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

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.

Harmlessness by The World Is A Beautiful Place And I'm No Longer Afraid To Die

If I had a dollar for every shitty emo album that I've listened to since the genre's revival around 2010, I'd be a very rich man. It's become a genre that is either hit or miss, as you can come across something great at any time, something on par with emo greats like Brand New, Dashboard Confessional, and Sunny Day Real Estate, but you can just as easily come across another knock off attempt of mainstream pop-punk emo acts like Fall out Boy and the All-American Rejects. On their debut, TWIABP made it clear that their eight-piece ensemble wanted to be grouped together with the greats, as they took on a different approach to the genre. They continue to follow through on that with their sophomore release.

On Whenever, If Ever, the band broke-through with what were some greatly crafted emo tracks, that constantly saw changing vocals, it seemed like every track had a different member of the band lending their voice, and while it did make for a bit of a mess, that was just part of it's magic. On their newest album Harmlessness, the band gets away from that, and we hear David Bello and Katie Shanholtzer take responsibility for the majority of the vocals. The dynamic of their voices is excellent on track to track basis and is one of my favorite things featured on the album. It flows beautifully over the instrumentation, which is another thing worth mentioning.

Emo has a always had a very similar feel to alt-rock, sometimes even post-punk, at least when it comes to the music that's being played, as it's really the lyrics that separate emo from the other two. What caught my ear during my first few play throughs of this album, was the band's ability to use both heartbreakingly sad instrumentals, and follow them up with songs that sound, almost, well, uplifting to be honest. The intro track, and one every my favorite cuts, You Can't Live There Forever, features a beautiful sparse acoustic guitar opening, before becoming a fantastic composition of violins, drums, chimes, and any other instrument the band can use to help this feeling of happiness that kicks off the album. It's not necessarily new for an emo band to mix in a few less depressing songs in their track listing, but the way that TWIABP do it, it makes me really wonder if they would simply be better off pursing more of an indie rock route than continuing with the emo genre.

Now don't get me wrong here, because the band does emo tracks exceptionally well on this album too, take a look at January 10th, 2014 for any needed proof, the track tells the true story of Diana, the hunter of bus drivers, a female vigilante who murdered two bus drivers as revenge for two decades worth of rape, assault, and homicide in Juarez, Mexico. While at it's base, it's a wonderfully crafted emo song, the subject matter makes it so much more than that, and proves the band is capable of a lot more than the confines of the emo genre. We get more uplifting, poppy, groovy tracks like The Word Lisa, Rage Against the Dying Light, and Willie (for Howard) as the track listing moves on, the end of the album sees a much more sad tone, and also features the album's two longest tracks with I Can Be Afraid of Anything clocking in at over 7 minutes, and Mount Hum finishing a minute longer.

The best comparison I have for this album is Modern Baseball's You're Gonna Miss It All, just because in the same way that it blew me away with the potential they displayed with their fusion of folk, punk and emo on the album, TWIABP blow me away with the potential of their own sound on Harmlessness. By no means is it completely innovative, but how often do you find an emo release that truly is? In a time where the genre is littered with albums not worth mentioning, the band comes through with a wonderful release, something that any fan of the genre, or indie rock for that matter, should take the time to listen to.

Rating: B+

Favorite Tracks: You Can't Live There Forever, January 10th 2014, The Word Lisa, I Can Be Afraid of Anything

Least Favorite Tracks: Mount Hum

GO:OD AM by Mac Miller

Mac Miller is a rapper/producer from Pittsburgh, PA. He broke out back in 2010 with the release of his mixtape KIDS, and ever since has been one of the most popular rappers on the scene. His ever changing sound has led to some excellent projects, and some projects that aren't quite as great. Nonetheless, the 23 year old as compiled a very versatile discography. 

Mac's second full-length album, Watching Movies with the Sound Off was released back in 2013, and while it was seen by many as a sign of maturity in his sound, I personally did not enjoy it as much as I had enjoyed his earlier work. He followed that up, however, with what is probably my favorite project in his discography Faces, a more laid back and unique, at times even comedic approach to rapping by the emcee. On his newest album, I wasn't sure what to expect. Would we get a continuation of the style seen on Faces, or would he continue to alter his sound on every project he releases, like he has done in the past?

On GO:OD AM we get a sound that hovers somewhere between his last two previously mentioned projects Watching Movies and Faces. While Mac certainly takes a similar approach to rapping that we see on Watching Movies, the instrumentals are much more reminiscent of those you'd find on his last project. I can't say that his lyrical approach on Watching Movies was bad, but I did personally find it much less entertaining than how he handled Faces, so coming into this album that was an immediate disappointment.

Perhaps my biggest problem with this album, and rap music in general at the moment, is the ridiculous 17 tracks and 70+ minute run time of the album. I know what you're thinking, why am I mad that Mac Miller provided more tracks to listen to, isn't that a good thing? It is, to an extent. But something that's happening time and time again in hip-hop, is that artists are adding additional tracks to the listing just for the sake of using tracks. Much like I mentioned on A$AP Rocky's latest project, so many of these tracks are throwaways that, if left out of the listing, would have probably led to a more positive listening experience. I think it goes without saying that the inclusion of two or three "bad" tracks, is going to really hurt someone's perception of an album. 

As far as what Mac did well, is his experimentation production wise on this project. He continues to get away from producing his own tracks under his Larry Fisherman allias, as all the production is done by other producers on GO:OD AM. We do get some very unique instrumentals on the project, like the one found on Time Flies, a track that also features cult legend rapper Lil B. Another instrumental worth mentioning is Jump, a very electronic based track that sounds much more like something you'd find on a house album than a hip-hop album. With that being said, Mac does a great job of making the most out of the track. ROS can also be added into the discussion of more interesting instrumentals, as it kicks off with Miller singing over a piano ballad before transitioning into a very sparse and laid back beat, where he even does his own backing vocals. 

The features are another thing of note, as throughout the album only 5 of the tracks contain guest features. Half of which are singing contributions (done by The Weeknd and Little Dragon), meaning Mac Miller takes on the majority of the 70 minute project all by himself. The guest verses we do see come from Chicago based trap artist Chief Keef, who delivers a very typical trap verse on the track Cut The Check, which is a below average cut. Lil B's appearance on Times Flies sees him simply talking in the background of the track, nothing more. The one guest verse worth noting, is that of Ab-Soul, who appears on Two Matches, a sequal of sorts to the track Matches by the two rappers that appeared back on Watching Movies. While Matches ended up being one of my favorites on it's respective project, Two Matches is also one of my favorites on this album. We see Soul deliver a fantastic verse as per usual, and Mac Miller keeps up quite well, seeming a little bit more focused than he does throughout the rest of the project. 

If Mac had have made the decision to leave a few of the subpar tracks out of the listing, cuts like Clubhouse, In The Bag, and Cut The Check, then I believe it would have made for a much more focused and well put together finished project. Instead, we get a project that's way too long, drags in parts, and at times seems as if it was just thrown together. That's not to take away from how many good songs there are on the album, because there are plenty, but unfortunately I can't only judge it from the good ones. 

Rating: B-

Favorite Tracks: Brand Name, Two Matches, Perfect Circle, The Festival

Least Favorite Tracks: Clubhouse, In The Bag, God Speed (the second half of Perfect Circle,) Cut The Check

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

That's The Spirit by Bring Me The Horizon

One of the faces of metalcore over the last decade, British metal band Bring Me the Horizon have compiled a discography 4 full length albums in their career, all of which cracked the top 100 charts in the UK. For the most part however, I've found their music to be rather basic and generic. It wasn't until their fourth album, Sempiternal that the band delivered a project that proved to me that they do have some potential to be more than just your run of the mill metalcore act. That's largely due to the band's continued experimentation with electronic elements that gave an added dimension to a genre that often times can feel very one dimensional, at least on the mainstream level.

Going into the release of their newest album That's The Spirit, I was fairly excited to see what kind of progress Oliver Sykes and co. were going to make, and if they could actually win me over with an album that actually felt as if the band were passionate about the music that they made. Instead of that however, the singles released before the album Drown, Happy Song, and Throne, made it evident that the band was headed in a very different direction than that of their previous output. While the electronic elements remained in their sound, any previous elements of the metalcore genre, or metal for that matter, were left in the past. Instead, on their latest release Bring Me the Horizon ditch the screaming vocals, hardcore guitar riffs, and booming drums, in favor of a much more radio friendly rock sound. While the electronic elements, like the use of a synthesizer remained, that was really the only element that carried over, aside from Oliver Sykes subpar song writing ability. 

Let me just say, there is nothing wrong with bands making big transitions in their sound, and in a lot of cases (Radiohead's Kid A, The Velvet Underground & Nico's eponymous album, and even more recently, Kanye West's Yeezus) a transition can lead to a band/artist putting out some of their best material. However, as far as Bring Me the Horizon's 180 turn in musical direction goes, it does absolutely nothing for me. Sonically, the band sounds different of course, but the same reasons why I couldn't get into the band before remain. The guitar riffs are recycled and often times boring, the vocals are also boring and frankly, the lyrics are even worse. Not to mention how lame the background chanting in tracks like True Friends are now that they've lost all of their previous edge. On the note of lyrics, I can't count how many times I found myself shaking my head at the lyrics on this project, the previously mentioned True Friends is a perfect example of that, as on the track Oliver Sykes sings the incredibly childish chorus of "true friends' stab you in the front." I'm not saying that the band has ever been poetic by any stretch, but they could at least get away with it when the lyrics were being screamed with a little bit of passion, on a rock song however, lyrics that sound as if they were written by a 12 year old just aren't going to fly.  

In all honesty, it's hard for me to pick out any positives on the band's newest release. It really sounds as if the band is going for a lighter, less entertaining version of what they were doing on their their first few albums. As tired as I am of the typical metalcore sound of hardcore verses that are met with cleanly sang choruses that see the vocals soar over the rest of the instruments in the most corny of fashions, this album is not much more entertaining than that. Part of me really wants to like this album, because I do think that the band has much more potential than just playing to crowds of teenage girls and selling t-shirts at Hot Topics. With that being said, if they're ever going to reach that potential, they're going to need to progress and mature, instead of doing whatever it is they did to create this disappointment. 

Rating: D

Favorite Tracks: What You Need, Drown

Least Favorite Tracks: Happy Song, Throne, True Friends, Avalanche, Run, Blasphemy