Two weeks ago, I asked all of you what albums are a 10/10 in your book, what albums get you hyped up, feeling good, or, as some of you said, make you feel complex emotions or even break down and cry.

52 people responded to my Google form…that’s a lot.  Even though I couldn’t listen to all of them for this one article, I promise that I’ll get through all of them in the coming issues.  So, I reviewed just the first five albums I received.  But don’t worry, I’ll get to everyone eventually.

Anyway, the first album I listened to was RKS by Rainbow Kitten Surprise.  I had mixed feelings about this album.  I really enjoyed the eclectic blend of alt-rock and heartfelt lyrics, so it immediately captured my attention.  However, I felt like it lacked a lot of cohesion.  It feels like the songs were put together as individual pieces and not a collective unit.  However, this diversity of styles was also its greatest strength.  “Cocaine Jesus” was by far the best track, and I also thoroughly enjoyed the energy of “Counting Cards” and the introspection of “All’s Well That Ends.”

Next on the itinerary was Third Eye Blind’s eponymous debut album.  Someone online referred to it as “American Britpop,” and with that, I’d have to agree.  I went into this knowing that each song was going to be great, and that was mostly confirmed.  Although the middle kind of dragged, the first half was incredible.  My favorites were “Semi-Charmed Life” and “Jumper.”  Third Eye Blind as a band has been considered to be a one-album wonder, but this record resonates close to home for a lot of people and is always there to hype people up or just make people feel good.

Here’s a fun one: Barbie The Album.  Created and compiled by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, the soundtrack to the biggest movie of 2023 combines original music from well-known and not-so-well-known artists.  For me, the upbeat and generally happy songs on the soundtrack perfectly complemented the plastic and idyllic world of Barbieland.  “Dance The Night” has become a beloved nu-disco and dance-pop classic, whereas “What Was I Made For” and, to a lesser extent, “I’m Just Ken” reflect the more introspective plot and message of the movie.

Boygenius is the collaborative effort of Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, and Phoebe Bridgers.  Their most recent LP, the record, features soothing vocals and deeply personal lyrics touching on subjects like mental health struggles.  The production was really great, in that while each song flowed within itself and to the next, it also sounded raw and vulnerable.  I’d never listened to the music of any of the three members of boygenius before, but maybe I should start now.  “Cool About It” was my favorite song, while “Revolution 0” felt a bit out of place.

I closed out this short album journey with Mama’s Gun by Erykah Badu.  I am familiar with Badu’s debut album, Baduizm, and I think this was a step up.  Everyone knows that “Didn’t Cha Know” is a classic and one of the holy grails of Neo Soul.  As a whole, this album featured a velvety-smooth production and soulful vocals with lyrics that explored love, life, and everything in between.  The thing is, its runtime was 71 minutes.  Although I was really enjoying it, the album almost wore itself thin.  I think the message would have been more impactful if a few songs were taken off at the end.

That’s it for now!  Stay tuned for next week’s issues when I tackle some more album reviews.