The old five-point scale has been retired in favor of just rating stuff 1-10, which allows me a much more nuanced final rating. Still don't take it that seriously. Most of these come from my own collection, so the grades skew rather high. Your results may vary if you send me stuff to review.

Each album is given three Essential tracks, my personal favorites, regardless of how weird and inconsequential they are. The Quintessential pick is the one I think best represents the album as a whole, so you can try one song instead of a whole album of songs. Non-Essential picks range from merely disappointing to outright unlistenable.

c.layne

[#] I'm Glad We Met (2011)

Grinding and grotesque.

Reviewed May 30, 2025

A bouncy, static-damaged synth. Steady stick clicks. A hushed, ominous vocal soon to be overtaken by an orchestra of screeching tires and shearing scrap metal. I'm Glad We Met's base components laid out like separated limbs across the road on the very first track, "So Ashamed". Death is heavy in the air on this one, the scent of cadavers ripe just by the song titles—"By the Tail", "Splatter", "Candlebones". Even the relative serenity of penultimate cut "Just a Joke" can't cover up what this really, electronic rock to soundtrack a slasher film, and it's as fun to listen to as a slasher film is to watch, as long as you like blood.

This is one of those perpetual Halloween albums for me, perfect for when the leaves start changing colors and you want something just a little eerier. "Head Down" is an old favorite, the glitchy drone and bitcrushed drums and vocals a surprisingly gentle avenue to tell of a ghost that disappears as soon as it appears. "Waste (This Time Together)" detaches from its body and mind shortly before going off the cliff in a barreling Cadillac (as an aside, I'm pretty sure I had a Casio with that exact intro synth tone). Have I made my point? Worse is coming. Give this one a try when you start hearing noises outside.

Essential:	"Waste (This Time Together)", "Head Down", "Splatter"
Quintessential:	"You Never Did"
Non-Essential:	"I'm Glad We Met"
Rating:
Further listening:	Download from c.layne's Bandcamp