Happy, but at a disappointed cost

The album is fun, retro, cute, and without question pop.

This feels generic, very very generic. Each song feels the same with maybe a
different pace. I think that the diversity of sound on the album is lacking.

If she is going to carry on in this generic pop sound, I would like her to try and
play it a bit and to not simply DO it. What I mean is to not follow the crowd with
this and to add her own unique spin to it without just doing it, like she has done
with Emotion.

The instrumentals slap whilst the vocals feel excessively weak. That's fucking
annoying

Overall, still fun, still retro, but lacks development in her artistry. A light 7, to
maybe an 8 in how this might grow on me.
In the least snarky and condescending way I think that after listening to this I'm
just going to lower my expectations for Carly and pop music. The more that I
listen to her stuff and other 'good' pop albums the more I come to realize that
Emotion was really just that fresh and creative and packed full of feeling. I feel a
little tricked into thinking that I could be into most pop but it's my own fault and
this is an acknowledgement that this style isn't really my thing.

These songs aren't bad but they feel pretty mechanical. We're still playing with
80s production and stirring in some disco like all of Carly's other stuff...and Dua's
stuff...and Jesse Ware's stuff...and the list goes on. Something like Aeroplanes
100% could be a Taylor Swift song. I don't really feel any emotion or detect any
personality in these songs. No risks really seem to be taken. It's all smooth and
bouncy and sorta catchy but hits me as soulless. Not being a jerk when I say I'd
rather listen to Kiss because as corny as the single are, at least she went for it.
Everything here is like a desaturated 6/10 b-side that I've heard a dozen times
from Carly. Pretty boring.
the loveliest time pushes the increasingly organic and groovy sound carly rae
jepsen has been leaning towards since dedicated to new heights.

even more than on its immediate predecessor and thematic partner the loneliest
time, the loveliest time emphasizes warm production and live instrumentation
which continues to make carly rae jepsen's endearingly earnest and sentimental
brand of sensuality come more to the forefront. unlike some of her most popular
albums, however, the loveliest time finds carly rae jepsen playing with some of her
weirdest instrumentals to date, indicating a certain degree of artistic freedom
only hinted at on her previous masterpieces. "put it to rest" may be one of her
best tracks to date for this reason.

rather surprisingly, this subtle experimentation and the record's charming

personality may make the loveliest time carly's most artistically interesting work
since emotion.