Drake - Certified Lover Boy
64
I think everyone is being a little hard on Drake here, to be honest. This is who he is, who he has always been. This is Drake doing Drake things, entering the denouement of a dominant career -- find me one rapper who remains at the top of their game for more than 5 albums? It would have been surprising for Drake to come through with something new & interesting this late in the game, with this his 6th studio LP (not to mention his 3 EPs & 6 mixtapes) in 13 years.

Lyrically, he is ... read more

Tyler, The Creator - CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
68
Definitely one of the more unexpected directions from Tyler, but I suppose we should expect nothing less at this point. CMIUGL sees Tyler slide back into each of his personas kaleidoscopically, bouncing from his dreamy R&B-leaning Flower Boy sound, the pop weirdness of IGOR, and heavy into the abrasive rap of the Goblin-era, to mixed results.

I know his albums are always a bit of a mix, which really is the beauty of Tyler's creations, but this one specifically feels a bit more, maybe, ... read more

Genesis Owusu - Smiling With No Teeth
85
I wasn't ready for the hyper genre-bending, hyper referential beast that is Smiling With No Teeth. That Neo-Soul tag, throw it out the window.

Owusu blasts out of the gate with a poppy Death Grips-y track ("On The Move!"), then proceeds to pummel you with cocktail of the following soundalikes: a Gorillaz-indebted burner ("The Other Black Dog"); a Goldlink-flow ("Waitin' On Ya"), a chiptuney 'Dancing In The Dark' by way of Young Fathers ("Drown"), House ... read more

Tim Atlas - QUOTA
82
Tim Atlas continues to deliver immensely listenable pop tracks with throwback flair. He's always oddly familiar, and really easy to get into, and this EP is no different.

Standout tracks include the lead single Wallflower, and the sublime Water, with an almost 'Everything She Wants' (by Wham!) referencing chorus.

One of the more immediately enjoyable releases of 2021 thus far. You don't have to try -- just get past the out of place album intro.

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