While there is little novel happening sonically, Katie still impresses me with poems and passionate performances that capture a warming, homely feeling of the Alabama summer while exploring her more introspective relations with the existential.
I would have sworn by this record if I were still a teenager. Even though Voice Memos to choc-full of corny, insufferable trap beats, Ben occasionally shines forth with creative brilliance--foreshadowing echoes of the deeply compelling artist he would soon become.
Aside from a few killer tracks, Don presents more of a worn-out, vanilla trap sound.
From the opening track, mk.gee instantly flexes his incredible technical skill in wielding the guitar, producing a unique world of sound that swells you into a psychedelic dream. His vocal control and harmonies push his retro, alien, pop-R&B sound to an entirely new cathartic level. Two Star and the Dream Police suffers mostly from its short runtime, and while mk.gee presents creative, exciting ideas, I don't feel as though those ideas linger for long enough. When the last track ... read more
Zeke proves on his debut self-released record that he can command the reins of concept with great control, building a world with his sound and writing culminating in a moving folk-rock experience. His production tends to lack texture, and while his writing can often feel dry for the sake of concept, Zeke otherwise greatly shines in his penmanship, creating verses that have long-lasting staying power in my mind. I can't get enough of this record, and I'm excited for where Zeke goes ... read more
A dark, gritty collaborative love letter to Memphis, bolstering stand-out features from That Mexican OT, Project Pat, TiaCorine, Ty Dolla $ign, and many more. Zeltron sets the bar high for what mixtapes should be.
Beabadoobee makes me fall in love over and over again hearing her sharply produced pop rock tunes and her enchantingly sweet voice.
Billy Strings keeps writing fun, toe-tapping songs, but I feel as though he keeps falling short of writing the bluegrass epic I know he has in him.
Vince Staples may feign mediocrity with his quiet demeanor and unwavering consistency, but his command of concepts is his trump card. Dark Times certainly lives up to its name, providing an often slow-tempo soulful West Coast hip-hop record that examines a hurt character pulled down by his circumstances. Vince links the cities of New Orleans and Los Angeles through his family and brothers while battling the loss and grief that so often plagues those communities.
Wow, what a funky and classy pop record! It feels so retro but so new and fresh. It's pure unadulterated fun.
TOP uses the excuse of a concept record to release their most offensively bland tunes yet. I have no idea what happened here...
A record that captured my heart in my teenage years, and returning to it proves its longevity as a brilliant world built by Tyler Joseph along with his and Josh Dunn's most energetic and infectious songwriting and instrumentation.
After their disappointing previous release, TOP returns to prove they can still make a tight pop record, harkening back to the conventions that made Trench their best work. While great callbacks can make a fan like me bubble up with glee, the worldbuilding falls short of what once was.
Zach Bryan continues to cement himself as the most refreshing voice in popular country music, but I think his greatest weakness is his obsession with writing which often leaves his projects bloated and lacking in concept despite still being great.
Adrianne's writing is captivating. She presents herself as beautifully broken and content in her sadness, and I'm locked in.
Peggy and Danny are a match made in heaven—ambrosia from the gods—the Ark of the Covenant—the Holy Grail. United, they draw the Excaliber of experimental, absurd, jazzy, avant-garde hip-hop and crown themselves as Kings.
OFFLINE is the near-perfection of avant-garde hip-hop. Long live JPEGMAFIA!
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Recent Review Comments
On HX9's review of Armand Hammer - Mercy
"sweet! definitely check out their other albums like haram and we buy diabetic test strips. i think this record is rather weak compared to how exciting their other projects are. you may definitely see some improvements."
On CMAT - EURO-COUNTRY
"@sminty My 5s' are not negative. Anything I score from 4-10 is a good album. Overall I enjoyed the record, it sounded good. I wasn't very impacted by it by the end. So I gave it a modest score while recognizing the talent present."
On Swack's review of Josiah Queen - Mt. Zion
"@lforce2007 The thing is, it IS about the music though. The profit machine is what makes the music so bad. All Josiah has to do I have some quirky terrible writing over a stomp and holler beat and people eat it up and it makes money. He is never required to try any harder than the bare minimum because Christian consumers settle the simple label "Christian music" and never challenge the artist to evolve. Christian music is regressing. It keeps getting more boring."
On Swack's review of Skillet - Victorious
"thunder. th-th-thunder thunder. thunder. th-th-thunder thun. thunder. th-th-thunder."
On dougweezerfan's review of Cameron Winter - Heavy Metal
"Hell yeah! I do think a few tracks are a little weak, but Drinking Age and $0 are actual peak in songwriting."
On Swans - Birthing
"@IYUN Thanks for the reccs! I've only been keeping up with new releases in music for the past 2 years, so I've missed a lot from acts like Swans with big, old catalogues."
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