This is I Like Fun if they took the average sound and made every song exactly that with little deviation and reused the Can't Keep Johnny Down riff for some reason. They often reel you in with intriguing openings and then go absolutely nowhere with it, unbeknownst to you, it's actually the main melody, and you're gonna hear it as-is for two more minutes. It's not terrible, but it's boring with few truly engaging moments, and by TMBG's resume, that is well below the ... read more
I love the studio versions of all these songs, but this live album feels pretty pointless. For a band that is pretty reliant on backing tracks, the physical presentation and atmosphere you experience is usually the highlight of their live performances (see: The Maybe Man Tour). There was no real theme with this tour as more of a greatest hits set, which makes a normal compilation more practical than the effect of simply giving Jack live vocals and adding applause. The only things of note are ... read more
Atavista takes steps forward and steps back.
Replacing a once-ambient intro, "Atavista" cryptically begins the album its named after, with synthetic piano riding through it. Feels a little bland though. From this point forward, superior mixes of songs from 3.15.20 are presented. Gone are the muddy or strangely sharp moments, fully allowing each track to envelop the listener in its vibe. "Sweet Thang" has a new feature from Summer Walker, enhancing the outro as she meshes ... read more
Although it lacks proper titling, 3.15.20 speaks volumes about being yourself and creating your own identity independent of a burning world.
The first song is an ambient intro, setting a mood as if you began flying into the album's universe. It's not individually re-listenable, but it helps the experience. "Algorhythm" follows as an anthemic track, with Glover's robotic flow contrasting the stadium-sized choir choruses. The outro is a little abrupt though. This groove ... read more