Zola Jesus - "Okovi"

Now, being someone who enjoys a whole lot of dark and gloomy music, when Zola Jesus signed with Sacred Bones records back in 2009 I was expecting great things.  Now, her debut album, I wasn't too wild about.  A lot of the time the song structures I felt were just a little too loose, and I didn't think some of the heavier moments were pushed hard enough.  However, there were brilliant moments for sure, and one thing Zola did have down was her atmosphere.  I mean, this thing was seriously twisted in its atmosphere, and that alone made it an interesting listen.  However, Zola started really picking her game up with 2010's "Stridulum" EP.  This EP was so much cleaner and bigger in sound.  Zola's much cleaner vocals here lead to some seriously stunning moments as well.  And most importantly, she started to really carve out her signature sound in a very darkly tinged Synth Pop.  Zola sadly let me down a little with her next album, 2011's "Conatus".  This album sonically had a lot of the same elements that her previous works had.  But The songwriting and structure were often all over the place.  The Synth Pop elements Zola brought in were solid and all, but overall this album didn't suck me in like I thought it would.  Zola started to then go into some stranger territory.  On 2013's "Versions", I loved how she came out into the spotlight more for some more stunning vocal passages.  But I dunno, I just felt like some of these instrumentals were incredibly boring.  And boy oh boy, my thoughts on 2014's "Taiga" are even harsher.  This album showed Zola going even more headfirst into the Synth Pop genre, which once again is fine.   But she continued to sell herself so short.  Zola's vocals were just so huge, in the right atmosphere I felt like she could easily release something completely legendary.  But oh my LORD, these new singles are literally exactly what I've been dying to hear from Zola.  Literally, she's singing with more passion than I've ever heard, and most importantly she's incorporating so much more of an intense atmosphere.  I don't want to waste another minute, let's talk about this!
This album starts off with “Doma”, and this is exactly the intro I wanted to hear from Zola.  I’ve always wanted her to focus 100% on atmosphere, which she certainly does here, and what a haunting atmosphere this is.  I love how Zola is practically chanting among this very chamber-like atmosphere,  and it’s just so effective at getting under your skin.  I mean clearly, there really isn't that much to truly take in with this, but as an intro, it’s absolutely what I wanted to hear.  Not to mention that repeated line of “Take Me Home” is just so powerful.  Then we have “Exhumed” which seriously wakes you up very quickly.  The strings that dominate this track are just so sharp, the almost industrial percussion in the back is so calculating, and I can’t remember the last time Zola sounded so comfortable.  Her voice here sounds absolutely ridiculous.  The sheer intensity of this one as a whole, however, is really what drives it home.  This is the sort of claustrophobic atmosphere I’ve wanted to hear Zola dive into years ago.  But my friends, it’s truly worth the wait.  Leading up to this album, I just really wanted more than anything for Zola to take her sound and go all out with it.  And that’s exactly what “Exhumed” is.  There are plenty of DarkWave elements, and some Industrial Metal as well.  Call it whatever you want, Zola sounds in control of all of it.  Then we have tracks like “Soak” which come off more patient, which is just fine by me.  Zola’s music has gotten so much bigger recently that she does have more room to breathe.  As far as her vocals go, I continue to be completely blown away by just how overpowering Zola sounds.  Like, she was so shy on some of her early recordings.  But on “Soak” she sounds like a real star.  Not to mention, I love how dark this all is.  And yes, I’m aware that you can say that about any old Zola Jesus track.  But the material on “Okovi” is next level darkness (I swear, I was so tempted to drop an “ADVANCED DARKNESS” SpongeBob reference).  Seriously though, the upped production values and the gigantic atmosphere here makes “Soak” seriously twisted.  Not to mention, that album cover is just so perfect for this material, because I barely feel like I can breathe half the time.  And some of those high notes that Zola topples over here?  Girl, you sound RIDICULOUS. This track is absolutely stunning.   “Ash To Bone” on the other hand caught me a little off guard, sounding so much more like a classic Pop ballad with some Zola Jesus twists.  I do like the seriously somber tone to this, that one cello note constantly being played is just so powerful.  Not to mention, Zola’s performance is commendable as far as lyrics and vocals go.  Also, any fan of Chelsea Wolfe’s “Abyss” will get on board with this track immediately.  But the lack of that killer atmosphere turns me off to this one sadly, making “Ash To Bone” just alright.

    On the other hand, “Witness” is soft and shows a much more tender sign of Zola once again.  But in this instance, it actually comes off seriously breathtaking, and hearing Zola in this very bare atmosphere with just her booming vocals dominating is stunning.  The strings that populate most of the background end up making this one a serious tear jerker.  Now I’ll admit this one doesn’t have the same lasting power as earlier tracks.  But it’s refreshing to hear Zola in this much more heart felt performance mode.  Not to mention, it just really nails home the fact that this is easily Zola’s most personal album to date.  As this album goes on, it’s evident that Zola is certainly making up for lost time with ballads.  The only reason that doesn’t get stale however, is because she keeps switching up these instrumentals just enough.  “Siphon” has a very dreary synth pop sound to it.  The atmosphere is just as crushing, and every single second of the verses lead up to this gigantic anthemic chorus.  At the end of the day, Zola Jesus is mastering the art of Arena Pop for Goth’s, which is certainly a tough job.  But let’s be honest, she’s doing one hell of a job, because he hooks on this album are just so memorable.  Not to mention, I love how gigantic and explosive these industrial sized synths and drums are.  It’s pretty damn epic to say the least.  However, “Veka” quickly throws us right back into the pits of hell pretty harshly.  This is easily the darkest thing we’ve heard in quite a while on here, but it ends up working so well.  I love the twisted sound effects and that heavily synthetic beat.  It’s just such a driving beat, and those icy synths and her monotonous howl over everything is just so powerful.  There really haven’t been too many long tracks on here.  But hearing “Veka”, I sort of wish there were more long ones.  Hearing her really getting into this very abstract atmosphere is just so hypnotizing.  This track is easily the darkest Synth Pop tune I’ve heard in ages, but it ends up sticking with you so much.  Zola’s performance is hypnotizing, but it has a strong enough dance groove to really hit home.  But don’t get to comfortable on the Goth dance floor, because “Wiseblood” once again takes things down a sort of Ballad road for Zola.  And to be honest, I’m really not even pissed to hear it, she’s certainly proved that she can take this sound and put it to the next level. And while I sort of wish that this one had more instrumentals to fill in some of this atmosphere, I think Zola’s performance is more than capable of making this track listenable.  I mean, her very haunting vocals and that steady synth beat in the background are just so hypnotic.  Not to mention, Zola continues to seriously write unbelievably memorable, Arena sized pop hooks.  I do wish that “Wiseblood” make had maybe a little more oomph in these instrumentals, kinda like what we get in that last minute.  But still, I’m totally happy with the way this track and this whole album has come out.

    Now I’m not going to lie, “NMO” doesn’t really do much for me.  I mean, it’s only a minute long, but if Zola wanted to do something truly memorable she easily could have presented a claustrophobic interlude for the ages.   If she made “NMO” more intense, this could have been absolutely dread inducing.  But it just ends up being a minute of filler that sort of messes up the flow.  On the other hand, Zola bounces back strong with “Remains”.  Just from this intro, you can sort of guess that we’re getting another ballad.  But then out of nowhere, this beat drops, and “Remains” quickly becomes the most upbeat track here by far.  All of a sudden we have Zola breaking into territory that she’s never touched, and it’s GOOD.  To be honest, I really feel like this is what she was going for with her “Taiga” album.  But this overall is just so much more interesting, intense and thought provoking.  Not to mention, this very upbeat instrumental keeps things seriously intense and raw.  Zola ends this album off with “Half Life”, which is the sort of stunning ending that honestly I really wanted to hear Zola touch down on.  These strings here are just so stunning, and Zola’s haunting melodies floating in the background truly make this a chilling track.  But it’s what I expect to hear at the end of an album like this, from a label like Sacred Bones.  But the synth beat and that great industrial beat really rounds this one off well, and give this a real Zola Jesus finale feel.  This track and this album are brilliant, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Zola.

Rating: 8.5/10

Give A Listen To: “Exhumed”, “Soak”, “Siphon”, “Veka”

Genre: Gothic Pop / DarkWave / Synth Pop / Industrial

If You Dig This, Check Out:  Zola Jesus - “Conatus”, Chelsea Wolfe - “Abyss”, Marissa Nadler - “Strangers”

Overall Thoughts:  In every single way, this is the album that I wanted to hear from Zola Jesus.  For years, I've been dying for Zola to branch out, get more in depth with her atmosphere's, and really let loose.  That's what we get here.  There are booming industrial blasts, gigantic strings, and Zola sounds absolutely incredible.  Not to mention, this is easily one of the most personal albums Zola has even touched.  If you're into dark music and love big choruses and gigantic performances, this is a must listen.

Mount Kimbie - "Love What Survives"

Since they debuted in 2010, I've really wanted to love Mount Kimbie.  But I dunno man, their 2010 debut really didn't do anything for me.  "Crooks & Lovers" as a whole wasn't horrible, but there were just so many more interesting electronic artists in the world when it was released that it really didn't affect me at all.  However, I did like the duo's very futuristic sound, and tracks like "Rub" and "Carbonated" were actually really good.  Their 2013 album "Cold Spring Fault Less Youth" however I did find to be an improvement.  Mount Kimbie here focused so much more on atmosphere and bringing in a much more intense and intoxicating sound.  The result brought in so many more interesting moments like "Slow" and "Mete Pale, Tone".  This album also showed Mount Kimbie getting more and more comfortable with vocal guests, featuring King Krule on numerous tracks here which all seemed to go over pretty well.  So it's been a few years since we've heard from Mount Kimbie.  And at first I wasn't really that excited for this new album, but I saw the tracklist and some of its features and really couldn't help myself.  Let's talk about this new Mount Kimbie album.

This album starts off with “Four Years and One Day”, and right off the bat I love the mystery and intrigue to this one.  I was expecting to be thrown right into the flames with this album or at the very least some banging alternative dance club.  But some of these tones on this intro, and more importantly the atmosphere is simply to die for.  The production is just so huge, and the way Mount Kimbie slowly incorporate that beat is truly wonderful.  It becomes the sort of driving beat that I would usually expect to hear from them, but the way it’s introduced is stunning.  I love the more experimental vibe to this as well.  Overall, “Four Years and One Day” is so different than what I'm used to hearing from Mount Kimbie.  It’s hip and groovy but it also has a great outsider vibe to it.  Not to mention the bass groove is ridiculous.  I have nothing bad to say about this opener at all.  Up next though, Mount Kimbie throw us for a loop with “Blue Train Lines” featuring King Krule.  This track is completely the opposite from this album’s intro, being much more hectic and upbeat, almost having a sort of Electro-Punk feel.  in every way, this was a track I wasn’t expecting to hear.  However, it’s fantastic.  They’ve worked with King Krule plenty of times in the past, and it’s always worked wonderfully.  However, in this much more upbeat and aggressive environment, everything comes off fresh.  Now, I’m not too familiar with King Krule’s solo material, but I’ve never heard him in this much of a harsh environment and I can’t get enough of it.  King Krule’s vocals just sound so tortured.  Mount Kimbie overall do a really good job of taking a back seat on this one and letting King Krule do his thing.  But when they’re more bass heavy material pops in later it’s certainly worth the wait.  Honestly, this is easily some of the hippest and coolest electronic stuff I’ve heard all year. Then we have “Audition”, which as a whole is much more straightforward for Mount Kimbie.  The atmosphere is icy and the bass grooves are smooth.  But to be honest this one really doesn’t grab me too much.  As a matter of fact, this one just comes off bland.  So far, Mount Kimbie have really been pushing their boundaries with more experimental tunes and sounds they haven’t worked with yet.  But “Audition” sort of comes off as one of the lesser tracks from one of their first two albums.  It’s not adventurous or anything.  And while yes, the production is fine and some of the passages come off nicely, this doesn’t have the edge I was looking for.  However, the sort of tropical and off kilter vibe of “Marilyn” featuring Micachu brings me right back in.  I’m not exactly familiar with Micachu or his vocals, but his performance goes really nicely with the heavy atmosphere of this track.  It’s not the most exciting and mind blowing track here.  But it’s smooth and beautiful.  Not to mention, the off kilter and strange production tracks give this one just enough of an edge to set this apart from every other underground DJ. 

    This album rolls on with “SP12 Beat”, and I continue to really love the sort of off kilter Tropical vibe to this.  it’s so heavy in parts that I feel like Glass Animals fans would honestly really dig a lot of what’s going on here.  Like, there are some serious grooves here.  “SP12” just has so many layers and continues to be so much more engaging than the material that Mount Kimbie have given us in the past.  Not to mention, that beat switch is done just so well.  I would have been fine with this track sticking with these low down Jungle grooves.  But it ends up transforming completely to an almost New Wave beat.  To be honest, I wish this track was a whole lot longer.  Then we have “You Look Certain (I’m Not So Sure” featuring Andrew Balency.  Now, I’m gonna be brutally honest.  Of all of the vocal features here, I’m feeling this one the least.  All of the vocalists so far have seemed to blend into Mount Kimbie’s very soothing and hip production.  However, Andrea’s sort of cold and lifeless vocals really sort of do nothing for me.  Hell, they barely sound like they were recorded live, and half the time they end up sounding like they were sampled.  As far as the instrumental goes, I have nothing bad to say.  To be honest, instrumentally there’s a lot to love here, and I dig a lot of the live instrumentation.  Honestly, this track may have been better as an instrumental.  On the other hand, the light and delicate sound of “Poison” is actually very refreshing.  Mount Kimbie here go for a sort of Lounge sound, and it’s something that they can pull off nicely.  It’s just so simple, but it’s just so emotional and vast sounding that it ends up working really nicely as an interlude.  “Poison” also brings in a very human aspect to this album that has been missing to an extent.  Then we have the track that I was easily most interested to hear, “We Go Home Together” featuring James Blake.  This one has a lumbering and off kilter beat that just sounds so warmed and left field.  However, it’s brought right back down to earth heavily by James Blake, who has one of my favorite voices in the world.  His performance takes a very bizarre and twisted electronic track that was already hip and makes it even more hip and interesting. I love James’s very sultry, delicate chorus.  Easily, this is a standout for me.  Some of Mount Kimbie’s more campy and strange production in the background as James tells this story of seduction just works so well for me.  And while it’s honestly not what I would expect from either one of these artists, man does it ever work well.  

    As this album begins its descent, we have “Delta”, which takes us back to the sort of material that Mount Kimbie started this album with.  It’s been actually quite a while since we’ve heard them on a track by themselves completely.  But it honestly comes off really well for the duo.  The atmosphere on this track is so surreal and bizarre and stays strong behind this driving 8-Bit sounding game that pushes its way in.  It ends up being this really intense and stunning moment for Mount Kimbie, and honestly, it’s exactly where I want to hear them.  A few years ago, I seriously felt like Mount Kimbie sounded like every other electronic duo.  But when I hear tracks like “Delta”, I can easily tell it’s them.  This track is progressive and experimental, but also has plenty of great danceable grooves and beats.  Then we have “T.A.M.E.D.”, which is easily the most bizarre track on here.  These backing vocals here are the stuff the likes that Arca would mess around with.  But overall, this one doesn’t really end up going anywhere.  I feel like this hazy, lazy synth beat really doesn’t do anything for Mount Kimbie.  It’s just too spacey for my liking.  Also, why the hell does it totally sound like Damon Albarn singing on that first verse?  “T.A.M.E.D.” overall really doesn’t add to the atmosphere of anything, and certainly doesn't set them aside as an interesting force in electronic music.   Thankfully, “How We Got By” brings back a lot of the elements that I’ve been missing for the finale.  This one once again features James Blake, and he brings along that off kilter Jungle Vibe as well as a haunting atmosphere.  But that really doesn’t stick around too long, because this one quickly shifts in the sort of Post-Dubstep direction of James Blake’s solo stuff. I do love how this track is much more inviting to his style of music, I mean he’s seriously belting his verse out.  But strangely, this really doesn’t come off as much of a Mount Kimbie track.  That being said, it ends up being a seriously hip and ridiculously cool ending.  Also, it has that sort of lounge vibe again, which I honestly wouldn’t hearing more of in the future.

Rating: 8.0/10

Give a Listen To: “Four Years and One Day”, “Blue Train Lines”,  “We Go Home Together”, “Delta”

Genre: Electronic / Future Garage / UK Bass / Post-Dubstep

If You Dig This, Check Out:  Mount Kimbie - “Cold Spring Fault Less Youth”, James Blake - “James Blake”, Jamie XX - “In Colour”

Overall Thoughts:  This album actually really took me by surprise.  I was alwasys just so underwhelmed with everything Mount Kimbie did, even though I saw plenty of potential.  However, this is sleek and hip Electronic album that I really wanted to hear this year.  I don't think there's anything too mindboggling about this, but Mount Kimbie really works well with this sound.  Plus, the vocal guests that they brought in here are actually really fantastic.  

The National - Sleep Well Beast

Confession time!  Up until a few weeks ago, I've never actually listened to The National.  I know who they are.  I've heard of their albums, and I know what they've done.  But I've just never gotten around to listening to them.  Listening to their 2001 debut album "The National" however, I almost stopped right there.  This album was nothing to write home about at all.  It reminded me of Wilco's early 90's debut "A.M.", but not nearly as interesting or well performed.  There were elements of Indie Rock and Alternative Rock, but overall this album was just sloppy.  On the other hand, I was shocked to find out how much I really enjoyed 2003's "Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers".  I loved the much moodier performances on here, even though I totally understand what people wouldn't possibly enjoy about the vocals.  But overall, the Alternative-Country influence was smooth, and some of the more Upbeat tracks like "Available" stole the show entirely.  The National grew their sound to even bigger levels with 2005's "Alligator".  Now, if you weren't into the sort of dreary and somber sounding tunes The National were taking on up until this point, you probably won't like this album either.  And there are certain moments I don't dig on here either, like "Looking For Astronauts" and "Val Jester".  But the second half of this album as well as some of the early tracks were some of the finest The National had recorded yet.  Then, of course, The National released "Boxer", which is an album going into it that I was expecting to be underwhelmed with.  To be honest, though, I was floored by the clashing styles and unbelievable songwriting.  So far, I really didn't have anything too bad to say about The National.  Up next, however, The National started to lose me a little with 2010's "High Violet".  This album was just so different from what the band had been dishing out.  The songs were so much slower and more emotional.   Which to be honest, lead to some really amazing and epic performances like "Conversation 16" and "Afraid of Everyone".  But a huge chunk of the rest of the album was just so slow and boring.  Tracks like "Runaway" and "Little Faith" while they were filled with emotion, took way too long to get where they were going.  2013's "Trouble Will Find Me" was, even more, head scratching for me.  By this point, I was sort of used to The National's moody and gloomy performances.  But like, the majority of this album, outside of a few tracks like "Sea Of Love" was simply boring.  So to be honest, I wasn't really expecting that much from this new National album.  However, the teaser tracks leading up to this have so far been VERY interesting.  Not only that, they show the band keeping their gloomy and melancholy vibe, but bringing in some very stunning and lavish instrumentals like they've done in the past.  So let's talk about this album.

(A personal favorite of mine from The National)

This album starts off with “Nobody Else Will Be There”, and it’s certainly a very slow and somber start, but that can go for just about any National album.  Vocalist Matt Berninger however, sounds more emotional than he has in the last album or so.  It’s just how withered he sounds, to be honest, and just how exhausted he comes off.  But man, is it ever effective.  This seemingly barren atmosphere is just so haunting.  Some of the backing vocals really add to that as well.  But then some of these instrumentals start slowly pouring in.  The strings are stunning, those light drums come off more as gunshots in the distance, and that low piano always just seems slightly out of reach.  Honestly, it’s really powerful.  This isn’t instantly going to be gratifying or anything close, but “Nobody Else Will Be There” is powerful.  Not to mention, the sheer emptiness of this track is staggering, just like the house Matt is describing throughout.   Then we have “Day I Die”, which is a sort of Post Punk, upbeat Indie Jame, the likes of which I really haven’t heard from The national lately.  The drums are intense, the guitars are anthemic, and Matt’s very surreal lyrical performance is just done so well.  There’s a sort of Heartland feel to this, but it’s a vibe that The National have certainly tackled well in the past.  It remains very somber through it all though, but there’s just enough oomph to this one to really stick with you.  So hell yeah, this is a sound I’m always into hearing from The National.  Not to mention, I can’t remember the last time I felt like their sound came off so big that it could fill up a room.  Up next we have another slow burner, “Walk It Back”.  It’s funny when Matt really does his vocal style right, he sounds like he’s whispering in your ear.  I love the punchy lyrics here among this seeming delicate environment.  But it creates a seriously interesting atmosphere, with light and beautiful melodies that are seemingly always floating out of reach of these gloomy passages.  But it’s just the sort of uneasy pacing on this one that really makes this stand out, as well as some of the really bizarre vocal effects that pop in about halfway through.  In a weird way, the vocals remind me of some of the bizarre and chilling effects used on Radiohead’s “Kid A”.  “Walk It Back” is a slow burner, but I can’t remember the last time I was this compelled by a National track.  Then we have “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness’, which brings in these very dreary and dreamy backing vocals.  But I love the very surreal atmosphere that they usher in.  Not to mention, I feel like the Nationals instrumentals sound just so determined, which is something I haven’t heard in years.  I love how subtle some of these details are, like those quirky small horns on the chorus as well as those strangely anthemic guitars are on the chorus.  We get a lot of elements in this track that just don’t seem like the National have touched in years, like that skillful guitar solo and these ridiculously passionate vocals on the chorus.  I feel like this track sticks out wonderfully, and also ends up using build up wonderfully.  “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness” is a hell of a tune.  

    Sadly though this album isn’t all gems.  The minute I hear “Born To Beg” I’m instantly getting some really awful flashbacks.  This literally sounds like the drab, boring performance that kept me from really enjoying The National for the last few years.  The pacing on this one is just so damn slow and uninteresting, and Matt’s performance is just so middle of the road.  I feel like they just took the biggest step back possible.  I do like some of the little details, like the continued chilly atmosphere which in a weird way sort of still reminds me of “Kid A” era Radiohead.  But overall this track is just so disappointing.  Thankfully The National bounce back with “Turtleneck”, which is the sort of raucous and unhinged track that I really needed to hear from The National.  Here, we have so many bluesy and wild sounding vocals.  Even lyrically, this comes off so rebellious.  I can’t even remember the last time I heard this sort of performance from The National, if I ever even have.  “Turtleneck” is just so youthful and wild, with just enough of a political edge that I really don't mind too much.  But at the same time, this really isn’t that far of a stretch for National fans.  The solo’s are explosive, the drums are intense, and it all sounds massive.  “Empire Line” is next, and once again I really can’t seem to shake this sort of “Kid A” vibe I’ve been getting from these very vast atmospheres.  But let me be clear, this isn’t nearly as interesting as or as life changing as “Kid A”, so don’t you worry.  This track is the complete antithesis of the last track.  The vocal performance on this one is just so patient and smooth.  But it’s tracks like this that have never really stuck with me too much from The National.  My issue with this, and other tracks similar to this, is that they seem to be attempting to build to some sort of slow burner.  And that’s totally a fine idea, but honestly, it never really ends up going anywhere.  “Empire Line” doesn’t lead to anything, and the only thing I can really look forward to is another sort of drab and gloomy verse.  It’s moments like this that have always confused me about The National.  Then we have “I’ll Still Destroy You”, and it’s really hard to hear a track like this and not continue to point out the sounds of “Kid A”.  That lumbering bass and distant eerie electronic beat with Matt’s very chilling performance over it all actually makes for quite the atmosphere.  “I’ll Still Destroy You” is very synthetic and chilly, but I’m still entranced by just how beautiful some of this track is.  The instrumentals here are just so vast and stunning.  And as far as a more artsy and left field track goes, this is easily one of the better tracks I’ve heard from The National in years.  It’s relaxing and hypnotic, but the upbeat and eclectic vibes of all of the instrumentals keep you awake and interested.  It’s a wonderful tune, and I really love Matt’s performance here once again.  As far as his more gloomy performances go, this is certainly a high point.  

    The National’s venture into darkly tinged electronic music continues on full blast with this.  These rhythms continue to be so off kilter and bizarre for The National.  And while it’s something I wasn’t expecting to hear, it’s great.  Not to mention, Matt just sounds so much more vulnerable within this atmosphere.  It’s also something about the pacing on “Guilty Party” that blows my mind.  Not to mention, some of the light, fluttering instrumentals that pop in about halfway through is just so elegant.  This album overall is actually a whole lot more intricate and intricate than I could have expected.  Then we have “Carin at the Liquor Store”, and as far as a softer tune goes, this is easily one of the most elegant performances here.  Matt’s performance here is just so tender and up front.  Not to mention, this just really brings in the sort of personal side that I loved so much about “Boxer” years ago.  But is “Carin at the Liquor Store” anywhere near as fleshed out as it could have been?  In an album of tracks that are almost all nearing the 6-minute mark, this one easily could have been 2-3 minutes longer.  Instantly though, “Dark Side of the Gym” really doesn’t hit me as hard at all.  Here, Matt’s performance is only a fraction of how compelling it has been on the last few tracks.  The instrumental on this one seems so much flakier overall, while so many of the others have stood their own for the most part.  And yes, there’s still a lot to admire here with just how lush and beautiful a lot of this is.  But most of this album I’ve enjoyed the way The National have branched out and gotten out of their comfort zone.  Sadly, this track just isn’t that.  Not to mention, this track just sounds so flimsy.  Now, this album ends off with “Sleep Well Beast”, and I have no Idea why I can’t shake this “Kid A” vibe.  I’m not sure if that’s what they were going for, but it’s really not that bad.  To be honest, they’ve taken in this darker and more electronic sound incredibly.  I love the very grim feel to this one.  The beat is decent, and the haunting atmosphere is a really nice aspect as well.  But sadly, I feel like this is my least favorite performance from Matt on the entire album.  I usually dig his gloomy performances, but this one is completely lifeless.  And while I do enjoy a lot of elements to this finale, it’s not the best they could have done.  

Rating: 7.9/10

Give A Listen To: “Nobody Else Will Be There”, “The System Only Sleeps in Total Darkness”, “Turtleneck”, "I'll Still Destroy You"

Genre: Indie Rock / Post Punk / Art Rock

If You Dig This, Check Out: The National - "Boxer", Bon Iver - "22, A Million", Radiohead - "Kid A"

Overall Thoughts:  I honestly enjoyed the hell out of most of this album, which is something I really wasn't expecting.  It's been so long since I've enjoyed an actual full album from The National.  But hearing this was really refreshing.  The band is really incorporating a whole new element to their music, one that brings in a totally fresh Dark Electronic sound.  It flows really nicely though, and The National seem really comfortable with it.  Also, these are easily some of the most interesting instrumentals they've touched in years, just saying.  

Iron & Wine - "Beast Epic"

Now I know I'm far from the only one.  But I've always sort of found the music of Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) to be so charming.  Back on his 2002 debut "The Creek Drank The Cradle", Sam brought in his very unique twist on the Indie Folk genre.  This album was super Low-Fi and not polished at all.  But Sam's sweet, charming vocals and introspective lyrics made this album an absolute delight.  Then we have 2004's "Our Endless Numbered Days", which to be perfectly honest took me some time to get into.  This album was a whole lot more in the direction of standard Indie Folk, which did bother me a little at first.  But over time, Sam's very charming performances won me over with incredible tunes like "Love and Some Verses" and "Free Until They Cut Me Down".  Also, I have to add, some of the bluesier tunes on here were seriously well executed.  Sam took Iron & Wine in an entirely different direction with 2007's "The Shepherd's Dog" however, and MAN was it good.  This was the first time I really heard Sam with a full band, and at first, I really didn't know how that would sit with me.  But I thought his band's very big and more complex sounding instrumentals complimented Sam's very soothing vocals wonderfully.  Not to mention, it took Sam's music into wonderfully sounding new genres.  "The Shepherd's Dog" ended up wowing me from start to finish, and had me wondering what Sam was going to do next. Sadly, 2011's "Kiss Each Other Clean" was so much less than what I expected.  Instrumentally, this was still lavish and absolutely inventive.  But Sam just sounded out of place on this album, and his vocals and lyrics just seemed a little worn out.  On 2013's "Ghost On Ghost" however, Sam even sounded more worn out.  The instrumentals here were lighter and airier than ever, incorporating Jazz and plenty of other genres.  But almost none of it actually came off good, and Sam usually sounded grossly out of place in the middle of it all.  Sam really needed to step back and change things up a bit.  Thankfully, that's exactly what Sam did with 2015's "Sing Into My Mouth".  This album was a huge change of pace, being a stripped down covers album he performed alongside Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses fame.  Now, I'm just as iffy on covers albums as the next guy.  But I feel like this album really brought Sam back to his roots, and brought in that Alt-Country/Folk sound he started with.  Not to mention, this was just a series of really solid covers.  Sam continued down this collaborative album route with 2016's "Love Letter For Fire", a collaboration with Jesca Hoop.  This album once again was a seriously nice change of pace for Sam. The songs were warm, patient, and absolutely beautiful.   But most importantly, Sam just seemed so comfortable in the material he was performing. So it's been a few years since we've heard from Sam.  And these new teaser tracks have been equally as warm and sweet.  So let's talk about this new Iron & Wine album.

This album starts off with “Claim Your Ghost”.  Now, I haven’t heard Sam on his own like this in such a long time, and to be honest, he sounds really refreshed.  I love just how strong his vocals are coming off, and even though there are plenty of instrumentals there’s an odd sadness and emptiness to this one.  To be honest, I can’t remember the last time I heard Sam this straightforward and up front with his vocals.  To me, I’m always going to sort of remember him for his early days when Sam was so much quieter and shy, and this is sort of a homecoming for that sound.  “Claim Your Ghost” ushers in this album wonderfully.  The folky strumming, while it's slow, is just so powerful, and I love the sort of Alternative Country aspect lingering as well.   Sam’s performance is hypnotic, the strings are seriously beautiful, and overall I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this one.  Up next is “Thomas County Law”, and can we just take a minute and point out just how stripped down this is and how refreshing this is for Iron & Wine.  A few years back, Sam had gotten so far into expanding his sound that he really ended up losing a lot what made his music special, to begin with.  There might be some backing strings and such, but for the most part, it’s just Sam and his guitar.  And not for nothing, I can totally vibe with that.  For such a stripped down sound though, this is certainly really vast and beautiful.  Not to mention, his vocals are just so warm and strong sounding.  It’s really hard not to love a lot of whats going on here, mostly due to just how easy going this album is in nature, and just how gentle and absolutely beautiful these instrumentals are.  It’s a very sweet and easy to listen to track from Iron & Wine.  Not to mention, with all that’s going on, Sam continues to sound so refreshed.   The very stripped down sound to this record continues with “Bitter Truth”.  However, with just how stripped down this is, it continues to make Sam the star, which is something that I feel was really lost in his music for a while.  I love his sweet and tender vocals on this one, as well as some of the backing vocals that just give this track the right amount of dimension.  But I really feel like it’s some of the lyrics on this one a home run for me.  So far, this album has been so “Back To Basics” for Iron & Wine, and the lyrics are no exception.  Lyrically, I feel like this is the sweet and more personal side of Sam that brought me to enjoy his music in the first place.  “Bitter Truth” is a wonderful tune.  Then we have “Song In Stone”, which sadly is just a little too stripped down for my liking, to be honest.  I mean, I love hearing Sam full on, but at the very least these last few tracks have had such a sweet atmosphere to them. On “Song In Stone”, I honestly don’t get that at all.  Plus, I don’t feel like the backing vocals are nearly as interesting or as memorable.  Actually, they end up taking a little away from Sam’s vocals.  And when things eventually pick up and instrumentals start popping in, the instrumentals end up getting so vibrant that they start drowning out Sam’s performance.  Overall, this track really doesn’t give me the same warm feelings.

    Sam bounces back quickly however with “Summer Clouds”, and I actually really like the sort of bluesy and downtrodden sound to this one.  It still has that sort of Alternative Country vibe and all, but my goodness is this track ever dreary.  To be honest, it actually works really nicely for Sam.  Overall though, I feel like this album has just been haunted by sadness completely.  But to be honest, it’s the most natural and strongest that I’ve heard Sam in a long time.  But however dreary “Summer Clouds” gets, it remains seriously warm and easy to take in.  Not to mention, those strings in the background just make this an even drearier and bigger track.  Then we have “Call It Dreaming”, the first tune I heard from this album a few weeks back.  This track is simply put, really enjoyable.  Sam sounds a little less dreary on this one, and brings in more harmonies which I really dig.  “Call It Dreaming” also brings in a few more instrumentals which are nice, like some pretty stunning pianos and some plucked strings.  To be honest, it’s seriously stunning.  There’s also more of a Folk-Rock tinge which shakes this album up just enough.  But not once does any of this take away from Sam’s performance, which is exactly what I was worried about.  As far as a stand alone track goes, you can’t go wrong with “Call It Dreaming”.  Then we have “About A Bruise”, which sadly doesn’t hit me as hard at all.  I feel like this one is trying to be a little edgier and more off kilter.  But these groovier Folk licks aren’t hitting me at all.  Vocally, this isn’t nearly as charming, that’s for sure.  And I just really don’t feel like this one is captivating overall.  Lyrically, “About A Bruise” isn’t as interesting or as personal, and there just isn’t anything about this one that takes me away at all.  There are a few pretty instrumentals here and there.  But outside of that, this one is just way too average for Sam.  And all of that goes double for the next track “Last Night”.  This track is sadly just really awkward.  If this is supposed to be Sam’s more abstract moment of the album, it’s quite frankly a little embarrassing.  The warmth is all gone completely, that’s for sure.  And while Same sounds fine, this instrumental just gets on my nerves.  So much so, that this actually makes me miss the more eclectic days of Iron & Wine.  “Last Night” isn’t edgy and it’s not abstract, and most importantly it does nothing to compliment Sam.  It just really ends up getting under my skin with how childish and how incomplete this sounds.

Rating: 7.9/10

Give A Listen To: "Claim Your Ghost", "Thomas County Law", "Call It Dreaming" "Our Light Miles"

Genre: Indie Folk / Folk / Indie Rock / Alternative Country / Singer/Songwriter / Folk Rock

If You Dig This, Check Out: Iron & Wine: "The Shepard's Dog", Bon Iver - "For Emma, Forever Ago", Calexico - "Edge of the Sun", Band of Horses - "Cease to Begin”

Overall Thoughts:  At the end of the day, this is a surprisingly straightforward and seriously enjoyable record from Iron & Wine.  It's been a few years since we've heard Sam completelty on his own, and for the most part he really sounds refreshed.  There are a lot of very charming performances, breezy atmospheres, and stunning performances.  There are a few sort of awkward moments for Iron & Wine here occasionally, but this is as far as I'm concerned, the best thing he's done since "The Shepards Dog".

LCD Soundsystem - American Dream

Now, Dance Punk for me has always been a little bit of a tough genre to get into.  Sure, in the early 2000's I was easily able to enjoy bands like Franz Ferdinand taking their swing at it.  But LCD Soundsystem takes a little getting used to.  But MAN is it worth it.  Their debut album is a massive hour and forty minutes of patience testing Dance Punk.  Is it worth it?  Hell yes, it is, tracks like "Tribulations" still get me moving still to this day.  But to be honest, if its the first time you're listening to LCD, it may be a little overwhelming to start with this album.  On the other hand, 2007's "Sound of Silver" is the PERFECT place to start listening to LCD.  This album has so much going on, between groovy dance tracks like "Get Innocuous!", strangely heartfelt journeys like "Someone Great", as well as timeless epics like "All My Friends".  Not to mention, James Murphy had such a knack for making straightforward, catchy tunes.  LCD Soundsystem continued their very short but legendary career with the equally as monumental "This Is Happening".  Tracks like "Dance Yrself Clean" and "I Can Change" showed LCD still ruled the dance floor.  But tracks like "Drunk Girls" and "All I Want" showed LCD still constantly branching out and trying brave new things in Dance Punk.  After a big "Farewell" concert that's gone down in history as one of the biggest ever, and a break up that lasted only a few years, LCD Soundsystem are back.  But these new singles have been a little puzzling. Both "American Dream" and "Call The Police" didn't sound a thing like LCD Soundsystem to me.  But outside of that, they really didn't even sound good. On the other hand, the "Tonite" single I found to be really refreshing, and just the sort of funky tune I wanted to hear from LCD.  Let's not waste any more time talking about this new LCD Soundsystem album.

(One of many true classics from LCD Soundsystem)

Also, be forewarned, every track on the album is stylized in lowercase letters and I decided to go with that as well.  However, it's really sort of annoying.  

This album starts off with the very mechanical sounding “oh baby”, and that's pretty much to be expected.  It’s also a very patient sound, which is also very much to be expected.  But LCD Soundsystem’s tracks always end up paying off.  But man, this is just so sluggish and exhausted sounding.  Listening to this, I feel like this is just the scraps of what could have possibly been a totally viable LCD Soundsystem track years ago.  Even James Murphy sounds physically exhausted.  But I think what’s most confusing are these instrumentals. People seem to think that this is just the same old LCD Soundsystem, but with these instrumentals that clearly is far from the case.  Their music to me was once so punchy, and while it wasn’t always instantaneous, it always got somewhere.  But on “oh baby”, the Dance Punk hooks are completely gone, and in their place are a series of woozy and lazy synth pop melodies, and they go nowhere.  Maybe I’m missing something, but I’m not feeling this at all as an intro.  Even James’s very tender performance is just something I’m not into.  This change of pace is just a little too much for me.  Thankfully, “other voices” is next, and it’s good enough to pick up the pieces and get this one really going back on track.  The groove here is thick and strong, with plenty of wonderful blips and bloops thrown in for good measure.  Honestly, though, this at least sounds like LCD Soundsystem.  Not to mention, James’s performance here is right back to where it should be.  Just like he did years ago, he sounds fueled by emotion once again and has a real sense of paranoia to his performance that made his early recordings so well done.  Of all the tracks on this album, I feel like “other voices” makes me want to move around the most.  It also has that sort of rebellious feel that LCD Soundsystem ruled the dance floors with.  It’s also patience testing but in the best way.  This one starts building as soon as it starts, which is fine, but it’s constantly building and getting more and more intense and groovy.  Hell, it get’s so funky that I couldn’t say no if I wanted to.  So LCD Soundsystem clearly still have it when they try hard enough.  Not to mention, I’ve always been sort of a sucker for Nancy’s usual very hypnotic and monotonous passages.  Then we have “i used to”, which once again shows LCD building right off the bat.  I love how dense this track comes off, with such heavy production as well.  Not to mention, this may very well be the darkest and most somber tune I’ve heard from LCD Soundsystem period.  To be honest, this actually comes off sounding like something out of an early 80’s dreary Post Punk album.  Once again, James sounds so worn out and exhausted.  But on “i used to”, it comes off much more wonderfully executed.  Plus, those searing synths that come in go right through me in the best possible way, and give me the chills every time.  I mean, if they're really going to go with this much slower, and much more Synth-Pop oriented sound, this is absolutely the way to do it.  And I certainly really enjoy the very vast and starry atmosphere, as well as James’s strangely heartfelt performance.  While I certainly do miss some of the killer grooves, this one really isn’t terrible.  Up next is ‘change yr mind”, and instantly the sheer noisiness and edginess to this one certainly wakes me right up.  I also really dig the very off kilter groove to this.  James’s vocals on this one seem ripped right out of the past on this one to be honest, especially with how paranoid he sounds.  But for me, I really don’t know how to feel about this one.  I feel like the payoff on this one just really isn’t up to LCD Soundsystem standards.  The band’s music has always been a journey of sorts, one that can easily take 7-8 minutes.  And that’s totally fine.  The problem is, “change yr mind” doesn’t end up going anywhere, or at least anywhere that I’m interested in going on.  The only real release we get on this track is more and more of these squawking guitars and abrasive production.  Over three and a half minutes in, when James mixes things up and comes out of his shell a little, it’s certainly better.  But why the hell did this tag so long to get even slightly interesting?  And are the results even worth it?  Those happened to be basically my thoughts on the album as well.  

    This album continues on with the strangely dramatic “ho do you sleep?”.  Once again, I feel like we’re in the darkest and deepest corners of some early Joy Division.  But to be honest, it does actually have me on the edge of my seat.  Between the very tension heavy drums and the very glamorous synths flying through the background, there’s a LOT to take in.  Then we have James Murphy’s over-the-top vocals.  They actually end up being some of his most ridiculously emotional here.  Not to mention, as far as the atmosphere goes, this may just be the most engaging track on the album.  But I really have to once again give you all a big warning.  These aren’t tracks to just sort of pop on, these are tracks you need to sit with.  But “how do you sleep?” is done so well, because the second those muscular synths blare in it’s like a damn fog horn blasting through a quiet night.  The result’s are absolutely chilling.  Not to mention, 5 minutes in this track completely changes gears and comes off as a sort of groovy and mellow dance punk track.  It’s honestly one of the finest moments on here, and brings me back to the simpler days of LCD Soundsystem if only for a few minutes.  It’s a tough listen clocking in at 9 minutes, but it does pay off.  As this album rolls on, it’s moments like “tonite” that keep me invested.  This literally sounds like a gem out of one of LCD Soundsystem’s better albums.  The groove is strong, and the icy production and voice box vocals are really nice additions.  From start to finish, “tonite” is just so totally LCD Soundsystem.  There’s also plenty of that sort of tongue-in-cheek humor that’s only made stronger by James’s very robotic yet sleek delivery.  But here’s my issue.  I do feel like to an extent, James is trying a little too hard.  His rebellious nature and his statements used to come off so easily, to the point where it came off like her didn’t even mean for his messages to be in his music.  On “tonite” though and on most of this album, it really seems like James’s usually very straightforward songwriting is no longer, and a lot of these tracks you can tell didn’t come to James as easily.  Outside of that though, I still think “tonite” is still a really great tune that I love.  Now, when I first heard “call the police” I really didn’t know what to think.  And to an extent I still really don’t know what to think.  This track is far from the icy grooves and good times of LCD Soundsystem.  This is glistening myth pop at it cleanest, and in every aspect it really doesn’t sound a thing like LCD Soundsystem.  To be honest though, for a straight up Indie-Tronica track, this really isn’t the absolute worst thing LCD Soundsystem could have put together.  I do love the driving beat and the very triumphant sound to this all.  You just really need to go into this one with an open mind, especially with LCD Soundsystem’s classic sound in mind.  The guitar’s however are epic, James’s performance is certainly emotional as well.  But let me say this about “call the police”; this track took me months to enjoy, and I’m still not completely sold on it.  And I’m even less sold on this album’s title track, “american dream”.  I don’t say this often, but I feel like this is seriously a pile of crap.  I certainly can appreciate the dreary tone and just how glistening some of these instrumentals are.  Even lyrically, I love the very grim outlook this track has to off and the sort of tongue in cheek feel to this.  But that really doesn’t help just how entirely boring this instrumental is.  To me, the LCD Soundsystem sound has always been based around growing tension and grooves.  “american dream” just sort of has a flat groove that I really can’t wrap my head around.  I do want to give this track some credit however, because I do see what James Murphy was going for here, and I think lyrically he does nail it.  But outside of that, I’m finding it really rough staying awake for this one.  

    Out of nowhere though, LCD Soundsystem brings in “emotional haircut”, and I’m honestly shocked to hear this much grit.  There are some legitimate Post-Punk influences on this and I’m just so happy to hear it, and honestly, I can’t remember the last time I heard such an instrumental like this from LCD.  Not only that, it’s just seriously down and dirty sounding, even James sounds so much more youthful in his performance.  “emotional haircut” from start to finish has a surprising amount of intensity, and is just the sort of edge I needed to hear a little bit of.  Not to mention, the rebellious vibe that James has been preaching this entire album comes off so much better here.  And out of nowhere, the last minute of this one is completely Punk influenced and is seriously intense.  Moments like this, however, just really make me miss what could have been on this album.  This album ends off with “black screen”, and I do have to admit, I love the very grimy, dirty and most importantly dark tinge to this.  This, however, is some of the most mellow material we’ve heard here yet.  This entire album has been so cold, and this finale is no different.  And to an extent, I do think a lot of “black screen” is interesting.  But I really have no interest in Jame’s performance here, which is just so lifeless and lazy.  And while I understand that it has to do with the themes of the album, there really has to be a better way to display it.  This finale ends up becoming ridiculously laborious to listen to and is just so damn dreary.  But like I said, I certainly like elements to it, like the very claustrophobic atmosphere.  But really James?  Did this track have to be 12 minutes?  Really?

Rating: 7.2/10

Give A Listen To: "other voices", "i used to", "how do you sleep?", "tonite"

Genre: Synth Pop / Indie-Tronica / Dance Punk

If you dig this, check out : LCD Soundystem - "LCD Soundsystem", M83 - "Weekends = Youth"

Overall Thoughts:  Ok so I may lose some credibility here, but I have to call it like I see it.  All I see are these rave reviews for this album, and cries of LCD Soundsystem being "back".  I don't know about you, but I really don't see it that way.  The songwriting here isn't nearly as strong, even though due to the subject matter you really think it would be.  The grooves show up and the Dance Punk spirit as well, but it's not nearly as lovable and easy to take in as it once was.  It's a decent album, but LCD Soundsystem are so much more than "decent' in my book.  

Widowspeak - Expect the Best

Widowspeak are an Indie band that the first time I listened to them, they certainly caught me off guard.  Looking at the cover of their 2011 self-titled debut album, I was expecting another run of the mill Indie album.  But there were some seriously VERY sharp tunes on here, and the very haunting lead vocals just made for such an enjoyable listen.  Plus,  the elements of Shoegaze thrown in gave this album such an interesting sound that really hadn't been tapped into at the time.  Now, I'll be honest, the band's follow-up album "Almanac" wasn't nearly as engaging. I felt like what made the band sound so fresh on the last album was already growing stale.  But there were moments still that were truly stunning, specifically the heart wrenching "Sore Eyes".  Thankfully, I do think Widowspeak brought in some solid tunes for 2015's "All Yours".  This album brought back a whole lot more of the mystery of the first album.  And while some of the elements of Shoegaze were still missed, I felt like Widowspeak were back onto something.  Also, I thought the Alternative Country sound to this album was a really nice touch. However, my goodness these new singles are good.  They've brought back the Shoegaze sound hard as well as a lot of the mystery that made this band amazing, to begin with.  Let's talk about this new Widowspeak album.

This album starts off with “The Dream”, and we’re only seconds in but I’m already getting some chills.  Vocalist Molly Hamilton sounds absolutely incredible and is right back to sounding like she belongs more in a Mazzy Star cover band than anything.  I love the dreaminess to this, which makes the slide guitars and the sort of glistening atmospheres even bigger and bolder.  “The Dream” is exactly what I’ve been looking to hear from Widowspeak since their debut album years ago. There’s a sort of retro tinge to the very grand strings, but most importantly there’s the sense of mystery to this that I’ve been dying to hear.  It’s just so hip, and it has such a mystique to it that I just want to listen to this another few times.  It’s the very lush, epic intro that I’ve been dying to hear, and it really caught me off guard.  “When I Tried” on the other hand, is certainly much more up front and immediately gratifying.  Gone is the mystique of the last track, but the same guitar centered Indie Rock dominates this one wonderfully.  However, I should say while the atmosphere is less mysterious, Molly Hamilton’s very airy and dark vocals keep the very shady veil drawn over this one.  I actually also really love Molly’s sort of breathy vocals, which I know right off the bat people are going to have some serious issues with.  But I’m all for it, and to a certain extent, I can almost see some Lana Del Rey fans being into this.  I feel like Widowspeak have once again done a complete 180 with “When I Tried”.  It’s a smooth transition though, and I have to commend the many layers of the production here, giving this the feel that there’s a secret behind every corner.  As this album goes on though, I feel like Widowspeak gets more and more mysterious.  But it’s exciting to me, it makes me feel like I never know what I’m going to hear.  “Dog” shows Widowspeak being a little less up front once again.  But behind these very hazy guitars and walls of reverb, Molly sounds completely in control.  While there’s certainly a great darkness to a lot of this album, there’s also a great deal of beauty.  I love how hypnotic some of the vocals come off, it makes me feel like I’m watching some great band perform at the Roadhouse on Twin Peaks.  But like I said, I never know what to expect from Widowspeak.  For example, those small saxophone blasts during the chorus of “Dog” are brilliant.  So far, this has been the sort of Dark tinged, hazy indie album I’ve wanted to hear.

    “Warmer” may be the slowest track yet by far.  But it quickly becomes one of the most animated of the entire album with some sleazy saxophones, bongos and mysterious guitar.  If you want a track with an amazing atmosphere, look no further than “Warmer”.  I love Molly’s surreal lyrics and performance here, as she constantly states “The answer is right in plain sight”.  But at this point, I have to ask, where is this album even coming from?  Widowspeak drifted so far away from this sound only to come back hard and make it more grand and lush than ever.  “Warmer” also has unbelievable pacing to it, as the instrumentals come together for a surreal groove that I haven’t heard from any other band this year.  It’s flooring to be honest.  Widowspeak does, however, have to be careful with some of these softer tunes.  “Good Sport” is really short obviously, and sadly nothing really happens with it.  There are cool elements returning like the bongos and the very delicate guitar, and I love Molly’s very chilling performance and lyrics.  However, I just feel like “Good Sport” is massively incomplete.  This easily could have picked up into a much grander tune.  And it’s not that I don’t like short songs, but “Good Sport” just seems grossly incomplete.  On the other hand, “Let Me” is the sort of scratchy and shady sounding Dream Pop tune that I’ve been loving.  I love the way this one has so much build up within its verses, and that very retro tinged guitar is a really nice touch as well.  Not to mention, it’s really nice to see this build up pay off, as this chorus may not be as gigantic as others, but is incredibly stunning in its own way.  “Let Me” also proves something I realized long ago.  While this may not be as secluded sounding as some of the earlier tunes, the amount of mystery remains gigantic.  There’s also almost a weird Singer/Songwriter vibe to some of Molly Hamilton’s performance.  Widowspeak continues to be a real box of surprises.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_8ZHZ85pKE

    Now, just when I’m done saying that there’s no telling or knowing what Widowspeak are going to throw at us, “Right On” serves up some serious blues flavor to it.  And let’s be honest, we probably should have seen that coming with all of these slide guitars. Plus, that solo is just something that I really didn’t expect to hear.  Sadly though, this is easily one of Molly Hamilton’s most tame and not nearly as moody performances.  And that really sort of takes the wind out of “Right On”.  It’s still decent, mostly due to the added strings and the production, but this track could have been so much better.  Then we have “Expect The Best” which is a strangely crunchy and heavy track.  But for me, I don’t think it comes off nearly as interesting.  There’s no mystique to this, and I feel like hearing Molly outside of her usual shroud of shadows that she’s been clinging to here isn’t nearly as interesting.  The hooks are sort of lazy as well.  Hell, even the instrumentals on “Expect The Best” just seem like they’re not even into what the band is doing.  I really wanted to like this track, but there’s just too much that I’m not feeling.  This album ends off with “Fly On The Wall”, and hearing that opening drum roll, I have high hopes for this one.  Plus, the very hazy elements that have dominated this album are back in full effect.  As far as the atmosphere goes, this one is spot on.  But overall, I feel like this one just really isn’t that interesting overall.  There’s so much atmosphere to go around here, and I do love Molly’s performance.  But there’s nothing else for me to really sink my teeth into on “Fly On The Wall”.   I do like some of the later guitars, but this one just seems so thrown together to me.  Not to mention, every time I feel like something is going to happen on “Fly On The Wall”, nothing ends up happening.  And when things do start exploding in the closing moments, it’s just far too late.  I do see the potential in “Fly on the Wall” though, and this is still a good album overall.  But Widowspeak really had issues with stringing the later moments of this album together.

Rating: 7.4/10

Give A Listen To: “When I Tried”, “Dog”, “Warmer”, “Let Me In”

Genre: Indie Rock / Dream Pop / Shoegaze / Psychedelic Rock

If You Dig This, Check Out: “So Tonight That I Might See” - Mazzy Star, “Lana Del Rey - “Born To Die”, “Widowspeak” - Widowspeak, Cigarettes After Sex - “Cigarettes After Sex”

Overall Thoughts:  I was surprised, to be honest by just how strong this album started off.  I mean, the entire first half of this album is a stunning, hazy modern Shoegaze masterpiece.  However, Widowspeak really fell off in the second half of this with some experiments that didn't really work out the best they could have.  But this is still certainly worth a listen, and it shows Widowspeak are moving strongly in the right direction. 

Action Bronson - "Blue Chips 7000"

Now, when it comes to Rap and Hip Hop, I'm gonna be honest I'm picky.  But for the most part, I've never had anything truly bad to say about Action Bronson.  I never really listened to his early projects like "Dr. Lecter".  But I did get into him around the time of "Blue Chips".  I loved this album's ridiculous sense of humor, as Bronson painted this almost comically out of control portrait of himself.  He rapped about food, wrestling and women, all set to very old school samples that I instantly felt for.  But most importantly, Action Bronson had character, which is what I crave the most in Rap and Hip Hop.  Action Bronson from first listen, really didn't take himself too seriously, without giving up any of his street credit.  A LOT of these elements carried over on to 2012's "Rare Chandaliers".  With production from The Alchemist, Bronson was sounding smoother and more ridiculously confident than ever.  Tracks like "Demolition Man" just came off as instant New York Hip Hop classics, and Bronson's ridiculous and creative personality was stronger than ever.  Bronson continued with his enormous string of fantastic Mixtapes with "Blue Chips 2",my favorite Action Bronson project.  This tape is just so damn fun, with Bronson rapping over everything from Elton John Riffs to Peter Gabriel hooks.  Funnily enough though, Bronson never ended up sounding like a joke.  Now all Action Bronson needed was a full length commercial debut to be remembered by.  2015's "Mr. Wonderful"....really wasn't that sadly.  This album wasn't bad, but it was stuffed with so much filler you would be shocked.  Sure, there were great tracks like "The Rising" and "Actin' Crazy", and "Easy Rider" may be my favorite Bronson track ever.  But other moments on that album were just totally underwhelming, especially after how consistent he had been up until that point.  So here we are, 2 years later with a new Action Bronson project.  These singles, man, they have been all over freakin' place.  Let's talk about this Bronson project.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JWr5fLQTFQ

(The one moment I knew I loved Action)

This album starts out with “Wolfpack”, and to be honest, I really have no clue who this is Bronson is talking to on this intro.  But I just feel like the opening is completely asinine and wastes my time.  Not to mention, it goes on so long.  Thankfully, it does break into a track at some point, and then things get a whole lot better.  As far as Bronson goes, he honestly doesn’t sound bad at all.  It’s the same sort of ultra braggadocios bars that are almost so over-the-top that it’s hilarious.  Speaking of hilarious, there are a TON of lines here that remain some of Bronson’s funniest, especially that one about the R&B singer.   “Wolfpack” isn’t terrible, but I sort of wish he started off with some more up from delivery, and not this laid back tropical sounding track.  Next up we have “La Luna”, and I don’t know what’s going on with all of these Low-Fi skits in between tracks, but I feel like I’m completely missing the point.  All of this effort, just to usher in Bronson rapping over the waiting music on a Luxury Car hotline.  It’s not even that good of a beat.  And while yes, it’s funky as hell, I feel like this is just way too much of a stretch for Bronson.  If this actually is a live freestyle, trust me, Bronson, I’ve heard better.  But even if it’s not live and not a freestyle, Bronson you should be ashamed of this production.  Even when things improve as far as the instrumental goes, “La Luna” is just alright.  So far, I haven’t heard anything on this track that's gonna stop me in my tracks.  Thankfully, Bronson pulls “That Chairman’s Intent” out of nowhere.  His delivery here is nasty, and the sort of old school riff he’s rapping over reminds me easily of the first two Blue Chips projects.  Overall, he just sounds so comfortable among this much more upbeat and urgent atmosphere.  I feel like Bronson over the years has illustrated himself just so well.  It’s gotten to the point where you listen to some of these “Success Bars” and I can’t help but laugh a little.  He also here brings in a lot of very old school New York Hip Hop that he connected with so well on his early projects.  Overall, “The Chairman’s Intent” works so well for Action.  Then we have “Hot Pepper” featuring Jah Tiger and long time collaborator Meyhem Lauren.  Now, I’m honestly really starting to think that a lot of these interludes were sort of just thrown in last minute to add a few minutes to the length of this album.  But if anything, the opening skit on “Hot Pepper” is straightforward enough to justify its place here.  To be honest, I really was looking forward to this track, because I’ve always really loved Bronson and Meyhem together.  They’ve had brilliant chemistry together for years, and this is no different.  Once again, we're back dealing with a very laid back beat.  As a matter of fact, a good handful of tracks here have a sort of tropical vibe.  Bronson’s bars, however, are still the headliner, as he comes off just as lively and animated as ever.  Between Bronson talking about his cars and trying out for the Kansas City Chiefs, it’s impossible to hate this guy.  Plus, he really does know exactly what Pop Culture reference to whip out.  And let me just say Bronson, I’m SURE people mistook your Hype-Man Big Body Bas of all people for Bruce Fucking Willis (That line had me in tears).  Even the hook on “Hot Pepper” from Jah Tiger fits.  This track is brilliant.  As these tracks roll on with moments like “Bonzai”, I’m slowly getting more and more of a Blue Chips trilogy vibe.  As far as a beat goes, we haven’t heard anything this stripped down yet.  But I’ll be honest, I love how slick it is.  That bass lick is just so cool, and the sort of dreary and lonely tone to this one is something I haven’t heard from Bronson in quite some time.  There’s a lot to dig on “Bonzai”.  My only real issue is, why is this track 2 minutes long?  Why couldn’t you take some minutes away from the other filler here and add to this one?  Anyways, Bronson’s lyrics are just as animated and braggadocios on here, and I love every moment of it.  Not to mention, I can’t help but laugh at that last skit.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-S3DNXHSao

    Just when I think Bronson is on a roll, we get tracks like “Let It Rain” which have me scratching my head.  The beat here just isn’t flattering at all.  While some of the other beats on this tape have really focused a lot on world music and tropical music, this is a little too colorful to the point where it completely outshines Bronson.  Speaking of Bronson’s performance on “Let It Rain”, it’s sort of weird.  I feel like his delivery is just fine, and he sounds as aggressive as normal.  But I feel like lyrically this is is tamest yet.  There were barely any moments where I felt like here was amusing me enough to be anything special, and there are WAY too many pop culture references here.  This one is just weird.   Then we have “My Right Lung” which is certainly a sweet sentiment, going deep into Bronson’s wanting to do all of these things in life that he just can’t.  Now, this is a very human sentiment from Action that we really don’t get to hear too often from him.  But I don’t know how I’m supposed to take him seriously among this very jazzy tone that does nothing for him.  His delivery here is just so hazy and sleepy.  Plus, at 2 minutes long once again I feel like nothing about this one truly grabs me.  But as far as lyrics go, I do understand what’s to dig about this.  Up next though is “TANK” featuring hype-man and lovable doofus Big Body Bes.  Instantly, this is so much more in Bronson’s realm.  I love the very old school sounding riff that has that great Blue Chips quality that I obsessed with in the past.  Not to mention, that vocal sample is seriously a brilliant touch.  “TANK” shows Bronson back to being his usual very animated self, and is simply the sort of homecoming that I wanted to hear.  Between lines that are just so damn funny that I actually had to pause the tape and the over the top bragging that I’ve come to love, this track is fantastic.  Not to mention, Big Body’s ridiculous, hilarious, and completely over the top ad-libs towards the end of the track are what I’ve been dying to hear all album.  Now sadly, I really wasn’t into “Let Me Breath” the first time I heard it, and I’m still really not into it.  This beat is the farthest thing from flattering.  Literally, I feel like I could have heard any mainstream MC on this beat.  Even as far as his delivery and lyrics go, this isn’t Bronson at all.  His delivery sounds so watered down on this one, and I’d be lying if I said there was a single lyric I could remember.  And I don’t even want to think about that hook.  For a split second, I was truly worried that Action Bronson was replaced by Big Dean.  So sorry ladies and gentlemen, “Let Me Breath” really doesn’t work for me.  Now, I have absolutely no clue what’s going on on the intro to “9-24-7000”.  But thankfully, when this one gets rolling, it gets rolling.  While this beat is just so much more relaxed and dazed than we’ve heard in a while, it compliments Bronson immensely.  Even as far as lyrics go, this is a much more personal and less animated Bronson we’re getting here.   But to be perfectly honest, it’s actually really special.  Even though this is a VERY different track for Action Bronson, he still sounds great.  His lyrics are creative, his delivery is sharp, and Rick Ross of all the people sounds……actually really good.  I’m not a fan of Rick at all, but every once in a while he sort of shocks me with a really good feature.  And that’s exactly what we have on here.  But to be honest, should I be that shocked?  Because honestly, is there anyone in Rap that can match Action Bronson’s over-the-top “Brag Bars” like Rick?  Not really.  “9-24-7000” is a really decent tune overall.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2erhll5clo

    The amount of filler on this mixtape, however, continues to be this album’s major downfall.  For a mixtape that’s only about 35 minutes long, there’s just so many skits and pointless interludes.  Thankfully I do enjoy the very upbeat and funky “The Choreographer”, as well as the continued vocal sampling.  It’s something that a lot of times Bronson hasn’t really done much with and to be honest it’s a nice touch.  “The Choreographer” overall is decent. It doesn’t sound like Bronson is drifting too far from his usual sound, and his wild Party Boy persona on this one shines wonderfully.  But at this point, what does that even matter.  Where’s the content, Bronson?  I feel like every time you go away for a year promising to return with a mixtape, you end up giving the world a 40-minute mixtape brimming with filler and interludes.  There are great tracks here, don’t get me wrong.  But this mixtape easily could have been shortened by like three tracks, and some of the better tracks could have been explored deeper.  And just when I’m done ranting about filler, we get “Chop Chop Chop”.  This one takes an entire 40 seconds just to get going.  I do enjoy the sort of melancholy and bluesy delivery from Bronson.  But as this one goes on, it’s just getting more and more obvious that Bronson really isn’t putting his whole effort into this.  Every time his verses get really interesting and skilled, either really repetitive lyrics or another ridiculously bad skit pops in and sort of messes up the flow of everything.  Thankfully, Bronson does bring a nice beefy and hardcore finale in with “Durag Vs. Headband”.  This is EASILY the most aggressive and nastiest track of the album.  I don’t even know where this sound has even been hiding.  Everything about “Durag Vs. Headband” works, from the clever Pop Culture references to the one liners from Bronson.  Hell, we’re even treated to more ridiculous Ad-Libs from Big Body Bes.  “Durag Vs. Headband” at the very least ends this mixtape off on a brilliant note.  

Rating: 7.0/10

Give A Listen To: “The Chairman’s Intent”, “Hot Pepper”, “TANK”, “9-24-7000”

Genre: Rap

If You Dig This, Check Out:  Action Bronson: “Blue Chips 2”, Ghostface Killah - “Fishscale”

Overall Thoughts:  Ohhhh boy.  This easily could have been just as classic as some of Action Bronson's early mixtapes.  Like, there are tons of really animated and colorful rap tracks, the likes that made me obsess over Action Bronson years ago.  Bronson sounds just as skillful, and for the most part he's just as clever as ever. But honestly, there is just so much filler here.  Like his debut album was a few years ago, I'm just sort of left wanting more from this.