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Album Review #11

shadowbox by MAVI - 89%

The third album by the North Carolinian rapper, shadowbox bringing to us beautiful, yet overwhelmingly tragic recountings of MAVI's life and its stories.

The thing that immediately jumped out to me while listening to this album is his vocal performance. Throughout the whole album he sounds both tired yet emotionally, really provoking the idea that he's seen a ton of shit, and is just completely burned out after all of it, but in spite of that, recounting this is still extremely painful for him.

Similarly to his performance, Mavi's writing is also very pained, as i said before recounting his life and stories, and what he talks about is bleak. From watching friends die, to resorting to alcoholism to kill the pain.

The production has this like, kinda spacey yet calm type vibe, that while contrasts the dark lyrical matter, also works well with it, kinda giving this idea that MAVI is floating through some endless void, forced to confront his demons because he can't deflect from them anymore.

Malaya is the only feature on here, being on the track "open waters", and she's great on there, adding to the track's atmosphere.

Most all of these elements come together on my favourite track "the giver". The tired yet pained performance, the tragic lyrics about about the heartbreak of a failed relationship and not being able to get over his former significant other, and the ethereally introspective production, they all shine here. I can't really think of a track to call my least favourite, with even the ones i can faintly recall potentially being it, being massive stretches at best.

shadowbox overall is, all in all, really depressing, like, i can't really say much more than that😭. If i was better at crying it would probably have me on the floor.

5 Favourite tracks:

the giver, drunken prayer, testimony, grindstone, open waters

Least favourite track:

none

Best 3 track run:

drunk prayer --> the giver --> too much to zelle

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Album Review #10

Based on a True Story by Will Smith - 23%

Who let Unc back in the studio 🙏😭

After 2 Decades, Acclaimed and Beloved Actor, and alleged Rapper, Will Smith returns with a new album, it is not good, very bad even.

The most compliments l can give this album are that the beats aren’t bad usually, every once in a while Will has decent flows and some of the features don’t do too bad, that’s it honestly.

Most of this album sounds like it’s timeless, in the absolute worst way possible, wherein he tries so hard to blend the styles of both the late 90s/early 2000s and the mid to late 2010s that it ends up sounding like nothing at all. And when he isn’t trying to do that, what he is doing feels so painfully derived of other pre-existing songs. The one that really jumps out to me the most is “Make it Look Easy”, featuring someone that is not credited anywhere I looked😭, which just sounds like a rehash of French Montana and Swae Lee’s 2017 hit “Unforgettable”, with the upbeat vaguely tropical beat with a pretty decently autotuned, young sounding, featured artist and all.

Another major issue is that he really falls into the same major pitfall that he did his previous album Lost and Found, where he tries to sound really hard and serious, but he can’t sell it at all. The intro “Int. Barbershop - Day”tries building up will to be this tough guy who you can shit talk him all you want but you’ll never have the guts to say it to his face, and the subsequent track “You Lookin For Me?” continue this idea with Will trying to portray himself as this uber tough guy, but I just can’t take him seriously at all. This is Will fucking Smith we’re talking about. The only people who are actually gonna find the image he portrays himself as in the album believable are people who know nothing him, which is gonna be really hard to find given his stature as a popular figure.

The features are really the only the people that bring consistantly decent performances on here, with some being highlights even, like Teyana Taylor and Jay Ross, and Big Sean is fine too I guess. Most of the rest though do feel kinda just as forgettable as the rest of the album.

There is one half decent song on here, in “Hard Times (Smile)”, mostly entirely carried by the feature from Teyana Taylor. There is a grand selection for worst, but “FIRST LOVE” is by far the worst thing on here, with a shitty Spanish instrumental that feels straight out of a Drake Culture Vulture track, I think it even shares a sample with Meet Your Padre😭, and the entire track is just so stupid, but Will is taking it way too seriously the whole damn time.

As much as the title claims, the only true story here is that this album is truly ass. Will tries and fails to portray himself as something he isn’t while making possibly the most bland and honestly painfully forgettable album he could. Please do us all a favor and stick to acting Will🙏

Favourite Track:

Hard Times (Smile)

5 Least Favourite Tracks:

FIRST LOVE, You Lookin For Me?, WORK OF ART, Make It Look Easy, TANTRUM

Favourite Features:

Teyana Taylor (Hard Times [Smile]), Jac Ross (Bulletproof)

Least Favourite Features:

Jaden (WORK OF ART), Joyner Lucas (TANTRUM), Russ (WORK OF ART)

Best 3 Track Run:

Rave in The Wasteland —> Bulletproof —> Hard Times (Smile)

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Album Review #9

The Loveliest Time by Carly Rae Jepsen - 83%

I can’t believe Carly invented Loveliness

A Side B to her preceding album The Loneliest Time, The Loveliest Time is Carly’s 7th and, as of current, her most recent album.

Compared to her previous releases, The Loveliest Time feels much more mellow and relaxed. Whereas in previous releases we had the more bombastic and full of life “Run Away With Me” and “Cut to the feeling”, we get more toned down, and sultry feeling tracks like “Shy Boy” and “Weekend Love”, and even the more boppier tracks like “Psychedelic Switch” follow this style more.

Above all I have to say my favourite track is “After Last Night”, it just sounds so pristine in production, makes me feel like I’m floating, with Carly singing about how she’s feeling after the titular last night. Gun to my head my least favorite is “Anything to Be With You”, it sounds much wonkier than the rest of the track list and the ‘never overs’ that populate the chorus can get a little grading over time, but I don’t find it bad at all.

The Loveliest Time is a really nice, pleasant, mellowed out listen, which while I am sure I’ll enjoy her other projects more, is still very worthwhile listen for me.

5 Favourite Tracks:

After Last Night, Kollage, Put It To Rest, Psychedelic Switch, Weekend Love

Least Favourite Track:

Anything To Be With You

Best 3 Track Run:

Put it to rest —> Stadium Love —> Weekend Love

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ALBUM REVIEW #8

OG Maco by OG Maco - 65%

Rip OG Maco

The late rapper's 3rd "EP", following the release of his hit single "U Guessed it", this self titled release i think is pretty neat. The general flow of this album has OG Maco spitting an aggressive performance over a bunch of pretty fun and sometimes creative beats.

This combo produces a bunch of standout tracks like "All on Me", "Seizure", "FuckEmx3", "U Guessed it (Remix)", "Human Nature", "Heat" and "Undefeated". This does, however get kinda tired near the middle portion of the album to me, with tracks 7 to 10 feeling like rehashes of "U Guessed It" with worse beats, but the last 3rd does pick back up with a few of the aforementioned tracks.

The features also do pretty well, with specific standouts being OG Brylan Kerr, Jerz, Migos, 2 Chainz and Zuse.

My favourite track has to be the closer, "Undefeated", which to me is logical extreme of the "Aggressive performance over creative beat" combo, sampling a french orchestra performance of all things, and only really being rivalled in goofiness by "Human Nature" sampling the Amazing Spiderman theme. On the flipside, "12 bricks" is my least favourite, being the most inane of that boring 4 track run.

Overall, OG Maco, the ep, is pretty cool if very flawed in some aspects and a little stale at points, with it not doing too much outside of its general flow, even if what that is, is pretty enjoyable

5 Favourite Tracks:

Undefeated, Human Nature, All on Me, Heat, FuckEmx3

Least Favourite Tracks:

12 Bricks, Cru, Been Thuggin, No Pressure

5 Favourite Features:

Migos (FuckEmx3), OG Brylan Kerr (All on Me), Zuse (Heat), 2 Chainz (U Guessed it [Remix]), Jerz (Seizure)

Best 3 Track Run:

Lets Get It --> Heat --> Undefeated

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Album Review #7

Macadelic by Mac Miller - 80%

Mac's 7th Official Mixtape, Macadelic is kind of a trippy listen, with hazy cloud rap instrumentals, and a mix of both party and frat rap songs, which he was more known for at the time, as well as more consious and abstract hip hop, which would define him more in the incoming years from this project

The production is very strongly in that Cloud rap sound, with those hazy trap-style instrumentals seen all over the mixtape that sound really pleasent. There are some tracks that do lean towards a different style with mixed results, like "America" being moreso Boom Bap, and "Ignorant" is just straight trap

Mac really starts to widen his writing here, including more abstract stuff compared to prior releases, which can lead to some incredibly funny if jaring constrasts within the tracklist, like going straight from "Lucky Ass Bitch" to "The Mouring After". While the more introspective stuff isn't as fully fleshed out as it would be in future projects, theres still some gems in here that really show Mac's writing abilities like "Thoughts from a Balcony" and the aforementioned "The Mourning After"

The features also pretty strong here, Kendrick, Wayne and Joey all put down some really great verses, and Iman Omari has some really nice vocals on "Sunlight" and "Fight the Feeling". With that being said there are also some i'm not really big on, mainly Sir Michael Rogers on "Alien Fighting Robots" though.

My favourite track here is "The Answer" with Lil Wayne, combining the best aspects of the album, plus a great verse from Wayne, all into one track, without the aggressive moaning that infests a few tracks, like "Fight the Feeling" with that being the main reason its not my favourite. The search for the worst is a little harder, but i think i'll go with "Aliens Fighting Robots" which is just kinda weak for me, i can't get with it that much.

Overall, this feels like Mac's Baby steps into what he would become in his later projects. While not as impactful as releases like Balloonerism or Faces, its still really good at what its trying to do here

5 Favourite Tracks:

The Answer, Fight the Feeling, Thoughts from a Balcony, The Mourning After, America

Least Favourite Track:

Aliens Fighting Robots:

Favourite Features:

Kendrick Lamar (Fight the Feeling), Lil Wayne (The Answer), Iman Omari (Fight the Feeling & Sunlight), Joey Bada$$ (America)

Best 3 Track Run:

Desperado --> Loud --> Thoughts from a Balcony

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Album Review #6

Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? by McKinley Dixon - 97%

Ya Like Jazz?

Inspired by the works of the late Toni Morrison, Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? is Mckinley Dixon's 4th Studio album, combining Live Jazz Instrumentation, Dixon's skills as a rapper and poet, and a slew of guest vocalists and rappers to make a truly gorgeous album.

What can't i say about the production man, the Live Instrumentals do such an amazing job at elevating this album, from the Blaring Trumpets and Trombones on "Tyler Forever" to the strings on "Dedicated to Tar Feather" to the harsh and bassy drums on "Mezzanine Tippin'". Even the spoken word "Hanif Reads Toni", goes from a simple Spoken Word intro to an Atmospheric Storytelling Experience, thanks to the the Ambience provided by the instruments.

Dixon's flows are divine, and his writing is even better. "Sun I Rise"'s meditation of Violence and Perseverance, the Nostalgic Comfort of "Live! from the Kitchen Table", the reminiscing on "Run, Run, Run" and "Tyler Forever", a celebration of the life of a late friend of Dixon's as he tries to cope with. All of this culminating in the title track "Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?", which, according to McKinley him, is the culmination of all of the stories told throughout the album, his writing is just, on a completely different level.

I have to give the features their flowers too. Ghais Guevara laying down one of his signature introspective verses on "Live! from the Kitchen Table". Ms. Jaylin Brown and Angelica Garcia laying down killer vocals on "Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?" and "Sun, I Rise". Seline Haze too, with a great verse on "The Story so Far". These are just of the amazing features on this project.

For all the reasons laid out beforehand, its incredibly hard to pick out a favourite track, but, i think i might have to go with the title track. Ms. Jaylin Brown's vocals, Dixon's fantastic verses, and the whole culmination of this entire album brought together into this one track, the more i think about it, the more i can say i'm sure of this pick. And, i don't think there's any track here weak enough to be called my least favourite, everything serves its purpose, and its served perfectly.

In Conclusion, Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? is just, beautiful. Beautiful Instrumentals, beautiful writing, beautiful performances from so many people. And all of this, all in a compact, less than 30 minute album, i cannot recommend this album enough, listen to it NOW, i know you have the time if you're reading this.

5 Favourite Tracks:

Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?, Tyler Forever, Run Run Run, Live! from the Kitchen Table, Dedicated to Tar Feather

Least Favourite Track:

None

5 Favourite Features:

Ms. Jaylin Brown (Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?), Ghais Guevara (Live! from the Kitchen Table), Anjimile (Dedicated to Tar Feather), Angelica Garcia (Sun, I Rise), Seline Haze (The Story so Far)

Best 3 Track Run:

Run, Run, Run --> Live! From the Kitchen Table --> Tyler Forever

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Album Review #5

RINGO by ITZY - 62%

Omg its the Beatles guy

RINGO is the first Japanese album by the usually Kpop group ITZY and, after a lot of deliberation, yeah i'd say i like it. It took me a few listens to really figure my thoughts on this album, but after my 3rd one, it really started hitting for me.

The production is, surprisingly strong throughout the whole album, even when i was a bit more iffy on some tracks, the production was still a big positive for me, constistantly fun and energetic, and lowkey too when it needs to be. The performances however are kinda hit or miss for me, sometimes they're performances can be really good and elevate the track, and other times it can be incredibly grading, but the whole group i'd say most of the time brings out good performances. I can't really comment on the songwriting tooo much for obvious reasons, but from what i can make out from it, its nothing like, really amazing, but like, nothing egregiously bad in any way.

My favourite track, honestly, i shouldn't like as much as i do, it's "Can't tie me down". Like, it has some very obvious faults, mainly in that some parts are sung weirdly and it is kinda overperformed in general, but, it's really fun in spite of that, and honestly partially because of those faults, its really fun and relistenable. On the contrast, i'm really not a fan of "Blah Blah Blah", the production is by far among the worst on the whole album, and the performances are by far the weakest to me, and tend to be really abrasive and annoying, especially on the chorus, being the main reason i chose this as my least favourite over "STYLE".

Overall, Ringo is a pretty fun project, is it one i'm ever gonna want to revisit, probably not, but its still pretty enjoyable nonetheless.

5 Favourite Tracks:

Can't tie me down, Sugar-holic, Playlist, Spice, Trust (JP ver.)

Least Favourite Tracks:

Blah Blah Blah, STYLE, Cheshire (JP ver.)

Best 3 Track Run:

RINGO --> Sugar-holic --> Playlist

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Album Review #4

An Evening with Silk Sonic by Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak - 89%

Bruno and Paak wanna FUCK and they’re laying it all out in front of you

This album is to Soul what Dirty Mind by Prince was for Synth music, that is to say, it is really horny and really good. The Lovechild of Mainstream Hitmaker Bruno Mars and the Lesser known but still extremely beloved Anderson .Paak, this album feels like a love letter to that whole era of Soul and Funk music from the 70s, with tune after tune, and jam after jam.

I really can't say much because its a relatively straightforward record, but what i can say is that this album has some really smooth production, which Bruno and Paak just slide over, with their pristine vocals, and the writing is really good at conveying the two's readiness to get down and dirty, with the occasional really goofy sex bar.

The best track is pretty hard choice, especially with the run from "Leave the Door Open" to "Smokin Out the Window", but my favourite is probably gonna go to "After Last Night" with stellar vocals and production, and Thundercat on the bass is always great. The worst is also a really hard choice, by virtue of having an exceptionally strong tracklist, but if push comes to shove, i'm probably going with "777", not even because its all that bad, its just the track that i care for the least.

If i had to really describe An Afternoon with Silk Sonic in one phrase, the best i could put it, as a friend said, is that this is "Wine and Silk Sheets" Music. Inviting you for a good time and at a nice pace, for as long as you want it.

5 Favourite Tracks:

After Last Night, Smokin Out the WIndow, Leave the Door Open, Fly As Me, Blast Off

Least Favourite Track:

777

Best 3 Track Run:

Fly As Me --> After Last Night --> Smokin Out the Window

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Music Review #3

Beautiful Life by Rick Astley

Unc still got it🙏😭

I was not expecting to enjoy this album as much as i did. Contrasting to his more well known and beloved run from the 80s and 90s, this album goes in a more Country Rock direction, something i know he had also dabbled in with his prior album, 50, he really leans into it with this album, and it pays off big time.

What really helps that new sound is Rick's voice. While beforehand he was already a great vocalist, with age he grew kind of a gruffness in his voice, that really compliments this new direction in sound from him. I'm like big big on the songwriting i will say, but when its good, its quite strong.

There are a some really strong songs here, like the title track "Beautiful Life", probably the only traditional pop song on here, and "Try" which really leans into that rock part of the album, but my favourite overall has to be "The Good Old Days". "The Good Old Days" is very much Rick relishing in the music of his youth, even giving specific references to artists and albums like Supertramp and Yellow Submarine, this feels like a song straight from his heart and love for music, and the instrumentals and his vocals don't hold back at all, giving a surprisingly heartfelt performance. There are also some pretty weak tracks on here too, with "Shivers" and its baffling production, and the somewhat of a whimper that is "Last Night on Earth"

More than anything, to me, Beautiful Life is a really hopeful album, with very glaring overtones and undertones sending the message of hope. Beautiful Life, is fun, sometimes powerful, and an overall very enjoyable album from the RickRoll Guy

5 Favourite Tracks:

The Good Old Days, Beautiful Life, Try, I Need the Light, Empty Heart

Least Favourite Tracks:

Shivers, Last Night on Earth

Best 3 Track Run:

Rise Up --> Try --> Good Old Days

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Music Review #2

Imperial by Denzel Curry - 86%

Denzel's Sophomore release, and to me its his jack of all trades master of none. Imperial brings to us a more realized Denzel than where he was apparently at with Nostalgic 64 but one who's still far from his peak. It shows all the workings and aspects that make his future albums as great as great as they are, just not being that best at those particular aspects in comparison to them. It's hard but its not the hardest, its introspective but others are deeper, it has strong songwriting and wordplay but his pen game is stronger in his future albums. All this is not as a knock against the album though, because what we do have here is great.

The Production is great, mainly hailing a more Trap and Cloud rap style sound, as can be seen with tracks like "Ult", "Sick & Tired" and "Good Night". However some tracks like "Zenith" take on different sounds with that one specifically having more BoomBap style production. Denzel's performances are also just as strong, bringing very aggressive rapping and flows like in "Story: No Title", "Knotty Head" and the slur one.

The songwriting can't go unmentioned either, with the absolute standouts in that regard, for me, being "Sick & Tired" and "If Tomorrow's Not Here". "Sick & Tired" is a track with its 2 verses focusing on 2 different people from the hood, with the contrasting lifestyles of being rich and broke, but in spite of that both are stuck in that hood mentality, with it even being interpretable that the man in the 1st verse is trying to hunt down and kill the man in the 2nd one. Comparatively, "If Tomorrow's Not Here" is a much more introspective track, written to be from the point of view of two of his actual friends who were in jail at the time of this album's release, Slikk and Nell, and mainly being about their times in jail.

I also have to mention the features who really don't hold back, from Joey Bada$$ on "Zenith" to Rick Ross on "Knotty Head", but my favourite has to be Twelve'len, for his contributions on both "Good Night" and "If Tomorrow's Not Here"

Overall, my favourite off this album has gotta be between "Ult" and "If Tomorrow's Not Here", with me preferring the Energy and Lyricism on the former, and the Instrospectiness, Vibe and Songwriting on the latter, its a really hard choice, "If Tomorrow's Not Here" just barely edges it out. Alternatively my least favourite off the album is undoubtedly "Me Now", for the simple reason that, it just sounds much worse to me than the rest of the tracklist, in a way thats too noticible for me to overlook.

Imperial is a name very fitting of the album, because to me, this is Denzel's first really big claim for the hiphop throne, and what a claim it is, showing off a set of Denzel's greatest attributes in an overall great product, that should be a must listen to any hiphop head

5 Favourite Tracks:

If Tomorrow's Not Here, Ult, Sick & Tired, Good Night, Story: No Title

Least Favourite Track:

Me Now

Favourite Features:

Twelve'len (Good Night & If Tomorrow's Not Here), Joey Bada$$ (Zenith), Rick Ross (Knotty Head)

Best 3 Track Run:

Ult --> G**k --> Sick & Tired

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Album Review #1

Abbey Road by The Beatles - 97%

OMG GUYS HE'S BAREFOOT!!!!

Abbey Road, The Beatles' Penultimate album, and their most beloved, regarded as of the greatest albums of all time, and honestly, have to agree.

Similarly to their previous album, The White Album, Abbey Road was made during peak tensions between the 4. In spite of this, as opposed to The White Album, it works through that to be much shorter, only being 47 minutes, and having a more cohesive sound

The Music itself is stellar to say the least. The instrumentals are great and well performed by the four, and i want to specifically mention "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", where the instruments keep growing slowly in intensity as the track goes on, until they collapse into madness at the climax. The Songwriting is also some of their, with some of the most iconic and best songs to come from Lennon and McCartney, like "Come Together", "Oh, Darling", "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" and "You Never Give Me Your Money". In spite of their efforts however, George still manages to wash most of the two's songwriting on the album, with "Something" and the ever iconic "Here Comes the sun", two of my favourite songs on the album. The vocals, too, are great, with leads being split generally evenly between Paul and John, as well as George getting to perform his songs, and Ringo getting a one song. Also, in terms of the whole tracklist, before i end this, i must bring up the last 8 song stretch that, while are some of the weaker tracks individually, combine as one to make a great medley to close off a great album.

Overall, Abbey Road is the Beatles at the peak of their powers as artists in all regards, and putting those powers together as one, to make an inarguable classic.

5 Favourite Tracks:

I Want You (She's So Heavy), Here Comes The Sun, Come Together, Something, Octopus' Garden

Least Favourite Tracks:

none

Best 3 Track Run:

Octopus' Garden --> I Want You (She's so heavy) --> Here Comes the sun