Pitchfork

Michelle Zauner’s lovely, pensive, capital-R Romantic fourth album takes a step back from autobiography to examine the performances and peril of fame itself.

Lifeguard’s Kai Slater bottles the feeling of youthful, lovestruck invincibility with enough scream-a-long hooks and artful riffs that his second album feels like a greatest-hits collection.

Carti’s long-awaited third official album is a blockbuster event that synthesizes all of his impulses—good and bad—into a dizzying, inspired, vibes-driven, 30-track flood of everything.

Forget dancing like no one’s watching: The Québécois musician’s latest LP is raving under surveillance capitalism, offering pranksterish critiques over Y2K-inspired beats.

Following in a long tradition of country singers on the skids, the Grammy-nominated Texan songwriter’s new album recounts a trail of broken promises and broken hearts.

Assisted by his Animal Collective bandmates, Noah Lennox’s latest solo LP is disarmingly laid-back. It might be his most straightforwardly beautiful record—and also his most emotionally complex.

Each Sunday, Pitchfork takes an in-depth look at a significant album from the past, and any record not in our archives is eligible. Today we look at a 1984 record that rewrote the rules of punk, balancing hardcore’s jackhammer attack with dirge-like heavy metal, and helping pave the way for grunge, stoner rock, and beyond.

Each Sunday, Pitchfork takes an in-depth look at a significant album from the past, and any record not in our archives is eligible. Today we revisit the French singer’s arresting 1971 album, a highlight of her career, a lovelorn mélange of spare Brazilian folk and the chanteuse traditions of her youth.

Each Sunday, Pitchfork takes an in-depth look at a significant album from the past, and any record not in our archives is eligible. Today we revisit Macy Gray’s misunderstood 1999 debut and the unlikely story that shaped its wise songwriting and chameleonic sound.

Each Sunday, Pitchfork takes an in-depth look at a significant album from the past, and any record not in our archives is eligible. Today we revisit a 1982 album in which hardcore punk’s oppositional spirit turned on itself—a nihilistic spiral both profound and absurd.

Each Sunday, Pitchfork takes an in-depth look at a significant album from the past, and any record not in our archives is eligible. Today we revisit a sublime 1976 solo guitar album, a humbly brilliant record that spawned a colossal new-age music empire.