Kind of a step back for PEEKABOO. While there's still plenty to enjoy here, the American producer's sophomore album ultimately comes across as a fairly worse than his debut.

The problems start showing up pretty early. "Yeke Yeke" has a vocal that is so incredibly repetitive that it quickly become irritating, to the point where I genuinely have no desire to revisit the track. The title track is another low point for me, feeling overly repetitive and dull. Unfortunately, ... read more

With "Step Three", LAXX finally seems to work around a lot of the flaws that held back his previous releases. The drops here are far more interesting and, most importantly, feel much fuller and more impactful. That alone does a lot to elevate his sound.

The vocal chops on "The Invisible Invaders" are surprisingly effective, and "Step Three" itself is easily the strongest entry in the "Step" series so far. The drop in this version is way more dynamic, ... read more

While LAXX improves just about everything surrounding the drops this time around, I still don't really get the appeal. The record suffers from many of the same issues as the previous project, particularly when it comes to the sound design. The stuttery, twitchy high pitched sounds on tracks like "Brainbug" do absolutely nothing for me; they come across as more annoying than interesting, and at times even feel a little lazy.

The drops are also still strangely dry and hollow, ... read more

Something about the sound of this record is very peculiar. The mix comes across as oddly hollow; I can't quite put my finger on exactly why, but it almost feels like there's no reverb anywhere. Everything feels incredibly dry somehow.

The drops don't do much to make up for it either. The snares and claps stick out way too much in the mix, and not in a good way. While I understand this was the dominant sound in EDM trap at the time, many of the drops feel surprisingly weak and ... read more

Insanely underrated complextro EP. Far Too Loud delivers some of the most exciting bass music of its era, and production quality here not only matches, but occasionally surpasses the EDM heavyweights of the time.

What's most impressive is how well it has aged. The production still sounds fantastic, the sound design remains top-notch, and full of character, and the songwriting is just as good. It's honestly hard to believe this didn't become more popular in 2012. Far Too ... read more

Lyrically, Borgore tackles a number of profound and thought-provoking subjects here, such as being raped by Bin Laden, having sex with a shampoo bottle, shoving an elephant up someone's sister's back door, praying that your ex gets swine flu, and, of course, some very nuanced references to Two Girls One Cup. Truly one of the greatest intellectuals of our time.

But if you're somehow unmoved by the philosophical musings of the Socrates of brostep and choose to focus solely on the ... read more

PEEKABOO's debut is a strong UK dubstep record built around dark deep wobbles, and enchanting basslines. It's aggressive but also atmospheric, striking a nice balance between the heavy energy and spacious, immersive production. Tracks like "BADDERS" featuring Skrillex, Flowdan, and G-Rex, as well as "Scared" with Zeds Dead, "Going Insane" with Grabbitz, and "Like That" with LYNY, showcase this sound exceptionally well.

The album also isn't ... read more

Wow, I did not remember this being as bad as it is. The sound design here might genuinely be some of the worst I've ever heard. It's screechy, ear-piercing, tinnitus inducing, high-pitched bare bones nonsense. How this got approved by Never Say Die in 2015 is beyond me.

The intros aren't even that bad, which somehow makes the brostep drops even more disappointing. They're genuinely painful to listen to, especially on "Fan Service" and "Onii-Chan." These ... read more

So unnecessarily long. Chris Brown truly is the king of quantity over quality.

This record feels like he straight up searched his own name on YouTube, downloaded every "Chris Brown Type Beat" he could find, and built an album around it. What makes this thing such a miserable listening experience isn't just its length, but how unbelievably stale it is. Every track is as bland as the last, to the point where the whole thing feels creatively bankrupt. It's so incredibly ... read more

Dominic Fike's "14 Minutes" feels like a collection of sketches that somehow made it to release. Whether that was intentional or not is hard to tell, and that's honestly part of the problem. The project is raw in a bad way, like an undercooked kind of way.

Tracks like "megaman" and "to say to say" come across more like very early drafts and ideas than completed songs. There are interesting ideas scattered throughout, but they never feel fully realized. ... read more

"Fine Line" reinvented Harry Styles' public image in many ways, transforming him from a generic boy band pop star into a more serious and nuanced artist. The album is packed with sugary pop rock and psychedelic pop, making it a very approachable and enjoyable listen, but at the same time, it carries a layer of emotional depth that many people probably wouldn't have expected from him before.

Tracks like "She," "Falling," "Fine Line," and ... read more

While it might feature one of the most forward-thinking and experimental sounds in the Mexican reggaeton scene, thanks to its heavy hyperpop and electronic influences, the record occasionally feels a little amateurish from a production standpoint.

Let's start with the positives. The dembow rhythms blend surprisingly well with the glitchy, surreal aesthetic that Meth Math has developed. Tracks like "Trenzas," "Myspace," and "Mantis" are great examples of how ... read more

An okay moody alternative R&B EP that's easy to chill to and generally quite appealing. The biggest issues here come from the songwriting, which often feels a little forgettable and occasionally even draining. Some of these songs genuinely feel longer than they actually are, and that's not a good sign when most of them are this short. Tracks like "Missed Calls" and "Separate Ways" suffer from this problem the most.

Thankfully, there are a few tracks that help ... read more

Much like the first volume, this EP suffers from many of the same flaws. The blues influences make a stronger first impression, and there does seem to be a little more instrumentation this time around, but it still feels just as underdeveloped and barebones as its predecessor, if not more so.

Something about the whole project feels hollow. Nearly every song sounds the same, making the listening experience feel so uneventful. There's a real lack of musical development here, and it makes ... read more

Pink Sweat$ has a gorgeous voice, there's no denying that. But I've always felt that the production on these EP "volumes" has always been their achilles' heel.

There's nothing wrong with minimalism when it's done well. It can be engaging, thought-provoking, and even deeply emotional. Here, though, while it does a great job of highlighting Pink Sweat$' vocals, it also makes the EP feel a little dull, repetitive, and ultimately indistinguishable. There is ... read more

There is so much to enjoy on James Ivy's debut EP, "Good Grief!". It's a charming indie rock record that serves as a strong introduction and a really solid starting point for his artistic identity. While it isn't quite as consistent or breathtaking as "Everything's Perfect", you can clearly hear James beginning to refine his sound here.

This is especially evident on standout tracks like "Headset Go," "Last Star," and ... read more

"CHROMAKOPIA" further solidifies Tyler, The Creator's status as one of the defining voices in modern hip-hop. At this point, every new Tyler release feels like a true major event, and while this album is slightly weaker than his previous two records in my eyes, that's hardly much of a criticism when those projects set such a remarkably high bar.

This is still an excellent album. It's honestly a little surreal to see just how influential Tyler has become. There is a ... read more

Without a doubt, my favorite Tyler, The Creator album. "CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST" is a fascinating blend of jazz, neo-soul, and West Coast Hip-Hop, infused with what seems to be a colorful, vintage luxury aesthetic of a Wes Anderson film. What makes the record so memorable is how effortlessly it balances that extravagant identity of Tyler's Sir Baudelaire persona with the grounded sensibilities of West Coast rap.

The production is one of the album's greatest strengths. With ... read more

Moog basslines, distorted textures, and a beautiful neo-soul influence come together to create one of the finest experimental hip-hop records ever made. Tyler, The Creator's "IGOR" is gorgeous, exciting, and truly one of a kind.

The album has an incredibly distinctive sound. Its rough, rowdy, almost DIY aesthetic gives it a tremendous amount of character, yet it never feels sloppy or underdeveloped. Considering Tyler produced the entire record himself the project is overflowing ... read more

Aries' debut album "WELCOME HOME" is an enjoyable blend of Emo Rap and Alternative R&B. I remember being quite impressed by the album when it first came out, and even today it still remains appealing. Aries delivers some genuinely strong vocals, particularly on the highlights like "SAYONARA," "AMY'S GRAVE," and "HOME," which to me also feature some of the project's strongest songwriting.

That said, revisiting the record years later, I ... read more