My gosh, why is this 57 minutes? It felt like an eternity because... this album is really, REALLY fucking DULLLLL! The otherwise pretty production is quickly demolished by "I got bloooooodd, blood on my haaaands". These lyrics are so uninteresting that I heavily sighed and eye-rolled almost every time Eddie spoke, even if his vocal performances aren't half bad. The entire aesthetic of “Gigaton” is so derivative and so dated that the whole thing is a chore to listen ... read more

While there are some good jokes and plenty of wacky, funny dubstep production, "1 Trait World Tour" just doesn't feel as nearly as funny as "1 Trait High". So much so that they might've recorded "Sophomore Slump" near the end of the album's completion.

Fav Tracks: On Tour With Eddy (Yo Tengo); Clap When I'm Dead (Midday Festival Set); Melbourne, Australia; Sophomore Slump

Least Fav Tracks: Multiple Computer Mark

Score:
4.6
Meh

My ass assploded many shits before but this made THE BIGGEST, MOST POWERFUL SHIT TO EVER GRACE THE ALIEN RACE!

Anyway, this is a cool little comedy project. Not all the jokes land but Andrew and Will still have a lot of great humor up their sleeves and the production shouldn't be this good. Also, Jimmy Fallon.

Nothing beats "Saturday's for the Boys", though.

Fav Tracks: Saturday's for the Boys (Saturday Is for the Boys), Alien Boy, On the Run from Cossett, Oh Actually, D R O V E M ... read more

I like "Locusts" slightly better, mostly because I think it has a little bit more variety compared to "Together". It's still a beautiful record, even if it, like the other five installments, a bit overlong and slightly derivative.

Fav Tracks: Around Every Corner, Run Like Hell, Turn This Off Please, The Cursed Clock, A Really Bad Night, Trust Fades, Your New Normal

Least Fav Track: Right Behind You

Score:
6.7
Decent

As the first installment of the Nine Inch Nails' "Ghosts" series in 12 years, Trent Reznor puts together a new, 153-minute set of ambient instrumental sound palettes with these two. For "Together", it's a beautiful, relaxing little album to help ease the stress during quarantine... which is probably why he released these. While I do appreciate the gorgeous textures here, it shares the same problem I had with "I-IV". They don't add anything new to this sound that a ... read more

Literally releasing two records in the first fourth of 2020, chill, Nicolas Jaar returns to his main work for his newest project. "Cenizas" is, yet again, a beautifully and distinctively-textured album from him, and also one of his most sonically varied project to date. The tightly-constructed synths blend together with the live instrumentation as well as ever here. But if there's one thing this lacks compared to his other works, it's cohesion.

Fav Tracks: Mud, Cenizas, Vanish, Faith ... read more

While Dua Lipa's first album showed the potential of this new face in the pop scene, "Future Nostalgia" proves she can make a great record full of BANGERS!!! The record is surprisingly consistent, with every single track packing an outstanding hook! That also means that the album is quite formulaic, but it makes up for it with just how fucking fun these songs are! The production is great, packing in a lot of tasteful disco-influence with great grooves, funky-ass basslines and ... read more

Since I was unexpectedly impressed with the singles for "Future Nostalgia", I thought checking out Dua Lipa's debut wasn't a bad idea. She has some strong potential here, with great vocals on top of some solid pop production and some BIG hooks! There are some bland spots, unfortunately, and her lyrical ability is nothing to write home about. Otherwise, this is a catchy, well-produced and performed pop record with a handful of successful (and also great) singles to boot.

Fav Tracks: ... read more

On his fourth (and possibly final... could be wrong) release, "Donald Glover Presents" us with his most experimental, albeit a little disappointing, project to date while also providing us with some great ideas. The overall production has plenty of variety to come around and I also found a few of his best tracks. "Algorythm" and "Time" are both catchy experimental R&B tracks, with a great feature from Ariana Grande on the latter. "12.38" (or ... read more

"Little Pieces of Paper with 'No' Written on Them" is an interesting compilation of b-sides and outtakes from the 1-4 era of CSH. Some of these were supposed to be put onto "My Back is Killing Me Baby" and even an unfinished project called "Stabby Ode", a project where songs from The Beatles' "Abby Road" were reversed and made into their own tracks. That would've been a funny little concept. On the subject of this album... eh. There are a few definite ... read more

"The Night Chasers" is an undeniably well-produced and sharply-written album. I love the slick grooves on this thing and I especially love the bass. It's acceptably short and while there are maybe a couple of tracks that could've had a bit more time on the drawing board, Dury still kept me engaged with his stories and alluring compositions.

Fav Tracks: Saliva Hog; I'm Not Your Dog; Carla's Got a Boyfriend; Slumlord; Hello, I'm Sorry; Say Nothing

Least Fav Track: Sleep ... read more

Abel knocked it out of the park with "After Hours", a drug-fueled journey through the sounds of the 80's and the future joining forces (I'd like to say that it's a mix of his pop stuff with the druggy, more experimental works in the "Trilogy" days). The results on display are magnificent, with thick-ass kick drums and eargasmic synths that accentuate just how well-mixed and produced this album is. Also, Oneohtrix Point Never produced on this album. If that ... read more

"Awaken, My Love!" is such a sexy-ass record! It's a departure from the usual hip-hop belongings of Donald Glover and goes into a full-out psychedelic soul sound. It is handled magnificently here, with the cover going perfectly with the gorgeous, spacious, dreamy production of this record. The lyrics go full-on personal here, with the introduction of his baby boy coming first on this record. It's heartfelt, it's beautiful, it's Donald coming out of his comfort zone and the result is ... read more

A much more focused project compared to "STN MTN", it has a lot more of a lowkey and beachy concept behind it. The first three tracks are the standouts of this EP, though the other three don't quite hold up. Still, though, it's an enjoyable little project.

Fav Tracks: Sober, Pop Theives (Make It Good), Retro (Rough)

Least Fav Track: Late Night in Kauai

Score:
7.8
Very Good

As a follow-up to "Because the Internet", this first half isn't very good. "STN MTN" suffers from hit-or-miss production and mediocre lyrics, which is a shame because the concept here is actually great.

Fav Tracks: U Don't Have to Call, Candler Road, All Yall, Dream / Southern Hospitality / Partna Dem

Least Fav Track: No Small Talk

Score:
6.5
Decent

It may not be the most consistent or cohesive album out there, but it's MILES more likable than "Camp" and Donald Glover actually leaves a good impression here. His flows are improved and his lyrics are very witty while also having some damn maturity in them. Not to mention the production's great and the interludes do a great job at connecting the album. Overall, unlike "Camp", I thought "Because the Internet" was always a quality album in my eyes and it's one of ... read more

I used to like "Camp" when I was younger... but GODDAMN did it age terribly, especially compared what he would do later. Donald Glover has the versatility of a good rapper and it seems like he wants to touch upon some big topics, but it's immediately ruined by his obnoxious, squeaky-voiced persona. His mediocre lyrics are irritating and the decent production gets squashed by his insecurities. He was clearly meant for comedy and he was really good at it back then, which is why ... read more

After the more recent jazz albums, especially this one, I think I'm warming up to this genre. "We Are Sent Here By History" is a phenomenal record that builds upon the classic, African-American roots of the genre. The compositions are incredible, the rhythms and progressions are enthralling, the atmosphere is engaging and the themes are powerful. It also shows that Shabaka Hutchings is a very versatile figure in the world of modern jazz.

Fav Tracks: Go My Heart, Go to Heaven; They ... read more

"Kiss My Super Bowl Ring" is probably one of the most unique albums I've had the pleasure of hearing this year. It's like if a local post-hardcore band picked Dylan Brady of 100 gecs off the street to produce their album (the latter of which is true. Thank you, Mr. gec)! The result is a brilliant mix of punk rock with electronic and digital hardcore influences! The instrumentation is filthy, the breakbeat-inspired drums are friggin' awesome and the lyrics are sharp as tacks. The ... read more

"Every Bad" is a fantastic and surprisingly personal record. The post-punk experimentation really shines on this record with outstanding instrumentation and production with driving guitar tones. But the real highlight here is the lyrics, which are straightforward, with a knack for repetition, while also being delivered with the emotional intensity you'd expect in a Big Thief release.

Fav Tracks: Circling, Long, Sweet, Lilac, Pop Song, Don't Ask Me Twice, Born Confused, Nephews

Least ... read more