Welcome back to the Daily Spin. For the uninitiated, this is the series in which I review an album every day of 2025.
As was the case two years ago, my favorite song from each album can be found at the playlist linked here.
Album: A Way Forward (2021)
Artist: Nation of Language
Link:
Comfortably familiar for fans of their first work, this doesn’t quite do enough to expand on familiar territory, but showcases that it isn’t always wholly necessary to engage in those expansions.
With hints of the 70s and 80s throughout, it’s a lot of fun, if somewhat derivative. I’m left seeing a lot of gaps where there’s probably a more compelling way to storytell these songs, but man. The music remains kicking in a way a lot of tracks just struggle to touch.
By staying within the self-imposed borders they’ve drawn, so much of the emotional breadth that could be feel kneecapped - and yet, the steps here are a warm hoodie on a cold day, comfortable and sure.
Rating: 8/10
Favorites: The Grey Commute
Least Favorites: Former Self