Admittedly, it's a bit more on the simplistic side of intelligent/atmospheric drum & bass. Which is not inherently a bad thing, but I was expecting a bit more in terms of interesting melodies.

The beauty of intelligent/atmospheric drum & bass or ambient jungle is how producers can cook up interesting and diverse melodies with ambient soundscapes and atmospheric textures.

While the ambience is definitely here, the rhythms of those melodies are a bit samey and simple. At least the ... read more

I knew I wasn't going to jive with this much, since I'm not a fan of funky hip hop productions, but I decided to give this album a shot anyways.

This album is filled to the brim with funky chops, while also being filled with some very weak writing. The hooks are cheap and some of the subject matter is just boring.

The simplicity of the album's production isn't necessarily a bad thing, but even Del felt that it needed more interesting beats.

One of the most impressive racing game soundtracks out there.

The suspenseful and intense orchestral work mixed with the immersive race chatter gives me chills. Every time.

While I still think inFAMOUS 2 has the best soundtrack in the series, I also strongly admire this soundtrack.

It's really fitting and unique, as it symbolizes the setting and the cultural background of our protagonist. The grunge rock influences (inspired by the Seattle setting) blend well with the indigenous cries (calling back to Delsin's Native American heritage). 'Speed of Light' and 'Double Crossed' showcase this really well. There's also some nice ... read more

A nice fusion of different genres that flesh out the fuzzy and atmospheric nature of the album.

There are some really great trip hop grooves, respectable boom bap raps (although, I'm not too fond of how basic they sound), some surprisingly cool reggae fusions, and even a kick-ass jungle track.

'I Came Running' feels reminiscent of a slick and slow R&B song from the late 90s, but with a calm and lo-fi approach that eventually breaks into these exhilarating hard drums. ... read more

Ahead of its time and quite experimental for a video game soundtrack in 2004.

It's a very impressive mix of unsettling grime and cold surrealism - mixing elements of industrial, dark ambience, as well as some trip hop. But this avant-garde approach perfectly suits the dreamlike narrative and darker tone of the game, as it emulates Agent 47's wounded state and his grim fever dreams.

What makes this soundtrack even more impressive is how electronic it is. Many video game scores of the ... read more

Retrospective:

After the recent release of Alfredo 2, I had to revisit the original to see if it still held up or if I was just losing my admiration for jazzy, drumless hip hop records.

But nah, this album still holds up.

The instrumentals here are either a bit grimy or luxuriously smooth, which makes for some pretty interesting melodies throughout. Also, this album still has some of Freddie Gibbs' best raps of all time. 'God is Perfect' has an infectious flow to it and that ... read more

While I don't like it as much as the original, it still hits the marks. I also noticed that the production here is a bit more psychedelic this time around, which is cool.

I don't really care much about the features, though Anderson .Paak killed it (as always). There are certain flows that Freddie plays around with that don't quite hit for me (especially on 'Lemon Pepper Steppers'), but most of it is pure Gibbs goodness. I will admit that the beats aren't as ... read more

Unbelievably consistent and painful. The lo-fi production and abstract lyricism works all too well with the off-kilter production - as well as the themes of depression and loss.

It's the definition of a love it or hate it album.

Re-review:

Doesn't exactly get better on subsequent listens, only more frustratingly unfocused. I even had to listen to the album in a serialized fashion just to make it feel more cohesive.

It's a shame, because the first-third of the album is a lively start. The second-third feels wildly uninspired and unpolished. The last-third does have two great tracks, but the rest is still pretty underwhelming.

I love eclectic albums, but this one just lacks the cohesion and polish.

I can understand why this album was such a game changer in the world of indie hip hop. Some of the beats here have creative melodies that weren't often heard in most underground hip hop albums at the time, and the energy of this crew was youthful and brash. There's a mix of jazzy elements and the typical bass guitars, but then there are songs like 'Mics of the Roundtable', 'Miles to the Sun', and 'You Never Knew' that sound more spacious and surreal. It ... read more

GET COLOR is the HEALTH album I revisit the most alongside their self-titled. There's no other noise rock that quite sounds like this, especially when it comes to how synths and guitar pedals are used.

It's not for everyone. But when it clicks with you, it HITS. It's ultimately the peak of HEALTH'S noise rock efforts.

Noisy music (especially noise rock, electro-industrial, and industrial hip hop) has always been a little niche of mine that has allowed me to see the avant-garde side of music. I'm honestly compelled by a lot of noisey tunes. Yet... this album did absolutely nothing for me. And that's okay.

But one thing I realized when listening to this album was just how masterfully crafted and "catchy" El-P's 'Fantastic Damage' was. Not the best thing to appreciate a ... read more

Sound of Metal is a great film that many music or indie film fans need to watch at least once. The story being told there is one thing. But this album almost tells an additional story.

A large majority of soundtracks contain music that was featured in the source material it's based off of. Sometimes there'll be a bonus track or two that wasn't in the film just for soundtrack buyers. But almost 40% of this soundtrack contains tracks that weren't in the final film and tracks ... read more

K.Flay's previous work was interesting,
but pretty rough in the sense that a lot of great ideas felt undercooked or just came off as low effort. A lot of goofy and comical raps, that just never appealed to me, alongside some EPs that went in more interesting directions but didn't quite satisfy me. But this debut album is definitely K.Flay putting a much more mature and nuanced step forward.

Life as a Dog is an alternative hip hop and indie rock album with some low-key emo elements. ... read more

I get that punk is supposed to be simplistic, brief, and raw - mostly focusing on sheer energy, rather than flashy music composition.

But I also enjoyed songs like 'Anti, Anti, Anti', 'Your Problem', 'Media Ogre', and 'Punk Church' because of their more interesting guitar work and longer arrangements.

This is Shabazz Palaces best project in their discography, yet. It's a conscious but super trippy album. It feels like you're on a hazy and surreal planet, where the government tries to fight away the haze.

This album solid all the way through. It starts with a banger, and ends with a banger. While 'Black Up' was Shabazz Palaces' breakout Magnum Opus, 'Lese Majesty' is them finding an ongoing sound.

This album kind of feels like a lost mess. Without the help of former member 'Tendai', 'The Don of Diamond Dreams' kind of feels like 'The Lost Diamond Dreams'.

Every single track is either uninteresting or just straight filler. 'Ad Ventures' and 'Fast Learner' are the only two tracks that saved this album from a 0/100.

This project is laughably boring and an underwhelming transition from their previous and decent album 'The Jealous Machines'.