Consistent in vibe and quality throughout the runtime, no track feels too long, even though the EP averages 5 minutes per track. The two openers have the most genre variety of the tracklist before the EP camps out on melodic/organic house the rest of the way. It’s engaging while leaving room to get lost in the music. Just as great for casual listening as I’m sure it is in the clubs.

Favorite: Communicate
Least Favorite: Mainline

While it doesn't have much meat on its bones or many moments to latch onto, it's a treat for fans of wonky sound design and funky rhythms. Vorso dips his toes into several genres here, showcasing a diverse range of vibes and grooves, delivering on quite a few highlights and not many lowlights. Melodic elements take a backseat to leave room for what Vorso is largely known for. A cool project within the bounds of what I'd expect from him.

Favorite: CORE
Least Favorite: Departure

🔴 Pretty Race Girl, Crazy
🟢 The other 4 tracks

Aww wait! This is just for the girls? Dang it.

Some solid speed house tracks with a fun theme to tie them all together. Its weakest points are when it relies on supersaws, but thankfully it doesn't do that much. Most of the EP has those driving basslines, strong kicks, and distorted basses that I love to hear from the genre. It's not an award-winner, but it would certainly make race girls everywhere proud.

Favorite: Fast ... read more

🔴 BLUNT SONG, NOISE WORLD
🟢 The other 5 tracks

Normally I find Cyclops's style pretty funny, so I give him more grace than I do some of his contemporaries. But I'm willing to admit when he misses, and this EP is an unfortunate example. The jokes rarely land. The drops rarely hit. A couple tracks have some good ideas, but they quickly move on from those to return to the more mid parts of the tracks. Although I don't have much fun with this project, I'm hoping for some ... read more

Very mixed bag that, at the end of the day, comes out on top, even as it peters out. After a puzzling intro, tracks 2-5 deliver some real jumpers and feelers, before tracks 6-8 ride the brakes among their varied vibes. Track 9 delivers a great bit of impact with the rawest vocal performance of the album, but the closing track merely exists. ELEVATION RHYTHM doesn’t set itself that far apart from Elevation Worship much here, to its benefit at some times and detriment at others. The ... read more

Not a whole lot of meat here, but it’s quite a nice journey. I generally prefer wintry vibes in music to those of any other season, so this was bound to hit with me. The vocals are airy and soothing, working well with the lyrics and instrumental alike. Shallou’s got his style down pat!

Favorite: Hereafter
Least Favorite: Overture

A nice EP that only sort of captures the sounds of spring without venturing too far outside the safe reaches of Shallou’s house and downtempo styles.

Favorite: Habitat
Least Favorite: A Clearing

A solid album that takes a while to get going, but when it does get going, it's a real vibe. Outside of the piano sections, the first half doesn't do much for me, but it sounds nice and has a cool groove or two. The second half is where I get most of my enjoyment because it seems as if he put more effort into the atmospheres of those tracks. As a project, it doesn't really stick out to me, but it's a marked improvement from last year's album.

Favorite: 2me
Least ... read more

My opinion on this album is a bit complicated. I had pretty high expectations for a sequel to his great 2024 album, which mixed a lot of wisdom and heart in his signature style. Most of this sequel seems to merely capitalize on the success of its predecessor rather than take it one step further. In those cases, it truly is an encore, just saying what’s already been said exactly how it’s already been said. That would land this album at a solid 65, because the beats, although pretty ... read more

Asher's debut EP was a massive hit for me, so I was expecting something even bigger from this debut album, and he delivered. Using his unique electropop and synthpop styles, he takes us on what feels like a retreat in the wilderness, which fits perfectly with the theme he’s going for here. During this retreat, we get an insight into Asher’s relational and emotional struggles—even his insecurities as an artist, like in the blatantly vulnerable song, ... read more

🔴 IRL, Easydoes
🟢 The other 9 tracks

As much as I love Lowswimmer, I've really put him in a box. Whereas Novo Amor offered a lot more string-centric ambient production, Lowswimmer always seemed to me like the melancholy guitar guy who switches his vocal registers a lot. So when the singles rolled out for this album, I was surprised to hear more energetic grooves and electronic ear candies. The album stuck to that vibe pretty closely for the first half, but then it becomes more of an ... read more

🔴 Riot, bRuh, Crashout, All Black Tint, New Sound, Bussin' Up
🟢 The other 9 tracks

Disclaimer 1: I find all music criticism to be totally subjective, even when it brings in objectively measurable concepts. This applies to my criticism just as much as anyone else's. So whenever I say an album is "good" or "bad", those are completely subjective terms to me.

Disclaimer 2: I also don't like to hop on "hate trains" for artists. I like to ... read more

Taking on a spooky soundtrack vibe, Alon Mor delivers on a number of cool compositions with strong ideas. The vocals and instruments alike set the vibe of each piece quite well. It does tend toward monotony and the instrumentation does sound too roomy at times—as if the action is happening too far away for you to be a part of it. But the little electronic flourishes hit every time, and the mood is eerily effective. Despite the occasional weak point, it's quite a good EP.

Favorite: ... read more

🔴 Jungle Fury, Disorder (Rebirth), Aiwa, The Mob, Overkill, Take That
🟢 The other 4 tracks

Although the mixing can get a bit messy, the story can get a bit blurry, and the compositions can get a bit disconnected, this is still a great group of bangers with only a few mid moments. The rest is the kind of dubstep I love to hear. The bass design, the beats around it, the buildups, and of course the drops make for big neckbreakers. Sure, it's not perfect. But it's super fun, and ... read more

This is a great showcase of JJW's strengths as an artist. The theming is simple, but the production keeps it full enough to feel like a journey that's well worth it. The production is clean amidst the several different vibes on which this EP touches. The lyrics are meaningful and powerful. The attention to both detail and the bird's-eye-view in the composition is very stimulating for the vast majority of its runtime. The intro and outro are also fantastic ways to bookend the ... read more

This EP takes on more complexity in his song structures and musical sections than in a lot of his other projects, to varying success. All 5 tracks sound nice and have some interesting ideas, but they rarely made much of an impact on me after listening. JJW's vocal performances, lyricism (although more sparse here), and mixing are top-notch as always, fitting the vibe for which each track is aiming. But the ideas are not quite enough to keep me coming back when his other projects ... read more

A solid collection of songs with proven intentionality in keeping the EP consistent from front to back, even as the energy ebbs and flows. It doesn't touch the highs of either artists capacity for expressing raw emotion in strong musical form, but it's quite a nice and peaceful listen. It takes a simpler route, but it earns its place in JJW's discography even if it doesn't stand out much as a project.

Favorite: don't pass me by
Least Favorite: until you bless me

Still as consistently beautiful as the first time I listened to this project, which was my introduction to JJW. "Nurture"-influenced projects are often likely to score high with me, and this is a prime example. The ways the pads, samples, instruments, and vocals work together to create serene, wistful atmospheres are sound design heaven. Not to mention the lyrics are thoughtful, following the progression of the EP from front to back. He succeeded greatly in everything he was trying to ... read more

A groovy and vibey foray into a darker, heavier, more unsettling side to his garage style. JJW is great at setting the mood for his tracks with groovy vocal chops, dancey beats, and subtle atmospheres. This is a great example of that at work in a direction that is different from normal. Using minimal lyrics to communicate simple Biblical truths through subtle means, JJW creates a cool EP out of verse and drop structures that work for me most of the time.
 
Favorite: keep your eyes on ... read more

After he hogged two spots in my top EP’s of 2024, I was excited to get a full-length project from him. His departure from The International House of Prayer, Kansas City in light of its heavy controversy made for a turning point fitting for an album. But what Jeremy gives us is not blame or bitterness, it’s excruciating struggle toward a brighter step forward.

Production-wise, you get everything you’d expect from him but on a grander scale—from catchy vocal chops to ... read more