Random albums I listened to in May 2025

Saba x No I.D. - From The Private Collection of Saba and No I.D.

Yeah, this is great! Metacritic says 90/100 and I think I agree. I feel like most songs would take more than one listen to get the most out of them, so I put a bunch of them on my Listen to This! playlist (the playlist is private, I think - it's for stuff I want to listen to more, not for stuff I necessarily recommend to others).

Puddle Of Mudd - Kiss The Machine 

It's very 2000s, in all the best ways. The album came out today (May 2nd), but it feels nostalgic.

Bad Bunny - Debí Tirar Más Fotos

It was a great album and as it progressed, it got even better. I don't like the random sounds like the rooster or sudden a cappella or silence, I like to be immersed into the music. My Spanish's also very rusty, I don't understand nearly anything, but that's not his fault.

DeathbyRomy - HOLLYWOOD FOREVER

Yeah, it's a decent alternative album.

EMELINE - the devil on my bra strap

I wish it was a concept album. About "the devil on her shoulder", the meaner side of her thoughts. But at least new york and heartbreak in a bottle don't fit that. 

It's also very short, 6 songs and under 14min. 

All of the songs are great, though. If they all fit a concept, it'd be an S tier album. It's short, but technically long enough to qualify as an EP, so it's A tier. Great job!

Jore & Zpoppa - Monsteri

Yeah, it's pretty good. The flows aren't the most innovative, but that's not the point. The production is great, both of them can actually rap and announce properly, and their lyrics are fine as well. I can see why people like this. It's not 100% my thing, but I can't deny they're talented and catchy.

Japanese Breakfast - For Melancholy Brunettes (&Sad Women)

I think this was on Album of the Year's Must Listen list and from there ended up on my list. And I had underlined it (on my list of albums to listen), so I've seen it somewhere else as well, possibly a 4 or 5 star review in a music magazine.

It was alright. Not what I usually listen to, this kind of indie pop rock stuff, but I enjoyed it. She has a pretty voice.

Knives At Sea x allalonealaska - MISFIT (EP, 2024)

Match made in fuckin heaven, Knives At Sea and allalonealaska. This is what perfection sounds like. I wouldn't change a thing.

pehmoaino - Soittorasia (2024)

Her artist name is descriptive. Aino is a Finnish first name for women, "pehmo" means "softie". Her voice is very soft and smooth. 

mietin sua pahalla hit me hard. It's about leaving a violent relationship. The lyricism and the willingness to experiment with the sound stand out to me. This is art!

Sabrina Carpenter - Short n' Sweet (2024)

Sonically, great bubblegum pop, very 2000s-esque. 

Lyrically, hilarious, in a good way. 

Samae Koskinen - Mä näin unta että kaikki meni hyvin (2024)

Apparently, he did protest songs? I'm curious.

- - Meh. The music's not my thing at all. Some of the lyrics are pretty good, though. I'll translate them for my other blog at some point.

Rico Nasty - LETHAL

First song sucked. TEETHSUCKER (YEA3X), I liked the melody/flow, but not the lyrics. I kinda missed ON THE LOW, it was very short or something? I liked PINK, the autotune alt pop vibes suit her. BUTTEFLY KISSES the same as TEETHSUCKER (YEA3X). EAT ME! sucks. It's the hook, same as WHO WANT IT, the first song. They'd be average if the hook was better, as is they suck. Sorry for being blunt but 1) I'm sure she isn't reading this 2) she wouldn't care about my opinion even if she did. No reason to sugar coat it. SOUL SNATCHER is ok. The effects add that alt pop sound that I apparently like on her. Before this album I had only heard SIMP which she made with Lil Mariko. So, at least she's doing this annoying mainstream pop sound on purpose? Or she's self-aware of it? That's good. SOUL SNATCHER and GRAVE sounded so alike I didn't notice the song changing while I was typing. I liked how aggressive SON OF A GUN was. SMOKE BREAK is a punk song! I like this! Nice screams as well! Now the Lil Mariko feature makes sense. CRASH is like... what's the genre I'm looking for? Alt rock, maybe? I like how this album mixed, how there isn't a silent pause between songs. Since I'm writing about pretty much all the songs: CAN'T WIN EM ALL was a needed break, but I'm still not a fan of ballads. SAY WE DID is a slower one as well. I wonder if we get a third ballad and then a banger at the end? That'd be a solid choice. I like the lyrics of YOU COULD NEVER, her best lyrics on the album. And then SMILE is kinda old-school-y ballad. Like, not hiphop old-school, but older. 

Yeah, this album was a pleasant surprise. I won't follow her, because I still don't like most of her songs, but I'll make sure to check her upcoming albums as well.

SkyDxddy - TRAUMACORE (RAW & UNCUT)

Concept: 100/100

Lyrics: 100/100

Composition: 95/100

Production: 95/100

Overall: 98/100

Aminé - 13 Months of Sunshine

It's a vibe, but not really my thing.

The beats and production make it stand out from your average mainsteam hiphop album. They make the album, mostly. So shout out to the producers! His rapping is mostly pretty standard mainstream(ism) stuff, but occasionally it stands out, in maybe like 5 or 6 songs, and sounds different - the flows, the rhyme schemes and song topics stand out from your average hiphop song. Consider me intrigued!

Linkin Park - From Zero (Deluxe Edition)

Meh. It's not the same as old Linkin Park. I never actually listened to From Zero when it dropped, most of the single releases were kinda lackluster.

Overflow was a pleasant surprise! Nothing like their old music, but exactly like the music I like listening to now (The Vibe).

Why are all her screams mixed so low? Makes zero sense. Shinoda produced this? At least Unshatter, which is playing as I'm typing rn. Wonder what he was thinking.

Yeah, it's very meh, overall. Too bad. Since she can actually scream, I was expecting something like their golden age, metal-wise. Shinoda is just as good as a rapper as he's always been, so at least they got that. Did Chester write their songs back in the day? Because they're also lacking in that department now.

Twenty One Pilots - Clancy (2024)

I've seen some comments recently (not about TOP but anyway) how some people don't like it when bands or artists do several genres per album. Why?? Why can't they just... I don't know, make art without borders, without genre boxes? I don't even care if it's incoherent in sound, if that suits the concept or overall idea of the album.

Change of topic: thank god I'm not a reactor. I'd miss out on so much great music, because I didn't have time to react to it. Sure, people suggest them music they'd never hear otherwise and that's a plus in being a reactor, but I get the same benefits by just watching what reactors react to (the ones with similar tastes in music compared to myself or with interesting fanbases) and listening to that.

I saw a bunch of reactors talk about this album a year ago when it droppes but then very few of them reacted to more than a couple of songs. Word of advice: stop caring what they react or don't react to. You know it's great music, it's their loss if they don't react to it. You're not missing anything. Connect with the other fans in the comment section asking for the same music. They know what's up. Reactors mainly look at numbers - what has a lot of views, how much it sold, how much someone paid them to react to it. It's their job, so they kinda have to. But just because a billion people liked a song doesn't make it a great song. Sure, it probably doesn't suck. But a lot of likes just means a lot of people liked it even a little bit. Songs like that are usually a gazillion things at once, but in a very boring way. You know what I mean? 99% of those people think the song is ok, maybe 1% loves it to death. More interesting music divides people, it's not for everyone. And therefore it gets less views and less reactions. 

Got a bit off topic there. Sorry not sorry. 

TOP is very popular, 34.9 million monthly listeners. But I feel like they're one of those bands where their sound is so varied different people connect with different songs. Not the ones I just talked about, where their sound is palatable to millions of people but they're no one's favorite band. I know plenty of people whose favorite music group is TOP and I see why. I love several of their songs as well.

This album was technically great. Varied but coherent at the same time. Nothing wrong with it. But on a personal level, nothing they've done since Blurryface has hit quite like that album did.

Havukruunu - Tavastland (2025)

I get why this did so well on Finnish album charts. It's the epic arrangements and the old-timey Finnish lyricism.

Technically nothing wrong with it and I am going to translate the lyrics once I'm done with older projects, but other than the lyrics, it doesn't really do anything to me. 

The Birthday Massacre - Pathways

I liked Sleep Tonight, All Of You, Whisper and Faces, Whisper was probably the best song from the album. The rest were too soft / repetitive / mainstream-pop-ish for my taste.

So overall, an ok album, since I liked half the songs and the rest were average.

Lil Nas X - Montero (2021)

Yes, I've been living under a rock xD

Great pop hiphop album.

Witchouse 40k - GHOSTLANDS

I don't think it's a concept album per se, but it's definitely got a unified vibe to it, and yet none of the songs sound exactly the same. I might be a bit biased since this is exactly the kind of music I love the most, but this is my blog so I'm allowed to be biased. And my biased opinion is that this album is absolutely perfect, I wouldn't change a thing.

MOSSBACK - Black Canyon City

Listening to a country album by MOSSBACK the MC/metal musician, while answering a questionnaire my town's doing and writing about how rich the hiphop culture in this town is and how they should support that even more than they are now. Some days I love my life 🖤 

And this album is a journey. I feel profoundly different than before listening to it. It's perfect. 🖤 🤘

Rekami - Kortepohjakosketus

I love his lyricism and rhyme schemes.

...And Oceans - The Regeneration Itinerary

I don't get it. They have some interesting production/composition choices, but then they go straight back to RAAAAWWWRR 🥁🥁🥁. Booooriiiing!

Nik Nocturnal - The Lost Chapters

I had to. The man has been almost single-handedly carrying the metal community for years. Not to shit on TankTheTech and others, but even they can't deny Nik's the GOAT metal content creator. Take your much needed break, man! If you decide to return one day, we'll be here. But no pressure. Much love man 🖤🤘

Model/Actriz - Pirouette

I liked Headlights and the blatantly queer lyricism. Otherwise, I don't see the appeal. His lyricism is mostly below average and he sings off-key a lot (and it doesn't sound intentional, him being off-key). What's the catch? What am I supposed to be impressed by?

billy woods - GOLLIWOG

It's a vibe. I like all the songs, but none of them stand out to me from the rest, because they all kinda have the same vibe and sound. The lyricism would definitely deserve a closer look than what I can give it on the first listen, but I feel like this is one of those albums you need to hear in order...

Greentea Peng - TELL DEM IT'S SUNNY

Amazing. Different from my usual taste, but my god this is great!

The Haunted - Songs Of Last Resort

Pretty standard metalcore, nothing too experimental or interesting. Talented screamer.

The rest of the tags: thebirthdaymassacre, lilnasx, witchouse40k, mossback, rekami, ...andoceans, niknocturnal, model/actriz, billywoods, greenteapeng, thehaunted