Kid Cudi- Man on the Moon III: The Warrior

       I won't lie, I'm not that familiar with Cudi's discography. I didn't grow up listening to his stuff and the first time I have heared of him was after the release of Speedin Bullet 2 Heaven, which is probably the worst possible way to find out about Kid Cudi. Although maybe hearing him only at his worst made me enjoy this record more than I would have otherwise.

        The record starts out very strong with Tequila Shots, not the catchiest track on the project but an excellent tone-setter. Instrumentation has this mysterious and cosmic quality to it that is going to be a constant over most of the running time. This consistent vibe helps elivate some tracks that otherwise would sound like straight-up filler. There are a few of those, especially on the first leg of the album. I was expecting it though, it's really dificult to avoid those oon a record of this size. There's only one truly awful track on the record though. It's not great when majority of the listeners can unanimously point out the worst moment on an album and after reading a bunch of reviews and comments about MOTM III it's definitelly a case here. Elsie's Baby Boy fails in all fronts, as a key moment in the albums narrative, it sounds out of place stylistically and the House of the Rising Sun sample is simply afwul. Luckily that's all when it comes t negatives, there were quite a few tracks I found entertaining. The Void is a clear standout with an infectious refrain and its cinematic outro. Following Lovin' Me with Phoebe Bridgers is just as good, it brings a nice instrumental change, subtly snicking into some indie rock elements int the background. Also their vocals work suprisingly well together. The Pale Moonlight matches the quality of the previous cuts, really utilizing those classic Cudi hums to their full potential. The album finishes on a high note as well with Lord I Know.

         Despite a few boring spots and one awful track, Man on the Moon III is a very memorable listen with a consistant sound that feels quite cinematic. I might not love every single idea Cudi presents on this project but the highlights can be serious contenders for the best songs of the year.

RATING: 6.5/10

TRACK REVIEWS: King Gizzard, Y2K & bbno$, The Voidz

 Here are some of the single releases from last week that I decided not put in seperate reviews because I'm too lazy to write so much about a single song.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard- If Not Now, Then When?

I'm getting a little worried about the future of King Gizzard. Their recent album was decent but there were moments that make me wonder if the group is starting to run out of steam. This new single didn't help to shake off those worries. The only quality that makes this song stand out from most other KG tracks is the weird, high-pitched vocal which isn't exactly flattering. The track ends very abruptly, it's probably just a fragment of a longer composition. I just don't know why the band released as a single a piece of music that feels more like a transitional moment between some other more interesting cuts.

RATING: 5/10

Y2K, bbno$- Wawawa

I can't say I enjoy Wawawa as much as Lalala. It doesn't mean it's not entertaining, it just had some big shoes to fill. Bbno$'s performance is very solid, the beat is fun as well, it’s like an instrumental taken out of the latest Carly Rae Jepsen album. The biggest fault of the track is that it doesn't really goes anywhere, the beat stays the same and there's not really a major difference between the verses and the refrain. It's a 2 minute cut so it's not that big of an issue but the last time those two collaborated they managed to do much more in that period of time.

RATING: 7/10

The Voidz- Alien Crime Lord

I guess releasing a stellar Strokes album this year wasn't enough, Casablancas also found time to drop a song with The Voidz as well. I'm still not sure how to feel about it though, it's quite a rollercoaster.  It has a strong groove throughout, I enjoy a lot of the vocal melodies at the beginning of the track but around the midway point the song just drowns in all the layers of the distortion that are being thrown on top of each other. At the last minute everything starts too sound clean again and we get a pretty exciting guitar outro.

RATING: 6.5/10

The Avalanches- We Will Always Love You

      The new Avalanches project is more of a vibe then any of their previous albums. It’s a very atmospheric listen filled with vintage production, haunting recorded messages  from beyond the grave and an impressive number of guests that manage to perfectly fit into the world The Avalanches have created on this record.

     After hearing the singles I was a little worried that inviting so many collaborators onto the record would really hurt the unique sound of The Avalanches. Luckily, at least for the first half of the record, it still didn't feel like things have changed that much. We Will Always Love You, The Divine Chord and Interstellar Love all have stunning, lush instrumentation, production that sound a little lo-fi and extremally detailed at the same time. I don't think any current artist manages to achieve that vintage esthetic as successfully as The Avalanches. There's plenty of interludes between those songs but none feel like filler. The mood is so consistent throughout the record that each transitional moment can serve as an outro to a proceeding song as well as build up to the one that follows. Biggest highlights for me have to be Gold Sky (having Kurt Vile on this cut was a nice change of pace) and We Go On, it's colorful production gave me a slight Superoorganism vibe.  Sadly when we get deeper into the track list there are a few missteps. Most of the time guests play into the records esthetic but Jamie XX and Denzel Curry overtake the tracks they are featured on, making them feel out of place. Also, as catchy as Running Red Lights is, Rivers completely loses me on the outro, I fail to understand what "California life" has to do with anything the track is about. I really appreciate the incorporation of some lyrics from the Purple Mountains record into the song though, despite how unnecessary it seems to bring Karen O onto the album just so she can recite a few lines from a different song for 30 seconds. Especially after those same lyrics are brought up again, it's just the one interlude that could have been cut. Still, there's not many moments on the record I have any issues with. It's especially impressive considering it's over an hour long.

      Despite some weaker tracks on the second part of the album, We Will Always Love You is among the most consistent and unique releases of 2020. The Avalanches took a huge risk with this album and it definitely paid off.

RATING: 8/10

Foster The People- In The Darkest Of Nights, Let The Birds Sing

     I've found myself rooting for Foster The People throughout the majority of their career, despite not really caring about their work a lot of the time. I enjoy Pumped Up Kicks but I can't say that Torches aged that well, listening to it now, it really embodies majority of the annoying trends of millennial pop, it's kind of a time capsule in that way, sadly not one I wish to open any time soon. Their second album flopped, they briefly managed to reach the Bilboard 100 again with Sit Next To Me but never came anywhere close to the success of their early work. With their  new EP  the group works towards reinventing their sound and test new waters instead of trying to score another hit, which, considering the results, is a very correct direction.

        Opening Walk With A Big Stick isn't the strongest moment on the EP, it really begs for a stickier melody but makes up for it with its funky instrumentation and detailed production. It only gets better from here though. Cadillac starts out with a groovy bass-line and claps but as the track progresses we get some strings and group vocals that give me some LCD Soundsystem vibes. Lamb's Wool is probably the strongest cut on the record, the refrain is quite beautiful, there's a lovely piano melody and synth passage during the bridge. Marks vocals have improved noticeably since Torches, which is especially clear on this song, they are still eccentric but never cross a line and become annoying which happens quite a bit on the debut. The Things We Do is hands down the strangest cut on the EP, verses and refrain seem to have nothing to do with each other compositionally and the  vocal is very autotune heavy, especially towards the end. It's weird, maybe it's not good necessarly but definitely entertaining. Final track on the record, Your Heart Is My Home manages to be a pretty impactful closer, despite how short the project is. With each minute the song gets more and more stunning, with its synth instrumentation and a lovely keyboard outro.

      This EP is clearly a transition moment for Foster The People and with the material they delivered here I am really curious when the group will progress. It isn’t perfect but definitely shows a lot of promise.

RATING: 7/10

LCD Soundsystem- Christmas Will Break Your Heart

           

I know I’ve been writing about nothing but Christmas songs lately but I promise it I’ll stop after this one (unless I change my mind at some point). Christmas Will Break Your Heart is one of my favorite tracks for this time of year, despite how mostly depressive it is. 

       I’m extremely thankful LCD Soundsystem had decided to reunite to record this little gem. I know a lot of people might not have been too happy with the group at the time and during following years. James Murphy decided to end the band in 2010 he made that whole process very grand and dramatic- there was a documentary made about the group and a 4-hour goodbye concert at Madison Square Garden that ends with sounds of people crying. So when he brought LCD back just few years later to release a Christmas song and an album shortly after that, people weren’t too thrilled. Nonetheless, the song in question is actually quite stunning. Occasionally Murphy would write those heartbreaking piano ballads that sticks out like a sore thumb among all the 8-minute dance-punk numbers but each time is a highlight. Christmas Will Break Your Heart is probably the most emotional and, well, heartbreaking track James has recorded since New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down. Murphy’s performance is immaculate, he perfectly sells the vulnerability during the first leg of the track as well as the grand, loud finish. It sounds almost like a musical number with how theatrical the vocals are. The instrumentation is perfectly assembled, I love how the instrumentation builds up as the song goes on and how satisfying the pay-off is. I also really vibe with this track lyrically, anyone who acknowledges how depressive this time of year can be gets points from me. We need more Christmas music full of feelings of anxiety and dread. It has a pretty hopeful ending though, I don’t want to oversell it simply as a gloomy listen.

      I know I’m probably biased when it comes to this song because of my love towards LCD Soundsystem but I found Christmas Will Break Your Heart absolutely irresistible. It’s a daily listen for me every December. 

Twenty one pilots- Christmas Saves The Year

   We have actually gotten quite a few great new christmas songs this season, so I guess we had to get at least a few duds as well. I wouldn't expect twenty one pilots to drop one of the them though, escpecially after how strong their recent material has been.

I don't think this track is terrible by any means but I was expecting a bit more from the duo, especially because this type of synthy sweet pop is right in their wheelhouse. The instrumental is fine, it's mixed soft and clean, fits in nicely with Tyler's vocals. Lyrics are serviceable, they fade into the background pretty quickly after you realize all they're saying is "everybody wants to go home for christmas". It's just not a very creative approach to the topic. The biggest issue with the song is that the refrain wasn't strong enough to be satysfying, I kept thinking that the track is just building up to something, we are going to get a grand outro full of loud synths, maybe more vocal layers but it just never ended up happening. There were few moments that seemed to be hinting at that but then it just returned to it's verse-refrain-verse structure. What was bothering me the entire time is that melody during the refrain, especially certain parts of it, is ripped of from somewhere else. After few more listens I got it- Foreign Girls by Bleachers. I wouldn't call it a rip-off but it's pretty similar and trying to remember where I have heard those notes was driving me mad.

Honestly the song is so uneventful I don't even know why I'm writing about this. It's not awful, just very standard by twenty one pilots standards. I'm sure their fans are loving it, I just don't think anyone else would want to return to it in the coming years.

RATING: 5.5/10

Coldplay- Christmas Lights

         I’ve covered a few new Christmas songs lately, so I might as well write about a few of mypersonal all-time favorite ones as well. One of them hands down has to be Coldplay’s Christmas Lights.

         I’m glad Coldplay decided to release their holiday cut at the time when their music was still good. All their material this decade has been pretty mediocre, Everyday Life being the only exception. Christmas Lights feels more like an extinction of their Viva La Vida era, both in style and the esthetic of the music video, which by the way is nearly as atmospheric and impressive as the song itself. The band isn’t really  breaking any new grounds here- it’s lead by a beautiful piano melody, the verses are a little understated in order to make room for a catchy, grand refrain you just want to sing along to. Chris Martin delivers a very emotional performance, his vocal are on point as usual. The track follows a typical formula for Coldplay, only this time it’s in a Christmas setting and every element works perfectly, like it did on best moments from Viva La Vida. Despite all the criticism Coldplay usually receives you can’t argue that even if the song is bad, they know how to create a vibe (Ghost Stories being a perfect example of that). So it’s no surprise that they Christmas song is overflowing with holiday spirit without even having to rely too rely that much on instrumentation usually associated with that kind of music.

       I’m very thankful for that track and for the fact that it was released during Coldplay’s creative peak. Despite their latest record being a slight improvement from their previous projects I don’t think the band would be able to create a track like this at this point.  It’s a perfect listen for a cold, winter evening and I find myself going back to it every December.

100 gecs- sympathy 4 the grinch

   

     I know I was praising that new FINNEAS track as the best Christmas song this season but how could I have predicted 100 gecs dropping a banger like that.

     From the first notes I was hooked, it felt reminiscent of Stupid Horse, one of my favorite moments on their last record. I’m glad they brought back the ska influence once again. It doesn’t feel like they’re retracing their steps though, sympathy 4 the grinch takes a much more punky approach, I especially love that thick bass line. Despite the track not sounding like a typical Christmas tune at the first glance, gecs managed to bring some holiday spirit by adding bells to the mix. The lyrics are funny as usual, I’m glad the duo managed to find their own way to twist the typical narrative of a Christmas song to fit with their style. The tune as a whole reminds me a lot of (and I mean this in the nicest way possible) the first Smash Mouth album. It’s not nearly as eccentric as anything gecs produces and I know the similarities might be slight but the instrumentation has a similar energy to it.

     We haven’t gotten too much original material from Laura and Dylan since their debut so I wasn’t sure if they will manage to live up to the status 1000 gecs has gained by this point. The two original songs released as a part of their latest remix album were entertaining but not as impressive as their previous work. Luckily Sympathy 4 the grinch can go hand in hand with their strongest cuts, showing that the gecs have still plenty ideas to evolve and grow on future projects.

RATING: 9/10

FINNEAS- Another Year

      It's still early december and there is probably plenty of christmas songs yet to drop. Out of the releases we have gotten so far the new FINNEAS track is hands down the best and I doubt that it's going to change in the coming weeks.

     At the core of it it's just a slow-paced piano ballad. It's a pretty overplayed formula when it comes to christmas songs but if anyone would be able to make it entertaining it's FINNEAS. With his work with Billie Eillish, as well as on his on material, he has proven that if anyone is able to pull off a stripped-back cut like Another Year it's him. Despite its simplicity, a lot of pieces must have fallen into place in order to make the track entertaining- it's catchy, piano melody is really sticky, production is detailed and most importantly, the lyrics are filled with memorable lines. Lyrically the idea isn't the most original, it's a christmas-themed love tune but FINNEAS brings a lot of emotion to the vocals, especially on the second verse where he wonders wheter there's a way for the relationship to last. My favorite moments though are all the cute and funny lines, especially "I don't believe that Jesus Christ was born to save me that's an awful lot of pressure for a baby".

     Another Year is a sweet, melancholic little song with plenty memorable lines and a solid vocal performance. I wish more people will get to hear it this december, sadly FINNEAS material doesn't get nearly as much recognision as his sister's. With each year it's harder and harder to make a christmas song without retracing all the other ones out there. Another Year was a nice suprise.

RATING: 8/10

Miley Cyrus- Plastic Hearts

    Most Miley Cyrus albums can be described simply as "bad", in best cases "interestingly bad". A lot of her material has been purposefully trashy but it doesn't make it any more listenable. This whole new wave of 80s nostalgia has been doing wonders for the mainstream pop scene. For every artist that decided to jump on that trend it resultet in a major quality improvement, it's also the case when it comes to Miley.

     The stunning Midnight Sky is one of the most memorable hits of the years. I was a little worried Plastic Hearts would be one of those records with a great lead single and a bunch of songs that can't live up to it's hype. Luckily the album proves me wrong right of the bat. Despite the melody sounding a bit redundant, WTF Do I Know is a great opener, displaying how well Miley's voice works on a hard-hitting rock cut. She proves that point again on the title track. It's one of the catchiest songs on the record, I love its driving drum beat and that little guitar solo towards the end. Gimme What I Want is even more forgettable. Quality picks up after that point noticeably, Night Crawling might be one of the best songs I have heard this year. That hard hitting synth melody and works perfectly with Miley's and Billy Idol's raspy vocals. There are a bunch of stinkers on the album though. Dua Lipa isn't utilised too well on Prisoner, the tune isn't that solid and there's not enough of a contrast between their voices to make her stand out.I don't care much for the country cuts that she sprinkles in, especially Angels Like You, cause of how overproduced it is. Bad Karma borders on unlisteneable, anybody who has heard a minute of that weird "ah a a a" would agree. I guess Miley just can't have a record without at least one stupid idea.

       It's by no means perfect but judging it by Miley Cyrus standards Plastic Hearts is very impressive. Despite playing with similar ideas as many other artists in todays mainstream is still manages to stand out. Hopefully it's a new standard for Miley and she will only improve from here.

RATING: 6/10

Carly Rae Jepsen- Dedicated

          Before Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa or The Weeknd, first pop star that brought back the 80s to
mainstream music was Carly Rae Jepsen. Many releases in the recent years have exemplified how influential to the mainstream her 2015 album EMOTION has been. It’s a record everyone adores, so instead I wanted to write a few words about its successor that didn’t get nearly as much appreciation- Dedicated.

          This album had pretty big shoes to fill after EMOTION and after it didn’t, people kind of forgotten about it. Also,  inexplicably none of the singles had gotten much mainstream attention. Now That I Found You is a inescapably catchy track with a great staccato synth melody and a danceable refrain. Party For One is a really sweet tune that can easily serve as  a post-break up anthem. It also works perfectly as a closer. Too Much is another well-crafted track, with a killer refrain. I know some of the singles aren’t exactly radio material- as much as I love the thick synths and stellar production on Julian, it’s not something that had a chance of going viral. Still, I don’t know why the other promotional songs didn’t catch on more. When it comes to the deep cuts, the material is just as strong. I especially love Everything He Needs, that cleverly incorporates elements of Harry Nilsson’s He Needs Me, with this cut Carly crafts one of the cutest love songs in recent years. The Sound has probably the best production in the entire record, the fat beat during the refrain is such a nice touch. Dedication stumbles a few times towards the end of the track list though. I’m not crazy about Automatically In Love, the production is as sharp and detailed as on all the rest of the songs here but the melody feels a bit clunky. Real Love on the other hand feels  a bit redundant, it feels like a track Carly has already written before and did it better.

       Sure, it’s not as strong as Emotion but it would be very difficult for Carly to reach that level again. Call Me Maybe was a borderline meme song, so no one really expected that girl to gain so much critical acclaim. Despite all that, Dedication is a solid follow-up that deserves nearly as much love as EMOTION.

RATING: 8/10

 

IDLES- Ultra Mono

 When it comes to the punk scene in recent years things weren’t looking great. I remember all the predictions how the Trump era is going to result in a new wave of protest music but it never seemed to happen. It’s a rarity this days to get a solid punk album, so I’m really treasuring Ultra Mono for the gem it is.

Whether you like this record or not, everyone can agree on one thing- it’s loud, straight forward and in-your-face. Ones enjoyment of the album largely depends on your tolerance to being bluntly hit over the head with a political message. For me it works here flawlessly, mostly because despite their simplicity, a lot of the points made on this project are delivered in a creative way. Case-and-point, the opener. It’s a fantastic anti-war anthem that smartly incorporates war-sounds into the vocals. Despite how obvious it might sound, Kill Them With Kindness gains much more meaning, when it’s shouted angrily over roaring guitars, I also really appreciate how the cover art references that track. My favorite moment on Ultra Mono has to be Reigns, I’m a sucker for every song that incorporates the saxophone, especially if it’s borderline deafening. A Hymn is a close second, it’s impressive that record this loud and fast-paced can incorporate a slow burner like this and not make it feel like it’s out of place. The guitars create a wall of sound in the background, while Joe delivers an absolutely moving performance, sounding more vulnerable and desperate than at any moment on the album. Basically every track here is a highlight, my only gripe with the project comes towards the very end. Danke isn’t a very well structured tune, more of an attempt to go as hard as possible and just slightly missing the mark. I really wish it would be stronger, A Hymn feels like it’s building up to something and the pay-off just isn’t that satisfying.

Despite IDLES not quite sticking the landing, Ultra Mono it’s still among the best albums I have heard this year and probably my favorite record in their discography. It’s one of the most hard-hitting and satisfying listens I’ve had in a while.

RATING: 8.5/10

My opinion on those Grammy nominations

        At this point I don’t really see a point of Grammys. You can predict to a degree what Pitchfork would place at their best of list at the end of the year. You can guess what movies will get more buzz during Oscars season. Even if some of the decisions are questionable there seems to be some reasoning behind who gets the award. With Grammys, especially this year, I can’t help but feel like they just drew a bunch of random names out of a hat.

    The absence of the Weeknd from the nominations is what most people are majorly  outraged this year. I’m not the biggest After Hours fan but including Blinding Lights in at least one of the categories seems so obvious that it makes omitting it feel purposeful. For the most part artists whining about not getting nominated is cringy as fuck but in Abel’s case it’s almost understandable. Absence of Fiona Apple from the Best Album category was a surprise as well, I kind of suspected a battle between her and Taylor on this one.

     It’s hard to care about any of it though, after seeing Yummy being nominated for Best Solo Pop Performance. It just feels like an insult to everyone else, everyone who got nominated and everyone who didn’t. It’s one thing to nominate some mediocre song no one cares about but to choose a single that was internets laughing stock after it came out just shows how completely out of touch the Academy is. And it wasn’t even a big hit that just got trashed by critics, I have never seen anyone defend that song. It would be like they nominated Timberlake for Filthy.

     There were more strange decisions in that list but after seeing Yummy there it just meant nothing. I’m glad the Best Rock Album category is looking better this year. It was nice to see Poppy in the metal category and I found it really funny that Kanye still got nominated even after throwing one of his Grammys into the toilet and pissing on it. Also it’s very Kanye that he did it and still applied so he can get a new one.

    I had some hope for the Grammys because the last year wasn’t that bad and I agreed with a lot of their picks. But each time the Academy does something right, they have to fuck it up again next year. It’s a matter of time before the Grammys share the fate of the VMAs and everyone just stops caring about them entirely.

almost sex- Knockoff/ Charmer

Almost sex is a new up-and-coming indie pop duo that made their debut in 2020. Despite having only two singles under their belt, they feel like a fully realised band. The production is impressive, especially considering those are debut singles, each song creates its own atmosphere and the instrumentation is really detailed.

Their first published song, Knockoff is a sweet and relaxing tune. I adore the simple guitar melody and the subtle backing vocals. There are plenty of little synth passages and instrumental chang-ups that prevent the track from ever feeling stale. A lot of bedroom-pop tunes can suffer from being underproduced and too bare-bones but Knockoff feels detailed and very carefully crafted.

On their second single, Charmer, almost sex already show their range. It's a much darker cut centered  around a moody and atmospheric synth melody that reminds me a bit of Tomorrow Is So Far Away by Chromatics (in the best possible way). Nick brings a lot of character to the vocals on this one, especially towards the end of the track when the song gains more momentum. The beat hits harder, the backing vocals and guitar kicks in, it's an energetic finish I wasn't expecting when I gave it my first listen.

Those two tracks make me really excited for the future of almost sex. Both of them are well-crafted indie pop tunes that are unique in their own way. I'll be definitely looking forward to their next release.

Kero Kero Bonito- Bonito Generation

2016 was a great year for me when it comes to music releases. King Gizzard released their best album, Car Seat Headrest dropped the amazing Kids of Denial and Kero Kero Bonito's Bonito Generation came out, one of the most smile inducing records of the decade.

There aren't many albums that can instantly better my mood no matter the situation but Bonito Generation is one of them. It's sugary and adorable to such a degree, I understand it being a turn-off for some but for me it's just perfect. It's all cute but it doesn't feel like a cheap gimmick. Most bands probably wouldn't be able to write a song about their fish or jumping on a trampoline and make it that interesting and fun. The subject matters might be silly but it doesn't mean they aren't worth singing about. Sometimes you just need a sweet pop tune to remind you how important taking a break is. The combination of synths, Sarah's sweet vocals and an occasional goofy sound effect works perfectly track after track thanks to captivating melodies and funny observational lyrics. No deep issues are tackled in here, the closest we get to that is the song Graduation, where Sarah displays some worries about what future might hold after such an important moment. It gets a little buried under lyrics like "I even have a hat I can throw (but I'm not going to)" or "I'd like to thank my cats" followed by a meowing sound effect. And that's this record in a nutshell.

Since Bonito Generation KKB has changed up their sound on the following releases and I doubt they will ever write another project like this. Despite this one still being my favourite moment in their discography I'm glad they are exploring new ideas and continue to evolce. I just need one album I know I can rely whenever I need some music to battle feeling anxious and scared. I know it might be silly but this record has helped me get through some tough times and I'm sure it helped many others as well.

RATING: 9/10

Shygirl- ALIAS

Two years since Cruel Practice we finally get another EP from Shygirl. At this point I'm really dying for a
debut album, considering she had such a unique sound since day one, there are very few musicians who manage to do so much with so little. ALIAS brings another solid  batch of bangers with confident vocal delivered over dark, industrial beats. Also a cover so disturbing it could be mistaken for a Death Grips album. 

It might follow similar formula as Cruel Pracitice but in my opinion on ALIAS it's executed even better. I loved FREAK since the first time I have heared it- the beat hits hard and Shygirls flow is fantastic, especially during the parts where the track starts to speed up. It's like the song wants to be danceable but sometimes gets so quick you can't catch up and becomes almost desorienting. Those fast staccato beats are one of my favorite qualities in Shygirls music. I think it's displayed the best on her collaboration with Zebra Katz from Zebra's debut album. I still might review that project at some point cause it had been criminally overlooked by everyone this year. Just know that LICK IT N SPLIT is the best cut on it, in great part thanks to Shygirl. As the EP keeps going the tracks get more catchy and accesable. The house piano on TASTY is infectious, the refrain on BAWDY reminds me of M.I.A.'s Bad Girls in the best way possible. Closing the EP is SIREN, probably the most comercial cut Shygirl has released. It' s still pretty weird but the intrumental sounds like something one might hear in a club (in a scenario when any of us could actually go to a  club). 

ALIAS has some of the strongest material Shygirl has ever released. I have no complaints except for the fact that it's an EP and not a full lenght album. Hopefully we won't have to wait for it too long though. 

RATING: 8.5/10

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard- K.G.

With each project they have released King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard always had a new concept or a set of ideas to go with it. Whether it be microtonal tuning or a soundtrack to a western, it never failed to be at least interesting. Despite some of those experiments not panning out as well as others I never had to worry about the gang repeating themselves. Until this year.

Single after single, I was slowly loosing faith that anything on this record will suprise me. Automation was basically King Gizzard on default mode and the way the acoustic gutiar was mixed on Straws On The Wind made it a difficult listen, despite the catchy melody. Problem King Gizzard was bound to run into at some point is ripping themselves off. They tend to toy with similar melodies and song structures (how many versions of Rattlesnake have we heard by now?) but diversify their sound so they never feel like the same track. On K.G. the band uses all the tricks we've already heard, making those repetitions more noticeable. Luckily though the cuts released as singles are among the weaker ones here and a lot of the album is saved by how strong the deepcuts are. With Ontology, Intrasport and Oddlife we hit a streak of three great Gizz tracks one after another. I love the energy Ontology brings, reminds me of that western album they did years ago. Intrasport is pretty groovy and probably the most danceable cut in KG's discography. It's hands down among the best songs I have heard this year. I hope they move into that electronic direction more in the future. K.G. finishes strong as well with one of their heavier tunes, that could have easily landed on Infest The Rats Nest.

It makes sense that in their self titled record King Gizzard would retrace their steps and stick with sounds they were perfecting over the years. Still, the band seems to be working best when they take risks, like Intrasport. It's still a great listen nonetheless, I just hope the group continues to reinvent themselves on future records.

RATING: 7.5/10

Dorian Electra- My Agenda

 This album is insane. Evey track is a whole new mixture of ideas that seem terrible on their own but somehow together turns into something amazing.

My Agenda might be only 25 minutes long but it fees like a complete project. There’s a (mostly) coherent narrative, a bunch of collaborations and amount of genre mixing I haven’t heard on any album in recent time. It’s a character portrait of an internet edgelord who goes through quite a journey turning into someone he used to go after. It’s a clever idea and for the most part it’s executed flawlessly. My one issue with the record is that I can’t figure out how does Barbie Boy fit into the narrative. Stylistically it also feels more like an Flamboyant B-side. Also by looking at the comments and reddit I know I’m not the only one who has that problem. Apart from that the whole album is stellar from front to back. There’s not enough space here for me to go over each turn it takes, I wouldn’t want to spoil too much of it either. Just know they managed to get a Rebbeca Black collaboration, as well as having both Pussy Riot and The Village People on a hyperpop track. There’s nu metal elements on this project, a few EDM drops, sometimes all during one tune. The more Dorian packs into a song the more entertaining it is, my favorites being My Agenda, F The World and Ram It Down. Slower cuts are nearly as fun, I love the instrumental in Gentelman and the closer Give Great Thanks is manages to make a romantic tune out of a BDSM story. Yeah, it might be much for people but it’s a perfect ending to the whole narrative. The lyrics are also quite funny matched with instrumental that sounds like a Charlie XCX’s love song.

It's not a record for everyone, I can absolutely understand why it would be a difficult listen for a lot of people despite its short running time. But every weird turn it takes, every strange idea is for a purpose and is done in order to serve the narrative. It’s simultaneously incredibly entertaining, at least for me.

RATING: 9/10

S.L.P.- S.L.P

S.L.P. is a solo venture from the Kasabian's gutarist, Sergio Pizzorno. I'm not gonna act like this record is some kind of hidden gem but it definitely deserves more attention than it got upon its release.

I might be alone on this but 45:33 is my favorite Kasabian album. The incorporation of electronics and some danceable beats were a very welcome addition to their sound. After hearing S.L.P. I'm almost certain Sergio was the one responsible for the style of that record. He toys with a lot of similar ideas on this project, only this time he has absolute control, resulting in some tracks that are better than most of Kasabian catalogue. The groovy and infectious ((trance)) is an amazing highlight at the start of the record, it's enjoyable throughout but the moment towards the end when all the intrumentation comes together is simply perfect. Favourites with Little Simz is equally catchy, masterfully produced and Simz kills it on her verse. I love the house piano on Nobody Else, it's sad this track didn't get more radio attention cause it's one of the catchiest tunes I heared last year. It's impressive to see Sergio almost completely giving up guitar on this album in favor of producing electronic dance tracks and pull it off that well. There are some duds in the tracklist though. Slowthai apperance is a bit of a wasted opportunity and we hit a major low on the record with The Wu and Soldiers, Sergio totally misses the mark on those songs. Vocal mixing is terrible and there's nothing interesting going on instrumentally that could salvage that mess. Album finishes strong though with a rush of orchestral instrumentation. The final track is a bit of a stylistic departure from the previous songs on the project but I love how grand the ending feels because of it.

It's by no means perfect but S.L.P has some bangers that were overlooked last year for some reason. Even if you end up skipping a few tracks, it's still a project worth checking out.

RATING: 7/10

Prison Escapee- Beware of Dog

On his newest release Prison Escapee gets straight to the point. It’s a two minute tune without any
major twists and turns, it quickly builds into its emotional peak and stays there for the rest of the runtime.  We get a stunning piano melody, right after the drums kick in as well as the melancholic vocals. I also love the simple yet romantic lyrics. I’m a huge The National fan so I appreciate how the instrumental seems to be subtly influenced by their sound. Beware of Dog is one of the catchier tunes in Prison Escapee’s discography. I’m waiting to hear how it sounds as a part of a longer project, hopefully he has a new record on the way.

RATING: 8/10

BENEE- Hey u x

After a couple years of singles and EPs, we finally have the debut album by a TikTok break out star BENEE. To be honest I haven’t heard of her since a couple of months ago, not being on TikTok might have played a big part in that though.

Singles like Snail or Supalonely made me look forward to this record a lot. BENEE showed a lot of character on those tracks, there was this playful attitude and confidence that made me wonder if she could be the next Billie Eilish. Clearly a lot of industry people put a lot of faith in her as well, throwing a tone of money towards this project. It’s a debut record from a young artist and the feature list is really something- Gus Dapperton, Kenny Beats, freaking Grimes to name a few. My fear was that having so many collaborators on a project by an artist without an established sound could make LP feel very inconsistent. It ends up being the case but not really the biggest issue with the record. The biggest issue with the record are all the bedroom pop tracks that seem to serve as filler between the songs that had more of a budget behind them. Sadly the worst cases of that are the opener and the closer. Happen To Me is an absolutely generic indie pop cut, it reminds me of so many different artists it’s difficult to even choose one. And C U is just a bland acoustic cut, without a memorable hook to it or a solid vocal performance. The album would benefit greatly if she snapped off those two songs and just kept the middle. Same Effect is a cute little pop song with a great guitar lick. If I Get To Meet You might not be the most captivating moment on the record but it would make for a much better closer than C U. I don’t want to be too critical of BENEE, I enjoy a great deal of this record. Plain is an absolute stunner, even though she might have been a little overshadowed by her features on that one. Snail is among the most fun pop songs I’ve heard this year and her vocal chemistry with Gus on Supalonely makes it an clear stand out. Even though having Grimes on Sheesh might be a little too much hype for nothing, the track itself is very solid- I love the fast dance beat on that one and the vocal processing on BENEE’s voice goes over pretty well.

After hearing Hey u x all the way through I still don’t have a clear idea of who BENEE is as an artist. It’s very uneven and all over the place, not in the best way. She clearly has a tone of talent that shines through on some of the tracks. It just seems like a too many cooks in the kitchen situation, clearly the studio invested a lot in this project and I’m not sure how much of it was BENEE’s idea.

RATING: 6/10

Ramones- End of the Century (1980)

After struggling to get a mainstream appreciation, as a last ditch effort Ramones accepted Phil Spector's
offer to produce their record. It was a risky move, considering his fame as one of the greatest pop producers was by this point a little overshadowed by his fame as one of the craziest and most dangerous people in the industry. It all resulted in End of the Century, a one of a kind punk album and it sticks out like a sore thumb in Ramones discography.

Ramones don’t loose their energy or punk spirit despite the production being so colorful. It’s not as raw as their usual works but their music gains a whole new dimension thanks to Spector. Sure, there are a few moments were his influence turns the band into a 60s pop group but more often than not he only makes their sound more refined. The horns on Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio? only add to the track’s intensity, the roaring guitars on Chinese Rock, All The Way or Let’s Go are simply perfect. The Ramones prove that you don’t need a lo-fi production for punk to sound like punk. Of course more up-beat and lighter songs are more in Spector’s wheelhouse, I don’t think the songs like I Want You Around or Danny Says would came out as well as they did without him. Danny Says especially. What a track. It might be my favorite Ramones tune of all time- the little riff at the beginning is so sweet, I love how it starts out sounding like a The Chordettes song only for the guitar to make it heavier and heavier as it goes along and I adore Joey’s vocal performance. There’s only one point were they take it  a little too far and it’s Baby, I Love You. Sure, it’s a nice cover but it has no business being on this record or even being a single in 1980, by that point it must have sounded extremely dated. You can kind of hear that Joey’s heart isn’t in that one and the absence of the other Ramones is very noticeable. They always regretted recording that track and I can absolutely see why.

End of the Century is a unique project, balancing between punks rage and cuteness of 60s pop. Only one weak link in the track list disturbs that balance and prevents the album from being perfect, it’s still one the must-hear records in punk catalogue.

RATING: 8.5/10

Lil Nas X- HOLIDAY

At this point you can’t really call Lil Nas X a one hit wonder. Panini and Rodeo have done fairly well on the charts and I have no doubt HOLIDAY will too.

I don’t know if it’s better than his previous singles, the beat and overall production here didn’t get nearly as much attention as on Panini for example but the hook on HOLIDAY is much stronger. It’s the catchiest he has sounded since Old Town Road. I like X’s vocal performance a lot, lyrics are fun too. He might not be breaking the mold  here exactly, bragging about your financial status is probably the most played out topic you can rap about but I think it works better in his case then when it comes to other rappers. Everyone was looking at him to prove that he has more than one good song in him and now that he’s kind of done that, he can take a moment to breath and be proud of what he has accomplished. All the bragging he does on HOLIDAY feels absolutely earned. Anyone who follows Lil Nas X on twitter knows how likeable he is. You can’t help but to root for him, when you hear him boasting about getting respect from other rappers it just makes you feel good.

I’m curious what a full-length Lil Nas X album would look like, his EP was a little bit of a mixed bag. He still has a lot of work to do when it comes to figuring his sound, the biggest link between all his singles are the insanely overproduced music videos, which I absolutely love. There might not a tone of interesting new ideas on HOLIDAY, it’s still a fun banger nonetheless.

RATING: 7.5/10

Paul McCartney- McCartney II

 Paul McCartney announced recently that he'll be releasing his third self titled album. I'm actually really excited about it, his previous self-titled records  were much more experimental and raw than his usual work. Both of them were fairly entertaining, which doesn't mean they were always good. Which brings me to the infamous McCartney II.

Considering I already reviewed the first one and I'll be reviewing the third one next month, it's a perfect time to examine the black sheep of  the entire McCartney discography. I guess Paul was looking for a way to shake up his sound a little bit and jump on a trend of dabbling with electronics. So let's just start with Temporary Secretary. If any McCartney track could be used as a torture divice it's this one. It has this ear piercing, cycling electronic melody that is way too loud, doesn't change or stop for a second over the course of this three minute song, only drills deeper and deeper into your brain. It doesn't fit into the song at all, the tune itself isn't even that good to begin with but it still would be a thousand times better without it. It's like if you layered a sound of an alarm clock going off over the entire runtime of Maybe I'm Amazed. It's just about as tasteful. 

With that out of the way, there are moments on the album I like. The opener Coming Up isn't too bad, I like the guitar line and the melody a lot, I just wish the vocals weren't so muffled. Waterfalls is actually quite stunning and Paul delivers one of his better vocal performances. It might be one of my favorite solo McCartney tracks. He follows that up with Nobody Knows, where he's trying his best to do a sounthern accent over a country instrumental. It's all downhill from here. There's a couple of intrumental electronic cuts that aren't as out there as Temporary Secretary but aren't nearly interesting enough to be worth anyone's time. Summer's Day Song sounds like boring church music, there's a boogie track later with terrible vocal mix. Quality picks up a bit towards the end, Darkroom is an electronic experiment that gets the closest to being succesful, the groove is solid, it's almost danceable in a weird way. It's also filled with bizzare sound effects that make me chuckle every time I listen to it. The final track One Of This Days sounds like a typical acoustic Mccartney song. After all the insanity we've been through it feels like we have woken up from a fever dream. Was any of it real life?

McCartney II was originally meant to be a double album but had to be reduced to just one disc, cutting down track lenghts and getting rid of some weaker material. That means what we got were the highlights. Eventually some of those songs were released as bonus tracks, I haven't been able to sit through all of it, they were like ten minutes each. I would happily swap Check My Machine for some of tracks from the main album though. It's almost nine minutes long, it has a distorted vocal screaming only "Check my machine" over the entire running time and somehow it's still entertaining and doesn't get boring. I would never guessed it's a McCartney song but that just makes it better. Highly reccomend that one. 

What an insane record. It might be one of Paul's worst but I'll still prefer if III ends up sounding more like this and less like his recent efforts. Egypt Station ranged from boring to unlistenable. Fuh You is still the worst McCatney track in existance. At least II is an entertaining trainwreck and not a failed and shameless sell-out. 

Rating:  McCartney 2/10