Post Malone "Twelve Carat Toothache" (2022)

 

Its all to easy to over-analyze, dissect and buy into ones own critical thought. As one of popular musics most illuminated figures, Post Malone's music arrives through a lens of impact and relevance. This initially soured my experience. With a lack of obvious growth, new dimension or creative streak to latch onto, it seemed Twelve Carat Toothache was a firm disappointment. Post's unique vocal manipulation, now fine tuned to a peak, the day-dreaming instrumental glow and trendy hi-hat shuffling Trap inspired beats routine to a fault. It all seemed like a safe bet at first glance.

I'm glad I stuck with it. Some records just take a few extra spins to get going, ya know? I've now found the soundtrack to my summer. Its lyrical struggles deal with the double edged sword of fame, the ills of alcohol and mental health battles with his musical creativity. Despite this, glossy overtones and breezy reverbs stream a wealth of warm, thick melodies, track after track. Whenever an attentive glance gives thought to his embattled words, a darker tone is felt. Only on a couple of instrumentals do they manifest through tension and soft dreariness in mood. Otherwise, a sunny record.

The poor response from journalists seems warranted. A flawed record, forged in a thickle moment for Post. Despite this, its presence holds. This string of songs has an ambience, it holds its slick smoothness gracefully, the brightest of hooks bursting out between plenty of interlude paced moments. He still has his knack, its just used sparingly. Not a jam packed set of songs but its pacing works in a casual way.

Nestled right at the end is an absolute banger. The Weeknd once again features and brings the 80s Synthwave inspired aesthetic along for the ride. He frequently provides great songs to other artists and must be killing it with this approach of on-boarding listeners to your sound through features. Anyways, final thoughts? Its a mixed record in terms of what lands. Its percussion-less songs often a weaker cut yet its glossy tone and warm dreamy mood lets it drift by with an ease I can get onboard with.

Rating: 6/10

Doja Cat "Planet Her" (2021)

 

With slick easy vibes, smooth breezy aesthetics and sweet yet spicy persona, Doja Cat lends her sharp harmonious chords, breathy voicings and quirky raps too a dreamy psychedelic Trap and R&B experience. With a team of over ten plus producers, a surprisingly cohesive mood emerges across the record. Led by the cutting percussive presence of shuffling hi-hats, snappy claps and crunky snares, deep bass hits punch and rumble below. It leaves space for tinges of Ethereal and Dream Pop instrumentation to usher a spin on the trendy popular sounds of the times. The contrast between rhythm section and everything else is surprisingly inviting.

Planet Her plays with a sense of depth as Doja is central in shaping her songs with hooks, choruses and raps over the deliberately underwhelming roll of traditional melodies. Her personality manifests, at times highly sexual and literal far beyond suggestive, into a variety of topics, often dealing with fame, prominence and perception. Her performances felt like thee endearing factor. Especially so when her voice shifts up pitch. Navel, quirky, swift, the cadence, creative inflections and self assured attitude reigns over lyrical content, although the value of words is a common pitfall for this listener who feels the melody and aesthetic far more so.

Speaking on aesthetics, the housing of her various voices, through reverberation, panning and placing, is a constant delight. So often does the handling of her singing seem to elevate what she expresses. Its as if their is a great understanding between artist and producers. Some highlights include the anthemic opening Woman and a great feature from The Weeknd. Wherever he goes, his take on the Synthwave genre seems to follow. The tone fits well into the variety of temperaments offered, leaning into aggressive Trap rap grooves and opposite the fiesty, hints of R&B, Soul and Dream Pop grace the modern Pop music sound with a gentler touch. All in all Planet Her is a fantastic record from a young artist with style and persona in abundance.

Rating: 7/10

Ocean Grove "Up In The Air Forever" (2022)

 

Highly anticipated and warmly received, Up In The Air Forever is a spirited return to the modernized 90s mania of Flip Phone Fantasy. As my favorite record of recent years, a new batch of catchy ear worms are more than welcome. With this new chapter comprised of ten songs, the Australian group rework the formula through the wall of sound aesthetic for a true part two. I couldn't of asked for more, clearly there was more fuel in the tank as this sound simply does not tire on this adoring listener.

With glimmers of Nu Metal in groove and vibes akin to Grunge and the late 90s Pop scene, Ocean Grove get laser focused on catchy hooks and simple song structures. With grabbing guitar riffs and a dense, slamming production that channels all the instruments into a wonderful aesthetic stream, their three minute songs burn through inspiration thick and fast. Every track has its own flavor, most often a keen nostalgic throwback too. Its either Dale Tanner's breezy singing or some distinct guitar riff but everything has its roots in the past yet feels completely fresh and fun.

The one moment where the band reveal their hand all too abashedly is on the brief two minute HMU. Its dreamy intro cuts into a 90s/00s Pop / Hip Hop crossover track. Jiving percussion and punchy guitar grooves set stage for flirtatious lyrics. For me, its practically a flashback to days on the couch after school watching MTV. I couldn't finger the exact song but perhaps something by No Doubt would be a close call?

Fortunately its a great track. The band understand that period well. To drop some more names, Nirvana and Oasis are two other bands I frequently pick up vibes on. Especially the vocals, I frequently hear that arms behind back Gallagher singing. Even more so, I get a keen sense that the best of 90s Pop Music had a stronger influence on these musicians as the hooks, lyrics and cadence just seem to fit snugly with my memory of that era. Nostalgia aside, the group bring a strong sense of identity, wrapped in the spirit and moment of being a youthful band in their prime.

Musically its the production, handled by drummer Sam Bassal, that has their stamp of authority. The most simple elements hit hardest. The bass kicks like a dance floor thud. The snare snaps through the intensity, the pair power every track a strong groove. The shape of riffs and catchy melodies reach to the forefront with a bold emphasis. Its simple to digest at first yet giving more attention, a web of details, textures and electronics feel wedged into the engulfing sound too.

Having binged the record for a week, I can barely decipher my favorites. One great moment flows into the next and the vibrant energy rarely ceases, cooling off with the title track drifting off into a dreamy Etheral Rave of sorts. A lot of my adoration resists the analysis I try to bring to the experience. This band genuinely remind me of first falling in love with music where bands could do no wrong and anything you could get into was wonderful. I just want to soak in their vibes and enjoy every moment.

Rating: 9/10

Kero Kero Bonito "Time 'N' Place" (2018)

 Going forth with a bold stylistic shift, Kero Kero Bonito introduce a rather gristly over driven guitar tone into the mix! Not only do they dial back the childish quirk and charm established prior, the keys too recoil from punchy unabashed aesthetics. Time 'N' Place has the trio trying on new shoes. When sticking to their guns, they find a glossy, serine temperament stepping into classic Pop vibes with a modern edge. On the other front, hints of Grunge, Indie Pop and Shoegazing push them towards the uncanny valley as creative ideas clash with a touch of imposter syndrome lurking nearby.

Alongside the strives into guitar driven territory, the group take failing inspiration from the abrasive scenes of Glitch and Noise music. Three tracks in and Only Acting grates away with intentional CD skips leading into a ear aching assault of sharp fuzz on the listening. It seems so pointless, a barrage of disorientation that doesn't resolve to anything of interest. Fortunately these grating oddities are few and far between.

It doesn't look good among a series of misses. Opening with Outside, the Shoegazing kicks off on an odd note, not quite gelling with the sparkling synths found glittering around its chord progressions. From their most the songs land on odd footings, just not landing a charm as they low through a string of simple themes and old timely vibes. Late in the track listing, Sometimes is another stride beyond means. Aiming for a youthful, folksy pub sing along, the brash acoustic guitar strumming clashes with unrehearsed singing. The VGM 8bit synth jam that takes place alongside sours too.

Most the songs are inoffensive but oddly mediocre in the shadow of their other works. It makes for a dull, lukewarm listen that often drags. Bit of a shame considering how interesting I've found this group up to this point. In fact what comes after with Civilization II is remarkable, a major difference from whats to be heard here. Time 'N' Space feels like the new ideas they brought to the mix didn't have the chemistry.

Rating: 4/10

Olivia Rodrigo "Sour" (2021)

 

Being of a different generation, I only became aware of Olivia Rodrigo when the storm of ignorance descended upon Sour and its similarities to music of decades past. Is she reinventing the Punk Pop wheel? Or pinching from Paramore on Good 4 U? Crashing the record open with Brutal and its nod to Elvis Costello, I can see why the accusations flew her way. A lot of people don't understand that everything is a remix, we stand on the shoulders of giants and there is little true "originality" to be found. We're products of our surrounding environments, influence flows through one to the next. All music has its place in the tree of evolving lineage, branches spread, flowers blossom and bloom, looking all so similar yet with their own quirks.

I'm happy the has controversy lured me in. Olivia has a powerful, independent voice, a swaying mix of committal and vulnerability, with a loose grip in timely moments. This generation is growing up on auto-tuned vocals and its physically effecting how young people now sing. I'm more partial to the old ways and no vocal coach but her pitch and temperament seems to straddle the two. Strong notes cruise into crashes of softness and expression so wrapped up in the emotions her words paint bright.

Lyrically, a passing glance could simply dismiss these topics of high school love, heartbreaks and teenage toils as typical and naive yet despite the surface, something about how she picks apart her feelings seems so raw and direct. Its clear shes been through an awful break up, laying out both the bad and ugly alongside her righteous reactions, circling back to different aspects of the experience on multiple tracks. Her words weave brief insights in their bluntness, creating a remarkable impression what could seem like an atypical song. Of course her singing spearheads it all with these surges of vulnerability as she opens up an extraordinary range and delivery.

The introspection seems almost unintentional, as if she stumbles onto the pulse without reflective intent. Later in the record, Jealousy Jealousy highlights the thought and craft in her lyrics, narrating the difficult navigations of a generation growing up with social media exacerbating the thief of joy, comparison. The lightly shouted conclusion has a fantastic flow to it, kicking up a breezy gusto and riding it out. Creativity flows effortlessly it seems and her singing style is front and center of it all.

Her partnership with Dan Nigro, writing and production, seems like a perfect fit. Song structures are apt with piano chord melodies a frequent source of warmth. Much of the music comes with a lofty ambience, a sense of scale as songs drift dreamily with swells of lush and gentle sound amounting. All the instruments are orchestrated to grow and croon softly with power and persuasion. Giving it a keen ear one can hear layers of quiet instruments at work, led by minimalist percussion that's timely with a pallet beyond the basics. Its a fine footing for inspirations that much of the record holds in these loose, fluid and shapeless moments, only be suddenly snapped into place by an occasional upbeat Pop song like the successful hit Good 4 U.

I struggle to find the right words, the resonance between voice and instrumental is just fascinating yet so simple. Sour has a wonderful and curious chemistry, an individual set in the center who's got a seemingly typical, yet deeply rousing self expression to offer. Its much gentler than its big tracks suggest and the personal story embedded is moving. Its a shame people get all riled up by similarities. There is much to miss out on here! One I spotted myself was 1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back. It has a vibe keenly reminding me of Regina Spektor! Anyway, Sour is a fantastic album, can't wait to see where she goes from here!

Rating: 8/10

Pop Will Eat Itself "The Looks Or The Lifestyle" (1993)

 

I think I've developed a mildly amusing "love hate relationship" with Pop Will Eat Itself! I'm undoubtedly leaning on the love side however their "of the era" occasionally sours. It often depends on the mood. This Is The Day struck the perfect stride of nostalgia, a wild crossover that nailed early Hip Hop and the shape of Metal at the time. Since then, they have not stuck in one place stylistically. Its been hit and miss, The Looks Or The Lifestyle seems like a response to the emergence of Grunge as an update in band chemistry has prominent distortion guitars on almost every track of the album.

Continuing on with the 90s Dance and Electronic scene sounds, the group find a more consistent fusion with grungy guitars, lively percussive breaks and an injection of electronic instruments reflecting the era. Its bold and unabashedly 90s, often a little cringe in its early shout raps, the British accents sung strong. The record rolls out with a strong string of tracks, pumping drums charge forth, a wall of samples and synths thrive between dynamic guitars and powerful baselines. It leads into their most popular charting song, known as Get The Girl! Kill The Baddies!

Performed by stabbing melodic drum synths hits, its main melody is a turn off in an otherwise decent track. I think its theme that births it success, essentially riffing on tropes from the perspectives of a movie character. The album starts to diversify after. Guitar tones get shaken up. The sampling and synths reach into new territory, arriving at Urban Futuristic. Its a hard hitting mash up of early Drum n Bass, Thrash Metal and bizarre cheesy synth tones. What it lacks for in classic it makes up for in ambition!

Its this string of gutsy tracks, fun experimentation and bold crossovers that get the thumbs up from me. After them, the final four cuts stagnate in quality, drifting into the tired and dated. It feels intentional that the best material is front loaded. Left a little soured, they exaggerate the cheese its great songwriting diverted early on. With just one record left before their split in 1996, it will be a sound place to conclude the journey having been fed to full on this reflective nostalgia exploration.

Rating: 6/10

Aurora "The Gods We Can Touch" (2022)

 

For the last two and a half weeks I've been rather engrossed In Aurora's latest offering. Its a warm invitation into a keen world of bright enduring melodies and fantastical sincere singing. Forged with a little folkish charm, it remains grounded and authentic. Once again Aksnes's voice carries a tune so powerfully, illuminating the already glowing notation of her well crafted backing instrumentals. Much of the music rests on a subtler moody sombre side, with these periodic bold strides into Electropop territory, stirring an excitement she remedies with words sung sublimely.

Picking apart the particulars of ones voice is a service words can't quite achieve but she has swiftly become one of my all time favorites. On this outing the performance expands with lyrical themes becoming more personal and intimate than I recall before. A handful of songs feel rather direct and vulnerable, an insight to personal struggles. Its endearing, bringing more humanity and passion to the music, less lofty in concept and theme. Not a sole focus, it arrives in balance with ideas more common for her.

The album has a great sense of flow, many moments of Ethereal calm seem to intersperse the jovial strides, as perky melodies played on pianos, strings and all between ride the surges of energy that arise. The compositions are expertly crafted with percussion guiding the songs through organic calms to then give its main moments more punch. Production is wonderful too, everything feels snugly fit in with reverberations perfectly measured to give the music depth and resonance.

 At fifteen minutes, things do fizzle out. A handful of the last few songs feel underwhelming in comparison. Its final song, A Little Place Called The Moon, has an experimental temperament. Aurora makes it work but the end result seems so different from anything before it. Its a hazy passage that seems the record off on a ghostly note. The Gods We Can Touch isn't perfect but I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here and its packed with some new favorites to return to on occasion!

Rating: 8/10

Pop Will Eat Itself "Cure For Sanity" (1990)

 

 Despite the disappointment of a "Grebbo Rock" record with Box Frenzy, I will continue my exploration of English genre mashers Pop Will Eat Itself. Spotify has alleviated the friction of research and investment into albums. Now any curiosity is just a few clicks away! With that I've also felt less of a need to go deep on records, the result feeling wonderful. The burden of expensive MP3s has been lifted and my ears are free to explore. Does that factor into why I enjoyed this hour of early 90s vibes so much? Probably, its nice to not have a thought gnawing at the back of ones mind about frequently sinking money into your listening choices when they turn sour.

Cure for Sanity opens up with fantastic sampled dialog of the shape of music in the fabric of society and outdated notions of how this should be controlled. Its sets a high bar for topicality that I never felt returned in the next nineteen tracks. Admittedly the cheesy 80s rap flows in British accents made for a lack of investment in the lyrics. Its following Dance Of The Mad Bastards feels like a send off to the Rock Rap crossover that made This Is The Day so magical, reusing distortion guitars and other samples that gave it identity. These snippets run alongside new sounds and a percussive drum loop fit for the coming Electronic scene of England in the early 90s.

From here the record strolls through a fair bit of mediocrity, leaving its metallic tone in the dust and stitching together newer moods and tones of the times in a heavy wash of sampling that will have you clambering to remember from what artists you first heard that sample or sound before. Again it includes many cultural snippets too, like the famous commentary and crowd sounds from England's 1966 world cup victory.

Going back to the remark on the yet to blossom Electronic scene, the better songs here seem to bolster House and Dance pianos that would be a staple style before long. Its other cutting edge is in percussion, many drum loops a precursor to Big Beat and the likes can be heard and all at the start of the decade. It would be so fascinating to see a deep dive on the samples and their place in the timeline. It seems so apt for whats about to arrive and undoubtedly wouldn't be possible without legal freedom for sampling at the time that what be drastically changed in years to come. Cure for Sanity is a fair bit of fun with a lot of mediocrity as many songs feel like a collection of sampling ideas. Luckily there is a couple of solid songs in here too.

Rating: 5/10

Ghost "Call Me Little Sunshine" (2022)

As one of my most cherished band of recent years, even a two track single garners my attention! After all, Ghost did release a duo of non-album gems with Seven Inches Of Satanic Panic. Sadly, this pair do not live up to the hype and also feature on the upcoming Impera full length. My initial, unchanged, reaction to the title track was a soft disappointment. With Meloria and Prequelle the band took significant strides of excitement as their sound matured. This song feels like it didn't make the cut on the last outing. Reciting the same 80s inspired vibes, its easy tempo and molded melodic temperament delivers its average chorus and verse on stride to a guitar solo, a lull and then return. For them, its an all to common structure lacking a spark.

The following Hunter's Moon feels a more lively in comparison with instrumental shake ups unleashing broody guitar grooves and twisted church chorals. Its still the same overall structure but the chorus hook arrives more vibrant as the lead guitar rolls out a grabbing lick. Don't get me wrong, I adore this band and the niche they occupy but this sounds like a group on autopilot, simplifying their sound into very digestible music that lacks the flash and surprise that has made them unmissable over the last ten years. Its not got my hopes up for Impera. I am hoping these are the weaker cuts.

Rating: 2/10

The Weeknd "Dawn FM" (2022)

Having made waves with his retro inspired After Hours, The Weekend returns two years on with Dawn FM. Leaning deeper into the nostalgia of 80s Pop music and aesthetics of Synthwave, this sixteen track dive sustains more of an album experience that its predecessor. Equally, without a spearhead song like Blinding Lights, it endures with consistency of mood. One can simply dip in at any point and relax with easy vibes, breezy cruising instrumentals and wonderful falsetto singing. So often do those high notes become the peak in this narrow range of creative avenues explored.

Thematically structured around the concept of an ethereal radio station, a handful of its spaced apart interludes play like broadcast ads. Decoded, its theme of suspension in limbo signals a direction out for the listener. Its a wonderful tie in, melding the overall mood with a bigger picture. The album doesn't peer into the unease or eeriness of the situation but essentially forges a link with its retroactive stylistic inspirations, as if the lyrical narratives explored reflect on memories gone by.

The lyrics themselves often linger on relationships, love and heartbreak with a common "looking back" perspective. Luckily his voice is charming, a soft and strong flow that can gracefully sweep between notes, lingering on them with emotion and passion in the vibrations. That's where the feeling is felt for me. Lyrically the concepts are often simple, straightforward and in the latter half of the track listing tend to feel rather shallow in terms of depth. The words recycled are unimaginative lines and sentences from love songs Ive heard done to death by many an artist before him.

Dawn FM shines consistently on its instrumental front. Its glossy, lush, spacy synths bring a sweet indulgence fit for its upbeat tempos and lazy slow riding grooves too. The easy going nature of Pop music is treated to an inspired aesthetic. The balance takes the better aspects of Synthwave tones without hounding them into the ground as many artist in this Retrowave movement do. On occasion The Weeknd and his production team lean hard into the buzz saws, psychedelic synth and punchy drums but its always timely and apt. Rarely do they loose focus on the underlying structure.

That brings me to the next strength of this record, song writing. Without anything to ambitious taking place, the stellar aesthetics and crooning moods seem to zap away the repetition and cycle of the verse chorus loop. Its there with the occasional shake up and interludes creating a series of soft "events" on the journey. Although not involved in song writing, Quincy Jones turns up for an interlude to see in Out Of Time. Its a seriously classic Michael Jackson alike song. It highlights a similarity in his vocal style with the King Of Pop and the instrumental pops like a PYT or Rock With You.

And that's what underpins many of the albums best songs, the brilliance of instrument variety ushering in soft plucks of guitar melody between gushes of vibrant synth and timely rock grooves. Its the subtle characterizations of Funk, Soul, R&B and Pop in the performance, beneath its oozy synth aesthetic, that make the magic. Its a true hail to the likes of Quincy. Sadly that is mostly speaking to the first half of the record as past the feature with Tyler The Creator, the gears shift pace quite notably as that song slows the pacing, cutting out the drums and transitioning us into a gentler intensity.

Its in this second half that the music tends to veer away from the variety and qualities heard on its opening stretch. The lyrics get watered down, pacing lulls on dreamy tempos and the Synthwave aesthetic grow into the main focus. We are not talking about every song but to my ears Dawn FM feels very front-loaded. Its opening tracks are truly remarkable and a peak of this era of music. Short and sweet would of been a better approach here, in aims of a classic. As a longer, drawn out, experience it does do a great job of suspending one in its spell. Either way, an impressive record!

Favorite Tracks: Sacrifice, Out of Time

Rating: 7/10

Pop Will Eat Itself "Box Frenzy" (1987)

 

On occasions, the rush of excitement that always comes from record browsing can get the better of me. The rule I am not learning is to give something a listen before parting with your hard earned cash! Given that PWEI blew me away with their sophomore record, This Is The Day, I was happy to jump straight in! That album was a time capsule of nostalgic innocence, reflecting the cultures of the day. It spoke directly to musical scenes before my time that Ive always been fascinated with. Looking to follow up, the acclaim mentioned in breath of their debut Box Frenzy had me pick it. Sadly the horrors I've found have me wanting to give up. I can firmly say its quite awful.

I'll be blunt with my words but a handful of listens has improved my tolerance. In a nutshell, everything "edgy" of the time retroactively sounds stale, dated and damn right corny! Fueled on by the Run DMC Rap sound, these youthful twenty-somethings hinged all of their songwriting on aesthetics that have died off. Box Frenzy is forty three minutes of unabashed punchy tone abuse, taking synthesized 80s sounds and running them through the mills on old school drum machines and retro keyboards. These arrangements are stark with spacious drum grooves droning away, accompanied by obnoxious "sound effects" and Walk This Way inspired guitar stabs.

The lyrical content is often cheap and cheesy, atypical 80s rapping flows with a lack of underpinning substance. The spirit of these songs reminding me of "dated" party songs, the sort of unbearable 80s tunes encouraging kids to do a variety of then trendy dance moves and routines, hinged on gimmick and novelty. That in your face cheese is tiring but also entirely the point. For 1987 I can see how this would have been on the edge and pulled in praise but having little nostalgia for this particularly disposable and dated sound, Its no surprise it turned me off.

I've been cruel so far and I must say the foundations of what made This Is The Day is firmly heard on this record. A few tracks have something good to offer in the way of groove and energy but the aesthetics tend to be a bit to grating. There is also the term Grebo mentioned here. Labelled as "Grebo Rock" its a curious disconnect from how the term was used in my youth to label the alternative crowd I then Identified with. Seems the term has roots that extend back to the 80s, and a sound I wouldn't associate with the Nu Metal and Gothic music of my youth. This introduction won't have me looking much further though!

Rating: 3/10

Spellling "The Turning Wheel" (2021)

 

In search of new sounds and experiences, I've found a record strung out with familiarity yet blindingly powerful in its execution of inspiration. It works for me, something I could swiftly get into and mull over these last few weeks. Chrystia Cabral, the brains behind the Spellling name, lends her immaculate voice to a timely orchestration of genre influences adjacent to the world of popular music. She is a powerhouse of breathy expression, rooted in classic soulful stylings. Her range is wide, diving with a masculine low on Magic Act and sailing to a childish, playful resonance on Little Deer. With each of these arrangements offering up a different temperament, she is the beacon that shines and guides us through these twelve offerings as they grow increasingly atmospheric, occasionally peering into a brittle darkness.

I could easily rattle off lists at this point. With a backbone of warm baselines, Organs, Pianos, String, Horns and strong vocal harmonization parade upfront in a variety of compositions that usher in many vibes. Pop music of the 60s, Soul, R&B, a little Jazz, Chamber Pop and Lounge too. There are subtle electronic influences worming there way in too. Always sounds more like an 80s Synth-pop ballad and after the slow brewing Awaken, aligned strongly with Classical ideas, the album starts to open up. Emperor With An Egg accrues various waveform instruments alongside its Classical instrumentation and the following Boys At School at school hints at Synthwave vibes which blossoms on Queen Of Wands, a track akin to Chelsea Wolfe's Pain Is Beauty. Its use of wobbly, eerie, spooky Horror synths a sensibility here that resurfaces, seemingly at odds with the mood of Sweet Talk. Little moments like this are littered throughout, sounds that seem out of context but work wonderfully.

I could go on but essentially we have bright and clear instrumentation arranged wonderfully with beautiful aesthetics and expressive instrumentation that despite showing its influences, feels entirely distinct as the web of influences weave together. The record sets out feeling more Soul and Baroque pop oriented but swells of instrumentation gives it a Progressive edge that blossoms as the songs continuously explore, bringing in more instruments, sounds and aesthetics as it goes on. Its melodies too often feel interchanged between these style, ushering in just the strangest sense of ideas in action. One can almost see the blueprint yet its outcome feels completely inspired and magical, without any design.

Rating: 8/10

Lil Nas X "Montero" (2021)

 

With the monumental success of the chart topping, record breaking Old Town Road, the Georgian rapper Lil Nas X has had the musical worlds attention thrust his direction for some time now. Typically critical voices cry the loudest, claiming him a one hit wonder but this record certainly proves that wrong. Now we can joke he is a one album wonder for now, as Montero is simply fantastic, a vibrant album experience, strong from front to back with a very accessible Pop Rap aesthetic brightening up a wealth of self expression and topicality to deepen its warm, welcoming vibes.

In general, these songs are short and snappy, getting to the point swiftly, wrapping themes up with catchy hooks. Production wise, the music never leans to hard into anything but goes all over the place, softly diversifying. Dead Right Now and Industry Baby steer into Trap territory, addressing relations with his father and following it up with a self affirming track bolstering his ambitions. His Country Rap infusion returns on That's What I Want with a bright chirpy chorus delivering an infectious hook over soft sunny chorals. Not exactly the most original composition but he does the idea justice.

From here the songs increasingly ramp up my personal interest, Scoop swoops in simple melodies and jiving percussion giving light to the quirky ad-libs. This track gave me some serious Rodeo vibes with that Travis Scott style production. Quite the fun and creative stint before One Of Me drives hope a fantastic hook with the plain faced "I like this, I don't like that" lines. Such a simple way to illuminate the ridicule of voiced opinions that whirl around individuals thrust into the limelight. Lost In The Citadel ushers in uplifting, poppy Alt Rock guitars as the record starts to pivot to more guitar oriented aesthetics. Paired with tight percussion and deep baselines in straddles Hip Hop from a distance as the lines blur wonderfully.

Then with void we hear Lil Nas X depart from that entirely on an epic sung song, expressing pains and vulnerability while some how working the "Hodo hodo" ear worm in. As his voice opens up the dark and brooding instrumental behind him starts to build slithers of light as the soft drive of muted drums and pounding bass lead to a wonderful sense of revealing the beauty in his singing that was always present. Stunning song. Don't Want It oddly gets away with shifting back to a Trap flavor for Life After Salem to deliver the albums broodiest track. Led by a gristly acoustic guitar it routinely sails into the darkness with swells of Post-Rock guitar and subtle stabs of sinister Gangster's Paradise strings nestled, lurking in the backdrop briefly.

Between the likable Pop and Trap tracks, that bring their own identity, the team producing the instrumentals work in some fantastic music quite distance from that formulae. Its exciting, interesting and very expressive with Lil Nas X singing and rapping with a lot of substance to embrace. It all amalgamates to a stunning conclusion as Miley Cyrus hops on to lend her powerful voice to the albums epic closer, Am I Dreaming. The way the two individually step onto the track in their verses hits like waves, as tension builds up with the duo weaving their voices in a dramatic conclusion, crying "Never forget me". Goosebumps.

Its hard not to be bull about this record. Its arrangement is fascinating, steering from the accessible into expressive songs pulling from areas not often associated with Hip Hop. This might be one of the most enjoyable experiences this year. I'm left with thoughts of wondering if its magic might diminish with time? I think one or two songs could suffer that fate but there is so much brilliance on display. Whats best is a feeling of optimism moving forward. This wasn't just a collection of well crafted appeals but inspired songs moving in new directions. Lil Nas X has the diversity here to really open up and surprise in the future, in my opinion at least.

Rating: 9/10

Billie Eilish "Happier Than Ever" (2021)

Just a reminder, Billie is still a teenager. This is remarkable within the context of a wonderfully mature and wise record that sees the young star navigate fame and fortune with a rarefied grace. Her lyrics here are a treasure to embrace. I hope she can continue in this well handled direction, were too many that have come before end up ravished by the spotlight, media and unfair pressures of fame. For two siblings making quirky music together from their bedroom, to then be catapulted to the peak of stardom, this is quite the force to reckon with. The music too moves with this mature navigation of choppy waters. Stripping back youthful experiments with noise and ASMR, the ship is now steered in a direction reminiscent of many classic singer songwriters that glowed in the spotlight of decades forgotten to this generation.

Billie's voice has flourished from intimate wordings and quirky whispers to classy undressings of emotion through power and strength. Vulnerable, yet in control and laying all bare to be heard by those who listen. Having frequently been at the attention of a news cycle set on critiquing her presentation of self, the topics of the record get wrapped up in a critical awareness of this pressure which she replies to with unshakeable truth through reason. For young people growing up, these messages are so on point. The mesmerizing transient drone of Not My Responsibility sets an intense focus for Billie to talk truth of all the commentary on her clothes, appearance and sexuality, illuminating that the problem lies with those who choose to speculate and judge themselves.

Getting Older and My Future deliver such a charming maturity and positivity from a young person navigating the waves. "Cause I'm in love with my future, can't wait to meet her", wonderful lyrics, its so nice to hear warm outlook on ones life and aging. The classic taste of airy reverberated synths, soft inviting pianos, gentle guitar strumming and crafty grooving baselines somehow nestle sweetly between their "traditional" sound with tracks like Oxytocin, I Didn't Change My Number and Overheated, these songs being more rooted in the style that defined her breakout.

Billie may take the spotlight but Finneas deserves much praise for masterfully expanded the albums pallet to sound as if a group of top session musicians had been brought in to gloss up the electronic aesthetic of his When We Fall Asleep Where We Go instrumentation. The record navigates both ends of the spectrum and all in between as its run time offers up a fair helping of variety. Billie too overlaps her playful whisperings and glowing traditional singing to keep things healthily interesting. Their chemistry is sublime, offering up an engrossing engagement from subdued instrumentals that embrace sparsity and slow tempos to give keen power to the minimal melodies and aesthetics left to be heard. Most the instruments arrive soft, ambient and incidentally with flourishes of energy coming from snappy percussion forging interesting grooves.

With every listen I've felt a fizzle in the end starting at NDA, a quite remarkable lyrical tale and musing that doesn't seem to hit the stride instrumentally, the bite of the words just don't resonate for some unknown reason. It tempo shifts up at the end, transitioning into Therefore I Am, which quite honestly felt all too much like a rehash the debut records vibe. Then the title track, gets off to a wonderful start but suffers growing pains agressing up into a sing along grunge blowout that lacked the right melody or lyric to give it the vibe it clearly strides for. No album is perfect and not every track resonates quite like some of Billie's words which are as stated, quite remarkable for the pitfalls she is successfully navigating.

Your Power makes a personal favorite for me. With a soft gush of Ethereal wind, the two usher in a heartwarming guitar and voice song reminiscent of Mazzy Star. Its lyrical content feels intentionally offset from the melancholy vibes the song ushers forth. I doubt Happier Than Ever will have quite the impact its predecessor had however between the two we simply have more fantastic songs to enjoy and plenty more to look forward too it seems. The one thing I hope people take away from this one is the lyrics. So much to be learned from someone else's experience here.

Rating: 8/10

Brockhampton "Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine" (2021)

 

Ive found this record difficult to put in words. A strong diversity of instrumental moods and heavy lyrical narratives that I struggled to connect with left me enjoying but not entirely resonating. Two years on from Ginger the group feel artistically evolved with maturity of word and a better execution of ideas. My lack of connection mostly stems from the endless stream of lyrics that Hip Hop offers, a form of personal exhaustion perhaps. Either way there is no doubt these songs hold up for there foundations. The group of producers who put hands on this one pulled together a colorful set of sounds to house within tight percussive grooves, a strong presence whenever put on spin.

The first five tracks feel like the strictly Hip Hop cuts. An emphasis on rhyme, reason and rugged beats brings Danny Brown onto the bass driven, wild Buzzcut. Its a massive salute that makes for a memorable number, followed by a strong appraisal for JPEGMafia and another collab with A$AP Ferg & Rocky. The attraction of big names says a lot for their ascendancy in the scene. Kicking of with deep bass kicks and some strong rap flows, Windows's inclusion of a poppy, over the top, auto-tune hook hints at where all this goes as the other aspect of this collective starts to emerge.

The rest of the record explores its Pop, R&B and Soul influences, often channeled into a modern context with high pitched and auto-tuned vocals weaving a lot of swooning singing into its songs while retaining darker themes in its lyrics. Its remarkably catching and In many a song, represents the groups unique sound at its best. When I Ball is a personal favorite for its old timely string section and warm, riveting baseline strutting beneath. The pivot to pitched up vocals so smooth. Its often been a point of contention but this time I think they pull these of the time trends so well.

It should be mentioned they swing back with a home run into the strictly Rap world with a ghetto whistle led banger Don't Shoot Up The Party. It comes with a strong message and bouncy energy that juxtaposes party vibes with a grim proposition. It held as a stiff moment in the albums flow as we move to a Gospell track before the vulnerable, emotion gushing The Light Pt. II that feels like a sweet send off as members of the group step to the mic to deliver some heart felt, emotional words.

A common experience of mine is holding off from writing as I don't feel I have a complete picture of the music. Sitting down to actually force out the words somehow brings it into perspective and with this analytical breakdown of what stood out to me, I feel as if I got closer to the record but again the short coming is always lyrics. These songs are loaded with substance that I could feel in passing but didn't stick around for long. Its a personal problem. The music of my youth as taken all of my lyrical capacity. I wish I could pick up and bond with it more these days, I feel like I am missing out on so much. Especially here on Roadrunner which is a fine record and a strong maturing of Brockhampton's sound.

Rating: 7/10

Drake "Scary Hours 2" (2021)

 

Its been a few years since God's Plan and Scorpion. This new release Scary Hours 2 is a three track EP, warming up some anticipation for the Canadian rapper's sixth full length, set to drop sometime this year. Firstly I'd like to note the covers aesthetic, a gloomy, mysterious shade of blue and the classic Old English font up top. Its a shade of Bathory meets Arkhtinn. My curiosity to the similarity comes unanswered but musically there is no relation to anything esoteric or extreme. Its very much business as usual. On that note there is no mention to the global pandemic, which is a choice for any artist however the glorification of wealth and lifestyle feels especially hollow in its indifference to the pains of our world right now.

What's Next kicks off the record with breezy raps, Drake's easy flow hits a healthy stride spitting on a keen groove, doubling up his rhymes alongside one word emphasis. It works well, the lyrics are structured with plenty of catchy repetition to get stuck in. The mood is energetic and uplifting without bombast, these instrumentals are all tight and snappy, minimal yet effective. It continues on Wants And Needs that steers to a spacey vibe with Lil Baby stepping in to deliver a firm set of rhymes with his wobbly voice. The two exchange narratives around romantic relations interwoven with boisterous behavior. Its got style and swagger, but substance? These songs tend to feel right in the moment but don't leave a lasting impression.

Lemon Pepper Freestyle is the weak link, a more spacious drum arrangement hinges of the soulful vocal sample that cycles on a dizzy looping. For this listener it becomes grinding and dull swiftly. Rick Ross brings an older generation style to the track, even referencing Makaveli and Death Row. Its in partial contrast to the beat and Drake too who probably gives the best verse on the record, an endless train of thoughts spelling out personal grievances and perspectives but ends up trailing off into showman raps and flaunts that occasionally loop back over the same bars. Its a nice flow, sharp, brief sentences with a pause before going in again. Overall though it doesn't yield a bigger sense of self. This EP feels like business as usual for the rapper with a formula that works well but for me isn't all the exciting.

Rating: 3/10

Jessie Ware "What's Your Pleasure" (2020)

Nostalgia revival has been a recurring theme across the musical spectrum in recent years. Strangely, the better of it all doesn't feel nostalgic at all. That's what we have here, a plunge into the past that pulls out the finest moments with precision. What's Your Pleasure looks back through the aesthetics, ideas and instrumentation of Disco, Dance, Pop, Soul and Funk's glory years and brings them to life once again with twelve stunningly charismatic songs, all with something unique to offer.

 The record is a classy affair. Kicking off with its catchy dance floor numbers one will be lured in by its attitude, jive and confident energy. A general sense of the eighty and Synth-pop resides here. A pivot in the midsection runs through some modern downtempo driven atmospheric tunes to relax the tempo. These deep moods recur again in its final phase shuffled between more classic vibes culminating in the timeless Remember Where You Are, a song for the ages. Its cinematic theme and swells of warm, sunny smiles are utterly classic and moving every time it closes the album.

 Jessie is the glue. The stylistic pivots and musical diversity are held together by her unassuming voice. With power and emotion she sings without an obvious distinction most singers catch my ear with. She is well composed, strong and sings with confidence through the ranges that stretches to the breathy voice on occasion. Her attitude and posture matches the tone of these numbers on every track and her common presence unifies. Tracks like Ooh La La and In Your Eyes sound miles apart separately but with her guidance its all comes together in the grander experience.

The instrumentals are a delicacy. Aesthetically every sound is lavish and stunning. The tone, and temperament of these instruments are gorgeous. The bass guitar oozes with texture as it prowls along as the musical backbone. Brief ushers of guitar licks shimmer in the breeze and the diverse pallet of percussive sounds get worked in to suit its songs main stylistic focus. The synth work too is sublime, from big and bold to soft and subtle everything is a joy to indulge with and take in.

Musically, many of the ideas lack true originality with its roots in the deeply explored styles of past but in execution the song writing hits the mark with a stunning sense of charisma. The best comes from the overlaps of 70s and 80s era moods with the more modern House and Downtempo beat frameworks. Another stunning aspect is the deployment of these upfront, in your face cheesy synths. Once a retro stain of the 80s, in this context it is wonderfully worked around the attitude of Jessie on a couple of songs, making much fun of a once dated style.

These songs have life, soul and experience to them. Ranging from boisterous fun and flirtatious struts to weepings of heart breaks and pains suffered, Jessie puts her personality into every moment. It all comes with a gleam of uplift. Often fun and playful, even its reflective, melancholic tracks resolve to a positive space.

All in all this is one heck of a production. What's Your Pleasure sets the bar high as it explores some nostalgic ideas, bringing them back in style and with relevancy. Ive delved into this one deep. Its got swooning spells throughout although favorites do emerge as some of the Synth-pop and Funk tracks tire on many repetitions. Its Downtempo and classic old school string section, diva led pop tracks are a delight, occasionally tugging on my heart strings. Its dance-able throughout with plenty of groove and attitude to boost your spirits. This is the sort of record you can recommend to anyone who isn't pegged into a musical corner.

Favorite Tracks: Spotlight, What's Your Pleasure, In Your Eyes, Step Into my Life, Mirage, Remember Where You Are

Rating: 9/10

Bring Me The Horizon "Post Human: Survival Horror" (2020)

 Last outing with Bring Me The Horizon we got to experience the first of their now preferred EP format for releasing music. Supposedly being done with albums, Music To Listen To... suggested an experimental, carefree direction for the group. At thirty two minutes, Survival Horror feels like an album but it is just the first of four releases under the Post Human banner. Formats and definitions aside, this is undoubtedly a great listening experience that explains itself regardless of how its packaged up and sold. There is also the price, can't complain about saving a few quid to pick it up!

With these nine tracks, BMTH step back to the cutting edge. Their fusion of Electronic, Metal and Pop thrives within the throttling production that gives all instruments a punchy clarity whilst retaining the wall of sound energy. Most these songs land between Amo and That's The Spirit, poppy hooks and structures with splashes of electronica just about everywhere. It Kicks off with a notable dip into exhilaration as the blast beats and lively guitar work show strong Extreme Metal influences.

A fascinating collaboration with Babymetal stands out, Kingslayer, a song that could of easily fit on the Japanese groups record as it utilizes their song style and aesthetic quirks. The rest of the record mostly toys with different temperaments of Pop Metal, the loud quiet dynamic and many creative ways of delivering catchy ear worms. Its still fondly reminiscent of the Hybrid Theory formula, the song Teardrop practically a tribute to that record with a its parallel guitar tone and ideal song structure.

The band constantly sway between tuneful swoons and doses of heavy, often punctuated with dense synthesizers droning in syncopation with the guitars. The percussion too has an entanglement with drum machines and samples that give the songs a textural weight to bolster the music with aesthetic intrigue. Its made revisiting these songs fun as the depth has one picking apart the layers that make it up.

On the lyrical front its opening songs seems poised to reflect on the internal stresses and turmoil the current pandemic is putting many people through right now. Its a middle of the road, unpolitical take that wrangles out frustrations caused by the situation. It could just be coincidence from a band that frequently deal with the negative spectrum of emotions through their words. Its all a little to uncanny though.

Survival Horror is a sharp record, concise, creative and at the edge of cunning, the group have managed again to evolve their sound in exciting directions. With a handful of guests to bring on extra voices and no shortage of ideas it ends out being a fruitful affair with something for everyone. Its been stated that each of the four parts will have their own identity. I'd love more in this vein but the idea of pushing something different with each release has me excited for their future! This band have long defied the odds against their origin and watching them continue on is simply fantastic.

Rating: 8/10

Rich Brian "The Sailor" (2019)

The Sailor is young Indonesian rapper Rich Brian's sophomore effort. His debut record Amen has quite the charm. His deep baritone voice pitched at a steady pace had a strong persuasion over the glossy Trap influenced instrumentals, despite a lack of lyrical substance. With time passed, its youthful immaturity became the spell that kept giving when songs would pop up on shuffle. Fun, carefree with that youthful spirit, I was looking forward to more of the same with The Sailor however this is not just another twelve cuts. Its ambitious, ultimately condemning itself in the process.

Brian has talent, there is no doubt. The RZA even turns up on track two to give the teenager his endorsement. He does however have distance to travel and The Sailor feels wrapped in the idea of personal evolution and maturity that can't escape a lack of it. This manifests not just from personal musing stories in the lyrics but also the Beats. Leaning into classical compositions for a sense of grandiose while borrowing its most stylistic elements from Kendrick Lamar's soulfully sung thematic links, the albums identity lacks originality. Bekon and The Donuts mostly handle production which often sways to the temperament of Blueprint era Jay-Z's upbeat jazzy tone.

There is a few others I could name drop here when similarities arise. Its overall vision draws from a an unoriginal variety that doesn't offer more than its parts. Brian's lyrics often reaching for deep meanings and personal growth seem typically naive lacking in experience and perspective. That being said, hes still a kid and Ive got a few years under my belt so maybe I'm an old fart who doesn't get it? Criticism aside, there is plenty of fun flows and the occasional catchy experiment like Slow Down Turbo's stereo panning speeding up his verse. In all of its short comings this record does have some competence. The instrumentals are broadly on the better side, even if not thematically embellishing his ambitious vision. Its a fair, listenable record but doesn't feel like a move inline with his potential.

Rating: 5/10

The Weeknd "After Hours" (2020)

When a name crops up frequently in mainstream culture its often a red flag for me, however a readers recommendation had me curious. Being introduced to the heavily 80s inspired Synthwave leaning tracks first, I picked up this new release a bit too hastily. As my first record with the Canadian artist, the popular appeal is obvious. Ice chilled vibes, smooth glossy production and silky singing makes for easy listening.

After Hours hinges heavily on 80s Synthpop and classic R&B, fusing them with modern production tones to create an almost spacey night life drive under neon lights. Beats are postulated with the pace, craft and groove of that era. Its liquid synths ooze dense atmospheres into life. Even the songwriting and melodies mirror its nostalgic inspiration with similar structures, tropes and arrangements. The track In Your Eye's exemplifies this with its classy and almost cheesy Saxaphone solos.

I can tolerate and enjoy these tracks immensely. Where the record losses me is its sways into laid back R&B. Abel deploys his voice with a high pitched softness that just rubs me wrong. Its all to vulnerable yet self assured for me to extract anything of value from the overtly care free lyricism. Its only about half the runtime that dives into this avenue of unwound indulgence but I struggle with it. Not my cup of tea i guess!

For the side I did enjoy, the lack of originality beyond a keen reassembling of ideas heard from decades gone by made the experience a little shallow. One can appreciate the gorgeous atmosphere and slick warmness of the music but its lacking in musical surprises given how closely it sticks to classic pop tropes. The production is a marvel and his voice a seductive one, in the right refrain of course. Its been an enjoyable bunch of spins but I personally don't buy into the hype on this record.

Favorite Tracks: Blinding Lights, In Your Eyes, Save Your Tears
Rating: 5/10