January 2020 Wrap-Up

A mix of free time and inspiring music projects released recently has given me the ambition to attempt to resuscitate this ol' word box of mine, even if it functions as nothing more than an unused portfolio. So let this serve as a welcome, or a welcome back, if you will. 

There is not a singular album or artist review that seems timely or appropriate to return with in of itself, so I figured a look back at January releases collectively might be a little more suitable. I would say that 2020 is off to a promising debut, and while some artists have already blown me away, others have left me sorely disappointed. With that being said, let us take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from the last month.

The Good

Mac Miller - Circles

While there are a few albums that fall into the good category, there is only one that truly left me a mark on me and will undoubtedly show up on my (and many others) year end list. Circles, the most recent and presumably final release from the late Mac Miller who passed away unexpectedly in 2018, was a beautiful tribute to the young musician's career. As someone who has been critical of Miller at periods throughout his career, I can finally say that he was able to find the perfect blend of neo-soul and pop rap he seemed to be so desperately seeking over his previous releases. While 2016's Divine Feminine and 2018's Swimming missed the mark in this same vein, Circles sees Miller fully tuned in to his artistic direction. He's as confident as ever in his voice, yet lonely and introspective in his words. This leads to a beautifully produced melancholic mash-up of vivid sounds, with some of the best lyrical material I feel he has ever produced. From the timid, introspective, self-titled album opener, to the equally thoughtful lead single Good News, Miller never shy's away from appearing vulnerable or weak.

"Well, it ain't that bad
It could always be worse
I'm running out of gas, hardly anything left
Hope I make it home from work
Well, so tired of being so tired"

Miller writes on Good News.

There is a lot more that can be said in regards to the final product delivered, but to avoid making my reflection on this as long as a usual review, I'll finish with this.  I think it is fair to say that Miller's final release, was also his most complete. It is a tragedy to not only lose him as an artist, but of course also as a person. In saying that, Circles serves as perhaps the most beautiful final act he could have given us.

Rating: 4/5

Floral Tattoo - You Can Never Have a Long Enough Head Start

One of the biggest surprises I found last month came in the form of Seattle based band Floral Tattoo and their newest release You Can Never Have a Long Enough Head Start. If you could not tell by the long winded album title, it is indeed ripe with influences from the early 2000s emo scene. It is not inherently your standard emo release however, and it set apart by it's booming, noisy, shoegaze inspired soundscapes. Crushingly beautiful at times, with the shared voices of vocalists Alex Anderson and Gwen Power, it's a moving project that had me hooked from the first listen. It is not exactly an innovative combination of genres, but treading new ground does not appear to be what the band set out to do on this record. Instead they are looking to capture you with the explosiveness of their sound. There are moments where the album does come to a bit of a lull, and not each track brings the same energy as She or Danny, Be Well. Collectively, however, it is a positive release that brings some well deserved attention to the group. A step forward that can hopefully lead to even more powerful material as they move forward.

Rating: 3/5

Pinegrove - Marigold

Another solid release from the group who blend modern country inspired instrumentals with heart-on-my-sleeve midwest emo lyrics. Much like their previous two releases Cardinal and Skylight, I feel this album shows some very high highs. For example, the title track Marigold and the album opener Dotted Line are two brilliant pieces that warrant giving the record a listen on their own. Yet ultimately , it can feel a little too same-y when consuming it all at once. Much like my previous criticisms of Pinegrove, I feel they struggle to make the most of every track and quite quickly a project can turn into 3-4 memorable songs that you will take with you for awhile, and a handful of others that will quickly become forgettable. 

In saying this, I still feel the album was a positive addition to their discography, and further proof they have it in them to write some incredibly enjoyable songs. Whether or not they're able to build off of the momentum that came off of the positive reception to Cardinal is yet to really be seen. Here is hoping they can continue to grow with their next project. 

Rating: 3/5

The Bad

I might be better off naming this section as the "indifferent," because for the most part that is my exact feelings towards these releases. As is usually the case early in the year, we get a few releases by artists who are either looking to capitalize on an early start at a time where not a ton of big releases are scheduled, or are being held up due to delays that prevented releases later in the previous year. Perhaps this is why there were so many forgettable records to be found. Either way, let us take a look at some of the more... shall we say, lukewarm, projects from January.

Stormzy - Heavy Is the Head

Anyone who knows me personally would be aware I have a bit of an infatuation with UK grime. There is nothing quite as powerful as the booming bass and energetic deliveries found on classic grime releases from the likes of Dizzee Rascal or Wiley. Stormzy has been a bit of a prodigy in the grime scene, appearing on tracks from the likes of the aforementioned Wiley in the past and building up quite an exorbitant amount of hype surrounding him in the process. His first attempt to harness this hype into a full length studio release came back in 2017 with the release of Gang Signs and Prayers. To the disappointment of many, however, Stormzy strayed from the grime influence on that project and instead laid most of his focus on moving into a more accessible and easily digested pop rap direction. Dabbling his influences in the realm of a more traditional hip-hop and R&B sound led to a fairly forgettable project and had me hoping to see the Manchester based emcee return to his roots on his sophomore follow-up. 

What we received in Heavy Is the Head, unfortunately, is very similar to the disappointment of Stormzy's previous LP. It is better, I will begin by stating that emphatically. There are some tracks that do show the grimier side of the emcee and even when he blends them with a little more pop essence they pack enough of a punch to feel true to his sound. One listen to Big Michael, Audacity, or Vossibop will show you just how much talent Stormzy does have in his delivery. He comes into these tracks aggressive, focused, and ruthless in his approach. A project containing nothing but songs cut from this ilk could rank high in the halls of UK hip-hop and grime releases. And yet, he appears indifferent to this material. Just like on Gang Signs and Prayers, Stormzy seems insistent on burying these tracks between the blander poppy R&B styling of Do Better and the uninspired lyricism on a track like Superheroes. It isn't so much that these songs are outright bad, they just seem to serve as nothing more than what I would call vibe killers. After building you up with the energetic flows and speaker busting production of the grime cuts, Stormzy swoops back in and breaks the immersion with these uneventful filler tracks. 

A project with one lackluster cut to match every enjoyable one. Stromzy is back with yet another failure to consistently capture that same sound that made his early singles so impactful. 

Rating: 2.5/5

Algiers - There Is No Year

This one is painful to type out. I mean it when I say that. Over the last decade the Algiers released two albums that would probably end up fairly high on my top 50 list (a list that I might get around to making at a later date.) So to say I was excited by the prospect of a new Algiers project is no stretch. If you were to ask me what I expected them to deliver on it, though, I never would have guessed it would be such a disappointment. 

It is not so much that they put out a bad project. In reality, it is quite far from that. It is actually perfectly okay. Maybe that is the issue though. This is an album that is just... okay. The loud, industrial influenced elements that made their previous two records stand out so much seem to be gone. We still have the soaring soul inspired vocals of Franklin James Fisher and the chugging high tempo riffs still feature prominently throughout. There just seems to be a lack of that same substance, that pizzazz if you will, that made them such an alluring outfit to begin with. A quick flip through the track listing will give you all you need to hear. Nothing offensive, nothing really worth spending all that much time commenting on. In effect, it feels like a collection of songs that just failed to stand out enough to make the track list of their previous efforts. Perhaps not a record that deserves to be regarded as the bad, but more so as the disappointing. 

Rating: 2.5/5

The Ugly

AJJ - Good Luck Everybody 

If it pains me to dismiss Algiers in such a fashion that I previously did, then it kills me to say what I am about to say about AJJ. For those who are perhaps unfamiliar with the ragtag folk punk posse formerly known as Andrew Jackson Jihad who are responsible for some of my personal favourite albums of all-time (see Knife Man and People Who Can Eat People for such projects), let this please not serve as your introduction. A band renowned for their clever, abrasive, over the top political commentary and satire during the mid 2000s to early 2010s, AJJ seem to have lost all touch with that side of their music on Good Luck Everybody. If their last release The Bible 2 was disappointing (it was) then this is a straight up punch to the gut. While front man Sean Bonnette is still delivering the same quippy political commentary we have come to expect, it is being done at a much more tepid pace. Instrumentally the project fails to excite, with some of the blandest musicianship the band has given us to date. The only real deviation we get from that is on Normalization Blues, a track that plays very much to it's name as an up tempo blues tune but lyrically does not offer anything more than a mediocre commentary on the state of the average American person. We get similar takes on tracks like No Justice, No Peace, No Hope, that while presenting an important topic, seems to lack the same abrasiveness AJJ would approach such topics with in the past.

It all just falls a bit flat in the end. There is no question that the band are true to their beliefs and stick with it in their song writing. It just seems like that intensity you would find on their older projects has gone away, and in it's place all that remains is a subpar indie folk act bringing forward room temperature political takes in a client chalked full of more than enough of them already. 

Rating: 2/5

7 Releases From 2015 You Need To Hear If You Haven't Already

First and foremost, let me just say that the chances of you having heard at least one or two albums on this list are very high. Rather than focusing on plucking 7 artists from complete obscurity and dropping them onto your radar, I figured it'd be better to take a mix of popular and underground artists from some varying genres, because chances are there will be at least one or two that you aren't familiar with, and that you might truly enjoy. With that being said, in no particular order, 7 albums from 2015 you need to hear.

1) Blood by Lianne La Havas

UK born singer-songwriter Lianne La Havas stormed onto the scene this year with her second full length release Blood, an album that saw her blend soul and R&B among a few other influences in what made for a great showcase of her talent. Not only does she have a fantastic voice, but her ability for writing catchy lyrics cannot be overlooked, and she's also a very gifted multi-instrumentalist. If you're looking for something new and refreshing, yet still catchy and upbeat, Blood is sure to lift you up have you singing and dancing in no time. 

2) Get to Heaven by Everything Everything

Everything Everything's contribution to the music scene in 2015 was a very welcomed one, as the band delivered some of the best indie pop-rock I've heard in quite some time. Not only was it's release a very pleasant surprise to me, but it also ended up being one of my favorite album's of the year as well. Lead singer Jonathan Higgs' vocals may take a little bit of getting used to, but once you hear a few songs from the band, and see just what his vocal range is capable of alongside their ability to craft catchy pop tunes, you'll be blown away.

3) Meow The Jewels by Run The Jewels

Ever since the group's formation and debut album back in 2013, Run The Jewels, the hip-hop duo of Killer Mike and El-P has been one of, if not the most entertaining and enjoyable rap ensemble in all of hip-hop. So it's only fair that the two combine their oftentimes aggressive and overly violent rap style with the soothing sounds of cats, right? Well, whether you answered yes or no to that, they did it. Thanks to a fan-funded kickstarter campaign, Killer Mike, El-P, a few lucky cats, and a large number of gifted producers got together and created perhaps the weirdest rap album ever made when they remixed RTJ2 with the inclusion of cat sounds.

4) Hyperview by Title Fight

Title Fight's transition from run of the mill Hardcore-punk act to shoe-gaze inspired indie rock band made for one of, in my opinion, the most pleasantly surprising releases of 2015. While the album received fairly decent reviews, it didn't quite achieve the popularity that I personally felt it deserved. The music on the album ranges from noisy and emotional, to quiet, sparse, and depressing, and really just hits the right note when you feel like listening to an album that feels like it belongs in an low-budget indie drama soundtrack (and I mean that in a good way.) The album has a wonderful flow to it, and once you press play on the first track, you'll have a hard time turning it off until it's finished.

5) Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit by Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett took on 2015 with momentum on her side, as her debut album Sometimes I Sit received quite a bit of exposure thanks to websites like Pitchfork and the Rolling Stone promoting the release. The reason such high profile music sites went out of their way to showcase the Australian born singer-songwriter is because put simply, she's on her way to becoming one of the best indie rock musicians out there. On her debut album she introduces us into her own signature style, a style that sees her combine very catchy indie rock style guitar riffs, with weird, quirky, story telling that see's her range from rambling about her societal views, to her delivering repetitive and catchy choruses. Her speak/sing style of delivery is something seen quite a bit more in the folk and country scene, but she works it very well into her sound, and it's definitely something worth checking out.  

6) Today, I Wrote Nothing by Billy Woods

Billy Woods approach to hip-hop is quite unlike anything that's popular within the genre now. He doesn't use club anthem instrumentals, he doesn't rely on the popularity of the trap scene, and he doesn't try to be relatable. Instead, Billy Woods uses his immaculate vocabulary, and snail speed slow delivery to make for what was one of the most intriguing rap releases of the whole year. The songs are short and to the point, the instrumentals are some of the most diverse and fleshed out of any rap project I've heard recently, and the track-list comes in at 24 cuts. How Billy Woods managed to take on a project of that length without seeming repetitive either lyrically or instrumentally is far beyond me, but for a day where he wrote nothing, he sure did write a lot (not funny, I know.) 

7) O∆ by London O'Connor

Your first question, I'm sure, is what kind of album name is that? Well, the album name seems to describe London O'Connor perfectly, because both he and the album are quite frankly, just different. The young musician assembled a project this year that is an ode to growing up and missing your childhood, or maybe just never growing up at all. I reviewed the album in full previously, and my thoughts still remain the same. While London dabbles in many different genres, it seems very clear that he is creating his own sound, and his own style to accompany it.

90059 by Jay Rock

Over the last few years, Top Dawg Entertainment has been one of the most important labels in the hip-hop genre, as it's helped stars like Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, and more achieve tons of mainstream exposure. However, since the label's rise to fame, it's been LA based rapper Jay Rock who has failed to reach that same level of success that his other three Black Hippy collective members have achieved. That can be in large part due to the fact that in his career that stretches back to over a decade ago, Rock has released just one full-length album, 2011's Follow Me Home, and while it was a solid release, it's been completely forgotten about thanks to the albums his label mates have released. 

Without a doubt, this new album was Jay Rock's big chance to prove that he is able to deliver on the same level of his label mates. At 30 years old, it may also be his last chance to do so before it's too late. With that being said, there are tons of rappers who don't come across their sound until later in their career, for example Danny Brown didn't release his breakout project XXX until the age of 30, and has went on to, in my opinion at least, be one of the more consistent mainstream rappers out. Jay Rock was able to prove a bit of his skill on the singles released for the album, but it wasn't until the third single, Gumbo, which was released in early August, that Jay was able to get me truly hyped for his newest project.

On 90059, Jay Rock does not attempt to completely overturn his style, as his sound is still a very much 'gangsta' rap west-coast influenced sound. He does however rely on a bit of a different production style than what we've seen him use in the past, and he does a great job of balancing his trade-mark story telling ability with a good amount of word play and braggadocios lyrics on the very laid back production throughout the track listing. Rock kicks the project off with a hard-hitting lyrical display on Necessary, a track that features an instrumental reminiscent of something you'd find on an early 2000's G-Unit album. Near the end of the project, Jay Rock does lean a little bit more on his story telling ability, especially on the tenth track Money Trees Deuce (an ode to the Kendrick Lamar song he featured on back in 2012) where he discusses friends trying to hold him back on his road to success. Even though the topic matter is serious, Jay Rock rides the line between topical rap and boasting, as he avoids getting too serious on any of his cuts. 

The features on the album are, of course, in large part done by TDE label members. The only non-TDE affiliated artists who pop up in the track listing are Inglewood based singer-songwriter SiR (who I first heard of on TiRon & Ayomari's Wonderful Prelude) and veteran hip-hop artist Busta Rhymes, who provides a very unique spin on the track Fly On The Wall, where he essentially spends his verse both praising and advising Jay Rock on hip-hop culture. While it isn't Busta Rhymes' best verse, it serves the purpose of further establishing Jay Rock as a rapper who is respected in the rap community. 

It's the TDE features however, that I was most excited for. We get a feature by 24 year old emcee Isaiah Rashad on Wanna Ride, and while he doesn't get the chance to drop a verse of his own, he does provide an excellent hook on the laid back beat. We also see a feature from singer SZA on the track Easy Bake that also features Kendrick Lamar. While the track is easily my least favorite cut on the album, she does do a fairly good job of providing a nicely sung verse that helps the instrumental transition into track's outro. Lastly, we get a rare Black Hippy collaboration on the song Vice City. Kendrick Lamar takes the lead on the track as he opens it up and also lends his voice to the hook. The production is fairly sparse which allows the focus to lay on the lyrical content that the four-piece rap collective provide. While the unique flow that the rappers use takes a couple of listens to get used to, it certainly is something different, which all four rappers aim to do on a constant basis. The only downside to this feature is that Jay Rock's verse is easily the most forgettable of the four, something that happens seemingly every time the group gets together. 

That leads into one of my complaints of the album, which is Jay Rock's inability to stand out on tracks that feature TDE members. Even on Wanna Ride, a track where Isaiah Rashad only sings the chorus, I find myself paying more attention to him than to Jay Rock. I'm not sure what it is that makes it so hard for Rock to stand out on a track with features, but it's a problem that's occurred time and time again ever since his signing to Top Dawg Entertainment. I also feel as if Rock will continue to be overlooked because of his lack of a clear cut "style." While Kendrick is known for his lyricism and ability to create conceptual story based tracks, Q has a gift for making very accessible party tracks, and Ab-Soul has established himself due to his unique lyrical approach and delivery. Meanwhile, Jay Rock doesn't seem to stand out in any specific way.

Still, those things don't take away from the experience of listening to 90059 too much, as it does come together as a very good listening experience. I do still believe Jay Rock will be the most overlooked member of the core four of TDE, but at least now he has delivered a major label project that proves he's worth a mention when discussing the artists on what is, as I mentioned, perhaps hip-hop's most important label.  

Rating: B+

Favorite Tracks: Necessary, Gumbo, Vice City, Fly on the Wall, Money Trees Deuce

Least Favorite Track: Easy Bake, The Message

Too by FIDLAR

FIDLAR are a Los Angeles, California based skate/garage punk band who formed back in 2009. Since their inception, they've released only one full-length album back in 2013, which was of course their eponymous debut. On this album, the band blew away both critics and music fans alike, as they were able to blend together genres like skate punk, garage rock, surf rock, and more, with their own lo-fi sound. While the album was able to bring together comedy with some rocking musicianship from the band members, it's their latest album Too that has me really excited to see what the four-piece is capable of.

The album's lead single, 40oz. On Repeat would lead the listener to believe that the band is delivering an album much like their first, only slightly more produced and cleaned up. That however, is far from the truth. While the lead single does carry that same garage punk ethic that helped the band's first album become so popular, they quickly shift styles when the second track Punks rolls around. This track is a hard hitting, at times psychedelic cut, that features vocalist Zac Carper screaming at the listener.

If I was to simply list off the best tracks and talk about what makes them so enjoyable, I'd be here all day. To understand the versatility of FIDLAR, you really need to give the album a listen. There's a handful of classic punk cuts like 40oz, Sober, Drone, and more, but you also get some songs that can't easily be described by a genre classification. Tracks like Punks, Why Generation, and Overdose are perfect examples of that. Overdose stands out as one of the best tracks in the listing for me personally, as the song kicks off sounding almost folk-ish, with a very Tom Waits inspired guitar riff that transcends into pure chaos within the last thirty seconds as we get shrieked vocals, distorted guitars, and a heavy drum beat to lead the track out. The album's strength, in my opinion, lies in the band's diversity, as they really make an effort to keep any two songs from sounding too similar. 

Labeling an album as "skate-punk" can often times be a big turn off for music fans, who will then expect a project the likes of something done by Avril Lavigne or Simple Plan, but this album is so much more than that. While much more produced and less lo-fi than their debut, Too is a step in the right direction for the very talented young band, as they've shed the label of being a local punk band, and instead are throwing their name into the hat of best up and coming bands in the music world right now. If you need any more proof that punk isn't dead, take a look at FIDLAR's latest release, because you're bound to be surprised.

Rating: A-

Favorite Tracks: 40oz. On Repeat, Punks, West Coast, Why Generation, Sober, Overdose, Stupid Decisions

Least Favorite Tracks: None