1–25 | My Favorites My First 100 Album Reviews
In celebration of reviewing 100 albums on my blog, here is my favorite picks from my first 25 reviews
Since I started up my blog back in 2021, I have managed to culminate 100 different album and EP reviews. This space was created so that I could discuss and review a variety of albums from the past to the present over all kinds of genres. Each article has been a joy to dive into as I learn more through the process of writing on each of these releases. I wanted to do something special for my 100th album review landmark. From this, I have decided to write about the best of the best from each of the albums discussed on this blog. If you would like to listen to these tracks for yourself, I have created a playlist on the following streaming services: Apple Music 100 Best Playlist or Spotify 100 Best Playlist.
- ) Two Suns by Bat for Lashes — “Daniel”
It was hard not to choose the glowing opener “Glass” as my favorite off Two Suns due to its glorious addition of zithers that give it a witchy vibe. It’s impossible to deny the catchiness of the album’s hauntingly beautiful lead single “Daniel”. It’s a must listen off the record.
2.) Ghost World by Lauren Aquilina — “Fuckedupminddd”
After listening to this album back in 2021, “Fuckedupminddd” is the track I constantly find myself returning to again and again. I love the bottom dropping out in the chorus that give weight to this chaos in her mind.
3.) Either/Or by Elliott Smith — “No Name No5”
I could have easily chosen “Say Yes” as the stand out for Either/Or, but “No Name No5” has this beautiful drone from Elliott’s down tuned guitar that really evokes a sense of beauty that I can’t deny out weighs the other tracks on the album for me.
4.) Stromata by Charlotte Martin — “Stromata”
The title track off of Charlotte Martin’s sophomore release perfectly encapsulates her electronic edge while keeping you hooked. I have for years returned to this track out of all of the others on this record the most.
5.) Portable Life by Danielle Brisebois — “Just Missed the Train”
It’s truly a shame that Brisebois’s sophomore album never got a physical release. My favorite off this gem is her remake of “Just Missed the Train”. This version takes away of the dull blur of her 1994 original and gives it a richness. This version would even live on through Kelly Clarkson’s take for her debut album.
6.) Inner Songs by Kelly Lee Owens — “L.I.N.E”
The shimmering silver tones of “L.I.N.E” just make for an absolutely mystical experience. Compared to the rest of the tracks off the album, I continually find myself returning to the glistening tones here the most.
7.) Turn 21 by The Donnas — “40 Boys in 40 Nights”
You have to love the hard rock turn The Donnas took on Turn 21. “40 Boys in 40 Nights” is just the pinnacle of the aggressive feminine sexuality they exude on this dive bar ready track.
8.) Love More by Big Love and Little Hollywood — “Enchante”
Big Love and Little Hollywood’s debut Love More fell off my radar after my initial discovery and review of the project. It just felt far too generic to stand out on its own. Their single “Enchante” shines the brightest off the record. While their sound might not be my cup of tea, this song has the most replay-ability to me.
9.) Blood by Juliana Hatfield — “Mouthful of Blood”
Juliana Hatfield’s 2020 release Blood was a fantastic take on anger. “Mouthful of Blood” is the best track on the record to display her need to hold her tongue after years of negative rhetoric surrounding her. I love the mellotron flutes against Hatfield’s guitar work.
10.) 0304 by Jewel — “Intuition”
I found Jewel’s attempt at dance-pop to be rather flat both sonically and lyrically. I can’t deny the hook that the lead single “Intuition” effervesces from its being. When it comes to 0304, it might be worth following your intuition and sticking with this single.
11.) Lil Mariko EP by Lil Mariko — “Hi, I’m a Slut”
The hyper-pop genre has spawned some truly fascinating projects. Lil Mariko’s cutesy to crazy persona works rather well under this production. The best song off her debut EP is this sarcastic and hilarious “Hi, I’m a Slut”. It’s worth the sonic journey to give this fuck you take on slut shaming a listen.
12.) Soberish by Liz Phair — “Ba Ba Ba”
I thoroughly enjoyed Liz Phair’s comeback record after a nearly 10 year hiatus. The sound blended indie and pop in a way that married all of Phair’s eras. “Ba Ba Ba” is a beautiful take on a relationship doomed from the start. Producer Brad Wood and Liz made magic when creating this song. It’s a shame it wasn’t a single.
13.) Industry EP by Jon McLaughlin — “Beautiful Disaster”
Jon McLaughlin’s brand of piano pop was a refreshing change of pace. This major label debut EP gave us the first taste of his breakout single “Beautiful Disaster”. This version is a bit more lush with a slower tempo and stronger string presence. It perfectly scratches that itch for sentimental 2000s indie pop.
14.) Pleasure by Sondre Lerche — “Serenading in the Trenches”
Lerche went a full electronic pop route for his 2017 album album Pleasure. Sondre’s knack for melodic complexity creates a realm of chaos that pairs well with the love/hate emotions in his lyrics. I always find this song sticking with me after I listen to this album. The music video only adds to this tension with a playful sense of homoeroticism.
15.) Jill Sobule by Jill Sobule — “I Kissed a Girl”
I really appreciate Sobule’s ability for storytelling with a colorful sense of sarcasm. Katy Perry may have have hit the scene with a song with the same title nearly 10 years later, but Jill was teasing bisexuality in a sweet manner first in 1996. It’s earnest joy over this new found world make the song something special.
16.) Mustang EP by Cameron Hawthorn — “To Break Hers”
In my exploration of LBGBTQ+ artists, I happen upon the country music of Cameron Hawthorn. His sound is much more modern country without the bro-country trappings. My favorite off his debut EP is the solemn pain of coming to terms with one’s sexuality on “To Break Hers”. That one really hit home for someone who once thought a closeted existence in a straight world was best.
17.) Factory Girl EP by Rhiannon Giddens — “Factory Girl”
Rhiannon Giddens has a wonderful reverence for the history of folk/country music, especially from rarely heard realms of traditionally African American spaces. This EP plays with a variety of sounds, but the title track’s dramatic feeling makes it the pinnacle of the project for me.
18.) Candy Cigarettes EP by River Westin — “Maraschino”
My random discovery of River Westin’s debut EP Candy Cigarettes was a joy to listen to. I really liked his mix of country western, dream pop, and indie pop sounds. “Maraschino” is the catchiest track off the entire project. You definitely hear the influence from Lana Del Rey from the throwback sexual europhia of this track.
19.) Sunday Love by Fefe Dobson — “Don’t Let It Go to Your Head”
Fefe Dobson deserves more attention then she gets. Her sophomore project, Sunday Love, was a fun filled experimentation on a heavier pop-punk sound. Shelving this project was a crime to Dobson, but at least the lead single “Don’t Let It Go to Your Head” got an official release. Fefe’s biting tone and rougher edges would make any emo/pop-punker proud.
20.) Teeter by Gregory Douglass — “Innocent”
Douglass is an indie artist that I think never really got enough promotion for his brand of alternative rock/pop sounds at the turn of the millennium. “Innocent” takes a page from Imogen Heap’s debut and adds a great blend of electronic tones to this mix. This is a gem on an album that would fair well on late 90s/early 2000s indie radio.
21.) Rebecca Black Was Here EP by Rebecca Black — “Personal”
Rebecca Black is a phoenix when it comes to pop music. She’s embraced the meme of her teenage viral fumble and came back stronger than ever. Her 2021 EP Rebecca Black Was Here is proof of that. The zenith of this hyper-pop infused album is the banger “Personal”. You will surely be moved to dance when hearing this single.
22.) Sisters of Avalon by Cyndi Lauper — “Sisters of Avalon”
While I did really enjoy the woodsy new age sounds of tracks like “Fearless” and “Mother”, you can’t deny the strength of Lauper’s songwriting on the album’s title track. This song will have you both dancing in your seat and enamored by the mystical empowerment that Cyndi puts across in her words.
23.) Soviet Kitsch by Regina Spektor — “Chemo Limo”
It was difficult to not choose the upbeat single “Us” or solemn sadness of the opener “Ode to Divorce” as the magnum opus of this album, but “Chemo Limo” just has mixture of both that pushes it above the pack. The haunting dream of escaping your illness through Spektor’s tongue-in-cheek lyricism makes the song the best on the record.
24.) Fun City by Bright Light Bright Light — “This Was My House” (feat. Niki Haris, Donna De Lory, and Initial Talk)
Rod Thomas made magic for his 2020 nostalgically queer album Fun City. He really went over the top with the single “This Was My House” as he brought in Initial Talk and Madonna’s iconic backup singers Donna De Lory and Niki Haris. They make for a beautifully glossy house throwback track made for today’s discotheque.
25.) Good to Know by JoJo — “Small Things”
JoJo has grown tremendously since her teen R&B/pop debut in 2004. She clearly has an appreciation for the genre and the chops to back it up. I was torn between acoustic R&B sound of “Small Things” and hangover release of “Pedalyte”, but the former won out as the greater stand out track.
