Little Simz "Sometimes I Might Be Introvert" (2021)

 

I have been dying to hear this album ever since its second single Woman with Cleo Soul dropped. What a stunning track! Perfectly blurring the lines of R&B and Hip Hop, its a mover. Warm, bold and audacious, its lush instrumentation is led by a grooving baseline as Little Simz delivers a fine perspective on female empowerment to compliment. Much of this tracks charm is what the record as a whole is about. A brilliant production has its percussive beats and raps anchored in a classy setting that sways in and out of its own theatrical pantomime. Developing an overarching theme of perception, reflection and ambition grounded in reality, Simz navigates the present moment on a mission of affirmation and intent that is this record.

 With a blinding string of opening tracks, we go on an emotional journey. Riveting, bold and poetic, Simz walks us through so many personal struggles and perspectives on an effortless stride. Lyrically the flow and cadence is so smooth and concise, yet her words resonate so deeply. Reflecting on how she was stabbed and yet sees the perpetrator as a victim of the same circumstances she endured shows so much maturity. It blesses this record with much wisdom interwoven in her raps, as well as a lot of candid talks on family issues. Either reflecting on past woes, commentating on present problems or thinking positively ahead, almost every topic here is illuminated. Not only working through intimate and personal issues of abuse and struggle does she also dissect broader societal concepts and ills into the meaning of all shes going through. Its some of the finest lyricism I've heard in a while.

Where the foot comes off the gas is in the records runtime. At sixty five minutes the bulk of material fits closely to this dynamic union of theater and theme. As the record rolls on a few songs break up the mood, which can often be a good addition of variety. Speed does this well with its stiff baseline toying with simple groove and zany synth melodies. Simz switches up the flow and topicality with a fun boisterous stance. It works but in its reflection Rollin Stone arrives abruptly like a trend chaser. With a dark and gritty street vibe it contrasts the rest of the record. Half way through, Its beat switch and slyly sung lyrics feel so aimless and the track ends with a lone use of auto tune sounding like a half baked hook left way out of place.

Fortunately it pivots into Protect My Energy offering up some energetic 80s vibes with its snappy, hasty percussion and punchy melodies. Quite the song, seemingly out of step yet acts as a tribute to her introversion that pops up throughout the record as she comes to grip with it. Point And Kill and Fear No Man bring a little Caribbean flavor to the record but again, feels off point from the main theme and thus drags on despite being equally interesting tracks. Its the vibe shake up that looses its way on the path to the last three songs which wrap things up on a wonderful stride of introspection.

 Sometimes I Might Be Introvert is a stunning expression of an artists life. A slice in time that flirts with the genres classics as its own identity strides for greatness at every turn. Strangely, the criticism is a common one, bloat. With exception to one song, its mainly a case of solid, interesting songs detouring of the path walked by the greater contributes. To pull four of five tracks would have me completely hanging on her every word - I feel as if no respite from this stunning stride was needed.

Rating: 9/10

KSI "All Over The Place" (2021)

 

Taking action on ambition and following his dreams, I've got nothing but respect for KSI choosing to step out of one lane and maneuver into another. Little of what I'd heard before lured me in but the Holiday song was the soundtrack to my own summer vacation and since then I've mulled over this one a fair few times, waiting for something to click. Sadly, I haven't escaped what's most obvious, Olajide is currently more budget than talent. Although he brings expression, thoughts and passion to the fold, he is constantly outpaced by production that is as its titled, all over the place!

The records sixteen songs fracture into a lot of interesting vibes. Strongly inspired by the British music scene, one can hear the classic stylings of the 90s electronic, 00s Garage and R&B with a sprinkling of Grime. The project is mostly packaged with modern aesthetics, taking a predictable yet occasional path into Trap beats wedged between mostly warm, uplifting instrumentals with some colorful Caribbean flavor too.

With KSI revealing how his features are paid for, it adds a sad note as his guests pretty much outshine him at every corner. I'd always figured features were a friendly affair, artists working with friends for the art but it seems in the Rap scene this can be purely business too... or somewhere in between as things are never black and white!

Holiday is still the albums best track. In fact its the one song where KSI shines, getting everything just right. For the most part he does sound like someone attempting to find their voice on the rest of the cuts. Ironically its the more candid and plainly spoken Sleeping With The Enemy that is most endearing. Although his flow is plain jane, the words really hit home, an authentic expression. My conclusion here? I'm really not sure, this record essentially sounds like what it is on paper, someone with a big budget giving a shot at the music game.

Rating: 5/10

Tyler The Creator "Call Me If You Get Lost" (2021)

Keeping on track with a constant flow of records over the years, this sixth installment in Tyler's evolution feels like a step back from the striking charm of IGOR. Its personal preference but I'd argue the presence of DJ Drama drags this project down a notch or two. With his frequent commentaries, a steady flow of interrupting remarks bark over the musics atmosphere, seemingly disconnected in tone and temperament. At apt times he does indeed reinforces Tyler's words and points but mostly he seems like an obnoxious observer interrupting.

Blemishes aside, Tyler's production is on fire again, bringing cutting edge beats and grooves to his pallet of colorful quirky synths. Drawing from classic Soul and R&B vibes it ends up a flavorful show, rich in variety and some avenues into the dark and grizzly aggressive side of Hip Hop music. It would be hard to argue a favorite niche. Its perhaps the swings from the breezy love struck summer vibes of Sweet, into the funk and crunk of the bass driven groovier Rise that gives its flavors more spice as the record weaves past monotony much to the delight of this listener.

Getting both halves on point its the topicality that goes over my head at times but there is plenty of keen lyrical tales. Reflective themes of past triumphs and contemplating personal change illuminates alongside some of his most baited lyrics with the "Rolls Royce pull up" line on Lumberjack. It and other dives into social political topics come with clever rhymes and food for thought. He seems particularly on point in this regard, especially when in a more casual tone, opening up.

Call Me If You Get Lost also hosts a few guests of notoriety who bring some interesting verses. This paired with its fluid changing of instrumental ideas and DJ Drama's commentaries has the records quality feeling oddly fractured. Its a smooth, fun ride, visiting place to place like a road passing through villages, towns and cities. There is plenty to see and touch but as a whole... it doesn't have that defining piece or magnetism like IGOR did. Ultimately a very cool album brimming with talent and creativity but lacking a little glue? I can't quite land my finger on it.

Rating : 7/10

The Alan Parsons Project "Pyr△mid" (1978)

Following a thematic and dated take on artificial intelligence with I Robot, The Alan Parsons Project return with this concept record based on the pyramids of Giza. Its title may lack subtlety but the lyrics seem mostly disconnected now learning of its conception. It could be some ignorance on my behalf but this record feels more like a continuation of what came before it, Progressive Rock with a charming reach into the adjacent sounds and styles of the time. It too seamlessly weaves between sweet moods and measured temperaments as it sways from a sporadic rump of British patriotic royal trumpets to a heart broken ballad in the flow of just a couple songs.

Classy and keen they triumph a lot of percussive groove and simple melodic pleasures as songs jive with an energetic drive rhythmically. The bass is often driving and it comes to a heard on In The Lap Of The Gods as mighty voices chime in over its dramatic climax, excited by a exuberant string section. I love how the punchy Rock grooves, jiving Funk and R&B influences rub shoulders with these swells of symphonic excellence. Its not until Hyper-Gamma-Spaces that some of the Tangerine Dream inspired sounds of 70s synthesizers return on a whirling psychedelic tangent.

Overall the album feels somewhat brief in its nine tracks with each song tending to stick to its one dimension. Its ending is another stunning track, dazzling with cinematic might in its opening and tailing off into a teary song of regret and loneliness. Its a true ending of a tale, just one I'm not sure where it started. Pyr△mid flows wonderfully but lyrically I didn't feel the connection. As much as I enjoy this project, my retroactive ears pick up on a lot of adjacent style when its comes to originality. Can't Take It With You is the biggest culprit, its wonderful guitar solo sadly to obvious in its imitation of Pink Floyd. Other than that blush, its quite a wonderful album to partake in.

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

The Alan Parsons Project "I Robot" (1977)

 

British rock duo The Alan Parsons Project have admittedly been on my radar since before I started this music blog. Of the three records I own, any song cropping up on shuffle would grab my attention. How its taken me this long is criminal but for the past month or so Ive gotten deep into I Robot, their sophomore effort. Hailed as Progressive Rock, what is remarkable about the music is how much it reaches into the adjacent sounds of the 70s. With a luscious string section, these compositions often get a graceful lift into the cinematic realm. Its rumbustious baselines hit Funk and Disco grooves with class. The short experimental interlude Nucleus enters the Ambient Soundscape realms akin to Dreamtime Return released eleven years later.

What they touch, turns to gold, but not without echos of others who walked before them. The breezy lullaby of Day After Day reminiscent of Genesis in a vulnerable song and I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You is practically a Stevie Wonder track hands down. As said, its golden. The duo forge timely songs ripe with vivid instrumentation and holding song structures to make it work wonderfully. The variety is plentiful, dipping into emotional ballads, flushes of early Electronica synths, plenty of Progressive Rock cliches and the audacity to experiment boldly. The song Total Eclipse uses a choir of haunted soul voices to cascade with unease through nail biting tensions as it plunges into fiery depths.

Perhaps suggested by its variety, the structure is loose, moving through drastic shifts in tone that seem effortless with the aid of seamless transitions, pivoting the instruments between songs with organic handover passageways. It ends with Boules, a bonus track of sorts rocking a "phat" baseline with a tight reflexive drum loop and accompaniment of strange noise oddities. It always struck me as a Hip Hop beat in ways, further suggesting the duo had a finger on the pulse with the splash of current sounds the record embodies, although Hip Hop might be a bit of a stretch with the New York scene at its absolute infancy in this point in time.

One thing that stains the stunning music is its theme. I Robot attempts to engage with the concept of artificial intelligence from a heavily dated perspective. Compared to the current discussions around AI and its partial implementation through algorithms and machine learning, everything pertaining to the concept just seems out of step, however the vocal efforts of the band it comes through are wonderful. Barely a crease to be found beyond its timely blemish. Lastly, I'll end on a musing note. These two never found commercial success in their home town, shipping most their records in Germany, USA and Canada. Its something I find rather curious given how British acts tend to be well known here but the Alan Parsons Project has sadly faded from focus since their retirement over two decades ago.

Rating: 9/10

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

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

Childish Gambino "3.15.20" (2020)

Going for an ambiguous, minimal presentation of this latest collection of songs, the multi talented Danny Glover AKA Childish Gambino follows up Awaken, My Love with 3.15.10. Its title simply signifies its release date. The plain white album cover furthers the lack of definition, its songs labeled simply with numbers signifying their arrival time on the overall listen. Only two tracks receive a name, Algorythm and Time, the first signifying that Danny is in touch with the times and pondering the human changes of this technological, data driven world is currently finding its way through.

Continuing with his inspired revival of the 70s shades of R&B, Soul and Funk, this newest iteration looks for a little obnoxiousness in its compositions, a handful of opening tracks experimenting with bold, over pronounced instrumentation and sample manipulation that penetrate the musical forefront. Many of these songs leave little in subtlety, bringing bright viscous sounds forward with jolted percussive rhythms, sometimes hinging on a groove but often feeling a little of kilter and niche.

After a slow unrolling of lengthy tracks, 19.10 punches in with a snappy beat and retro synth baseline that feels a little too overstated and off key to croon. As its layers builds the chemistry feels crowded and its proceeding 32.22 perhaps highlights where the experimentation doesn't yield. Its desolate fusion of dirty base rumblings and auto tuned voices crescendo without charm as its purpose seems to converge on volume. Its a gaudy, novelty track thats quite frankly grinding as its discernible voicing relents.

A couple songs later and the closing phase of the record finds some cohesion, experimentation calms and the chemistry heard on his previous effect can be heard again. The singing especially hits a smooth note as Danny's voice is presented without these manipulations heard earlier. It saves the record somewhat but overall I get a sense that the avenues to be different in production and composition just don't come together. Parts of it are very forgettable but a few songs hold up well too.

Favorite Tracks: 42.26, 47.48

Rating: 5/10

Sunday Service Choir "Jesus Is Born" (2019)

Released on Christmas day, news of this record was quite the surprise! Having enjoyed Kanye's Jesus Is King record and his collaboration with Sunday Service Choir, I was hoping to hear more of these voices and my prayers were answered! In the context of a dialed down Hip Hop record mixing in elements of Gospel they were exciting and enthralling in their peaks. As a solo project spanning a whopping eighty three minutes across nineteen tracks, it fails to spark the same invigoration.

One of Kanye's marks as a producer is his work with voices, voicing and tonal manipulation. Unfortunately that magic doesn't come to fruition within the confines of Gospel music. The voices stick to purity of the choir which are beautiful and a pleasure to enjoy in their own right but with little extra spice in the mix this quickly becomes monotonous in the reality of this not being quite my cup of tea. I love the soulful singing, uplifting energy and jollity of the affair but it does become tiresome.

As an agnostic the lyrics quickly become repetitive and disengaging. Words of praise and salvation are spun over again,shuffling the same ideas in different variations of words, which fail to appeal to someone not seeking a religious experience. With little to enjoy there, the opening songs are a struggle as subtle organs, pianos and claps give all the attention to the voices which hit their most strident, powerful and in peaks even harshest tones. The union of voices is a force pushed to some extremes even a bit much for this supposed metal head and lover of extreme music.

Once past that ambitious opening, the album drifts into an enjoyable mood as things pivot. The voices feel looser, drums and other instrumentation join in as the session starts to feel more like a jam. Hints of R&B, Soul, even Funk with a little touch of groove liven up the mood and keep the pacing interesting. It isn't however a saving grace for me, the record was fun to dive into into and as much as I appreciate the stunning singing it falls short of substance to engage me as a musical record. Perhaps to someone more versed and enthusiastic about this music it may of been something.

Rating: 4/10

Brockhampton "Ginger" (2019)

Hip Hop collective and self proclaimed boy band Brockhampton of Texas are unsurprisingly back at it again, given their prolific output so far. This fifth album in the span of just over two years has probably been the most endearing and unique to my tastes. The bombast, flair and rugged attitudes get toned down on a couple of tracks. In its place emotional narratives play out over instrumentals that draw upon classic sounds of eras gone by, classic R&B and cultural acoustic guitars that make for striking moods. Of course, when the drums are dialed up, quirky synth and sampling pitch in its not as obvious. A track like Dearly Departed is the pinnacle of these ear catching current. Its plays like a slowed down Delfonics classic, its strings haunting the lyrical out poor. The closing song, another stunning expression rapped decisively.

Reflecting on Iridescence, the group do tend to sway in between these ends. From the dark and raunchy Vivid to a swooning sing along San macros, Brockhampton operate on levels. Immediate to enjoy and tantalizing to dissect their music is refining to a continual giving of change, compared to the Saturation series. Creative percussion, an ear for unique sampling pallets and developing rap styles had me locked in. On the latter part, these emotional narratives and introspective lyrics give so much meaning to the music where once boisterous and wild rapping tended to fall a bit hollow, now the songs come to life. A feature from Slowthai was a pleasant surprise and overall the group have really locked me in this time around. I hope they continue to evolve as greatness surely awaits if they do so, another great set of numbers.

Favorite Tracks: No Halo, Boy Bye, Heaven Belongs To You, Dearly Departed, Big Boy, Victor Roberts

Rating: 7/10

Horsebeach "The Unforgiving Current" (2019)

Ive been eagerly anticipating this release. Two years back Beauty & Sadness blew me away, one of my favorites that year. I still fondly return to it, hence the anticipation. The Unforgiving Current continues in a similar vein, Post-Punk baselines drive breezy atmospheres echoing Indie & Psychedelic Rock. There is a closeness to Dream Pop in tone, a touch of Brit Pop and 80s vibes influencing chord progressions. Its a beautiful melting pot from which slow and soothing, inviting songs nurture its serene and sunny warmness. There is a vulnerable core, journey on the soft and expressive voices that filter in and out of focus.

Its unimposing presence makes for an easy, relaxed listening experience where one can indulge in its exotic tone. As the album unfolds, elements of R&B, Soul & Funk even present themselves subtly. Shimmering guitars ring out, creating swooning swirls of breezy color over the grooving baselines. The track Trust opens up with a chilling similarity to The Isley Bothers song Voyage To Atlantis, other songs to have echos of that classic era of mainly American music from the 70s and 80s.

The record follows a similar blueprint to its predecessor, the songs flow with similar temperaments and shifts in mood. There are tracks with drum machine and those without, its all very familiar territory. Deploying beautiful melodies and unfolding riffs, occasional burst of experimentation, the music does a lot to warm your soul but it falls short of being remarkable on the production front. In comparison they are both very similar records but the initial reaction to discovering a new sound to adore masked the obviously amatursih production and that became rather obvious this time around.

It starts with the baseline, a noticeable amount of clunk roughens up its presence and the drum strikes land a little cluttered in the presences of other instruments. Every now and then a drab and fuzzy distortion guitar rumbles in, bleeding into the other instruments and soaking up the fidelity. With a lot of reverberations at work the instruments mostly sound like they are recorded with a different sonic blueprint. When mixed together its comes off a bit disjointed. Perhaps I am nit picking, initially the low-fidelity was a charm but this time around its tame. Listening back to their older songs I think a noticeable shift to subtler styles of singing misses that element of a voice rising up above the melody to peak the vibes and hold your attention. Its a very enjoyable record but a noticeable step side ways, with the sound remaining in a familiar spot.

Favorite Tracks: The Unforgiving Current, Yuuki, Trust, Unlucky Strike

Rating: 7/10

Tyler The Creator "Igor" (2019)

There is no doubt that Tyler is in an evolutionary stride as an artist. Two years off the back of the widely acclaimed Scum Fuck Flower Boy he returns with a similar tone and sense of theater that's channeled into a vulnerable, personal space. Its bold musical fun, flourishing with feeling, flowing with creativity and taking inspiration from classic Soul and R&B, the likes you might hear on Motown. These are just some specific moments though, it all comes through the filter of Tyler's quirky, synthetic world. Playful melodies and jiving percussive lines of intentional groove are a constant pleasure as we stroll into his oddball dreamworld of emotional pains.

The albums lyrical theme is bold and dominating. Relationships, breakups and the hardships of his love life surface through wording that feels fractions away from classic love songs. Its always shaded by these quirky compositions that imbued a playful, innocent, off-color harmony heard through its colorful instrumentation and singing. Sung wordings, talked raps or pitch shifted voices, Tyler vents his frustrations and heart aches with a raw authenticity, illuminating his organic and vivid backing tracks. The two just melt together effortlessly and make for a distinct experience.

This record does has two flavors to it. Many of the tracks play with bold, almost cheesy synths that lay bare strong melodies, often getting mini tangents, solos and plenty of expressive outlets to pull apart the repetitive nature of Hip Hop and let the music ooze. Deeper into the album we find more sample oriented songs with 70s Soul and R&B vibes. A Boy Is A Gun, Puppet & Gone Gone pivot on these oldskool vibes with the latter reminding me of a Jackson Five chorus. When Tyler pulls it together with vocals it finds its cohesion, more so when the bold synths drop in.

These vocal approaches are a point to talk on. Many half hit notes, lackadaisical singing and off key notes exploit this place quirky, playful place where it manifests as authenticity. It plays wonderfully into this highly stylish record that feels very rooted in reality. Its a bright and gleaming light of artistic creativity and expression flowing effortlessly. He is certainly excelling as a music producer and composer, Igor has magic moments in droves. Its not all golden but its a hard record to knock down. Every time Ive spun it, I found myself completely locked into its direction.

Favorite Tracks: Igor's Theme, New Magic Wand, What's Good, I Don't Love You Anymore
Rating: 8/10

Janis Joplin "I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!" (1969)

Kozmic Blues is a long overdue listen, Pearl was such a fantastic treasure of the Woodstock generation and a wonderful introduction to the raw charisma of Janis's voice. I had to hear more and turning to this, her debut as a solo artist, one can hear a timely shift in tone and slightly different musical energy at work with slimmer influences of Blues, Psychedelia and a touch of Jazz Rock in its breathy instruments. It could be a comment on the posthumous nature of Pearl but being new to her music they both stand tall as great records. This one however has peaks that go unmatched in its other songs. What captivates me about it are the jam sections. Lively instrumentals of busying instruments bustling away find a couple of extended interludes to come forth in continuously memorizing walls of sound fronted by big trumpets and the like.

And then Janis arrives, her voice impactful returning from absence, seemingly catching one of guard. The eight tracks come in different intensities and measures of style and so does Janis's singing, yet even in her softest breath does she ever seem to be one word away from unleashing her compassion as her voice strains and strays into what may of probably been seen as yelling or screaming back then. With one of its calmer instrumentals boasting big and bold trumpets in its key melody in the build up to her arrival, Janis soars over soft, moody organs with an unforgettable performance to give you goosebumps. Her voice cruises high and low through her range, led by pure feeling on my favorite track Maybe. Its a timeless song.

Its easy to focus on her voice. Behind her the music resonates wonderfully. As mentioned before they often come forth in her absence as their is such great cohesion between the performers. The lead guitar comes to fruition on One Good Man with a tropical, psychedelic solo that's blisteringly electric. The best of this does find itself in the first half as the album broods with dialed down tracks that make her voice more intimate as a result. Work Me Lord creeps up on you from its smokey beginnings with a big theme that gets a little stiff in finding a conclusion and lets Janis lead out the record alone. Overall its a wonderful album but perhaps my familiarity to her curbed the surprise of the stunning singing in store, and there is a lot of it!

Favorite Tracks: Maybe, One Good Man, Work Me Lord

Rating: 8/10

Anderson .Paak "Oxnard" (2018)

There was some hype around this record. I learned of its release from many places and so was compelled to check out Anderson .Paak who Ive only heard in features with Schoolboy Q and Dr. Dre so far. His voice is soft, slightly nasal, compelling, with an easy, laid back flow to his delivery and persona. Bluring the lines between sing and rap he drifts between both, rhyming verses at a variety of paces that makes his presence an indulgence of good vibes as he comes armed with bright instrumentals.

Oxnard rests firmly as a G-Funk, R&B hybrid of Soul and Hip Hop. Its slick and smooth, tight drum beats mark up against warm and jazzy pianos, glossy trumpets, expressive saxophones, announcing horns and silky string sections. Its essentially drawing from a trending direction in Hip Hop, where the samples are replaced with performing artists. This iteration feels as if its constructed from the ground up with the freedoms of composition letting some musical, textural dexterity flourish.

Its undoubtedly a gorgeous sounding record with its lush instrumentation but often it lapses into the cyclical loop a sampled track would have. With the drums dialed down a little it focusing less on groove and more so on the mood and tone. Its a smooth, laid back mood but my overall experience of these songs was that not much stuck from them. It felt like songs were going through the motions, th the most interesting aspect being the various topics Paak would dive into. Slick sound but failed to be infectious.

After many listens I'm left with not a lot to say about the record. Its ideas land but underwhelming. Perhaps I'm not on its wavelength? Its best moment is Tints which illuminates 80s Pop vibes and packages up the records best hook in the chorus. Besides that a few features like Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T and Q-Tip catch the ear but none of them bring anything dramatic to the project. Overall its been a very lukewarm listen which I would hesitate to criticize. I gave it quite a few go's and little clicked.

Favorite Track: Tints

Rating: 5/10

Tyler The Creator "Music Inspired By Illumination & Dr. Seuss' The Grinch" (2018)

Lets cut to the chase, this musical project is fantastic! Coming off the back of last years critically acclaimed Scum Fuck Flower Boy, a similar instrumental pallet is put to use on this Christmas EP that lasts only ten minutes. Every second however is lean and slender, a genuine Xmas record that balances the festive theme with its classy persona wonderfully. Quite often it is just the suggestion alone that makes you notice the season. It seems Tyler was genuinely inspired to make music for the new Grinch movie, of which two additional songs appear on its soundtrack.

With bright shiny synthesizers, punchy warm baselines and stuttering goofy Hip Hop percussion, Tyler composes cheerful music without forcing the mood or overtly wording a holiday theme. Instead he lets his guest vocalists Ryan Beatty and Santigold set the tone with endearing Pop & R&B vibes before dropping in with gentle wholesome raps about returning home to a loved one and pouring hot chocolate with cinnamon on top. Santigold lays down the hooks and Ryan soars with ascending notes reminiscent of Micheal Jackson when hes adding in a backdrop layer of vocals.

The tone is sublime and on closer inspection festive pianos, wintry bells and cascading strings deploy some more expectant holiday melodies but all tuned in with one another. There is a smooth, joyous cohesion, the chemistry and quality of the compositions outpaces any of the drag that comes from seasonal cheers and lets this project occupy a classy, soothing spaces that's indulgent, relaxing and really wholesome. I'm truly impressed, would love for more. Ten minutes is not enough!

Rating: 7/10

Teyana Taylor "K.T.S.E" (2018)

This year we've been spoiled, Kanye has brought us five hyper curated projects. The introspective and of the moment Ye, a brilliant psychedelic collaboration with Kid Cudi on Kids See Ghosts, an introduction to the highly articulate Pusha T and at bottom of the pile a disappointing production with Hip Hop legend Nas, the pairs styles just struggled to meet. The last of the five is again a highly curated seven track twenty two minute record, correction, eight tracks, an exception to the Wyoming sessions. Its actress and model Teyana Taylor second release and that's about all I know of her!

K.T.S.E is a record of two half, two tones that have moments of overlap. Its better half comprises of soft, smooth and luscious R&B licks lined with subtle, inspired hip hop beats and percussive grooves. Kanye lines up beautiful, soulful samples to let Teyana's singing swoon and sway with the warm and soulful, emotional music. Its use of instrumentation instead of synthetics adds a matured warmth and class that reminds me fondly of Black Messiah. When in these songs the record is classy, full of good moods and uplifting aura. Teyana sounds like she seeking the heights of the classics as her vocals soft inflections stir up a delicious, appetizing smoothness.

We are blessed with four or so songs that firmly move within that blueprint however hyper sexual themes of 3Way and WTP indifferently highlight and align with shifts in her singing and Kanye's production. Teyana also shifts gears with her voice, pushing the power of her voice towards the sterile and over inflected modern style Id associate with Beyonce, out of ignorance of course as R&B isn't music I delve into that often. It doesn't charm like her softer side and with indifferent lyrics and topics It can become quite the bore when before shes inches away from greatness.

 The production of WTP stands in contrast to all that came before it, an obnoxious, retro Dance tune with god awful 80s stabs and strikes repeated to insanity, a real turn off. It also plays up to some really odd laser zap sounds heard on Issues. Its such a bizarre sound given the instrumentals tone but somehow works as an interesting and unusual oddity. This is mostly a brilliant record mixed with some obnoxious production and unfavorable singing that strongly turns me off from what I was enjoying moments ago. I'm a bit fussy but every listen has been peaks, mostly peaks and valleys.

Favorite Tracks: No Manners, Gonna Love Me, Issues / Hold On

Rating: 6/10

Wiley "Godfather II" (2018)

He is hailed as the godfather of Grime and last year English MC Wiley brought out the first of these two records. It served as a pivotal point for the artist who deep into his career has mustered a fiery record, loaded with the slickest, sharp and punchy Grime beats as he finds himself in an introspective moment, reflecting over his career and his status in the scene. Telling endearing tales about the work they put in to keep this music scene relevant and his trajectory within it, the resulting Godfather record had a special feel to it. As an outsider to the screen looking in you could feel that too.

This second chapter unfortunately falls short of expectations without the music itself suffering. There are three flaws that loom over a great set of instrumentals and rhymes. Firstly length, at thirty six minutes its a significantly shorter listen and leading into the second point, at the sixth track "Certified" the records theme seems to split off into themes of relationships and love leaving half the record feeling like another project altogether. The chiller beats, Dance, R&B influences and guest singers are wonderful, Wiley's introspection and honesty on the mic is a keen point too but it splits the already shorter record in half. The third point would be the Godfather half itself, its the same theme again and Wiley doesn't bring anything new to the table he didn't do on the first time around.

These flaws however are mostly about the records structure and concept. The beats and rhymes are as sharp and concise as before. Every instrumental owns its mood and Wiley comes to the mic like the seasoned vet he is, never missing the mark and engaging the listener with his keen lyricism. Its great music, the R&B vibes are especially well put together but does pull the music in a different direction from the hard hitting beats in opens up with.

Favorite Tracks: Remember Me, Still Standing, Fashion Week

Rating: 6/10

Janis Joplin "Pearl" (1971)

It was quite a few years ago that I first heard of Janis and her legendary performance at Woodstock 69. I got my hands on Pearl with a whole bunch of other records from a top 500 list and have had it on my phone since, waiting for shuffle to catch me off guard and precisely that happened the other day with Half Moon, a feel good, upbeat, jiving song on the first side of the record. Reading up on Pearl I am saddened to learn it was released posthumously a few months after her death in 1970 where she suffered a heroin overdose. Interestingly the album was recorded in the failed four channel quadraphonic format which would eventually become surround sound. It also held the top album slot for nine weeks and sold over four million copies.

Whats impressive about Pearl is its energy and dynamism, from both Janis's charisma and the wonderfully involved, vibrant instrumentation behind her. The record rocks and sways between heartfelt emotions and feel good, rocking vibes. A powerful fusion of Funk, Soul, R&B and Blues Rock jives on with a colorful intensity as the accompanying Fult Tilt Boogie Band illuminate these songs with fleshed out and inspired music making a rich setting for Janis however they too take the lime light with bursts of powerful organs and guitar licks between the ever present liveliness of the deceased Richard Bell's pianos. Its dense in its involvement, yet audibly crisp and inviting, each instrument having its space in the mix to shine as they jive in tandem.

All of the band give a riveting performance, you can simply just zone in on one instrument and be moved but the biggest mover is Janis out in front of them who has such a fascinating and emotional voice. With such sincere passion and expression in her singing, the half hit notes and croaky, scratchy strain she frequently visits become engulfed in the moment, sounding natural, charming and despite technically being "flawed" its transformed by her charisma. She even goes has far to push her voice in to a surging shriek on occasion, which is too just an unleashing of urgent expression. Its truly riveting and endearing, her young death truly a tragedy.

Its practically a flawless record, thirty four minutes of emotional engagement with exception to one track which I can't help but feel modern corporatism has spoiled as I'm sure Ive heard it in a commercial of the same name, Mercedes Benz. Its a short, lower fidelity accapella where Janis sounds a little rusty on her own, singing sarcastic prayers for consumerist products. Its really quite a nice piece but feels tainted by its snug fit with advertising culture where everything becomes a commodity, even the song, which only makes sense retrospectively.

My time with this record has taught me what I'm learning over and over again, that a musicians personal expression can transcend any preconceived musical preference if given a chance. The sixties is a fascinating chapter in the history of humanity and certainly the beginning of the cultural freedom we experience today. I'd never been keen on the music but I'm glad that's changing. Janis's voice feels free of its time but the instrumentals are firmly rooted in the era and Its great to hear familiar 60s aesthetics expressing something I can relate with, however writing that makes me realized its perhaps the ever changing self that is now coming around to this wonderful era of music and cultural significance.

Rating: Cry Baby, My Baby, Half Moon, Get It While You Can

Rating: 9.5/10

Post Malone "Beerbongs & Bentleys" (2018)

Debuting at number one and going platinum within a week it would seem the success is only growing for the young artist who is yet to win favor with a majority of critics. Beerbongs & Bentleys is Post Malone's Sophomore record clocking in at a bloated sixty four minutes that shows little signs of any measurable evolution from his sound on Stoney. Across these eighteen tracks we have a similar of sequence of Trap influenced Hip Hop beats mixed up in the wish wash of indulgent reverberations and instruments set to maximize the laid back vibes and chilled out tone of Post's music.

The record falls short in its lyrical substance, most tracks are dominated by superficial topics. The gloating and boasting of lifestyle and wealth props up a thin backbone of topics revolving around the glorification of intoxication, petty drama and partying that are so atypical of the youth and who could blame them for it? As an older soul there is little I can relate to other than a reactionary sigh at seeing reflections of a former, younger self. Post does at times find some deep lines in brief glimpses but its mostly buried in the slew of style and catchy slang over substance in lyrics that many of his guest features indulge in too.

Its all so trendy and such are the instrumentals too. The charisma of Post's singing voice, with auto tune or without is a constant pleasure and transformers the mood of these beats into chilled out, laid back places, calming and serine through the chaos of the stuttering hi-hat led beats. The quality varies track to track, Same Bitches with YG sticking out like a sore thumb, its beat clearly by a different producer working on those west coast vibes. A couple of songs like Rockstar with 21 Savage hit the right mark however Post's songwriting sounds rather muted across the record as the trendy beats and self-indulgent lyrics dominate the records tone and posture.

In one moment we get a pure beam of light, the main reason I have my ear on this artist. Stay is a glossy, gleaming song filled with sun soaked acoustic guitar playing, coming on like a daydream as Post's voice soars over blissfully with some beautiful singing and vocal inflections. No Trap beats, no trendy slang and this is where the substance is in this musician. I hope in the future he follows this path more as I believe its where he flourishes I would happily listen to a record of tracks like this for hours on end! Unfortunately Beerbongs & Bentleys is yet to head in that direction.

Favorite Tracks: Rockstar, Stay

Rating: 5/10