One thing I am on record as loving is an intro track. This album has an intro track for an intro track. Intro-ception. Loved the lead into the big single, it's like they are signposting to the listener that THIS is the single coming up. And clearly it is, Float On is a wonderful track that I haven't heard in years. It's quite folky in places and I liked it, though I could be convinced that this sound did run its course a little and as it carried on it ran slightly out of steam. It's right on the borderline for me between being good and being something I think stands out. For now I will err on the side of the double intro track. I haven't heard one of those since I listened to the 2nd Law.

I didn’t mind this. It’s quite simple and it’s very moody. Doesn’t try to do too much or be something it’s not- it’s unambitious in a likeable way. But it has a ceiling

Joni, welcome back. A warm one at that. Probably more jazzy than I was expecting but that was very much appreciated. I liked the dark, reverent, and Christian lyrics. Has standout tracks without a clear single, but does everything an album should, and does it well.

Our second Colter Wall album for AOTD, and perhaps it’s the genre, but I couldn’t remember anything distinctive about the previous record. Memories and Empties is a charming listen, and I found myself smiling at certain lyrics. “I call my ex-wife, tell her how great my life is, and could she drive me home from town”… “I hope the Lord don’t mind 4/4 time”. I want to reward both the lyrics and jolly sound as highly as I can whilst constrained by the fact the record doesn’t strike me as one I will come back to and that I feel doesn’t stand out all that much on the whole.

This album jumps straight into an abundance of energy with the title track Smooth Talk. I definitely started to notice a formula, which involves repeating the name of the song on loop at the end of the track, presumably for emphasis. I say presumably because as a single it works very effectively, but the issue is that as an album this trick does start to get old fairly quickly. I can’t decide if 5 is too harsh or 6 too generous, so I may come back to this, but it feels like the songs are 6+ but the album is a 5, and I have to rate the album in front of me

Quite an interesting album from a band I can honestly say that I had never heard of before. It’s got that Goo Goo Dolls / early Radiohead feel without quite standing out. The nostalgia vibe is excellent and I can’t fault the music itself. But will I remember or come back to this album in particular? Probably not

This is excellent music to be walking slightly faster than everyone around you in a pedestrianised urban zone or high street. Incredibly coherent sound, as basically every track follows the same formula. Incredibly difficult to settle on a rating for, because every track follows the same formula. It’s pretty emphatic though, the album certainly makes enough of a statement to deserve a solid if unremarkable score. It’s also way too long

Heard this last year. It's better than TPD. I strongly dislike the album cover but probably not enough to deduct a point.

Pop 2 more like Pop 2 in the ratings and never listen again

This album exists on the periphery of being interesting but never quite makes a compelling enough case to get over the line. It’s like if Caesar had waded into the Rubicon, which is famously not a river with a particularly strong current, stopped, and let it carry him away. There are elements of bands like Boa in here, but I can’t say anything stuck out to me at all beyond that I enjoyed the arrangement