For an album that had three listening parties, numerous release dates and an ever-changing track list; "Donda" is somehow far from disappointing. This isn't the best Kanye West record, it certainly isn't the worst Kanye West record, but I reckon everyone can agree "Donda" will be a crucial part of his discography, for better or for worse. I understand my love for this album could be partly due to the magnitude of it (finally) being release - don't get me wrong there's ... read more

Considering this is a Trippie Redd album, I feel fairly positive about "Trip At Knight". The first half is great, Trippie's melodic voice really compliments the Sega-style production. As always the lyrics are questionable, but if you're going into this record expecting thoughtful lyricism you're setting "Trip At Knight" up for failure. The second half has way more misses and really makes the track list drag for me. Overall I'm impressed with how much I enjoyed this record ... read more

Although Lorde's new album is a fair disappointment considering the time that has elapsed since her magnificent 2017 record "Melodrama", the return from her hiatus is welcome nonetheless. I hope "Solar Power" will act as a stepping stone for Lorde into newer, more exciting ideas because the beachy folk pop styles that land on this record are very inconsistent. Sure, this record has its highlights, but I'd be lying if I said I'd be returning to this in the autumn. ... read more

Honestly this new Dave album could've been the best album so far this year, as about half the tracks on here are genuinely amazing. Compared to "Psychodrama", "We're All Alone In This Together" is less simplistic, dealing in similar themes but with an added maturity that Dave shows off in his lyrics particularly on the opener "We're All Alone", "Three Rivers", the James Blake cut and (of course) "Heart Attack" which has got to be the most ... read more

After listening to every song on this album, I can confirm that (to no ones surprise) KSI's "All Over the Place" is unremarkable in almost every aspect. The vocal performances range from bizarrely ambitious to boringly straight-forward, the production feels like it's been made by AI and this thing is packed with the most clinically irritating, lyrically uninspired and borderline soulless material that only has one purpose: to be played on UK radio. I respect the attempts made on this ... read more

Vince Staples' new self-titled record is stylistically unique when compared to the feel-good trap music Vince is most known for. In contrast "Vince Staples" oozes a nocturnal energy, matched by Kenny Beats' fairly minimal and subdued production. I find myself most drawn to Vince's lyrics that steer between thoughtful remarks about the situation fame has brought him and the well-humoured satire of past records such as "Summer '06", "Prima Donna" and Vince's first ... read more

Lucy Dacus' new record "Home Video" is poignant without losing the sense of elegance that has come from her past albums. The bold song-writing tackles themes of sexuality, youthful inexperience and fragmented memories - by no means unique concepts in the saturated singer-songwriter genre, but Dacus somehow makes them feel fresh. The production matches the melancholic lyricism, the minimal sound complimenting Dacus' angelic vocals, occasionally exploding into moments of art-rock and ... read more

Rewind 2 or 3 years, Ski Mask was one of the most liked and talked about rappers of the new generation, his flows were rapid and aggressive, his lyrics were unique and his production was ever-so-slightly industrial. But "Sin City" is confirmation that Ski Mask's potential is still yet to be met. For starters, the production on here is really dry and can be difficult to listen to when combined with his raspy flows, lyrically there's the odd gem but mostly Ski Mask's writing is ... read more

2 years on from the luscious and expansive "IGOR", Tyler finds himself in an awkward position. His sound has transitioned so quickly into genre-less styles that even the diehard Odd Future fans are somewhat hesitant to predict his next move in his musical career. On the whole, "CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST" isn't quite as bold as his past works, more of a refinement in Tyler's rapping ability both lyrically and thematically, which provides a pretty enjoyable 16 tracks with ... read more

"Culture 3" acts as a reminder to the music industry what Migos are good at - but unfortunately what they aren't so good at as well. Lets start by addressing the length, an hour and fifteen minutes is a long album in most genres, but for the type of straight-forward trap the Migos specialise in; this album is excruciatingly long. The trio also consistently make sure every member has a verse of reasonable size, which leads to all 19 tracks being structurally tepid, it's as if the ... read more

Why is this actually quite good? Neither Lil Baby nor Lil Durk are artists I've ever praised that highly, and yet "The Voice of the Heroes" is one of my favourite trap albums of 2021 so far. Yes there are some cuts that don't hit the spot but for an 18 track album this is a fairly concise listen; the pair flow off each other with electrifying energy. I will say Lil Baby definitely steals the show, but that's not to discredit Durk, as I leave this record with new-found respect for both ... read more

black midi are a band of extremes, ever since their debut in 2019 the group's work has been met with superlatives, and "Cavalcade" is no different. From the slick vocals to the unbelievable speed the tracks move; all 8 tracks feel like an adrenaline-fuelled frenzy from the underworld. This record feels more like the group are trying to impress their listeners with their undeniable talents rather than trying to create a project of particular cohesion - not necessarily a criticism but ... read more

Olivia Rodrigo's official debut record is predictably clumsy and unashamedly derivative of the Taylor Swift's and the Lorde's of the 2010s, but not without the occasional highlight. Front to back "SOUR" is a breakup album, and not a particularly subtle one either, but subtlety seems to be put to one side here and instead replaced with a collage of pop-punk and singer/song-writer-style flourishes like the noisy "brutal", the angsty "good 4 u" and the closing ballad ... read more

"Nurtue", the second album from synth-pop legend Porter Robinson has all the components to be an exceptional record, let down by the occasional sleeper or repetitive loop. Of course I see the brightness and the appeal of this album; "Nurture" is sonically blissful with brilliant layers of synths, crisp percussion and some unbelievably catchy vocals in Robinson's trademark style. However I do still find this to be a slightly conflicted listen, mainly due to the lack of ... read more

"The Off-Season" is J. Cole's latest release, 3 years after the lukewarm "KOD" Cole finds himself in a similar position of wisdom and respect, but without any over-arching concept this new record feels like much more of a casual listen. Since his last release Cole has developed into a fresher style that takes the trap sounds of "KOD" and combines them with soulful samples and auto-tuned melodies. To me it's clear Cole is nearing the end of his career as a rapper ... read more

On the whole "La Maquina" is as boisterous as any Conway The Machine project, but compared to his last album released earlier this year, Conway seems to have a better understanding of how to hold a listener's attention. The main positives here lie in the albums length, unlike most Griselda records there are some pretty smooth hooks and, although slightly unorthodox, the feature list keeps you guessing. Lyrically "La Maquina" is decent, but not at the level as some of ... read more

"Super What?" is not the best body of work from CZARFACE or the late MF DOOM, but it's eccentricities make it an enjoyable collaboration. The continual comic book references are pretty fun, and the chemistry between the trio is still remarkable, but the production on this album falls a little short in my opinion. On the whole Inspectah Deck and Esoteric both outshine DOOM which is a little surprising, as in the past DOOM tended to end up more in the spotlight, and although "Super ... read more

Flying Lotus, a musical pioneer whose influence can be seen throughout the music industry presents his newest project: the soundtrack to "Yasuke" a Netflix anime. Although I haven't actually watched the series, this album stands by itself as a work of art; FlyLo mixes sounds of jazz and vague hiphop instrumentals with synth leads and Japanese style production to brilliant success. Although the track list may look daunting, each song seldom surpasses two minutes, making ... read more

DJ Khaled's newest release is just as laborious as you'd expect, as Khaled channels his obscure superpower to force mainstream artists of very different styles to collaborate, the result somehow less engaging than you expected. Although I'm sure DJ Khaled is a very intelligent man, I struggle to see how screaming the same 3 catch phrases from 2013 at the start of every song makes you in any way deserving of credit both critically and in a casual sense. "KHALED KHALED" is not a ... read more

Lil Yachty's new mixtape "Michigan Boy Boat" is such a difficult listen despite its more agreeable length. Yachty shows no lyrical prowess in the slightest, combined with some of the most unpleasant beats and features who can't even be bothered to stay on the beat; this is one of the lowest points in Lil Yachty's discography. I respect the idea but the execution of this mixtape is beyond poor.