Stereo Mind Game is a very likable comeback record by Daughters (their third album, 7 years after the second). While there is a lack of memorable vocal melodies and great tunes, the detailed instrumentations, good lyrics and the pure vibes of the record make it a pleasure to listen to. If you are into dream pop, this is definitely an album you should listen to in 2023 — as long as you don't need your dream pop to do anything out of the ordinary stylistically or vocally.

7 / 10

Wether you love Wednesday or not depends on wether psychedelic and noisy alternative-country is your thing or not. While this is a genre combination that hasn't been explored too much (think Captain Beefheart crossing over with Sonic Youth or similar), it's not something I find overly interesting or intriguing stylistically. What has to be acknowledged though, is that Wednesday do their thing extremely well. The singer has a distinct style and voice, her melodies are catchy and emotive, the lyrics and concepts interesting, the production is really good and the music builds up to some big climaxes. So, everything is in place for a great album. Sadly, this is where my personal taste comes into play and it tells me that I'm not going to return to the album all that often in the future. I hope to be proven wrong though, because Wednesday definitely deserve the praise and attention.

7 / 10

Prog is back! 

The Worm immediately reminded me of progressive rock's peak in the '70s with its medieval styling and a concept that is often being described as "pretentious". As a concept album, The Worm is one of the most successful works of the past years. The lyrics are intriguing and make up for a story that might be easily summed up in its message, but how the story unfolds is something to be discovered across several listens. The same goes for the music which is extremely layered and was conceived by lots of different musicians. The first half of the album up to Saddest Worm Ever is a little looser with more separable tracks. In the second half, The Worm takes off though and reaches some fantastic heights which easily make up for the shortcomings of the first four songs. In fact, the album builds from Liverpool Street until we get to the incredible penultimate track Past Life (Sinnerman's Song). If that song is the finale, Lay Me Down is the almost cheering aftermath. The Worm ends on a very beautiful note with a traditional rock guitar solo being the last climax. I get why one might think all of this is a little generic and pretentious, but for me the execution is just too good to not be enthralled by the album. In my opinion, The Worm is one of the most intriguing records of the year so far.

9 / 10