Grady Amick

“The Way We Move” by Langhorne Slim & The Law (2012)

(Be forewarned: there are a lot of references to “Slim” in this review, referring to Langhorne Slim but bound to confuse a Marshall Mathers enthusiast. I’m sorry. AP Style compels me.)

It was a number of years before I ever had to categorize Langhorne Slim’s music. He wasn’t acoustic rock or folk/punk or Americana, he just was. He couldn’t be left of the dial if I didn’t know that there was a dial to begin with. But I guess, if I had to pin it, I would call his work — especially his earlier music with The Law — as a highly functional marriage between The Clash and John Prine. This album was the fifth CD in the deck of the 2010 Honda Odyssey minivan that carried me to hundreds of hazy memories, and when I’d listen to it, I would fill the million gaps in lyrics I couldn’t understand with clues from what bare experiences I had. 

The “Salvation” line “I hate to leave / but I know it’s time to go” was  about someone leaving soccer practice. In “Fire,” the lyric “When I was a little boy / wild and insecure” became “When I was a little boy / my dad did some chores.” Slim shouting “come on!” to his band in “Bad Luck” wouldn’t have made any sense to four-year-old me, so I thought there was a construction worker outside his studio shouting “caution!” I wasn’t the most inductive kid out there.

The point that I’m trying to build up to is that, when I decided one night in August to listen to the entire album in one go, all my joy was in rediscovery. I noticed the little flourishes that give Slim’s music its candlepower. “I don’t own a horse, but I’ll be back in the saddle,” he writes in one moment. In another, he writes, “it seems to me we’ve received the proof: if there’s a heaven, it’s f—ing huge.” But he doesn’t end up seeing heaven. The album is called “The Way We Move,” but there’s no movement. 

The songs are about the anticipatory stillness right before someone’s life collides—hard—with whatever it’s accelerating toward. Nothing actually happens, but Slim manages to capture how it feels to be ready (and, as in “Song for Sid,” unready) for a thing that’s about to happen. He wrote an avant garde film festival which he set to music, and its heartfelt semi-autobiographical vignettes become a goldmine of propulsive earworms.

Ella Mangeot

“Hozier” by Hozier (2014)

When Hozier sang “Would things be easier if there was a right way? / Honey, there is no right way,” he meant the line to be about the many ways of falling in love. When I first heard this song, “Someone New,” last summer, I took the line to mean that there are many ways of going about a task. As someone who values order, structure and organization above all things, this was a novel idea. This led me down a music rabbit hole. Though I love and listen to all of his songs (on repeat), those on his 2014 self-titled album hold a special place in my heart. 

This album features many songs that follow Hozier’s typical slow, poetic ballads that come in handy when working on schoolwork; studying and doing homework is a lot less stressful when “Cherry Wine” or “Work Song” is playing in the background. His profound lyrics provide thought provoking commentary on topics ranging from political issues to love and relationships. While the lyrics are intriguing, Hozier’s mellow voice and usual slow sound serve to balance the words with music, making his songs great choices to listen to if you are multitasking, in need of relaxation or interested in songs with insightful lyrics. I have listened to and enjoyed Hozier’s music, especially songs from his eponymous album, for all of the above reasons this school year, enjoying his music while I worked while also thinking more on the topics Hozier discusses. 

Lydia Adams

“The Secret of Us” by Gracie Abrams (2024)

While Gracie Abrams’ sound has no doubt changed since she released “Minor,” her first collection of music, in 2020, her music continues to form the soundtrack to my life and somehow always perfectly captures my emotions and experiences. Her second EP “This is What it Feels Like,” released in 2021, helped me process my biggest life change to date as I graduated middle school. Her debut album “Good Riddance” was released in 2023 and offered a melancholy soundtrack to listen to on repeat as I struggled through my freshman year of high school. Then, on May 1, 2024, Abrams released “Risk,” the first single of her new album. It was vastly different from anything she had released before, with upbeat production and ironic, self-deprecating lyrics about how it feels to be a girl with a silly crush. “God, I’m actually invested / Haven’t even met him / Watch this be the wrong thing, classic,” Abrams wrote.  This is just one of the lyrics that stick out to me from “Risk,” and from my first listen, I knew that I had once again fallen in love with a Gracie Abrams song.

This is all to say that I anticipated the release of “The Secret of Us” highly, and it did not let me down. It features slower, emotional piano ballads such as “Normal Thing” and “I Knew It, I Know You” along with more pop-style, upbeat summer songs like “Risk” and “Close to You.” Somehow, Abrams has once again come out with music that so perfectly acts as a soundtrack to the current phase of my life. I associate this album with some of my favorite moments of my junior year, and it has remained a constant backing track, playing during my early morning drives to school and punctuating events I’ll remember forever, like getting ready for prom with my best friends. 

Overall, this album encompasses the rollercoaster of emotions and events that junior year of high school includes. It has stuck with me throughout the ups, downs and pivotal moments of 2024 and 2025, and it will continue to be the perfect album for any occasion. I’m sure that whatever Abrams’ next release may be, I’ll find a way to relate to it as deeply as I do to “The Secret of Us.”

Grace Fridy 

“Brat” by Charli XCX (2024) 

British singer Charli XCX’s sixth studio album, “Brat,” isn’t just a dance-pop album, it’s a cultural movement. “Brat” contains anthem after anthem of a world I can’t say I have much — really, any — experience in. Thankfully, the lack of raves I’ve attended and all the clubs I haven’t partied at hasn’t held me, or millions around the world, from embracing Charli XCX’s renaissance of sorts. 

It can’t be said that Charli XCX achieved a new level of fame over the past year without intention. “Brat” embraces everything that people are so afraid to admit; fear of rejection (“Talk talk’), family issues (“Apple”) and being revered (“Von dutch”). In her hyperpop requiem for 2000s denim entitled “Von dutch,” Charli XCX refers to herself as a “cult classic” who is the “number one” of the song’s subject. By comparing herself to a classic jean brand from the “Y2K” era, Charli XCX is harkening back to a time when pop and fashion were unique, never to be confused for artificial intelligence. Her nostalgia for classic brands and iconic times isn’t just remembering, however, it’s a way to show that her music and presence is the new “cult classic.”

Songs like “Von dutch” and “Club classics” are more than dance pop reminiscences of a bygone era, they’re sweat and synth beats that reclaim a genre for one artist. “Brat” and its songs swept the Grammys, winning three awards, and the hearts of young people everywhere. Every TikTok feed last summer was covered with the “Apple” dance, a popular trend using a song from the album. “Apple” dissects the difficulties of family dynamics, lyrics such as “I split the apple down symmetrical lines / And what I find is kinda scary / Makes we just wanna drive,” references running from family issues. 

The pure openness of the album is something that many artists and regular people would shy away from, but from the stage of Coachella to her music videos with stars like Billie Eilish and Rachel Sennot, Charli XCX embraces a holistic experience of life. Whether her face was tear stained or covered in body glitter, The Brat Tour and a subsequent remix album featuring new artists entitled “Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat” defined the summer of 2024 for so many people. 

While most artists are willing, if not forced, to put emotions on display for their fans and music, “Brat” bares it all emotionally on every track, in a way that does not just seem thematic of one feeling or experience. I’ve reminisced to “Talk Talk” and “Girl, so confusing” and then immediately blasted “Club Classics” on my car speakers before shedding a tear to “B2b.” Charli XCX’s authentic, sometimes racy and sometimes reflective album is something I can understand, something I can vibe with. I hope you can too. 

Mayrin Romero Hernandez

“Debí Tirar Más Fotos” by Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny has never been one of my top artists and I can’t say I have any of his previous songs in my playlist, however, his new album “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” has recently won a place in my heart. This new album talks about an issue that other Latino artists have failed to acknowledge. 

Bad Bunny has brought attention to the gentrification and the over tourism occuring in Puerto Rico, which has happened to it predecessor, Hawaii, as well. This has become an issue for Latinos all over the world, with their culture and communities being threatened everyday.

His song “LO QUE LE PASO A HAWAii” personifies Puerto Rico and describes her beauty, he also explains that he doesn’t want what happened to Hawaii to happen to Puerto Rico as well. Hawaii has been flooded with tourists who have only taken from the country. The same will happen to Puerto Rico if its citizens don’t take action. 

Navarre Baharestan

“Stages” by Josh Groban

The album that has affected me the most during my junior year is Stages by Josh Groban. Josh Groban is a hero of mine and has affected my musical career in many ways. First, I idolize Josh Groban, as a musician and as a person. Secondly, the album Stages, expressed Groban’s love for musical theatre, which aligns with one of my passions as well. Through this album, I was able to experience one of my favorite singers and some of the most iconic and beloved musical theatre songs of all time. In all honesty, this album is a dream come true. 

My personal favorite from the album is Gold Can Turn To Sand from “Kristina.” It is a power ballad with a lot of yearning and brotherly love. Moreover, the song showcases Groban’s wide range, extreme voice control but most importantly, Groban’s ability to sing with passion. 

Max Founder

“The Crux” by Djo (2025) 

Check in to The Crux Hotel. “The Crux” was my most anticipated album of the year, and it absolutely did not disappoint. Djo, better known as Joe Keery, released his third studio album this April. Joe Keery is best known for his role of Steve Harrington in “Stranger Things”. “The Crux” is a love letter to his friends, growing up, and returning to your roots. Keery describes the album as “a hotel housing guests who are all, in one way or another, at crossroads in their life.”

Soon before Djo released his first album, “DECIDE,” in September 2022, I fell in love with his song “Mortal Projections.” It was all I could listen to for days, and I’ve been enthralled ever since. 

Similarly, when “The Crux” came out, I could not stop listening to it. After a post that Keery (@djotime) made on Instagram, I had pined for the release date for 105 days. Even though the album came out very recently, I still feel like it’s shaped my year. 

The album was raw and relatable. As someone in high school,  I connect to every song on this album somehow. Walking through the halls while listening to the more upbeat songs like “Back on You” and “Gap Tooth Smile” is just as beautiful as the slower songs “Fly” and “Egg.”

“The Crux” showcases Keery’s voice in a way we’ve never seen before. Since his last album in 2022, Keery has received extensive voice lessons. This album has more slow songs that are more sing-songy than some of his more chanty style in his previous albums. 

My favorite song on the album is “Link,” which returns to the classic Djo chanting style. The song is about being unhappy even when you conform to society’s visions of success. The song glorifies breaking the mold and doing your own thing, which is something I’ve done this year and every year. 

“I just graduated / top of my class / further from last. / So, why do I feel so bad?”

Greyson Lindblom

“Manning Fireworks” by MJ Lenderman (2024)

MJ Lenderman released his fourth solo album, “Manning Fireworks,” on September 6, 2024. The Asheville, North Carolina native was joined by his Wednesday bandmates Karly Hartzman, Xandy Chelmis and Ethan Baechtold. Lenderman’s confessional, story-driven lyricism is not dissimilar to his 2022 LP, “Boat Songs,” but as the press release describes, “there’s a new sincerity, too, as Lenderman lets listeners clearly see the world through his warped lens.”

There’s something both unreachable yet universal in that lens. Lenderman and I were born ten years and nine days apart; there’s around 350 miles separating us. I’ve never played Guitar Hero (“Bark at the Moon”), nor have I rented a Ferrari (“She’s Leaving You”), but there’s something that had me enthralled over the course of the album’s 39-minute runtime. 

Lyrics such as “‘Cause morning’s tryin’ to kill me / this morning wants to kill me” (“Joker Lips”) feel like something I’d text a friend in a first or second block class, and every callback to Catholicism reminds me of sitting through Mass every Tuesday morning—barely 20 seconds before the line above, he sings “Every Catholic knows he could’ve been pope.” Call him the next Trisha Paytas. 

Aside from Lenderman’s songwriting prowess, the instrumentation is breathtaking. Landon George’s fiddle on “Rip Torn” carries you throughout the song, humming beneath every line and shining through in the perfect moments. In “You Don’t Know the Shape I’m In,” Shane McCord’s clarinet and Colin Miller’s slide guitar wail together and create an addictive effect. 

If the aforementioned “Brat” was everyone’s album of the summer, I ended up observing a MJ Lenderman fall. There’s nowhere else I’d rather dock my houseboat than the Himbo Dome.