The most audacious and delightful aspect of Vampire’s sound is the seeming incongruity between the African guitar parts and the quasi-classical flourishes, supplied equally by a genuine palm-court string section and Roslam Batmanglij’s keyboard ersatz.

This sound-clash works like a charm because the European and African elements share an emotional tone (uplifting, rhapsodic), but also stem from hierarchical societies. The kind of African ensembles from which Vampire Weekend have ... read more

Really weird album in terms of aesthetic. The drums and samples sound like they're straight from 2000s but the vocals have that unmistakable 2020s thick tastefully applied autotune and vocal effects.

His talk rap style and ironic teenage nihilist bars remind me a lot of Tricky (who did this a bit better from a lyrical perspective). Really good stuff.

He is unmatched in his ability to create lively and unique instrumentals. The only criticism I have is that the album track list doesn't flow that well at times. Still really good.

Outstanding track. He managed to capture the frantic African jam style so well, the instrumental is just bursting with energy.

Because a significant portion of European Hip-Hop is being made by first or second generation immigrants, the music at times serves as an outlet for detailing the experience and trauma of being an immigrant. Feelings of disconnection to the society you live in and ultimately the language you speak. German rapper Keemo puts this tension center stage in the opening track 'Nebel': 'I count eight eyes, all of them are strangers to me.' 'I let my eyes rest and sleep, only to wake up in a classroom ... read more

On his debut album, Skinner’s taken what was at the time one of the only truly exciting developments in British dance culture – MCs rapping over UK garage – and single - handedly pushed it to the next level by really saying something, telling stories etched with such a richness of observation, reference, humor and emotional nuance. Crafting an album which breaks from the americanized Hip-Hop mold.
The white working-class Britishness of the language, "Around here we say ... read more

The beat that kickstarted the second half of the decade for R&B and in its wake other forms of pop--where the drums basically become lead voices on records, and compete with/distract from the singer for your attention. In the case of "Waterfalls", the creativity of the multi-tiered rhythm programming (by Organized Noize, who never did anything quite as amazing since) completely eclipses TLC. A couple of years ahead of Aaliyah's Timbaland-produced "One In A Million", this ... read more

Besides the fact that this a very messy mixtape, production and execution wise, the trap metal songs sound like a caricature, my main issue with X is he was an especially unlikeable person, to the point where it effects the quality of his music.

This man is going to rival Corey Feldman pretty soon. Like this shit isn't just bad musically, it’s delusional on a personal level as well.

A standout release amongst a pretty loaded year for punk rock. Combined youthful energy with a more mature and femine approach to songwriting. Tackling everything from the sterility of upper middle-class life (Sex and Dying in High Society) to inner city white flight (Los Angeles)

Going out on a limb here- she has all but cemented herself as a generational talent/voice with this release. Her lyrics perfectly straddle an emotional line, sad but not overindulgent like most sad music is. The choruses have this explosive quality to them that I can’t really put into words.

Taha's ear for a melody is best displayed on this album. He is at his best when things get frantic, like on the wailing flute driven "Ah Mon Amour".

Brilliant compilation of mostly Mbalax and Souskous music. Even when switching between different genres, it still maintains a good flow.

Borrrriiiinnnnngggg

Really innovative, mixes brazilian funk with horrorcore and weirdly enough some middle eastern edm/trap but as with all adhd zoomer edm it wears on you 20 or so minutes in.

Mainstream corporate EDM... enough said.

What more can be said? The guitar playing and compositions are brilliant. The low quality of the recordings actually enhance experience, granting the album a gloomy and mystical vibe.

Music journos went full Iraq war justification mode on this culture vulture playlist. I have to hand it to Drake, taking trans-atlantic black music genres and stripping them of anything that would make them offensive to your average western listener is ingenious.

Borderline horrible at times. Sluggish riffs + bad drumming = the musical equalent of a car stuck in mud, spinning its tires, trying to get out.
It however does show Cobain's, still at the time, developing songwriting ability (About a Girl)

Hard to believe that Drake was once a young and ambitious artist,but in all honesty his early work was at the forefront of a vanguard of new artists who would eventually cause a culture shift in Hip-hop so shattering that one would struggle to grasp it if you didn't life through it.
This record and Take Care best show what made him so compelling to begin with, his particular brand of hedonistic nihilism.You can hear it in Drake’s hallmark, the switch from rapping to auto-tuned crooning, ... read more