Album Reviews – Aphoristic Album Reviews

This is an archive of album reviews that I’ve been writing since around 2000.

Reviews are organised by decade – artists are filed under their most successful or prolific decade. Sometimes this is confusing – Radiohead are filed under the 1990s, even though some of their most acclaimed music was released in the 2000s. Led Zeppelin and Joni Mitchell started their recording careers in the 1960s, but are filed under the 1970s since most of their most beloved records were released during that decade.

1960s Album Reviews

Rock and roll launched in the 1950s, but in the 1960s the rock LP as an art form came into its own. Artists like The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and The...

1970s Album Reviews

The 1970s are beloved by music nerds. Artists in various genres cranked out a 40-minute album every year. The late 1960s staked out the territory for many genres; the 1970s...

Punk and New Wave Reviews

Rock music underwent a revolution in the late 1970s. A new generation of acts arrived, often stripping their sound back with basic songs and simple arrangements. Some of these bands...

1980s Album Reviews

The 1980s often get bad press, but they were full of great music. Admittedly many acts from earlier eras struggled to adapt to new technology and made weak albums. But...

1990s Album Reviews

Because I was a teenager through the 1990s, my relationship with the decade’s music differs from other decades. I’d probably appreciate bands like Oasis and Nirvana more if I wasn’t saturated...

2000s Album Reviews

The first decade of the 21st century feels like my home territory. I spent my teenage years in the 1990s catching up with the 1960s and 1970s, so the 2000s...

2010s Album Reviews

As time has gone on, music has splintered further into sub-genres. Technology has allowed anyone with the inclination to make and release an album, and it's also easier for music...

2020s Album Reviews

Less than two years into the new decade, it's already been eventful. A global pandemic and #blacklivesmatter protests have already created ten years' worth of chaos. Because the decade's only...

New Zealand Music

As a New Zealander, this site's naturally biased towards New Zealand artists. I've collated them all into one page. New Zealand pop music didn't start in earnest until later than...

Christian Contemporary Music

I don't listen to much Christian music. Most modern worship sounds like Joshua Tree-era U2 to me. I prefer faith-based acts to not limit themselves to the Christian market, like...

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Olivia Rodrigo Album Reviews

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Queen Album Reviews

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XTC Album Reviews

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Read about the discographies of musical acts from the 1960s to the present day. Browse this site's review archives or enjoy these random selections:

I add new blog posts to this website every week. Browse the archives or enjoy these random selections:

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Aphoristical on Whenever, Wherever by ShakiraMay 6, 2026
Yeah, 21st century pop can feel a little faceless sometimes, but Shakira has personality for days.
Aphoristical on Whenever, Wherever by ShakiraMay 4, 2026
Lots of personality, I need to hear more.
Aphoristical on Whenever, Wherever by ShakiraMay 4, 2026
It would probably have to lose the Latin rhythm, right? But you could maybe keep the pan flutes.
Christian's Music Musings on Whenever, Wherever by ShakiraMay 4, 2026
I’m not going to pretend Shakira doesn’t fall outside my musical core wheelhouse. That said, I think she’s super-talented and…
steveforthedeaf on Whenever, Wherever by ShakiraMay 4, 2026
Yes Mate!

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