When the music screams “retro,” I usually lean classic, but only if the old style adds something the track doesn’t already give—like a subtle nod to the era. If the sound feels fresh, I lean risky, but I always test the design in my own little gallery first; if it still feels off, I tweak or scrap it. The trick is balancing my obsession with detail against the album’s pulse, so you end up with a cover that feels both inevitable and surprising.

That’s the sweet spot—always keep a margin for the genre insiders, because their ears catch the cracks that a casual viewer misses. I love the idea of testing in a little closed circle; it’s like doing a taste test before a full launch. And yeah, I’m usually the one who over‑protects my sketches, but once the right people say “this actually works,” I let the chaos in.