CAR SEAT HEADREST: THE SCHOLARS

SCORE: 96/100

Despite never really listening to Car Seat Headrest outside of a small handful of songs, I've gained a knowledge about the band (and this album in particular) due to my friend's interest in them. The entire concept of this album with all of the characters and how it takes the form of a rock opera was something quite appealing to me, and this is the album that made me want to listen to them more than I once had.

'The Scholars' is the bands' first rock opera to contain characters on such a large scale, with this album being a huge departure from their previous albums in terms of approach - meaning that it was well worth the time it took to fine-tune and create, because the end result is truthfully something to marvel at. I'm not usually one for albums that have small numbers of tracks and long runtimes despite the small amount of songs, but this album is striking enough to make that seem like a very miniscule factor. The layering in the production is something truly marvelous, a huge number of sounds are brought together and fused into one massive spectacle, and the end result is something stunningly polished and lush. 

The instrumental work on this album is groundbreakingly impressive. The somewhat soft and emotional sound that is fused with harder rock elements and a massive-scale sound of textures and layers within the production make this a treat to listen to, it's an album that has clear care and attention to every little detail put into it, and the way that it was approached makes it that much more impressive. It's one thing to make an album that sounds this full of sounds at every turn (even during slower breakdowns), it's another thing to make an album with such a complex level of conceptual elements throughout its entire runtime. The track lengths are a bold move - but they allow for the album's story to come to life on a much higher level, a level that was necessary for exactly what the band wanted from the album.

It's clear that the band knew exactly where they wanted to go with this album, and the years that it took to bring to life were well worth the final sound that came out of it. The gorgeous soundscapes and how the sounds come together despite their excess is something that few other bands could pull off like this - especially with this being the band's thirteenth album since Will Toledo began the project as a one-man endeavor. 

Even the longer tracks make their runtime needed. The switches in sounds and experimentation make each song feel like multiple musical numbers in one - and the concept used for this is a gorgeously striking one that has so much depth to it it's awe-inspiring to say the very least. The songs being broken into "parts" make this whole album feel like one stunningly chaptered storybook, and the result is an album that is more than just worthwhile.

The album goes by a lot faster than expected, and the sheer energy and quality of it all makes it that much more of an impressive listening experience. 'The Scholars' is undoubtedly one of the best projects of the year so far, and this is one that'll leave a lasting impression.