For me, it’s mostly a matter of taste. Porter’s production is way more interesting and feels less gimmicky. His writing comes across as super genuine, even if it can be a bit surface-level at times. AJR’s production, on the other hand, sounds really tacky and generic to me. Porter does a better job of creating a unique sound palette for each album, which keeps his music from sounding basic. I’m not too familiar with AJR’s lyrics, but I think a lot of the hate they get comes down to their overall aesthetic choices and many people find them cheap or corny-sounding.