Lav's Music Corner

Review by Lavender: Black Country, New Road is a band that requires more discussion than most that I cover on this blog. At the start of this decade, they erupted into the music scene with their universally acclaimed breakthrough single "Sunglasses." The song set the tone for their neurotic, monologue-driven, compositionally winding brand of post-punk, as well as setting expectations extremely high for the band's eventual debut. It's a bar that they eventually met with their 2021 debut masterwork For the first time , and one they would go on to surpass just the next year on their sophomore effort Ants From Up There . I'll put my cards on the table and confess that I think Ants From Up There  is a true masterpiece, my favorite album of the decade so far and, if you pressed me, probably in the ballpark of my favorite albums of all time. But just as the album was released, frontman Isaac Wood announced his departure from the band, citing mental health issues. While t...

I've said a few times this year that it's been a kind of interesting year for albums. While there wasn't the same pile of records absolutely blowing me away this year that there had been in years past, I was pleasantly surprised by how deep the field was. There were definitely albums cut from this year's list that could have comfortably made it onto one of the last two years' editions. Ultimately, I think that's a good thing. If I had to choose between the two I would take more good albums. But if the praise seems particularly quick compared to other lists and other years, there's a reason. Enjoy <3 ( This list was originally posted on January 1st, 2023 but was remade due to formatting errors) 100. Rina Sawayama - Hold The Girl While Rina failed to impress me with some of the songwriting and in particular the hooks on her new record, the production of Clarence Clarity and her imposing personality are enough to carry this record through with its memorable ...