A MIKE album that caught my attention slightly less than others of his, even if part of the cohesion of his sound as an artist also dictates a minimum standard of consistency and quality, especially when married with more Slums movement-adjacent production (as opposed to departures like his Tony Seltzer collaborations or his double album this year with Earl, which I personally enjoyed quite a bit). This is probably not the absolute best starting place for him - even before 2020, May God Bless ... read more

In my opinion this is a very impressive follow-up to Cormega's likely magnum opus of the year before, The Realness. It sheds some of the more Mobb Deep/CNN street sensibilities of the his previous effort, and thus some menace, grit and thrust is lost, as well as the production not being quite so much to my taste here for similar reasons. In its place, however, Cormega's introspection and thoughtfulness take centre stage, and he consistently delivers on each song.

Jay Jay Johnson is an excellent trombonist, backed here by a hugely talented band including a young John Lewis and Charles Mingus. The album has real forward momentum all the time, and outside of mavericks like Roswell Rudd and Grachan Moncur III, with whom comparison would be largely pointless, Johnson distinguishes himself as a contender for the greatest jazz trombonist.

IDK attempts a great deal on this effort both musically and lyrically, and his enterprise in the large part rewarded even if the thematic aspects of the album have been done better by more prodigious talents. Nonetheless, IDK is a very engaging personality on the mic and the production complements his energy well.

A haunting, stripped-back album with each song affording ample breathing space for Cohen's lyrical talents to thrive, and the blend of emotional intensity and despondency makes for some very powerful songwriting.

A solid enough EP from Aphex Twin, not as notable as Didgeridoo for instance but it slightly tails off despite its short runtime and isn't quite as inspired as his other work in this early period.

While I prefer The Pod of the year prior (my personal favourite Ween album alongside the very different Quebec), this album naturally comes with the inventiveness, parody, sleaze and surrealism Ween are synonymous with, all capped off with a great sense of musical endeavour and variety. Something of a transitional effort perhaps by some standards, but it stands on its own as a strong album.

Not only one of the all-time great Southern hip hop albums, but one of the all time great hip hop albums full stop. Bun and Pimp’s lyrics range from effortless, fun braggadocio to heartfelt and reflective, and Pimp’s production is outstanding from beginning to end, lacing together slower, stickier beats and easier bangers with a strand of funk and soul that ties it all together musically and complements the two men’s efforts on the mic perfectly.

An excellent Yusef Lateef album, up there with my favourites of his (Prayer to the East and Eastern Sounds being the others). There’s a great variety in the compositions and Lateef showcases his excellent musicianship, while the interplay with the other musicians is also fluent.

A mixed bag, slightly tackily produced and predictable at times but overall Mary J. Blige’s voice is of a quality which guarantees a good standard, and the production sensibilities are dated but nonetheless complement her well.

A very good Blur release after the turn of the millennium, building on the atmosphere and meditative passages that made 13 arguably their best work, and although this doesn’t quite reach that level the band lace this album with interesting moments, well-paced and executed.

Dave East does solid work here; it’s not Harry Fraud’s best batch of beats but it’s serviceable, a good showing lyrically though if nothing else.

Not his absolute best necessarily, but some very smooth and textured arrangements, and some great songwriting kept just on the right side of corniness by the musicianship involved and Barry White’s own patented vocals.

Although not quite up there with the previous trio (Larry Bunker and in particular Chuck Israels had a highly unenviable task in succeeding the great Paul Motian and the late great Scott La Faro respectively), the musicianship and song selection is still great here and there remains something inherently captivating to Evans as a live pianist, with the delicacy and thoughtfulness of his playing.

A somewhat varied album, but definitely with enough highlights to make it a notable addition to both men’s catalogue. Fahim tends to take the spotlight on this one specifically, and it feels a little phoned it at its least inspired points, but also is very well crafted at other points.

Definitely one of the more challenging Mingus albums, as well as one of his most politically charged and even funniest. His bass paying is imperious and nimble as ever, the writing boundary-pushing and the arrangements excellent. Although not immediately as enjoyable as, for instance, Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus, it rewards being revisited.

An excellent piano trio album (with added bounce from Ray Barretto on congas), Horace Parlan remains a chronically underrated pianist with a great momentum and playfulness to his style, and there are some really catchy tunes here too. One of his absolute best alongside Happy Frame of Mind and Us Three.

Slightly inconsistent, it's difficult to help wandering what this album could've been if the quality of its best two or three beats were upheld throughout. Nonetheless the MCing is engaging, the sense of atmosphere and grit well-executed and some standout moments make it very worthwhile for any 90s rap afficionado.

A great electro album with a towering legacy and admirable ingenuity. Very occasionally certain moments may seem to drag slightly but overall the album has a great thrust to it, and the duo's creation of atmosphere and energy makes it a very memorable listen.

This album is a lot of fun, blending a big-band approach to organisation and arrangement, some well interpolated (but occasionally cheesy) western pop sensibilities, Cuban style and swagger and very solid musicianship. It's not an especially complex or groundbreaking work but it's very well executed and consistent.