Synchronicity, The Police

Synchronicity is a fascinating thing for The Police to have called this album. In knowing that it was their final studio album as a band, a title depicting cohesion is interesting on its own. But in listening to Synchronicity, it feels very much like two albums (perhaps an A-side and a B-side as it would have been popular to listen to it as when it was released).

I happened to have really liked what I think of as the B-side of the album, starting with "Synchronicity II". But in all honesty, I didn't get much out of tracks 2-5, and "Mother" was distinctly jarring and off-putting (that's likely the point of the song, but it still doesn't mean I enjoyed listening to it.

Stand out tracks: "Every Breath You Take" "Wrapped Around Your Finger"

My favorites: "Synchronicity I" "Synchronicity II" "Tea in the Sahara"

It makes all the sense in the world to me why "Every Breath You Take" was not only a hit, but a classic. It's a breath of fresh air when you hit the middle of this album and, when coupled with "King of Pain," it makes for a beautiful soft rock section of this album. I enjoyed the jazz-y, relaxed track "Tea in the Sahara" even though it could easily slip between the cracks due to the presence of other songs that pack more of a punch.

Ultimately, I have mixed feelings on Synchronicity. I love the B-side and would listen to it regularly on its own, but the A-side really drives down my opinion of this album as a cohesive work. Hence the album name, I call that irony at its finest.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING:

PROBABLY NOT LISTENING AGAIN

emails i can't send, Sabrina Carpenter

If life wasn't bad enough for Joshua Bassett after Olivia Rodrigo released SOUR in 2021, the other girl in the love triangle, miss Sabrina Carpenter, clapped back at him again in her own poppy, unrelenting way. While SOUR was more an album of " how do I cope with this post-breakup heartache", emails i can't send takes the perspective of "I'm so over this immaturity and drama."

Stand-out tracks: "because i liked a boy" "skinny dipping"

My favorites: "Vicious" "bet u wanna" "Bad for Business"

Calling this album emails i can't send is a great way to describe the confessional nature of this collection of songs. From the sassy "you just run to whoever is winning" of "Vicious" to the insecurity of"I wonder how many things you think about before you get to me" in "how many things," all the emotions of leaving and moving on from something you realize isn't serving you anymore are on full display across this album.

"bet u wanna" might be one of my favorite I-know-I'm-the-one-who-got-away girl-power bops I've maybe ever come across-- it's sultry, confident, and fun. "Nonsense" is very Ariana Grande-esque with its high-octave notes, clever spoken parts, and bouncy-but-simple backing track.

I appreciate that Sabrina Carpenter has jammed a lot of specific lyrics into a 39-minute pop album. She does a better job of storytelling on emails i can't send than most pop albums of twice this length. Is this the best pop album that has come out of the last 5 years? Probably not. But, with emails i can't send, Sabrina Carpenter has put in a pretty good bid to stick around as an artist to watch going forward.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING:

KINDA OBSESSED

For Emma, Forever Ago, Bon Iver

Considering three of my favorite albums of the past few years have pretty heavy early-Bon Iver influences (Folklore and Evermore by Taylor Swift and When Facing the Thing We Turn Away From by Luke Hemmings) it felt appropriate to choose the bands' first album For Emma, Forever Ago as my album on a "gray November" day (I couldn't pass up an Evermore reference, what can I say).

This album is hauntingly gorgeous and listening to it as a complete work is an immersive experience. If a fire in a cabin in the woods in the winter were an album, this would be it. Grab a cable knit blanket and an old record player and pray for some light rain and then you'd really have the right environment for taking in For Emma, Forever Ago.

Stand-out tracks: "For Emma"

My favorites: "Lump Sum" "Blindsided" "Re: Stacks"

It's hard to describe the individual tracks on this album because they do mostly run together, but in this case, it works beautifully to drop the listener into the indie world created by this collection of songs. Album-opener "Flume" is the most jaunty track (which still isn't saying much), which makes the more melancholy "Lump Sum" all the more impactful. Arguably the most well-known song from this album is "Skinny Love," but it blends right in to the rest of the album, though it does come across as darker than many of the other tracks. "Re: Stacks" is truly a sung poem paired with an acoustic guitar that illustrates the combination of frustration and hope of trying to get back on your feet.

For Emma, Forever Ago has only solidified my realization that I guess I really like indie music now.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING:

KINDA OBSESSED