A standout melodic house EP for the year. It just barely misses out on a 75 because it doesn’t do anything extraordinary, but it is particularly effective in getting across its vibes and emotions. ALLKNIGHT’s voice complements the production by being just as smooth. I very well may return to this one.
Favorite: Need You Now
Least Favorite: Home
🔴 Tops
🟡 Heaven In My Pocket
🟢 The other 4 tracks
I was hoping not to find the EP title accurate as I ventured to discover this new beach-pop-rock-type band, and thankfully it’s not *entirely* true. Unfortunately, it does little and doesn’t go far. There are some really interesting ideas in the vocal melodies and vocal processing, but after hearing them try so many things, it feels like the EP is all ideas with little to tie them together. Except in the case of ... read more
A solid introduction to the shopkeeper style. It doesn't do a crazy amount to set itself apart from its contemporaries, but I'm not convinced that's what it's trying to do. For those looking for acloudyskye in this EP, past or present, you won't find him. But for those looking for a fast-paced groovy little dance EP with some fun vocals, this EP is a good time.
Favorite: START AGAIN
Least Favorite: LOST
Now that I understand Leslie's style better, I realize this has everything you could want from a Leslie project. Groovy beats, funky synth solos, stank-face chords, and even some pensive lyrics. He builds and releases tension well with the unique chord structures placed in strategic locations throughout the album, and that makes for a dynamic experience, even though it doesn't branch out much in genre (nor does it need to). Had to grow on me a little bit, but it there's no doubt ... read more
🔴 Reminds Me Of You, Momma Song, I Wanna Be The One You Call, Wanted Man, Take Me Home
🟡 Mystical Magical
🟢 The other 4 tracks
It's not bad, and it seems to take an, albeit half-hearted, effort to capture what was strong about his previous album. And there are some solid grooves and interesting musical ideas outside of the choruses that give this album a good bit of value. As a whole, though, it doesn't do much to set itself apart from other albums, whether within the genre ... read more
🔴 Mystic Roar
🟢 The other 4 tracks
A solid comeback for Similar Outskirts, despite its emptier moments. I can hear a lot of Knock2 influence in the drops, but it still has that Similar Outskirts charm. Although much of the runtime doesn't hit as hard as some of SimOut's other projects in terms of melodies and drops, it pushes his sound forward a good bit. I'm excited to see where he goes beyond this project.
Favorite: TIGHTrope
Least Favorite: Mystic Roar
🔴 STREET GARDEN, STONE KOLD
🟢 The other 9 tracks
The blue line had all supreme bangers except for one alright track ("ANTIMATTER"), the red line had all alright to pretty good tracks with one supreme banger ("STONE KOLD"), and the interlude seemed like it was mainly there for interlude's sake (which is fine, just didn't need to be that long). The first half has some really interesting ideas that deviate from the standard Skybreak style (especially ... read more
🔴 BAD4U, Butterfly Dream
🟡 Not Giving Up
🟢 The other 10 tracks
Kai Wachi surprises me here with a number of deep, dark, heavy hybrid trap tracks that mostly land very well. The occasional track goes into a more melodic style that doesn't jive with the album's themes too well, and every once in a while, a drop or even entire track doesn't click with me. But it's mostly quite an affective ride, much of the sound design doing enough to keep the energy level high. ... read more
🔴 All About Love
🟢 The other 15 tracks
I don't know how to review this album... Unfortunately, we have found ourselves in the musical equivalent of, "This could have been an email": namely, "This could have been an EP." And if it were an EP comprising tracks 1-2, 10, 12-14, & 16, this would be in contention for my current favorite EP of the year. The intros and outros are sick. The full tracks remind me of the Different Heaven I have a lot of nostalgia ... read more
🔴 glory
🟢 The other 12 tracks
Yeah, this thing is beautiful. This being my first camoufly project, I can see the hype. In terms of song structure, it keeps things pretty simple other than a few intros that are a little out there in a good way. The basslines and beats work together to make for a groovy half hour that feels more like an EP than an album, probably to its benefit. The ear candies and melodies are also so nice to listen to. Although the tracks don't reach extreme highs ... read more
🔴 Lovebirds
🟢 The other 11 tracks
Although I enjoyed most of the tracks, I have to be honest and say I was much more bored by this project than I expected to be. Some people immerse you in that floaty, daydreamy style exceptionally, and there are moments when Effin shows his potential to do so. But as a whole project, it seems that it's constantly fighting between the heavy style you'd expect from him and the daydreamy vibe he's trying to portray. As a result, it falls ... read more
🟡 Enything, Raven
🟢 The other 9 tracks
This album is a whole lot to take in, in a very good way. quickly, quickly infuses his great melodies with an ever-present dynamic back-and-forth between alarming and serene. The thing that sets this album apart the most from its contemporaries in the indie pop genre is its use of musical "jumpscares"--dense walls of sound that alarm the listener to danger before providing a mental reset into the calmer melancholy vibes that characterize ... read more
I was not a Kotori fan at this time nor am I currently a fan of Kotori's output circa 2016. Way too haphazard, way too obnoxious, a lack of much to hold on to inside or outside the drops. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to feel at any point of this EP, but I didn't like the music very much. It had a few okay moments, especially the quite creative drop in Starmine, but those moments weren't enough to save the really grating tracks or the low moments here. Kotori's made ... read more
🟡 No Sleepin' at a Slumber Party
🟢 The other 12 tracks
Two prefaces. First, I have not seen season 5 yet, so I don't know the context behind some of these songs (the other cases have plenty of context clues). Second, P&F is one of my favorite shows of all time and a huge part of my childhood, so I've gotten used to some of the more over-the-top character voices (such as Doofenshmirtz and Buford) whereas they might be a turn-off to this album for some.
Even with those ... read more
Act I introduced the vibe, Act II introduced the purpose, and Act III invites me to evaluate how well the saga capitalized on both. Act III is the strongest and most consistent EP of the trilogy, but it still falls short of the impact Kage was going for throughout this saga. These last three songs don't build much on the little that was said in the prior 10 songs, but the music is more immersive and vibey in this final EP. Overall, a pretty good saga of house tracks that vary slightly in ... read more
The weakest entry in the saga, not picking up much until the last two tracks. Funnily enough, the EP, as well as the whole saga, is generally stronger in the orchestral sections than the house sections (the latter of which is most of the saga and most of Kage's style). It has a few interesting moments, especially in the end, but it was more boring than the previous. Even so, it gave me a better idea of what this saga is going for. It doesn't seem to be a story as much as a ... read more
🔴 Hyperreal, Highway, Sweetest Sacrifice
🟡 Woohaa (maybe a red light, hard to tell)
🟢 The other 8 tracks
What a fun, bouncy, funky album! My introduction to Big Gigantic, the only other of their tracks I've heard being their collab on Kill Paris's album, and it did not disappoint. Sure, there was a weak point or two in there. But their focus was not on punching you in the face like many of their contemporaries in EDM, it was on getting the listener moving. And with each ... read more
The formula for this album was unfortunately conducive to a 55 rating all the way through. Almost all the tracks drop the ball somewhere in the drops, but outside the drops it manages to impress in several areas. Just like Wireframe, it presents an interesting theme in an interesting way but then fails to support the theme outside the narration. Overall, I was meh on the EP all the way through, but the closer ended the EP on a high note. Still waiting for a truly great new project from Paper ... read more
🔴 Peace Of Mind
🟡 Giving Up, Hair
🟢 The other 9 tracks
So so close to a 75. There's a distinct nostalgia for 2000's pop rock throughout this album, of which I'm a big fan. The songwriting is solid, the tracklist is varied, the harmonics and ear candies are well placed. Just a bop of an album from front to back. It does the job swimmingly, but a couple things hold it back from a 75. For one, there aren't many moments that wow me. For two, I don't yet understand ... read more
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On Open_Doors_'s review of TYNAN - TYNAN TIME
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On altair - EXEC: BYPASS
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On tobyMac - The Elements
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On Bowtied Media's review of Sullivan King - CHAOS WILL BRING PEACE
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