Critically Acclaimed

While Outkast became a household name based on hits like “Hey Ya!” and “Ms. Jackson”,  they are revered by fans for their timeless songwriting and genre-pushing experimentation on their early albums. The talent and creativity of duo Andre 3000 and Big Boi crystallized on their third LP, Aquemini. On this episode of Critically Acclaimed, host […]

Transatlanticism, the widely beloved album from indie/alternative stalwarts Death Cab for Cutie, is a staple on lists of the most important albums of the 2000s. On first listen, your reaction may be, “why?” On this episode of Critically Acclaimed, host Jake Ramirez and Joyous Eclectic host Matt Rawls dig into the conceptual nature of Transatlanticism, […]

Nicolas Jaar is celebrated for his heady and precise electronic albums and for his inventive and eclectic DJ mixes. But on 2012-2017, Jaar uses the alias Against All Logic to indulge in the tactility and exuberance of house music without losing his ear for precision. On this episode of Critically Acclaimed, host Jake Ramirez and […]

UFOs, predatory wasps, serial killers, and zombies – the state of Illinois is not often the focus of such drama. But on Sufjan Stevens’ 74-minute masterpiece Illinois, the state is the setting for grand and minor conflicts. On this episode of Critically Acclaimed, host Jake Ramirez and fellow Sufjan rookie Davis Harrison explore the high-art/low-art divide […]

When you’re the biggest rock star in the world, fresh off your magnum opus, what do you do next? If you’re Kanye West, you make ’em unlike you. On this episode of Critically Acclaimed, host Jake Ramirez and Connor McInerney talk Yeezus. Why did Kanye abandon the lush arrangements of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy […]

Tha Carter III made Lil Wayne a platinum pop-star, sold a million records in a week, and became a monument to the most prolific run in rap history. On the inaugural episode of Critically Acclaimed, host Jake Ramirez and Lil Wayne expert Saagar Gupta break down the star-making album from one of rap’s most influential […]

Critically Acclaimed is live! Jake Ramirez gives a quick intro to explain the podcast. Subscribe now to catch Episode 1, which drops Monday, July 16.