Hi, everyone! December of 2018 was a busy month for music, as it always is. I listened to a lot of albums from the year that I hadn’t checked out yet, but I also dove into some new albums and songs that I really liked!
ALBUMS I LISTENED TO/ MY OPINIONS:
Car Seat Headrest- Twin Fantasy (Face to Face)
Though this is technically a re-recording of an older CSH album, their latest release is just as great as their previous project, Teens in Denial. I tend love albums that tell stories, such as Hospice by the Antlers, The Wall by Pink Floyd, or American Idiot by Green Day (poor example, I know, but it proves my point). That was one of the main reasons I enjoyed Twin Fantasy as much as I did. There’s so many powerful ballads about rebellion and teenage desire, and I think that is awesome subject matter for an album. It doesn’t matter if Car Seat’s frontman Will Toledo is well past his teenage years, he makes each song come together and tell a vivid story. Though this album may not be the easiest for the common masses to dive into, I think the noise-rockish sound and reflective nature of this album makes Twin Fantasy one of the most breakthrough 2018 has to offer. 9/10
I’m All Ears- Let’s Eat Grandma
Psychedelic pop is one of my favorite genres, so I was “ALL EARS” to hear about this release (rimshot?)... the second album from these childhood friends from Norwich was a solid record. Many of the songs were diverse in sound and pleasing to listen to. However, a few tracks on this album (around the middle and really didn’t fit with what I thought All Ears was trying to shoot for sound-wise. Seemed like it became a mash-up of genres smushed into a fifty-minute album. Though it received rave reviews, I’m going to be a bit more moderate with my score on this. Unique sounds and a lot of tracks I enjoyed, but I saw a clear and concise style was lacking. I wish the best for this duo, as they showed a lot of promise on this record. 7.5/10
Mitski- Be The Cowboy-
I had heard amazing things about Be the Cowboy earlier this year, so I finally decided to check it out. Overall, I enjoy the softer rock influences on this album. Her mature details of love are not hidden- she makes it known. I think, personally, she sounds a lot like Fiona Apple. Overall, the minimalist production styles allowed Be the Cowboy to sound like I was listening to a concert in a really intimate venue. Great style choice! This album is also relatively easy to listen to, as it comes under 35 minutes (a rarity AND a luxury in modern music). Pitchfork has already called it the best album of the year, but I wouldn’t go that far. Cool release, but I was hoping for a little less OOMPH on certain tracks around the middle of the record. Many tracks on Cowboy seem softer and more gentle, so it’d only be logical to keep that trend… 8/10
Pusha T- Daytona
I never had fully listened to the first release on Kanye’s Wyoming Sessions until recently, but I’m glad I finally checked it out! By far his best release, Pusha T continues his dominant rap career with this 21-minute gem. All in all, great, sample-heavy production and minimalist rapping; it really juxtaposed what he had been going for in the past. Only problem here- he’s been pretty pretentious about Daytona being the best album of the year. He’s such an overlooked rapper when you look at modern powerhouses and I don’t think a lot of people give him a chance. Shame he can’t shut his mouth.. Well, that, (and rather unfortunately), and the album will not have much of a chance against the heavily favored ASStroworld at the Grammys. 8.5/10
Pusha T- My Name Is My Name
This is a great debut project from the current G.O.O.D Music prez and former Clipse man. Pusha shows off his slick rapping abilities alongside some killer beats, and he proves that he can still stay fresh in today’s ever-changing rap game. My only criticism was that he had a lot of features- which I think is the sign of a weaker rapper. Additonally, some of his tracks on the second half of the record are a little inconsistent, but I still think My Name is a great record nonetheless. 7.5/10
Pusha T- King Push
Pusha comes out of the gate flying with his second studio album. Again, the front half of this record is stacked with great tracks, but his quality again drops off towards the tail end of this record. He keeps his powerful production and rapping styles for this release, but I would have liked to have seen a couple of better songs to make this record even better. I do praise Pusha for making this album short, though. A lot of hip-hop artists tend to make their albums too long, and I believe very few hip-hop artists can really master that art (e.g. Kanye, Kendrick). Artists like Vince Staples, Earl Sweatshirt, Run the Jewels, MF DOOM and Pusha have all made great releases that are relatively shorter than the norm. Long does not always mean good (e.g. Drake’s Scorpion with an insanely superfluous run-time of ninety minutes!!), and I like what Pusha was going for on King Push. 8/10.
Songs Of The Month:
The Rhythm Changes- Kamasi Washington
Cody- Mogwai
Bags & Trane- Milt Jackson & John Coltrane
This Old House is All I Have- Against All Logic
Untouchable- Pusha T
Teen Age Riot- Sonic Youth
Shoota- Playboi Carti
Montezuma- Fleet Foxes
Sunset Soon Forgotten- Iron & Wine
Beach Life-In-Death- Car Seat Headrest
Hope you guys can find something you can enjoy on this list. Thanks for reading this article, more great content will be coming your way soon!
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