albums i listened to all the way through

posted this week and (almost) every week (35-36)

Oct 28, 2025

Hello lovely listeners! It’s been a minute.

Because I missed last week, I wanted to include thoughts and albums from this week and the previous. My favorites were easily Nebraska ‘82: the Expanded Edition by Bruce Springsteen and Teal Dreams by Yazmin Lacey.

First off, I’m a Springsteen fan and don’t really get when people aren’t. Sure, I think there is something to be said for differing tastes and eye rolls for massive artists as they reach icon status, but Springsteen has always transcended that phenomenon for me.

Maybe it’s because I found him as an adult. My parents are not exactly huge fans of The Boss, so there wasn’t a ton of early exposure. Before Darkness On the Edge of Town, I’d heard the big hits and nothing else. By some coincidence, I ran into this album a few years ago. At first, I was perplexed. I was so used to hearing Born In the USA blare from RNC speakers that it was a mystery how this music could come from the same person.

Something in the Night is a revelation of a song. Every time I hear it, I’m mesmerized. Springsteen’s characteristic righteous screams sprinkled throughout the album make you wanna drive down the Turnpike with the top down singing along at the top of your lungs. It’s honestly so American that it hurts, especially now.

But I’m here to talk about Nebraska, which is somehow even moodier, or at least, more somber. (Full disclosure, I haven’t seen the new film so I’m just going based off what I’ve heard from the album itself.)

It’s definitely a tad more stripped, and considering the highways and stories that inspired it, I think it works better. It’s pure. I’m sure there’s a whole history behind this choice I’m stupidly unaware of, so feel free to educate me in the comments. I’ve read bits and pieces about Springsteen’s life but never done a huge deep dive, so maybe it’s time.

“Highway Patrolman” and “My Father’s House” are raw but simultaneously poetic. Where previous albums are sonically evolved and mixed to perfection, Nebraska echoes out with just a guitar and harmonica in many of the songs. It is lo-fi in the best way. I look forward to infinite more listens.

In stark contrast, Teal Dreams is full. Lacey & collaborators have crafted a lush sonic landscape, heightened by Lacey’s unique brand of lyricism. “Ribbons,” “Worlds Apart,” and “Wallpaper” showcase her abilities well. For a sophomore album, this one hits it straight out of the park. The latter song in particular is so sexy. With a bass line that oozes and sparingly-used synths that twinkle, this is what good soul music is made of.

The genre influences run wild through this album—soul and jazz might be most prominent, but reggae and funk can be heard too. I threw this album on rotation during my Friday morning commute and instantly felt like melting into the rhythm of the train moving downtown. What a great way to spend a morning, honestly! This album flows from one song to the next like a river, to borrow a recurring metaphor from Lacey.

Essentially, I need this album on vinyl asap.

Some quick notes about Lene Lovich’s Stateless, recommended to me by Gabbie.

While I wish this album landed on my radar ten years ago, I’m also glad that it found me now, at just at just the right time. I’m definitely in my new wave era. What a treat this album is in all its semi-chaotic glory. Wish I could say more but don’t think my half-baked reaction could do it justice.

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