños ever since their extremely lofi (and borderline unlistenable) early demos, and the progress in their songwriting and production has been fantastic, with this release being their best material yet. contrastingly burial etiquette come across a bit limp here despite their excellent contribution to last year's cube split, so hopefully this is a momentary blip. still worth hearing as a whole. |
| 93 |  | Mithridatum
Harrowing
dissodeath
3.5
im getting pretty tired of the dissodeath sound being done to death (no pun intended), but this is a good reminder that even second-rate releases in the style can be a decent enough jam to keep me somewhat interested. |
| 94 |  | Model/Actriz
Dogsbody
you're not that guy
3.5
rolled up expecting to love this, listened to the first two tracks and hated them, and then it somewhat redeemed itself towards the end. at its worst this is a sucky version of gilla band that doesn't do anything to draw you in. at its best its like a gilla band/lcd soundsytem combined tribute act. there is potential here, and i do really like the idea of the sound and when it shines through here it does so well, but they need to work out what a hook is. crossing guard is pretty good. |
| 95 |  | Monday Night & 3waySlim
Good Company
abstract hip-hop
4.0
there's so many of these types of rappers around these days, and really not much sets them apart. but if like me you're a fan of the general style and are absolutely eating right now with all the good shit that pops up on bandcamp then this is another in a long line of quick and to-the-point hitters with pretty good production. |
| 96 |  | moreru
l0V3L3$$R0BxT
violent weebskramz
3.5
raw lofi noisy screamo thats lack of variety is saved by its brevity. there are far worse ways to spend five minutes. |
| 97 |  | The Murder Capital
Gigi's Recovery
another irish postpunk band
4.0
this one has revealed itself considerably over repeated listens. dark but not too dark. moody but not too moody. anthemic but not too anthemic. it targets that middle of the road comfortable sound and nails it. |
| 98 |  | Narrow Head
Moments of Clarity
do you like deftones? do you like hum?
4.0
very obvious millenium gazey alt rock/metal worship, but not too many bands pull it off this well so props, my deftones-addicted mates loved it too |
| 99 |  | Neupink
This Town Is Death
wall of sound digital noise rock
3.5
the production choices here come across a bit gimmicky at times, but there's some really good songs under the downsampled crunch |
| 100 |  | Norfair
norfair
even more lofi skramz
3.5
this one has a nice 90s basement feel to it. songs aren't always quite there, but excited to here more from these guys. |
| 101 |  | Nothingness
Supraliminal
meat and potatoes modern dm
3.5
riffs are good, songs are good. not much that really sets them apart but they sound the part so who cares too much. |
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