albums i listened to all the way through

posted this week and every week (16)

May 26, 2025

Normally, I avoid or outright ignore critic reviews. For the most part, I want to listen or watch something on my own terms before letting another person’s bad opinion turn my own sour.

I also prefer to stick to recommendations from those I trust. I like to read and listen to what people love, rather than contribute to any sort of discussion about why I hate something. (Sorry, to my music snob readers. You’ll never catch me talking shit about Taylor Swift, other than her private jet complex.)

Here’s a fun example. My roommate and I spent the last week watching the entire Lady Gaga Chromatica Ball concert film. Now, look, I love me some Gaga. I was just exhausted from the work week and desperate to sleep, so imagine my frustration when “Born This Way,” “Abracadabra,” and “911” emanated from our shared wall on full blast at midnight.

Eventually, I went to their bedroom, settled in, and we watched the whole damn thing.

It was a strange sort of bird’s eye view of our adolescence. If you weren’t in middle school or high school when “Just Dance” and “Poker Face” dominated the airways, I don’t think you can ever fully understand the power of Gaga. While I’m not the biggest listener of club and contemporary art pop, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the concert film and all the feelings that arose from that trippy trip down memory lane.

Admittedly, I haven’t listened to a full Lady Gaga album since Joanne, so I was sort of in the dark when it came to the songs from Chromatica & MAYHEM, as well as the power ballad, “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick. As always, I was impressed by Gaga’s incredible stamina—emotionally, physically, and vocally. It’s crazy how good she is at managing all that. I saw that she also DIRECTED the entire show, which is a feat in and of itself.

Her acoustic set was easily my favorite from the whole show and made me want to go back and listen to Joanne and Born This Way over and over again. Also, I think it’s safe to say “The Edge of Glory” is my favorite Lady Gaga song. Her acoustic version of that song from the film is incredibly erotic and romantic as hell. *swoon*

What was my point, again? Oh—right! I took my roommate’s recommendation seriously and listened to Chromatica, front to back. Wow, I was seriously missing out! I really do think concert films and filmed live performances have the power to change your mind about any artist. Until I watched U2’s Live Aid performance of “Bad,” I had no idea how incredible they really were. Now, I’m like “Oh, U2 kills that shit every time,” cause uh, yeah. They do.

Speaking of, I really want to see the Bono concert documentary that premiered at Cannes last weekend. I don’t know why, exactly, but it looks great. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. That bit from the trailer where he takes the “glass of Guinness” and turns it upside down. Lol. That’s showbiz.

I also listened to the new Car Seat Headrest album, The Scholars, which sort of blew my mind in a way I haven’t fully registered yet. I think I need to listen to it a few more times to really digest the sheer potency of Will Toledo’s genius.

On the first listen, I will say I was entranced by the compositions themselves. I think Car Seat Headrest gets a lot of flack for their, uh, unique vocal stylings and genre experimentation, but it’s part of the reason I love them so much. The Scholars is a wonderful exploration of what makes them so great, even if Pitchfork seems to think it’s a “rock opera for the playlist era.” \

As a fan of rock operas, I sort of hate that implication. But hey, what do I know? I’m not a music critic. I’m barely a Substack music writer.

It’s still unbelievable that 650 of you are out there like “Hey, this crazy zine lady knows what she’s talking about!” I don’t know if that’s true, but even so, I’m going to keep listening & writing. I hope you all will keep reading.

Thanks to Kevin Alexander, Adam Offitzer, and Andy’s Weird Ohio for the great recommendations this week :D

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