🔴 IDGAF, Renegade
🟢 The other 6 tracks

A fun DnB project that has a couple unique sound design ideas. It doesn't touch the likes of Neksus Sound's "Horizon" compilation, but it has a lot to offer. It also gets into several areas of DnB, from neurofunk to liquid DnB to reggae rap DnB. A high-energy collection that is well worth the listen.

Favorite: Twerp
Least Favorite: Renegade

🟡 GOD IS A GENTLEMAN, You Dream Of Me, Right?, Techno Is My Only Love
🟢 The other 3 tracks

Her previous EP being in my Top 10 Worst Projects of 2024, this is such a pleasant surprise. It’s very ironic that this “I don’t care” vibe is coming from a good EP that *followed up* one she didn’t seem to treat with care. But this is just some solid techno throughout, even in the times it gets a little basic/samey. Although I was considering a 65, the artistic ... read more

🔴 RISE, DEADWIRE, YEAH RIGHT
🟢 The other 3 tracks

In true splitter fashion, this is a fever dream of an EP. The sound design is cool, the vibe is hyper, and the reach of genre influences is wider than I could have expected. The main problem with this EP is in its structure: namely, it switches itself up so much and has so much going on at once that there are very few elements to keep it grounded. As a result, the songs break my brain yet immediately slip out without leaving much of a ... read more

Taking a page out of Syzy's book from his 2024 album, Neddie creates a sonic journey that feels seamless throughout all 34 minutes. It has a fantastic start, a bit of a laborious middle, and a triumphant full stop of an ending. It ventures into all sorts of styles, old (love trap, punk drums, etc.) and new (color bass, electropop, etc.), but manages to keep sight of its identity as an album. I fully expect this album to grow on me as I already respect the heck out of the work of art Neddie ... read more

Sure, it’s not the quintessential Chris Rice album, and it’s not him at his most classic. But track after track shows him in top form. There are fun tracks, heartbreakers, cathartic tracks, more reserved tracks, and even more experimental vibes (for his standards; things like rap, R&B, and romantic lyrics, none of which he’d done before this point). The songwriting is top-notch here, and the project has a unique level of cohesion. Several of these songs have developed ... read more

I'm gonna have to ignore some things to sneak this thing up to a 70 (namely: the poor mixing at parts of "stagnation" and the bareness of some sections of the EP). But darn it, this thing's just a great ambient/acoustic EP! To rate it at a 65, I feel, would rob it of its true impact, even though that's the score to which my average track ratings send it down. The project fills the ears so nicely, and its dynamics are so intentional and masterful. It takes its time as ... read more

🔴 Barcelona, Endless Summer
🟡 Yesterday
🟢 The other 20 tracks

Against my better judgment, I was pretty generous with the individual track ratings, but I still actively dislike what the album stands for. Few of the tracks were actively offensive in a vacuum, just lacking or trite or lethargic. But this album is a stellar representation of several awful trends we saw in 2024, such as unnecessary covers that dump on the original song, lazy production set to tired chord progressions, ... read more

This album sneaks up to an 80 due to some uniquely affective moments, like in “Nonny Nonny” and “Spare an Angel”. But the songwriting in several songs is also just fantastic—from the “Missin’ You” callback in the call-and-response section of “Smile” to what may be Chris Rice’s magnum opus: “Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus)”. Sure, there are several weak spots on this album, especially in some of the more energetic songs. ... read more

🔴 CHAOS WILL BRING PEACE, Never Come Back
🟢 The other 5 tracks

Not a metal hater. Not a riddim hater. Not a Sullivan King hater. I can very much enjoy any of those. But this EP...just wasn't it for me. Sullivan King seesaws between how high he can soar and how low he can fall in quality on this project. You can hear 15 seconds of some of the most creative stuff from him followed up by 15 seconds of baffling production decisions followed up by 45 seconds of the most basic riddim ... read more

Short but solid melodic house EP that sounds just that bit nicer than the average of its contemporaries. There were some really nice ideas in here that brought some variety and even mystery to the beats. rshand may be a Silk artist for my radar…

Favorite: Chrome
Least Favorite: Overthinking

A bit of a slower, less dynamic, and therefore weaker record for Chris Rice, but still quite a good one! Focusing on the more difficult wrestlings of the Christian walk, he takes a more pensive tone through most of the album, with the more energetic opener and closer not quite fitting the tone. I do like how the whole album crescendos into the payoffs in tracks 8 and 9, despite my gripe with the lack of variation within the tracklist. The thoughtful and poetic lyricism makes up for what the ... read more

A great 10 minutes of creative and reserved music that provides a glimpse into the more intimate insecurities of a struggling artist. Not meant to break records, but it tided us over well before Duumu’s farewell project.

Favorite: Could You
Least Favorite: Aloe

This album is more conflicting than usual from Chris Rice. It includes one of my favorite tracks from him and my unmatched least favorite track from him. The carnival theme adds to the more fun tone of parts of the album, but as the only apparent theming, it doesn’t quite bring the project together.

So what determines the quality of the album for me, interestingly, is the filler. Does it hold up? Absolutely! There’s a mix of fun instrumentals and sweet moments with thoughtful ... read more

🔴 Freestyle
🟢 The other 3 tracks

Real fun vibe to this DnB/halftime EP for the streets. I quite like the melding of the hypeman figure and the earmark vocal samples throughout the project. Pair the vibe with some filthy sound design and driving beats and you've got yourself a banger of an EP. Props to TESSERACTS, of whom this EP is the first I've heard!

Favorite: CEO of Underground
Least Favorite: Freestyle

MILKBLOOD delivers solid production on some fairly standard house ideas and a questionable DnB switchup. It's a pretty unmemorable EP, but it's a fine listen throughout.

Favorite: NOT DEAD
Least Favorite: REMNANTS

🔴 REDLINE, Don't Worry, Get Away, CHROMA, So Sorry, Touhou Riddim, Fork Funeral
🟢 The other 9 tracks

Pros: It has some banger moments, reaching higher highs than his following album. Some parts show off Virtual Riot's masterful sound design in a satisfying way. Although the theme is low-hanging fruit, there is a bit of adherence to it. Tracks 12-16 are a goated run.
Cons: It also reaches lower lows than Stealing Fire at several points, so it comes out a pretty polarizing album. ... read more

Wow, we're starting the year with a bang! Hex Cougar takes his signature trap style to new heights in this fantastic EP. He explores several different shades of this sound, from happy and fun to dark and filthy. There are a couple weaker moments, as there will always be with a project like this, but they don't put a damper on the project. It is a banger through and through. I definitely see this one growing on me.

Favorite: Dream Of U
Least Favorite: Eyes

EDIT: 75 -> 70
I did not ... read more

Chris Rice's skills are on marvelous display here. His storytelling and attention to detail was immaculate, setting himself apart from most other Christian artists then or since. He wasn't afraid to dip into other modes and keys to accomplish the push and pull of each track's narrative. The lyricism is also appropriately tight for the most part, making for a satisfying listening experience. There's also an undeniable classic factor to several of these tracks, especially in ... read more

🔴 Computa Hakka, Exterminate
🟢 The other 2 tracks

I actually enjoyed this EP a good bit, but it's far from Pegboard Nerds' best work. Individually, the tracks are pretty good, but as an EP, I'm struggling to see the purpose. They've proven they can intentionally craft a motivated record and not just a tracklist, but they just opted not to do that here. That results in some tonal whiplash throughout the EP's runtime. If you're looking for creative, classic ... read more

Pegboard Nerds takes a little more time with each track, resulting in one of their better efforts toward a project. Although it is their most consistent EP since "The Lost Tracks", it doesn't reach near as enormous highs. But it at least stays far away from the lows of their previous EP and *especially* their debut EP. The melodies get a little repetitive at times, but some parts really bang! This EP shows that Pegboard Nerds can make a serious banger when they put their back ... read more