Over the years, I’ve given the track-by-track treatment to a number of albums, dedicating a post per day to every song. I’ve done it for favorite records and records I’m hearing for the first time. Here’s where you’ll find all of my full-album coverage.

Album Deep Dives

Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
The indie rockers’ 2011 Album of the Year winner, an emotional tour through a peaceful dystopia
– 16 posts

Courtney Barnett — Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Sit
The quirky Australian singer-songwriter’s acclaimed debut is equal parts witty and withering
– 11 posts

Ben Folds Five – Ben Folds Five
The trio’s exhilarating “punk rock for sissies” debut, on my shortlist for favorite albums ever
– 12 posts

Brandi Carlile — In These Silent Days
A gorgeous Covid-era offering by an artist just hitting her stride
– 10 posts

Elvis Costello — Look Now
A 2018 return to form by the master; maybe his best since King of America
– 12 posts

Lana Del Rey — Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
The enigmatic singer-songwriter’s most personal album yet
– 16 posts

Tift Merritt — Stitch of the World
A beautiful collection of literate folk rock by an under-appreciated talent
– 10 posts

Frank Sinatra – Watertown
Ol’ Blue Eye’s forgotten masterpiece, perhaps the greatest concept album of all time
– 11 posts

Lucinda Williams — The Ghosts of Highway 20
The Americana legend confronts mortality in a haunting double album
– 14 posts

Early Listen Rankings

Another way I like to digest new releases is by ranking each track in order of my preference. While my feelings about individual tracks often shift over time, it’s nice to have a snapshot of how I first received an album.

Beyoncé — Cowboy Carter
Queen Bey finally won an Album of the Year Grammy for this genre deconstruction
– 22 tracks

Miranda Lambert — Palomino
The country icon spans multiple styles and delivers one of her most contemplative collections
– 15 tracks

Miranda Lambert — Postcards from Texas
Lambert explores her past relationships with tenderness and honesty, but still makes time for some fun
– 14 tracks

Taylor Swift — Lover
The album that led to a shift in my appreciation for the talented singer-songwriter
– 18 tracks

Taylor Swift — folklore
Swift’s foray into indie folk and third-person storytelling won her a record-tying third Album of the Year Grammy
– 16 tracks

Taylor Swift — Evermore
The sister record to folklore, this one arrived just four months later and found her mining the same territory with similar success
– 15 tracks

Taylor Swift — Midnights
A return to pop music led to blockbuster sales and a record-setting fourth Album of the Year Grammy
– 13 tracks

Taylor Swift — The Life of a Showgirl
Swift’s first post-Travis Kelce album finds her embracing excess and exploring her sexuality
– 12 tracks