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

Billie Eilish- Therefore I Am

 

I've been really hyped for that new Billie Eillish single since she annouced it and I'm really happy to say she did not dissapoint. 

  It might be a really weird comparison and I'm probably the only one hearing this but the beat reminds me slightly of that bass line on  of Montreal's Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games. Even if  it not sounds that similar, it has that playfuless about it that just immediately made me think of of Motreal. I love how much attitude Billie brings to the vocal.That side of Billie was missing a little bit from the other singles she released after her debut album, I can see this one charting way higher than My Future. Not to say I disliked tose previous tracks she dropped, I  still probably enjoy My Future more than this but Therefore I Am is much more in vein of the stuff that made her blow up the way she did. I also love how the beat changes throught the song, sounding almost 8bit on the last leg of the track. 

For as good as No Time To Die and My Future have been, I've been a little worried that Billie might be one of those artists that peak with their debut record and are never able to reach that  high again. Her position is especially difficult cause she can't really take the Lorde route, where her sophomore album doesn't deliver the hits but gets loved by the critics, cause Billie's debut got a tone of love from the critics already. But Therefore I Am shows that Billie can still deliver another banger and maybe Bad Guy won't be the hight of her popularity after all.

Rating: 8/10

Rycerzyki- Rycerzyki

Rycerzyki’s self-titled is probably my favorite polish dream pop album. The group has gained some cult  following over the years but still not nearly as much as they deserve. Especially considering there are plenty of polish musicians dabbling with similar sounds only with way less entertaining results, while also topping the charts on our alternative radio stations.

 I fell in love in this record since the opener, Lentilki. Maybe labeling them just a dream pop group might be a little misleading considering how energetic this track is, vocal performance is stunning, we get a great marriage of some catchy synth melodies and great guitar work. It reminds me a lot of that first You Can’t Win Charlie Brown album I wrote about a while ago. Hounds is another highlight, I love the synth outro on this one, it’s always a good sign where a band sees they stumbled into a fantastic groove so the decide to just let it go on as long as the can. Wroty and Rimemba bring the strongest refrains on the whole record, ensuring album ends on a real high note. My favorite Rycerzyki track though has to be  Dobranoc. I don’t know how much of the song’s cuteness translates without understanding the lyrics, I hope most of it does because this tune is simply adorable.

 I should probably mention that almost half of the tracklist is in polish which might be a slight language barrier. I hope that no one gets discouraged by that fact because the instrumentation and vocal performance and how much most of the melodies get stuck in your head just after a few listens is enough to make it worth a try.

We Draw A- Glimpse

 It’s a quiet week when it comes to music releases. There are the new System of a Down tracks that I reviewed yesterday and the Katie Minogue album which I’ll probably get to tomorrow. So instead of searching out for anything new to listen, over the course of the week I’m just going to recommend a few polish releases from years ago that deserve more love. Cause why not.

We Draw A are a spin off band of sorts of a group called Kamp, I might mention them at some point as well. They have released two studio albums that are pretty solid as well but today I want to focus on their EP from 2013- Glimpse. Everything in their discography is worth a listen but Glimpse is a good place too start. The title track is a solid opener, only now am I realizing it’s over seven minutes long, it passes by so quickly. As it’s going it just keeps adding more layers of electronics,  on top of each other, when more vocal lines are introduced it gains even more momentum and the pay off when the synth solo kicks in is absolutely stunning. We get few seconds of a cool down and transition into my favorite We Draw A song-Tears From The Sun, an danceable and incredibly catchy house cut. Last two tracks on the EP are definitely more dreamy. Try is a sweet tune, the lush instrumentation gives me some Radiohead vibes. Bound To Love is a beautiful closer, perfect tune for a night drive. It feels like a sea of synths, with the guitar line moving in and out of focus accompanied by a gentle but moving vocal performance.

 I’m not sure if I properly described any of the tracks but I hope you’ll give them a try. I tend to postpone posts like this until some day in the future when I’m better at writing and can give those releases justice. I realize I won’t really be able to make much difference in the number of international listeners of any polish musician but if at least one person finds out about We Draw A from me I’ll be totally content. 

System of a Down- Protect the Land, Genocidal Humanoidz

      As I was preparing to write about some polish electronic records I want to recommend those System of a Down tracks dropped and I had to stop everything I was doing. We’ve seen plenty of major comebacks in recent years but SOAD getting back together is something everyone deemed to be impossible. Which is a real shame, with Mezmerize/Hypnotize the band really ended things while being at their creative peak and Tarkian’s later solo work had a tone of wasted potential, it was begging for a better guitar performance or a Malakian’s vocal contribution.

     After fifteen years of waiting, SOAD are finally back and it seems like no time has passed. Neither Protect The Land, nor Genocidal Humanoidz are on the level of the singles from their previous albums but I don’t know if anyone was expecting them to come out with another Toxicity after such a long break. They might have easily snuck into any of their records and be a very satisfying deep cut. Protect The Land is the lengthier and slower track, it brings to mind songs like Aerials or Lonely Day, especially some melodic elements reminds me of the latter one. Guitar riff got me worried at first listen, it felt way to normal for them but as the track progressed everything fell into place, It’s definitely carried more by the vocal performances. Genocidal Humanoidz brings a nice contrast and a relief for those worried they won’t hear the more over-the-top side of SOAD. It’s two minutes of a insane guitar riff and Serj shouting the same sentence. Just like the old days. The most important thing to mention about those songs is that there’s a huge political reason for them to release those tracks, they are basically a charity single of two patriotic anthems, to even bigger extend than SOAD music tends to be. They released a full statement on their bandcamp page.

    It’s hard to tell if those tracks were a one-time reunion or if they might lead to another full length album being released in the future. It might still take a long time but at least there’s hope again that hearing another SOAD record some day is a real possibility.

Gorillaz Albums Ranked Worst To Best

     

      Gorillaz is an unique project with albums radically ranging in style and quality.  I will probably have to edit this ranking soon, considering Damon Albarn is on a roll as of late and Gorillaz releases are almost yearly this days but considering their recent output, it’s going to be a pleasure. Sadly we have to start with a record less than exciting to say the least…

7. Humanz (2017)

After so many years of waiting for a Gorillaz album, we still didn’t get one. We would have to wait till The Now Now for that to happen. Humanz feels like a bunch of loose unlikely collaborations that didn’t even pan out that well. Before Song Machine came out I was revisiting most Gorillaz albums but when I got to Humanz I just put on Saturn Barz and Out of Body a few times and that’s it. Visuals are almost as significant aspect of  Gorillaz as the music and sadly artwork on the album cover is hideous, same as the motion capture music videos. I’m really happy they abandoned that idea because those were just embarrassing. Humanz feels like listening to an identity crisis that I’m really happy the gang got out of soon after.

6. The Fall (2011)

Yes, in my opinion it’s better than Humanz. I always imagined it as a 2D solo venture, he recorded during going through some tough times, the cover does a lot to sell that project for me. The only real standout here is Revolving Door, for the most part it’s just a bunch of loose musical ideas that are pleasant while they’re on but aren’t terribly memorable. Still, I might occasionally put in on in the background, which is more than I can say about Humanz.

5. The Now Now (2018)

I saw people describe this record as The Fall done right. I couldn’t agree more, similarly it’s a low impact, smaller project that comes out soon after a big record filled with guests and major singles. Only in the case of The Now Now, it’s actually better than the record proceeding it. It’s the most stylistically consistent Gorillaz album, it’s moody, sleepy esthetic causes a xylophone solo on the last track feel like a climactic finish. Apart from some moments that are lacking energy to a fault, it’s a satisfying listen, from the chill Humility to the stunning mix of synths and guitar on Idaho. Also I appreciate adding Ace as a temporary band member to validate a change in sound. I wonder what happened to him...

4. Gorillaz (2000)

The one that started it all. Despite having some amazing highlights, in case of Clint Eastwood- a highlight the group would not be able to beat for the next twenty years, it clearly feels like a debut where not everything is figured out yet. Some of the deep cuts have marks of Blur all over them, sound Damon still hasn’t fully shaken off yet. Apart from a few weaker moments, there’s still plenty of classics- Rock The House, Tomorrow Comes and my personal favorite:       19-2000.

3. Song Machine Season 1: Strange Timez (2020)

This one will be quick cause I wrote about it recently. It might not reach the highs of their earlier works but the whole series is just one banger after another. Production is top level, all guests are utilized perfectly. Pac Man and Momentary Bliss match the quality of Stylo or Feel Good inc. It’s the most feature heavy Gorillaz project and the first in years that feels 100% like Gorillaz.

2. Demon Days (2005)

Second place but already a perfect album. I can’t imagine more creative and detailed production and songwriting is consistently flawless throughout the record. Damon improved on all fronts since the projects debut, despite the wide range of genres he mashes throughout the LP it feels like it has more realized sound then it’s predecessor. He manages to pull of  mixes of rock, hip hop, spoken word, electronic and gospel music, all while having an overarching narrative. It’s not just consistent, it’s incredibly catchy and radio ready despite sounding like nothing else you’ll hear on the radio.

 

1. Plastic Beach (2010)

I don’t know if putting this one on the number one spot is a hot take of any sort. I love Demon Days and it’s a very close call but I just have stronger connection with this one. I used watch the Plastic Beach movie on repeat when I was younger, I still remember when my mom got pissed at me for watching the video for Cloud of Unknowing, which mostly consists of plane crashes, during our first time being on a plane. In a lot of ways it’s similar to Demon Days, production and quality of the songs are stellar, there’s a narrative binding all the tracks together. One aspect that plays a bigger role on  Plastic Beach and later  during Song Machine would become a central focus, is inviting many other musical talents and collaborating on a track that normally you would never associate that artist with. Having Lou Reed on Some Kind of Nature was simply brilliant. Sadly, Plastic Beach did not get as much radio attention as Demon Days, which it absolutely deserve. I can’t wrap my head around the fact that Melancholy Hill didn’t become a hit on a scale of Good Feel inc. or Clint Eastwood.

      

Sam Smith- Love Goes

    Finally, we have the big Sam Smith transition into main stream pop music. It might be more shocking if this album came out when it was supposed to but at this point Sam has been releasing music like this for years. Over the months leading up to this record I managed to get excited about it and then ambivalent, singles quality varied greatly and constant pushing back the release made me question if it’ll ever actually see the light of day.

   Couple of title, cover and tracklist changes later it’s called Love Goes and features almost none of the previously recorded singles. It looks a lot like a case of label shitting it’s pants that they won’t make back their money if they drop the album during pandemic, waiting so long that all the singles become too old to be released as part of a new LP and releasing the record during pandemic anyways, only filled with material that feels like an afterthought. Love Goes has only one card to play and that’s Diamonds. Refrain is catchy, beat hits hard and Sam’s vocal performance is the strongest out of any track on the record. Smith finally makes the case that a dance pop tune with him on a vocal has a lot to offer and it’s a logical way for him to progress. Thank god for that song, because the rest of the album doesn’t make a case for anything. The autotune intro overstays it’s welcome, vocal mixing on Dance is just hideous, Sam voice is the one consistent element throughout this record but even that sounds off on that track. The quiet, piano cuts are pleasant but it’s just Sam staying in his comfort zone. The tile track tries to mix his old sound with a production of a modern dance track, which results on an awful, cheap drum beat ruining any atmosphere Sam may have been going for.

Love Goes finishes relatively strong with Kids Again. It’s a pretty standard pop rock tune but it has one of the strongest refrains here. After hearing it all I just feel bad for Sam. I don’t think what we got is the end product he planned on putting out, just another casualty of covid’s influence on the media. Hopefully with his next project he’ll be able to show his true potential.

Rating: 3/10

Ringo Starr- Ringo (1973)

In 1973 most ex- Beatles had their best solo records behind them. George and John went into significantly different directions from their previous work and McCartney’s work on Ram, despite still keeping the spirit of Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road alive, would still be underappreciated for some time. People were still hoping for a Beatles reunion of some sort and it finally happened, kinda, thanks to the Beatle who was least likely to pull it off.

With his self-tiled record Ringo, acting as a true 70s DJ Khaled, created a variety show of sorts, collaborating with various guests on every track and mostly basing the success of the song on whoever he works with and serving more of a host that brings everyone together. To this day Ringo is the only post-Beatles projects that features all the members of the band. They never all collaborate on one track but I can’t see it ending well anyway. There’s plenty of highlights here, Photograph is the obvious stand-out and the biggest hit in Ringo’s discography. It’s carried by an ear-worming refrain, clearly a product of George Harrison’s involvement in the track. Another personal favorite of mine is Six O’Clock with Paul and Linda McCartney. It might be cheesy, like McCartney songs tend to be, it’s too adorable for me to care. I have never seen McCartney’s cutesy approach to songwriting as an issue, it might bother someone else more than me, though. Then we have the song You’re Sixteen (And Beautiful And You’re Mine) with Sherman brothers. Yeah, it’s probably as creepy as the title suggest if not more. I would suggest to just skip it and try not to think about it. Jesus.

I don’t know how much Ringo actually did on this record apart from bringing people together but in this case even that is a notable achievement. Also the the cover, variety of voices, styles and the fact that at the end of the record he thanks all the performers makes it feel like a live performance, a variety show hosted by Ringo. Adding that aspect makes the album much more cohesive. It might not be as interesting listen as projects from other band members but still an entertaining listen.

Black Country, New Road- Science Fair (SONG REVIEW)

 Black Country, New Road might be a freshly formed band with just three singles under their belt but they
already managed to get critical recognition and for me, become one of the most exciting up-and-coming voices in post punk. Plenty of artists have been incorporating jazz elements into punk music over the years but I haven’t heard it done so creatively in a long time.

Their latest single, Science Fair gives me flashbacks to some no-wave acts, like James Chance, with it’s wall of saxophones sounding as ear piercing as humanly possible. The song earns this breakdown though, we start with the steady, almost spoken word vocals, sounding like a heavier LCD Soundsystem. Similar to their previous single, sunglasses, there’s some humor to the lyrics but most of all extreme, extreme frustration and desperation that ends with a violent explosion at the end of the track.

The fact that Black Country, New Road started out with a fully-formed and unique sound makes me really hopeful that "For The First Time" will be one of the bigger punk releases of next year. We just have to survive till february to find out . Should be easy enough.

Ariana Grande- Positions

I have never cared for Ariana’s early work, only since Sweetener did she start standing out from the post- Disney pop stars. A lot of it’s best qualities might be very much owed to Pharrell’s bubbly and colorful production but with her next album, thank u next, she definitely solidified her place among the biggest forces in main stream music.

So I thought I could safely go into positions with at least moderate level of expectations. Not too high, because the title track which Grande dropped last week didn’t much the quality of her previous singles. It wasn’t awful by any means, the string arrangements and vocal performance were top notch, it just felt like Ariana by the numbers without a strong refrain to carry the track. Sadly when we go deeper into the record it doesn’t get much better. Sure, the instrumentation is lush and beautiful, there’s some stunning string sections but for the most part it seams like it’s all positions has to offer. Ariana’s voice fits very well over the orchestral wall of sounds and delicate beats but in a lot of cases here the melody is forgettable, there’s no punch or hard hitting beat that would demand listeners attention, the album kind of floats over your head like a soft- high pitched breeze (I can’t do metaphors why do I even try).
One would hope that the guest features might at least shake things up a little. Sadly the only time that happens is on motive with Doja Cat. Her silly delivery brings some balance to Ariana’s vocals, the beat has some urgency to it and the song is actually catchy. Her duet with Weeknd comes of pretty bland though and the Ty Dolla $ign is just awful.
There are some highlights though. Apart from motive we also get my hair, a simple yet stunning R&B cut, and pov, a solid closer that shows that the ideas Ariana plays with all over the record can actually work if there’s a memorable refrain and lyrics in place.

Positions just feels like a place-holder. I really doubt anyone will be talking about this record in a month, it's about as memorable as that last Childish Gambino album.

Rating: 4.5/10