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Taylor Swift  The Tortured Poets Department

The star of her generation’s 11th album has much to enjoy, yet she could benefit from some new lenses through which to view the world musicOMH

A Certain Ratio  It All Comes Down To This

Delicate tension, bass-driven grooves and danceable beats all feature on the thirteenth album from Manchester post-punk survivors musicOMH

Pearl Jam  Dark Matter

There’s a reason why one of the few survivors of the grunge scene have been so enduring – they are extraordinarily good at what they do musicOMH

Taylor Swift  The Tortured Poets Department

What’s hollow about The Tortured Poets Department is that the real torture is just how unlivable these songs really are Paste Magazine

Pearl Jam  Dark Matter

The Seattle band’s 12th album is pensive, anthemic and emblematic of the storied 30-year chemistry shared between Eddie Vedder and Stone Gossard Paste Magazine

Taylor Swift  The Tortured Poets Department

On her 11th album, the American singer-songwriter picks apart her romantic travails in typically unsparing fashion, while her ability to turn sorrow into songwriting gold remains unparalleled The Observer

Taylor Swift  The Tortured Poets Department

Swift’s prolific nature is a double-edged sword; her unfiltered creativity is a boon for die-hard fans but could be overwhelming for casual listeners. Nevertheless, what remains indisputable is the closure this volume brings to a tumultuous chapter in Swift’s life Dork

Taylor Swift  The Tortured Poets Department

Thorny on arrival but ultimately insightful, TTPD is a mature, messy, and grippingly honest look into Swift’s tortured psyche Northern Transmissions

Cloud Nothings  Final Summer

Baldi has clearly carved out his own corner of plainspoken wisdom; on Final Summer, unfortunately, the songs don’t quite do his insights justice Under The Radar

Taylor Swift  The Tortured Poets Department

Superstar’s 11th studio album is the fruit of abject misery but is also steeped in the singer’s trademark indefatigable optimism The Irish Times

Pearl Jam  Dark Matter

With superproducer Andrew Watt working his magic, the Seattle grunge veterans sound on point and full of energy in their 35th anniversary year The Observer

Claire Rousay  Sentiment

Largely recorded on the road and full of found sounds, this beguiling record from the US ambient artist captures the feeling of self-inflicted solitude The Observer

Pearl Jam  Dark Matter

The grunge band launch themselves into their latest record with wholehearted, full-throated commitment The FT

Taylor Swift  The Tortured Poets Department

Eleventh album shows her style evolving in 16 songs that range from charmingly cheesy to moodily melodramatic The FT

Claire Rousay  Sentiment

You don’t need to know exactly what she’s saying to know that it means everything Loud And Quiet