New This Week: Five Releases Worth Your Ears
The Ratist Audio · May 30, 2024 · 4 min read
The release calendar was stacked this week. Here's what mattered.
The headliners
Nova Kestrel's Signal Bloom is the obvious talking point — chrome-bright electro-pop with a broken heart under the hood. Early community score: 8.5.
The sleeper
Don't skip Fritz Halden's Blue Ledger. Small-hours piano jazz that rewards headphones and patience. It's quietly one of the best-reviewed things on the site right now.
Also out
- Marévy — Aurora Systems (ambient, 8.7)
- Velvet Ledger — Midnight Assets (R&B, 8.8)
- Cassia Rue — Dust & Gold (country, 8.3)
More from the blog
‘Golden Hour’: The Year in One Record
Aurelia Vance's second album is a dusk-to-dawn concept record that somehow never feels heavy. We break down why it's the highest-rated pop release on The Ratist Audio this year.
Priya Nair · May 28, 2024 · 6 min read
How the Ratist Scale Works (and Why 8.0 Means Something)
A star rating tells you a record is 'good'. Ours tells you why. Here's how our five weighted categories add up to a single number you can actually trust.
The Ratist Audio · May 2, 2024 · 5 min read
Is Lo-Fi Actually Music? The Debate Won't Die
It's the most-streamed genre nobody claims to love. We wade into the argument that keeps breaking out in our reviews — and land somewhere annoyingly reasonable.
Jordan Vale · May 23, 2024 · 7 min read