Magdalena Bay’s second mini mix contains some of the duo’s catchiest and most memorable songs despite them being merely 1-2 minutes long. I thought that the first song “Live 4ever” was an incredible opener that starts off more mellow but ends with explosive, almost hyperpop-esque production that reminds me a great deal of Charli xcx’s “How I’m Feeling Now”, the pair of songs “Sky2Fall” and “Body” are another great pair of ... read more

Oh wow what an upgrade from their previous 2 EPs, the production here has more personality, the vocal performances were better, the songs individually are much more captivating and the project as a whole was a lot more consistent. I really love the tropical moment on “El Dorado” that gave this mix some much needed variety in sound, but at the same time I’m a sucker for 4-on-the-floor beats no matter how cliche they are so the back to back duo of songs “U Wanna ... read more

Not as good as Day/Pop but still relatively decent. Night/Pop loses the sparkly bright synths of its predecessor for a much moodier atmosphere and darker tones. Definitely lives up to its title lol. I quite liked the sophisti-pop inspired opening track “Neon” and the groovy disco vibes on “Move Slow”. My biggest issue with this EP though is that the production seems to be a bit less focused and also simultaneously more generic than its brighter counterpart, and also that ... read more

Day/Pop is a cutesy and bright 4-track EP made in what was clearly the formative years for Magdalena Bay, still honing their skills for writing hooks and searching for a distinct sound, for the time being they latched onto the glittery digital aesthetics trailblazed by Grimes (specifically on Art Angels), and added their own, dreamier twist. It would’ve been a tall order for most to attempt this style and have good end results, but thanks to the duo’s already pretty incredible ... read more

Aespa's second release this year is a quick and immediate 6-track EP fronted by the incredible lead single and also title track "Whiplash", a dancefloor rager centred instrumentally around a 4/4 liquid-textured bass, highly reminiscent of the work from Charli xcx this year. While the song is effective in grabbing your attention, Aespa seems to not be bothered to further it, as aside from a few interesting moments on the song "Flights, not feelings", the rest of the EP ... read more

Never in my life have I heard an album so consistent and committed to its concept. "The Downward Spiral" is a haunting introspection into a man gone mad. We follow the protagonist's story in chronological order, his descent into sexual perversions and self abuse, such as that depicted on the dark but simultaneously sexy track "Closer", and his declaration of war against the establishment and religion on "Heresy" and "Ruined", to his eventual bleak ... read more

Every time Tyler, The Creator drops it’s a big deal, and it’s not hard to understand why. Ever since his album “Flower Boy” he has managed to stay ahead of the pulse of contemporary hip hop, while still retaining that mainstream palpability and instantly-gratifying hooks that could enrapture the average ear.

It’s no surprise then, that CHROMAKOPIA entertains. The riveting intro “St. Chroma” grabs your attention as the song oscillates between quiet ... read more

Magdalena Bay manages to improve upon every aspect on their debut album, on their sophomore effort "Imaginal Disk". The production became even more exquisite and evocative, their sound now fully realised and developed, the musical arrangements even more ingenious and satisfying, and even down to the album pacing -- which was the major problem on their debut -- now the tracklist flows so naturally, with the duo knowing precisely where to place slow moments and where to start building ... read more

Sufjan Stevens Discog Dive #3

I normally try to give you my thoughts in a more formal, scholarly tone, but for this review I want to deviate from my usual style a bit, and just talk about what this album made me think about in terms of life really.

It’s really difficult the situation Sufjan is dealing with in the album, to grieve for a mother that didn’t have much presence in his life. He feels betrayed by his mother’s negligence, but is also confused as to why despite that ... read more

The highlight of this album is in the production, I would describe it as a blend between Daft Punk and Cocteau Twins, I was so impressed upon learning that Kevin Parker played all the instruments and programmed it all by himself, its so dreamy and immersive but also has moments where it goes unbelievably hard, the instrumental second half of "Let It Happen" and the breakdown on "The Moment" especially are some of my favorite moments

I was however quite ambivalent towards ... read more

Listening to an artist's debut in retrospect is always fascinating because you could observe the aspects of their artistry that they have retained after all these years. And even more so in the case of Fiona Apple, because her sound has never experienced radical shifts but only ever progressively evolves. On "Tidal", you could hear the signature piano and drums, the colourful tinges and hues of jazz, her sultry vocal delivery, and even down to the lyrical angst -- all present. ... read more

“It’s my belief/that we all have the need to feel special/And it’s this need that can bring out the best in us/Yet the worst in us/This need created ‘The Velvet Rope’ ”

During the 90s the Jackson family’s super starlet was situated at the height of the pop stratosphere, how do you follow 3 consecutive blockbuster album eras, “Control”, “Rhythm Nation 1814” and “Janet.”, each with largely different themes? By creating ... read more

Lauryn Hill is possibly one of the most all rounded artists that I've ever come across, the fact that she basically singlehandedly produced, written, conceptualized, rapped, and sung everything on this record is beyond impressive.

But am I necessarily satisfied with the end result? Ehhhh, this album is a bit of a mixed bag.

To start with the positives, I thought that the concept of Lauryn missing out classes about love but instead educating herself through lived experiences is genius. ... read more

Folk is one of the genres that I have always struggled with, though I do have to admit that a large part of my perception towards folk came from limited exposure to only contemporary interpretations of the genre. Consequently, while I was not particularly looking forward to getting into Joanna Newsom’s ‘Ys’, part of me still hoped to come out of this pleasantly surprised.

As the last pluck of harp on ‘Cosmia’ reverberated and dissipated, the word ... read more

I doubt that anything on the remix album would top this but am so excited by the slim possibility that it could happen

Edit: 87 --> 92
After a few relistens I now like this about as much as "Fetch The Bolt Cutters"

Pre-edit Review:
If I had a nickel for everytime a Fiona Apple album had an album title so long that people usually abbreviate it to the first three letters + "...", I would have 2 nickels, which is actually a lot because it is 40% of her discography and it actually ISN'T weird that it happened twice. Because she's Fiona Apple.

I view the "The Idler ... read more

The 100th Follower Special: My Review of the singular, the iconic, the immaculate "good kid, m.A.A.d city"

There's just something so captivating about coming-of-age stories. As a child I loved reading children's novels series, watching the main characters make mistakes, mature and grow into responsible adults, it strikes a chord within my soul, because it is something that I, as a reader, is simultaneously experiencing, and could deeply relate to. good kid m.A.A.d city ... read more

Somehow Massive Attack took every problem I had with Dummy and resolved them on the masterpiece that is Mezzanine.

While still retaining the signature atmospheric quality of the genre of trip hop, the songs on Mezzanine feel a lot more tangible and impactful, mainly due to the incorporation of industrial and rock on many of the tracks, the songs are interesting throughout the entire duration, and do not just exist to contribute to the overall "vibe" of the album, each possessing ... read more

They say subtlety could be a blessing and a curse. With Solange and A Seat At The Table, it's both.

For one, it's immersive. Solange's soft, silky voice almost melts into the equally lush and gorgeous production, it feels like you're enveloped in a warm sheet of fabric, welcomed into the softest embrace, invited into a land of pure serenity.

But as the album progresses, you discover that that doesn't change, while it contributes to the album's cohesion, ... read more

Took a couple of listens to finally click and I'm glad it did! this album's idiosyncratic, brooding atmosphere forged by the sleek production and beth's vocals made it sound like a soundtrack to some erotic spy thriller. Admittedly I didn't love every song, there were some duds (it's a fire) and some notable standouts (sour times, roads, glory box), and at times the instrumentals are a bit too minimalistic for my taste, and I felt like I had to actively search for ... read more