Malcolm Todd did it again with Do That Again, because it's great! Malcolm's found his lane and holy shit is he conquering it. His raspy vocals have addictive properties on this project, and his voice is only amplified by this album's intimate bedroom pop production. What Malcolm Todd does with this release might not be too different from what he did with his past releases, but more of a great thing is great! I love his sweet lyricism that's always so full of heartache and ... read more
Cry Baby is already one of my favorite Vince Staples albums and it's not just because I'm a sucker for when people rap over guitars. I mean, this project's rap rock sound is awesome and it fits Vince like a glove, but there's still plenty more to love about this release. As much as I loved this album's punchy drums, popping bass guitars, and slick riffs, it's lyricism may be it's strongest asset. It's blunt, it's angry, and it's full of wit. ... read more
Blah Blah and FTC should have been in the actual album. They’re incredible songs. As for the rest of the new tracks on this deluxe… They’re just alright.
Best Track: Blah Blah
Weakest Track: Beautiful
Murmur is a great album and all, but I just don't see why it's as praised as it is. It's a fun listen, but it's far from jangle pop perfection and it's definitely not R.E.M.'s magnum opus. I mean, it has a VERY strong first half, but by the end it's sort of limping to the finish line. I think this project's twangy guitars and Michael Stipe's Southern drawl sound great throughout the majority of this album's duration, and there's a good ... read more
Song of Sage: Post Panic! is an absolutely gorgeous album! It's ethereal and jazzy production is like a gentle gust of wind that gently carries Navy Blue's passionate and thoughtful lyricism throughout it's runtime. This project sounds like sinking into a warm bath with only your thoughts to keep you company. Yes it's full of heavy topics, but I think the tragedy and reflection on this album gives it an even more intimate and bittersweet feeling that compliments the ... read more
I don't really care much for WHAM! or George Michael's music, but this song is pop perfection.
Sweet Boy, Malcolm Todd's first foray into releasing longer-form projects is a fantastic and groovy listen front to back. It's a bit rough around the edges, but I think it's charm and personality make up for it's flaws tenfold. It's fuzzy production and Malcolm's raspy yet intimate vocals give this tape an almost scrapbook-like feel, and it makes the listen just that more memorable. Every song on here feels like an entry in a journal, and while some entries can ... read more
They Want My Soul is a fun and tight listen front to back. I can't say it's the craziest or most ambitious rock album from the mid 2010s, but it's personality, catchy lyricism, and instantly memorable instrumentation carry it very far. The way this this project handles it's post-punk and indie rock sound leaves little room for complaints. Sure, this album as a whole lacks a bit of depth, but it sticks the landing where it matters. It's not perfect, but this project has ... read more
I might not have a lot in common with middle-aged divorced fathers, but what we do have in common is the opinion that Steely Dan's Aja slaps! It's far from a complex or deep listen, but it's just infectiously groovy front to back. Also, while substance-wise this project may be fairly shallow, it's instrumentation is incredible. It's jazzy, funky, and easy to get lost in. While this release can get a bit repetitive and one-note at points, it was still pretty fun almost ... read more
MJ Lenderman's self-titled is a lovely dose of melancholy. The instrumentation on here is awesome, as the listener is suffocated in fuzzy guitars with an even greater amount of southern twang than MJ himself. Speaking of MJ, his twangy vocals are just perfect for the kind of slow slacker ballads this release is packed with. His voice alongside this project's muddy production create an atmosphere that's raw, sorrowful, and bittersweet in all kinds of great ways. I do think this ... read more
I think Heaven or Las Vegas is an absolutely gorgeous album. The production and vocals are just beautiful in every sense of the word. This album's sound is lush and ethereal inside and out. I could get lost in this project's blaring synths and airy guitars forever. At first I thought the gibberish lyrics were an odd choice, but I think they work because the production on this album is just so layered and the vocals are full of so much texture. Heaven or Las Vegas has an unforgettable ... read more
London's Saviour is a great debut from fakemink, and I'm really glad I've finally gotten around to it. It was a bit off-putting at first, and to be honest it took a second to click for me due to reasons ranging from the high-pitched vocals to the rough production. Again though, it really only took me a second before I began to enjoy this project. You honestly wouldn't expect such a short release like this one to feel very complete, but London's Saviour does. It's ... read more
Black Ben Carson is probably my least favorite album in JPEGMAFIA's discography. I don't think it's bad, but it's all over the place and it's got some INCREDIBLY rough edges. This project has some really stunning experimental gems such as The 27 Club, but it's got some real grating cuts too. For better and for worse this release's sound is very raw, and while that is a staple of JPEGMAFIA's sound in general, it's to a mixed result on this particular ... read more
I love the lyricism and the chorus and everything about Charli's performance, but the production is just flaccid.
Edit: In the days following my review of this album, it’s grown off me hard. It’s just meh all around with a couple exceptions. I’m gonna leave my original review up since it still captures how I feel about this project. The current issues I have with it are just amplified versions of the issues I pointed out below.
I think a lot of the people that despise this album made their minds up about it weeks ago because they're chronically online and JPEGMAFIA's been ... read more
It's an good deluxe, but I'm not too upset that these songs were left of the original release. With that said, 2 NIGHTS IN LA is an absolute banger!
Best Track: 2 NIGHTS IN LA
Weakest Track: PUNK B!TCH
In a year where not too many releases are sticking with me, Genesis Owusu has managed to captivate me yet again with his third album REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE. The world and atmosphere he creates on the projects he releases always feel special, and that continues to be true with the album. It's got all the wonderful genre-bending that we've come to expect from Genesis Owusu, but it's also got some really well-executed political commentary along with some extra ... read more
I had high hopes going into GENESIS FM because I loved the singles, but honestly it's just... Alright. It's a fun producer album with some catchy and bouncy songs, but that's about it. The features are hit-or-miss, but stylistically this album is pretty cool. I enjoy it's cold synths and punchy drums. I do kind of wish BNYX® pushed the sound of this project a little farther because I love what's there and I think he's talented enough to do so. GENESIS FM ... read more
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On Magdalena Bay - Human Happens / Paint Me a Picture
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"@Ringer1334 Sure, but SMITHEERNS was only 24 minutes long and with a lead single this short I'm worried this upcoming album will be even shorter."
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On Crose47's review of JID - God Does Like Ugly
"You were a lot kinder to this album than I was, but I feel VERY similar. Of Blue was incredible, and WRK is very catchy, but the rest of the album was a really bumpy ride. I’m more than a little disappointed. The beats especially stuck out as really flat and one-note to me, and JID usually has great beat selection."
On n0ided's review of JID - God Does Like Ugly
"Summed up my thoughts exactly. I feel like people are just so excited for a JID album that they're completely ignoring the inconsistent mixing, bland as unseasoned chicken beats, and the lackluster pacing. I feel like I'm losing my mind because of all the praise this album's getting, while I'm here thinking that not a song on here is better than a single track off The Forever Story."
On ikmmm's review of Alex G - Headlights
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On The Last Dinner Party - This Is The Killer Speaking
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On The Last Dinner Party - This Is The Killer Speaking
"@MaskedDog Uh I was just reviewing the lead single."
On J. Cole - The Off-Season
"@Crose47 I could see myself changing my mind at some point though, but for now that’s how I feel."
On J. Cole - The Off-Season
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On Crose47's review of LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
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On chaz's review of The Cars - The Cars
"What do you think about Moving In Stereo? That was my personal fav on here. The theremin usage is awesome."
On Little Simz - Young
"@Rhino I didn't like Free a whole lot either, and that's the most "conscious" single yet. As for Young, I just find everything from the vocals to the instrumentals to be grating. The subject matter is fun, but I didn't connect with it because of how the track sounds."
On Sampha - Process
"@Crose47 Yeah, I'd have to wait and see how it ages for me. There were several parts that I enjoyed more than Lahai, but overall, I'd still give Lahai the edge."
On VallLikesMusic's review of Kanye West - DONDA 2 [Reissue]
"Thank you! I thought I was going crazy. Everyone just keeps complaining about Kanye and his releases but they're also the first one's to listen to his new music. I don't get why people write reviews pretending like they're martyrs for listening to an album of Kanye's or another "bad" artist's when they CHOSE to do so, most likely knowing beforehand that they wouldn't like it. I don't like VUTURES at all, so why am I going to waste my time listening to more of Kanye's new releases when I already know they likely won't be any better? The virtue signaling has been going crazy with Kanye as of late."
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