Death Grips returns to some of the more instantly catchy beats from the Money Store with this album. The only problem is that the innovative and crushing production from that album has been replaced with synths and guitars that don't really have the same impact. MC Ride does a good job of keeping the intensity level high, but it's not quite the same. This is by no means mediocre in any way. I just Death Grips could have committed more creativity to the sounds.

The combination of these two halves is a little bit weird to me. Nevertheless, they are both fantastic halves. The first is dominated by incredibly glitchy and unconventional arrangements and constant Bjork samples while the second features super blary guitars and a more punk aesthetic. The only big issue is the presence of some momentum killing tracks which if gotten rid of would have made this one of Death Grips' best.

This honestly feels like some No Love Deep Web B-Sides. It has roughly the same synth palette as that album. It just isn't as creatively put together and the tracks don't really leave a huge impression on me.

The Money Store sees Death Grips move towards a move electronic direction in regards to their extremely raw debut mixtape Exmilitary. Going down this path, the group doesn't sacrifice any of the insane production and intense performances that made that Exmilitary so fantastic. On this album, it seems Death Grips found that perfect blend of off the wall experimental beats and catchy melodies and stick in your head. It's the defining trait of this album and the main reason this is destined to ... read more

Even after all of the successive efforts, Exmilitary remains Death Grips' hardest hitting and rawest entry. MC Hammer's delivery isn't quite at the animalistic level it eventually became, but it's still plenty intimidating and badass. The off the wall beats are so incredibly creative. There is no way this album does not leave an impact on you the first time you hear it.

Radiohead's dive into experimental rock all started here with this masterpiece. It's a little raw and rough around the edges, but it's still mesmerizing all the same. The despondency and existentialism in the lyrical content would become more and more prevalent in their music going forward and the blend of guitar and electronic synthesizers would as well. On Kid A though, some moments still feel like loops or slightly unfinished ideas. However, it is still most definitely a highlight in the ... read more

College Dropout is Kanye at his most raw and down to earth. I really love the subjects of some of these tracks. For the most part, it's a lot of fun and lightweight. All the features really sell the album as well. The mix isn't perfect but I can largely ignore that on an album with so many highlights.

Kanye remains down to earth on his sophomore project while stepping it up on the production. The mix is much improved on this album and the features are fantastic as well. Some of Kanye's most genuine and emotional tracks are here as well. Late Registration encapsulates the charm and the great arrangements that made early Kanye so appealing.

The overall positivity surrounding this album seems to mainly stem from nostalgia. While nostalgia is a perfectly good reason to enjoy music, it doesn't really do any favors when looking at it objectively. Graduation is easily Kanye's most accessible and worst produced album. With that being said, however, I still think Kanye did very well in trying to create a set of stadium ready pop rap anthems. The songs here do what they are designed to do, even if they are largely mindless and dated.

Kanye's attempt at making a softer and more sensitive album produced some varying results. There are moments of pure brilliance in which the autotune really sells Kanye's pain and the accompanying instruments and beats are fantastic. Most of the album though is hampered by the fact that Kanye didn't really go very far with his production in general. Oh, and the borderline cringeworthy Robocop and See You In My Nightmares don't really help either.

If Kanye could just lay the extremely cringeworthy flexing then I would actually enjoy this a whole lot more. He's really lucky he's such a great producer because this would have been a disaster if those lyrics were over anything else.

Ye is an odyssey through Kanye's mental state that sometimes produces extremely riveting moments but ultimately lacks the focus to be a great record. You could make the case the thematic inconsistency could be a kin to the instability of Kanye's psychology. I however think there are better ways of going about that objective than including moments that pander to mainstream trap sensibilities. I can't deny though the effectiveness of the choral arrangements and the earnestness of Kanye's ... read more

Kanye's collaboration with Kid Cudi produces a number of innovative moments. A lot of the production is very interesting and forward thinking. The theme is a bit inconsistent. At times, it is properly dark and substantive. There are instances though of mindlessness that make me lose a bit of interest. I do see the hype for project, but I don't think I'm going to be jumping fully on board.

The biggest problems I have with this debut are the angsty lyrics and the tryhard vocals. Other than that, it's a pretty inoffensive post-grunge album. There are moments of clever writing from Thom, but nothing close to what he would go on to do. This album is also qutie a bit overhated by fans. I don't think it's bad but it definitely can't stand up to their best material.

OK Computer is a modern classic for good reason. Fundamentally, it's perfectly put together. The melodies are timeless and the arrangements are impeccable. Thom's more direct writing style on this album is fantastic and something I wish he would've continued on more recent Radiohead efforts. It's emotional, dramatic, and produced to perfection. There's not much else to say that hasn't been regurgitated over and over again at this point.

Amnesiac is Radiohead's ultimate statement on paranoia and instability. Working with roughly the same sound palette as Kid A, the band does their very best to impose a sense of dread and existentialism. At times, it's really effective. Other times though, it results in some somewhat forgettable moments. Some of the transitions between guitars and electronics can be a little jarring too. The environment created, though, is thoroughly impressive.

Hail to the Thief takes the rough sound palette of Amnesiac and merges its electronic and instrumental side more seamlessly. It's clear that this band is starting get really in touch with both of those sides. The political theme that is clearly pushed by the album cover and the lead track isn't fully fleshed out though. Many of the songs feature very esoteric lyrics which usually pass because it makes it more up to the listener to interpret. Unfortunately, the obscurity makes it difficult for ... read more

In Rainbows is the perfect encapsulation of what I want from a Radiohead album. It is impeccably produced and wonderfully put together. It's got a perfect blend of uptempo and downtempo tracks, some of which highlight Radiohead's trademark paranoia and despondency, others of which feature incredible instrumental progressions. Thom Yorke's vocal and emotive range is on full display and Jonny Greenwood's arrangement abilities are some of the best rock music has ever seen. I cannot think of a ... read more

At this point, Radiohead has mastered the art of creating somber and despondent music. This whole album is trademark. Lyrically, this may be their darkest album yet on a human level. And although it's not the most impressively produced or most opulent project they've done, its subtleties in the instrumentation and writing make it one of their best.

It's kind of hard to put a finger on this one. You could call this Radiohead's most abstract album, which I might agree with. It does seem to be for very little point though. The lyrics are often obscure and esoteric while the arrangements will leave you scratching your head a bit. There seems to be a groove to a lot of these songs but they seem so passionless when I listen to them. The latter half, which includes some of the more serene moments, showcase what this album should have been in ... read more