π΄ Every track except...
π‘ Greenlights
π’ Martyr
This album is a mess, and the lyrics are the biggest litterers. Their theming is so scattered it's difficult to relate to anything. The wording is often so nonsensical it loses its poetic license. The messages are often so exorbitantly unhealthy that I can't take them seriously. The saving grace of this album is that the instrumentals are mid at worst and good at best. Although this album kind of puts my head in my hands, I have ... read more
π΄ places to be
π’ The other 19 tracks
No really, it's okay. You can make the album 10 tracks. Instead of making half the album interludes, you can make all the interludes intros or outros. It's okay to do that. XD
All joking aside, I'm disqualifying the interludes from my Favorite and Least Favorite designations. They're fine, they're just slice-of-life interludes.
This is a vibey and occasionally dancey experience of a listen. It's often pretty serene, but ... read more
There's quite a bit this album doesn't do for me most of the time. Instead of getting lost in the music, my mind wanders from the music. Instead of feeling immersed in the album, it just feels like it's happening to me. Instead of keeping my attention with catchy melodies and gorgeous sound design, it settles for organic house tropes that sound pretty but distant. But it is very well-produced, and it is an enjoyable, although not remarkable, experience.
Favorite: Solace
Least ... read more
π΄ All For One
π’ The other 8 tracks
Full of wonder and intrigue, this is a vibe of a journey from start to finish. Rameses B is so good at creating vibey and emotional atmospheres, which is on great display here. There's also great vocal talent on here. And although sometimes it's a little cheesy, the instrumentation always makes up for it. This is Rameses B doing what Rameses B does best, and I am so here for it!
Favorite: Hero
Least Favorite: Lost
A fun collection of progressive tracks that build well and make great use of their time. Although sometimes the builds get a little long, no track feels like length for length's sake. There's movement, motivation, and variety to keep the listener hooked. And I'm always a fan of long tracks done well. Solid three-tracker from Mat Zo!
Favorite: Bluish Yellow
Least Favorite: This Too Shall Pass
It's hard to beat "UHD", but I can't imagine they were trying to. This is just a fun collection of tracks that show a lot of individual personality and collective chemistry. Even when it doesn't quite hit the mark, sometimes it's just funni. I couldn't ask for more from a WINK & nikko collab EP, but I wouldn't mind getting more in the future.
Favorite: GLIMPSE
Least Favorite: MERCY
π΄ Starf***er, 2001, Sweet Cherries, For Cryin' Out Loud
π’ The other 6 tracks
It takes a while to find its footing, but when it does, it delivers pretty well. I had to remind myself to rate it as it is, not how it stands up to FINNEAS's vast range of better sound-alikes and contributions (e.g. Lowswimmer for "Little Window" and Lizzy McAlpine for "Same Old Story", although "Sweet Cherries" is a strong exception to the rule). The lyrical content ... read more
zensei delivers on the 24-minute album's title by putting out some of the most affective ideas, most groovy instrumentation, and overall best tracks I've ever heard from him. Then it fizzles out for 10 minutes, abandoning the title along the way. The great half flies by before the meh half drags on. It's the equivalent of a movie that nails the vibe, has a solid concept, and writes the script well to back it up, but has no apparent direction or progression in the plot. In other ... read more
TOP has matured quite a bit over the years, which is occasionally evident in this album with the slightly long runtime and slightly dated (in quality) lyricism. But there is so much about this album that makes up for it. It strikes a great balance between lore and message, it mixes the trademark reggae style with several new genre influences, and it gives a poignant glimpse into Tyler Joseph's thoughts. And many of the songs are so catchy and so pleasing to hear. Although it lulls a tiny ... read more
A bittersweet yet fun collection of songs to showcase TOP's poppier side. From my perspective, a lot of the criticisms of this album have come from people taking this album either way too seriously or way too literally. It's also not nearly as lore-heavy as Trench, more like a vignette than a narrative. Even so, taking the songs on their own merit, sometimes it's just not people's vibe. But I really vibed with this one. It grew on me like almost every TOP album does: pretty ... read more
A tracklist of hit after hit with few lulls in its momentum. The theming is so strong on this album, as evidenced by its heartfelt lyricism, wistful vocal delivery, and "fiery" production choices on synth and vocal alike. Although it is a little front-heavy in my preference, tracks 8-12 deliver a triumphant climax and conclusion to the narrative (and I love tracks 11-12). The remixes serve as fun end credits to the narrative, and the cover of "Doxology" leads into Sam's ... read more
π΄ wishing well
π’ The other 4 tracks
A fun collection of tracks in a style I often love to hear. Production was smooth. The vocal melodies were catchy and complementary to the instrumental. It grew off me a little with each listen, but it's a real nice-sounding EP.
Favorite: anywhere but here
Least Favorite: wishing well
EW surprised me with this one by throwing in some energetic cuts and gorgeous melodies amidst the generic worship sounds. The lyricism plays it super safe, so it may not appeal to non-Christians as much as Christians. But there is plenty to love about this album, even with its unnecessarily long runtime. Same song, but occasionally a bit of a different dance. Overall, solid project.
Favorite: Faithful Then / Faithful Now
Least Favorite: All Of A Sudden
This is a cinematic masterpiece of EDM bangers. Love the immersive atmosphere of the whole project. There were zero tracks I did not significantly enjoy upon first listen. While there are a couple times the EP holds itself back from perfection, its creativity, fullness, and clear direction pull it together into a satisfying whole. The best stuff I've ever heard on the label, which is saying something.
Favorite: Back Up
Least Favorite: Challenger
Pretty good EP that is quite strong at its best and a bit weak at its worst. The theming was fun here, but there were also a couple of weirdly affective moments. Not Porter's strongest work by far, but it's a pretty nice endeavor that I'm glad we got from him.
Favorite: Key
Least Favorite: a.i.ngel (Become God)
π΄ DA PIT
π’ The other 4 tracks
This EP plays it so safe in his style, which is about the least safe place you can be, because it ends up sounding constantly annoying. There is next to nothing to remember or grab onto except the last track. I was ready for INFEKT to prove me wrong about him, but this EP ain't gonna do it. Falls even further into the pitfalls of VEGGIE GAMES. The last track was sick though!
Favorite: ELITE
Least Favorite: DA PIT
π΄ Blueberry Smoothie, Leaving A Light On
π’ The other 12 tracks
A pretty good album that sneaks up to a 70 due to some great melodies, poetic songwriting, and instrumental variety. It rarely tugs at my heartstrings, but it's an enjoyable listen that serves as a triumphant return of COIN to loving music.
Favorite: 222
Least Favorite: Bloodtype
π΄ Drinking Like Kings, The Loop
π‘ Open Road
π’ The other 10 tracks
This is a great album that proves Trivecta is one of the artists keeping melodic dubstep alive. Even so, there's a good bit of variety and a lot of different talent here to complement Trivecta's production. Lots of impact, but it also knows when to strip it back to keep the pacing natural. Meldub and several other genres at their finest when the album is at its best.
Favorite: Sail Away
Least Favorite: Empty ... read more
π‘ Turn Around
π’ The other 6 tracks
This EP sneaked up to a 90 since first listen for several reasons. For one, it was a huge grower. I went from not being impressed at the beginning of my first listen to considering this a top 5 EP of the year by the end of my second listen. I was just expecting some funky beats, not the emotional moments and the succinct poetic lyricism Tennyson mixed in. The different vocal processing methods were also very fitting for each moment. So musically ... read more
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On Open_Doors_'s review of TYNAN - TYNAN TIME
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