Music Review Roundup – January and February 2014

Kid Cudi – Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon

Review: Satellite Flight was originally intended to be an EP, building anticipation for Kid Cudi’s return to his successful Man on the Moon album series. It probably would have worked better if it had stayed an EP. As it is, the album basically just sounds like a typical Kid Cudi release, which was interesting and fresh when Cudi first came on the scene (in 2008), but now it just feels boring and stale. We have already heard these types of tracks from him before, and they were better too. Cudi is still an extremely talented artists and there are some fantastic moments (especially from his production soundscapes, which he shares with Dot Da Genius on three tracks), but all in all it is pretty disappointing. It might be time for Cudi to start working with new collaborating producers again to help grow his sound. 2/5 Available for download here

ScHoolboy Q – Oxymoron

Review: The black hippy MC, ScHoolboy Q, has dropped an early contender for hip hop album of the year. Lyrically, Q is very conflicted about his place in the world. He is a budding rap superstar, but still feels connected to the streets – which can be very much heard in the sound of the album – and he still wants to engage in the party lifestyle, but he is a father now. It is definitely worth checking out for hip hop fans. 4/5 Available for download here

Broken Bells – After the Disco

Review: James Mercer and Brian Burton (Danger Mouse) are back with another collaboration (or as some might say, a new The Shins’ album but with Danger Mouse producing and co-writing). After the Disco is a very catchy pop rock album that almost feels too tight and clean (maybe a byproduct of Mercer and Burton being great musicians). There is not much raw energy, leaving it feeling a bit stagnant, but at the same time the songs are all pretty great and infectious. Fans of The Shins will definitely find something to like here with After the Disco. 3/5 Available for download here

Dum Dum Girls – Too True

Review: Too True is the third album from this LA band. While lead singer Dee Dee’s emotive singing is still utterly compelling, the songs on Too True suffer from rather bland production. They seem to drift into the background, not demanding for the listener’s full attention. There is nothing wrong with that style of passive music, but it feels like a letdown given the groups usual striking raw quality that begs for attention. 3/5 Available for download here

St. Vincent – St. Vincent

Review: Annie Clark is again in fantastic form on her fourth solo album, working with for the third time with producer John Congleton. St. Vincent (the album) feels almost like a concept album as it focuses on themes of what it means to be a person in the digital age, an age in which we create the role of ourselves (or who we hope we will be) and then promote that role to the world digitally. Musically, this set of songs is Clark’s most ambitious. They are funky and accessible, yet still have a definite fringe aesthetic. It is the best album so far this year. 4/5 Available for download here

Warpaint – Warpaint

Review: Warpaint also hails from Los Angeles. There self-titled second album is a haunting, brooding experience of beautifully harmonized vocals that feels all consuming, and maybe even devastating if you let yourself be completely taken away. It oozes with atmosphere that may not immediately grab you; but once it does, it pulls you in and devours you – sirens calling you into the rocks. 4/5 Available for download here

Childish Gambino – Because the Internet (2013) – Review

Review: Childish Gambino is back with his second studio album Because the Internet, following up his first Camp – an album that I really liked, but overall saw very mixed reactions. In between, Gambino also released a good mixtape with a few great songs called Royalty.

Because the Internet is highly ambitious musically, again showing off Donald Glover and Ludwig Goransson’s producing ability (something that also really shined on Camp). This album explores a lot of different sounds and rhythmic schemes to great effect. In this way, it does not sound like anything else in hip hop right now (which is a good thing). It is nice to see artists pushing the boundaries of the genre.

Thematically, Glover addresses the phenomenon of the internet in today’s culture – something he seems to have a somewhat negatively skewed perspective of, in that the internet allows for anonymous negativity towards artistic output and ambition on message boards, blogs and so on as well as proper online critical sites (this probably stemming from the harsh reviews his music has received by some, like Pitchfork) – how everything is very public and exploded by clicks-driven media (let us be honest, American media has become abysmal, far beyond embarrassing, just mean spirited, ill-informed, and completely uncaring – as if people ‘in the public’ are no longer human beings afforded the same rights as the rest of us; it is shameful). The album has a dark, angry feel and in many ways feels like a companion piece to Yeezus (a talented artist just fed up with the way the system works).

As a rapper, Glover is very talented. He nimbly navigates his beats with varying tones and flow styles. His voice at times sounds disinterested, as though what he is telling the listener are truths that they should already know, and he is forced to repeat himself over again because people are just not getting it, getting him. But, this is an aesthetic choice, to match his whole persona that he has developed during the year – that of a dejected, misunderstood artist. This choice is probably going to rub some fans and critics the wrong way, but the talent is undeniable.

I have said this in many other reviews of hip hop albums, but I like and respect the fact that Glover has delivered an album that primarily revolves around his own voice. There are no guest verses, with Chance The Rapper, Jhene Aiko, and Azealia Banks featuring in more backing roles. Too often hip hop albums, both good and bad, are overcrowded.

Because the Internet does not completely jump out at the listener with very catchy tracks like Camp did (the singles are good – songs like Crawl, Worldstar, Sweatpants, and 3005 – but the deep tracks are even better). However, it is one of the most ambitious and creative hip hop albums of the year – one very much worth checking out. 4/5

Essential Tracks:

1)     Life: The Biggest Troll (Andrew Auemheimer) – Produced by Donald Glover and Ludwig Goransson

2)     No Exit – Produced by Donald Glover and Ludwig Goransson

3)     Crawl – Produced by Donald Glover and Christian Rich

Available on: Digital Download

Lorde – Pure Heroine (2013) – Review

Review: Lorde is the stage name of New Zealand singer-songwriter Ella Yelich-O’Conner. Her debut album Pure Heroine follows her critically acclaimed EP The Love Club (which came out earlier this year).

Lorde’s Pure Heroine seems to both fit perfectly into today’s musical landscape as many of the tracks are ripe with catchy pop hooks and a sarcastic (if not bored) reaction to hip hop’s major influence on youth culture in addition to the mundane sameness of radio-friendly music, which can especially be heard in the song Royals. Yelich-O’Conner has a very sultry yet lively voice that is in many ways hypnotizing, giving her songs this smooth quality that is easy for listeners to latch onto and find themselves enchanted by. There is just something special about her voice.

Musically, many of the songs, all of which produced by New Zealand musician Joel Little, have a very minimalist and stripped-down sound. This is a nice touch, as it fits Yelich-O’Conner’s voice well and offers a different sound to the EDM and orchestration of a lot of today’s pop music. However, the beats that accompany Lorde (which she also helped compose with Little) are also maybe the weakest aspect of her album. Upon multiple listens, the music just seems to arrive at the rather monotonous place and I often find myself just zoning-out while listening instead of being engaged.

Lorde is a breath of fresh air among young pop stars, and this is an album well worth checking out. In a way, this is a pop album that is very much anti-pop in its sound and message. 3/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Royals – Produced by Joel Little

2)      Team – Produced by Joel Little

3)      Tennis Court – Produced by Joel Little

Available on: Digital Download

Haim – Days Are Gone (2013) – Review

Review: Los Angeles indie pop/rock group Haim, made up of the three Haim Sisters (Danielle, Alana, and Este), have arrived with their debut album Days Are Gone, following up on their strong EP Forever from last year.

Days Are Gone is solid musically throughout, mixing a fun pop/rock style with a modern sonic sensibility, though void of synths and other EDM-influenced instrumentation, which is refreshing for once. This at its heart it is a light rock album that feels very fun-loving. And, as a pop/rock album, most of the songs are about failed relationships, and thus is on some level very relatable. While the lyrics seems to find the Haim Sisters in the throes of breakups and lost love (usually featuring them as the heartbreaker), the music itself is very bright and energetic, maybe even infectious.

The Haim Sisters work with a few producers including Ariel Rechtshaid (indie pop), Ludwig Goransson (Childish Gambino’s producing partner on Camp and the composer of the music on a few TV series including Community), and James Ford (British indie pop/rock) as well as songwriters Jessie Ware and Kid Harpoon on the album, giving it a varied makeup that works very well in keeping things feeling fresh from track to track. However, even with the varied producers and song styles, Haim retains their sound throughout, which has a very late-1980s feel (like a lot of today’s pop music), and thus their album seems to arrive perfectly positioned for a listener base poised to consume it.

The Haim sisters have all been recording and from a young age, growing up in a musical family (their parents are musicians as well). Thus, Days Are Gone could have merely been the lifeless output of seasoned studio musicians (who have already run the mainstream gauntlet as teens with the group the Valli Girls). As is, the album is a sassy, enthusiastic joy to listen to.

Days Are Gone is well worth checking out for fans of pop/rock, as it fits today’s musical trend while still feeling light and fresh. 4/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Falling – Produced by Ariel Rechtshaid and the Haim Sisters

2)      The Wire – Produced by Ariel Rechtshaid and the Haim Sisters

3)      Days Are Gone – Produced by Ariel Rechtshaid and the Haim Sisters

Available on: Digital Download

Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience, 2 of 2 (2013) – Review

Review: Following his highly commercially successful album The 20/20 Experience, Justin Timberlake decided to release more tracks from his recording time with Timbaland and J-Roc (Jerome Harmon) as his fourth studio album calling it The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 (and he may have recorded some new stuff too).

Overall, the album sounds and feels a lot like its predecessor, which was expected, but on a track-by-track basis it is much weaker, as it seems clear that many of these songs were not quite album-quality leftovers from Timberlake’s initial 2013 release. And, the issues that plague The 20/20 Experience are also very apparent here as well. Namely, many of the tracks are just over-indulgent, over-long, and frankly boringly generic. Although, Amensia, one of the longer tracks on the album, is probably the best song on the album. It showcases Timberlake at both his sensual and pop-music best. The radio-friendly singles Take Back the Night and TKO also mark a large improvement on Suit & Tie, though neither is quite as strong as Mirrors.

Collaboration wise, the album again sees a pointless verse from Jay-Z and a song featuring Drake, who also really adds nothing. The album is again fully produced by Timberlake, Timbaland, and J-Roc who work well together, but again many of the tracks just go on too long and/or feel/sound like leftovers.

The album is still probably a worthwhile endeavor for fans of Timberlake. For pop music fans, however, a wiser strategy might be to just cherry pick a few of the stronger tracks, as the album as a whole is weighed down great by all the bloated material. 2/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Amnesia – Produced by Timbaland, Justin Timberlake & J-Roc

2)      Take Back the Night – Produced by Timbaland, Justin Timberlake & J-Roc

3)      TKO – Produced by Timbaland, Justin Timberlake & J-Roc

Available on: Digital Download

Pusha T – My Name Is My Name (2013) – Review

Review: Pusha T, previously of the duo Clipse (everyone should listen to Hell Hath No Fury) with his brother No Malice, has garnered a ton of anticipation for his major label solo debut My Name Is My Name. Ramping up to this album, Pusha dropped the excellent mixtapes Fear of God and Wraith of Caine in addition to the EP Fear of God II: Let Us Pray, as well as some strong verses on G.O.O.D. Music’s Cruel Summer.

My Name Is My Name feels different than what fans have come to expect from most current mainstream hip hop. Much like Kanye West’s Yeezus, it is raw, angry, and biting. But unlike Yeezus, Pusha T’s flows and persona feels much more connected to the streets. He is known as the king of the coke-rap, and on My Name Is My Name Pusha spends a lot of time reflecting on his past slinging white. The album plays like testimonial – a man looking back on his past with mixed emotions. However, Pusha also announces himself as a force to be reckoned with in hip hop – and this album backs that up.

Musically, the album has a very dark, almost industrial, tone, which works very well with Pusha’s lyrics and delivery. Kanye West oversees much of the production, giving Pusha T wonderful and fresh beats – and he and the album really benefit. Pharrell Williams also supplies two tracks, one of which (Suicide) sounds like it is a throwback to Pusha’s Clipse sound.

The album is a sparse twelve tracks, but really would have been better and tighter if it were only ten. No Regrets and especially Let Me Love You are fairly weak, with the latter not even fitting the album at all. Also, My Name Is My Name is probably overcrowded with featured guests. However, unlike many recent hip hop albums, a few of the guests actual bring something to the record – namely: Kendrick Lamar, The-Dream, Future, and Rick Ross (though, it is kind of funny that on Hold On Pusha talks about rappers pretending to be hard, cut to: Ross going in on the track - a man whose whole persona is fabricated). It is surprising the Kanye West (though, he does have un-credited vocals on Hold On) and No Malice do not show up on the album with guest verses. Pusha has great chemistry with West (as heard on their multiple G.O.O.D. Music collaborations) and it just seems like a missed opportunity, given all the guests (did we really need verses from Jeezy, 2 Chainz, and/or Big Sean?).

My Name Is My Name is both fantastic and slightly disappointing (which is completely due to the two weaker tracks that could have easily been dropped). But Pusha T has certainly thrown his hat into the conversation for who are best MCs right now. This is a vital album, pulsing with coarse emotion and skill. 4/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Nosetalgia – Produced by Kanye West and Nottz, featuring Kendrick Lamar

2)      Numbers on the Boards – Produced by Don Cannon and Kanye West

3)      King Push – Produced by Kanye West and Sebastian Sartor

Available on: Digital Download

CHVRCHES – The Bones of What You Believe (2013) – Review

Review: CHVRCHES is synthpop group from Glasgow, Scotland, comprised of three members: Lauren Mayberry, Iain Cook, and Martin Doherty. The Bones of What You Believe is their debut album.

Musically, the group falls easily into the current trend of electronically influenced pop music, but CHVRCHES seems to rise above the sameness of many of pop’s current acts. While there are moments in which their music feels like New Order or Daft Punk (among other influences), the trio presents their sound in a very fresh-feeling manner. The songs are all infectious and emotion filled. Sonically, the music is very synth and drum machine driven, but again it somehow feels new and different (even though it really is not) with grand ambition. Lauren Mayberry’s sweet and enchanting voice is in many ways its own instrument, arranged with the drums and synths to create an overall sound that is just bewitching, catchy, and visceral.

There are certainly a number of great pop singles on the album, but there are also wonderful deep cuts (like the brilliantly atmospheric track Tether). And to this, the album is strong throughout, void of throwaway filler tracks (which is a nice change of pace from what listeners can normally expect from pop releases). CHVRCHES very much believes in the concept of an album – the ebb and flow – and thusly meticulously and precisely structured The Bones of What You Believe to musically swell with emotion in moments and just feel fun in others, creating an engrossing and musically sweeping experience for the listener.

Lyrically, the album at first appears to be made up of a series of dark love songs – maybe even a little detached and sinister. However, Mayberry’s voice carries with it such an intimacy (perfectly juxtaposing to the big sonic sound of the synths) that the listener cannot help but fall under her spell. Her voice is delicate and jubilant often in the same moments.

There was a lot of anticipation for CHVRCHES’s album after a string of fantastic singles, and The Bones of What You Believe does not disappoint in the slightest. It is a hip, layered, and fun pop album that grabs the listener and holds them from start to finish. This is not an album to miss. 5/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Lies – Produced by CHVRCHES

2)      Recover – Produced by CHVRCHES

3)      The Mother We Share – Produced by CHVRCHES

Available on: Digital Download

Drake – Nothing Was the Same (2013) – Review

Review: Drake is back with his third major label release Nothing Was the Same, following up the very good album Take Care and the hit-and-miss Thank Me Later.

One thing that stands out about Nothing Was the Same immediately: Drake is not interested in sounding like every other MC out there right now. Instead, he is crafting and refining his own unique sound, and Nothing Was the Same benefits greatly as a result. Hip hop has become agonizingly sonically monotonous. A lot of it is just plain boring. Meanwhile, Aubrey Graham has developed a wonderful musical chemistry with producer and writer Noah “40” Shebib giving his albums fluidity, which is definitely the case here. The whole album feels like a cohesive project, rather than a random amalgamation of tracks. It also helps that this album primarily features Drake alone. The only other verse on the album comes from Jay-Z (and really, it was unneeded). Graham has the confidence to stand alone and not rely on a plethora of pointless/useless collaborations with other MCs.

Other producers also give Nothing Was the Same some strong musical moments as well. Mike Zombie, DJ Dahi, Nineteen85, Majid Jordan, Hudson Mohawke, Boi-1da (another frequent collaborator of Drake’s), and Key Wane (who produces the great bonus track All Me) all provide good beats, which Graham and Shebib form to fit the album’s musical aesthetic. The beats overall have a very minimalistic, muted sound.

Drake’s music succeeds, however, more so on his ability to let the listener in (something that he takes heat for as well – being too sensitive) than the album’s musicality (which is also good, but not groundbreaking or amazing). Graham is accessible with intimate and real lyrics about his relatable insecurities – in addition to the typical boasts of wealth, women, and skills. The listener, much like with Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar’s work, feels like they are being invited into Graham’s inner most thoughts, which is compelling when most hip hop is just fake.

Nothing Was the Same feels and sounds like a Drake album, which is a good thing, as he is a very talented artists who is unafraid to be himself. While it does not ascend to the same ambitious or artistic heights as Kanye West’s Yeezus, it is still one of 2013’s best hip hop releases and well worth checking out. 4/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Started from the Bottom – Produced by Mike Zombie

2)      Hold On, We’re Going Home – Produced by Nineteen85 and Majid Jordan, featuring Majid Jordan

3)      Worst Behavior – Produced by DJ Dahi

Available on: Digital Download

Maybach Music Group – Self Made, Vol. 3 (2013) – Review

Review: Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Group (MMG) has a large lineup to feature on his third posse album, including: Wale, Meek Mill, Gunplay, Rockie Fresh, Stalley, French Montana, and Omarion.

While Self Made Vol 1 and Vol 2 highlight both the talents of MMG’s artists and the sound that the label has cultivated (through the use of their frequently collaborating producers), Vol 3 just has a very bland sound musically – leading some to wonder if the label has peaked. It is a boring album to listen to (which has become a common trend in hip hop in general, and noticeably among MMG releases, particularly Meek Mill’s Dreams & Nightmares and to an even greater extent French Montana’s terrible Excuse My French).

The album is also overstuffed. MMG already has eight artists to showcase – and to this, only Rick Ross, Wale, Meek Mill, and Rockie Fresh really stand out. There are a ton of featured guests, which while a common feature of these Self Made albums it has gotten out of hand. It is easy to just get lost among all the scattered voices, many adding nothing of interest. Only J. Cole and Lupe Fiasco really bring anything to the album (Pusha T’s verse is good too, but way too short and on a bad song). It is too bad that the guests could not have been reduced greatly, leaving room for more from Gunplay and Stalley. Plus, zero French Montana and Omarion would have been better (but that is probably asking too much, since they are on the label).

Really the only positive this album provides, other than a few decent tracks (see Essential Tracks below), is that the album introduces Rockie Fresh, a new MMG signee. He has potential.

Overall, there is really no reason to pick up this album, unless you are a big fan of MMG and their sound. Rather, just cherry pick a couple tracks. 2/5

Essential Tracks:
1) Poor Decisions – Produced by Jake One, featuring Wale, Rick Ross, and Lupe Fiasco

2) God Is Great – Produced by Boi-1da, featuring Rockie Fresh

3) Black Grammys – Produced by Tone P, featuring Wale, Meek Mill, Rockie Fresh, and J. Cole

Available on: Digital Download

The Weeknd – Kiss Land (2013) – Review

Review: The Weeknd took the modern R&B world by storm in 2011, releasing three brilliant mixtapes (which he then remasted and released together as Trilogy). He was probably the music artist of the year. Thus, anticipation for his first commercial release has been incredibly high (and by the same token, expectations have been impossibly high as well).

Kiss Land is musically different that The Weeknd’s past work. Abel Tesfaye this time works primarily with fellow Canadians producers DannyBoyStyles and Jason “DaHeala” Quenneville, and L.A. producer Silkky Johnson stops by for the wonderful title track. However, it is clear that Tesfaye is the main creative force behind the album. In addition to writing all the tracks, he also produces or co-produces every song. The sound overall does harken back to his mixtapes, as it too feels like a night of partying that has gone on too long leading to the weariness of the come-down. Yet, like each of his releases, there is a distinct sonic quality to it. This album is dark, almost without an ounce of hopefulness. It has a beauty to it as well however.

Lyrically, Tesfaye is to some extent still focused on the same thematic material that populated his mixtapes. He seems to long for a meaningful relationship, but only finds (or gives into) the shallowness of what night life offers (alcohol, drugs, women, and so on). There is a real sadness to his music, which his voice accompanies to such an affecting result for the listener. Pop music about failed relationships and pain seems to resonate to a much stronger degree than happy songs, and here Tesfaye is able to create a fully developed narrative of crushed hopes and emotional suffering.

Tesfaye is also not afraid to primarily stand alone as the sole voice on his record (which is a nice change for what we typically see in modern R&B and Hip Hop). Frequent collaborator Drake is the only featured guest, and his verse is brief (and on maybe the weakest song on the album).

While Kiss Land is not The Weeknd’s best release, it is still a wonderfully engrossing, emotive, and dense work. 4/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Kiss Land – Produced by Silkky Johnson

2)      Tears in the Rain – Produced by DannyBoyStyles, The Weeknd, and Jason “DaHeala” Quenneville

3)      Love In the Sky – Produced by DannyBoyStyles, The Weeknd, and Jason “DaHeala” Quenneville

Available on: Digital Downloand

John Legend – Love in the Future (2013) – Review

Review: Love in the Future is John Legend’s fourth solo studio album, after taking five years between releases (in which he recorded Wake Up! with the Roots, and featuring on a ton of hip hop tracks).

With Love in the Future, John Legend wanted to make a modern R&B/soul album unlike anything heard in the genre. He also employed a wide mix of great producers to help shape the sound, often having multiple producers work on tracks independently. That said, Legend, Kanye West, and Dave Tozer serve as the album’s overall creative forces. The result of having many creative voices actually works out pretty well, as Love in the Future has a very different and interesting sound – while still clearly feeling both like a soul album and a John Legend album. It is a much better and more interesting release than Evolver, but it will likely disappoint Legend’s initial fans who loved Get Lifted and Once Again, as Legend has moved on musically.

While the album definitely feels new and different (but with a connection to the past), it does not adopt the extremely (probably overly so) popular trend of an EDM vibe/influence. This very much feels like a soul record. It is modern in a fresh way, without the synths and electronic beats. The music that accompanies Legend is lush, eerie (at times), and tempered to meet the parameters of modern soul. Musically, it is an album that plays well in the background, with only a few tracks that really stand out.

Lyrically, Legend sings about the joys of romance. The lyrics feel like they are mostly aimed at new couples who are still in the throes of just being around one and other with optimistic plans for the future. It is a pleasant tone that fits Legend’s demographic and talent.

Love in the Future does not revolutionize soul music, but it is a good album – and one with more crossover potential than most classically sounding soul records. 3/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      The Beginning… – Produced by Hit-Boy

2)      Made to Love – Produced by Dave Tozer

3)      We Loved It – Produced by Kanye West and Jeff Bhasker, featuring Seal

Available on: Digital Download

Big Sean – Hall of Fame (2013) – Review

Review: Big Sean is a talented but polarizing MC due to his delivery. For his fans, he is a skilled and funny lyrist, but for others he is nothing more than a punch line rapper whose voice sounds too poppy.

With Hall of Fame, Big Sean’s second studio release, he tries to both give his fans want they want, while still making an album that is relevant in today’s hip hop market. To that end, the album succeeds. It is a stronger release than Finally Famous (but only marginally). More than the body of work here, Sean seems to have grown as an artist and lyrist. He spends a large portion of this album actually telling stories and speaking about who he is and where he comes from in a much more inviting manner. The album feels personal and not just generic punch lines and stunting.

Musically, Big Sean has good chemistry with producers No ID and Key Wane, who handle most of the album’s production. While there are not really any standout tracks that just pop, overall Hall of Fame is good sonically. The beats fit Sean’s style. In terms of featured guests, the album has an okay mix, highlighted by NaS and Kid Cudi, but really most of the guesses add nothing. Sadly, what could have been the album’s best track with wonderful guests – Control featuring Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronic – did not make the cut due to licensing issues.

While Hall of Fame is probably not going to win Big Sean any new fans, it is a good pop hip hop album that is worth checking out for those who like the GOOD Music brand. 3/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Guap – Produced by Key Wane and Young Chop

2)      10 2 10 – Produced by No ID

3)      First Chain – Produced by No ID and Key Wane, featuring NaS and Kid Cudi

Available on: Digital Download

Jay-Z – Magna Carta… Holy Grail (2013) – Review

Review: Magna Carta… Holy Grail is Jay-Z’s twelfth solo release and his first album since 2011’s collaboration with Kanye West Watch the Throne.

There is a lot to like about the record. Musically, it is lush and interesting – filled with first-class beats from the industry’s top producers (Timbaland and his partner Jroc handle most of the production on the album, but Pharrell, Mike Dean, Swizz Beatz, Mike Will Made It, Travi$ Scott, Hit-Boy, and Boi-1da among others also contribute). Lyrically, Shawn Carter seems somewhat engaged and still has a gifted flow. He mostly focuses on his wealth and the things it affords him (thus disconnecting him from most of his fans), but there are some more reflective moments as well (like the best track on the album Nickels and Dimes or Jay-Z Blue). Also, there are not a ton of features overpowering the album. Rick Ross is the only rapper to be given a proper guest verse, and the other featured artists all bring something to the record. All in all, it is very much a typical Jay-Z album. Not his best work, but a solid outing.

Magna Carta Holy Grail is also significant due to its unusual release. Jay-Z made an exclusive deal with Samsung who bought one million copies to give to their customers for free seventy-two hours before the album’s official release to the public. And, like West’s Yeezus, Carter did not really engage in the typical music industry marketing plan for the release. There were not any prerelease singles (though Holy Grail did sort of serve one) and there was not much build up other than one Samsung commercial and internet buzz. But, in today’s world when you are as big as West or Carter that is all you really need.

However, getting back to the music, upon further inspection Magna Carta Holy Grail is also kind of disappointing. West, hit or miss, is constantly trying to change and progress music (and specifically hip hop). He is not afraid to create raw music and bare his soul. Meanwhile, Jay-Z has basically just turned in a lazy dose of sameness. Plus, Jay-Z has ascended to such a place personally that what is important to him and what he talks about primarily on the album is superficial and meaningless to most of his audience. Essentially this is yuppie music. It is no longer hip hop for the streets (and probably has not been for a long time now), which is fine – it is just that it seems to now lack heart, ambition, and urgency.

The songs themselves also feel lacking. Personally, I like seven of the tracks. But of those, I still find issues: Holy Grail is basically great thanks in most part to Justin Timberlake (and he also adds a lot to Heaven); Tom Ford succeeds thanks to Timbaland’s fantastic beat; Crown sounds like a track left off Yeezus but is nowhere near as engaging; Beach is Better is great but its playtime is not even a minute, and thus feels incomplete and frustrating – for example. Then there are tracks like La Familia which add nothing other than to give the album as overlong bloated feel.

Overall, I like Magna Carta Holy Grail, but it just sort of feels like Jay-Z phoned it in when other artists are still trying to make amazing music (for better or worse), which leaves me let down. 3/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Nickels and Dimes – Produced by Kyambo “Hip Hop” Joshua

2)      Holy Grail – Produced by The Dream, Timbaland and Jroc, featuring Justin Timberlake

3)      Crown – Produced by Travi$ Scott and Mike Dean

Available on: Digital Download

Wale – The Gifted (2013) – Review

Review: Wale seems to reside just on the precipice of blowing up – he has the lyrical skill and flow; he just has never had a big hit. His first two albums Attention Deficit and Ambition are both good, but do not stand out either. With his third album, The Gifted, Wale seems to have both embraced his place in hip hop and desperately grasped for a breakthrough hit with a somewhat random assembling of guest features.

The Gifted is at its best when Wale is just riffing off the beats. He has such a nimble flow and he is a layered storyteller that his raps alone are enough to sustain the listener. His lyrics give a much more nuanced and realistic view of urban culture than most other artists who still speak for the streets. Wale’s verses have substance. Musically, the album is very vibrant and often the beats have more of a live band feel, which is a nice change from the constant flow of EDM influenced hip hop songs (and just every genre really). The live drums really pop.

But for all its positives, the album is just flooded with pointless features by artistes that do not fit Wale’s sound, who seemingly are only there to increases sales and draw new listeners – like: Yo Gotti, Nicki Minaj, Juicy J, Rihanna, Wiz Khalifa, Ne-Yo, and 2 Chainz. None of them bring anything to the album. Wale’s MMG mates Meek Mill and Rick Ross also show up, but again neither stand out and their styles somewhat clash with Wale’s – though, Meek Mill and Wale do have some chemistry. The Gifted would probably be a better album without all these features (as really only Cee-Lo Green and Tiara Thomas bring something worthwhile), especially when the genre’s best recent albums (good kid, m.A.A.d city, Born Sinner, and Yeezus) have all been built around a singular voice – all these random features dilute the album’s impact.

The Gifted is sure to please fans of Wale, as it is a good hip hop album. However, it is also slightly disappointing (as it is almost a great album, held back by all the features). 3/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Golden Salvation (Jesus Piece) – Produced by Lee Major

2)      Bad – Produced by Kelson Camp and Tiara Thomas, featuring Tiara Thomas

3)      88 – Produced by Just Blaze

Available on: Digital Download

Deafheaven – Sunbather (2013) – Review

Review: Deafheaven has taken a momentous step forward with their second album Sunbather. It is massive is its sonic scope, blending the rawness of black metal with the beauty that can be achieved with post-rock tonal guitars.

The album is unlike anything in metal, daring to be radiant yet tortured. Split into four epic tracks with three more experimental ambiance pieces separating them, it is a journey that asks the listener to accompany the band into the pits of doubt and despair and then back up into the warmth of the sun (and then back down and back up again and again). The songs feature scathing black metal stylized vocals, intricately melodic guitars, and powerfully cascading drums. From my own metal collection, Sunbather reminds me of the beauty and anguish of Dawn’s Slaughtersun (though not as intense) with the tonal depression (in moments) of Daylight Dies’s Dismantling Devotion.

Deafheaven’s album is transformative, an aesthetically masterful piece that will influence the future of black metal. It is not just a record for metal fans; it is a must for fans of music, as this is surely one of 2013’s great works. 5/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Vertigo

2)      The Pecan Tree

3)      Sunbather

Available on: Digital Download

Kanye West – Yeezus (2013) – Review

Review: Kanye West is a leader of artistic creativity in hip hop, often drastically altering the direction of the genre with each release. His sixth album, Yeezus, is no different. Following the trend of his last two lustrous records, 808s & Heartbreak and My Dark Twisted Fantasy, West again transforms his sound and tests the limits of the genre (and popular music).

Rejecting the commercial corporate process by which music is put out, West promoted the album with guerrilla video projections of his song New Slaves across the world. He did not release any singles or music videos. The album artwork is almost non-existent (see above). But, all this plays into West’s attitude on Yeezus. He is fed up with the whole structure behind corporate run popular music. He does not want to make bland generic music like everyone else. It wants to challenge everything and reach for new aesthetic heights.

Yeezus does not sound like anything else in hip hop. It is a minimalist amalgamation of punk, new wave, dance hall, electronic, and hip hop all smashed together. It feels raw, and yet still features immaculate production. West has always been a great collaborator, and here he brings in veterans like Daft Punk and (frequent producing partner) Mike Dean as well as fresh artists like Arca and TNGHT. Rick Rubin served as the co-executive producer with West to get the overall sound just right. Sonically, the album is intense, vibrant, aggressive, and utterly compelling. West maintains his position ahead of the genre while everyone else lags behind perpetually trying to catch up. Musically alone, this is a magnificent album.

Lyrically, West again plays on similar themes to his last two albums. He is self-aggrandized and seems to have a guarded mistress of women, but his boasts come from a thinly veiled frail insecure place of sadness and doubt. He turns to fleeting moments of pleasure to escape the darkness that clouds his thoughts, stemming from failed relationships and racial inequality that West sees around him. West has no desire to make a commercially accessible album, and he blatantly attacks the establishment. He wants to air out his distrust and misgivings to instigate emotion in the listener and he also lets the listener into his soul to engage them emotionally as well. That is the appeal of West. He is not afraid to put it all out there, to connect with his fans on a deeper level.

West is at a place in which he could bring in any artist for a feature, but unlike My Dark Twisted Fantasy, Yeezus is very much from a singular voice (being West’s). Frank Ocean, Justin Vernon, Kid Cudi, Tony Williams, and Charlie Wilson show up to add supporting vocals, while Chief Keef and Travi$ Scott also bring some punch to the album. But only relatively unknown Chicago MC King L has a verse outside of West. In this way, West pays tribute to his city and troubled, gang-violent South Side neighborhood by including leading local voices Chief Keef and King L (because he can). It works well because West has essentially challenged what is possible sonically in hip hop. To have a bunch of recognizable voices clouding up the album would have diminished the overall power and freshness of the album.

Like each Kanye West album, Yeezus changes the game. It is vital, raw, incredibly ambitions, and just simply a work of an aesthetically brilliant artist (who knows the perfect collaborators to bring together to find the right sound). It is safe to say that this is one of the best and important albums of 2013, a must. 5/5  

Essential Tracks:

1)      New Slaves – Produced by Kanye West

2)      Bound 2 – Produced by Kanye West

3)      Black Skinhead – Produced by Kanye West and Daft Punk

Available on: Digital Download

Wampire – Curiosity (2013) – Review

Review: Portland, Oregon, synth-pop group Wampire got their start blasting electronic music at house parties, but Rocky Tinder and Eric Phipps had higher aspirations.

For their debut album, Curiosity, they approached their music differently, writing guitar pieces and adding a drummer before approaching their synthesizer/laptop. The result is a very accessible album full of great songs (that seemingly pull from a myriad of influences). Tinder and Phipps have created a cohesive sound that in ways is both simple and intricate – simple in that the songs have a very clear pop sensibility (and feel like a mixture of today’s indie rock sound that is very electronic music infused and the rock/pop of the late 1960s) and intricate in the way the sounds are written and layered.

On a side note, Wampire’s album cover for Curiosity is incredibly weird, tacky, and hideous (which, I think is the point) – but also hilarious and well suited to that collection of songs, which have an overall odd tone and spooky ambiance.

Curiosity is well worth checking out, and fans of synth-pop and indie rock/pop will probably enjoy it. 3/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Spirit Forest

2)      The Hearse

3)      Orchards

Available on: Digital Download

The-Dream – IV Play (2013) – Review

Review: The-Dream is one of the leaders of R&B’s darker/pop sound (influencing artists like The-Weeknd) – an auteur of the genre. His music is explicit, emotional, and wonderfully produced (it is generally much darker and slower than most popular modern R&B). While he has written many of the last decade’s biggest hits, Terius Nash has never enjoyed commercial success as a solo artist (despite his critical acclaim).

IV Play seems like an attempt by Nash to make a more commercially accessible album. It is packed with a lot of guests: Jay-Z, Big Sean, Pusha T, Beyonce, 2 Chainz, Kelly Rowland, and Fabolous, but really only Pusha T adds anything of note (his very brief intro to Pussy is fantastic). The-Dream is at his best when he is battling his own insecurity and melancholy using his great falsetto vocals, but still with a helping of swagger. Love vs. Money had a ton of features, but it is his best album (and I would argue one of modern R&B’s best). It is not so much that these songs are bad, but rather that they just feel like The-Dream is not as ambitious with his music (which is disappointing).

Interesting, and sort of in the face of making a more mainstream album, Nash makes the statement that he is tired of EDM – when it has completely taken over almost every genre (but especially pop and R&B). Musically, the album is filled with more classically styled pop/R&B tracks that move to a slower beat. However, R&B has seen sort of a resurgence of this more soulful sound with artists like Frank Ocean.

Overall, IV Play is a decent album that should work for The-Dream’s fans and those that like pop/R&B, but after strong albums like Love vs. Money and Love King this just feels disappointing (plus, most of the best songs are the deeper cuts and bonus tracks). 3/5

Essential Tracks:

1)      Y’All – Produced by The-Dream

2)      Psycho – Produced by The-Dream

3)      Holy Love – Produced by The-Dream and Los da Mystro

Available on: Digital Download