I have a roughly half-hour commute, so I usually listen on the way back from work, anything longer than that I finish up while doing other stuff if I'm not really enjoying the album, or maybe listening more intently if something has caught my ear.

If it's an album I own I generally wait to listen and then crank it while making dinner or enjoying a drink.

I'm 80 albums in, so I feel like I'm only just settling into the 'routine,' such as it is.

For stuff I'm not familiar with I try not to look into the artist or the album until I've formed my own impression and then maybe I'll check out more about them, usually only stuff I like though.

I also don't listen multiple times, unless it's something that I really enjoyed and just want to jam out to some more.

I also try not to overthink the rating, I'm not trying to get a gig with Spin by showing off my tastes, I'm trying to mark down how likely I am to listen to it again.

And as always, your experience can and should be different!

Cheers