The Field - Infinite Moment

The Field, aka Axel Willner for years now has been dishing out very cosmic, minimal Techno and stealing a lot of hearts doing it.  When it comes to his 2007 debut of this project, "From Here We Go Sublime", I feel like I was completely entranced the first time I heard it.  The cosmic melodies, the looping rhythms, it was all so much more colorful and accessible than anything else in Techno and Electronic at the time.  In 2009 The Field returned with "Yesterday and Today", and once again I really had little to complain about.   The bangers made me want to get out there and groove and the 11-minute odysseys had me completely freaking out and ready for the future of Techno and Electronic music.  Not to mention, it just had this unbelievably pristine production that came off glorious on all angles.  The Field started to lose me around the "Looping State of Mind" album.  This wasn't a bad album but it had become just so cosmic and so out there that I feel like it made some of the more entrancing a little less impactful.  But he reeled me right back with tons of killer grooves and incredible atmospheres on his 2013 EP (If you wanna call 54 minutes an EP) "Cupid's Head".  It was sort of business as usual for The Field, with most tracks around the 10-minute mark, and he did seem to bring in some more elements of Trance than usual.  But overall, this really worked nicely, and did wonders for getting me back in Axel's good graces. But I continued to be just so iffy at the end of the day with Axel's work.  The Field's next album "The Follower" was just so painfully average.  There were moments like "Pink Sun" where I actually got pretty worked up over some of these grooves.  But that was literally it, so much of this album was a little too heavy in the Trance direction for my liking.  So Axel is back for the first time in a few years, and honestly, sounding really fantastic and dark.  Let's chat boys and girls!

This album starts out with “Made of Steel, Made of Stone”, and right off the bat, I actually really love the very futuristic, dystopian vibes to this.  The distant sound effects that are wailing away in the back are just so exciting, and that alongside just how impenetrable this atmosphere is makes for a really exciting track.  Like, by this point you know just how dense Axek’s atmospheres are working with The Field.  And trust me, this is no different.  It may be low-key, but it’s so busy and colorful underneath, especially for modern electronic standards.  We get some really straightforward, but hypnotic beat that does so well.  By the end of the track, yea, it picks up a bit but never too much.  Like, if you’re looking for a modern dance banger, keep walking.  But for a pensive, well thought out display of atmosphere, take it in man.  Even in the last few minutes when things get even darker, The Field nail it.  On the other hand, “Divide Now” right away is so much more techno influenced.  But it’s beautifully textured and just so rich.  It’s steady, with some really solid grooves and all, and there are absolutely some elements of Trance here.  Usually, that’s not my thing at all.  But this works in a big way, and absolutely has me grooving.  But “Divide Now” isn’t done there, eventually, it ends up taking off into this much more upbeat and techno based tune.  But none of it comes off dated or goody.  No, it’s all really classy and sounds very modern, and continues to have a really fantastic atmosphere.  It’s also got a seriously progressive element that’s not bad at all.  Then we have “Hear Your Voice” which is another beast entirely.  The Ambient Techno elements have been turned all the way up for this one, and we get this muscular, massive wall of sound with a pulsing beat behind it.  Now, I’m picky as hell with all of these genres.  But “Hear Your Voice” is just so hulking and massive, it practically reminds me of something that would come from the mind of Blanck Mass.  It remains pummeling as it grooves along, with the very minimal beat never too far behind.  I love the chilling vocals seemingly miles away, and I love just how chilled out everything is beneath this meaty surface.  This may not be the most exciting beat, and it is minimal at the end of the day.  But that doesn’t mean it’s wonderfully textured and wildly colorful.  There’s also a ton of personality here.  And sure, you could argue that this would have been better with a little switch up.  But this is still really REALLY good.  Not to mention, I love just how ethereal and dreamy it gets towards the end.
Now, ‘Something Left, Something Right, Something Wrong’ throws a real curve ball our way.  This track is a cross between a lot of things.  There are parts of this that come off like some Tim Hecker worship in just how minimal this is yet so alive deep down, like Tim’s “Virgins” album.  But on the other hand, there’s also some major GAS influence here, which is totally rad.  Here, there’s this very other-worldly, alien club beat that just seems so swallowed up by everything.  And yea, for a while “‘Something Left, Something Right, Something Wrong’ is stunning.  But for the longest track here, this absolutely does not go far enough.  Eventually, when that otherworldly groove comes in halfway through, things lighten up a bit.  But still, this didn’t have to be nearly as long.  “Who Goes There” however instantly gets me right back in the twisted mood of The Field.  The sampling here is so chilling, and the way that this beat slowly makes its way in is masterful.  It’s still so minimal, so chilly, not inviting at all.  Trust me, you won’t be hitting any dance floors to this.  But outside of that, this is another expertly crafted, intense Minimal Techno and Ambient Techno track.  Honestly, I would rather rock out to this than half of what passes for EDM these days.  Even the quiet moments are just so filled with tension, I can’t tell you how excited I get to see just how Axel is going to work this groove back in.  And he does, this time with some tropical percussion and even more alien-grooves.  Honestly, this is just a really amazing piece of house music.  This album finishes up with “Infinite Moment”, which shows Axel return to the much more gritty, abrasive sounds that we heard earlier.  And honestly, I really didn’t expect to hear that.  But the interesting thing is, it’s all a front, a good one, but a front.  Because deep down, those synths are harmonious and positive, and a great shining light in this series of very dreary pieces.  And the way this one just washes over you with eaves and waves of synths and beats and grooves is just so intoxicating.  I’m not a club goer, but tracks like this make me want to dip my feet in.  Axel’s music is so hard to place, if you listen to this multiple times you may just hear a few extra details you didn’t hear before.  In a very dreary, dark album, this gives some light for about 10 minutes.  And honestly, it’s beautiful.

Rating: 7.7/10

Give A Listen To: ‘Made of Steel, Made of Stone’, ‘Divide Now’, ‘Hear Your Voice’

Least Favorite Track: “‘Something Left, Something Right, Something Wrong’”, “‘Who Goes There’

Genre: Ambient Techno / Minimal Techno

Overall Thoughts:  Axel Willner returns to his Field alias once again, and it certainly seems to be business as usual for the most part.  The beats are super minimal and seemingly alien, and some of the grooves and beats have this way of washing over you and sticking with you long after they’re over.  But Axel this time seemingly is darker and working with a more abrasive sound than ever.  Seemingly channeling everyone from Tim Hecker to GAS to Blanck Mass, Axel sounds just as adventurous as ever.  Some of these tracks are a little long-winded, and some just don’t come off as effective as he would have liked I think.  But still, this is an overly-decent and adventurous Electronic album. 

Suede - The Blue Hour

When I was growing up, I obsessed over Suede (aka The London Suede) like there was no tomorrow.  This band with their self-titled debut remains one of the most visceral and incredible debuts of the 90's.   It's lovely at times, with tracks like "So Young" and "She's Not Dead", but it's got a vicious underbelly in the way or "Animal Nitrate"'s drug bars and the upbeat "Moving".  Simply put, this album is a masterpiece, and just hits so many emotions with me.  Suede returned shortly after with the just as artsy but slightly darker "Dog Man Star".  This album had tons of great singles, my favorite being "Heroine".  But as an album, just sort of drove home the fact that Suede was miles ahead of every other British band in the early 90's.   Suede got even artsier and heavier with the release of "Coming Up".  By this point, they had their sound down to a science, they just had to bring it together.  And tracks like "By The Sea" and the incredible "Beautiful Ones" were some of their most elegant tracks yet.  But tracks like "Trash" and "Filmstar" showed they could also rock with the best of their contemporaries.  But with 1999's "Head Music", my love of Suede started to falter.  This album was dripping in sex and funky synths, which on paper sounds pretty awesome.  But the production on this album was a little too glistening for my liking, and I really just wasn't into the band's less glamorous approach.  Suede's next album "A New Morning" was a slight improvement, stepping away from the Electronic aspect.  But in it's place, honestly Suede sounded absolutely exhausted, and in desperate need of a break.  2013's "Bloodsports" was an improvement, with tracks like "Barriers" and "Snowblind" being much more concrete tracks then what they had been putting out recently.  Not to mention, it was much more energetic.   But by the halfway point this album was quickly running out of steam.  2016's "Night Thoughts" continued to breathe some new life into Suede.  This album was their most dramatic and cinematic since the mid-90's, and the huge production and instrumentals made this album pretty damn big.  It didn't seem to be coming to the band as easily.  But still, I was happy.  So we're sort of getting to the point where Suede has given us so much, and I really never know what to expect from them.  But call me pleasantly surprised, I actually really dig some of these tracks they've been putting out.  Let's chat amigos!

(one of my all-time favorites!)

This album starts off with “As One”, and instantly this is not what I was expecting to hear at all.  This track is so bulky and immense, and honestly seriously dark and twisted.  There are moments here that would have sounded right at home on any blood-soaked teen Horror movie of the early 2000’s.  And outside of that, the band actually sounds freakin’ great.  The ominous chanting, the tight guitar playing, it’s all just so grimy and dreary.  And honestly, it sounds awesome.  Vocalist Brett Anderson sounds so commanding and intense.  Overall, I can’t remember the last time I heard Suede dealing with this much drama in their music.  It’s not the flamboyant, Glam-inspired material that I was expecting this album to get rolling with.  But holy hell, this is undeniably effective at grabbing your ear.  It’s just so pensive, so slow paced, so intense, I’m impressed, man.  On the other hand, “Wastelands” is the polar opposite.  As far as atmosphere goes it’s just as dreary and heavy.  But it also has that Suede sound that they’ve built up so much over the year.  That over the top approach to Art Rock and Brit Pop that’s just so heavy and emotional, it’s all still here.  But this is easily the most youthful Suede have sounded in years, and they make this track come off so proud and anthemic.  To put it bluntly, they sound awesome.  Not to mention, that last spoken interlude is dramatic as hell and ends up adding so much.  With “Mistress”, I continue to really feel like this is a youthful sound for Suede.  It’s dark and full of passion and debauchery, but it’s also fueled by drama.  I love just how over-the-top Brett sounds after all these years, and some of these instrumentals are just so passionate (especially the strings).  It’s not the heaviest track of the bunch, but it’s just so dense and cinematic.  I would say it’s overly sleazy and dives into some risqué topics, but Suede have been like that going on 30 years.  I also love how ethereal this album continues to be.  Like, it’s just so dreary and dreamy, which is far from things we’ve never dealt with from Suede.  But with tracks like “Beyond the Outskirts”, it just seems so much bigger and darker this time around.  But these larger than life choruses bring everything together wonderfully.  Now, I do like some of the earlier, heavier and more hulking tunes.  But this is still an overly decent, dramatic Suede track.  And that funky, pulsing breakdown towards the end is brilliant.  The wildly dark edge to this album continues with “Chalk Circles”.  I love these commanding synths and just how dreary and synthetic this is.  This is almost dystopian, even though I’m not too sure where this fits into the narrative.  But I love just how campy this is, as it reaches entirely new levels of drama.  It’s a wonderful transition for the album. 

“Cold Hands” on the other hand, is easily one of the more upfront and direct tracks here.  I love just how menacing this one is, as Brett really goes into some pretty dark themes here.   But I love just how flamboyant and artsy this track is, and there are some seriously fantastic guitar licks here.  Between this and the last album, Suede haven’t sounded this determined and focused in a long time, which is great.  Plus I love some of this imagery as well.   And as far as a lead single goes from this album, “Life Is Golden” is pretty beautiful and charming.  I do have to say though, this is where some things start to falter in the track list.  This to me, just doesn’t come off as a Suede tune.  It’s obviously beautiful and cinematic.  But to say this is the same back who brought us classic albums diving deep into London’s seedy underbelly would be a lie.  And honestly, I know it sounds terrible but the genuinely positive vibes here just don’t speak to me as Suede moments for me.   I’ll give “Roadkill” this though, this absolutely brings back some of the very tense vibes of the earlier tracks.  But man, I’m not really that into the spoken word portion though.  It’s creepy and twisted, to say the least.  But this track would have been more effective as an instrumental.  “Tides’ may be the most somber and stripped down track of the bunch yet.  But oh man, I’m just not into some of these verses still.  This is easily some of Brett’s least animated and down to earth vocals yet, outside of a few bars here and there.  And yes, it’s depressing and honestly not much of a Suede track at all.  There are some gigantic and epic instrumentals which I do really love.  But this isn’t where I’m used to hearing Suede and I can’t get over that.  But Suede does reel me back in a little with “Don’t Be Afraid If Nobody Loves You”.   Tracks like this continue to be so dark and menacing and have some pretty heavy instrumentals.  That youthful sound may have flown sound for a bit.  But it’s back with a vengeance, and Brett is right back to sounding absolutely incredible.  It’s a simple track, easily one of the more straightforward ones here.  But holy hell does it ever sound good.  

I can’t really bash “Dead Bird”, it’s not exactly pleasant and it’s certainly depressing.  But it sets the atmosphere up to be just as effective, and it certainly brings back that feeling of everything not being what it seems.  But I have absolutely nothing bad to say at all about “All the Wild Places”.  I love the carefree strings that are all over this one and constantly moving, and Brett here sounds like this ringleader of it all.  It’s easily one of his most charismatic performances of the bunch, even heartfelt at times.  It’s times like this that give Suede albums such a human touch.  This one is just so graceful that it reminds me of everything I loved about Suede, to begin with.  Suede may have dropped the ball for a while on this album, but with tracks like “The Invisibles”, they prove they really are still on their A-Game.  They’ve literally saved some of their most dramatic, elegant tracks for last.  I feel like with all of the good material here, they really did come through with a decent album.  But some of those tracks towards the middle were just unnecessary.  Hell, if they trimmed this album down it could have been even better.  Because this track just so sounds so intense and dramatic, and once again incredibly human.  The pacing is great, the backing instrumentals are solid, this track is beautiful.  Sadly though, I’m really not crazy about this album’s finale “Flytipping”.  I do think the opening guitar licks are pretty cool, and this comes off so vast and gigantic.  But why the hell do I feel like Suede is just trying way too hard?  Suede is looking for this anthem of a tune, but the reality is that the last few tracks have been so much more memorable.  This has all of that same fantastic atmosphere, and eventually, things do pick up a bit.  But Suede here are just trying so hard with something that used to come so easily to them.  Plus, the production here is just so off compared to the rest of the tracks here. 

Rating: 7.9/10

Give A Listen To: “As One”, “All The Wild Places”, “Cold Hands”, “Don’t Be Afraid If Nobody Loves You”

Least Favorite Track: “Tides”


Genre: Glam Rock / Alternative Rock / Art Rock 

Overall Thoughts:  Suede on “The Blue Hour” come through with their most dramatic, cinematic and darkest album in years.  If you’re a fan of Suede and know their material, then you should know what to expect from them.  But they just sound so full of energy here, easily more so than their last few albums, which is fantastic.  The drama is here, and tons of gigantic strings and emotional performances.  Now, truth be told some of these tracks don’t come as easy to Suede as they once did, and sometimes it sounds like they’re reaching too much.  But still, if this is what we’re getting in 2018 from Suede, count me in. 

Frontperson - Frontrunner

        Frontperson is the newly formed duo of Kathryn Calder of New Pornographers fame and Mark Andrew Hamilton.  This is a project that I honestly wasn't prepared for, and I'm only really here because I'm such a fan of Calder's work.  Let's chat about this, shall we?

Now, with these two names, I was expecting a pretty fantastic, catchy intro.  But “U.O.I.” is simply not that,  This is a very airy, pensive track that really takes it’s time.  Which I don’t really have that much of a problem with on paper.  But this one is just so slow and dreary.  And yea, there are some very sweet and beautiful moments, and there’s parts that are rather refined and elegant.  And that’s all gravy my friends, mostly because Kathryn and Mark have legitimately sweet voices.  But this isn’t what I signed up for, this is just faceless Indie Pop. But the very refined moment that we get here do have tons of potential, and I’m curious as to where they lead.  Now, with “Long Night” Frontperson seem to nail everything that’s awesome about their sound.  Kathryn’s vocals here are absolutely flooring and incredibly sweet.  This one has the same very elegant style coming through in a big way.  But here, the instrumental is just as sweet and constantly moving.  The result is just so much more memorable and interesting.  There’s a synthetic beat, which is actually a really great backbone to these very airy and fluffy vocals.  But most importantly, Kathryn and Mark have serious chemistry.  You see, these much more upbeat and sweet atmospheres like we get on “Tick-Tock (Frontrunner)” are so much easier to eat up.  It’s not the most original or new sound to the Indie Pop genre, and you can see all shades of some of the greats in this genre all over the place (like New Pornographers).  But between the legitimate chemistry between these two and passionate performances all around, this is really enjoyable.  I also really love the back and forth vocals, which really makes you appreciate their harmonies so much more when they do roll in. Simply charming.

Now, “He Follows Me” takes a big step back once again and really brings in a vast atmosphere.
And my friends, it is a HARD left turn in every way.  Mark’s vocals here come off more rugged, and lyrically this is just so different from where we’ve heard them so far.  And honestly, it just takes way too long to get rolling.  I feel like Kathryn’s very sweet vocals add plenty, but it’s so hard to put my finger on this track.  There is everything from Folk elements to Chamber Pop.  And once again, it’s a very refined and elegant sound.  When we get halfway through, some of the instrumentals that float in are totally charming.  This track is really hard to place, and I feel like not being so immediate is absolutely a downer.  But it has its moments.  On the other hand, “Young Love” is an upbeat, cheery ballad from Kathryn that’s just so much more straightforward.  Here, her vocals are heart melting, as she totally changes an old school Singer-Songwriter from the 70’s.  And the result is immediate, charming and sweet.  It’s still on the lighter, more sophisticated side.  But it’s also got this genuinely youthful energy to it that’s just so likable.  Not to mention, the very dreary, whispery atmosphere is done so well.  Frontperson have a really unique sound right now, they just need to be so careful with it.  “Shorter Days” however once again is another really hard left turn, as the duo try to get some tension built up.  But then it just falls apart super quickly and ends up opening up into this very lukewarm Folk ballad.  Let’s be real, I think some of the songwriting here and the imagery is powerful.  But this has some of the issues that showed up earlier.  Call it what you want, being a little too timid, trying to cram too much in at once, it all works.  Like, here we get these very elegant pianos and verses that are trying so hard to build up something to work with.  But absolutely nothing comes out of this, and we’re just sort of left with Kathryn’s vocals.  Which yea, are great, but not enough.

On the other hand, “This City Is Mine” is something I really wasn’t expecting.  And that, my friends, is a shockingly tense, heavy tune with a lot of buildup.  Mark and Kathryn’s vocals on both sides of it all, actually end up giving this a very intriguing sound.  Obviously, we’re not dealing with truly heavy material.  But between these pounding drums and wailing synths, this is strangely chaotic.  But some of these lighter tracks like “Postcards From A Posh Man” are just so iffy.  I feel like the main issue with this album is that Frontperson has yet to find a medium.  There are great things about their sound, but tunes like this also come off incredibly amateurish.  Like, yea, things do get a little better when the drums and guitars pop in later on.   But there’s almost nothing about this that screams at me to come back for seconds. However, the duo does a great job of shutting my mouth with this incredible finale “Insight”.  I absolutely love Kathryn’s haunting vocals that add so much mystery to this track.  It’s an interesting tune that doesn’t seem nearly as confused or amateurish.  Her vocals are so soothing, and I love just how mystic and genuinely interesting this is.  It’s a sound they’ve been reaching for the entire album, but haven’t hit until now.  And now that it’s here, it’s charming, and I want to hear so much more of it. 

Rating: 7.2/10

Give A Listen To: “Long Night”, “Tick - Tock (Frontrunner)”, “Young Love”, “Insight”

Least Favorite Track: “U.O.I.”

Genre: Indie Pop / Baroque Pop

Overall Thoughts: Kathryn Calder and Mark Andrew Hamilton as Frontperson certainly do have a sound that they can pull off.  And when they do, they come off with the sort of very elegant and refined side of Indie Pop that the genre is missing right now.  But too much of this album is the do attempt to find that sound.  There are some really awkward, slow-paced tunes and some even more awkward Folk tunes.  But when Frontperson buckled down and get grooving with some more upbeat tunes, this comes off really classy. 

Joyce Manor - Million Dollars to Kill Me

Joyce Manor is a California based Indie Rock and Pop Punk band that for a few years now, has really stolen my heart.  They debuted with a short, self-titled debut in 2011 that wasn't mind-blowing but did a great job of ushering into the band's sound.  Also, tracks like "Beach Community" showed that right off the bat Joyce Manor knew how to write an undeniably catchy Pop Punk tune.  But let me tell you, Joyce Manor absolutely took off with their short and sweet 2012 album "Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired".  This was a speedy, incredibly catchy Pop Punk and Emo album that just seemed to have the band firing on all cylinders.  Tracks like "Video Killed the Radio Star" and "If I Needed You There" were upbeat and fun Pop Punk tunes with such a carefree sense to it that it was ridiculous.  But at the same time, "Drainage" also showed that the band could come through easily with a more stripped down emotional number that was just as powerful.  By 2014's "Never Hungover Again" this had become a true science.  The production was classy and the playing was heavier, but Joyce Manor really didn't stray far from just how emotional and catchy these tracks were.  Not to mention, at 19 minutes this was their longest album yet, but it seemed complete. Joyce Manor returned in 2016 with "Cody", their most polished and well thought out project to date.  And honestly, I don't get the hate that this album gets.  Tracks like "Make Me Dumb" and "Angel In The Snow" are fantastic deep cuts, and "Fake I.D." was catchy enough to blast into my top 50 singles of that year.  However, I did think that some of the lighter moments like "Do You Really Want To Not Get Better" weren't nearly as effective as they could have been.  SO Joyce Manor is back, and from the sound of these singles, really haven't missed a beat.  Let's chat!

(A personal favorite of mine!)

This album starts off with “Fighting Kangaroo”, which is actually a pretty solid start that makes me excited to hear the rest of the album.  No, this isn’t as Punky or as upbeat as their early material.  But man, vocally Joyce Manor have never sounded so intact.  I love the group vocals and the quirky, personality fueled verses.  Joyce Manor sound very human and very down to earth, that’s for sure.  There are also some really great Power Pop elements thrown in as well, making for a really solid intro.  Then we have “Think I’m Still In Love With You” which is a little grungier sounding and less polished.  And honestly, it comes off solid, in a way it almost has a 90’s sound to it.  And vocally, I still think Joyce Manor have really peaked because this is already catchier than anything from “Cody”.  Not this still isn’t that upbeat, and this has been a pretty slow paced album so far.  But Joyce Manor has been pulling it off, and are writing insanely catchy material too.  Now with “Big Lie”, it’s becoming obvious that frontman Barry Johnson has never sounded so up front and personal.  And honestly, that’s what makes tracks like this work for the band.  The performances are emotional and charismatic, and this may be the catchiest track of the bunch yet, ESPECIALLY instrumentally.  I love the hypnotic passages and I really love the anthemic guitars sprinkled throughout.  And the second half is just so fantastic with Barry screaming his damn lungs out, almost reminding me of the early days of Against Me!  But it continues to be some of these acoustic tracks that keep bucking things up a big for me and keep getting me out of the groove.  This is certainly a big step up from some of the softer moments on “Cody”, that’s for sure.  And there are plenty more catchy moments with this one, and I do enjoy the cynical side of this one.  It’s certainly one of the better acoustic tunes from Joyce Manor, but I’m still on the fence with this style coming from them. 

The Power Pop vibes continue to be gigantic for this album.  Which I really don’t mind, it adds a new dimension to the music of Joyce Manor.  But why do I feel like this is just a step back?  Lyrically, this doesn’t really feel like a Joyce Manor tune, this sounds like a cover of a B-List track on the American Pie soundtrack.  It’s just so cheesy and phoned in, and doesn’t have nearly the amount of personality that some of the other tracks here have had.  Instrumentally, ti’s still confident and all.  But call me crazy if I feel like Joyce Manor is just so much better than this.  “Silly Games” is a slightly better tune, as Joyce Manor by this point has gone full-on Pop.  Like, this is practically a retro Pop ballad by this point.  And it’s not terrible honestly, some of these harmonies are actually really classy, and at the very least there’s some emotion and passion here, even if Joyce Manor continue to drop the ball on songwriting a little.  But this one at least has a carefree vibe to it that’s pretty sweet.   Then we have “Friends We Met Online”, and whoa nelly.  Hey guys, remember Punk Rock?  Man, we are literally 7 tracks in and we’re finally getting an upbeat track.  And honestly, it may just be that fact alone, but this track excites the hell out of me.  But it remains just as catchy and is surprisingly one of the more well-written tracks on here.  Everything is here for Joyce Manor.  The harmonies are on point, the songwriting is quirky, they have tons of personality, there’s no reason they can’t come through with a genuine Punk classic in the future.  For an upbeat Punk-Rocker, this is a great tune.  And honestly, “Up The Punx” is a fantastic medium for the band.  It’s not the upbeat Pop Punk vibes that they got big with.  But it’s determined and they sound fine.  Not to mention, as far as a passionate performance goes, this is the most memorable of the bunch.  I love the patient verses here, as well as the backing vocals and just how catchy and well written this is.  Say what you will about the boys of Joyce Manor, but when they show up for work they sound great. 

But I still have all of these very mixed feelings on these acoustic cuts like “Gone Tomorrow”.  Like, they’ve certainly come a long way from these teary-eyed ballads that seemed out of place on their previous work.  And this at least has a really emotional sound and actually has some pretty epic instrumentation.  Nut even with all of that this comes off a little cheesy.  This album ends off with “Wildflowers”, and for all of the Punk fans out there this probably was a little bit of a let down for you.  Because this is a very fluttery and sweet track to have as a finale.  And honestly, I may have wished it was a little more aggressive as well.  But it’s not bad, especially not with the more Pop-Punk and Power Pop sounds.  It’s not the catchiest track of the bunch, but it wraps this album up nicely, and I do enjoy the sunnier instrumentals here. 

Rating: 7.6/10

Give A Listen To: “Fighting Kangaroo”, “Think I’m Still In Love With You”, “Friends We Met Online”, “Up the Punx”

Least Favorite Track: “Million Dollars To Kill Me”

Genre: Emo / Pop Punk / Power Pop

Overall Thoughts: Joyce Manor continues down their much more Pop-oriented path with this new album.  And honestly, it’s not terrible.  Sure, it may not be as Punk at heart, but a lot of what made Joyce Manor such a great act at first is still well on display.  These guys are still writing some of their catchiest material to date in a big way, and the amount of personality that these guys have is still ridiculous.  But that also means that a lot of the same issues that have haunted these guys for years are still hanging around in a big way.  The acoustic tracks are still average at best, and I do wish that this album was heavier in parts.  But still, this is decent. 

Christine & The Queens - Chris

Christine & The Queens, aka Héloïse Letissier has been dishing out very hip, modern Synth-Pop for the last few years now.  And with her first album, "Chaleur humaine", she really put herself on the map.  A lot of people loved the sleekness of this record as well as Héloïse's performances.  And I thought it had some pretty good tunes, like "Paradis Perdus" and "Christine".  But I just felt like Héloïse could have taken this sound to bigger heights.  The beats could have been bigger, and I felt like Héloïse was holding back slightly with her voice.  Don't get me wrong, her performances were top notch, but they could have been so much bigger.  And from the sound of these new singles, man, they certainly have gotten bigger.  Let's chat about this album!

This album starts off with “Comme si”, and instantly this is a much steamier, groove-heavy material than other stuff Christine & The Queens have touched.  Since day one, she’s been dealing with some very steamy Synth Pop and Electro Pop.  But it’s never been this up front and in your face.  There are some nice throwback synths and Héloïse just seems so much more in control.  All of this, alongside some solid writing and some of her catchiest instrumentals to date, makes for a great intro to this sound.  It’s positive and upbeat, and instrumentally just so much denser.  I always felt like listening to her early material that she could be doing so much more.  And here, that’s what we get, and it sounds great.  Then we have “Girlfriend” featuring Dâm-Funk, which all around is just a fantastic Synth-Pop tune.  I love the old-school synths, which 2018 has had its fair share of.  It’s groovy, upbeat, and once again just so steamy.  Héloïse has become so incredibly confident in herself the last few years.  And I mean that in every way, like not only does she know exactly where she wants her sound.  But hell, she sounds like she’s out to steal your girl, and it’s honestly awesome.  Even Dâm-Funk’s contributions sound great.  There’s just such a great aura of cool around this one, hell yea this works.  The very steamy, nocturnal beats continue to hit one after another.  This one is a lot more dangerous sounding and all, but it’s just as catchy and intoxicating.  I love the gigantic atmosphere and how strong the grooves are, and just how sexual and passionate Héloïse sounds.  She continues to sound just so strong and empowered, especially compared to how timid she came off at times on her debut.  Not to mention this is just such a mysterious track, and I can’t help but eat that up.  These aren’t wildly adventurous Synth Pop tunes.  But the performances are passionate and there’s just so much more confidence here I can’t say no too.   Then we have “Doesn’t Matter” which is so much more upbeat and has a great groove, which is something we haven’t heard that much of yet.  And honestly, it’s just as catchy and infectious and certainly just as charismatic.  This one dives into some pretty deep topics for the dancefloor.  But it doesn’t come off nearly come off as awkward as it could have which is great.  Not to mention, some of this production here remains absolutely immaculate, and some of these synths are just gigantic.  This is one hell of a great track in general, and I couldn’t be happier with Christine and the Queens right about now.  

Now, I’m not really that into “5 Dollars” as much overall.  It’s moments like this that I feel like the songwriting isn’t as perfect as it could be.  Christine’s performances here have done a good job of battling song topics that belong on the dance floor and off, but this just seems a little underwritten and not nearly as interesting. Not even a catchy chorus is doing anything for me here.  Even instrumentally, this just isn’t as confident.  However, “Goya Soda” instantly does get things back rolling in the right direction.  This one is just so mysterious and genuinely chilling.  Like, this one just gives me the feeling I’m observing some late night club that’s just sleazy enough.  There continues to be sort of a throwback feel to this which I can appreciate, and the backing vocals here absolutely add plenty to just how vast this sounds.  I do deep down, however, wish this could be a little bit more  The grooves could be absolutely much more gigantic, and I feel like deep down Christine and the Queens should be writing even poppier music.  But for a sort of noir-dripping collection of Synth Pop tunes, this is very likable.  However, I have absolutely nothing bad to say about “Damn (What Must A Woman Do)”.  This one overdoses on funk, which is something I really feel like this album could have done a lot more of.  That, alongside how genuinely minimal these beats actually make for a really interesting tune.  A lot of these tracks are on the much more minimal side, which is cool and all.  But it does add a ton to the performances because it just puts more focus on Héloïse.  It’s also once again almost overtly sexual, which honestly works so well for her.  These are some steamy performances, my friend.   But there are a lot of times where these minimal, steamy performances just aren’t enough.  They’re so close, but not perfect.  On “What’s-Her-Face”, Héloïse sounds incredible, this is easily one of her most impressive performances here.  Not to mention, I do like some of the storytelling aspects to this.  But at the same time, this could have been so much more gigantic and certainly more epic.  And it’s a shame because I do still dig the chorus. 

Man, but when this album is on, it’s on.  Some of these beats are just so damn cool.  Take for example “Feel So Good”.  I love how nocturnal this is, and how once again just how strong Héloïse is coming off.  She seems so in control of her performance.  Once again, a lot of these instrumentals are just so chilling and minimal.  But here, its the Héloïse show and it’s stunning, and the backing vocals definitely make this seem so much bigger.  And some of these throwback keyboards are wonderfully nostalgic.  So many of these tracks are just so simple.  But they work so well, and it’s just something that was so necessary for modern music.  Now, “Make Some Sense” seems to be one of the more emotional moments on this album.  Which, yes, is saying something, because this entire album has been emotional.  But this instrumental sadly is just so boring.  It’s not even a minimal beat, because some of those have worked great.  No, this is literally just uneventful and boring, and it makes a lot of Héloïse’s performances not nearly as interesting.  Now, I don’t know about you guys, but “The Stranger” is not the ending I was expecting to hear.  I do certainly like the playfulness of this, it’s certainly an aspect to this album that was missing. It’s actually not that terrible, it ends the album on a lighter note which is pleasant. But I do feel like the songwriting here is just alright.  Like, the chorus doesn’t pop nearly as much as I figured it would, and Héloïse is a little more reserved here.  But outside of that, this is a really solid ending to an overly decent Pop album.  

Rating: 7.9/10

Give A Listen To: “Girlfriend”, “The Walker”, “Damn (What Must A Woman Do)”, “Feel So Good”

Least Favorite Track: “What’s-Her-Face”

Genre: Pop / Electro-Pop/ Synth Pop

Overall Thoughts: Christine and the Queens on this album steps out of her shell entirely and comes through with a much more confident and sleek Pop album than I really could have expected.  The beats are often minimal, but the funky grooves, nocturnal vibes and Héloïse’s often commanding performances are pretty great.  Now, there are a few instances here where I still think the sounds that Christine and the Queens could be so much bigger.  Like, if these beats weren’t straightforward and she worked so much more on making Pop anthems she would be untouchable.  But for now, Héloïse Letissier came through with a powerful, dominant Synth Pop album. 

BROCKHAMPTON - iridescence

Brockhampton in the last year or so, have gone from renegades in the world of Alternative Rap and R&B to one of it's finest and most exciting.  Lead by Kevin Abstract and featuring members like Dom McLennon, Matt Champion, Merlyn Wood and absolutely tons more, if you're into modern Rap you know who these guys are.  And yes, I'll be honest it took me a while to warm up to their style.  But once it clicked with me, it clicked hard.  The first time I heard these gents was with 2017's "Saturation".  This was a highly abrasive, aggressive and colorful tape, filled with booming Southern Hip Hop flows as well as smooth Alternative R&B interludes.  And at first, I really didn't get it.  But once I started getting used to the numerous styles and clashing personalities that everything started to click for me.  With Brockhampton's next album, "Saturation II" they continued to flood the current Rap scene.  There was more of a West Coast vibe to this album, and there were even more tracks here going in an Alternative R&B direction.  And while yea, there weren't as many standout tracks here, the boys were growing and fast.  Not to mention, they oozed personality, which is just so needed right now.  Later in 2017, Brockhampton finalized their 2017 "SATURATION" trilogy with "Saturation III".  This was by far, their most elaborate and experimental album to date.  The beats here were ridiculous and wild, and the performances were more over the top than ever.  But all the while the group just seemed to be building up what they already started and sounding better than ever.  Let's talk!

This album starts out with “NEW ORLEANS”, and BROCKHAMPTON right off the bat bring in a hell of a banger.  It’s the start that I needed to hear honestly.  I love the choir sample, Dom McLennon’s wild and animated verse, the wonderfully chilled out chorus from Kevin Abstract, it’s all gravy.  But all of this, the different personalities and clashing styles of what makes BROCKHAMPTON genuinely exciting here.  This is a very anthemic, old-school intro.  It’s equal parts wildly experimental while also sounding sort of a throwback track in parts.  Joba sounds great, Matt Champion sounds great, the pop-culture references are on point,  this is a fantastic intro.  On the other hand, “THUG LIFE” touches down on the more R&B aspects as well as keeping in touch with their “Boy Band” side.  But honestly, it’s awesome and ends up transitioning this album very nicely to its next moments.  It’s got some emotional vocals and some beautiful instrumentals, it’s beautiful.  And shoutout to bearface for some of these vocals.   On the other hand, “BERLIN” is wildly aggressive and just plain grimy.  The beat here isn’t nearly as polished or anything close, it’s just booming.  This one has some very hypnotic flows and has some club appeal.  But for me, it does take much longer to get going.  When some of those backing G-Funk elements come in and Dom and Matt’s verses come in.  But this is easily one of my least favorite tracks of the bunch, even if there re parts I do like, like Joba’s verse.  “SOMETHING ABOUT HIM” does get the album flowing back in the right way though.  I honestly love how the gang event these very aggressive and in-your-face bangers with these very personal and sweet interludes that one way or another warm my heart.  It’s a highly effective interlude.   Then we have “WHERE THE CASH AT” which is the sort of wildly charismatic track I needed right now.  Meryln’s verse here is just so freakin’ animated.  And honestly, that’s what I crave from these guys though.  I mean, this isn’t the most aggressive or the biggest banger here, but we’re getting there. 

“WEIGHT” on the other hand is one of the most memorable tracks here.  This one maybe isn’t just charismatic and oozing with personality, but it’s instantly one of the most relatable and personal tunes here.  Kevin Abstract here goes deep into his own sexuality, relationships, friendships, family, fame, and so much more.  And that’s all before this wild beat hits.  It’s a wildly emotional tune, and Job on the chorus here sounds fantastic.  It’s also intense instrumentally and seems borderline out of control.  In a lot of ways, this just seems like a mission statement for the band.  Then we have “DISTRICT”, and this is honestly exactly where I love hearing them.  I love the very classy instrumental that just dissolves quickly into this grotesque and looming beat that’s just so in your face.  This is the sort of beat I needed to hear right about now.  The contrast between some of these verses is just fantastic.  There are wild and charismatic performances, but there’s also some more low-key and dangerous ones.  It’s like a variety show and whos-who of Alternative Rap.  And the best part of all of this is just how adventurous this comes off.  BROCKHAMPTON have a sound, but there isn’t a single moment here where they’re not pushing it to a new extreme or trying something new.  “LOOPHOLE” isn’t a bad interlude.  But I can’t help but feel like this sound clip diving into friends and fame could have landed in another track.  However, I really love hearing these more upbeat and wild tunes like “TAPE”.  It’s still got a lot of classy elements, which is interesting.  But there certainly is a wild feeling to this, and this continues to be some of the groups most personal and emotional bars to date.  All of that, without coming off as soft or weak.  It’s just so enjoyable, and they’ve become so much more immediate as a group.  “J’OUVERT” however has a much more murky and dangerous sound.  It’s times like this that I really wish that all of that garbage never went down with Ameer Vann, because he would have sounded like an absolute animal here.  But that’s his own damn fault.  But guys like Joba do a fantastic job of making up for that with some of their wildest performances of the album.  I just wish I was a little bit more into the beat here, which just seems a little bit adventurous than what we’ve gotten here.

Now, the upbeat, funky and cold feeling to “HONEY” is actually one of the coolest things I’ve heard on this album in a while.  It’s moments like this that I feel like BROCKHAMPTON’s sound comes off the most effective.  The verses here from Dom McLennon keep the very aggressive and rapid-fire style of this album just as stunning.  But some of the more Pop and R&B elements here are done so well and give this such a cutting-edge sound to it.  The production is brilliant, the beat just doesn’t sit still, it’s really good.  Of all of the shorter interlude track here, “VIVID” is certainly the more aggressive of the bunch.  It has a grimier beat as well as some murky verses.  And honestly, it’s alright.  But for the first time here, I feel like this interlude is a little bit underwritten and unfocused.  “SAN MARCOS” on the other hand sort of reminds me of Kevin Abstract’s solo work.  And honestly, it sounds really great.  I love the acoustic strumming and the soulful vocals that just come off so heartfelt and emotional.  It’s all auto-tuned which is certainly something I’m iffy on, but here it comes off classy and makes things incredibly charming.  Even that choir towards the end comes off so classy.  I really hope we get more tracks like this in the future.  But with “TONYA” this album take a hard left turn, with another piano ballad showing off just how well these guys can pull off emotional tunes.  It’s so dreary and so straightforward, but it easily comes off just as genuine as some of their more aggressive tracks.  I mean, they do advertise themselves as a “Boy Band”.  And yea, that’s what this comes off as.  They go into fame and friends once again, which are gigantic themes for this album.  But it’s done in a really classy way, and even some of the more rap moments in the second half are really fantastic.  “FABRIC” is even more of a left turn of a finale.  This reminds me of something we would have heard from the third part of the “SATURATION” trilogy.  It’s tough to pinpoint and the instrumental seems to be constantly shifting.  It’s times like this that I totally get what Kevin and the boys meant when they said this album was heavily influenced by Radiohead’s “Kid A”.  This one does sort of throw me off though.  I’m not too wild about the verse, but I’m totally intrigued by the adventurous instrumental and the sung hook.  This is still a wildly personal and adventurous Rap album, but the fact that these guys are growing and show no signs of stopping is amazing.

Rating: 8.5/10

Give A Listen To: “NEW ORLEANS”, “WEIGHT”, “TAPE”, “TONYA"

Least Favorite Track: “BERLIN”

Genre: Alternative Hip Hop / Alternative R&B

Overall Thoughts:  BROCKHAMPTON return after “saturating” the Hip Hop scene with an adventurous, emotional and undoubtedly personal album.  Going into this album, me and I’m sure a lot of others really didn’t know what to expect out of these guys.  And I mean, can you blame them?  They’ve been through a lot in the last 6 months, and as good as the “SATURATION” trilogy was, it was often hard to pinpoint.  But “iridescence” is highly adventurous and well written follow up to the tapes that made them famous.  There are plenty of great bangers, charismatic performances from the whole crew, and teary-eyed ballads that come off better than anyone could have expected.  I think the most exciting thing about this project is, I honestly think BROCKHAMPTON haven’t even peaked yet.  This is such a great album, and I think they’re just going to keep going up from here.  

Guerilla Toss - Twisted Crystal

But with 2017's "GT Ultra", I instantly feel like I connected with Guerilla Toss.  Gone were the winding and hard to place Experimental pieces.  And in its place were vibrant, eclectic Psychedelic Pop jams that I can see fans of Animal Collective being down with.  Now, this album was a little short, and I feel like listening to it just made me want more.  But still, Guerilla Toss were writing Pop songs, good ones at that.  So I really wasn't expecting to hear from Guerilla Toss this quickly.  But alas, they're back, and honestly sounding more animated and vibrant than ever. 

This album starts off with “Magic is Easy”, and the band certainly seem to be determined and focused, and playing with some more immaculate production than ever.  It’s wonky and dense, but it’s also incredibly fun.  Like, in a weird way I feel like these guys have the same sort of “Merry Prankster” vibe that Animal Collective had back in the day.  It’s cosmic, outrageous, and constantly evolving just like Guerrilla Toss.  They’ve come so far from the days of their noisy and abrasive studio trickery.  This is just a cool, Spacey Electro-Funk tune.  On the contrary “Jesus Rabbit” is a little more straightforward, and I have mixed feelings about it honestly.  Instrumentally, by Guerrilla Toss standards this is just so tame.  But Kassie Carlson’s performance is one of my favorite of the bunch.  It’s just so manic and freaky and weird, I just really wish this track’s instrumental really fit the bizarre nature of these lyrics.  However, it’s encouraging to see that Guerrilla Toss is still pushing forward in a Pop direction.   Then we have “Meteorological” which doesn’t waste any time.  This has an upbeat, funky groove and a wildly artsy flair.  Kassie’s performance here isn’t as strange, but it’s wildly fun and energetic.  It’s moments like this where Guerrilla Toss come off like the freakish Pop and Electronic hybrid we need right now.  And the production here is just so lush like there are some incredibly beautiful and wildly colorful instrumentals here.  And hell, I’m almost getting a weird Die Antwoord vibe to this, but in like the best way possible.  Hell, give me more of this. 

Now, you never really know what you’re going to get with Guerrilla Toss.  Like here, they come off so stiff, almost in a Post Punk way.  And that goes, especially for the vocals.  But I don’t know the stiffness of this one is just a turn off to me.  Guerrilla Toss often comes off so carefree and fun, but this one is just a little too much.  The instrumental is wild and noisy, and the production is one of the more abrasive of the bunch.  It’s all over the place.  Like, take “Retreat” for example.  Deep down, there are certainly some Post-Punk vibes believe it or not, especially with just how hectic and tense this one comes off.  But this is just so much more wild and loose.  It’s easily the darkest track here, and I haven’t heard the band go for something this angry in ages.  But man it ends up working really nicely.  It ends up being fun and colorful alongside those things.  Not to mention, this is a serious pumping iron jam, I love how gruff this is.  Gimme some more of this!  Then we have “Come Up With Me”, which is this weird throwback track with tons of 80’s synths that come off so brilliantly.  And over that, we get this legitimate Punk tune.  Like, this is easily the wildest and most off-the-rails tune of the bunch.  And if I had to pick a single sound that I feel like they should really go further with, it’s this one.  It has a sense of innocence to it deep down that I just can’t get enough of, and it comes out wonderfully during the chorus.  It’s just so sweet and likable while remaining spunky and filled with attitude. 

With “Walls of the Universe”, Guerrilla Toss really seem like they’re on a roll.  This one is a sort of throwback Synth-Pop track that has a very 80’s feel to it.  It’s cold and unforgiving, but it’s also wonderfully produced and has tons of glorious little details.  I have to give it to Kassie because she really is branching out and doing a lot of different stuff vocally, and has a ton of different styles she’s going for.  Here, we once again see that Kassie is going for a manic, tense performance. But with the already cold nature of this track, it’s all gravy.  On the other hand, “Jackie’s Daughter” brings back the sort of Cosmic Dance Punk we heard on the last Guerrilla Toss album.  It’s a very groovy, tight jam.  But it’s once again a little too tight for me.  THere’s so much to like here, from the production to the very catchy vocals which may be some of Kassie’s best here.  But instrumentally, this track is just a little safe for my liking.  Guerrilla Toss has such a great sound, but they need to narrow it down just a little.  But “Green Apple” as a finale is the wild, carefree and mind-bending piece of Psych Pop that I needed to hear.  Here, for a few short minutes, Guerrilla Toss have transported me completely to one of the druggiest, most disgusting, drug-fueled parties in the area and it is GREAT.  It’s catchy and fun, but also wonderfully produced and produced well.  It’s catchy and fun, but it’s also wonderfully produced and performed well.  It’s absolutely hard to keep track of, and you may need to take this one step at a time.  But the band sounds fantastic, I just need a longer album and maybe a little more of a cohesive sound. 

Rating: 7.6/10

Give A Listen To: “Magic Is Easy”, “Meteorological”, “Green Apple”, “Come Up With Me” 

 

Least Favorite Track:  “Walls of the Universe” 

Genre: Dance Punk / Art Rock / Experimental Pop

Overall Thoughts:  This album picks up where “GT Ultra” left off, with Guerrilla Toss constantly pushing their sound further with cosmic rhythms and deep experiments into Pop’s darkest crevices.  It’s got wild grooves, singalong choruses and some of Guerrilla Toss’s most colorful palettes yet.  And hell yea, it’s exciting, most of Pop’s biggest acts right now, even in the weird areas, are just not this daring.  This album is still far from perfect, and I still think Guerrilla Toss down the line is going to write something much more cohesive and wild.  But for now, I’ll be damned if this isn’t one of the more colorful Experimental Pop album’s you’ll hear this year. 

Noname - Room 25

Noname is a Chicago based rapper who rose to stardom a few years ago with her debut mixtape "Telefone".  And for the most part, I could understand why.  There was a very retro, 90's flair to this mixtape and Noname's brand of Poetic verses made for some very colorful, charismatic verses.  And yea, I didn't really have any issue with any of it.  But some of the features on this tape were average at best, and I just really wanted to hear Noname go even more charismatic on us.  So!  We're back with Noname's full-length debut, let's chat about it!

So far this year has been very good for classy, dreamy Jazz Rap.  Now, Noname has always sounded very confident and known exactly what her sound should be.  But if that’s how she’s been in the past, “Self” is a ridiculous step up.  This is an album for Noname, this is her coming out party after she was put on the map last year.  I love how Noname spends most of her intro just silencing every last one of her haters.  It’s a fantastic, short intro that just gets you in the mood for listening to the rest of this.   On the other hand, “Blaxpoitation” throws out Jazz Rap or some funky licks.  But Noname here breaks out some of her more upbeat verses here.  They’re a lot to take in, but if you look into some of these lyrics, her word-play is on another level entirely.  Not to mention, there are moments in Noname’s discography where she takes off on some beat Poetry that things go from interesting and introspective to truly flooring.  She’s been talented for years but this is something else entirely.  Then we have “Prayer Song” featuring Adam Ness.  This one brings in these very funky and Spacey beats.  I absolutely love Noname’s practically whispered, intense verses here.  I feel like here, she’s taking everything that was sort of interesting about “telefone” and magnified it by so much.  This also dives into a lot of sexualized topics, which is magnified if you know what Noname has been through the last few years.  This is especially for when she gets into some topics later in the track about what turns people on.  It’s moody, dreary and incredibly memorable.  These aren’t first listen tunes though, they’re tracks that make you notice new details with each listens.  However “Window” featuring Phoelix is the most elegant and dreary tune yet.   You really have to sit back and give the production a mighty nod.  It’s just so lush and well thought out.  Not I personally didn’t think I was going to be into this much more laid back, chilled out track from Noname.  But her performance remains so likable and charismatic.  I love hist how incredibly personal this all is as well, and the sung hook is absolutely heart-melting.  It’s positive and shows Noname looking forward to better days, all while reflecting on her past. 

Noname also goes massively down the Neo Soul route on here, which shouldn’t be too shocking as she’s done plenty of that in the past.  “telefone” may have been her breakout, but this album is leaps and bounds bigger.  Now, I do really gif this tracks little details, like the dreary production and the moody beat, as well as the D’Angelo references.  But I’m not as wowed by Noname’s performance here.  The Neo Soul stylings are great, the backing vocals actually give me chills, but some of the verses are just ok.  I mean if this is the worst thing about this album, this album is still so ahead of the curve.  Now, “Regal” is a very appropriate track title.  This is one hell of an elegant tune, with Noname sounding so much more back in control of her performance.  I love the Jazzy, Beat Poet feel to this that Noname pulls off so well>  For someone so young, she has such a strong vocabulary and such wild ideas.  In a really weird way, lyrically this almost reminds me of some of the early days of Aesop Rock, the way her vocabulary and wordplay is simply stunning.  But everything else about this track is just as flooring, from the whimsical feel to the jazzy beat to the soaring instrumental.  It’s just so fresh, even if this style is far from new, Noname makes it sound it.  Then we get “Montego Bae” featuring Ravyn Lenae which is something we haven’t heard in a while.  And that my friends, is a much more artsy, elaborate and practically wild tune.  Noname’s performance alongside Ravyn is so much more eclectic and never stays put for long.  But in Noname’s world, this comes off as a sharp left turn, a truly wild and intriguing switch up.  Even her lyrics here are sharp as hell, even fiesty at points.  I say, give me more of this.  Oh boy, but man of man does “Ace” featuring Smino & Saba stand out.  Like, in the worst way.  This is a really weird tune.  Like, here I am wondering what Noname would sound like on a more modern beat.  Well here, this is about as close to that as you’re going to get.  And honestly, it’s seriously underwhelming.  She sounds fine and all, even oddly aggressive.  That’s all great.  But Smino and Saba’s performances all around are just as awful and awkward as the rest of their discography.  Yes, even “Care For Me”, it’s garbage I’m sorry.  Even the beat and the production is just so average.  In a very tight album filled with tons of sharp, modern Jazz Rap, this isn’t what I showed up for. 

“Part Of Me” featuring Phoelix and Benjamin Earl Turner, however, is seriously classy and damn soulful.  I love just how steamy and funky this is, Noname and Phoelix have a whole lot of chemistry here.  And I love the acoustic guitar sample, hell I would love to hear more live instrumentation.  Also, just how up front and agitated Noname comes off is fantastic.  These may be lighter Rap tunes, but Noname makes up for that with just how much she has to say.  This is a rap tune with a hell of a message, we need more of this these days.  And hey, we get even more live instrumentation with “With You”.  But this one doesn’t hit me as hard.  This beat is a little off kilter and hard to place.  Which usually would be really exciting.  But here, Noname just comes off hard to take in.  Hell, she practically sounds unfocused.  Her performance is fine, but not alongside the rest of what’s going on here, this is tough to swallow.  But Noname ends this album off on a glorious note with “No Name” featuring Yaw and Adam Ness.   This track gives me the chills.  I love the sort of retro, funky bass licks here that seem to compliment her style so much, as well as the emotional and truly stunning piano bit.  This is one hell of a hopeful tune if you’re into that sort of thing.  Hell, I wouldn’t have even minded if this was a straight up instrumental.  But Noname comes through with yet another stunning performance going into her rap Pseudonym, which is pretty mind-boggling.  It’s beautiful and hopeful for dark times, which is absolutely necessary this year. 

Rating: 8.5/10


Give A Listen To: “Self”, “Prayer Song”, “Window”, “Regal”

Least Favorite Track: “Ace”

Genre: Jazz Rap / Conscious Hip Hop / Neo Soul

Overall Thoughts: Noname may not be reinventing the wheel with her blend of Jazzy beats, elegant production, and Beat Poetry lyricism.  But all around, she’s upgraded her sound and modernized it for this generation and put together a hopeful, positive sound that’s very much needed right now.  The beats are solid, and for the most part, the guests she brings on have some serious chemistry with her.  It’s a personal sound, it’s short and intense, incredibly smart and even more likable. 

Pale Waves - My Mind Makes Noises

Pale Waves is a Manchester England based Indie Pop band that I've certainly been curious about for a while now.  They have ties with the 1975, they've toured with them, people have certainly been talking about them.  And for the most part, I can see why.  Their early 2018 EP "ALL THE THINGS I NEVER SAID" was a fairly solid, Goth-tinged collection of Indie Pop tunes.  The tracks here were pretty damn catchy and had some pretty great production as well.  Personally, though, I do wish they went a little further with their sound.  They had a Goth image and undertones, I wanted to hear them completely embrace it.  So Pale Waves have returned with their highly anticipated full-length debut.  And these singles have seemed to be business as usual so far.  So let's talk about it, my friends.

This album starts out with “Eighteen”, and as to be expected it’s a very mechanical and chilly intro.   But lead singer Heather Baron-Gracie picks things up nicely with a slew of legitimate Pop hooks.  Like, this is barely even Indie-Pop or Synth- Pop, this is straight up Pop.  But it’s genially catchy and youthful, and despite their image, I can’t shake just how hopeful this track is at times.   It’s got big Synths, a strong dance groove, and that same nocturnal feel that they’re known for.  It’s obviously not going to be for everyone, but holy hot damn is it catchy and memorable.  Now, another thing that may just get on some peoples nerves is just how sparkling and pristine this is.  Much like their buddies the 1975 this is just so flashy at the end of the day.  “There’s A Honey" on the other hand is much steamier and much more dangerous sounding, and honestly I actually sort of really like that.  There’s also a massive amount of retro appeal to this, some of these synths are serious throwback material.  This may be the lowest of the low for Indie Pop, but in moments like this, it’s scratching all the right itches.  Now right off the bat “Noises” is much slower.  But honestly, I’m not feeling Heather’s vocals here nearly as much.  Like, she sounded like a damn star on some of the early tracks.  But thankfully, some of the retro synths and the nocturnal grooves give this one plenty of teeth.  But I just can’t get over how iffy her performance is, outside of this gigantic hook that is.  But I can’t help but stress, if you’re into retro Pop with a strong synth edge, you gotta check this out.  But I have to say, I can’t deal with just ridiculously cheesy some of these lyrics are.  But if you can stomach their buddies The 1975, you’re going to be just fine diving headfirst into this.  Because at the end of the day, these guys do know how to write a catchy tune.  You just have to turn off your mind a little bit, because these lyrics at times are awful.  On the other hand, “Loveless Girl” is much more modern with very sleek production and some well placed autotune vocals.  And man, I have to give these guys credit because this hook is ridiculous.  But the very cringe-worthy and ridiculously cheesy lyrics continue.  Like a lot of their contemporaries, Pale Waves focus completely on young love and heartache, which is fine.  They do pull it off nicely too, as ridiculous as some of these bars are.  Like, if Pale Waves was around for the Emo boom of the early 2000’s, they would have been gigantic.

On the other hand, “Drive” may be the most upfront track here, with this absolutely ginormous beat and an incredibly heavy synth sound.  But here, it’s so much more massive and Heather sounds at her most confident and up-front.  And yea, their lyrical palette is running a little dry, I do feel like I’ve heard all of these lyrics somewhere else here.   But man, this one has so much punch to it that I can’t say no to it.  And it’s in moments like this that the band’s pristine production really ends up coming off so much more likable.  But when it comes to tracks like “When Did I Lose It All”, I feel like I’m quickly running out of nice things to say.  A ballad is one thing, but this track is just so cheesy.  This has been an album of fairly tasteful throwbacks.  And sure, this track still has yet another very catchy chorus.  But there’s just way too much of this that I just can’t help but cringe at. I just feel like this is every complaint I’ve had here wrapped up in a few short minutes.  With “She” we get another very slow, overly emotional track that I’m just not as into.  But this one doesn’t even have that big beat and catchy chorus.  Honestly, the throwback synths are still great.  But to be honest, this is just so whiny.  There has been plenty of truly cringe-worthy lyrics here, but when Pale Waves are at their most confident they can pull it off.  But here, they sound like children.  I do dig the guitar solo, however, and really wish we got some bigger and more charismatic moments like this.  “One More Time” at the very least gets a little more upbeat and carefree.  But with this track, I’m starting to look for my white flag to surrender.  Instrumentally this one works wonderfully, and I would still rather listen to this than like, the new CHRVCHES album.  But I’ll be damned if these same “Woe Is Me” tracks about young love getting older by the minute.  But Pale Waves do keep rolling me back in with tons of shimmering, cleanly produced Synth Pop anthems.  “Television ROmance” is a really fantastic comeback of sorts.  This one is a little different compared to some of the more dreary tunes that were getting old.  This is still catchy and oddly enough does come off a bit hopeful.  Not only that, but we get a solid guitar riff, soaring synths, and Heather is back to her more confident performances. 

But while there’s been plenty of very tasteful throwbacks here, “Red” is the furthest thing from tasteful.  I feel like this driving riff has been done seemingly countless times.  And this is easily one of Heather’s most timid performances of the album.  But fuck, how do Pale Waves continue to reel me back in with these big beefy beats that are just so catchy and have me grooving so hard.  But everything else here is just so average, painfully average.  There’s no reason this could be a decent Synth-Pop album, so many of these tracks have so much potential.  On the other hand, “Kiss” sounds like a straight-up Cure cover.  And at this point, I'll take it, man.  I love the playful, light synths that are flying through this track and just how joyous and carefree it all comes off.  It actually really adds to how genuinely catchy this album gets at times.  But man, they do really need to start branching out lyrically, big time.  But with tracks like “Black”, all of that potential comes blaring out all at once.  This is easily one of the most confident tracks here, and Pale Waves sound like an entirely new band.  There’s just so much buildup to this absolutely gigantic, triumphant chorus and I love it.  And while this one is just as heartbroken and sort of whiny at times.  And it’s just so simple like it even sounds like the band has been holding out on us.  It’s almost frustrating how good this is.  Now, this album ends off with “Karl”, and this one is rough.  This track has so much potential.  Pale Waves here show more emotion and genuine heart than they have this entire album.  But I feel like this could have been this big, epic, emotional sendoff.  But instrumental this is just so bland.  Like I said, they took a risk here, and it comes off so emotional and raw, which is great.   But this acoustic approach was not the way to go.

Rating: 7.1/10

Give a Listen To: “Eighteen”, “Came In Close”, “Black”, “Television Romance”

Least Favorite Track: “She”

Genre: Synth Pop / Indie Pop / Goth-Pop

Overall Thoughts:  Oh my.  The potential is so real. You know, this drives me nuts.  When Pale Waves are on, they’re outdoing their contemporaries.  Hell, in a lot of ways, I would rather listen to some of the singles here than the ones their buddies The 1975 have been dropping.  But as this album unfolds it quickly becomes so obvious that Pale Waves lyrical arsenal is laughably thin.  And more often than not, they just end up coming off like imitators.  There are countless catchy choruses and throwback synths, and some of the better Indie Pop tunes of the year.  But Pale Waves still have a ways to go. 

The Chills - Snowbound

The Chills are a legendary New Zealand Jangle Pop and Indie Rock band who have been at it now since the late 1980's.  While they had some early releases like "Brave Worlds", I really got into their stuff with 1990's "Submarine Bells".  This was a very upbeat, light, airy but often dark underneath album filled with Pop Hooks and incredible attention to detail.  Tracks like "Heavenly Pop Hit", "I Soar", and "Familiarity Breeds Contempt" summed up the early Indie Pop sound so much.  Hell, I even loved some of the Celtic and World Music influences that popped up here.  If you're new to The Chills, consider this your place to start.  The Chills returned in 1992 with their "Soft Bomb" album, which is a totally fine follow up album.  It may not be as immediate as it's predecessor.  But it showed that the band could write timeless tracks effortlessly, like "The Male Monster From The Id" and "Ocean Ocean".  After that, I sort of lost touch with The Chills for a while.  I never got around to listening to "Sunburnt", or any of the solo projects that came out of The Chills.  But I did check out their last album, 2015's "Silver Bullets'.  Which honestly, really isn't that bad of an album.  The Chills in general sound a whole lot older and less Jangly, but it's still decent.  Well, The Chills are back for their first album in a few years, not sounding too terrible.

This album starts off with “Bad Sugar”, and I actually really love just how shimmering this track is as an intro.  It’s obviously got some very modern, pristine production.  However, I do have to say I feel like I actually haven’t heard The Chills with this much of a spring in their step in ages.  I’m glad to hear it though, it makes me happy.  Obviously, it’s not as energetic as some of their early material.  But man, this is a very sweet Power Pop tune, which I haven’t heard enough of this year.   So yea, these vocals aren't as flattering as they once were, but this is still a great intro.  “Time to Atone” isn’t as energetic, and it comes off a little bluesy with these worn out guitars.  But in situations like this, this sadly isn’t as flattering.  The Chills aren’t the charming band they once were, and aren’t nearly as youthful. But in times like this, they come off like they’ve aged so much more.  However, I’ll be damned if they don’t at the very least come through with a genuinely fantastic chorus which saves this one.  This also does have a playfulness to it that I just can’t deny.  But so much of this one just doesn’t sound like The Chills.  Then we have “The Greatest Guide”, which is a sort of throwback Alternative Rock sound that sounds like it would have done nicely in the early 90’s.  But honestly, it comes off really tasteful.  We’re still in the realm of this very pristine production.  But the sort of spiritual, storytelling aspects of this one actually adds a ton.  This one has this fantastic wintery vibe to it as well.  It’s really fantastic and sweet, and I just can’t help but get all swept up in this.  It’s a lovely, catchy Jangle Pop tune.  “Scarred” is yet another serious throwback to the early days of The Chills.  It dives deep in the Jangle Pop and Power Pop direction.  And for the most part, it’s a solid tune.  It has a great, carefree vibe to this one, as well as the vocal performances we get from Martin Philipps which may be some of his best here.  But, there are also some really cheesy synths that I just feel like don’t come off too well.  And I do like the lyrics here, but there are so much more memorable ones on the rest of this album.  But still, “Scarred” is once again undeniably catchy. 

On the other hand, “Complex” is one of the most modern tracks here, with these very soaring synths as well as some of the most intense instrumentals of the bunch.  Now, let’s start off with the good.  This album by this point does need to speed up a little and we were overdue for an upbeat track, which this is.  And as far as a wakeup call goes, this certainly does wonders for the band.  But if anyone is going to tell me this is a Chills track, I’m just not buying it.  It’s just so flashy, and not what I’ve come to love from The Chills.  And there are elements I do really love, like that very wild and intense breakdown which seems directly from their early years.  I just wish the rest of this track wasn’t a complete selling out.  The production on this album by this point is catching up to me, and fast.  At first, I really didn’t think it was anything to bitch about.  But it really does take a lot of tracks that would have been totally fine and takes them down a notch.  Like, I really love the very classy, elegant style of “Deep Belief”.  The instrumentals are actually an interesting change of pace, form the more Jazzy styles to the more Jangly ones.  But the production here is just so pristine that it comes off as practically fake.  I do really dig a lot about this tune, but I wish I could have dug it even more.  Now, “Lord Of All I Survey”, may just be my favorite track of the bunch.  It still sounds very polished from a production stance, but at the very least this one seems to have some teeth to it.  It’s got some big guitars, and lyrically this really does seem to be the closest thing to the classic Chills sound.  It’s also just so big and epic and has a sense of elegance to it once again.  It’s a refined tune, but one that’s so positive and hard not to get swept up in completely.  And vocally, here Martin doesn’t sound like he’s missed a step.  But with tracks like “Snow Bound”, I get the feeling that The Chills motives have gotten so muddled.  It’s a sweet track with plenty of Jangle-Pop elements, and the synths here are some of the more immediate and catchy of the bunch.  But the production here is soooooo incredibly clean that we’re once again going for a much more modern sound.  And while the original Chills sound IS in there, you have to do a whole lot of digging.  The vocals are fine, the lyrics are solid, but it all has this very glossy sound to it that’s just not for me. 

On the other hand, “Easy Peazy” I feel like I have all the opposite problems with.  Here, I actually really dig the very elegant instrumental.  But overall, I feel like this was thrown together in 5 minutes.  Some of the instrumentals are beautiful and excite the hell out of me.  But lyrically, I feel like this is amateur hour.  Literally every other track here, even in moments where I haven’t been into certain aspects I’ve been able to latch on too some lyrics.  But here, this track just isn’t good.  Now, earlier The Chills went for a more upbeat track and I was indifferent.  And while I’m still not into some of the lyrics on “In Harmony”, this is a much more intriguing and likable upbeat tune all around.  It’s swirling, upbeat, and has some great Pop elements while sticking to what the band knows.  Not to mention, once again, that sort of breakdown we get is absolutely furious, and The Chills do seem to play to that World Music influence side fo theirs that I’ve always loved.  This is decent. 

Rating: 7.2/10

Give A Listen To: “Bad Sugar”, “The Greatest Guide”, “Deep Belief”, “Lord of All I Survey”

Least Favorite Track: “Easy Peazy”

Genre: Jangle Pop / Power Pop / Indie Pop

Overall Thoughts:  This is probably the best sound we’re going to get from The Chills in 2018.  This album isn’t terrible, and it has some of the better track from The Chills in years.  But there’s still a lot of very suspect elements to this, and it always seems to be one thing or another.  There will be totally compelling tracks lyrically and vocally which are muddled by clean production and upbeat and exciting tracks that are brought down a peg by poor songwriting.  It’s messy at times, and it’s not even close to perfect.  But the legendary sound of The Chills does show up from time to time, and when it does, it’s good.