Ari Lennox's move from Dreamville to Interscope was a big one, but I think Vacancy does a tremendous job at solidifying her move as a positive one. This formula really works for her, and while it's a bit repetitive, it really doesn't get stale to me, as this album's 50-minute length doesn't really give it time to overstay its welcome, which I think works perfectly in Ari's favor. Its consistency is impressive and Ari sounds great, vocally. Add in tremendous ... read more
After releasing Negative Spaces, I thought Poppy was heading in the direction of a more catchy, poppy (sorry) sound, but it seems she's reverted back to the classic metalcore sound on Empty Hands. I don't want to say it's a bad thing, because she is good at it, but I feel a bit let down because I thought we were getting a sonic evolution from Poppy's music. Empty Hands has some good moments, but overall it was just solid to me when it could have been great.
It's funny, I listened to this album all the way through again this morning just to make sure this was my first really proper review of the year, and it actually sounded even better today than it did on release. Part of it probably is that I got to listen to like half of it in my car and many of the tracks feel most worthwhile on a drive, but aside from that, it's just another testament to how good Rocky's ear is for beats that complement his style perfectly.
Don't Be Dumb ... read more
I didn't REALLY know what to expect out of this album, but I think I can at least call it better than I expected. The vocals, for the most part, were super solid, aside from some occasional overproduction. I still don't think Madison concretely establishes the direction she wants her career to take as an artist with Locket, but it's a decent-sounding project nonetheless.
Laroi starts out really strong in Before I Forget, but the tracks get more and more dull as it goes on and they continue to say the same thing.
Zach Bryan is at it again with earworm-like melodies with some really unique instrumentals that continue to blend country with his tremendous indie/folk sound. Zach's songwriting is still as good as ever, if not at least slightly stale, given he still doesn't sound much different, stylistically, than his early career. Regardless, he still does this style really well and it suits his voice, as he flows effortlessly through the album. Although I wish its length was a bit shorter, there ... read more
This is easily the most dialed in Conway has sounded since God Don't Make Mistakes, to me. Something about the Griselda sound always hits for me and this album really encapsulates that gritty vibe. So many standout tracks that it's hard to pick just a couple, but The Lightning Above The Adriatic Sea, Otis Driftwood, and Parisian Nights are the ones I keep returning to so far. It's great when Conway is dropping music where he sounds hungry, he's got such a unique sound and is ... read more
Plenty of solid stuff throughout this album, but once you've heard one song, you already heard them all. 21 doesn't really attempt to switch up his flow or delivery much, and while the production is pretty good, it's not earth-shattering and didn't do nearly enough to wow me.
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