albums i listened to all the way through

posted this week and every week (40)

In my endless attempts to play catch-up for the year’s impressive roster of new releases, I stumbled across some true gems this past week. I also did some digging and found new-to-me, similar artists just to get a full picture of the genre. Folks, I was hooked.

Legss, Bloodsports, Golomb, and total wife are wild. Crazy. Insane. Loud. Chaotic.

Yet, all three of them occupy the same space in my music-obsessed brain—I. Need. More. “Guitar music” and “noise rock” do not even begin to encapsulate these artists and their sounds. Alternating between a distorted anger with an unruly rhythm on some tracks, then pulling out intricate guitars, sparing woodwinds, and clean vocals on others, you never know quite to expect. There is no wondering if these albums will bore you to tears with their sameness. I swear—they will not.

Check out these tracks below if you need a push in the right direction.

It’s likely at least one or two of these will be on one of my many AOTY lists, despite their relative obscurity. However, I have a feeling they’ll all find their audience sooner rather than later :)

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Other highlights of this week’s listening are Ty Segall’s Possession and Prewn’s System.

The STRINGS!!! The STRINGS, I tell you! These albums are production masterclasses, albeit offering different feasts for the ears. Segall’s album is obviously great and technically proficient. It’s a perfectly written piece for the times—at once warm and reflective. System too encapsulates the times, though it’s grittier. Izzy Hagerup’s sound harkens back to rock female vocalists like Cat Power and PJ Harvey, though she doesn’t sit with these influences for too long. Similar to Segall, Hagerup’s compositions move at a pace and with a style all their own.

In fact, listening to System reminded me a lot of the first time I heard Ty Segall’s 2014 album, Manipulator. By all accounts, Manipulator is a perfect album. When I heard the song “Feel,” I actually ascended into another plane of existence. For me, Prewn operates the same way. I am in awe of it each time I listen. It’s raw in a way few sophomore albums are.

There is always some pressure after a well-received debut to craft a follow-up with more appeal to a broader audience. Not everyone succeeds in managing these expectations. System wades deeper and deeper into what Prewn’s first album, Through The Window, only begins to touch with its big toe. It is dark, and in Hagerup’s own words, “self-absorbed” and “not an album for public consumption.” This fact makes the release all the more distinct. There is an uncompromising vulnerability that comes with writing such emotionally charged music in the privacy of your own world. It’s not brave so much as daring.

“I dare you to listen,” it prods.

I’ll gladly take that dare.

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Here are the albums I listened to all the way through this past week:

• The Beat Goes On (2025) by GolombX

• Possession (2025) by Ty SegallX

• System (2025) by PrewnX

• Unreal (2025) by LegssX

• come back down (2025) by total wife~ (Thanks Kevin Alexander for this rec!)

• Anything Can Be a Hammer (2025) by BloodsportsX (AHHHH THIS ALBUM CURED MY SEASONAL DEPRESSION)

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Key —

~ = recommendations from Substackers & friends

** = albums I’ve heard before

X = listened to more than once

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I have a surprise for all you lovely listeners out there.

I’m planning to do a holiday mail bundle for anyone who wants it, including some new zines, newsletter-branded stickers, and a hand-made, seasonal “Thank You” card. I feel immensely grateful that I get to wake up every Sunday and share what I’ve been listening to with all of you. I never thought that would be possible. It’s both inspiring and deeply humbling.

So—if you’d like to receive this fun little mail bundle this holiday season, please fill out this form. I may have to limit this to a certain number of recipients, so be sure to sign up sooner rather than later! More details to follow next week…

Thanks everyone :)

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