Chris Stapleton - "From A Room, Vol. 2"

OK, so I know I'm picky when it comes to a lot of things.  But Country music is quite frankly on top of the list.  I love a lot of older country like Townes Van Zandt and Johnny Cash, but the new wave of Country artists of this generation have often done nothing for me.  I see the appeal in all of it, but the Shiny Production and one dimensional songwriting sort of makes me shy away from it.  However, a friend of mine told me to give Chris Stapleton a try, and what do you know I enjoyed what I heard.  His 2015 debut "Traveler" is certainly a solid debut.  I liked Chris's bluesy approach, gruffer production, and the outlaw sort of character he painted.  Now, I still wasn't really that into some of the more ballad-like tunes like "More of You" and "Daddy Doesn't Pray Anymore".  But tracks like "Was It 26", "Nobody To Blame", and "Parachutes" were good enough to win me over for the most part.  But I sort of just thought this was going to be the start and end of my Chris Stapleton listening.  But what do you know, his early 2017 short and sweet album "From A Room: Volume 1" floated through my headphones a while back, and I loved it.  I continued to love just how grimy and stripped down a lot of these tunes were.  Even Chris's vocals were just so much more powerful than I was used to hearing in modern country.  There were elements of Southern Rock and the Blues, with tracks like "Without Your Love", "Second One To Know", and "Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning" were major standouts.  Now there were still a few slower ballads I wasn't that crazy about.  But still, Chris was seriously pumping out some above average country.  So once again, I sort of thought that I was sort of done listening to Chris Stapleton for a while.  But low and behold, he's back with his second release of the year.  Let's chat about this new album, shall we?

This album starts off with “Millionaire”, a pretty straightforward intro for Chris.  Now, it may just be me, but it just gives me the chills to hear Chris sing duets like this with his wife.  They’re so in sync with one another, and you can really tell he’s doing exactly what he wants to be doing with his albums.  Then we have Chris’s standalone vocals, which obviously aren’t going to be for everyone if you’re not into Country.  But his incredibly gruff, bluesy voice is just so damn smooth.  This is nothing short of an incredibly sweet and charming ballad, with great elements of Southern Rock and Blues Rock.  It’s certainly a little cheesy, but Chris sells it incredibly and you buy every second of it.  It’s just the intro I wanted to hear.  Then we have “Hard Livin’”, and that dirty, groovy Southern Rock element to Chris’s music is just so damn special, you really don’t hear this enough these days.  What I’ve always enjoyed about Chris, is just how unpolished this comes off.  Chris isn’t some Modern Country Pop Star, he’s a rugged Country man and performance like one.  There’s a strong groove in that guitar line, making this one a real Country rocker.  Chris also here starts bringing out that real outlaw vibe that’s just so special, and it’s what I look for in Country.  If Chris’s more ballad tunes aren’t for you, you seriously may want to check this track out.  It’s moments like this that Chris comes off as some Country madman and I love it all.  Now, I honest to God love everything about “Scarecrow In The Garden”.  The bluesy licks and the breezy atmosphere is just so intoxicating.  The pacing on this one, however, is the real key.  Chris doesn’t rush into anything on this one, and it allows him to really go into some incredible detail.  But I continue to love just how stripped down this all comes off.  I don’t like to hear Country that’s all gussied up, I want to hear it in the raw.  And as sweet and as charming as this one is, that’s exactly what I end up getting.  “Scarecrow In The Garden” is one hell of a tune, and Chris’s incredibly passionate performance is incredible. 

    Now, sadly “Nobody’s Lonely Tonight” is a little too stripped down for my liking.  I do still really enjoy a lot of the bluesy vibes to this and just how incredibly somber Chris comes off.  Like, his vocals are just so pained and among this very bare atmosphere, it’s overpowering.  But for me, I would have liked to hear maybe a few more instrumentals here and there.  Maybe it’s just me, but I get chills throughout the entire guitar solo and sort of wanted to hear more of that.  However, I do still think there’s a lot to love within this tune.  Plus, I just love all of the different styles that Chris continues to bring in time after time.  Now, “Tryin’ To Untangle My Mind” to a little while to grow on me.  I’ve always enjoyed the very breezy and smooth instrumentals on this one.  But it’s Chris’s performance that really wasn’t grabbing me at first.  But since then, it’s grown on me a lot, as Chris really brings in a lot of the great Outlaw-Country elements that showed up earlier.  Chris isn’t some glamorous Country superstar, he just comes off as such a damn human that makes mistakes and surely isn’t perfect.  And that right there is just about the biggest reason that this is just such a decent Country album.  Then of course, like I mentioned earlier, some of the freakin’ harmonies between Chris and his wife Morgane Hayes - Stapleton are just chilling.  I do have to say though, a lot like Chris’s earlier work, some of these lighter tunes aren’t grabbing me as much as I would have liked.  I do really enjoy Chris’s very downtrodden and bluesy performance, and I certainly dig how personal this all is.  But some of these lighter and more folk-oriented instrumentals are certainly a little harder to swallow.  However, I give credit where it’s due, Chris’s very personal and down to earth performance once again really knocks it out of the park.

    However, it’s more Southern Rock oriented tunes like “Midnight Train to Memphis” that grab my attention right off the bat.  I mean, it may just be me, but I would really love to hear Chris do an album all in this style.  Here, his outlaw vibe is out of control, and Chris sounds so freakin’ cool in his performance.  There are some really great guitar licks and just this unhinged feeling that you really don’t know what you’re going to hear next.  If there was more Country like this, I actually think more people would appreciate Country music.  Now sadly, I feel like “Drunkard’s Prayer” is one of the weakest tunes here as far as light and bluesy tracks go.  I think Chris’s very personal lyrics once again are very commendable, and the bluesy vibe to this is once again spot on.  But outside of that, this is the biggest snoozer of the album.  Chris’s vocals are solid once again, but I feel like he really is rehashing some of the elements that made some of the earlier ballads so charming and sweet.  But I do see why some would be a whole lot more into this track than me.  On the other hand, the bluesy vibes and soulful guitar licks on “Friendship” reel me in immediately.  While this certainly is maybe a little too cheery for my liking, I feel like Chris does really pull it off and make it a sweet ballad saluting friendship.  It’s not too incredibly deep, but it’s a whole lot more enjoyable than some of the softer tunes here. 

Rating: 7.7/10

Give A Listen To: “Millionaire”, “Scarecrow in the Garden”, “Trying To Untangle My Mind”, “Midnight Train To Memphis”

Genre: Country / Southern Rock / Blues Rock / Outlaw Country / Americana

Overall Thoughts:  Chris Stapleton on his second album of the year does a whole lot more of what he does best.  He takes the modern Country sound gives it the legitimacy that it’s been severely lacking for ages.  The tracks on this album incorporate a heavy Blues element as well as some great Southern Rock.  But I think what makes this album stand out is just how human Chris is.  He’s far from just another Country Star, he comes off like a friend that you want to hear from and catch up with.  I said it before and I’ll say it again if there was more Country like this a whole lot more people would be open to listening to it.

Miguel - War & Leisure

Now when it comes to R&B, I'm incredibly picky.  And when I first heard Miguel back in 2010 with his "All I Want Is You" debut album, I really didn't think anything was going to change.  This album really exemplified everything that I quite frankly didn't get about current R&B.  The production was squeaky clean, the lyrics were cheesy, and Miguel just didn't come off to me as a very interesting character.  There were a few decent tunes here and there, like "All I Want Is You" and "Quickie".  But I couldn't see myself return to Miguel's music anytime soon. But boy was I wrong.  His 2012 album "Kaleidoscope Dream" was beyond anything I could have ever fathomed in the Alternative R&B field.  This album was lush, with beautiful instrumentals often crossing over into Psychedelic Rock territory as well as Alternative Rock.  It was just so ballsy and groundbreaking for the time.  Tracks like "How Many Drinks?" and "Use Me" were still incredibly sleazy, sexy tunes but were packaged so well.  But other tracks like "Kaleidoscope Dream", "The Thrill" and "Don't Look Back" were just so genre-defying.  Instantly, Miguel just sounded like a serious pioneer in Alternative R&B. Miguel continued to expand his lush sound with 2015's "Wildheart".  This album was vibrant, steamy, and even more adventurous.  Tracks like "Coffee", "...goingtohell", and "the valley" were incredibly well-performed sex ballads, with tracks like "leaves", "face the sun",  and "waves" pushed Miguel's sound into Psychedelic Rock, Neo Soul, and other genres.  So, it's been a few years since we've heard from Miguel.  And for the most part, outside of one single that I'll chat about later, the singles have been very solid leading up to this album.  Let's chat about this new Miguel album!

( A personal favorite of mine from Miguel)

   This album starts off with “Criminal”, and it’s a sort of hazy intro with a lot of those Psychedelic Rock influences that Miguel has always toyed with and shined with.  I love all of the effects on Miguel’s vocals, and the way the very hazy beat works its way in.  It’s certainly a little more straightforward than what Miguel usually pushes out.  But there’s still that very starry-eyed, shimmering production, and Miguel’s very laid back and sexual style sounds so crisp over it.   Hell, even Rick Ross of all people sounds totally comfortable and legitimately cool amongst this atmosphere.  Miguel is just always pushing the limits of the R&B genre, and “Criminal” is no different.  I really don’t have anything bad to say about this opening.  The instrumentals are so vibrant and lush, and the atmosphere of this is just so inviting and interesting.  Then we have “Pineapple Skies” which is one of the funkiest and most straightforward R&B tunes that Miguel has ever put together.  It’s not nearly as genre-bending or adventurous as some of his early work, but it’s hazy and sleek, and really sums up Miguel’s style.  I love the very glamorous and breezy production, and while instrumentally this is a little straightforward, Miguel’s very colorful and creative lyrics really make up for that. “Pineapple Skies” is sleek, funky, and if this is Miguel at his most “top 40”, count me in.   “Sky Walker” on the other hand is a whole lot more cloudy and drugged out, which of course is only enhanced by Travis Scott showing up for a verse.  But my lord do these two every have unbelievable chemistry.  In this case, I think the more hazy production is actually really refreshing and welcomed.   Miguel has such a swagger to him and always has, but rarely does it come out as much as it does here.  It’s wonderful, and to be perfectly honest, even Travis Scott sounds like he’s right at home in this atmosphere.  This is the closest that Miguel has ever gotten to a banger, but it’s still wildly colorful, sleek, and certainly funky.  Up next we have “Banana Clip”, and I do have to give credit to Miguel.  So far this has been a whole lot more accessible of an album, but Miguel is such an interesting figure that he’s done wonderfully.  But his influences remain so vast and that helps his sound get so much more vibrant.  I wouldn’t say tracks like this are as adventurous as some of his early work, which is a little disheartening.  But I still think this is a really solid tune, which shows Miguel totally coming out of his shell and belting out some of his most incredible vocals yet.  Not to mention, some of Miguel’s innuendos are seriously clever making for some rather steamy moments.  But that’s what I’m talking about, when someone like Miguel puts in an effort and makes things less blatant, moments like this come off actually seriously steamy (I’m looking right at you Tove Lo).  Not to mention, the hook on this one is gold, what a tune.  

    As this album rolls on Miguel starts to send us some real shots out of left field.  Take for example “Wolf” featuring QUIÑ.  This one has a great, creeping vibe to it, with almost an old-school Noire feel to it.  It’s totally something new for Miguel, but it really works out for him.  This easily could have come off so cheesy and almost gimmicky.  But Miguel’s soulful, almost tortured performance is refreshing.  Not to mention the way he brings in all of these wolf references is seriously creative, giving Miguel even more of a swagger and making him come off so dangerous in a sort of sexy way.  “Wolf” is bluesy and incredibly steamy, and I love it.  “Harem” on the other hand is a much more straightforward ballad which we honestly haven’t heard up until this point.  Fans of Miguel’s earlier work may actually be into this a lot, the way the sort of hay production that dominated some of his earlier work is back.  I love the soulful guitar licks and the jazzy drums that make for a seriously well paced tune.  Once again though, I do have to comment on just how more adventurous his earlier albums have been.  But for a much more straightforward Miguel, this continues to be seriously ahead of the curve.  Also, it’s moments like this where he lets his vocals really go wild that I feel like Miguel knocks it out of the park.  But there are just enough experimental and weird moments, like some of those distorted vocals towards the end that make this a real left-field R&B tune.  Once again, Miguel is really making this more straightforward sound work.   But Miguel does let his guard down with a few late album tracks.  “Told You So” I haven’t been into since the first time I heard it honestly.  This one brings in a heavy Synth Funk element the likes we haven’t really seen from Miguel.  But I’ll be honest, I’m really just not into how synthetic the verses on this one are.  I do like certain elements, like the catchy and anthemic chorus and Miguel’s vocals.  But outside of that, there’s a lot to this track that’s a little awkward for me.  At least in the verses, because like I said that chorus is seriously gold.  But outside of that, I do feel like I have not nearly as much to talk about when it comes to this track, especially compare to other tunes here.  On the other hand “City Of Angels” with it’s sleek instrumental right off the bat is brilliant.  Now, this album has certainly been more political than usual for Miguel.  But he’s done it in a very tasteful way that makes me really not mind it at all.  Miguel’s performance on this one is warm and heartfelt.  You just feel listening to tracks like this are very new for Miguel are close to his heart.  I love just how pulsating this one is and how seriously intense the drums come off, making for one of the most epic tunes I’ve ever heard from Miguel.  

    “Caramelo Duro” brings back that Synth Funk vibe that we heard earlier with a vengeance.  And let me tell you, it’s strong.  However, all I have to say is COME ON.  I feel like once again, the verses here are just so cheesy and awkward.  And I’m not sure what the hell Miguel is doing to his voice for most of this tune, but I’m not feeling it at all.  Outside of that, I certainly do have to give this one some credit.  The funk is real, and my chubby ass us certainly up swaying.  I think this much more funky side to Miguel is an interesting side to him that can easily go better in the future.  Until then, this one just isn’t solid in my book.  Which leads me to “Come Though and Chill”, featuring J. Cole.  Oh J. Cole, we meet again.  Let me just say that this track is so bad that I really had no interest in the rest of this album.  J. Cole once again is just so lifeless in his performance as far as I’m concerned.  He just sucks out the little life this track had.  But I can’t place the blame completely on J. Cole because this instrumental as a whole is just so safe and bland.  Even when Miguel pops in for this hook, this is a far cry from how pleasant and ambitious the rest of the album has been.  As a matter of fact, the bulk of this tune is the reason that modern R&B is just so boring.  There really isn’t a single silver lining on this one sadly.   Now, when I heard the booming bass on “Anointed” I really wasn’t expecting to be into this one either.  But Miguel’s adventurous side is really starting to come out in a big way.  I love how Miguel here is bringing in some more of his eclectic instrumentals and some seriously sexy bars.  All of the symbolism in this one is once again just so clever, sort of like what we heard earlier on “Banana Clip”.  It’s just so creative and ends up being sexy as hell.  Outside of that, this is by-the-books Miguel in the best way.  His vocals are at their peak, the atmosphere is steamy, I have nothing bad to say.  This album ends off with “Now, which sort of reminds me of some of the more Rock-oriented tunes towards the end of his last album.  It’s got that very Flower Child and “Free Love” feel, things that Miguel has always toyed with.  It’s just so awesome to hear him belt out these balls and ends off the album with so much hope and passion.  

Rating: 8.4/10

Give A Listen To:  "Criminal", "Sky Walker", "Wolf", "City Of Angels"

Genre: R&B / Alternative R&B / Neo Soul / Psychedelic Rock 

Overall Thoughts:  Miguel for years has been Alternative R&B's most adventurous and exciting act.  And while at first glance this album may seem like an album that's a little more straightforward, Miguel is still just as wildly creative as ever.  The tunes here are funkier and sexier than ever, which is saying something, because he's pumped out some pretty steamy material in the past.  And on top of that, his clever songwriting and incredible vocals.  While I do wish he brought in a little bit more of his lavish instrumentals and maybe a few more guests that fit his style, I think this is another truly unbelievable representation to why Miguel is the superstar he is.  

Bjork - Utopia

Now, I don't get to say this too often.  But, Bjork is an absolute legend.  In 1993 she burst onto the scene with "Debut", a surprisingly artsy and impressive Electronic album for its time.  Tracks like "Big Time Sensuality" as well as "There's More To Life Than This" are easy to love, accessible modern Dance tracks.  But Bjork has always had a way of spinning them in a way that they feel so Alien, so foreign, keeping her style incredibly fresh.  But some of the later tunes were interesting as well.  Tracks like "One Day" and "Come To Me" were much slower, more experimental tunes.  There were plenty of elements of World Music, Jazz, Downtempo, and seemingly endless more, with plenty of Art Pop and Art Rock vibes as well.  So this sort of goes without saying, but "Debut" was huge for Bjork.  Now, up next Bjork released "Post" in 1995.  This album was a completely different animal in every way.  Right from the opening notes, it's obvious that this album isn't nearly as ear-grabbing and instantly gratifying.  But tracks like "It's Oh So Quiet" and "Isobel - Family Tree Version" was just so haunting and really got into my head.  Bjork's vocals were so commanding, and the instrumentals she chose were incredibly lavish.  It's an album you have to sit with, but is it ever stunning.  What I needed however was an instantly classic from Bjork, which is what I got on her 1997 stunner "Homogenic".  This album was filled with the usual elements of Art Pop and Downtempo with tons of other elements thrown in.  But the instrumentals on this album were incredibly jaw-dropping.  They were lavish and seemingly pristine, giving us classic tunes like "5 Years" and "Joga".  But of course, Bjork remained the star, as her haunting wails helped paint these incredible portraits.  Now, with 2001's "Vespertine" I did feel a little underwhelmed.  Tracks like "Undo" and "Hidden Place" were solid gold, and some of Bjork's sweetest tracks yet.  But tracks like "Aurora" and "Pagan Poetry" just really came off as so overblown, and worst of all unfocused.  Thankfully, Bjork bounced back strong with her most wild and experimental album to date.  2004's "Medulla" is a big undertaking, and is made up of beats made of human voices and mostly features Bjork a cappella.  Obviously, this was a huge risk for her.  But the result is serene, highly experimental, beautiful, and proves that Bjork truly is a fearless musician.  Bjork took another BIG risk on her next album "Volta" by heavily indulging in World Music and bringing it into her style.  Now on paper, that sounded awesome.  But the songs on this album were just so long and unfocused, and most of them outside one or two just came off sloppy.  Bjork once again really went for quite the gamble with her "iPad produced" 2011 album "Biophilia".  Now this album isn't complete trash, and there are a handful of seriously enjoyable tunes.  But after this long string of experiments, I was really just ready to hear Bjork go back to being herself.  And oh boy, did she ever.  Her 2015 album "Vulnicura" was the album that I wanted to hear Bjork do.  Her singing was so passionate, the song structures were immaculate, and this album was just so incredibly classy.  Tracks like "Black Lake", while they're almost 10 minutes long, are worth more than a few listens.  Bjork really seemed to be back on track.  So it's been a few years since we've heard from Bjork.  Now these opening singles have been really interesting, but I'm really interested in hearing them in context with the rest of the album. Let's chat about this new Bjork album!

This album starts off with “Arisen My Sense”, and this is really everything I wanted to hear from a Bjork intro.  This is absolutely stunning, rivaling just how serene and colorful “Vulnicura” was in moments.  But I think that Arca’s production really does add just a small bit of an edge to this.  It’s nothing crazy, but maybe this isn’t as beautiful underneath as it is on the surface.  “Arisen My Senses” is beautiful, but it’s also intense in a weird way.  As far as Bjork goes, your damn right she’s on top of her game.  I honestly feel like with age she’s gotten more and more comfortable with her vocals.  And the result is that every time I end up hearing her, she sounds more over-the-top and stunning than usual.  Hell yes, this is an eye-opening intro, I just really hope she can keep it up.   “Blissing Me” is up next, and it’s becoming apparent just how delicate this album is no matter how much Arca does to spice things up a bit.  And this track here is one of the most delicate and angelic sounding of the bunch.  It’s sweet and certainly pleasant.  But nothing about this one, since I first heard it a while back, as really reached out and grabbed me and made me come back for another listen.  I still think it’s an OK track, the instrumentals are sweet as ever and haunting.  But I’ve just heard Bjork give us plenty of more interesting performances.  I do however, continue to really love Arca’s production, and just how uneasy this track is.  On the other hand, “The Gate” is sort of mesmerizing right off the bat.  Trust me, it’s just as fragile-sounding and sweet all around.  But between the absolutely chilling atmosphere, featuring ghoulish vocal samples and uneasy ambience paired up with Bjork’s chilling performance, this one sticks with you.  I love just how quiet this one is, and how alone Bjork really comes off.  It’s moments like this that really make me think she was on to something with this album’s concept.  Her performance is just as hypnotic as it was on some of her classic albums.  But like I said, these atmospheres continue to make this a real shout out of left field from Bjork.  “The Gate” is whimsical and fantasy-oriented, but it still has just enough bite.  The flute continues to be a huge part of this album with it’s title track “Utopia”, and I’m just fine with that. It really brings in a sense of vulnerability to this album.  But with every sweet flute solo and airy atmosphere, it’s Arca’s performance underneath that keeps you questioning what the hell you’re actually listening to.  Bjork sure does take her time coming in on this one, but it is worth it for the most part.  “Utopia” overall is one that once again has plenty to like, from the production and the instrumentals that I’ve chatted about, to Bjork’s once again very haunting performance.  But while I’ve enjoyed this one the first few times I’ve heard it this one has lessened on me over time.  This is the first time here that I’ve noticed this great disconnect between Arca and Bjork.  His production and Bjork’s performance just seem to be on a completely different planet.  It adds to just how uneasy this one comes off, but at the end of the day I’m just not feeling it. On the other hand, “Body Memory” has a real sense of intrigue and mystery that immediately draws me in.  Even Bjork’s usual sort of chilling performance seems so much more punchy and aggressive.  Arca’s production here takes a major backseat here, only bringing to the table some ambient sounds.  The strings here are powerful, the flute adds to the serious mystique of everything, and Bjork ends up bringing out one of her most powerful performances here.  Now, “Body Memory” is about 10 minutes long.  But, to be honest, it’s one of the most accessible and interesting listens here.  As it goes on, Arca becomes more and more prevalent, bringing in the same chilling beats he has been dishing out for years.  But it’s Bjork’s flooring performance that’s the star on this one and it really doesn’t let up.  It’s an empowering performance from Bjork, and it’s incredible really.

    The very chilling vibe of this album continues with “Features Creatures”.  Now, this is supposed to be Bjork’s “Tinder” album of sorts, but Arca has a real way of making things a whole lot more twisted.  This one in a bizarre way is really sweet in Bjork’s own way, with this very adorable story of meeting a guy.  Instrumentally though this one is dead.  Not enough to completely make this one a toss away, but still it’s disheartening.  But what aggravates me is that once again I feel like Arca and Bjork are on different planets as far as performance goes.  I just feel like “Features Creatures” could have been a whole lot punchier, but Bjork’s performance still makes this one solid.  Then we have the much more off-kilter and bizarre “Courtship” which has a seriously striking intro.  It’s one of the strangers and more vibrant tracks here, and it really makes you question what you’re listening to.  But Bjork really strings it together well.  Her vocals on “Courtship” are so strong and whimsical, and Arca’s usual way to string together an uneasy atmosphere is at its peak here.  The tracks on this album are far from easy to digest, and often take a lot of listens.  But Bjork still certainly has a lot left in the tank.  I just sort of wish this album was a little more focused as a whole. I do really love the serene atmosphere on a lot of these tracks though, so there certainly a big reason to like this.  Tracks like “Loss” on the other hand, however, continue to catch my interest immediately.  Personally, I really love the tracks on here where Arca’s more chilling production and beats come off more forward.  But once again, why is it that I can’t shake the feeling that on a lot of these tunes Bjork and Arca have vastly different ideas.  They both sound fine in their own right, and there are some really stunning moments here.  But I just feel like this could have been more if this was a little more focused.  Also, why is this track almost 7 minutes long?  It’s really not necessary.  But, I do like the much more abrasive production as well as Bjork’s performance.  Tracks like “Sue Me” however, not only catch my interest, they keep it too.  The production on this track is mind-blowing and quite frankly, out of control.  Not to mention, for one it doesn’t seem like Bjork is racing to keep up with Arca.  On “Sue Me”, they mesh together wonderfully, making for a track that’s not only intense, but also charming and beautiful.  It’s also probably the most out of control and artsy track here, with the beat constantly shifting behind Bjork.  Yes, it’s a little messy, but it’s vibrant legitimately wild as well.  On the other hand, “Tabula Rasa” takes a nice step back in the much more quaint direction we heard earlier.  But as far as pleasant tunes go, this is one of the sweetest here by far.  On this one, I don’t really miss Arca’s booming, eerie beats, and I’m completely enamored with Bjork’s performance.  It almost sounds like she’s in some animated Disney movie and singing wishing some woods with a bunch of animal surrounding her. “Tabula Rasa” is lovely, and I love just how passionate her performance is all around.

    Now, “Claimstaker’ has the sort of very creeping vibe right off the bat that absolutely screams Arca.  It’s almost done to a fault though, as this track really doesn’t sound like it was tailor-made for Bjork.  Just the opposite actually, it sort of sounds like she grabbed an old instrumental of his, added some strings and said go.  There are elements to this that are actually breathtaking and beautiful, but it’s moments like this that I just feel like Bjork isn’t as focused as she could be.  On the other hand, “Paradisa” is incredibly lovely and almost euphoric.  For all of the moments here that Bjork has seemed a little unfocused, this just shows that she really still has tons left in the tank.  Even though this is less than a 2-minute instrumental, I’m absolutely enchanted by it.   To be honest, quite a few of these later tracks are incredibly sweet and charming, like “Saint”.  While I think I would have liked to hear a few of these tunes on a separate project and have Arca work his magic maybe a little bit more, I really can't complain.  There’s still a ton of danger lurking behind all of this tenderness though, especially in that very twisted, thumping electronic bass.  Even Bjork herself on this one seems so colorful and full of life.  It’s moments like this that make me so happy that Bjork is still with us and still making music after all of these years.  This album reaches its finale with “Future Forever”, which starts off just as whimsical and starry-eyed as the last few tunes, but I’m not sure how I feel about this very bare atmosphere.  Bjork’s performance here is genuinely heartfelt which is wonderful.  And the production is certainly spot on, making for some really incredible atmospheres.  But why is there still just such a damn disconnect?  I know this album technically isn’t a collaboration or anything, so I can’t harp on it too much.  But it’s more than that, I just feel like there’s such a huge gap between what Arca is doing with the production and what Bjork had in mind.  While this album is still very solid, that’s still a problem. 

Rating: 7.7/10

Give A Listen To: “Arisen My Senses”, “The Gate”, “Body Memory”, "Sue Me"

Genre: Electronic / Experimental / Baroque Pop

Overall Thoughts:  I’m sort of torn on this one.  I think that there are a lot of really great moments here that remind us of just how incredible of an artist Bjork is.  Not to mention, she seems still just so full of ideas and at a creative peak.  But as far as little details go, there are a few hiccups here.  There are tracks that are just a little too breezy or maybe a little too long.  Not to mention, there are one too many moments on here that Bjork and producer Arca seem to be on different planets as far as their ideas go.  Overall though, this is still a very good Bjork album.  

His Electro Blue Voice - "Mental Hoop"

Oh boy, now this is a band that I wasn't expecting to be so excited for.  His Electro Blue Voice is a duo from Italy whose music quite frankly seems to be boundless.  The first time I heard some of their early EP's I wasn't that blown away.  I wasn't really into their heavier sound, and I thought the production was iffy.  On the other hand, their 2013 debut "Ruthless Sperm" from start to finish was one hell of a trip.  There were elements of Punk Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Krautrock, Indie Rock, and about 20 other genres flowing in and out as rapidly as they were piling up.  It's a wild album, one that doesn't take too long to get going either.  And at 34 minutes, it really doesn't stay too long either.  "Ruthless Sperm" is an absolutely wild album, one that quite frankly has left me speechless.  Now, I didn't get a chance to listen to the singles released from this album beforehand, so we're diving in headfirst!

“Pool Cleaner” starts us off, and I’m gonna keep this short and sweet.  I have no idea what they were thinking with this whimsical, cheery instrumental to start of, but it’s not a good time for me.  On the other hand, “Ice Skull” is much more like it.  The guitars here are driving in this very intense way, and I just love the ferocity around the band’s shouted vocals.  The intensity of this is what really sells this one for me, however.  I mean, this is almost like “Nonagon Infinity” era of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard with it’s throttling madness.  These guys just really seem like they’re a fearless and exciting force in Post Punk, and I love that.  The vocals on “Ice Skull” are almost cheesy and shrieked ridiculously through the background, and you’re god damn right they’re a blast.  Everything about this one is in your face and explosive.  The production is grimy, the attitude is rebellious, this is much more of what I expected on every level.  And the way it all just concludes with this mass of noise, it’s brilliant boys.  “Scum Rat” on the other hand has a completely different flavor to it.  I love the thumping bass that brings out more of a Post-Punk flavor, and the intense guitars that follow.  But I think what really continues to bring me down to this are the vocals, there’s nothing fancy or sweet about them, they’re just so UGH slapping you right in the face with each belted out lyric.  This one brings in a whole lot more Noise Rock into the mix, with solo after solo and wonderful distortion everywhere.  But that Krautrock influence has also shown up by now, and that’s what really takes these guys to the next level.  There’s a level of hypnotism to this band the like of which I really haven’t seen in ages.  I mean, the way I get sucked into that bass groove and hazy guitar line, it’s actually incredible.  His Electro Blue Voice has a ridiculous sound, and the way they’re able to really flesh this track out over 4 minutes is truly brilliant. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx7lFRbLOyw

    This album continues on with “Jaws”, and there’s something incredibly Old School about these guys that I can’t quite place my finger on, but it’s brilliant.  In a way, they really remind me of a lot of the Hardcore Punk acts of the 80’s, the way they’re giving it 100% and not giving a shit how it comes out.  This one almost has a groove with its very melodic guitar line.  It’s messy, very D.I.Y., and the intensity of this record hasn’t slowed down one bit.  The vocals are a little more questionable here, being masked behind this wall of distortion.   But if that’s my only complaint, and it is, His Electro Blue Voice are still on to something.  On the other hand, “Crystal Mind” has a much more current sound when it comes to Post Punk, and could easily go with bands like Iceage or Protomartyr.  But it packs a real punch in the attitude of the vocals and the continued intensity of some of these instrumentals.  “Crystal Mind” is easily one of the most crushing, throttling tunes here.  Not to mention, I just love the growl that comes with their vocals, it’s such an easy detail but it does so much.  When this track gets really revved up, some of these sonic verses really become mesmerizing.  The way these guys continue to blend all these very harsh genres continue to be really quite mesmerizing.   If His Electro Blue Voice came out with a little bit of a longer album, I can only imagine what they can accomplish.  Now, up next is the other interlude we get here, “Pool Painter”, and usually I really wouldn’t complain about these sorts of interludes.  But this really just messes up a lot of the flow of the album and just rehashes what the album started with and I’m not sure why.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smOHNrPsx40

    “Earthworm” is up next, and because that interlude proceeding it was so goofy and out of place, it really does sort of tamper with the start of this one.  Sure, this one is just as crushing and intense.  But I’ll be damned if the intro just doesn’t seem as punchy and the flow of this album seems faltered.  I do like the very over-the-top vocals and the brutally sludgy guitars, but I can’t get over just how off everything seems.  On the other hand, “The Wizz” with its hypnotic bass and Punk inspired guitars gets me back on track quickly.  This is the sort of triumphant tune I was dying to hear for the last few tracks.  The vocals here just seems so strangely melodic even though they’re just as harsh and rebellious.  This is the sound of His Electro Blue Voice, it’s mean and rough around the edges, but still strangely unified and joyous no matter how disgusting it is.  “The Wizz” rules in every way, shape, and form.  His Electro Blue Voice decide to end this off with a 13-minute finale in the form of “Onieut”.  The guitars on this one are much tamer and sludgy, but His Electro Blue Voice still remain heavy as hell.  As a matter of fact, this is easily the most hellish tune on the entire album.  It’s just so dense and dark and while the guitars are much more structured they’re just as noisy and grimy.  The way this track is just constantly building and getting bigger is seriously hypnotic.  “Onieut” never really seems to end, building up with solo after solo, wild instrumentals constantly, and hypnotic lips.  It’s the only way that this group could have really properly ended this album.  

Rating: 7.9/10

Give A Listen To: “Ice Skull”, “Scum Rat”, “Crystal Mind”, “The Wizz”

Genre: Post Punk / Punk Rock / Noise Rock / Krautrock / About 10 other genres 

Overall Thoughts:  Now I know I was very picky with this album.  But those two dumbass instrumental interludes really sort of messed up the flow of this album for me in a big way.   However, outside of that, these guys continue to be one of the most interesting acts in Post Punk.  The tracks here are aggressive, hypnotic, and strangely triumphant at the same time.  Not to mention, His Electro Blue Voice seem to constantly be changing genres and blending new ones in a very exciting way.  Hell yes this is a solid Post-Punk album. 

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - "Who Built The Moon?"

Ok, OK, so I've always been very wary going into side projects.  They're always just so hit and miss, and almost never like the band, they've originally stemmed from.  I've always been even warier going into side projects stemming from band's that hit close to my heart, like Oasis!  That's where Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds come in, featuring, of course, Noel Gallagher of Oasis fame.  So, that being said, the band's 2011 self-titled debut was underwhelming.  There were a solid handful of good tunes here, like "Everybody's On The Run", "AKA...Broken Arrow", and "If I Had A Gun...".  But a lot of these deep cuts quite frankly pretty awkward.  Noel often went for a very hip, current Indie sound that he sounded like he was trying way too hard to fit into, and I really never expected to hear much more from this offshoot band.  However, High Flying Birds next album, 2015's "Chasing Yesterday" was a HUGE step up.  Noel seemed to drop all the gimmicks here and was just working with a sound that you could tell he was so much more comfortable with.  The result, yes indeed often sounded like Oasis spin-off tracks.  But tracks like "The Mexican", "The Dying of the Light", and "In The Heat Of The Moment" were pleasant Alternative Rock tunes.  I don't think there was a single second on here that showed Noel really pushing any boundaries.  But it was indeed very pleasant to listen to.  Now, Noel is seriously taking High Flying Birds in a totally new direction and that's become clear by these opening singles.  Some of them I'm actually really excited by, some I'm sort of hoping will grow on me more.  Let's chat about this new High Flying Birds album!

This album starts off with “Fort Knox”, which when I heard outside of the context of the album, it certainly confused me.  Now, I do like the real sense of urgency this one brings to the table, it really makes me feel like Noel has a purpose this time around.  The instrumentals do all sound solid and the production is very glamorous as you would expect.  Now, as far as the vocals and Noel’s lyrics go on this one, I’m really on the fence.  Mostly because I feel like this track should either have been a full instrumental.  But no, we get these random short bursts of vocals that quite frankly seem a little incomplete.  I still think this one is alright, but this was released as a damn single, and as far as that goes this misses the mark. In the album’s context, it leads us into the album nicely, but outside of that, this is a little half-assed.   On the other hand, “Holy Mountain” really took me by surprise.  Now, this may be one of the most commercial and Pop-Oriented rock tunes I’ve heard all year.  But I’ll be damned if Noel can write a catchy hook.  This track is really something special, having a strong groove that honestly has me up and swaying around.  It’s groovy, sort of psychedelic, and has that old school tinge to it that I once went nuts for with Oasis.  Noel sounds completely rejuvenated and full of energy for once, which is really nice to hear.  Not to mention, I just love how punchy this it.  While the production on “Holy Mountain” does remain squeaky clean, this is a great tune.  Noel once again seems to have a major purpose.   The very punchy, cleanly produced tunes continue with “Keep On Reaching”.  I love just how bluesy this is, and just how classy these group choruses come off.  It almost has a Gospel or Soul undertone, which comes off really nicely.  Noel continues to have so much energy which I haven’t been able to say in years, we’re only a few tracks in and this is easily the most youthful he’s sounded since the glory days of Oasis.  “Keep On Reaching” also has a very whimsical tone to it which is really nice.  Now, I don’t really completely get the conceptual theme of this album, and the little I do get is bizarre let me tell you.  But it gives this album a purpose that Noel hasn’t had in years, and that makes me happy.  This album continues to have a very whimsical and almost Psychedelic feel with “It’s A Beautiful World”.  I absolutely love Noel’s very smokey vocals on this one, but it’s more than that.  This track just comes off so vast and wide sounding, I haven’t heard Noel within this much of a free atmosphere seemingly in forever.  Now, I’m not really that into some of the vocal effects on the chorus, I think there are a few times on this track that Noel is just trying a little too hard to be spacey.  But I still think Noel can seriously write an unbelievably catchy hook.  So far, outside of that hit-or-miss intro, this album has been stunning and invigorating for Noel.  I have no idea where the story is going, but this is still wonderful.

 
    “She Taught Me How To Fly” continues on with the very hazy, Psychedelic vibes of this album.  This one is a little less punchy and more laid back, and to be honest, this is sort of a down point in the album for me.  It’s just a little too bizarre, with one too many effects here and there, and more of a slightly unfocused atmosphere.  BUT, Noel does combat that nicely with writing one of the catchier tunes here, and his performance is still heartfelt and incredibly passionate.  I mean, this album really reinventing anything for Noel?  Absolutely not, far from it.  But I honestly can’t remember the last time I heard Noel more comfortable with what he was performing.  It’s sweet and heartfelt, and while I do wish the instrumental was a little more focused, “She Taught Me How To Fly” really isn’t bad.  “Be Careful What You Wish For” on the other hand has a more stripped down bluesy sound, and man is it ever cool.  I love the very smokey vibe to this one, and while this instrumental may just be the most straightforward here, it’s focused.   Noel’s performance on this one really knocks it out of the park, easily being the coolest and most refreshing vocal performances I’ve heard from him in ages.  The very hazy feel to this album continues, and there are certainly still plenty of psychedelic influences floating through the background as well as some seriously solid backing vocals.  As far as the concept of this album goes, I’m still just about as anyone can be.  But for a downtrodden, bluesy track, “Be Careful What You Wish For” is killer.  But after just how dreary that last one was, “Black & White Sunshine” is just the tune I wanted to hear.  This one is punchy and energetic, and almost sounds like a really decent lost, Oasis tune.  The instrumentals on this one are stunning, and Noel’s booming performance is just tugging at my heartstrings.  I had no idea that some Sci-Fi Psych epic was the answer to getting Noel’s career back on track and producing tunes that see complete, but whatever works man.  “Black & White Sunshine” is a joyous and incredible tune, and I hope we hear more like this in the future.  Now, I don’t really have anything bad to say about "Interlude (Wednesday Part 1)”.  This is a smooth acoustic interlude, and because it’s 2-minutes long it actually goes somewhere.  Now yes, it does sound like a bizarre carbon copy of Eminem’s “Stan”, but I don’t mind it.  It’s sweet, and while it doesn’t really advance the plot, it’s pleasant to listen to. 

    “If Love is the Law” brings us into this album’s final leg.  These strangely joyous and upbeat tunes continue to be really something special, let me tell you, mostly because it just gives Noel so much life.  It’s something he’s lacked the last few years, and it’s great to hear.  I love just how vibrant the instrumental is here, and just how gigantic and anthemic the chorus comes off.  Once again, the concept of this album seems to be getting more bizarre by the minute, but whatever works for you Noel.  Not to mention, there are so many great genres clashing on this one in such a vibrant way, it’s wonderful honestly.  Then we have “The Man Who Built The Moon”, which is a monolithic, slow and heavy tune out of nowhere.  It’s completely over the top, but it’s just the sort of big risk I don’t mind hearing.  Noel’s once again Bluesy performance brings this one down a few notches though.  I love just how melodic these verses and chorus come off, and just how dreary this one is.  But it still remains pretty damn catchy.  “The Man Who Built The Moon” is a little goofy, and if this ties in with the narrative I’m completely lost at this point.  But, this is still a really solid tune and is a really interesting late album surprise.  This album ends off with "End Credits (Wednesday Part 2)”, and sadly this one really doesn’t come off as pleasant as the album’s first instrumental interlude.  It’s still pleasurable to listen to, and it’s sweet and breezy.  But they really just took that other interlude and completely rehashed it.  I’m just a little let down by this finale sadly.  Overall though, this is a really solid late-career album from Noel, showing he has a lot left in the tank. 

Rating: 7.9/10

Give A Listen To: “Holy Mountain”, “If Love Is The Law”, “Be Careful What You Wish For”, “Black & White Sunshine”

Genre: Alternative Rock / Psychedelic Rock

Overall Thoughts: I'll be honest, I thought this was going to be just another toss-away album showing Noel trying to desperately crawl his way back into the limelight.  But to be honest, this is a bold collection of songs that show Noel getting into brave new territory.  While the concept behind this album is a little wonky and hard to follow, it's given Noel the purpose that his last two records completely lacked. 

The Body and Full of Hell - "Ascending A Mountain Of Heavy Light"

Full of Hell and The Body are both some of the most interesting and unique acts in Metal right now.  I first got into Full Of Hell around the time of their "Roots of Earth Are Consuming My Home" album.  This album was wretched and gruesome, and showed right off the bat that Full Of Hell weren't scared to push Metal boundaries.  The production on this album wasn't outrageously bold, but it sounded like the band was performing directly from Hell.  There were elements of Hardcore Punk, Grindcore, Powerviolence, as well as old school Heavy Metal.  And while this album wasn't perfect, I certainly wanted to hear more.  On their 2013 album "Rudiments of Mutilation", Full Of Hell remained constant on their ongoing, full throttle trip to hell with some of the most ridiculous brutal Grindcore around.  This album was a whopping 24 minutes, but it was packed with character and memorable performances.  Not to mention, instrumentals so rough they would knock your teeth out.   Then, earlier this year Full of Hell released "Trumpeting Ecstasy".  Spoiler alert, it's one of my favorite metal albums of the year.  This album is by far the most concrete, explosive and concise release of the Full of Hell catalog.  This album is only about 23 minutes long, but it's just damn brutal, with tracks like "Crawling Back To God" seriously standing out.  That's Full of Hell, but The Body on the other hand, are a completely different animal.  While Full of Hell have always sounded like tortured demons straight from Hell, The Body have always come across as even more tortured.  Right from their sluggish beginnings on their 2012 self-titled album, The Body were ridiculously heavy.  They were making Doom metal that was just so dirty and Sludgy.  But the vocals The Body provided were always just so fucking piercing that for a while I didn't know how to even take them.  But over time, they've grown on me, and their debut album is a solid introduction to this duo.  However, it became pretty obvious very fast that The Body were a truly fearless duo ready for constant experimentation.  Their next release, "All the Waters of the Earth Turn to Blood" is a truly far out Metal album.  Believe it or not, it's a collaboration with the Assembly of Light Choir.  And this album, I really don't want to spoil.  It's brutal and awesome, but I can assure you it takes tons of patience.  The Body's next release, "Christs Redeemers" once again, took a whole lot of patience, bringing in a lot of the same influences as they had on their last two releases.  But it was becoming quickly apparent that The Body were truly fearless in Metal.   The Body's next full length album, is one of my favorites of theirs, a collaboration with producer The Haxan Cloak, "I Shall Die Here".  This is The Body's most experimental and far out album to date.  Combining suffocating and production that's overwhelming, The Body created an album that is seriously almost a little too dark and depressing.  But it's still just another reason that The Body are one of the most Experimental and Genre-Defying acts in Metal right now.  Then in 2016 The Body released "No One Deserves Happiness", arguably their most experimental album to date.  This album had electronic passages, stunning vocal guests, chilling spoken word pieces and more, all revolving around The Body's sluggish Doom Metal.  Once again, The Body seemed fearless.  During all of this between Full of Hell and The Body's careers, they also got famous for their split EP efforts with other bands like Code Orange and Nails.  But in 2016, they came together for "One Day You Will Ache Like I Ache", an all-out assault on your soul and your ears. All bets were off with this one, and you could literally hear anything at any given moment.  Tracks like "Cain" and "Gehorwilt" were just so explosive and exciting.  There were some times where I wished that the band's more experimental sides would come out.  But overall, I loved this album.  And not for nothing, but the production on this album was brilliant.  Now, i thought that would be a one-off project between these two acts.  But Full of Hell and The Body are back.  And from the sound of it, this is literally exactly what I wanted to hear from them, a much more experimental and unconventional sound.  Let's talk about this album!

This album starts off with “Light Penetrates”, and The Body and Full of Hell are actually really taking their time with this very ominous and noisy intro.  it really has me on the edge of my seat though.  Oddly enough, some of those bizarre synths are actually quite colorful.  Then we have of course the legendary shrieked vocals of The Body’s Chip King roll in, and all of a sudden I’m in this hazy, psychedelic and violent metal atmosphere that’s just not what I expected.  It’s twisted, but it’s also almost beautiful in a way.  Chip’s vocals clearly aren’t for everyone, and if you haven’t liked them in the past, this is going to be no different.  Now, While this may not be the prettiest metal track I’ve heard all year, it’s majestic and grand in it’s own vicious way.  Then of course we have the bizarre jazzy breakdown towards the end which is oddly really exciting and wild.  “Light Penetrates” just further proves just how groundbreaking these two artists really are.   “Earth is a Cage” is up next, and I love just how industrial and throttling this one comes off.  There’s not patient intro here, just pulsing drums, heavy guitars, and legendary Full of Hell shrieks of Dylan Walker.  It’s intense, nonstop, and most of all an all-out-assault on your ears.  But as straightforward as this one is, it still seems so far ahead of the curve.   It’s melodic almost in a really strange way, and this is certainly going to be one for your “Pumping Iron” playlists.  But like I said, as straightforward of a tune for Full of Hell and The Body this is, this continues to sound just so vast and vivid.  They chose the right freakin’ album cover for this one let me tell you, because this is one of the most oddly vibrant metal releases I’ve heard all year.   Then we have “The King Laid Bare”, and I really have to hand it to these two.  These atmospheres are just so by-the-books and obvious sounding.  But with these two highly experimental bands working together, they really have come through and created some of the most hellish atmospheres I’ve heard all year.  Like, this is literally early 90’s Nine Inch Nails level of hell here.   I love just how abrasive every instrumental comes off, there’s certainly nothing polished about this one.  And when the more pounding instrumentals come in, it just gets more and more brutal.  Also, I love how Full of Hell’s Dylan Walker is almost constantly just in the background screaming his head off, making this one even more tortured.  But one thing I really have to commend Full of Hell and The Body on, is just how intricate these instrumentals are.  There is constantly something happening, and seemingly endless instrumentals all coming off at once.  “The King Laid Bare” continues to be wild and incredibly entertaining.  “Didn’t The Night End” is up next, and I just love how ugly this one starts with these grimy vocals and pulsating instrumentals.  But the real star on this one is the pacing.  This is easily one of the most expertly crafted metal tunes I’ve heard all year.  It’s just so easy too, with those banging gongs in the background and these industrial synths.  It all just seems so obvious, but with these two modern Metal legends coming together for this, it’s near perfection.  This is one of the most chaotic tracks here, with each instrumental seemingly just bleeding into one another constantly.  The vocals all around sound absolutely tortured, like they’re trapped in Hell and begging for forgiveness.  But by the sound of everything around them, they aren’t going anywhere. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8cRs9rGWYE

    “Our Love Conducted with Shields Aloft” starts off the second half of this album, and the unbelievable pacing on this album continues with this very wicked, pounding intro that really gets me excited.  But that’s what makes The Body and Full of Hell so good, they’re masters at setting a mood.  The very vast instrumental palette of this album continues with these very wild drums that seem almost Jazz influenced.  But the sheer force of everything around them is enough to bring everything down (WAY down to Hell that is).  Now, “Our Love Conducted with Shields Aloft” isn’t as oddly melodic as some of the early tunes here, but it’s still as explosive and expressive as this album has been.  These two artists just seem to keep pushing forward, no matter what it takes to push the boundaries of just how noisy and brutal their music can be.  Now, I do wish this track was maybe a little more structured, but still, it’s solid, mostly because of just how wild and out of control the playing is. “Master’s Story” on the other hand ushers back in the pulsating beats and jazzy drums like we heard earlier, as well as Dylan Walker taking lead vocal duties again.  In a really bizarre way, it’s tracks like this that remain bizarrely catchy, and seriously memorable.  As far as an instrumentally dense track goes, this is one of the lighter ones here.  At least at the start, because eventually these ridiculously heavy guitars come crashing in, and instantly this one is an all-out Doom assault.  This album, however, is more than just two of the most wildly experimental current Metal artists.  It’s a celebration of every great Metal genre that’s come about in the last few years, and it’s oddly beautiful.  “Master’s Story” is just so damn intense, but it remains so vast and free sounding like this was an actual recording from another dimension.  Then we have tracks like “Farewell, Man”, which bring in a slight Sludge metal influence underneath all of this Grindcore.  But that’s beside the point, this track is as intense and as in-your-face as any other tune here.  It’s messy and tortured,  but it’s also still incredibly dense sounding with seemingly infinite instrumentals coming at you from every angle.  “Farewell Man” is another one for your “Pumping Iron” playlist folks, with its sluggish drums and crushing guitars.  But no matter how brutal this all is, I dare you to try and look away.  This album ends off with “I Did Not Want To Love You So”, and they haven’t made a single easy or accessible tune yet, so why start now?  This track right off the bat is crushing and noisy, and maybe the most experimental thing here, am sot to a fault.  I still think as far as these two go they still have done an unbelievable job with this track creating a truly twisted and ugly atmosphere to get lost in. I do wish this one was maybe a little more structured, but that’s really my only complaint.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXcdG4lKLtg

Rating: 8.4/10

Give  A Listen To: “Earth In A Cage”, “Didn’t The Night End”, “Master’s Story”, “Farewell, Man”

Genre: Grindcore / Industrial / Sludge Metal / Experimental Metal / Noise

Overall Thoughts:  Now I honestly thought we weren’t going to hear another collaboration between these two any time soon, let alone one that’s just so good.  The two bands first collaboration album was very good, but this new one blows it out of the water in every way.  It’s explosive and dense, with hellish atmospheres and truly twisted vocals.  But it’s all done on such a vast palette that makes this all almost psychedelic and strangely colorful.  It’s an intense album and not an easy listen.  But at the end of the day, this all just serves as further proof that Full of Hell and The Body are two of Metal’s most ferociously experimental and fearless bands.  

Tove Lo - "BLUE LIPS (Lady Wood Phase II)"

Say what you will about Swedish Indie Pop star Tove Lo, I haven't always completely minded her music at all.  As a matter of fact, with her debut album "Queen Of The Clouds" there was a lot of really solid stuff going on.  Tracks like "Habits (Stay High)" and "Talking Body" were obviously far from the classiest of Pop tunes.  But they were catchy and stuck with you.  Plus, they obviously painted Tove Lo as quite the character, no matter how bizarre and kinky of a character that was.  In 2016, Tove Lo released her follow-up album "Lady Wood".  Now, when I heard some of the early singles from this, like "True Disaster" and "Lady Wood", I was impressed.  I thought the production was so much better, and Tove seemed focused on writing solid Pop tunes.  But the rest of this album really had me scratching my head.  Some of the ballads lost their steam quickly or seemed insincere, the features were atrocious, and Tove Lo just didn't seem focused.  Not to mention, after 12 tracks, you'd really think Tove Lo would start coming up with more interesting things to say than "I'm Horny".  Now, I'll give her new track "Disco Tits' this, it's certainly catchy and it does have it's moments.  But I really hope Tove Lo starts to branch out with this new album.  Let's chat about it.

Of course, because every album trying to be something it isn’t, this album opens up with “Light Beams (Part One)”.  It’s cloudy, hazy, drugged out, and I honestly don’t mind it much at all at first.  But of course, Tove Lo comes in talking about how she’s the *ahem* “Motherfucking Queen of the Disco Tits”.  Instantly, I have all sorts of questions, no thank you.  Now, spoiler alert, this album really isn’t a good one.  At first, I really wasn’t into the “disco tits” single at all.  I just feel like a whole lot of this is what we got from Tove on her first few projects.  It’s just a whole big mess of Sex metaphors and steamy moments.  Now, done in moderation, this could totally be a rebellious sound for Tove.  But when I hear it constantly in every other lyric, it’s just not flattering or interesting.  But believe it or not, “disco tits” has grown on me.  I love the smooth beat during the chorus and just how infectious and mesmerizing this one is.  But trust me, it took a LOT to love this one.  And if you’re not into this or think it’s just more of the same from Tove, that’s totally fine.  Then we have “shedontknowbutsheknows”, and instantly we’re going right back into this rabbit hole of sex and drugs.  Which once again, done in moderation could be fine.  But some of these lyrics I feel like have been taken directly from her last album, just altered slightly.  I do have to say, the hook on this one remains incredibly catchy and hypnotizing.  But I literally feel like way too much of “shedontknowbutsheknows” is being rehashed.  I would usually be sort of into this murky beat as well, but I just can’t get into this track completely.  Up next is “shivering gold”, and it’s moment like this that I really do wish I was more into this album.  Tove’s vocal performance here is commendable, and the more somber tone here that paints her as more of an emotional character is really refreshing.  Then the beat drops and quite frankly it’s just ugly.  Quickly, “shivering gold” comes right around to once again be nothing but raucous sex and drinking.  It’s quite frankly just getting seriously old really quick.  The chorus here is just as annoying and obnoxious, and Tove’s performance is spiraling out of control.  Every once in a while I do hear a synth tone or two that come off really cool and make me a little more hopeful for the future, but not too much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RQDPwODja4

    Now, a lot of the tracks here really don’t start off bad at all.  On “dont ask dont tell”, Tove’s vocals once again really sound great, and her more personal and much more human lyrics come off refreshing.  I wish the instrumental was a little more flushed out on this one, because I don’t really like hearing her on such a minimal beat however.  “dont ask dont tell” had some serious potential , because it was pretty nice to hear Tove a little more in the raw and not talking about sex as much.  But this one just gets repetitive really quickly and instrumentally really is putting me to sleep.  Now, “stranger” does rub me the wrong way from this intro, and really makes me question if this is a Synth Pop record anymore.  But I do have to swallow my words rather quickly because let’s be honest, this is easily one of the best beats here.  It’s determined, and while yes, some of the production is flashy and glitzy, I love just how over the top this one is.  Obviously, the guitars on “stranger” are a bit cheesy, but I don’t mind this one nearly as much.  Not to mention, because the last track was much more personal and toned down, her sexy vibe on this one is so much more interesting and comes off as actually steamy.  Sadly, “bitches” finishes off this act of the album on a seriously low note.  Everything that was sort of sleek and mysterious about the last track is just thrown out for which may be the trashiest tune here.  There isn’t anything on this track that we haven’t heard from Tove in the past, except she’s apparently down for being with girls now.  Not to mention, Tove just sounds so full of herself and just so proud of how “sexy” she is.  It’s not what I’m here to listen to, and it’s just about everything I hate about her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7PzmnGLP3Y

    The second act of this album is called “Pitch Black”, and to be honest does show a lot of improvement.  The instrumental that starts this off is actually really cool.  Like, it’s only 54 seconds so I can’t really dive in too much.  But I love just how murky and dark this track is, I want some more of that!  Then we have “romantics” featuring Daye.  Now, this one is going for much more of an Alternative R&B vibe album, with some really silky vocals all around.  Not to mention, that absolutely booming beat is killer and 100% what Tove should be going for.  Now, I don’t think this is the classiest tune I’ve heard all year.  But between Daye’s smooth verse and this hazy atmosphere, I’m really into a lot of this.  It’s moments like this that make me think that Tove really does have a lot to offer.  Not to mention, it’s just really refreshing to hear her focusing more on melodies and piecing together an actual Pop tune.  “cycles” on the other hand is just plain awkward.  The instrumental that she picks on this album, while there are some good ones, there’s also a ton that quite frankly doesn't work for Tove.  As a matter of fact, the entire “cycles” track is incredibly awkward.  It’s not smooth, and if this is her trying to be edgy and “alternative” she’s doing it mighty wrong.  And no, lyrically this certainly doesn’t bring anything new to the table.  “cycles” just rubs me all sorts of wrong ways.  I do commend her for doing a more personal tune like this and all.  But putting a track like this up against a more cloudy atmosphere just sort of makes this one a major waste of my time.  But then I hear a track like “struggle” and I have a whole lot nicer things to say.  I really do love just how dark and grimy some of these late album tracks come off.  Hell, they come off more like some classic Synth Pop or even DarkWave.  And while some of the beats here are maybe just a little obnoxious, I do actually love how intense this all is.  I don’t know, it just gives this track so much more of a feeling that I can see going with Tove Lo.  And while yes, there are certainly still a handful of really awful and trashy lyrics, “struggle” is incredibly tolerable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwUij7E6hmI

    So by this point, I really thought like Tove was going in a more mature direction.  But sadly, “9th of october” is abysmal.  This has the same sort of mature tone to it and all, that really comes off like Tove THINKS this is a much more mature track.  But not for the life of me can I take this seriously.  This beat is just so sloppy, and some of the effects on Tove’s vocals later in the track are laughable.  Moments like this just really bring me down, especially with how much of this garbage she’s thrown at us before.  Now, I do like the very dark, almost Gothic atmosphere on “bad days”.  In a way, this almost sounds like something that Banks would have come out with.  Overall, this track is pretty solid.  I really like the pacing on this one, and for the most part, Tove seems to be on her best behavior.  The production is sleek, and Tove’s performance is actually interesting sounding.  Tracks like “bad days” really make me hope she calms the hell down and does more stuff like this.  Hell, I would even really love to hear her in a more dark, Alternative R&B atmosphere.   Now, I have been SLIGHTLY more impressed with this second half.  But then I see for a finale we have this lovely track title called “hey you got drugs?”.  I didn’t expect much from this one.  Now, for a track with this title, this is awfully quaint and almost sounds like the adventurous 80’s Pop that Carly Rae Jepsen did on her last album.  But let’s be honest, this is incredibly sloppy.  The icy beat is just not flattering to Tove, and everything else going on here is awkward.  Tove’s priorities as far as what she wants to do with her music just seem so out of whack.  Does she want to be the queen of Softcore Pop?  Or does she actually want to try and grow up a little?  Tove doesn’t know obviously, so how the hell are her fans supposed to?

Rating: 6.4/10




Give  A Listen To: “disco tits” (IT GREW ON ME),  “stranger”, “romantics”, "struggle"




Genre: Synth Pop / Dance / Electro Pop 




Overall Thoughts: Tove Lo remains a Pop Star that really doesn't know what she wants at the end of the day.  The first half of the album is a chunk of over-sexualized garbage that we saw on her first few albums, with a few decent tracks here and there.  The second half of this album shows Tove attempting to be more mature.  But more times than not, her attempt at an honest to God ballad is ruined by some ridiculous drugged out line or a lyric or two about how she needs Sex constantly.  There are a handful of decent tunes on here, some of her finest yet I would even say.  But I just feel like Tove remains so damn unfocused on what kind of star she wants to be.