Album Reviews7.8/10
Doja Cat trims her guest-studded chaos down to smooth songs on ‘Vie’
A review of Doja Cat's fifth album, Vie, a smooth, '80s-inspired love record that finds confidence in its own lane.
CLAY TRIBUNE / THE ARCHIVE
Category: Album Reviews
Records we have scored.
Album Reviews7/10
Doja Cat Answers Last Season’s Insults on Scarlet — Unevenly
Doja Cat's Scarlet fights back against last season's insults, but the reactive record can't build a blockbuster.
Eleven Years On, Adele’s ’25’ Still Earns Its Emotions Through Loss and Acceptance
Adele's 25 balances grief and growth across eleven tracks, anchored by 'Hello,' 'I Miss You,' and 'All I Ask.'
Album Reviews8/10
U.S. Girls Trade Pop Hooks for Darkness on In a Poem Unlimited
A record of many voices, one singer alone — a poem unlimited, dark and layered, demanding patience.
Album Reviews8.7/10
U.S. Girls Make Their Most Accessible Record Yet on ‘Scratch It’
U.S. Girls' Scratch It pairs danceable immediacy with weighty themes, anchored by standout tracks Like James Said and Dear Patti.
Halsey’s BADLANDS Announces a Pop Star Without Always Delivering One
Halsey's BADLANDS builds castles and ghosts alike, a competent record whose best songs earn their keep while the rest drift.
Album Reviews6.6/10
Halsey’s ‘Hopeless Fountain Kingdom’: Ambition Exceeds Execution
A young woman leaves her hometown, loses her father, and finds love again in the wake of loss — a concept album reviewed.
Album Reviews7/10
Selena Gomez and benny blanco open up on ‘I Said I Love You First’, a tight 34-minute pop record
A record of fourteen tracks wherein Selena Gomez and benny blanco speak of love first given, fear, and the songs that bear that weight.
Album Reviews6.7/10
Ten Years On, The Weeknd’s Starboy Still Sounds Like a Man Who Has Made Peace With Fame
The Weeknd's Starboy blends old hooks with glossy synth-pop, a deliberate, conservative record about fame and excess.
Album Reviews7.4/10
The Weeknd Refines His Haunted R&B on Beauty Behind the Madness
A dark, polished R&B victory lap from the Weeknd, settling old scores while building a brighter future.
Eighteen Years On, Lady Gaga’s Debut Still Plays Like a Pop Star’s Coronation
A record of fame and confession, wherein a girl becomes a star and sings of a boy she loved and lost.
Album Reviews6.7/10
Ten Years On, Lady Gaga’s ‘Joanne’ Still Rewards Its Rock Bet
A review of Lady Gaga's rock-leaning album Joanne, weighing its hits against its misses amid grief and genre-shifting.