DIY Magazine's Scores
- Music
For 3,080 reviews, this publication has graded:
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54% higher than the average critic
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4% same as the average critic
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42% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 0 points higher than other critics.
(0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 73
Highest review score: | Not to Disappear | |
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Lowest review score: | Let It Reign |
Score distribution:
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Positive: 2,176 out of 3080
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Mixed: 891 out of 3080
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Negative: 13 out of 3080
3080
music
reviews
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- Critic Score
While Muncie Girls might tread relatively familiar musical territory on From Caplan to Belsize, it’s Hekt’s acerbic, no-frills lyricism that shines brightest.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Apr 21, 2016
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On the evidence of To Pimp A Butterfly, Lamar’s work continues to place itself among the best.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Mar 19, 2015
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Kendrick Lamar rose to the top with his last album, and on DAMN. he tries to rediscover himself while on this new perch, with spectacular results.- DIY Magazine
- Posted May 3, 2017
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This was bold move for Joyce Manor, but one that exemplifies exactly why they're loved.- DIY Magazine
- Posted May 31, 2012
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Doe always hinted at such results from an LP, and Some Things Last Longer Than You delivers the lot and then some with devastating power and sincerity.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Oct 11, 2016
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Eternal Forward Motion pushes onward with a clear mission and unrivalled force, and much like their two previous albums, it places Employed To Serve firmly at the forefront of innovation in British hardcore.- DIY Magazine
- Posted May 23, 2019
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It’s Ghetts’ ability to paint rich scenes and his breadth of unabashed honesty that animates his comeback into a fully-fledged triumph. Although meticulously crafted under Ghetts’ famed perfectionist nature, it’s pure; neither shunning the light or the dark across the 16 tracks. He lets it all show.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Mar 12, 2021
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Cure-y closer ‘24 Hours’ underlines the fact that Heartworms are one to keep a trained eye on, its rumbling outro an omen not for an oncoming rapture so much as the arrival of a Seriously Fucking Cool new artist with vision and formidable talent to her name.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Mar 27, 2023
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Nick Cave’s lyrics have always dealt with love and grief, so while the themes seem more poignant because of his loss, in truth the content isn’t so different. It’s the raw nature of the tracks themselves that hit harder than usual.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Sep 20, 2016
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It embraces the unconventional with resounding ease, finding its voice in the skilled hands of two of pop’s most forward-thinking pioneers, both busy rethinking just what it can be.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Feb 14, 2023
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A joy to listen to, full of crisp production, clear and emotive vocals, and genuine superstar presence - 2021 could well be Griff’s year.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Jun 18, 2021
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- DIY Magazine
- Posted Feb 17, 2012
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Never has an album title been better chosen - the duo are at the centre of a brightly burning, ever-expanding sonic explosion, all of their own making, and just like a supernova, it is utterly stunning to witness. Bow down to the queens.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Jun 16, 2022
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‘Prioritise Pleasure’ manages to challenge accepted norms and help to exorcise long-buried demons; it’s powerful to the last drop.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Oct 20, 2021
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In a year when the world’s biggest artists have put their necks on the line--Rihanna’s leave-me-alone, independent streak of ‘Anti’, Kanye West’s scatterbrained ever-changing doodle ‘The Life of Pablo’--Beyoncé can count herself as a risk-taker breaking new ground, up there with the bravest.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Apr 27, 2016
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It won’t be quite as divisive as its predecessor - not least because this iteration of Black Country, New Road has ceased to exist before it’s even been heard - but ‘Ants From Up There’ might yet win over those stifled by hype first time around.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Feb 3, 2022
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An invigorating, thrashing effort - which is ultimately also a lot of fun - ‘Glow On’ shows off just how innovative hardcore could become.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Aug 26, 2021
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For all the twists and turns that Rolo Tomassi have made, this is their first album that can reasonably be described as being, first and foremost, riotously good fun.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Mar 2, 2018
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Setting such a high bar on your debut can be a poisoned chalice but Dave weathers the storm with his astute penmanship, impeccable musical taste and cool, collected delivery.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Jul 23, 2021
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Multi-faceted in both personality and musical style, ‘Access Denied’ has proven itself every bit worth the wait.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Oct 4, 2021
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Titanic Rising presents an immensely elegant journey to a different place and time; in equal parts beautifully delicate and powerful.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Apr 8, 2019
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‘Carnage’ is a jewel in the Cave-Ellis cannon. A thrilling piece of work that sources a sweet-spot between the unbound introspection of the Bad Seeds’ recent work and the furious fire lit beneath Grinderman and The Birthday Party.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Feb 26, 2021
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Melodrama's acceptance of taking what you can get while never failing to reach for the stars makes it one of the smartest pop records of the decade.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Jun 20, 2017
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It’s an absolute tour de force, a record full of drama and emotion and pleasure and pain.- DIY Magazine
- Posted May 14, 2020
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Life is too short to waste time. ‘The Myth…’ expands from this vital message, allowing the record to emerge as Biffy Clyro’s most emotionally powerful in years.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Oct 21, 2021
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Unlike 2016’s iconic ‘Lemonade’, ‘Renaissance’ firmly embodies this world. No ballads or break up songs necessary, the album sits proudly at 16 tracks of pure energy. A masterclass in reinvention.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Aug 9, 2022
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Her straight-forward, down to business flow is all part of removing that mask. It’s an unflinching look at what such a sudden rise can do to a young person, and the anxieties that the public never see.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Feb 28, 2019
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Clearly not ones to do things by halves, ‘Sex, Death & The Infinite Void’ may be an album that feels boldly unexpected for a rock band in 2020, and that makes it all the more remarkable: for Creeper, it’s their most astonishing and liberating move yet.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Jul 30, 2020
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‘Blue Weekend’ is an album that revels in its feelings. The dynamics are constantly shifting, often moving from tender sparsity to luxurious sonic opulence in the same song, but everything feels like the absolute peak of what it could be.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Jun 2, 2021
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- DIY Magazine
- Posted Sep 7, 2023
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Backed up by lyrical content that has never been more potent and relevant, this album is proof that A Tribe Called Quest never really left.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Nov 15, 2016
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- DIY Magazine
- Posted Dec 9, 2022
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But by going through it all, by exposing all the pain, he’s created something beautiful and vital.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Mar 30, 2015
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Though some of their peers may have waned on their long, drawn out returns, Sleater-Kinney have only grown stronger in their time off. Ten years away has made them more essential than ever. Nostalgia be dammed.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Jan 12, 2015
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As the record builds to a final cathartic hushed scream, ‘Punisher’ marks a clear step forward, but one that remains as fundamentally graceful as all that has come before.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Jun 18, 2020
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Imbued throughout with a fusion of Pa’s Gambian heritage, and life growing up in Coventry (“COV, #cityofviolence” introduces ‘Informa’), it’s a varied, confident and cinematic trip through where the performer finds himself.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Nov 13, 2020
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Taken individually these songs are all gorgeous, but as a whole they create an effect of being hemmed in by absence, that inhospitable land overwhelming in its minimalism. No other record today sounds so beautiful and full while being quite so sparse.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Sep 13, 2023
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It’s powerfully honest and refreshingly unfiltered, beautifully crafted and distinctive. Most importantly of all it carries the legacy of Tom Searle, and of the remaining Architects members, forward.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Nov 9, 2018
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It’s a truly cathartic listening experience, driven by the belief that our darkest moments can only be alleviated if we sing about them beautifully enough.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Jan 10, 2024
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The picture it paints as a whole is a hugely rich one - not just of the album itself, but of English Teacher as the opposite of a flash-in-the-pan buzz band; as a group really only just getting started.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Apr 10, 2024
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It’s clear all three are being pushed beyond their usual creative comfort zones.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Mar 30, 2023
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Equal parts elegant and antagonistic, it comes together to be every part the listening experience that he wanted it to be - complex, unconventional and ultimately, essential.- DIY Magazine
- Posted May 14, 2020
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The record feels more like opening a time capsule than self-congratulation; as if that 2011 statement locked a door we’re only now allowed to peek back into. Also crucially, many of the songs here were never even released as singles. ... The breadth and depth of how much they did while still keeping it (relatively) simple is so evident.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Dec 3, 2020
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St. Vincent showcases Annie Clark as a fiercely accomplished musician, a relentlessly original artist, and now, an innovator of pop.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Feb 24, 2014
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- DIY Magazine
- Posted Oct 31, 2014
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[Missing U's] Thudding kick drum pounds away underneath defiant lyrics of heartache, and it’s as affecting as she’s ever been. It’s the rest of the record, though, that really excels, pointing the way forward for an artist changing her tune.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Oct 26, 2018
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Confidence and swagger flows through the album as a whole, with every twist and turn adding another colour to its extraordinary palette. The sound of an artist hitting their stride and then some, ‘That! Feels Good’ really does live up to its name.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Apr 26, 2023
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While some of the stylistic variation here can feel disjointed at times, there’s plenty on offer to suggest a band on the rise, capable of rising even higher.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Apr 5, 2023
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‘RTJ4’ is by far Killer Mike and El-P’s most accomplished chapter, wrought with rage but injected with a humour and wisdom that offers razor-sharp clarity and, with that, an unapologetically raw and sobering take on our times.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Jun 5, 2020
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Confined to merely six tracks, the ‘La vita nuova’ EP feels like it ends too soon - and that’s entirely symptomatic of how strong the songwriting is. In 2020, Christine is still truly in a league of her own.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Aug 20, 2020
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It’s a smart pop record that’s doused in self-awareness but still direct in its assertiveness - and never not compelling.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Apr 16, 2020
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M3LL155X is sometimes more show than substance, but it’s ultimately a sign of twigs getting more confident by the second.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Aug 19, 2015
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‘I Love You Jennifer B’ feels like everything that’s come before has just been a trial run. It’s bolder, more rewarding, and so much more cohesive.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Sep 7, 2022
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Swampy and tumultuous like a month’s worth of rain, the Dundalk five-piece have spared no expense in creating immersive, cavernous spaces of shoegazing, post-punk splendour.- DIY Magazine
- Posted May 25, 2022
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The band’s most concise sound yet whilst never taking itself too seriously, as Mannequin Pussy continue to dominate a world of their own creation.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Mar 4, 2024
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‘Natural Brown Prom Queen’ is Sudan Archives’ most accessible record to date. An unashamedly brash and confident one, but much more subtle and realistic. Rumbling beats, smooth R&B grooves, with just a touch of the experimental. Yet, in opening itself wider, it loses some of the sharp idiosyncrasies that made the early material so exciting.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Sep 7, 2022
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This is an astonishingly good album, and the fact that it's a debut makes its stylistic and thematic consistency, as well as suave swagger, all the more to be recommended.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Mar 20, 2012
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This is a sonically rich, musically accomplished record - and it truly is - it’s Holly’s enviably dextrous voice that can’t help but take centre stage. They can belt with the best of them.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Feb 16, 2024
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Coloring Book is exactly the kind of record necessary to elevate an artist from viable to visionary.- DIY Magazine
- Posted May 18, 2016
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By weaponising his introspection and pushing his impeccably high standards outwards, Vince Staples delivers an incredible State of the Union address on rap today.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Jul 10, 2017
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Chris is a second album that thrives in the realm of the uncertain, throws perceptions on gender, sexuality and expression comprehensively out of the window, and cements the status of Héloïse Letissier as a true star.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Sep 21, 2018
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More than anything, ‘Tigers Blood’ is a refinement of the blueprint laid down by ‘Saint Cloud’, and a showcase of Katie at the peak of her powers.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Mar 20, 2024
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- DIY Magazine
- Posted Oct 3, 2016
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Punchy, fun and beautifully constructed, ‘Pink Noise’ is the triumphant sound of Laura Mvula finding her feet. A career-defining return that most artists can only dream of; pure synth-pop ecstasy.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Jul 6, 2021
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A beautiful stream of consciousness, Home is the sound of an artist, donning a cloak of creative freedom. It’s a look that suits her.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Mar 15, 2019
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Squid always seemed destined to have an epic album in them, and they’ve delivered just that.- DIY Magazine
- Posted May 6, 2021
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These bold theatrics more than work, and maybe more so than ever, they present Creeper with a clear track to bringing camp, dramatic rock back to the very top of the pile.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Oct 13, 2023
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Succeeds through the sheer brilliance of its songwriting and the trio’s palpable love of their craft. While perfectly capturing the zeitgeist, HAIM carry the passion, creativity and joy to also cement ‘Women In Music Pt. III’ as a timeless classic.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Jun 26, 2020
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A modern-folk masterpiece which finds her moving from her previous pop bangers into stunningly simple yet sharp melodies, ‘folklore’ will be going down in Swiftie history as one of her most unexpected, and undoubtedly one of her best.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Aug 7, 2020
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To Be Kind is a unique and wonderful achievement from a unique and wonderful band.- DIY Magazine
- Posted May 7, 2014
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The sheer breadth of sound is astonishing, yet easily pulled together by Lindsey’s distinctive wavering tones and lyrical impact.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Nov 3, 2021
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An invigorating listen that flirts with the eclecticism of their 1998 album, ‘War Music’ continues to set Refused apart from the pack.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Oct 18, 2019
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‘Song For Our Daughter’ presents a poignant snapshot of the complexities of femininity - both ones imposed by society and ones engrained in Laura’s past. Some moments are remarkably candid.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Apr 17, 2020
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By the time closer ‘Boys Will Be Boys’ hits, Dua’s already smashed it out the park, and the euphoric ballad cutting down inequality with her impassioned chorus of “boys will be boys but girls will be women” only further cements what this album has proved: Dua will be going down in pop history as one of the best.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Mar 26, 2020
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- DIY Magazine
- Posted Oct 23, 2015
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The real masterstroke of ‘30’, however, comes with how these lyrics - the pain, the self-flagellation (sometimes cruel, often mocking), the hope, the acceptance - are expertly matched musically.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Nov 16, 2021
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From the punishing storm that’s whipped up within the introduction of ‘Universal Chokehold’ through to the unflinching frenetics of ‘Set In Stone’, there’s a real sense of confidence that runs throughout the record’s 11 tracks. This is a band at the top of their game.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Sep 17, 2021
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This is a clever, sophisticated album that still oozes warmth and affection. Superficiality and loneliness have never sounded so tender and dazzling.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Aug 14, 2013
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Beyond anything, A Moon Shaped Pool feels like the beginning of a new chapter--the first time these five have merged their own idiosyncrasies without compromising or crossing wires.- DIY Magazine
- Posted May 11, 2016
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Along with the equally exceptional St Vincent which came before it, this is the moment that St Vincent enters the fabled realm reserved for the greats.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Oct 10, 2017
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‘Saint Cloud’ is the rousing of a regenerated spirit that chronicles not just the journey but the revelations of love, life and death that comes with it. A very special album indeed.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Mar 26, 2020
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If ‘GREY Area’ saw Simz come-of-age as a rapper, ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’ is Simz making her first long-lasting artistic stamp on the zeitgeist.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Sep 3, 2021
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Raging at full throttle, IDLES’ debut is as dirty as it is messy. An exhilarating escape along frenzied rhythms and powerhouse rhythms with a ferocious commentary for guidance, Brutalism is as vital as it is volatile.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Mar 16, 2017
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By taking the time to delve back into his rap upbringing, he’s progressed further, gleefully throwing a ton of ideas at the wall and finding that nearly all of them stick.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Jul 9, 2021
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This is a debut like few others. In fact, the only way we’ll ever get another record like Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit is if Barnett hits Groundhog Day. It’s beyond bonzer, mate.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Mar 23, 2015
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In equal parts an unequivocal call to arms and an excitable ode to a wonderful friendship, even in the company it keeps. RTJ3 shines.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Jan 10, 2017
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Haunting, heartbreaking and life-affirming, Angel Olsen’s songwriting talents soar to great heights in the mostly restrained palette here, offering the much needed space to wrestle with the complexities life has thrown at her.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Jun 6, 2022
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This record is a set of huge songs that’ll cement their place at the top of rock’s ranks and so much more.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Sep 11, 2015
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You’ll be hard pressed to find a better document of troubled teenagehood than Vile Child.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Jan 29, 2016
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- DIY Magazine
- Posted Oct 19, 2022
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Sonically sprawling (‘80s guitar sounds are referenced on the title track; a glitchy beat flickers through ‘Another Day’; ‘Power To Undo’ brims with pop-funk chaos) yet also unafraid to find joy in simple pleasures (the most immediate moment comes courtesy of ‘Prove It To You’, a club-ready stomp), ‘WHAT NOW’ is a gem.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Feb 5, 2024
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So, taking all the wide-eyed playfulness of their earlier work, and the confidence in creating a sonic tapestry of their latter, ‘Only God Was Above Us’ is both their most accomplished and most Vampire Weekend album yet.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Apr 3, 2024
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Despite what the album’s plain, monochromatic cover art might suggest, this is a warm, textured collection of songs that breathes life at every corner. A real triumph.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Apr 26, 2019
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MAGDALENE is an album of ideas bristling against one another. Sometimes, there is the feeling that less could have been more, but when everything aligns, there are true moments of wonder to be found.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Nov 7, 2019
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‘Jubilee’ finds its creator older and wiser with melody, lyrics and storytelling pulling focus in a fashion that cements Michelle Zauner as a true creative force to be reckoned with. From here on out, Japanese Breakfast can go anywhere and we’ll follow.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Jun 4, 2021
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- DIY Magazine
- Posted Nov 14, 2012
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It’s an album which documents a fierce imagination at play; a truly invigorating piece of work that pushes her songwriting forward.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Sep 20, 2019
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Across its 40-odd minutes, Joy As An Act of Resistance makes you want to laugh and cry and roar into the wind and cradle your nearest and dearest. It is a beautiful slice of humanity delivered by a group of men whose vulnerability and heart has become a guiding light in the fog for an increasing community of fans who don’t just want, but need this.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Aug 31, 2018
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It’s impossible to resist the instant, limb-grabbing appeal of the pop music Grimes is making here, and dizzyingly big, this is a record about shaking off every constraint, and wrenching hold of reality with both fists.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Nov 12, 2015
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‘Dragon New…’ is largely an epic of intimate, stripped-back proportions. Put simply, it’s a masterpiece.- DIY Magazine
- Posted Feb 9, 2022
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