iiiDrops by Joey Purp

Over the past few years, the SAVEMONEY collective has been one of, if not the, most exciting things to come out of the diverse, ever thriving Chicago hip-hop scene. Spearheaded by the rise of emcees Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa, the lesser known members of the group have also quietly managed to put together a pretty solid body of work. Now, it's member Joey Purp's turn to step up to the plate, and on iiiDrops he proves that it is him who is next to step into the limelight.


From the bright organ keys and horns on the opening track Morning Sex, into the Pharell-esque dance beat of Girls, Joey Purp stretches his sound far beyond what's popular in Chicago right now. While you might go into this thing expecting the rattling hi-hats, blaring 808s, and bumping bass, you're instead presented with the same kind of varied, flamboyant production you might find on a project from the likes of Vic or Chance. Speaking of those two, they both pop up on the track listing, Chance on the aforementioned track Girls, and Vic on the album's victory lap Winners Circle, a track that's elevated by a wonderful piano melody and shining synthesizers. Fellow Chicagoans Mick Jenkins, Saba, and theMind also lend a helping hand on the project, with all three delivering solid contributions when given the chance.


It is, however, Joey Purp who truly shines on this 11 track collection, as the 20-something year old artist comes through sounding like a true veteran of his craft, swinging his pen like a dagger of sorts as he delivers lyrics that don't aim to impress, but instead aim to provoke feeling and resonate with the listener, something that is accomplished on nearly every track. His swaggering confidence is evident, while also digging into his tough upbringing with lines like "I sold crack/I'd be damned if I can't sell a rap" on the closing track Escape.

Cornerstore, the sixth track on the mixtape is the real showcase here though, as the jazzy, street rap instrumental features a prominent use of horns and is one of the finer beats that producer Thelonious Martin has given us up to this point in his young career. Purp is joined by Saba and theMind, and the three work together to paint a picture of their childhood in Chicago, a city which has constantly been identified as one of the most violent and dangerous places in the US. On this track however, Joey isn't looking to give a PSA on the dangers of his hometown, and instead is simply presenting you with an idea of where he came from, and how it's impacted him to this day. The song presents perhaps the strongest lyrical display on the album, and is highlighted with the lines like "and white kids deal with problems that we never knew to bother/arguing with they dads, we pray we ever knew our fathers" a line which allows Purp to again put an emphasis on his upbringing while also touching on rather personal and emotional topics without coming off as soft.

Going into iiiDrops, I was quite far from being a fan of Joey Purp, but I can't deny his abilities after giving this release multiple listens. From his brash delivery to his rugged voice, the young emcee exudes Chicago, while having the charisma and lyrical strength to separate himself from the rest of the crowded pack looking to find their sound in the streets of city. 

3.5/5

Check out the track Cornerstore below:

You can stream iiiDrops in full over on Joey Purp's soundcloud page here.

Moth by Chairlift

To be as blunt as possible, synthpop is very in at the moment. A genre that first became prominent back in the early 80's, it saw acts like Yellow Magic Orchestra and Depeche Mode help pave the way for acts to come later on throughout the 90's and 2000's. Even just taking a look back to last year will show you a plethora of fantastic synth based releases, with the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen, Chvrches, and Neon Indian all releasing fantastic synth driven albums (and if you want to read my thoughts on Carly Rae's E•MO•TION you can do so here.)

So where does Chairlift come into all of this synth music being put out of late? Well, with the release of their newest full-length LP Moth, the Colorado based duo are clearly showing that they have been inspired by the synth-pop acts of late, as rather than sticking to their dream-pop/electronica roots, they've embraced the trend themselves, and while they've frequently incorporated the synthesizer into their sound, on the new album we see it become their primary instrument for the first time.

From the moment Look Up, the album's opening track begins, it becomes evident that this is not the same album that other artists of the genre have been putting out. In fact, throughout the album, it feels as if not only are Chairlift embracing the synthpop sound, but they are also looking to explore every crack and crevice of the genre. While Look Up serves as an intriguing taste of what's to come, it ends being somewhat of an afterthought once you get into the best that this album has to offer, beginning with the following track Polymorphing. Not only does the track serve has an incredibly catchy and enjoyable listen, but it also seems to be modelled after the same style found on Neon Indian's latest album VEGA INTL. Night School. Even with the clear influence, Chairlift still manage to separate themselves from their peers through many different unique elements used in their sound.

Also unlike some other acts in the scene, the duo frequently go out of their way to incorporate many different instruments on tracks throughout the album. Just take a look at the acoustic guitar featured on Romeo or the violin used in the outro of Ottawa to Osaka for proof of the bands versatility. We also see them take risks by incorporating loud, booming drums at times, as well as lots of progression throughout the tracks. The aforementioned Ottawa to Osaka is easily the best example of that progression, as the song opens with a bit of somewhat of an experimental sound, before settling down as Caroline Polachek begins singing. Not only is her voice fantastic on that track, but also throughout the album, as she delivers beautifully sung hook and after beautifully sung hook, sometimes delivering the lyrics in a hushed whisper, and on one track in particular playing around with a more raw style.

That track is Unfinished Business, and easily serves as one of the project's less interesting cuts, as Polachek seems to be looking to let her vocals loose on the chorus, but for whatever reason sounds as if she's being held back as her voice cracks and ultimately falters out. The track isn't helped much by also containing the most uncreative and uninspired instrumental featured on Moth.  Having said that, aside from Unfinished Business, even the lesser cuts on the album are still quite enjoyable. Tracks I found forgettable after my first few listens like Look Up, and the closer No Such Thing As Illusions I'm now finding myself enjoying and coming back to semi-regularly. As much as Chairlift succeeded in creating great radio-ready catchy singles, they also paid a lot of attention to insuring the flow of the album remains consistent and almost every track has something to offer.

From beginning to end, Moth is an album chalked full of danceable, catchy, sing-a-long pop tunes that anyone with an appreciation for pop music will enjoy. Is this an essential synthpop record? Of course not. It does stand on it's own though, and can easily rival any of last year's releases of the same genre.

Favorite Tracks: Polymorphing, Romeo, Ch-Ching, Crying in Public, Moth to a Flame

Least Favorite Tracks: Unfinished Business

Rating: 4/5

Night Thoughts by Suede

Back in 2010, alt-rock act Suede became one of the many brit-pop bands to get back together since the turn of the decade. 2013 saw the band release their first album since returning, as Bloodsports hit the market. The album received what was perhaps the best critical reception the band had seen since their first three releases. With a line-up consisting entirely of members who've had a hand in the creation of at least one of their first three albums, it wasn't that surprising that the group still had the same magic touch. Now, 6 years after reuniting, the group has came through and released a follow up to Bloodsport. Can their seventh full-length release manage to reach the high standards that the London based band have already set for themselves?

The biggest selling point for Night Thoughts, and Suede in general is the lush, ambient, soundscape the group is able to create with their sound. On this project, the incorporation of a full string section is an addition that really adds some beauty to the groups already very rock-opera flavoured sound. The string section is immediately put on display during the opening track When You Are Young, a cut that begins with an absolutely fantastic, yet quite brief, arrangement, before making way to electric guitars. The strong opener sets the pace for the album, and gives you a very good preview of what's to come.

The highlight of the album for me, comes quite early on in the track listing. No Tomorrow certainly stands out , thanks in large part to the catchy guitar work and explosive sing-a-long chorus. Night Thoughts stays strong with the next track, the darker, more ambient Pale Snow, as well as the 6 minute I Don't Know How to Reach You, a song that does at time border on being generic, but really separates itself during the final two minutes thanks to once again, some very nice guitar work.

There's a lot of good things to praise the band for on Night Thoughts, but unfortunately, even with all the things I love, there's something I can't get passed. Each time I listen to the album, I can't help but feel like it drags in certain parts. There's quite a bit of unnecessary moments that I personally believe could have been completely left off the record. The songs' aren't particular long, and there's only twelve tracks in the listing, but the songs aren't different or unique enough to always hold my attention. A track like I Can't Give Her What She Wants for example, seems as if it's taking forever to build to something bigger, but all you really get is the sparse use of chimes and booming drums as the track wraps up, and I find the near 5 minute run-time has me begging for the track to be finished.

Even with that being said, the majority of the album is very well crafted and quite enjoyable. If you're familiar with Suede's earlier work, you know exactly what to expect coming into this album. If you haven't listened to the band, I suggest their earlier material be your introduction instead of this.

Favorite Tracks: No Tomorrow, I Don't Know How to Reach You, Learning to Be,

Least Favorite Tracks: I Can't Give Her What She Wants

Rating: 3.5/5

Abbath by Abbath

Black metal guitarist/vocalist Abbath is best known as being one of the founding members as well as the principal song-writer for the influential 2nd wave black metal band Immortal. Despite the band's history and contribution to the genre, they've split up multiple times over the last decade, and last year Abbath decided it was time to go his separate way. Upon leaving the group, he announced his intentions to form a band of his own, and now less than a year later his eponymous band have released their eponymous debut, Abbath. (Ego much?)

At it's core, what this project provides is some very loud, raw, fast paced, frantic black metal. Abbath recruits bassist King ov Hell (of God Seed fame) and drummer Creature to join him throughout the album, and their contributions are quite nice. The record opens with a bang, as To War is one of my favorite cuts on the album for it's brutal guitar riff and showcasing of Abbath's retched vocals. It's hard to say the former Immortal front man has lost a step after leaving the band, as he still sounds great on this project, and proves he can continue on without his former bandmates.

While Abbath isn't anything new or innovative, I never would have expected it to be. It's strengths lay in the hard-hitting nature of the music being played, and it's an album meant to be played loud. The weaker parts of the track-listing, for me personally, are when the band slow down. The outro of the second track Winter Bane is an example of this, as the band begin sounding almost classic-rock like, until the climax in the last 15 seconds where a loud shriek brings the song to it's conclusion. The following track, however, picks things right back up as Ashes of the Damned is another favorite of mine thanks to a chorus that incorporates a very interesting use of horns. It's the only cut on the album where the band really take the time to play with any other instrumentation, and while it does pay off, perhaps it's the lack of it throughout the rest of the album that makes it so enjoyable on this particular cut.

As the album comes to a close, it does slow down the pacing a bit once again for Root of the Mountain, which is probably my least favorite track on the album. It's one of the slower cuts as I mentioned, and fails to build up to much, even when the pace picks up about half way through. Fortunately, once again, as soon as the album starts to drift off the trio manages to draw me back in with the closing track Eternal. Much like the way the album opened, it closes with yet another chaotic 4+ minute onslaught of blast beats and lightning fast guitar riffs, something I can always get behind.

As stated earlier, in no ways does this album bring anything new to the table, but that doesn't mean it fails. If you're a fan of Immortal, or even just enjoy raw and heavy black metal, the album is worth checking out. If Abbath can continue to put out music like this, he'll be fine without Immortal.

Favorite Tracks: To War, Ashes of the Damned, Eternal

Least Favorite Tracks: Root of the Mountain

Rating: 3.5/5

ATGCLVLSSCAP by Ulver

It's hard to classify Norwegian 4-piece band Ulver in any traditional genre. They dabbled in black metal, and their debut Et eeventyr i 5 capitler has become an essential album in the history of the genre. The band has garnered critical acclaim from many a critic while blending genres such as experimental rock, electronica, and many more. The group has even went on to create a collaboration album with drone metal outfit Sunn O))). After a career spanning over two decades, and having already done so much experimentation, where would their latest release take them?

Had I not read up on the album before listening, I never would have guessed that all 12 album tracks were performed live, as free improvisation during the bands 2014 european tour. Not only does the album not sound as if it were recorded live, but it also sounds as it was so well wrote and assembled that I was really truly shocked to find it the origins of the recording.

 From the moment the album kicks off with the very drone inspired piece England's Hidden to some of the nosier more psychedelic cuts like Cromagnosis, the album carries a very similar sound. At times the progression is methodical and slow, at times there's barely any, and yet throughout the 80 minute runtime of the album, you become completely enthralled by the sound that Ulver have managed to create.

The album is principally instrumental, and in fact the only time you hear lead vocalist Kristoffer Rygg lend his voice are on the tracks Om Hanumate Namah, Nowhere (Sweet Sixteen) and Ecclesiastes. On the first of those three tracks, the contribution is very minor, as it's just a simple chanting, sparsely heard during the beginning of the track that ends up echoing for the full 7 minutes of the song, creating a very trance like feel. While the vocal work was a welcomed contribution, it also made for one of the less interesting tracks on the LP in my opinion. Nowhere is easily the most conventional track in the listing, and Rygg's vocals just fail to add much to a cut that would be much more enjoyable without them.

While I do enjoy some of the more drone-y moments of the album, it's really the more instrumentally driven and noisy tracks that keep me coming back to this album. Tracks like the aforementioned Cromagnosis as well as Desert/Dawn are very good examples of that, and because they are set in between some fantastic drone pieces, it really helps showcase the layers and depth on display in these tracks. Ulver makes a great effort on a regular basis to create beautiful lush soundscapes, which is the exact thing that has helped the group reach this level of success across the world.

The album can be summed up with the word experience, because that's exactly what it is. ATGCLVLSSCAP sucks you in, and doesn't let you leave it's confines until it's done with you. Ulver had nothing to prove with the release of this album as they've already done so much in their illustrious career, and yet still, they managed to show us all once again just how creative they are.

Favorite Tracks: Cromagnosis, Om Hanumate Namah, Desert/Dawn

Least Favorite Tracks: Nowhere (Sweet Sixteen)

Rating: 4/5

Adore Life by Savages

Back in 2011, London based post-punk revival band Savages released their debut album Silence Yourself. The album was met with universally critical acclaim for it's punk aesthetic that remained very true to the genre, and front-woman Jehnny Beth's charismatic yet hectic approach to performing. The sheer heaviness of the music they were creating, using some fantastic bass grooves and frenzied drum playing made it seem they were destined for post-punk stardom, but how would the 4-piece all female group follow up their debut?

The lead single from the album, The Answer, is hands down one of my favorite tracks early on in the year. It's one of the loudest, heaviest, hardest hitting punk songs I've heard in quite some time, and as per usual, Jehnny Beth did a fantastic job writing the track. Unfortunately, as much as I did enjoy the lead single, the rest of the album just doesn't live up to it. Immediately after The Answer, the pace of the album is slowed down because of Evil, which while not a slow-paced song, is no where the chaotic anthem that the track before it is. Ultimately, I found it to be a fairly forgettable track in the listing. The album does return to form for tracks like Sad Person and Slowing Down the World, the first one because it feels like the high tempo anthem I want from the band, and the second one because the chorus alone does a great job of elevating an otherwise decent track. But, just when all is looking up, the album slumps right back into disappointment with I Need Something New, a track that opens up with Beth spewing raw vocals a capella, but once accompanied by the rest of the band's instrumentation, really doesn't make for anything too special.

A running trend throughout the album is lackluster verses and disappointing insturmentation that builds to fantastic choruses. Songs like When In Love and Surrender are two examples of great hooks that just get bogged down by otherwise uninteresting elements. Frankly, there's not much to say about Adore Life. When Savages are on there game, they deliver some fantastic moments, but they spend the majority of this album looking to replicate everything that worked so well on their first album, and they struggle to do so.

Favorite Tracks: The Answer, Sad Person, T.I.W.Y.G

Least Favorite Tracks: I Need Something New, Mechanics

Rating: 3/5