Romance – Fontaines D.C.
October 10, 2025
But if there was lightning in me, then you know who it was for.
Hiya all! This week, I’m recommending a recent favorite. It’s Romance by Fontaines D.C.. The atmospheric, cinematic post-punk record presents a very heavy sound with what’s actually a very concise amount of distortion. The writing is memorable and impactful, yet feels fluid and epic, like it’s a part of a whole. The production is advanced and spacious, yet Romance grounds itself with acoustic instruments and the emotion of the vocal delivery. I found this project very unique and inspired, full of a strange, almost ominous atmosphere. My favorite tracks include title track and opener Romance, which is excellent and straight-up unsettling, hip hop adjacent anthem Starburster, gentle Motorcycle Boy, and pleading Bug. I am conflicted on my very favorite track, so I’ll just go with both. One is Here’s The Thing. It’s just so hypnotizing, and the guitar hook over the chorus shreds. The other is the album closer and the song that drew me to the record to begin with, Favourite. It’s one of the most sweet, nostalgia-inducing tracks I’ve heard. The lyrics are electric, and the interplay of the vocal line and guitar riff is beautiful. Check out Romance now!
SMILE! : D – Porter Robinson
October 17, 2025
Is there really no happiness without this feeling?
Hello all! This week, I’m recommending one of the best pop records I’ve heard. It’s SMILE! 😀 by Porter Robinson! Following his more EDM-oriented style, Porter leaned 110% into his own take on pop for this album. Beyond its enormous leads, catchy hooks, and top-tier production, SMILE! 😀 packs the complexity of dense arrangements, creative harmonies, and Porter’s signature contemplations on life. The lyrics also tackle a good bit on the topic of fame and celebrity, and the pressures and pitfalls they impose on a person. The writing is very direct and isn’t afraid to judge and even mock Porter’s insecurities and flaws. On one side, the guitar work, vocal delivery, and lyrics could appeal to an emo crowd, while on the other the maximalist production and overblown synths evoke a borderline hyperpop sound. Tracks like KNOCK YOUR SELF OUT XD and Mona Lisa ft. Frost Children hold up the album with electric energy, while gentler tracks such as Easier to Love You switch up the mix. Is There Really No Happiness? is a personal favorite. The vocal chop hook is instantly memorable, and the song’s exploration of nostalgia is complimented by the big synths and soaring melody. However, my absolute favorite track is the one and only Cheerleader. I can think of few better choices of a lead single. That explosive synth lead, paired with driving drums and excellent disco/indie pop guitar, is a highlight of not only the song but the record. The synth is so good, it’s in my personal running for one of the best riffs ever. I swear. Not only that, but the whole song holds up. The arrangement holds back barely enough to make every section feel important, without compromising an ounce of energy forcing the song forward at full throttle. The bridge, final chorus, and outro crescendo cement it as my favorite. Go give SMILE! 😀 a try!
Paramore – Paramore
October 24, 2025
The only proof that I need is you!
Hiya all! This week I’m recommending a great record that feels expansive and yet so complete. It’s Paramore by Paramore! I have to mention, Grow Up would have been a great name for the record, especially now that it’s on the reissue cover. Following their substantial footprint in the pop punk scene, Paramore wanted to reestablish themselves with an adjacent sound, trading double-time snares and heavy distortion for chorus guitars, new wave synths, and a lean toward their characteristic disco beats. Some tracks capture the personality of percussive strums in a bedroom, particularly the interludes. Then the record pulls an about face with these massive, epic songs like Part II and Future. While their earlier works were very concise and hook-focused, Paramore (the album) allows itself moments to breathe, offering these long, instrumental crescendos and solos. It feels spacious and cinematic without losing intensity or purpose. But don’t get me wrong, there are still a trove of pop hooks all over this one. Anklebiters feels rebellious almost to the point of a different flavor of punk. It’s a travesty Now didn’t become the theme of a 2000s-era teen dystopian movie, because good gosh would it work. Part II, sequel to Let The Flames Begin, is a dramatic favorite. Last Hope is a great testament to perseverance. Proof is just such a sweet song, as is Still Into You. And I have to mention Fast In My Car being a really fun opener. Out of all of them, my favorite might be basic, and it might be predictable, but it is THE anthem. It’s Ain’t It Fun. The sheer power of the writing is complimented by the bittersweet bite of the melodies so well. Go give Paramore a try!
Nothing To Fear – Oingo Boingo
October 31, 2025
Grey matter, grey matter…oh whoa oh oh…
Hello all! This week, I am recommending a special album for my favorite day of the year. It’s Nothing to Fear by Oingo Boingo! Their sophomore record released in 1982, sporting a more guitar-driven sound while retaining plenty of the eclectic style Oingo Boingo is known for. The album is laced with themes of rebellious individuality and doubting the status quo, giving it a borderline punk attitude. The whole record offers an unwavering, near manic energy, to the point where even the calmer moments are gripped with anticipation. Highlight tracks are peculiar and powerful Private Life, bouncy and absurd Whole Day Off (which sounds oddly comparable to some themes from Wii Sports), anxiously rocking title track Nothing to Fear, and deliciously sinister Islands. The swampy intro to Why’d We Come leaps into a chorus that fits right in with the rest of the record, and Reptiles and Samurai is a preposterous yet catchy conclusion. Oh, and uneasily danceable Insects is painfully relatable. My favorite is the opening track, Grey Matter. The lyrics are anthemic and rousing, and what an instrumental! The rock sound blended with the uneasy marimba blend unexpectedly perfectly, and that low chorus chant is instantly pervasive. If you were taking count, you may have noticed that I highlighted 4/5ths of the album (that remaining 1/5th is worth the listen as well). Take that as testament to how much I enjoyed it. Go enjoy Nothing to Fear yourself, and Happy Halloween!
Weezer (Blue Album) – Weezer
November 7, 2025
Say it ain’t so!
Hiya all! This week, I’m recommending a commendably beloved record. For a hint? It’s blue. Yes, I’m talking about Weezer’s 1994 self-titled debut! Weezer’s sound is defined by its overwhelming simplicity, so simple that it loops right back around to artistic. It takes a good bit of wisdom to make complex Beach Boys harmonies and distorted inverted chords feel straightforward, even expected. The Blue Album just feels comforting. Hits like rocking Buddy Holly, moody Say It Ain’t So, and contemplative Undone — The Sweater Song make up the backbone of the record. Surf Wax America is terribly fun, In The Garage is sweet and relatable, and dynamic Holiday leads into the climactic closer Only In Dreams. The one song I’ve found inescapable is The World Has Turned and Left Me Here. That opening riff is incredible, the melodies are beautiful, and the lyrics are touching. Weezer’s music is simple, but not easy. It’s trimmed to its best parts for a reason; The Blue Album is worth your time. Go give it a spin!
NO HANDS – Joey Valence & Brae
November 14, 2025
Look mama, NO HANDS!
Hello all! This week, I’m recommending an album that I wouldn’t have expected to appreciate as much as I have. It’s NO HANDS by Joey Valence & Brae! The hip hop duo JVB have never taken themselves seriously at all, instead focusing on fun, humor, and hype. I think that approaching NO HANDS with this in mind will let you see the obscured but unmistakable artistry that gives the silliness substance. This album is essentially the lawlessness of the early internet fed through the filter of 90s boom bap, where meme sound bites sit over off-kilter, jazzy beats. There is also a thread of 90s club music woven into the record. I have to praise the evocative performance from Joey Valence and Brae, as well as surprisingly clever (if immature) bars. I enjoy the balance of flexing and self-aware humility. Some highlight tracks include sincere NO HANDS, energetic LIKE A PUNK and OK, and askew yet enticing DOUGHBOY (featuring some highlight bars from Terror Reid). Although OMNITRIX is an epic album closer, it’s worth continuing into the deluxe tracks for the likes of laid back, jazzy PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE. My very favorite is JOHN CENA. The synth hook blended with the beat is next-level beautiful. Check out NO HANDS by JVB!
Stronger – Kelly Clarkson
November 21, 2025
You can’t, you can’t win, no…
Hiya all! This week, it’s time for an album I’ve known since I was very young, yet only properly revisited recently. It’s Stronger by Kelly Clarkson! I’ve always been impressed how she puts a lot of efforts into her albums. Pop has a bit of a reputation for shallow or inferior album tracks, yet some of her deep cuts are her best work. In few places is this more evident than Stronger, which blends notes of her previous R&B and pop rock styles with electronica and alt pop. I notice a few echoes of Imogen Heap’s influence, particularly in the catchy staccato leads that layer throughout the record. Despite an on-paper synth-heavy sound, there is something delightfully tactile about Stronger as well. I must commend the strong songwriting and impressive and controlled performances from Kelly Clarkson. My favorite tracks include bolstering hits Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) and Dark Side, heartfelt and inspiring You Can’t Win, confrontational Let Me Down, and anthemic bonus track Alone (which absolutely deserved to make the cut for the full album!). The transcendent arrangement and production in Honestly is a highlight of the record. I may actually have to share my favorite between three tracks. 1: You Love Me, excellently executed pop rock at its finest. 2: Hello, a moody and relatable track. 3: I Forgive You, exploding with energy yet underpinned with regret and sacrifice. Add Stronger to your list of evidence that pop can be just as awesome as any other genre, and also to your listening queue, because it is worth it.
Cracker Island – Gorillaz
November 28, 2025
On Cracker Island it was born…
Hello all! This week, I’m recommending a fairly recent album that’s also a favorite of mine. It’s Cracker Island by Gorillaz! With their ninth studio album releasing in a few months, it’s only right to recommend their eighth. Cracker Island balances moody, spacey synth pop with beautiful melodies and plenty of groove as well. The lyrics are at times touching, while other times surreal and sinister, supporting the underpinned themes of conspiracy and the occult on the album. New Gold is among my favorites, which is ridiculously funky, drenched in 70s grooviness and sporting sarcastic lyrics about excess. Baby Queen is soft and wistful, while Skinny Ape builds calmly toward an explosive, anthemic finish. Silent Running feels both climactic and melancholy. However, my very favorite has to be the opening title track Cracker Island, which is nothing short of addictive, owed to the spooky melodies and Thundercat’s shredding bass. Give Cracker Island a try now!
Pinkerton – Weezer
December 5, 2025
GETCHOO, UH-HUH!
Hiya all! This week, it’s time to recommend an album that’s special to me in a special way. Despite my enjoyment of this album itself, it’s probably been more significant to me in how many people it inspired in their music. Pinkerton by Weezer is a fundamental record in the emo scene, taking Weezer’s eponymous blue debut to a grittier sound and markedly exposed confessional lyrics. Despite its initial poor reception, Pinkerton found a greately devoted audience and has since begun to receive the appreciate it deserves. Under the distortion and feedback, Pinkerton hides commendably complex harmonics, coloring the lyrical themes of dealing with emotional loneliness and isolation. My highlights include eclectic El Scorcho, desperately heartfelt Across the Sea, succinct yet meaningful Why Bother?, and everyone’s favorite, Pink Triangle. I am compelled to mention that Falling For You randomly finds its way into my head for no reason I’ve discerned. My favorite track has to be Getchoo. Don’t be fooled by the odd name. It’s an incredibly rocking song. If you’re in the mood for a rock classic, Pinkerton is a great option. Give it a try!
Foxlore – The Crane Wives
December 12, 2025
Oh, my ugly organs, how lucky we are.
Hiya all! This week, I’m recommending a beautiful record I would not have had the opportunity to enjoy without being specially recommended it myself. It’s Foxlore by The Crane Wives! The Michigan indie folk band’s 2016 fourth record leans into the territories of alt rock and jazz, effortlessly crossing genre soundscapes to great effect and cohesion. Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury’s voices and guitars are all but conjoined, countering and complimenting one another. I would also like to give credit to Ben Zito’s tastefully prominent and intricate bass work, as well as Dan Rickabus’s groovy drums. I will not pretend to grasp the many compelling layers Foxlore’s lyrics offer. My time with the album has been too brief and too shallow to dissect them. Instead, let any Crane Wives fan assure you: these lyrics will stick with you, and you’ll realize new complexities with every listen. My favorite tracks include rebellious and energetic Down the River, manically jazzy hit Curses, striking Turn Out the Lights, heavy Pretty Little Things, anthemic Know How, and gorgeous, moody closing track The Garden (what an outro!). My favorite of them all has to go to Ribs. The build of guitar melodies and textures pairs with artfully written melodies and incredible lyricism to create a beautifully powerful yet spectral track. Go check out Foxlore!