this review is dedicated exclusively to the deluxe tracks!
slayr comes through with his classic breathtaking transitions, taking his ability to create infectious melodies and hooks even further as well as coming through with more rap rock influences and vibrant, colorful synths. though what really sets this deluxe apart from the original are the edm influences that are made clear as day on the first track here. these are integrated perfectly, and only add to how lively this deluxe feels. ... read more

underscores has built herself up as a quintessential producer of the modern-pop landscape. and, impressively, this project lived up to every expectation i had set in my head and more. U is a tight-knit set of vibrant and colorful tracks consisting of immaculate, punchy sound design and vocals interlacing to create a forward thinking yet nostalgic album laced with hints of pop from an era long gone. to an extent i look at this album as a piece of homage, but simultaneously a future monument of ... read more

this is a great drum and bass project, there are a lot of moving pieces to it but the chaos always feels controlled, and lexycat clearly has a strong ear for melodies even if the more indietronica-esque cuts arent exactly doing it for me. though the real highlight for me here is dark star, the way this song builds and plays off of that guitar is brilliant and it's one of my favorite songs of the decade so far.

my favorite sissy spacek project, mindmelting screeching saxophones drenched in a wall of some of the most fleshed out harsh noise you'll hear. it's so easy to get lost in, and quite honestly i just wish this thing was longer

it's not the most unique or original album-far from it-and that counterintuitively is why i think i'm so drawn to this project. contemporary cutting-edge flows and lyricism backed by reminiscent, triumphant chipmunk soul production complete with powerful live instrumentation? it's no wonder this album took off so hard, because who wouldn't eat up that sound? and it certainly helps that this album does it well; Confrontation has one of my favorite rapping performances of the ... read more

https://x.com/mikakumas/status/2015531393556914340 info and resources, stay safe, fuck ice.

a psychedelic, mind melting and emotionally powerful release from the now duo, By Storm. despite the album only being a tight 9 tracks, it's a patient album, yet an equally unpredictable one. RiTchie's intimate delivery, conversational flows and grieving lyrics will have you on the edge of your seat, before being drowned out by these grand, unwinding glitchy passages that seem almost neverending in their scope. just like their last album as the trio Injury Reserve-By the Time I Get to ... read more

ty @Goblinn for the recommendation
there's some decent stuff to be found here, Ultimate Purpose and Float in particular, but listening to this after the beat tape, the improvement is quite jarring. there are many tracks on here where the sound selection feels amateurish and the tracks feel slapped together as a result, with Middle of The Mall immediately coming to mind having these hard-hitting, springy sounding drums that feel completely out of place. even the songs which do sound good on ... read more

a testament to the title, this is no doubt Tyler's most colorful work yet. an album that leans more into his hip hop influences, particularly on the west coast, while also fusing the vibrant synths and soulful harmonies off of an Igor. put this on top of Tyler's most focused, introspective, and honed out writing yet and what comes out is one of the best works from one of the greatest artists of this generation. every song on here is perfectly structured, whether that be the back to ... read more