Hi, everyone! March was busy month in terms of listening, one of the busiest so far this year! Not only did I review albums of my choice, but I was sent a myriad of records from a record company (column on that coming soon). In the meantime, I am still trying to book more interviews, and I hope that I will hear good news from some artists soon.
ALBUMS I LISTENED TO/ MY OPINIONS:
Disintegration- The Cure
From the minute I dove into this record, I fell in love. Holy shit, is this record a phenomenal listen! The Cure, despite being more of a synthpop band for a majority of the 80s, completely abandoned that niche with the release of Disintegration. The usually happy instrumentals found on earlier records were replaced by dark, ethereal synths and echoey drums. Plus, lead singer Robert Smith’s vocals transformed to become very ashy and sorrowful. Was it risky? Sure, but it paid off. Songs like “Pictures of You” and “Plainsong” are absolute classics and must-listens to those who want to get into the Cure. Additionally, a few tunes, specifically “Lovesong” still show off the Cure’s original music style very well. In sum, this record’s courage and out-of-this world beauty has instantly put it onto my top-10 list. 10/10.
Luxury Problems- Andy Stott
Overall, I would say Luxury Problems was a pretty solid record from the Manchester-based producer. For the most part, Stott’s industrial production remains minimal throughout the album. The heavy drum-and-bass influences he used derive from producers like Aphex Twin, and seeing that style make a comeback made me happy. Songs like “Up the Box” and “Luxury Problems” were my favorite off this record. However, it may require a few listens if you really want to enrich yourself with the esoteric production Stott presents. Despite that, it’s still a really solid industrial electronic album from a more obscure producer 7.5/10.
SEPT 5TH- dvsn
This Canadian R&B duo is currently on Drake’s (gag) record label, OVO. This album however, is top-notch. I was exceptionally pleased with the production style Ninteen85 brought to the table. It’s very diverse, considering these guys do R&B and not rock or rap… musically, it’s almost like the Cheesecake Factory: each of the song has a different influence. There’s trap rap, gospel, EDM, drum-and-bass, you name it. My point is, there’s something for even the stingiest of listeners. Unfortunately, the lyricism isn’t all that deep, and motifs of love, sex, and breakups get milked to death on this album. While I’ll say it’s kind of a cliche move, I’ll admit that the butter-smooth vocals from Daniel Daley complement the production style fairly well. All in all, if you can get over the cheesy-ish lyrics and themes, Sept. 5th a diamond in the rough from an amazing music year that was 2016. 8.5/10.
Quiet Signs- Jessica Pratt
The quiet and melancholy sound Pratt evoked on this album was really well-done. In my opinion, Quiet Signs is a tribute to the soulful female crooners of the 60s. Her sorrowful, lonely vocals sounded a lot like Dusty Springfield and Janis Joplin, and I think the bluesy guitars and pianos helped make the album seem more of a pastiche. Though that 60s blues style of music isn’t very prevalent in today’s music, Pratt did a commendable job with bringing it back into the mainstream. I would say songs like “Fire the Well” and “Aeroplane” were standouts off of the album, and definitely worth a listen. Despite not being the biggest country or folk music person myself, this is a superb release from the quiet first-quarter of 2019. 8/10.
When I Get Home- Solange
Solange’s newest album was an interesting release in many respects. Instead of releasing fewer, longer-length songs like on A Seat at the Table, she ended up putting a hodge-podge of 2-3 minute songs and 30 second interludes scattered in between. I thought the album could have done without them, but that’s merely nit-picky shit I saw that a lot of people don’t see as a problem. Additionally, the production on these tracks is quite techy, which I personally didn’t expect to work out with her style all that well. However, she still used it to the best of her ability and put out some really high-quality tracks. Can I also mention that she has an AMAZING voice, and is a super talented lyricist? I’d be even braver to say she’s way better than her sister- Queen Bey herself. Songs like “Down with a Clique”, “Way to the Show”, “Dreams” and “Almeda” were definitely my favorites on this album, and show off her talents as a singer and a songwriter. Plus, she got a lot ballsier with her features on this record, getting the likes of rappers Playboi Carti and Gucci Mane, plus Metro Boomin’, Tyler the Creator, and Panda Bear on the production side. In conclusion, When I Get Home definitely differed from past Solange releases. I enjoyed the diversity it presented, and despite it being March, this record will likely make on my top-10 list come December. 8.5/10.
SONGS OF THE MONTH
Annie- Neon Indian
Digital Love- Daft Punk
Heat Wave- Snail Mail
The Sun In Our Eyes- MØ
Where I’m From- Digable Planets
BLACK BALLOONS- Denzel Curry
Almeda- Solange
Ever Again- Robyn
Middle- DJ Snake
Running- Helado Negro
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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