Nowhere near Summer Was Fun's best, but I don't mind this one at all. I quite enjoyed it! It is a far cry from what he was making in the 2010's, and it doesn't have much of that Summer Was Fun charm I would hope for in a release like this. But hey, it's some fun, slightly affective music to me, so I'm here for it.

Favorite: Neon Dreams
Least Favorite: Going Crazy

🔴 MAD (maybe?), RAVE SIREN, MODERN DUBSTEP META

Another apt title. A bit overcooked, but if you like crunchy, here's crunchy for ya!

Favorite: MAD
Least Favorite: RAVE SIREN

An apt title. A little more spice than the previous EP that appealed to me a bit more.

Favorite: Do It Again
Least Favorite: DeepDeepDeep

🔴 weep wop, toll house
🟢 sucka

Pretty standard for what I'd expect from TYNAN, with each factor turned down a smidge.

Favorite: sucka
Least Favorite: toll house

Wow! This is much more than just a lo-fi album. This is an absolutely dazzling half hour of music that gives the impression of flowing freely in the ocean. Sleepy Fish mixes elements (e.g. beatboxing, scatting, etc.) that he more weakly established in his previous full-length and takes them to the next level by spreading lots of ear candy throughout the runtime. Putting any of these tracks as "least favorite" does it so little justice. It's astonishing that this project released ... read more

Not only are there zero skips in this album, but every track is a home run. The transitions are seamless, making the album one continuous experience that keeps me either on the edge of my seat or wayyyy back in my chair. It also has a timeless quality to it, as it has made Nigel Good a mainstay in my listening habits for quite a while. Ever since its release, this album has been special to me, and with how supremely Nigel Good juggles the spectacle of the cosmos with the intimacy of the human ... read more

While a few tracks simply provide sufficient vibes to get the job done, a lot of this album is quite the submersive ocean ambience. The coolest part of this album is that it appears to be a low-key, unassuming little lo-fi project, but it actually proves later in Sleepy Fish's discography to fit into a greater whole. So while this debut project mainly shines in relationship to its successors, it stands fairly well in its own right.

Favorite: Never Felt The Same
Least Favorite: Broken ... read more

When you get past Stariah's struggle to create catchy vocal chops that are justified as the main element of each drop, you get some groovy beats and grandiose vibes! The songs take a couple listens to get into, but once you get into them, they are fun to dance and vibe to. Despite the album's flaws, it makes good use of its slightly longer runtime to make a fun listening experience.

Favorite: Cosmic Shards
Least Favorite: Astral

🔴 Cry, What Do You Want
🟡 Slow It Down, Beautiful Things, In The Stars, Drunk In My Mind, My Greatest Fear, Love Of Mine
🟢 The other 7 tracks

I was surprised by this album, having never taken a proper listen to Benson Boone before. This album had much of what I wanted from John Michael Howell's 2024 album. Sure, it can get unnecessarily screamy. Sure, it can get pretty cheesy. But there are some bangers here for the listener who's willing to let loose. The lyrical analyst ... read more

On the whole, I don’t have much of a problem with it. Pretty standard riddim EP with a pinch of occasional spice if you’re patient enough to stick it out. Track 5 surprised me by how easily it dumped its potential, and track 6 surprised me by how unique and solid it was compared to the rest of the EP. The first two tracks are pretty meh and the middle two are alright. The production does feel a little washed out throughout the project, but it’s not horrible. Not that bad a ... read more

🔴 Heaven Sees
🟢 The other 16 tracks

Pros: The album has a couple glimpses of variety in vocal performance and lyricism among the very samey vibe; the production does the job, sometimes especially well; the lyrics address the important inner struggle discussed in Romans 7.
Cons: David uses so many words, and repeats so many similar words, to communicate so little; the pacing is so dragged out without going much of anywhere; the melodies are just as samey as the lyrics, if not ... read more

Pretty good collection of tracks from Mr. FijiWiji. Pretty common for his style and doesn't reach the emotional highs I know he's capable of reaching. But if you've been itching to hear more from this artist, this album does the job.

Favorite: YOU AND I
Least Favorite: ALL MY LOVE

🔴 Follow Me
🟡 Organism Algorithm, Higher Rush
🟢 The other 9 tracks

I was expecting this to be a lot worse given the hate it's received, but I didn't find it that bad. For the most part, it's some solid DnB, even if it rarely experiments much further beyond that. Granted, the intros to several songs provide some whiplash (namely, "Higher Rush", "Hey Boy Hey Girl", and "It's All Over"), so it's not a very coherent project. But as a ... read more

A superior EP for this style! Every track is so infectious and dancey, even “WAKE AND BREAK” at times. It has such a fun groove to it, and the melodic choices make for such a pleasing experience. A late highlight for 2024 EDM projects!

Favorite: MR. SANDMAN
Least Favorite: WAKE AND BREAK

🔴 Forest Punk
🟢 The other 3 tracks

Solid work here. Some pretty standard but effective sound design mixed in with a couple of head-turning moments. He does his best work when he leans in to the sonic themes he uses in each drop rather than getting different styles mixed up. Not anything that blows my mind, but it definitely motivates me to keep an eye out for wherever else I might see Beutnoise in the future; I like his style!

Favorite: Percstatement
Least Favorite: I Want U

🔴 Take off all my Clothes
🟢 The other 22 tracks

This is the third DnB-forward record I've explored to my recollection, and in many respects this album has what the other two largely lack. Filthy sound design, great energy, and surprisingly good use of a looong runtime. This album also made me better at Smash Bros. for 76 minutes, so you know it's a banger. Not a deep album by any means, but certainly a fun ride if you're in for some neurofunk!

Favorite: Did I Forget ... read more

Such a pretty closer, and everything leading up to it is simply a nice vibe. It often achieves a diet version of what Charlie achieved in the more somber cuts of his "funyoucanfeel" EP. It has a clean atmosphere that uses simplicity to its advantage. Overall, a solid outing from Flaws.

Favorite: when you see me outside
Least Favorite: desire paths

If you dislike psytrance, you're out of luck. If you dislike Infected Mushroom, you're out of luck. But if you like both, you're eating good. Pretty run-of-the-mill stuff from these three, but I tend to enjoy this style a good bit. I was surprised by the atmosphere of the opener and the brevity of its runtime, so it got me hyped for the album quite well. I'll probably forget much about this EP, but it was a fun time while it lasted.

Favorite: Breathe Underwater
Least ... read more

Once I gave a hot take on a Bowtied Media video that compared the creative downfall of melodic dubstep to that of worship music. Both have seen a decrease in sonic, rhythmic, and lyrical creativity that sullies their respective reputations. Several tracks on this album, especially in the verses, showed me that the most generic tracks of the two genres are more sonically similar than I ever would have predicted. Sometimes you just need to switch the electric guitar out for a supersaw or vice ... read more

Nice debut album from two artists who were clearly trying to find their footing and their sound back then. What they came up with had some solid structural motifs, especially in the "[word], [phrase]" dynamics and repeated-line bridges. The lyrics are mostly nonsensical to the casual listener and therefore difficult to interpret, but they often serve as poetic word-pictures that fit the vibe of the track. Overall, this project is well worth returning to even though both artists have ... read more