Tyler Ballgame For The First Time, Again
Tyler Ballgame's For The First Time, Again stakes a vivid claim for vintage-pop revivalism, marrying theatrical vocals and warm analogue production into a record of yearning and reinvention. Critics generally praise the album's charisma and standout moments even as they debate when grandeur serves songcraft; across five professional reviews the collection earned a 75.8/100 consensus score, signaling broadly favorable critical reception.
Reviewers consistently single out several best songs on For The First Time, Again. “I Believe In Love” repeatedly emerges as a jangly, irresistible highlight, while “Goodbye My Love” and “Waiting So Long” draw notice for their heartbroken crescendos and melodic clarity. Other frequently praised tracks include “Deepest Blue” and album favorites like “Got a New Car” and “Ooh”, which critics cite as moments where restraint and texture reveal Ballgame's strongest instincts. Professional reviews emphasize the record's 1960s-70s classic rock and AM-radio influences, the analog sheen of the production, and a recurring theme of personal rebirth after depression.
Nuance threads through the consensus: some critics applaud the theatrical persona and vocal virtuosity as appropriate homage, while others, notably Pitchfork, argue that occasional oversinging and stylistic eagerness obscure distinct songwriting. Taken together, the reviews suggest For The First Time, Again is worth listening to for its best tracks and vintage-modern sensibility, a promising follow-up that frames Tyler Ballgame as an artist refining his identity. Below, detailed reviews unpack where the record's nostalgia, ambition, and restraint succeed or fall short.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Goodbye My Love
2 mentions
"it’s hard not to find yourself seduced by Ballgame’s voice when it hits a cathartic wordless climax on Goodbye My Love"— The Guardian
I Believe In Love
4 mentions
"the vaguely Beatlesque cast to the melody of I Believe in Love (And That’s Fine)"— The Guardian
Waiting So Long
3 mentions
"the abundance of gorgeous melodies, most notably on Deepest Blue and Waiting So Long"— The Guardian
it’s hard not to find yourself seduced by Ballgame’s voice when it hits a cathartic wordless climax on Goodbye My Love
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
For The First Time, Again
I Believe In Love
You're Not My Baby Tonight
Matter of Taste
Sing How I Feel
Goodbye My Love
Got a New Car
Ooh
Down So Bad
I Know
Deepest Blue
Waiting So Long
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 5 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Tyler Ballgame\'s voice is the album\'s obvious showpiece, and on For The First Time, Again his best moments come when he dials it back, as on “Ooh” and “Got a New Car”. The review finds that those quieter, measured turns reveal more character than the record\'s frequent theater-kid flourishes, which often read as homage rather than originality. Millan Verma praises the production\'s warm, analog sheen but argues the writing rarely matches the vocal dramatics, which makes the best tracks - especially “Got a New Car” - stand out by restraint. Ultimately, the review frames the album as promising vocal talent still learning to be distinct.
Key Points
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“Got a New Car” is best because measured writing and surreal self-deprecation reveal authentic character.
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The album’s core strength is Ballgame’s powerful, vintage-tinged voice and warm analog production, but it is weakened by oversinging and derivative homage.
Themes
Critic's Take
Tyler Ballgame sounds reborn on For The First Time, Again, where the title track and “I Believe in Love” emerge as some of the best songs on the record, their mix of longing and jaunty hooks proving irresistible. The reviewer lingers on the opening title cut - its tapped percussion, crystal-bowl colors, and Orbison-tinged voice make it a centerpiece - and praises “I Believe in Love” as a jaunty standout that recalls lost AM radio hits. Together these best tracks on For The First Time, Again showcase Ballgame's vintage influences and the record's warm, incandescent production, arguing strongly for his charisma and songwriting craft.
Key Points
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The title track is best for its arrangement and Ballgame's Orbison-tinged voice making it the record's emotional centerpiece.
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The album's core strengths are vintage 1960s-70s influences, warm analog production, and Ballgame's charismatic vocal delivery.
Themes
Critic's Take
Tyler Ballgame sounds like someone trying on mythic shoulders and mostly making them his own on For The First Time, Again. The review revels in the gorgeous melodies of “Deepest Blue” and “Waiting So Long”, and praises the staging and cathartic vocal peaks that make “Goodbye My Love” a recurring highlight. Alexis keeps a slightly wary, very specific tone - admiring the warm analogue production and the Orbison/Elvis lineage while noting the occasional artifice. Read as a catalogue of best songs on For The First Time, Again, it points to those three tracks as the clearest evidence that Ballgame’s debut can seduce despite its stylistic eagerness.
Key Points
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The best song(s) are noted for their gorgeous melodies and cathartic vocal peaks, especially Deepest Blue and Waiting So Long.
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The album’s core strengths are warm analogue production, theatrical yet emotive vocals, and confident reworkings of 60s-70s singer-songwriter tropes.
Themes
Critic's Take
Tyler Ballgame arrives on For the First Time, Again with a vintage, richly textured sound that makes the best tracks irresistible. The reviewer's favorite moments - “I Believe In Love” and “Got a New Car” - are praised as a master class in soul-tinged pop and a chamber-pop testament to collaborative space. “Matter of Taste” is celebrated for garage-rock fire and vocal daring, while the piano ballad “You’re Not My Baby Tonight” pushes his tenor to the limits. The voice throughout is admiring and sure, noting imperfection but insisting that the songs, especially those highlighted, mark a clear upward trajectory.
Key Points
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“I Believe In Love” is best because it encapsulates Tyler’s influences and showcases his soul-tinged pop mastery.
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The album’s core strengths are its vintage, analog production and theatrical, powerful tenor that make collaborative arrangements shine.
Themes
Critic's Take
Tyler Ballgame makes a beguiling case on For The First Time, Again, where the best songs - notably “Goodbye My Love” and “I Believe In Love” - display his octave-vaulting voice and melodramatic grandeur. Tom Doyle praises how the Orbison-stained falsetto and heartbroken crescendos propel “Goodbye My Love” into tearful territory, while the producer-urged ambition gives “I Believe In Love” its grand, funky sweep. The record alternates rueful slowies and yacht-rock grooves, making the best tracks stand out as vivid, theatrical miniatures that justify the album's acclaim.
Key Points
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The best song, "Goodbye My Love", is the standout due to its Orbison-styled falsetto and tearful, dramatic crescendos.
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The album's core strengths are vintage-pop production, theatrical vocal delivery, and a mix of heartfelt ballads and polished, funky arrangements.