A charming, if somewhat substance-less, lo-fi slacker-folk release that crafts a pretty compelling atmosphere in lieu of lyrical depth
Though there’s certainly moments where the duo make magic happen (particularly Writing and the closer), most of Light-Years feels largely like a retread for both artists, which rings as something of a pretty significant disappointment after how long the hype for this collab has been drawn out. Even moments that should feel cathartic like the reunion AZ feature just kind of… happen, with little fanfare. Far from bad, I mean these are two of the *best* of their craft- which is also ... read more
A bit of an improvement over the pre-glow EUSEXUA, and also features far and away my favorite track between the two, HARD. Still think this is far from her best but the aesthetic is certainly committed to well
EUSEXUA exists in a space that seemingly is meant to be entrancing, but I more often than not just found myself driven to a lull than anything else. Compared to a work like MAGDALENE, which is sprawlingly deliberate and consistently keeps the listener on their toes, EUSEXUA sounds as though it’s constantly stopping and starting anytime it picks up momentum- like a transmitter for an alien language flickering in and out anytime you start to understand it
Psychoboost is ball-bustingly hype, but otherwise I can unfortunately confirm I still have yet to come around to digicore/rage on the whole
The opener and closer really nailed that hyper-sleek glitch-R&B that’s so popular right now with artists like Dijon. The other tracks were a pretty mixed bag for me
An hour of spiraling deeper and deeper. Under the guise of Huremic, noise-wizard Parannoul delivers five components to a grand expulsion of guitar-driven euphoria, leaving the listener with a choice to hold on tight or drift away. Both seem suitable
My favorite Ethel Cain project I’ve heard to date. The ambient/drone passages here are drawn out with enough variety to make things dynamically interesting. Still wouldn’t say I’m a major fan of Cain’s works as even here there’s a lot more that could’ve been done to make things consistently interesting if you ask me
Every Swans release deserves credit for being completely committed to its ‘sound’, whatever that sound may be, and Birthing is certainly no different. That said- the grander theme and concepts here evaded me. I’m no stranger at this point to longer works nor Swans (I loved Soundtracks when I listened a couple months ago), but at most this record sounded impressive from a sonic standpoint and little else. One day I may come around to this a bit more, who knows
My first redveil project, so I lack the necessary context to pinpoint if this as seismic an improvement on his prior works as everyone is saying. That said, I CAN confirm that this is a wonderfully passionate and conscious jazz rap record with heaps of soul. Sure, redveil’s flow is far from the star of the show here, and there’s the occasional moment that feels somewhat uninspired despite the clear ambition- but it all comes out in the wash thanks to just how consistently fun this is
Shades of Jeff Buckley and Cameron Winter abound, there’s nevertheless no doubt that this is about as unique and enigmatic a debut project as Singer-songwriter could ever shoot for. So much of Blizzard feels puzzlingly abstract, with its soaringly warbling vocals and almost bitterly yearning lyrics- yet the whole record still feels so warm, like a bonfire in a torrential, well, blizzard. A buzzer-beater essential for the year that I have a feeling will grow on me even more with time
It really can't be said enough- this is Kendrick just having fun, and it's a *blast*. GNX acts as the perfect lighter yin to Mr. Morale's hyper-heavy and thematic yang. Sure, tracks like the title track, peekaboo, and dodger blue may feel like relative softballs compared to his grander pieces- but this is for the West Coast-heads first and foremost. If Dot's career to this point was establishing his status as the West Coast's new torch-bearer, GNX is Dot going on a ... read more
The first Dot record that feels like it’s going for widespread appeal first and foremost, in that most of these tracks can be taken on their own merits even outside of the record’s grander ‘message’. That’s not to say there’s not greater concepts at play here- I’d argue DAMN is the Dot record where he conveys concepts with the broadest brush-strokes. Ideas of pain, love, fear, mercy, pride- all are tackled on the macro scale, as opposed to the deeply ... read more
It's obviously jarring hearing a project that lacks a cohesive concept following two projects of sweepingly grand thematic focuses, but every cut here still manages to feel deeply intertwined. 02, 03, and 05 could all have fit right in on either of Kendrick's prior two masterpieces
Even though the majority of the narrative-driven elements here were something of a miss to me, there’s *more* than enough highlights here to make this a superb debut LP. Hol’ Up, ADHD, HiiiPower, Rigamortus, and Blow My High stand proudly as essentials even against the further masterpieces Dot would put out from here
As expected, it’s Dot before becoming DOT- like the difference between a declarative statement and an imperative. Still has some solid beats and it’s clear that Kenny’s always had the capacity for B A R S
A posthumous release that really hardly feels like one given just how much passion and heart lie here. Buffalo Soldier and I Know both manage to be absolute Marley essentials
The last Wailers record released during Marley’s lifetime stands firmly and with unwavering confidence as one of the group’s very best- every track here feels like the group firing on all cylinders. Capping things off with Redemption Song feels like the purest distillation of Marley & The Wailers’ mission statement as creatives. Gorgeous
I’d feel comfortable calling this The Wailers’ weakest 70s record- but even the toughest diamond is still a diamond. The first two tracks + Wake Up and Live are essentials, make no mistake
Coming off of Reggae’s most defining statement, it would be easy to assume that Marley & CO’s next effort would be a ‘slump’ in some regard- not so. Is This Love May manage to take the cake as the group’s best all-time cut, sparkling like an emerald among a sea of diamonds- but every track here is pure gold
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Recent Review Comments
On Jalen Ngonda - Doctrine of Love
"@Shayden 100% agree, it’s a throwback record done right"
On 2Pac - Me Against The World
"@Cloudboy019 yeah I def get what you mean. Pac’s cadence and energy is so infectious for me I was able to look past the production being relatively ‘one-note’, even though like you said it is excellent production. That’s an excellent analogy"
On 2Pac - Me Against The World
"@Cloudboy019 that's a fair critique, I will say flow is not Pac's strongsuit, though a lot of people would probably disagree with that. The production is pretty much perfect here imo but it is definitely uniform across the record so I could see it growing stale if G-Funk adjacent stuff isn't as much your bag"
On David Bowie - David Bowie [Space Oddity]
"@usur_disc350 I’ll admit I’ve not revisited this much at all in the last couple years, but I’ll definitely stand by it having several great cuts beyond the title track"
On usur_disc350's review of McKinley Dixon - Magic, Alive!
"Honestly, really well put. I still have this rated pretty highly but I'd say I feel similarly, there's a sheen over this style of 'indie rap' that's starting to feel like the sheen that's covered a large bulk of indie rock the past decade (post-Mac if you will), it's a sheen of homogenization. Hadn't really put much thought to it until now but I think this absolutely hits the nail on the head, and is probably why despite there being so much 'good' hip-hop nowadays, the bulk of it feels like one big swirl of sameness. Excellent take"
On susquatch - Water Plant
"@Rileone it is yeah but it’s also definitely math rock too"
On Faith Evans & The Notorious B.I.G. - The King & I
"@TheTrillTrolla that’s actually very informative, thank you!"
On Doofy's review of The The - Infected
"I prefer Soul Mining a shade, but I’ll agree that this record should be considered as far closer in quality than most. Nearly everything that makes Soul Mining so excellent is found here too, excellent production and songwriting especially"
On Clifford Brown & Max Roach - Clifford Brown & Max Roach
"@HomeSession3 holy shit what a story! Thank you for sharing, that certainly sounds like one of those life-defining moments, for you and Roach. Live Jazz may be the definitive form of live performing for the reasons you said- it makes the frail jolt to life"
On My New Band Believe - My New Band Believe
"@Trazyn I hate saying ‘annoying’ bc that’s reductive, there are def moments where the lyricism along with the vocal style felt really contrived and grating to me though. Overall it’s certainly not an ‘annoying’ album, just nothing particularly new for Windmill. I would say I’m annoyed with the windmill scene in general nowadays"
On Tangerine Dream - Rubycon
"@Litebill931 thank you much! I have to stop myself from over-writing a lot of the time lol"
On π©πππππππΆππ's review of Slayyyter - WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA
"First review of this project that’s really made me want to check it out- seriously excellent write-up"
On XTC - Drums and Wires
"@sher12308 you’re totally right! Major goof on my part, I’ll edit that, appreciate the call-out"
On King Krule - 6 Feet Beneath the Moon
"@yusukeYYH thank you so much! His music is this really intriguing blend of abstract and extremely vivid"
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"@ScaredDog6163 yeah for sure! I appreciate the compliment! Jeff Buckley is a perfect example of why 90s rock really shouldn’t be funneled into those two ‘categories’ I listed because he blends so many styles and sounds (a major reason why Grace is one of the most majestic albums of all time). I’m the same as you in that there’s very little I truly dislike that I listen to- it makes it a lot easier to be encouraged to check out more stuff! Let me know when you’ve got those reviews typed out, I’d love to check em out!"
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"Sorry for the long winded answer, hope that helps! If you need help finding some specific bands lmk too and I can try and throw you some based on what you currently rock with π€"
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"The other main strain in my mind is Slacker Rock (the kind I tend to prefer a bit). This is your Pavements, Built to Spills, Weezers, etc. This style of rock tended to ‘look forward’ whereas grunge took influence from a lot of its contemporaries in many ways.
In terms of what I’d do for a deep dive now- honestly, I’d determine which strain you like more and start with the big bands before digging deeper, maybe even trying out some of the influences/ similar bands. For instance, if you really fw Weezer I’d recommend other Geek/Wacky Rock bands like Cake or Grandaddy. Same goes for, say, AIC- you could check out other alternative metal bands for instance."
On Weezer - Weezer (Blue Album)
"@ScaredDog6163 for sure! I went on a pretty big 90s rock binge a couple years back and it’s definitely a vast canyon. This is a wildly simplified answer, but imo there are two *main* streams of 90s rock. The first is what most people think of , being Grunge. These are your Nirvanas and Pearl Jams and basically what the average person will probably think of when they think of ‘90s rock’- and it’s great! Grunge pulls a lot from heavier influences depending on the band, such as Punk and Noise Rock for Nirvana or even Metal with bands like Alice In Chains."
On The Radio Dept. - Clinging to a Scheme
"@Zubb autism + long commutes to work goes a long way lmao"
On Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic
"@Iam_AKne thank you so much! It’s become something of a passion of mine for sure. The kind words go a long way, I’d love to have my own site or something one day"
On Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic
"@Iam_AKne no I’m not, it’s funny you ask because in high school I had plans to maybe become a writer but it never panned out"
On Johnny Blue Skies - Mutiny After Midnight
"Unless you find a rip somewhere or dish out thirty bucks it’s impossible for the time being unfortunately, it is an absolute blast of a record though no doubt, one of his best easily"
On Silk Sonic - An Evening With Silk Sonic
"@Iam_AKne thank you much! I have fun with them lol"
On Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage Acts II & III
"@ScottShelby that does look interesting, I’ll try and get to it later today, thanks again for all the recs! You’re the Zappa guy so it’s been helpful as a total Zappa novice"
On Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage Acts II & III
"@ScottShelby honestly, having sampled a handful of tracks from his studio records to follow from here I think I’m going to bow out for the time being on his discography, I’d prefer to end it on a high note. Someday I’ll eventually go the whole distance but I think I’d honestly just get burned out going through a series of just messy subpar records tbh"
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