Human Impact (consisting of members from Swans, Xiu Xiu, Cop Shoot Cop and Unsane) has remained unnoticed despite the lineup. It's a shame because their debut album is actually impressive. It's a noise rock album that provides some groovy instrumentation, dark, noisy production and some great shouted vocals from Chris Spencer. Definitely check these guys out!

Fav Tracks: E605, Cause, This Dead Sea, Consequences, November, Protester

Least Fav Track: Relax

Score:
8.3
Great

This record is filthy. Remember to wash your hands!

GODDAMN this album is invigoratingly intense! Code Orange have managed to find an incredible sound that mixes in metalcore with industrial metal and a FUCKLOAD of glichiness! It's heavy, it's addicting and I have a huge soft spot for this shit! The vocals, production and instrumentation is simply incredible, and fugly too as it pounds your eardrums with crunchy riffs and face-punching drum work and inventive soundplay! The lyrics are pretty ... read more

"My Dear Melancholy," shows a step-up from "Starboy" and it kinda returns to The Weeknd's older sound. It doesn't quite match the atmosphere of the mixtapes, but it still has some great production and a few solid tunes (most notably "Call Out My Name"). Unfortunately, Abel's formula got quite stale before this EP came out and he is truly running out of ideas when it comes to things to sing about.

Fav Tracks: Call Out My Name, Privilege, I Was Never There

Least ... read more

Like "Beauty Behind the Madness", "Starboy" also aims to take risks with The Weeknd's sound... this time with incredibly messy results. There are a few outstanding songs, like the Daft Punk-produced tracks ("Starboy" and "I Feel It Coming") that are infectious and brilliantly-produced. There's also the alluringly sensual "Secrets", along with an outstanding verse from Kendrick Lamar on "Sidewalks". Unfortunately, there's also the other ... read more

The Weeknd goes for full-on pop on "Beauty Behind the Madness" and he seems to pull it off with relative ease. Given his influences, this direction wasn't really a surprise. Even if I do miss his darker direction, he still came out with some genuine pop bangers on this one. "The Hills" and "Can't Feel My Face", the big singles, are both infectious and hit-ready with fantastic hooks! "Often" and "Tell Your Friends" (which was supposed ... read more

The Weeknd is on top of much cleaner production here and the results are very pretty. "Kiss Land" definitely has the production chops and gorgeous vocals to spare on this project and there are some definite highlights here. The album, unfortunately, drags on for longer than it should and, adding in the average lyricism on display, could definitely add up to an enjoyable but shallow release that isn't nearly as good as his mixtapes.

Fav Tracks: Wanderlust, Kiss Land, Belong to ... read more

I-I mean, it's not the worst thing I've heard. There are actually a few tracks I dig with most others being just thrown together.

Also, where the fuck are these people coming from?!

After Abel Tesfaye's IMPECCABLE cover of Michael Jackson's "Dirty Diana" (GODDAMN!), he delivers what is his darkest, most cohesive work to date! "Echoes of Silence" is "House of Balloons" with the edginess turned up to 11. It's filled with masterfully grim textures and lyrics that indicate a deeper dive into his downward spiral along with the atmosphere and amazing vocals that made the formula so fresh!

Fav Tracks: D.D., XO / The Host, The Fall, ... read more

"Thursday" is easily the weakest of the trilogy of mixtapes. It doesn't add anything new to "House of Balloon"'s formula and there are moments like "Gone" that dragggg. Despite that, the rest of the album really shines through with an enticing atmosphere, great vocals and beautiful production... while also containing one of Drake's best performances.

Fav Tracks: Life of the Party, The Zone, Lonely Star, The Birds, Rolling Stone

Least Fav Track: ... read more

The comparison has been made before, but The Weeknd is essentially Michael Jackson if he was a huge partygoer and suffered from endless depression and substance addiction. "House of Balloons" pretty much capitalizes this by instantly hitting us with its druggy atmosphere and Abel's tenor vocal delivery. His pen game isn't anything great, but this record makes the lyrics work in his favor. Overall, The Weeknd's debut mixtape stands, with the rest of "Trilogy", ... read more

"Eternal Atake" is a flawed and inconsistent but fun trap rap record with some cool bangers. Like I said, it's pretty messy. There are a few questionable lines ("I can make a gay girl turn to a straight"), there are a few average duds, some trap cliches are present and the album can feel kind of bloated. Otherwise, I like the sci-fi concept, some of the production is really good and most of the tracklist ranges from good to great. If you're looking for something that lives ... read more

"In a Poem Unlimited" is an incredible album that's catchy and beautifully-produced while also being sharply-written and focuses on some heavy topics. Meghan Remy's follow-up, "Heavy Light", doesn't quite match the same amount of fun as that album, but it still provides the same great lyrics, socio-political themes and gorgeous production. There are a few definite highlights on here, the gospel-led "4 American Dollars" is a standout. The pacing of this album kinda ... read more

So, it's been an entire decade since “Plastic Beach” came out. I used to be ADDICTED to this band around 2016 and "Demon Days" was one of my most played albums. So much so that I haven't really given enough attention to their other stuff. Now that my music tastes have matured, I finally think that this album comes extremely close to "Demon Days" as my second favorite Gorillaz album.

Damon and Jamie set up a narrative that revolves around this titular island. ... read more

"Spirit Phone" felt like it grew with me since I first heard it in the middle of 2017 and it still continues today. I've been holding back this review because I wasn't ready to go in depth about my thoughts on such an absurd record. Now that my writing skills have grown and I have the courage to do so, I can actually do so now.

After "Lifetime Achievement Award", a story about resurrecting a dead pop star (which kinda says a lot about the music industry nowadays), ... read more

"The OOZ" is like a long, slow, poignant trip through space. It seems like you may be stuck forever, but your remaining hour had a lot of pleasant moments. The jazzy instrumentation is gorgeous and dreamy, and it strikes a fine line between relaxing and melancholy. Archy's songwriting and lyrics, along with his deep, hoarse vocal delivery, are well-written and just sad. There are maybe, like, two moments of filler, but King Krule has cooked up quite the beautiful album here.

Fav ... read more

I checked this album out just out of curiosity and... fucking hell. I'm coming into this not hearing other FFDP projects, but this is just a set of "tough guy" anthems with chugging guitars. Most of the instrumentation is stiff, the lyrics are rubbish and the mix is muddy. "F8" is a constant dig for importance that leaves behind a mess.

Fav Track: Scar Tissue... I guess?

Least Fav Tracks: Bottom of the Top, This Is War... too many to count

Score:
2
Three fingers have been ... read more

Ugh... I'm really sorry. I wanted to like this, especially because Archy going for hip-hop seemed interesting. I love the dark atmosphere and I really like how well-textured the production is. Now, I don't know if it's because it's really late at night, but I began to lose focus by the midway point. The beats just kinda overstayed their welcome and while the subjects Archy touches upon are cool, the emotional investment felt lacking in comparison to King Krule. Maybe I'll get back to this next ... read more

Especially considering the fact that Archy was 19 when it released, "6 Feet Beneath the Moon" is a very impressive debut. It's a very sad album, touching upon some personal and very "relatable" subjects. Production-wise, it's excellent. The jazzy rock stylings fit the mood and lyrics of the album well, and even more complementary is Archy's deep, gritty voice. Overall, this is a pretty unique sound and a smart showcase for the songwriting prowess of King Krule.

Fav Tracks: ... read more

I think this is a decent first step for Archy. It has some really cool ideas and impressive songwriting for his age. The production and brevity aren't anything to write home about, though.

Fav Tracks: The Noose of Jah City, Portrait In Black and Blue, Lead Existence

Least Fav Track: Bleak Blake

Score:
7.2
Good

"Suddenly" is a commendable effort with a sound I've been itching for. The writing and lyrics aren't anything amazing and there are a couple of times where the mixing is a bit off, but everything else is creatively executed. The sampling on here is excellent, the tracks are catchy and the overall album is pretty consistent.

Fav Tracks: Ravi, Home, You and I, Never Come Back, New Jade, Lime, Magpie

Least Fav Track: Sister

Score:
8.7
Exceptional