Hi, everyone! As you can see merely from the length of this post, October was a hell of a busy time for bazzreviews. Not only with getting bazzfest together, but listening to so many incredible new records and songs! I feel like I always say "oh, this month was so great" as if it's the best month almost every time I post one of these, but this might be up there as one of the strongest months of listening I've had so far. I'm super excited to share some new reviews with you, and stay tuned for some bonus content at the end!
Future Nostalgia- Dua Lipa
I’ve heard a lot of outlets talking about this UK singer’s sophomore studio record, so I decided to give it a listen this month. I, quite literally, was going in with a nearly blank slate: I’ve heard a lot about Dua’s music and her personality, yet I’ve heard very little music from her. I think overall, I had a pretty good first impression with her stuff. I liked a lot of the funk-influenced production this record had going on it. You can certainly tell that this was made in the echoes of artists like 24K Magic-era Bruno Mars, the Weeknd, and several others. Unlike some pop stars, most of Dua’s vocal performances were ones I could bear to listen to. Across the eleven tracks, I didn’t feel like any of them made a strenuous effort to overdo her vocals and make them the center of attention. Now, let’s dive into the tracklist: Aside from the TikTok hits “Don’t Start Now” and “Break My Heart,” tracks like “Cool,” “Levitating,” “Pretty Please,” and “Hallucinate” were ones that I enjoyed. I think when Dua drifted away from the main, funky focus on the project, that is where the tracks started to get a little less enjoyable. Two of the biggest instances of this for me were “Physical” and “Love Again.” I really did not like the dance influence either track decided to take. Another big issue this record had was its ending. To be honest, I really don’t know what the hell to say about it. As you’re reading this, I’m probably still scratching my head. She puts the cheesiest track on this record, “Good in Bed,” right alongside the annoyingly redundant postlude “Boys Will Be Boys.” To be fair, Future Nostalgia had a lot of great things going for it, and I don’t want that to be discounted. In fact, I’m really excited to see what she’ll be doing on future releases. I think that if Dua Lipa wants to make a truly “groundbreaking” pop record, though, she has to make her tracklist as polished as possible to really seal the deal for me. 7/10
Folklore- Taylor Swift
When I was younger, I used to really enjoy Taylor Swift’s music- albums like Speak Now, Fearless, and 1989 were all pretty formative to my taste at the time. However, as I’ve gone deeper into the rabbithole of the music world, pop music hasn’t been a genre I am keen to revisit. In fact, I’m sure many of you know returning viewers will know that it’s a kind of a running joke or outlier for a pop record to get reviewed. It’s no surprise that this record gained a lot of traction on release, and people have been asking me to check it out for a bit of time. So, to take a trip down memory lane (and to give my “fans” something they want) here’s my take: this stylistic change on Folklore is arguably the best route Taylor Swift has taken. I’ll admit that I went in with low expectations, thinking it was going to be another instance of a pop musician using their fame to be edgy and experiment in the studio. However, that was far from the case. I was really blown away with what she was doing with it all; she really took her time to have each song be so well-crafted. Not only on the production side, but with her lyrics as well. It seems like Taylor’s been through a lot in her career, man. Any, or all, of these nine tracks are worth checking out if you’re not going to listen to the whole record: “the 1,” “the last great american dynasty,” “exile” with bon iver, “my tears ricochet,” “mirrorball,” “seven,” “invisible string,” “mad woman,” and the finale “hoax.” I think when Taylor tried to incorporate pop elements on tracks like “cardigan,” “august,” “this is me trying,” and “peace,” I sort of felt taken out of the overall vibe the record had. Another small thing I had a problem with was the length of the project. I’m not an expert on what the average length of a folk record would be, but I’d say that it is anywhere between 30-45 minutes at the max. When you have an eighteen-track, sixty-three minute project on your hands, I don’t feel like it’s unjustified to say this got little dragged out towards the end of the project. Nevertheless, Folklore ended up being one of the more surprising records I’ve heard in 2020. I’m really glad Taylor Swift is using her power for good to bring an underrepresented genre like indie folk into the mainstream light. 8.5/10
The Microphones in 2020- The Microphones
For the classics months this year, I decided to review Phil Elverum’s classic The Glow, Pt. 2. It was a very transcendent experience to say the least, and you all damn well know this record was on my review radar as soon as it was announced. However, The Microphones in 2020 isn’t just an ordinary record: I was not aware that Elverum decided to make one giant, forty-four minute, forty-four second long track under the name and call it an album. I really just could not decide how I felt about it all, if I’m being honest. When the first seven or eight minutes are just the same looped chords that don’t lead anywhere, that’s not a great start to a “record” or “song,” or whatever you prefer to call it. Then Elverum, quite literally, proceeds to tell his life story throughout his early musical years. It feels like an interview being sung over acoustic guitars. An interesting artistic move, to say the least, but I still think he could have made that idea a little bit more engaging. The story he’s telling is so dense. In my mind, he would jump from what felt like the beginning, to the end, back to the middle, then to the end once again. I say that to keep the idea of the record being autobiographical, use those jumbled pieces and parts to craft individual songs. Then, have all of these individual songs end up sounding like one continuous track. Yes, I know that didn’t make a lot of sense, but I hope you can catch my drift. I know I was dissing Elverum’s compositional decisions for the first quarter of the record, but I can’t help but give credit to him on the rest of the musical front. Even though it’s relatively bare-bones across the runtime, he’s just so damn effective at creating a mood with his playing abilities… for most of the record. I say most, because a big turn-off for me was when an electric guitar line would, once again, jump into the mix. It completely cut off what he was saying. Above all, I thought that when the electric guitar came in, the record was on the precipice of developing into a B-section or chorus. Instead, I end up getting blueballed and the music just fades out quietly. If he had done a shoegaze-type chorus with guitars playing over his voice, that might have been a cool move. Even as you’re reading this or listen to me talk about it on the podcast, I’ll still probably be feeling confused about The Microphones in 2020. I appreciated what this had going for it, and hopefully I’ll be able to cherish it more as time goes on. 7/10
Limbo- Amine
Hip Portland rapper Amine, or Adam Amine Daniel, has been someone I’ve come to enjoy over the last few years. I haven’t checked out any of his full-length projects yet, but songs like “Reel It In” and “Spice Girl” are timeless rap anthems in my books. He really seems to be someone who I could see progressing the sound of rap, hence why I became so interested in checking out his third studio effort. Overall, I love how versatile Amine gets on this project. Time and time again, he can prove that he can switch between rhythmic and melodic flows effortlessly. I think that’s something a lot of rappers can’t do, which is what sets Amine in a league of his own. Across the fourteen tracks, there were a lot of really positive takeaways: I really liked “Woodlawn,” “Roots,” “Can’t Decide,” “Riri,” and “My Reality.” I probably should have listened to this record back when it came out in August, because I am now longing for summer after hearing the very tropically-influenced production on the majority of tracks. One thing that also sets this project apart is the very unique range of feature artists Amine was able to score for this project. As a whole, they tended to be pretty hit-or-miss. I liked his work with Young Thug on “Compensating,” as well as the guys from Injury Reserve on “Fetus.” I was really excited to see what would happen on “Pressure in My Palms” with Slowthai and Vince Staples, because those are two artists I really respect. Unfortunately, I ended up feeling a little underwhelmed with the result. I also never got into “Easy,” the R&B-inspired effort with Summer Walker. That’s a track that felt the most out-of-place on this record, I guess. One other small note I had was that the back end of the project feels a little messy production-wise, and was very dragged out. I’m not sure if any of you guys had a similar complaint, but it really put me in a funk after hearing a pretty enjoyable front and middle section of tracks. As a whole, I will say that Limbo is one of the more creative rap efforts I’ve seen in 2020. Some parts, however, left a little more to be desired in terms of overall quality. I’m still looking forward to revisiting some of the very fun tracks on here down the road! 8/10
Shore- Fleet Foxes
Like the Microphones, these indie legends are certainly in good standing with me. I haven’t heard a lot of their more recent stuff on projects like Crack-Up, rather, more of the stuff from the beginnings of their career. 2011’s Helplessness Blues was one of the rare records to have received a 10/10 from me in the history of bazzreviews. I actually was not expecting this record at all, nor was the majority of the music community. After a long-winded writing and recording process, frontman Robin Peckinold announced the album just days before it dropped. Released at the exact time of the Autumnal Equinox in the United States, this record really blew me away with what it had going for it. This recent new wave of folk music we have been seeing with people like Phoebe Bridgers and Bon Iver has been helped by the release of Shore. Along with the main cast of characters in Fleet Foxes, Peckinold also got the talents of a lot of big artists to help put the record together. They all put on quite a display here, going with a very ethereal, maximalist production style this time around. It’s a sharp juxtaposition from anything the group has ever done, and I think that’s why I enjoyed it that much more. Once again, the writing feels very personal, which I also really appreciated. Fleet Foxes’ music has always been one I go back to whenever I feel like I need a warm blanket around me. The tracklist has a lot of great cuts, some arguably being the best they’ve ever done. The opening four track run is breathtaking, and it’s supported by other jams like “A Long Way Past the Past,” “Maestranza,” “Young Man’s Game,” “Quiet Air,” “Thymia,” and the unique jazzy finisher that is the self-titled track. Where I think Peckinold is a little bit weaker is on some of the tracks that stick to Fleet Foxes’ original roots. “Featherweight,” “For A Week or Two,” “I’m Not My Season,” were ones that I took exception to. Other than that, there really isn’t a lot more negativity I can shed on this record. You, as a listener, will feel so present across the fifty-four minute run time. If this is your first time hearing anything from Fleet Foxes, I would even suggest starting here before going towards deeper work in the beginning of their discography. Even though it took nearly years, a global pandemic and a nationwide social justice to get this record out there, Shore ended up being one of the most triumphant musical moments of 2020. 9/10
Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez- Gorillaz
The UK-based virtual band is certainly one of my favorite acts in the 21st century, but their best days seem to be behind them- at least for the time speaking. 2017’s Humanz was pretty forgettable, and The Now Now wasn’t any more redemptive for the group either. The Song Machine projects they’ve been doing across 2020 has actually been sort of a cool gimmick, and only a band like them could really pull it off. Since January, they’ve been releasing short EPs and singles that showcase the material they’ve been working on. This “album” is just an amalgamation of the highlights from those projects, but we did get some newer tracks, too. I figured I’d weigh in on it all regardless. On a first glance, reading the beefy, feature-laden tracklist feels like you’re going to the Cheesecake Factory and trying to pick something from their thirty-page menu. There’s truly something for everyone. Getting to collaborate with UK legends like Elton John and the Cure’s Robert Smith is certainly impressive, but hearing American rock vets like Beck or St. Vincent provides a good boost of nostalgia. Hell, even working with new-school rapheads like JPEGMAFIA, EARTHGANG, and Slowthai seemed like it could be promising due to how good rap features have been on Gorillaz records of the past. While this album sounds like any artist’s wet dream to make, I think that the content was about as mixed of a bag as the artists that were featured. For example, I bring up Robert Smith on the rave-influenced track, “Strange Timez.” Based on what I’ve seen from him with the Cure, even other features he’s had in the past (e.g. “Not in Love” by Crystal Castles), he sounds so off-kilter here. That doesn’t even compare to what is easily the most bizarre pairing on this outing- 6LACK on “The Pink Phantom” with Elton John. You can’t help but sit there and say, “what the hell were these guys thinking?” “Momentary Bliss” with Slowthai was another disappointing outing, the same goes for “Severed Head” with GoldLink and Unknown Mortal Orchestra. The same flaw exists here- poor instrumentals that severely clash with the style I have come to associate with each respective artist. I will say, though, there are moments where the features actually work somewhat well. I liked Schoolboy Q on “Pac-Man,” St. Vincent on “Chalk Tablet Towers,” and CHAI more than JPEG on “MLS.” I also enjoyed “Aries,” “Desole” and “Simplicity” quite a bit, but the rest of this album’s tracks that I haven’t brought up yet were painfully mediocre. As a whole, it’s a shame that the Song Machine project really failed to live up to the hype. Despite having so many A-list artists making appearances on here, I felt that the production was pretty difficult to work with. Like I said before, it’s a great project in theory; but, I’ll still throw some props at everyone for trying, though. 6.5/10
SONGS OF THE MONTH:
This is All I Have For You- Makoto Matsushita
Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)- The First Edition
Hell N Back- Bakar
Symphony No. 1- Sergei Prokofiev
My Mind Went Blank- DJ Screw
Grown Man Sport- Pete Rock
Blue Monday- Fats Domino
Solarflare- Yung Lean
Chemicals- SG Lewis
Unforgettable- Drake
BONUS CONTENT:
Single Review- “Young in Baltimore” by Benjamin Belinska
Shoutout to Sam Henry over at Shake Appeal Press in the UK for sending this one over. “Young in Baltimore” is the first single from the debut album of Newcastle-based singer songwriter, Benjamin Belinska. The aforementioned record, Lost Illusions was released on August 28, and hearing this single really made me want to check out the rest of the project. First of all, I really want to show some love to the production on this thing. It sends you back to your days of listening to the adult contemporary ballads that were popular in the early 90s. The lyrics really align with that, too. It all seems very reflective of the life Benjamin has lived so far, and reading the press kit for this song made me sympathize with his story more. Vocally, he reminds me somewhat of a young Thom Yorke with his delivery on here, which I certainly respected. Overall, “Young in Baltimore” was a great find. I hope you go and check it out on SoundCloud!
2. Single Review- “This Is What Schizophrenia Feels Like”- Low Tank
Shoutout to TikTok star Chandler Cooper for reaching out to me to review his new single under his rap alias, Low Tank. As some of you may know, Cooper debuted the song at BazzFest, but this version is quite different from the one you heard live. In this version, you’ll hear anything and everything- from screaming and doing various impressions, Chandler told me he just “went nuts” on this track. I think after listening to “This Is What Schizophrenia Feels Like,” I can adequately see his point. This track, like “Young In Baltimore,” feels like a nostalgia trip. Not necessarily as far back as the 90s, but I’d say it could have been a cool hit in the early part of the 2010s. I think it’s kind of funny to hear his Eminem impression, his flow sort of reminds me of the first couple of verses on the internet-famous hit “Rap God.” The drum pattern Cooper utilizes reminds of tracks from those glory days of dubstep or EDM. The lyrics are super goofy, but what’s interesting to me is how the beat is unusually skeletal. I think choosing not to include a lead or a bass part in this track honestly worked well. It really brought out this bombastic personality Cooper was trying to convey. Overall, a fun track to savor, and I hope you guys go check it out on Spotify!
So, what did you agree with my takes? Was there something you thought that should have been rated higher or lower, or something that I should be putting on my review radar? If so, feel free to reach out to me! Give me a follow on Instagram, @bazzreviews to talk more about the music I listened to in October.
One final thing before I sign off: This is a crucial election and I hope to God that we get the results we so desire. However, it goes without saying that if you are able, get out there, do your civic duty and vote. It's absolutely crazy to see that voter turnout is at an all-time high, but every vote counts. I'm sure it will be a very intense Tuesday night for the majority of Americans. In the meantime, be well, be safe, and be strong. Hope to see you around checking out more bazzreviews content soon!
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