So this week, since albums by The 1975 and Anthrax weren't on Spotify like I'd hoped they would be, those two won't be included. However, great albums by Santigold and Pinkshinyultrablast will be included here, as well as a late review from dream pop group Wild Nothing! Also included will be the new EP from one of my favorite pop stars. Enjoy!
To start of this new batch of reviews, we have the new collaboration from pop starlet Charli XCX and PC Music collaborator Samuel Long, also known as SOPHIE. Charli XCX is a singer that I've been a fan of since her 2014 release Sucker, where she sang silly, cool, and fun pop songs under a punk aesthetic. Singles such as "Break the Rules" and "Boom Clap" were standouts, as well as deeper cuts such as "Caught In the Middle". To date, it's one of my favorite pop albums, and I can credit it with getting me more comfortable with the side of me that's a huge poptimist.
SOPHIE, on the other hand, is a close collaborator of PC Music. He is known for producing super weird and eclectic pop music of his own, as shown on his late 2015 release Product. Given what I knew about these two and the styles that they are known for, I had no idea what to expect from this EP.
All I can say is: Wow. This is one of the most unique pop releases that I've ever heard in my life. Charli XCX's smoky howl fits the hard-hitting production from SOPHIE too perfectly. The punk vibes that I got from Sucker are nowhere to be found, and I don't mind that, because a lot of what I liked about Charli XCX on that album is also on this EP. Her attitude as the coolest girl in the room is still all over this release. SOPHIE's production is... hard to describe. It's often bass-heavy, with a mixture of different sounds to keep it interesting.
It's such a short listen, but it has me so hyped for whatever album Charli XCX is planning on putting out.
Overall: 9/10
Favorite tracks: Honestly? All four of them are equally great!
SOPHIE, on the other hand, is a close collaborator of PC Music. He is known for producing super weird and eclectic pop music of his own, as shown on his late 2015 release Product. Given what I knew about these two and the styles that they are known for, I had no idea what to expect from this EP.
All I can say is: Wow. This is one of the most unique pop releases that I've ever heard in my life. Charli XCX's smoky howl fits the hard-hitting production from SOPHIE too perfectly. The punk vibes that I got from Sucker are nowhere to be found, and I don't mind that, because a lot of what I liked about Charli XCX on that album is also on this EP. Her attitude as the coolest girl in the room is still all over this release. SOPHIE's production is... hard to describe. It's often bass-heavy, with a mixture of different sounds to keep it interesting.
It's such a short listen, but it has me so hyped for whatever album Charli XCX is planning on putting out.
Overall: 9/10
Favorite tracks: Honestly? All four of them are equally great!
Ever since rapper-producer duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis released their album The Heist in late 2012, it's been a hell of a ride for the two. With two Hot 100 number 1 songs, as well as two more songs that cracked the Top 20, The Heist has so far gone on to sell well over a million copies, which is no small feat for a completely independent artist.
He has also gotten into a little bit of hot water, after a Grammys fiasco that involved him getting the Best Rap Album award over fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid, m.A.A.d city, and then sending a text to Kendrick saying he got robbed, and then posting the text to Instagram. Just a few months after, he wore what many thought was a questionable (read: anti-Semitic) costume to a surprise show (it's worth noting that he sent an apology to the Anti-Defamation League, who accepted his apology).
After being relatively silent, Macklemore released the Ed Sheeran-featuring "Growing Up", as a tribute to his newborn daughter, Sloane. The single didn't catch a whole lot of airtime, however. Then, in early Fall 2015, he released the funky single "Downtown", featuring Foxy Shazam singer Eric Nally, as well as three of the original founding fathers of hip-hop music: Grandmaster Caz, Kool Moe Dee, and Melle Mel. Personally, I really enjoyed the single. As per Mack's style, it was corny as all get out--I mean, a rap song about riding mopeds is likely going to be super corny--but man, it was so funky! Eric Nally was probably the standout, with his glorious voice providing the song's chorus.
In early 2016, Macklemore released "White Privilege II", a follow up to the song "White Privilege", from his 2005 debut The Language Of My World. It was definitely an intense song, with Macklemore tearing himself apart and basically questioning his role in the hip-hop community. Personally, I enjoyed the song. Was it basically a 9-minute guilt trip? Yes. But it was enjoyable, though I don't think I'd find myself listening to it for enjoyment. Still, it's a reflective song, and made me reflect on myself and my own advantages as a white guy in America. However, the song also cemented Macklemore's role in hop-hop as the rap game Bono.
All this brings me to last Friday. I listened to the new album, and in short, I enjoyed it, but not really because of Macklemore, or really even Ryan Lewis. Rather, it was the guests that the two had on. I mean, come on. Leon Bridges, KRS-One, Idris Elba, Anderson .Paak, and Chance the Rapper? All of them were the standouts. Not to mention a track co-produced by the legendary DJ Premier, a producer whom I personally admire greatly.
People have always called Macklemore's lyrics corny, which they are. But here, the lyrics seem to go beyond corny. Just listen to "Let's Eat" if you don't know what I'm talking about. I mentioned "White Privilege II" being a guilt trip, but in a way, the opener "Light Tunnels" also fits the bill.
Still, for every "White Privilege II" or "Light Tunnels", there's a "Downtown", or songs that are fun and upbeat. Overall, it's not really a bad album, even compared to The Heist, but it's far from perfect.
Overall: 6/10
Favorite tracks: Downtown (feat. Eric Nally, Grandmaster Caz, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel); Buckshot (feat. KRS-One and DJ Premier);
He has also gotten into a little bit of hot water, after a Grammys fiasco that involved him getting the Best Rap Album award over fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid, m.A.A.d city, and then sending a text to Kendrick saying he got robbed, and then posting the text to Instagram. Just a few months after, he wore what many thought was a questionable (read: anti-Semitic) costume to a surprise show (it's worth noting that he sent an apology to the Anti-Defamation League, who accepted his apology).
After being relatively silent, Macklemore released the Ed Sheeran-featuring "Growing Up", as a tribute to his newborn daughter, Sloane. The single didn't catch a whole lot of airtime, however. Then, in early Fall 2015, he released the funky single "Downtown", featuring Foxy Shazam singer Eric Nally, as well as three of the original founding fathers of hip-hop music: Grandmaster Caz, Kool Moe Dee, and Melle Mel. Personally, I really enjoyed the single. As per Mack's style, it was corny as all get out--I mean, a rap song about riding mopeds is likely going to be super corny--but man, it was so funky! Eric Nally was probably the standout, with his glorious voice providing the song's chorus.
In early 2016, Macklemore released "White Privilege II", a follow up to the song "White Privilege", from his 2005 debut The Language Of My World. It was definitely an intense song, with Macklemore tearing himself apart and basically questioning his role in the hip-hop community. Personally, I enjoyed the song. Was it basically a 9-minute guilt trip? Yes. But it was enjoyable, though I don't think I'd find myself listening to it for enjoyment. Still, it's a reflective song, and made me reflect on myself and my own advantages as a white guy in America. However, the song also cemented Macklemore's role in hop-hop as the rap game Bono.
All this brings me to last Friday. I listened to the new album, and in short, I enjoyed it, but not really because of Macklemore, or really even Ryan Lewis. Rather, it was the guests that the two had on. I mean, come on. Leon Bridges, KRS-One, Idris Elba, Anderson .Paak, and Chance the Rapper? All of them were the standouts. Not to mention a track co-produced by the legendary DJ Premier, a producer whom I personally admire greatly.
People have always called Macklemore's lyrics corny, which they are. But here, the lyrics seem to go beyond corny. Just listen to "Let's Eat" if you don't know what I'm talking about. I mentioned "White Privilege II" being a guilt trip, but in a way, the opener "Light Tunnels" also fits the bill.
Still, for every "White Privilege II" or "Light Tunnels", there's a "Downtown", or songs that are fun and upbeat. Overall, it's not really a bad album, even compared to The Heist, but it's far from perfect.
Overall: 6/10
Favorite tracks: Downtown (feat. Eric Nally, Grandmaster Caz, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel); Buckshot (feat. KRS-One and DJ Premier);
Pinkshinyultrablast are a unique five-piece noise pop band from St. Petersburg, Russia. Formed in 2007, the duo released their first single, "Umi", in late 2014. I didn't listen to the single (at least not yet), and to be honest, this new album of theirs is my first real taste of the group. Nevertheless, they have been making waves in the indie world with a sound that evokes dream pop and shoegaze a la Slowdive and Cocteau Twins, with a more modern twist. In other words, they're like Beach House but noisier and weirder.
These are all things I got from their bio on last.fm, because, as I stated, I had never listened to the band before this album, so I head really no idea what to expect. Given my love from weird and noisy dream pop, I discovered that I really, really enjoyed this record quite a bit. The guitars are soaked in effects without being too gaudy. The music is loud and unpredictable. There is a lot about this record to love and not a whole lot to really hate.
Overall: 9/10
Favorite tracks: Initial; I Catch You Napping; Comet Marbles; The Cherry Pit
These are all things I got from their bio on last.fm, because, as I stated, I had never listened to the band before this album, so I head really no idea what to expect. Given my love from weird and noisy dream pop, I discovered that I really, really enjoyed this record quite a bit. The guitars are soaked in effects without being too gaudy. The music is loud and unpredictable. There is a lot about this record to love and not a whole lot to really hate.
Overall: 9/10
Favorite tracks: Initial; I Catch You Napping; Comet Marbles; The Cherry Pit
As with some other artists I've reviewed, Santigold is an artist who has been around for quite a while, but who I've never really listened to. What I do know about her is that she has an eclectic mix of hip-hop and synthpop that I had heard in passing, and while I dug it a lot, I never really bothered to go back and consciously listen to it.
Come several weeks ago, I find out she's releasing an album, and I decided to review it. When I decided to listen to the album over the past week, I realized that I had slept on Santigold's music for too long. The album is an electronic music lover's dream, with tracks co-produced and written by Santi herself, as well as ex-Vampire Weekend member Rostam Batmanglij and even a track co-produced by house duo Zeds Dead, along with collaborations with ILoveMakonnen, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner, and TV On the Radio's Dave Sitek. So not only is it very friendly towards electronic lovers, but it is also very friendly towards lovers of indie music.
Overall: 8/10
Favorite tracks: Big Boss Big Time Business; Walking In A Circle; Who Be Lovin' Me (feat. ILoveMakonnen); Run the Races; Who I Thought You Were
Come several weeks ago, I find out she's releasing an album, and I decided to review it. When I decided to listen to the album over the past week, I realized that I had slept on Santigold's music for too long. The album is an electronic music lover's dream, with tracks co-produced and written by Santi herself, as well as ex-Vampire Weekend member Rostam Batmanglij and even a track co-produced by house duo Zeds Dead, along with collaborations with ILoveMakonnen, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner, and TV On the Radio's Dave Sitek. So not only is it very friendly towards electronic lovers, but it is also very friendly towards lovers of indie music.
Overall: 8/10
Favorite tracks: Big Boss Big Time Business; Walking In A Circle; Who Be Lovin' Me (feat. ILoveMakonnen); Run the Races; Who I Thought You Were
For those not in the know yet, Wild Nothing are a dream pop group formed by frontman Jack Tatum. Essentially, all the albums and songs that Wild Nothing makes are all the brainchildren of Tatum. The group's first album, Gemini, featured a breezy, dreamy indie pop sound and featured great tracks such as "Chinatown".
After another album, we come to this album, released two weeks ago. If I were to be honest, it's disappointing. At worst, it's uninteresting, but at best, it's okay but a little drab. None of the songs really stand out amongst the breeziness and dreamy soundscapes. As I stated in the Pinkshinyultrablast review, I looooove me some dream pop, but this goes in the opposite direction. It's predictable and just makes me sleepy.
Overall: 5/10
Favorite track: TV Queen
After another album, we come to this album, released two weeks ago. If I were to be honest, it's disappointing. At worst, it's uninteresting, but at best, it's okay but a little drab. None of the songs really stand out amongst the breeziness and dreamy soundscapes. As I stated in the Pinkshinyultrablast review, I looooove me some dream pop, but this goes in the opposite direction. It's predictable and just makes me sleepy.
Overall: 5/10
Favorite track: TV Queen