Six more albums that show how fragile guides can show how to move forward, including:
The Besnard Lakes - A Coliseum Complex Museum (2016) Consider the Source - The Stare (2024) Discipline - Breadcrumbs (2025) George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice v. 1 (1990) Oak - The Third Sleep (2025) Stevie Wonder - Innervisions (1973)
Sleep Token - Even in Arcadia VS. Melt-Banana - 3+5
Sleep Token - Even in Arcadia
Even in Arcadia has gotten a bit of a bad rap from critics, but I personally like it. In all transparency, I am definitely not a long-term fan of Sleep Token, so when people compare it unfavorably to the band’s older work, it doesn’t hold too much water in my opinion of the album. I do think that the way in which they combine elements of prog-metal with contemporary R&B is pretty interesting. Melt–Banana’s genre-defining noise rock takes more obvious chances, but 3+5 makes for an overall exhausting listening experience when taken as a whole.
Saga - Worlds Apart VS. Nick Millevoi - Digital Reaction
Nick Nillevoi - Digital Reaction
This was a pretty tricky one. My initial impression of Worlds Apart was a bit unfavorable. While it certainly had some high points worth recognizing, not the least of which is the killer 80s anthem On the Loose, it has some sagging moments as well that don’t do enough to lift it out of the sonic standards of its time. My opinion of the album started to shift this week, however, and I am looking forward to coming back to it at a later date. Although Digital Reaction may not be as immediate, it's adventurous in all the right ways, balancing virtuosity with playful risk-taking.
Queen - Queen VS. Prince - Controversy
Queen - Queen
Tough one here, no doubt about it. As great as Controversy is, I think that Prince’s dedication to the concept is a bit distracting on this release. He certainly found more nuanced ways to be controversial as his career progressed. Queen, on the other hand, may not quite have the musical finesse on their debut that that they would later acquire, but they seemed to leap from the head of Zeus with a fully formed sonic concept that they would wield to great effect on later albums.
David Longstreth, the Dirty Projectors, and s t a r g a z e - Song for the Earth VS. Dawn Richard and Spencer Zahn - Pigments
Dawn Richard and Spencer Zahn - Pigments
Both of these albums are fantastic crossovers between intellectual composition and accessible songwriting, and as is often the case, an argument could be made for either one of them. I get the sense, however, that the intellectual side of Song for the Earth is more dominant, which makes it a relatively opaque listen in comparison to Pigments. Brains and emotion are more balanced on this album, which results in an overall more inviting listening experience.
Viewer’s Choice
Sleep Token - Even in Arcadia VS. Melt-Banana - 3+5
Sleep Token - Even in Arcadia
Saga - Worlds Apart VS. Nick Millevoi - Digital Reaction
Saga - Worlds Apart
Queen - Queen VS. David Gilmour - Luck and Strange
Queen - Queen
David Longstreth, the Dirty Projectors, and s t a r g a z e - Song for the Earth VS. Dawn Richard and Spencer Zahn - Pigments
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson - Children of Nature VS. TU-Ner - TU-Ner for Lovers
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson - Children of Nature
Another King Crimson-adjacent album gets knocked out. What gives? Well, both this album and The Repercussions of Angelic Behavior from last Spring are incredible listening experiences. They are, however, very VERY improvisational. Especially on TU-Ner for Lovers, the sense that the musicians involved really had no idea what they were about to do is particularly prominent. In the context of a King Crimson improvisation, this means that you can’t count on any clear structure or melodic consistency to hold things together. It is, instead, the collected experience, intuition, and chemistry of the musicians involved that give the music consistency, which provides the listener with many memorable moments, but also obscures the coherency of the overall experience. Children of Nature is hauntingly consistent and emotionally moving, if in a different tone than TU-Ner for Lovers.
Parannnoul - Sky Hundred VS. Restorations - Restorations
Parannoul - Sky Hundred
Despite having a few questionable production choices, Sky Hundred clearly aligns itself with the shoegaze paradigm in all the right ways, making for performances that brim over with expressiveness. Restorations, instead, goes for brute force when it comes to expression, which isn’t a deal-breader on its own, but the gravelly howling of the vocals hold me at arm’s length.
Lay Low - Brostinn Strengur VS. Noah Kahan - Stick Season
Noah Kahan - Stick Season
A closer match probably could not exist than between these two albums. Both are fantastically imaginative folktronica releases with outstanding performances and satisfying melodies. The biggest difference, in my opinion, is due to their respective cultural backgrounds. Lay Low is Icelandic, and her choice to render Icelandic poetry as lyrics for this album is a feature of Brostinn Strengur that, relatively speaking, probably rivals Noah Kahan’s lyrical travelog. As an American, however, I can more readily relate to Noah Kahan’s lyrics, not just because they are in my native language, but because they speak directly to familiar experiences.
Sobs - Air Guitar VS. Jhariah - Trust Ceremony
Sobs - Air Guitar
Jhariah is a challenging one. He holds a true musical depth close to his chest, as evidenced by the complexity of his arrangements and the density of his details. His flaw is in his pacing. 80% of Trust Ceremony sounds like it should be a musical climax. Despite all of its impressive compositional strengths, to my ears it's distractingly loud and intense, perhaps even frantic. Air Guitar is more measured and clever, as a lot of successful power pop-adjacent styles are.
Viewer’s Choice
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson - Children of Nature VS. TU-Ner - TU-Ner for Lovers
TU-Ner - TU-Ner for Lovers
Parannnoul - Sky Hundred VS. Restorations - Restorations
Parannoul - Sky Hundred
Lay Low - Brostinn Strengur VS. Brendan Byrnes - Transfigured Earth pts. I & II
Brendan Byrnes - Transfigured Earth pts. I & II
Sobs - Air Guitar VS. SPELLLING - The Turning Wheel
Tyler, the Creator - Chromokopia
While I might take exception to Tyler’s performance style, he is, as his name suggests, quite creative in terms of his production and instrumental choices. Mac Millar is also pretty good in this regard, but his overall scope is a bit more narrow, which allows Tyler to edge him out.
Kiasmos - II VS. Nala Shapiro - Space 1.8
Kiasmos - II
Although they are stylistically different, both II and Space 1.8 achieve a very similar balance of instrumental structure and ambient freedom. It is the consistently inviting nature of Kiasmos that gives them the win, as there are a few noisier moments on Space 1.8.that incongruously challenge the listener.
Julia Holter - Something In the Room She Moves VS. Colin Stetson - The Love It Took To Leave You
Colin Stetson - The Love It Took To Leave You
I will absolutely admit that Steton’s albums are generally overlong. His unbelievable vision for the saxophone, however, will inevitably keep me coming back for more. Holter has no lack of vision herself, but in this case, her florid, atmospheric approach to songwriting was not enough to win me over.
Eldberg - Þar Er Heimur Hugans VS. Soft Machine - Bundles
Soft Machine - Bundles
Eldberg is a fine retro-prog band. Their writing is a little clunky at times and the album has some production shortcomings, but generally speaking, Þar Er Heimur Hugans sells. There is no moment on the album, however, that can hold a candle to a young and enthusiastic Allan Holdsworth cutting his teeth in a style that he would come to define.
Viewer’s Choice
Mac Millar - Balloonerism VS. Tyler, the Creator - Chromokopia
Tyler, the Creator - Chromokopia
Kiasmos - II VS. Nala Shapiro - Space 1.8
Kiasmos - II
Julia Holter - Something In the Room She Moves VS. Devin Townsend - Powernerd
Julia Holter - Something in the Room She Moves
Eldberg - Þar Er Heimur Hugans VS. Hotline TNT - Cartwheel
Eldberg - Þar Er Heimur Hugans
Another six albums with differing levels of subversiveness, including: Jake Blount and Mali Obamsawin - Symbiont (2024) Dummy - Pure Energy (2024) HHY & the Kampala Unit - Turbo Meltdown (2025) The Knife - Silent Shout (2006) Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman (1981) Palm - Rock Island (2018)
Closing out summer with another double-sized episode of great albums! Including:
Cynic - Kindly Bent to Free Us (2014) Lawrence English - Even the Horizon Knows Its Bounds (2025) Julia Holter - Something In The Room She Moves (2024) David Longstreth, Dirty Projectors, and stargaze - Song of the Earth (2025) Madvillian - Madvilliany (2004) Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk (2024) Mac Millar - Balloonerism (2025) Parannoul - Sky Hundred (2025) Queen - Queen 1 (1973) Saga - Worlds Apart (1981) Sleep Token - Even in Arcadia (2025) Sobs - Air Guitar (2022)