The Scratchpad

Half-finished ideas

Scratchings on "The Jakarta Method"

Scratchings on "The Jakarta Method"

By Liam Coley

Published Sep 28, 2026

The forgotten violence of the Cold War.

Ants from Up There

Ants from Up There

By Liam Coley

Published Apr 27, 2026

The end is the beginning, and so on forever.

I LOVE MY COMPUTER

I LOVE MY COMPUTER

By Liam Coley

Published Mar 20, 2026

Ninajirachi's 2025 album is an ode to the dreams of the future we once had.

Racing Mount Pleasant

Racing Mount Pleasant

By Liam Coley

Published Feb 13, 2026

A masterpiece of introspection from the Ann Arbor septet.

NEVER ENOUGH

NEVER ENOUGH

By Liam Coley

Published Feb 13, 2026

Turnstile's follow-up to GLOW ON has its merits, but lacks depth.

Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes

By Liam Coley

Published Feb 11, 2026

Take a quick look under the hood.

Another Headache

Another Headache

By Liam Coley

Published Jan 31, 2026

A surprise return from the mysterious duo.

The Myth of New Zealand

The Myth of New Zealand

By Liam Coley

Published Jan 29, 2026

100% Pure New Zealand

Pain to Power

Pain to Power

By Liam Coley

Published Oct 8, 2025

Maruja's debut is almost impeccable.

A Real Headache

A Real Headache

By Liam Coley

Published Aug 28, 2025

The Head Hurts but the Heart Knows the Truth.

We're All Cowards

We're All Cowards

By Liam Coley

Published Apr 4, 2025

Squid's 2025 release is a maturation of the Windmill Scene.

Top Albums of 2024

Top Albums of 2024

By Liam Coley

Published Jan 14, 2025

A strong year for music.

Les Chants de L'Aurore

Les Chants de L'Aurore

By Liam Coley

Published Jan 13, 2025

Alcest's 8th outing evokes a sort of neo-romanticism.

Imaginal Disk

Imaginal Disk

By Liam Coley

Published Jan 13, 2025

PRESS ANY BUTTON TO START...

Greeptober

Greeptober

By Liam Coley

Published Jan 13, 2025

The Black Midi frontman's first solo outing is a frenetic success.

Going Vegyn

Going Vegyn

By Liam Coley

Published Jan 13, 2025

Vegyn's warm trip-hop is a portal to the early 2000's.

"NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD"

"NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD"

By Liam Coley

Published Jan 13, 2025

A powerful return to form for the Montréal collective.

Mountainhead

Mountainhead

By Liam Coley

Published Jan 13, 2025

A bizarre but catchy allegory for capitalism and infinite growth.

Scratchings on "The Castle"

Scratchings on "The Castle"

By Liam Coley

Published Dec 16, 2024

Kafka's final, unfinished novel is an unsolvable puzzle - and that's the point.

A Sketch of Koh Tao

A Sketch of Koh Tao

By Liam Coley

Published Jun 7, 2024

The popular Thai island is more a theme park.

Scratchings on "The Big Con"

Scratchings on "The Big Con"

By Liam Coley

Published Mar 25, 2024

The consulting industry's poor track record is no secret, but Mazzucato and Collington's book seems to miss the bigger picture.

Scratchings on "No Surrender"

Scratchings on "No Surrender"

By Liam Coley

Published Jan 23, 2024

Hiroo Onoda's legendary story of survival and guerilla war is simultaneously frustrating and ludicrous.

Scratchings on "The Dispossessed"

Scratchings on "The Dispossessed"

By Liam Coley

Published Jan 14, 2024

Ursula K. Le Guin's masterpiece sketches out two dreams of the future.

Scratchings on "Ghosts of My Life"

Scratchings on "Ghosts of My Life"

By Liam Coley

Published Jan 9, 2024

A flawed but ultimately critical collection of writings that theorises why modern culture is so bereft of creativity.

Scratchings on "Call of the Wild"

Scratchings on "Call of the Wild"

By Liam Coley

Published Jan 2, 2024

Jack London's Alaskan odyssey is surprisingly heartfelt.

Scratchings on "Debt: The First 5000 Years"

Scratchings on "Debt: The First 5000 Years"

By Liam Coley

Published Dec 30, 2023

David Graeber's anthropological account of debt, money, and markets warrants a rethink in how we conceive of 'the economy'.

Scratchings on "Society of the Spectacle"

Scratchings on "Society of the Spectacle"

By Liam Coley

Published Oct 23, 2023

Guy Débord's classic work only gains relevance as time goes on.

Scratchings on "Capitalist Realism"

Scratchings on "Capitalist Realism"

By Liam Coley

Published Oct 10, 2023

Mark Fisher's screed on capitalism lays bare its position: as unquestioned ideology.