Hello, everyone! I can’t believe it’s 2024 already!

Well, now that all my year-end lists for 2023 are done (on time this year), I guess that means it’s time for me to start reviewing 2024 albums! I got right to work on 2024 reviews pretty much as soon as the calendar switched to 2024, and I’ve already got 10 mini reviews ready! (I very much used the strategy of mostly picking shorter albums.)

As always, these are just my own personal feelings on these albums. Feel free to disagree with me on any of these. None of this is an attempt to be mean or anything, even if I say something negative. It’s just me sharing how I personally feel about these albums.

Alright, let’s start with …

Kääös Ünlëäshëd by Dischurch:

I was looking for new albums to review, and I came across this short black metal album which I also saw some other genre descriptions of that intrigued me.

This is Dischurch’s second studio album, and I decided to listen to the first Dischurch album before listening to this one, that being 2020’s Ready To Die. I only listened to that album once and I couldn’t find the lyrics when I looked it up—and I can’t hear the lyrics—but overall my first impression of it is that it’s not really my cup of tea. But still, I wanted to go into this new album with an open mind, so I gave it some listens, and … well, I can’t really say this is doing much for me, either, and that’s after multiple listens.

I also couldn’t find the lyrics to this album when I looked them up, and I can’t hear them, either … but musically, this album often feels a lot messier that I would have liked, with the way the guitars feel kind of out of place with the rest of the production, with the scuzzy sound not quite hitting as hard for me as I think it’s supposed to.

And overall, this just doesn’t feel all that interesting to me. I can’t help but feel like I’ve heard this sound done over and over again, and at least to me it doesn’t feel like it really brings anything new to the table—yes, it combines metal, punk, and some other genres, but in my opinion it’s left feeling too all-over-the-place without bringing these sounds together into a satisfying whole. And, of course, whether or not it’s ‘bringing anything new to the table’ is subjective, as is the quality of the album, and I’m not going to pretend I know everything about music and how ‘original’ each album I listen to is … what I do know is that this doesn’t really make me want to go back to it. I don’t think it’s bad, but it’s definitely not for me. If you’re looking for some genre-combining metal, this might be for you, but I personally am feeling a 5/10 on this.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 5/10
Favourite Tracks: “The Beginning”, “Clarity & Defiance”
Least Favourite Tracks: “Dying From Inside”, “Rüin”

Letter to Self by SPRINTS:

I was seeing some acclaim online for this punk band from Ireland who just released their debut album Letter to Self. And while I’ve heard lots of punk albums in recent years that just haven’t clicked for me much, overall I am mostly a fan of the genre. So, did this debut album make me a fan of the band?

Well, I’ll admit I didn’t have super high expectations going into this, and I’m not really sure why … and it turns out I was pleasantly surprised, because this is some really solid punk music, often feeling like a post-punk album, and the kind of post-punk that I really like!

The distorted guitar has some real crunch to it as well as some strong guitar melodies that pair really well with the drumming, and the drums also sound great in the mix with lots of really nice snare hits that give the chugging grooves so much more energy, and the basslines fit well with the mood of these songs.

Lead vocalist Karla Chubb mentioned ‘rising against the powers that be,’ seeming to be implying that’s a lot of what this album is about, and I think it approaches these subjects with some real teeth, and I think ‘the powers that be’ could potentially not only be about politics, but also personal demons and one’s overall surroundings, like the angsty frustration with being misperceived on “Cathedral”, or the cry for help of “Shadow of a Doubt” which features arguably the best vocal performance on the whole album!

Overall, there are some really potent moments here, like “Adore Adore Adore” which just feels like a huge middle finger to misogyny—and it’s kind of ironic considering the ‘Bechdel test’ line on “A Wreck (A Mess)”, although that line clearly isn’t meant seriously. And “Shaking Their Hands” is a musically tense track with the warbly guitar and eerie vocal melodies that fit with the cryptic lyrics like, ‘I’m counting the minutes until the clock strikes six.’

Also, keep in mind I could totally be interpreting these songs wrong. But I’m just telling you how I hear them.

I do think a decent amount of these songs could go off a lot harder with a little more musical experimentation and giving certain elements more presence, and the interpolation of Weezer’s “Undone – The Sweater Song” on “Ticking” is actually really annoying—terrible way to start the album in my opinion—even though that song does have some pretty killer guitar distortion later on. But still, as a whole … I think it’s the first legit really good album I’ve reviewed in 2024!

It does take a little bit to really get going if you ask me, but if you’re looking for some hard-hitting punk rock with a lot of power and angst which combine for a pummeling listen in which the band sounds very locked in with each other, I’d very much recommend this album! Light 7.5/10 for me!

Final Thoughts
Rating: 7.5/10
Favourite Tracks: “Shaking Their Hands”, “Adore Adore Adore”, “Shadow of a Doubt”, “A Wreck (A Mess)”
Least Favourite Track: “Ticking”

Black Hole by park zero:

This is my second time reviewing a park zero album on this website, the first of which was a little under a year ago when I reviewed her album M, which is still the only park zero album I’ve listened to aside from this new one. And while I was not a fan of that album at all, I was still curious to hear this new album.

And I do like this quite a bit more! It’s got a much more ethereal sound that fits well with the kind of vapourwave-esque synths throughout this album, and it doesn’t have the same annoying moments as M.

But I’m still not super wowed. The vibes aren’t as strong as I’d like them to be, not really bringing much imagery to my mind or really making me feel all that much. I’m low-key fascinated by the sound, but I say ‘low-key’ because really this feels a lot like albums I’ve heard before.

There are samples used on this album, and I’m not entirely sure where they are, but still there seems to be a lot of attempted creativity here, and while it didn’t really work for me, you might find this a lot more interesting—I mean, it doesn’t feel like a super ‘creative’ album to me, but that’s subjective, and I can kind of see the appeal of this album.

And thus, for me it’s a 6/10. I don’t find it super interesting personally, but I guess I find it kind of nice while it’s on … so, overall, I think it’s decent, and I’d recommend it.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 6/10
Favourite Tracks: “Black Hole”, “Window Pane”, “Summer Vacation”
Least Favourite Track: “Planet Xeno”

rabiscos by Bruno Medeiros:

I saw this described as a ‘sound collage’, and while that’s far from my favourite style of music, there are albums in that style that have really clicked for me.

But I feel like I’m at a distance from this album … because as much as there is creativity here, it’s really not doing much for me at all. There’s no real strong feeling I get from listening to this album … which means I don’t dislike it. I just don’t really like it, either.

If you’re a fan of sound collage albums I think you might end up really liking this, but to me it doesn’t feel like these passages/sounds really connect in a way where it feels like it’s creating its own world. And a lot of it just bores me.

So, for me it’s a 5/10. I like some of the more musical moments on the album, but the rest just isn’t doing much for me at all. A bit of a cool experiment here, but it doesn’t feel as fully fleshed out to me as I’d like. Still, though, to fans of this style, you might find way more to like about it than me.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 5/10
Favourite Track: “rabisco 2”
Least Favourite Track: “rabisco 1”

No Scavenging by Artifact Memory:

This is the first album from 2024 that I listened to, and it’s the follow-up to his debut album which dropped only a few months ago, in October of 2023. And I’m not gonna lie, it feels too soon for me to check that album out now, just days after posting my list of my favourite albums of 2023, just in case it turns out to be great and I end up wishing I’d heard it just slightly sooner—is it a bad reason not to listen to it? Yeah, it probably is, but I don’t care.

But based on this, I highly doubt I would’ve ended up liking that album that much anyway, considering the fact that I’m not really a big fan of this album. It’s an experimental ambient album which features a very jumpy sound, with the percussion not having any sort of steady rhythm to it, and honestly just sounding more like a YouTube video of someone making music with household items … and the synths have a similar style of arrangement.

And it’s not bad, but it’s not really my cup of tea. The tones of a lot of these sounds are nice, and I think the mixing is pretty solid … although I don’t really like how abbreviated the synth hits are.

But at the end of the day, this doesn’t feel like it’s trying too hard to be out of the ordinary, while also not feeling like it’s trying to be trendy, even within the smaller scope of glitchy, ambient/sound collage albums … it feels more like he’s just doing his thing, having fun with these sounds. And not only do I respect that, but it makes for a mildly enjoyable listen, too! If you’re looking for some glitchy ambient music that feels pretty much the furthest thing from ‘accessible’, I think this is worth a shot! For me it’s a 6/10, as it doesn’t really wow me, but I don’t think it’s a total dud, either.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 6/10
Favourite Tracks: “Clock Drift”, “Angels in Disguise”, “No Scavenging”
Least Favourite Track: “Disclosure Triangle”

Sipai by Michiru Aoyama:

This is one of two albums Michiru Aoyama released to start the year, and every song is pretty much the same exact length, which I find interesting.

Anyway, this is my first time listening to a Michiru Aoyama album … and to me it sounds mostly bland, without a lot really gripping me. But I can kind of see the appeal of this sort of dreamy ambient music, with some nice guitar plucking (at least I think that’s the right way of describing it) on some of these tracks.

I’m not a huge fan of the synth timbres—they just don’t really feel all that interesting to me with this production—but for a certain mood, while it’s not really my thing, I see how it could work, maybe as a calming album to listen to before bed.

It’s got a slightly enchanting vibe to it—very strong emphasis on ‘slightly’—which has some similarities to some music that I really love, but in this case I’m just left feeling underwhelmed as it does feel like it could use some huge buildup at some point, but it never happens.

But again, for a certain mood, I can see the appeal of this … it’s just not really for me. I’ll give it a 5/10, but if you really like ambient music, while I’m an ambient music fan and it didn’t click for me, I still think it’s probably worth hearing.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 5/10
Favourite Tracks: “Kaihatuhi”, “Team”, “Dokonokuni”
Least Favourite Track: “Kitaisinai”

Imaginary Friends by Clean & Rich:

Here’s a sound collage album from this duo I’d never heard of until just recently. It’s their third album, and while this album uses samples, I don’t know exactly where all the samples are—although I would guess it’s a lot of the spoken parts of the album.

Anyway, I can’t really say this is my style of ambient music. It feels mostly like a bunch of elements put together that don’t have anything to do with each other. And while I get why someone might like this, it is not for me at all.

And it’s not like I’m usually a huge fan of the instrumental timbres here anyway, with the synths often having an oddly thin sound to them that I don’t really like, especially with the sound of the percussion feeling out of place.

There is the occasional good melody or interesting moment, and I can kind of see the appeal … but for me it’s a light 5/10. If you love sound collage albums you might really like it, but it’s not for me at all.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 5/10
Favourite Tracks: “Imaginary Friends”, “The Grand Prix”
Least Favourite Track: “Nice to Know Someone Cares”

One More Night in Absalom by Evergreen Avenue:

I’m pretty sure this is the fifth album I’ve reviewed by Evergreen Avenue, an artist whose music I discovered when looking for short instrumental ambient albums last year, and like with the other Evergreen Avenue albums I’ve reviewed, it’s fairly short and only consists of one track—although the one track is over half an hour. So, I can’t pick favourite and least favourite tracks.

And while I haven’t loved the music I’ve heard from Evergreen Avenue, I have at least been slightly intrigued, and when it comes to this album … well, there are some nice textures, with the way the different layers bend around each other in the mix, creating a subtly stormy vibe.

But I’m also not going to pretend this really had much of an impact on me. To me it mostly just feels like background music, and I personally don’t find it all that gripping. And some of the higher-frequency sounds do feel a little bit annoying and are a little hard to unhear, as they can kind of ruin the atmosphere.

But still, I don’t think this is a bad album, and at points it brings me feelings of nostalgia. And again, as background music it feels like it would be mildly pleasant, but I don’t think I’m going back to it, at least not anytime soon. So, for me it’s a 6/10. I’m still yet to hear an Evergreen Avenue album that really clicks for me … but if you want some instrumental ambient music with some nice textures with well-produced synth timbres, this might do the job.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 6/10
Favourite Tracks: N/A
Least Favourite Tracks: N/A

Bicycle by Patricia Taxxon:

American musician, producer, and singer Patricia Taxxon has a new album out that was released on the first day of the year, and while I haven’t listened to much of her music, the one other album of hers I’ve listened to in full is 2022’s Aeroplane, which is among my favourite albums of that year!

And thus, I was very excited to check out this new album of hers … and yet I can’t really call myself much of a fan of this album. I don’t think it’s bad, but it’s not hitting as strongly for me as Aeroplane, and honestly it’s not even close. Now, of course, I should acknowledge that Aeroplane is an absolutely fantastic album that creates so many incredible moods with lots of experimentation and excellent production, so it is a hard album to top … but I’m surprised at just how much less I ended up liking this album.

And first of all I want to talk about the production, with the synths often having a much more liquidy sound than I would’ve liked, making it feel less organic and making it feel more distant from the percussion, which isn’t what I really want to hear on an electronic dance album. It really kills the mood of these tracks in my opinion. And while I think the low-end is mostly pretty solid here, the instrumental timbres don’t connect together as well as I would have liked, and the mixing feels inconsistent.

And the percussion in general could be a lot stronger if you ask me, as it often feels out of place to me in a lot of these songs, although maybe it’s just because of the synths, I’m not sure. But still, there are definitely some elements of the percussion I don’t really like, such as its distracting business in “Cavalry”, and also that annoying clicking in the background of “Furry”.

Now, I will say I do like some of the melodies here, and the last two tracks are legit really good, but it also doesn’t feel like an album I’ll probably revisit much.

So, at the end of the day … yeah, this is not for me. I’ll give it a 6/10 in large part because I do think it ends pretty strong, but as a whole it was a disappointment for me. Just being honest here.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 6/10
Favourite Tracks: “Frat Claws”, “Big Wheel”, “I Do”
Least Favourite Track: “Chipshop”

Faith and the Vessel by Kinoteki:

Up until recently, I hadn’t heard of Kinoteki, a solo artist who’s been pretty consistently releasing at least one album a year under this name for the past few years. And I decided to quickly check out 2022’s Human Noise and 2023’s Dawn of the Final Hour before going into this album—to explain why I did this despite what I said earlier about listening to 2023 albums this early in the year … well, I forgot in this case. Anyway I mostly liked what I heard, which made me curious to check out this album …

And unfortunately it’s just not really grabbing my attention all that much. Kinoteki has talked about the concept behind this album, with a cultural capital known as The Vessel, and the main character, Faith, is looking for an escape and feeling controlled. I hope I explained that all accurately, otherwise you can read the description on Bandcamp.

But this album is mostly instrumental, and I find it hard to connect it to that concept because of that. And this is something that is a case-by-case basis for me, but it’s similar to how I often struggle to get into music in languages I don’t know, even if I’ve seen the translation—it doesn’t make it worse, but I personally have a harder time getting into it.

I do mostly like the breakbeat percussion, especially against those glossy synths in “BB/Heart+Soul” and the ethereal vibes all throughout “Foreverfaith”.

And overall the bass sounds good in the mix, too, providing some really nice texture, but overall there’s just not a whole lot about this album that really draws me to go back to it. It feels like an album with an appearance of grandness, and while I understand how you might hear it that way—especially if you don’t separate it from its concept—to me it just doesn’t feel as huge or epic as I think it’s trying to be.

And then with the overly loud percussion and the unpleasantly meaty synths in “Bystander (Everyone’s Dead)” … I just can’t rate this higher than a 6/10. If you love mostly instrumental electronic music it might be up your alley, but I just couldn’t really get into it.

Final Thoughts
Rating: 6/10
Favourite Tracks: “BB/Heart+Soul”, “Struggle (But I’ll Try)”, “Foreverfaith”
Least Favourite Track: “Bystander (Everyone’s Dead)”