IH Ultimate 22

Username: welcome2thejam

Album: Ants From Up There: I understand the hype even if I didn't get completely Ants-pilled. Like this has the sound of an album that's an absolute game changer for some listeners. It did grow on me for the rate, and it serves as a great swan song for the Isaac-led band, so that's nice. Just, uh, don't tell Charli I said anything positive

Intro: 7 If you don't mind I'm gonna be really mad there's not a whole fleshed out song exactly like this instead of just being an intro to a leitmotif

Chaos Space Marine: 9 Honestly I don't know how any of you can be mad about this album with all of those cute little flourishes at the start. They fill me with such joy. How can you discourse when you're smiling at that little toot

Concorde: 8 What a beautiful song. Is this man about to fuck a plane

Bread Song: 7 Afraid to ask this, but who uses "nor" in regular speech? Anyway, builds and releases solidly enough

Good Will Hunting: 10 Forlornly shaking my ass to the chorus of Good Will Hunting

Haldern: 8 Can't believe they made a song off material from a moment of improv that they immediately followed that day with a cover of Weezer's Say It Ain't So

Mark's Theme: 6 Gonna feel real bad when this goes out early

The Place Where He Inserted The Blade: 11 Favorite song of last year. Just one of those sprawling singalong epics that, if it connects, just so easily digs its way into your heart and stays nestled there for good. Isaac sounds incredible here, the delivery on the "good morning" and "I get lost, I freak out" and, okay, really just the entire ending stretch are up there with my favorite song moments of the year.

Snow Globes: 5 Six the musical outsold

Basketball Shoes: 9 I utilize my Swift Step ability and do my usual practice of tuning out the lyrics to avoid the discourse and say this was pretty great and both 11s and 0s are valid good night 🚶‍♂️🛌

Album: Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You: Ngl the first few times I heard this was in my car and it was solid, but I felt pretty whelmed. Definitely needs a pair of headphones for your trip up the mountain, the instrumentation is gorgeous throughout.

Change: 8 Alright I can tell actually getting to hear this in a pair of headphones is probably gonna make me score this better than on previous listens

Time Escaping: 9 Oh boy Big Thief earning big points for singing "two hands clapping" followed by a quick two clangs. That's the kind of incredible songwriting that speaks to me, the basic bitch listener

Spud Infinity: 10 These cats are from Brooklyn, you say? Fascinating

Certainty: 6 Bit of a comedown, but solid

Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You: 8 I guess the real Dragon New Warm Mountain was inside of us the whole time 🤗

Sparrow: 6 Eve was so mother for this

Little Things: 10 (AH!)

Heavy Bend: 4 At least there's a nice R&B song or cool potential sample for somebody else to unlock here

Flower of Blood: 7 Types "Big Thief Sex Jam?" in notes and closes program

Blurred View: 6 Nice percussion at the end

Red Moon: 8 Makes me wanna build a barn or something idk

Dried Roses: 4 They can't all be winners

No Reason: 9 The absolute clutch flutist pickup, that's the kind of moves that win championships

Wake Me up to Drive: 8 Is the famous song the same one mentioned in Tenacious D's Tribute, or One Direction's Best Song Ever, or-

Promise Is A Pendulum: 7 Simple but effective

12,000 Lines: 6 This is nice, love that first harmony, but tbh I'm just closing my eyes and waiting til we get to the Simulation Swarm factory

Simulation Swarm: 10 Those guitars maaaaaaan. There's a ton of Great Song Moments of 2022 in this rate, and how many are in this? That obvious guitar bit, all the times it swells, the background of the "once again" section, the delivery of "I wanna drop my arms and take your arms and walk you to the shore," the phrase "energy shield" making me think of Halo or some shit

Love Love Love: 7 Tough job following Simulation Swarm, but I think they stick the landing well enough by rocking a bit

The Only Place: 7 Another simple but effective song, I was gonna ask about the weird high pitched noise but turns out my ear was just ringing

Blue Lightning: 7 Nice sound to end off the album with

Album: Blue Rev: I love both of Alvvays' previous albums, but even if I might score self-titled better next month, this was definitely a major step up for them in terms of songwriting and sound. Perfectly managed to stay in their lane while evolving their music

Pharmacist: 8 Why would the sister tell you that? Who does that

Easy On Your Own?: 9 i dropped out, college educATION'S A DULL KNIFE!!!!

After The Earthquake: 10 That bridge and the momentum when it comes charging into its stupendous final minute? Incredible, showstopping, etc etc etc

Tom Verlaine: 9 They said "what if we did the soft with emphasis on the vocals into immediately loud bit for the fourth straight song" and I said "Alvvays you have never done me wrong and I trust you with my life"

Pressed: 9 Changing my name to Benevolent Collegiate

Many Mirrors: 8 The guitar tone continues to be ace

Very Online Guy: 10 I think hearing the New Wavey live version helped me latch onto the melody and get this song, it went from one of the lesser tracks on the album to one of my favorites. A delightful change of pace

Velveteen: 9 Two more great moments in this already stacked album: the intro and then the immediate transition off the second chorus

Tile By Tile: 10 Sequel to In Undertow in that it also makes me feel like limply hanging on the bar and drifting on a dream world merry go round

Pomeranian Spinster: 8 I'm a little puppy dog chasing its tail rn

Belinda Says: 10 Hate to say it, but you're not allowed to score this unless you've heard it in your headphones or blasting it out the car radio while staring out the window of a moving vehicle, wondering about the lives of people in the houses you pass by, having visions of the alternate version of you living out there in the countryside. Is it a good life? Maybe, maybe not. But you can feel the wind in your hair and the sun shining across your brow and the kid gave you the biggest grin during breakfast because you made banana pancakes today and sometimes that just has to be enough. Do that and then I guess you can score it whatever you want I do not care

Bored In Bristol: 9 Comment on Genius: "this song makes me feel as snug as a bug in a rug"

Lottery Noises: 8 Take the shot, Molly!

Fourth Figure: 6 Like a nice little epilogue

Album: Once Twice Melody: I'm not a Beach House fan outside of a few songs, they're a band that generally puts me to sleep. Happy to say this is at least solid, for as much gnashing of teeth its inclusion in Ult inspired. Not something I'd come back to outside of said few songs, but I can see what's hot about it

Once Twice Melody: 5 I hope the sequel is a buttrock collab with Thrice

Superstar: 9 Yeah yeah fine I'm a sucker for good driving music and this will probably destroy on a night drive

Pink Funeral: 6 This rate is long enough, now I gotta watch Swan Lake to understand this smdh

Through Me: 7 Sounds pretty good. Anyway I think Beach House might be drowning hope somebody helps her

Runaway: 8 It's the 80s

ESP: 6 When I sneak an N into the title and this becomes the next big jock jam

New Romance: 10 Fine Beach House alright you got me, this is gorgeous and breathtaking and all that shit

Over and Over: 7 I was starting to ascend, but this might be taking a bit too long and now I'm just floating listlessly a bit

Sunset: 7 Does sound like golden hour

Only You Know: 9 Hell yeah Beach House rock on

Another Go Around: 7 I can promise you I won't have another go around of this rate, this mf long as hell

Masquerade: 8 Parts of this feels like the classy version of 90s hackers music

Illusion of Forever: 4 Promising but overall plodding

Finale: 6 False advertising

The Bells: 10 Shedding a single tear rn, this sounds incredible

Hurts To Love: 6

Many Nights: 8 God I wanna sit outside and stare at the night sky but it is currently six degrees out there

Modern Love Stories: 8 That second half is good shit

BONUS TRACKS

Runner: 8 Alright fine maybe I should give that Alex G album a second shot

Expert In A Dying Field: 10 I love the central conceit of the song, describing the difficulty of dealing with all the leftover feelings & knowledge of those who have loved for a long time and left. And the power pop background harmonies? A+++, especially in the climax, easily one of my favorite song moments of the year. Also gotta support my Bubblegrunge winners #BethsSweep etc etc

Welcome To Hell: 8 Black midi fans when they check the AOTY scores and realize how close this album was to making Ult

American Teenager: 9 Someone's gonna submit this to a Charity rate within the next two years if this album doesn't get rated, mark my words. People who like this go absolutely rabid for it, and I understand, it feels like one of those soaring classics that pierce your heart just right

midnight sun: 7 Didn't know she was popular enough to make it this high, but happy to see it, it was a good album. Stablize is a 10 btw but was a 2021 song so 😞

Concrete Over Water: 7 Probably also gonna have to give that Jockstrap album a second chance too. Greatest Hits is a 10 btw

Jackie Down The Line: 8 The guitars coming in after the first third sound great

Walkin: 10 Denzel is one of my favorites right now, glad he's getting rated again later this year. Dude killed it on this album and song

Spitting Off The Edge of the World (feat. Perfume Genius): 5 Kinda bounced off this album sadly. Wolf is a 9 though btw

God Turn Me Into a Flower: 4 Maybe this will be better when I don't have a headache while trying to actively listen. Honestly this felt like a longer listen than the eighteen minute song after this

The Dripping Tap: 9 This song is nearly half the length of Blue Rev what are we even doing here. Honestly im even madder that this sounds great

SAOKO: 8 Prayer circle we can rate this song without incident. Anyway, good song, looking forward to diving into this album in popheads rates

Shotgun: 10 That's my Futbol Madre!

Billions: 5 Uhhh hoping for the best with the new album!

The Heart Pt. 5: 10 Did we like this more than it deserves because it sounds like the Kendrick we wanted instead of what we got? Possibly. Is it still a 10 out of 10? Absolutely

END