#prewn

11. Rambler by Samuel Aaron (folk rock) a meandering journey through sound and emotion with a focus on storytelling.

favorite tracks: lookin' at you, hotel lobby, aphasia, feed me with your hands, too many, d.b. cooper

10. Feels Like Hell by Weakened Friends (alt rock) an album about how terrible it feels to exist in the world right now. they write about societal issues — like what it's like living under late-stage capitalism — but where they really shine is in writing about personal experiences: relationships, burnout, and the ways that we make our own lives hell.

favorite tracks: tough luck (bleed me out), lightspeed, nosebleed, not for nothing, great expectations

9. Dead Channel Sky by clipping. (rap) a sci-fi concept album. set in a cyberpunk future/alternate reality — 2025 as imagined in the 90s — and structured like a compilation album, each song follows a different character with a different perspective of this future.

favorite tracks: dominator, dodger, keep pushing, polaroids, mirrorshades pt. 2

8. Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party by Hayley Williams (pop) hayley williams is finally a free agent and this album is about reckoning with that fact. it's about being on one track for so long and then looking around and realizing that you're not where you thought you'd be and you may not get everything you wanted out of life. there's grief, existential dread, disillusionment, and an outpouring of love.

favorite tracks: disappearing man, love me different, hard, true believer, good ol' days

7. Erotica Veronica by Miya Folick (indie rock/indie pop) this album is largely trying to retain a sense of self while in a relationship. it's vulnerable and raw in it's exploration of that and folick really pushes herself as a songwriter on this album.

favorite tracks: felicity, fist, this time around, prism of light, hate me

6. Bleeds by Wednesday (alt country) i think karly hartzman is one of the best lyricists in the game right now and this album really has her honing her skills as a songwriter and storyteller.

favorite tracks: townies, wound up here (by holdin on), phish pepsi, the way love goes, pick up the knife

5. No One Was Driving the Car by La Dispute (post-hardcore) this is an album about religion, technology, capitalism, environmentalism, existentialism, regret, and history. it's about modern life and the end of the world and what lies beyond. i find it cathartic — comforting even, to hear someone else voice some of the same fears/anxieties that i have.

favorite tracks: environmental catastrophe film, self-portrait backwards, steve, i dreamt of a room with all my friends

4. God Save the Gun by Militarie Gun (alt rock) an emotionally honest and raw depiction of grief, trauma, abuse and the sometimes harmful ways we find to cope. they manage to explore darker themes while employing some of the catchiest pop hooks. favorite tracks: god owes me money, kick, laugh at me, i won't murder your friend, god save the gun 3. What of Our Nature by Haley Heynderickx & Max García Conover (folk) inspired by the music of woody guthrie. it's overtly political, while still maintaining the beautiful poetic songwriting that the artists are known for.

favorite tracks: song for alicia, boars, cowboying, in bolusan's words, buffalo 1981

2. System by Prewn (psychedelic folk) this is a depression album that wasn't originally meant for release — some of the songs are straight up demos. it's raw and real with a musical soundscape that mesmerizes and pulls you into another world.

favorite tracks: easy, commotion, it's only you, forgot, cavity, don't be scared

1. Bloodless by Samia (indie pop) an exploration of femininity, self-construction, and the power of absence. it's set in a swamp. the intention was for the album to sound like you're sitting on the porch flipping through radio channels and i think she really nailed that vibe. the real focus is on the lyrics, though. i love the way that samia strings words together.

favorite tracks: lizard, dare, fair game, spine oil, pants

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Honorable Mentions:

LUX by Rosalía (originally in my top 10, this was a last minute cut on the grounds that i haven't gone as deep with it as i would like to)

Getting Killed by Geese

Straight Line Was A Lie by The Beths

Star Line by Chance the Rapper

Snocaps by Snocaps

If You Asked for a Picture by Blondshell