On the fiftieth anniversary of their eponymous album, music fans should take a moment to appreciate their impact and legacy.

Every once in a while, a band comes along who doesn’t receive much attention during their career, but gains an insane cult following later on. The Velvet Underground is paradigm case. Despite originally being managed by superstar pop artist Andy Warhol, in the band’s infancy their music was mostly met with lukewarm reviews and poor sales. But as time went on they became one of the 

 of all time. Fronted by singer, songwriter, and lead guitarist Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground went on to influence a myriad of groups in the decades after their career. One can clearly hear the progression from The Velvet Underground, to the Pixies, to Cage the Elephant, and 

Often known for off-the-beaten path experimentation, the group’s third self-titled project took a sharp turn and did something odd: it was much more conventional. While their sophomore album, 

 was comparatively calm, featuring a greater focus on songwriting from Reed. This is apparent from the start with “Candy Says,” with its slow pacing and chilled out instrumentation. The title of the track refers to 

, an actress, Warhol model, and transgender icon. The lyrics of the track actually manage to reflect the trans experience to some degree (which is rare for 1969) as bassist Doug Yule sings “Candy says / I’ve come to hate my body / And all that it requires in this world.”

Then there’s one of the group’s most popular songs for contemporary listeners, “Pale Blue Eyes,” which takes a similarly calm tone as “Candy Says” with it’s catchy looping guitar riff and otherwise minimal production. The track is distinctly a love song, written by Reed for Shelley Albin. Though Albin was not blue-eyed, she was married at the time of their relationship, which explains lines like “It was good what we did yesterday / And I’ll do it once again / The fact that / you are married / Only proves you’re my best friend / But it’s truly, truly a sin.”

The album isn’t all laid back ballads though. More energetic cuts such as “What Goes On” and “Beginning To See The Light” manage to keep the pacing up to speed. The latter track actually continues a miniature narrative, in which the fictional protagonist has found religion and sees their life outlook change drastically. The story begins on the previous song, “Jesus,” as the character begins to discover their faith. The track is heavily restrained, relying solely on Reed’s vocals and two acoustic guitars. Then we go into the wild yet carefree “Beginning To See The Light” before the story comes to fruition on “I’m Set Free.” Although this song could be interpreted as a close to the religious substory in which the protagonist is set free by his new found worship, it has a double meaning,likely also referring to the aftermath of Reed overcoming a heroin addiction. The story is a perfect example of the genius songwriting Reed is capable of.

 doesn’t finish without a bit of the band’s trademark wacky experimentation, though, as the nine minute odyssey “Murder Mystery” provides fans with a more eclectic sound. All of the vocals are separated to either the left or right ear, as one side takes on slow-going sung performance while the other side recites two layers of poetry, simultaneously, at pace with the percussion. It’s frantic and fever-inducing while still maintaining charm somehow. Of course, it would be remiss to review the album without commenting on Maureen “Moe” Tucker’s angelic vocals. Though she backs tracks throughout, she also makes her lead vocal debut on the closing song, “After Hours.” Tucker manages to sing a two minute diddy about loneliness, alcoholism, and death, and yet makes the track sound like a veritable lullaby, coaxing the listener into a bitter-sweet sleep.

It’s obvious how seminal 60s bands like The Beatles or The Rolling Stones have shaped the course of modern music, but The Velvet Underground can often fly under the radar in comparison. On the fiftieth anniversary of their eponymous album, music fans should take a moment to appreciate their impact and legacy.

The Velvet Underground’s self-titled LP turns 50

It’s hard to get excited about this album when half of it has already been in your rotation since last November.

After several months of delay, Labrinth, Sia, and Diplo have finally released their debut album as the super-group “LSD.” Clever hallucinogenic puns aside, the prospect of these three top shelf songwriters coming together for an album got many in the industry excited. The initial singles “Genius” and “Thunderclouds” were about as catchy and well formulated as pop music gets these days, which should come as no surprise given how much experience each of these giants has. Dramatic string parts open up “Genius,” and hype up the listener for a classic Diplo drop followed by an energetic chorus that will surely pop up in some movie trailers (if it hasn’t already). “Thunderclouds” will loop in your head for days, and Labrinth actually manages to outshine Sia with his vocals to some degree, which is no small feat. But right when the full album was supposed to drop, all we got was a four song EP (three songs of which had already been released) followed by month after month of radio silence. “Mountains,” the new addition to LSD’s discography from this EP, was a good enough cut. It was a nice change of pace with some cool, spacey vocal filters coupled with light, twinkly melodies. Yet the question remained: where is the album? Well, we finally have our answer. There isn’t one.

Instead what we have here is essentially another four song EP, if you don’t count the intro bit or the Lil Wayne Remix of “Genius” (which I certainly don’t). Ironically, the two-minute intro is one of the better parts of the project as a whole. Wonderful choral harmonies kick us off to a good start, which are then immediately contrasted with edited and distorted remixes of those same vocal parts, courtesy of Diplo. But then we jump into the first new full song from the crew, “Angel In Your Eyes.” Cheesy 8-bit production can’t hide the fact that this track is severely underwritten. You’d think three of the highest paid songwriters in the industry could think of something better than repeating “eh-eh, eh-eh” over and over again. But why try that hard when you know you’ll get paid no matter what?

Then we get to the four best songs on the album, which also happen to be the four songs we already heard over half a year ago. It’s hard to get excited about this album when half of it has already been in your rotation since last November. By the time we actually get to a new song, “No New Friends” (more like “No New Songs”) comes off as copy-paste songwriting with a cookie-cutter trap-pop beat. This is the kind of song that will get stuck in your head against your best wishes, and you’ll be banging on your head to get it out like there’s water in your ears. This cut is followed by “Heaven Can Wait,” which actually sounds 

, at least a little bit, which is amazing! Labrinth and Sia both kill it on their vocal performances, and the more laid back, triumphant tempo is a nice change of pace. Ultimately though, the track doesn’t live up to the expectations of the previously released singles.

We finally close with the token ballad of the LP, “It’s Time.” Time for what you may ask? Your typical heart-break fare, that’s what. Even still, Labrinth’s falsettos will make you swoon no matter how hard you resist. This would actually be a pretty good closer, if it weren’t for the Lil Wayne remix of “Genius” that immediately follows. Sure, Wayne has one of the greatest flows in the game, but he just feels out of place on this record, as if his presence was forced on by some corporate entity.

Labrinth, Sia & Diplo Present… nothing new

the fourth studio album from Modest Mouse, was a departure from the group’s earlier work. Lead by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Isaac Brock, the band had just achieved critical acclaim for their previous record 

 was more an indie darling, loved by many and heard by less, 

 proved that the group could achieve a wider appeal while remaining true to their roots.

From the beginning, this album is a mixture of highs and lows in tone, mood, and energy, contrasting with their past work which was mostly subdued. The blaring brass of “Horn Intro” shakes the listener to their core, only to immediately lull them back into the safety of slow, almost shoe-gazey garage rock with “The World At Large.” As Brock muses about leaving the familiar to explore the world, a catchy riff loops in the background as corresponding violin parts are slowly introduced. The riff foreshadows the iconic lead guitar on “Float On,” the band’s most successful song to date. The commercial giant came largely out of left field with its high energy and optimistic tone, both of which are rarely seen on the group’s first three LPs. Between this delectable, catchy riff and Brock’s frantic, almost manic, vocals, “Float On” has cemented itself as a modern classic in the cannon of rock n roll.

 is far from a collection of polished, formulaic hits, rather it’s a hotbed of unique instrumentation and expert songwriting. The album denies predictability by constantly changing pace, whether with a jarring horn section and some banjo on “This Devil’s Workday,” or the orchestral arrangement accompanied by the sound of a newborn baby on “Interlude (Milo).” Brock demonstrates his storytelling ability on the former song, where he uses gritty, rigid vocals to shed light on a criminal’s unsettling thoughts as he slowly goes mad. Brock also draws on plenty of personal experience in his lyricism, specifically on tracks like “Bukowski.” Although he was raised Christian, Brock is not religious, similar to author Charles Bukowski. Throughout the track, Brock finds himself growing closer to the writer’s atheistic (or at least agnostic) ideas, but questions whether or not this will lead him to a lonesome life, socially isolated from the rest of society (much like Bukowski himself).

When Modest Mouse isn’t dwelling on such lofty and dark musings, they offer high energy, driving cuts. Songs like “Bury Me With It” and “The View” can still get a fierce mosh pit going at a concert. The band is also capable of delivering a different kind of intensity– one that is slower and more deliberate. For instance on “Satin In Coffin,” staccato power chords give the feeling of a death march, reinforced by the repetitious chorus of “Are you dead or are you sleeping? / God, I sure hope you are dead.”

Towards the end of the album, Brock and the band show their calmer side with cuts like “Blame It On The Tetons,” which showcases the group’s stripped back, acoustic side. Meanwhile, the closing track “The Good Times Are Killing Me” perhaps best encapsulates all of the various moods on 

. Although the song is calm and light-hearted in its instrumentation, its lyrics explore the harmful impact of relying on substances and partying for happiness. The dissonance is enough to make a cursory listen seem as if the song glorifies such practices, but a slightly closer reading shows this isn’t the case: as Brock sings “Fed up with all that LSD / Need more sleep than coke or methamphetamines / Late nights with warm, warm whiskey / I guess the good times they were all just killing me,” the audience can feel the heafty toll Brock’s lifestyle has taken on him.

It’s clear that Modest Mouse is heavily influenced by the ghosts of garage rock past: Pixies, The Velvetunderground, etc. But for rock fans born in the 90s, Modest Mouse is so special because they’re contemporary to our own experiences. Modest Mouse is not a band of the past that has been relegated to legacy reissues of their greatest hits (at least not yet). They’ve managed to endure as a cultural force in a time where hip-hop, R&B, and pop are dominating the charts, and that is truly impressive. One can only hope that they’ll continue their craft, carry on the tradition of rock, and inspire others to do the same.

Modest Mouse’s ‘Good News For People Who Love Bad News’ turns 15

Stones Throw Records · February 22, 2019

Wanna see something weird? Look at Benny Sings’ career. The Dutch singer, songwriter and producer has been making retro pop since 2003, managing to smoothly transition from the artsy radio crowd to current young streaming audiences. You might recognize his stage name from his collaboration with Rex Orange County on their breakout 2017 hit, “Loving Is Easy.” But you’re more likely to just recognize Benny’s sound, as his music has been featured on various TV shows and commercials, including 

. Now 42, Benny Sings, whose real name is Tim van Berkestijn, is showing no signs of slowing his career with a brand new full-length release, 

Overall, it seems like Benny Sings is trying to wear a whole lot of hats and please everyone. This leads to a project that is sometimes wacky and experimental but other times bland and predictable. But even when Benny’s work gets repetitive by his own standards, he’s still miles ahead of his contemporaries. The first two tracks give the listener a great taste of what to expect from the album. “Everything I Know” eases the audience into Benny’s signature soul style with delicate piano and buttery smooth vocal harmonies. The lyrics are cheesy and simplistic, which is par the course for Benny as he typically focuses more on production and instrumentation. However, some clever lyricism shines through on “Familiar,” the third track of the album, as Benny croons “Don’t forget to breathe, we’re individuals / It’s a consequence of love I wasn’t thinking of, but it’s critical.” This cut is also faster and more danceable, while remaining emotional, achieving a tasteful balance.

Then we arrive at the one and only single from the project, “Not Enough.” It’s a standout track, with a weirder vibe than the rest and 

 to accompany its tone. Between the staccato piano loops and soulful sax parts, you’ll feel like you’re listening to a lost Steely Dan song. Next comes “Nakemeguro,” which snuck onto this project from Benny’s 2018 

was a far more abstract collection of snippets, making this cut stand out from the rest on 

Unfortunately, this is where the album takes a turn as it goes into some of its blandest moments with cuts like “Duplicate,” which has a promising start, featuring an interesting and intimate vocal hook. However the song quickly devolves into the same formula we’ve already gotten several times on this project: funky loops and a decent vocal performance with little to make the track standout from the rest. “Late At Night” manages to get a bit more experimental with some intriguing vocal effects and synths, but this is quickly ruined by “Summerlude.” Although the tropical jazzy angle is a nice change of pace, I couldn’t help but feel like this cut was trying to sell me condoms. As it turns out, it was actually 

 is a bit of a mixed bag. “So Far So Good” delivers a more dramatic cut, but at times feels melodramatic without spicing up instrumentation all that much. “Dreamin’” will certainly get your shoulders moving with its infectious beat just before “My World” slows down for a dreamy, chilled out experience. And finally, “Tokyo (Softly)” finishes the project off with a bit of a sexy duet that feels like it could play over a montage in a decent rom com. Unfortunately the collaborating vocalist does not appear to be credited on the song, yet this adds to the sort of mystique and intrigue around Tim’s vague persona and scarce digital presence.

Fans of Benny Sings won’t want to miss this project, as he hits of all his own marks. But don’t expect anything as polished and refreshing as 

 brings a smattering of decent retro pop to the table. If that’s your thing, then by all means, dive in.

Benny Sings sticks to what he knows on ‘City Pop’

Surprisingly, Mike Posner continues to demonstrate his progression as a songwriter on his third full-length album, 

Mike Posner has had one of the most impressive career comebacks in the history of the music industry. After blowing up with the shiny, trendy pop anthem “Cooler Than Me” in 2009, Posner began to gradually fade into obscurity due to a combination of personal mental health issues, the dissolution of J Dilla records, and multiple canceled albums. But Posner was miraculously thrust back into the public spotlight when his stripped back, self-reflective “I Took A Pill In Ibiza” was remixed by the Norwegian duo SeeB. The final product dwarfed “Cooler Than Me” in both commercial success and artistic maturity. Posner demonstrated much personal growth on his second LP 

 and this progression as a songwriter continues on his third full-length album, 

We begin with an intimate message from the Good Kid himself, in which he politely tells the audience that the “album is 40 minutes long and is meant to be listened to in one sitting… If at this time you are unable to devote 40 minutes of undivided attention, I politely ask you turn this off and return at a later time.” I’ll admit, I was skeptical at best and pessimistic at worst. At first, I thought the album wouldn’t justify this sort of disclaimer, but Mike Posner surprised me. The first full song on the project, “January 11th, 2017,” sees Posner reflect on the day his father died with a weighty sincerity that even the most earnest of songs off his last album lacked. It sets the tone for the brightest parts of the project yet to come, ensuring the listener that this will not be an album full of design-by-committee bangers.

 hits some rough parts after the opening track. The following cut “Wide Open” is strong in terms of production with its catchy acoustic guitar hook joined by a glitchy electro house beat and coupled with subtle yet tasteful vocal filters. But this track also introduces what I’ll call “Posnerisms,” which are lyrical quips delivered with an attitude of profound depth that are actually not so special. As Posner sings “Somebody told me God is simply what we don’t know / Saw a butterfly, it was dead, but it was gorgeous,” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. The following “Song About You” is typical break-up fare which doesn’t offer much that pop listeners haven’t heard a billion times, and we continue on this trend with “Move On,” which sounds like it could play over the credits of a terrible DreamWorks animated feature.

But then Posner saves himself. The next song, “Drip,” sees a return to the production that made “Wide Open” so enjoyable. But the highlight of this cut is the spoken word poetry in which Posner reflects on the suicide of friend and collaborator Avicii. In the process, he opens up about his own struggles, displaying a raw emotion that was previously quarantined to side projects like his poetry album 

 or his collaboration with blackbear, the duo known as Mansionz. Blackbear might even be the “lil homie” Posner references on “Drip” who he fears could end up just like Avicii if he doesn’t get his act together. Then we move onto “Staring At The Fire,” which combines minimal, spacey production with passionate vocals from Posner that are backed up by a beautiful choir. The improvement in Posner’s songwriting is perhaps best reflected here, as he’s able to avoid the silly “Posnerisms” mentioned earlier while remaining the only credited songwriter on the track.

“Stuck in the Middle” manages to strike a balance between bubble gum pop and sincerity, partially thanks to the delicate “Amen” interlude which prefaces the song. The closer “How It’s Supposed to Be” really solidifies the project as a whole, being one of Posner’s more compelling vocal performances. What’s truly impressive is the way that Mike effectively hops between topics, sometimes circling back to the death of his dad, but at other times touching on broken dreams or climate change. The dissonance in the subject matter shouldn’t work, but somehow it does.

Will any of these songs reach a billion plays on Spotify? Probably not, but I doubt that was the intent behind the project. 

 is shockingly touching and well-crafted, it’s not trying to reach listeners in the billions (though I’m certain there are remixes yet to come which are). So overall, even though there are a few dull, paint-by-numbers cuts, Posner manages to prove that he is more than just a pop song people forgot.

Mike Posner impresses audiences with sincere and reflective album ‘A Real Good Kid’

It’s good that George Watsky is still making music. The 32-year-old rapper, singer, and writer has been a creative force to be reckoned with for quite some time. Watsky got his start as a slam poet on the HBO original series 

 but quickly began utilizing his penmanship skills for rap and hip-hop. After the viral “Pale Kid Raps Fast” launched Watsky into tier-three internet fame, the San Francisco native proved he was far more than just a flash in the pan as he went on to release numerous albums, EPs, and mixtapes. Now he’s back for his fifth studio album, 

Clocking in at a measly 9 tracks and 28 minutes, 

 stands in stark contrast to his last project, 

, which ran for over an hour and fifteen minutes. Although 

 is an overcorrection. Since more than half the album was released as singles, it feels more like we got an EP than an LP. Although some 

 that the tiny 1.3 in the bottom right of the album cover hints that this project is the first of a trilogy, Watsky himself 

Aside from its slightly disappointing brevity, 

 delivers a mostly satisfying listening experience. The opening track and lead single “Welcome to the Family” is a sweet and heartwarming piece about opening yourself and your problems up to the support of those around you. The delicate, twinkling pianos perfectly encapsulate the welcoming feel that the song is going for here, as do Watsky’s well-composed harmonies. Other highlights include the pseudo-title track “No Complaints No Conversations” which will leave its catchy hook looping in your head for days. Watsky’s humor is also on display here with lyrical gems like “That shit just made me think so hard I couldn’t sleep a wink / Washed my red flags with my white flags and now all my laundry’s pink.”

However, the project has some lulls as well, due to lackluster cuts such as “All Like Whatever” which is little more than your average teenage crush song. It’s cute, corny, and skippable, which wouldn’t be so bad if there were more than nine tracks to begin with. The sad boy anthem “Limos 4 Emos” is similarly forgettable, which is unfortunate as it lies smack in the middle of the final three tracks, the other two of which are excellent. The dark and gritty “Feels Alright” showcases some of Watsky’s best lyrics on the album. Consider: “Santa’s in the North Pole doing fentanyl / No more good little boys so he meant to kill himself / But he couldn’t find a vein with the hot steel / He couldn’t find himself at all, bitch, he’s not real!” Watsky goes straight into the chorus from here asking the audience “Does it feel fucked up?” All I can say is… yep, it does. And then there’s the closer, “Whitecaps,” which finishes off the album by comparing the end of Watsky’s precarious relationship to a shipwreck. On paper, this might this might sound like a recipe for cliches, but Watsky manages the turn the ship metaphor into a broader representation of human conflict.

 (see what I did there?) with the album besides the length is the lack of Watsky’s poetry, and I’m not just referring to literal spoken word tracks which are typically present on Watsky’s albums. The lyrics on 

 focus on funny quips or relationship commentary, while foregoing any more nuanced subject matter. The result is that the album feels sort of immature and out of place compared to the rest of his work, which explored a myriad of meaningful topics ranging from his family, suicide and mental health, changing technology, gun violence, the music industry, and race relations. Ultimately though, 

 still provides fans with a well-crafted addition to the Watsky canon.

Watsky delivers lackluster full-length ‘COMPLAINT’

Look, it’s difficult to talk about Kanye nowadays. Even as a card-carrying Kanye apologist I have to admit that he’s said and done things that are unforgivable. But this isn’t the time and place to hash those issues out. This isn’t a political think-piece. This is a look back on one of the most important and influential hip hop albums of the 2000s, which would shape the genre as well as the future of popular music for the next decade: 

Every once in while, an artist hits their audience with a curveball that is at first not so well received but later turns out to be a seminal piece of work in their discography. Radiohead traded out guitars for synths on 

, Bob Dylan opted for electric over acoustic on 

, and Kanye did something unheard of for rappers on 

. He stopped rapping, and started singing. After 

somewhat departed from the soulful style Kanye made his name on, many hip hop purists feared Kanye was going to abandon the sound entirely, and their fears came true. Thus 

, while also innovating just as much. The melancholy, vulnerable, and digitally synthetic sound that 

brought to the table is arguably the blueprint for the modern day convergence of hip hop, R&B, and pop that now dominates the charts. Drake, Post Malone, Young Thug, Juice WRLD, Future, the Weeknd: the list goes on and on. All these artists and many more are indebted to what Kanye did on 

The album was made during a turbulent time for Kanye (at least by 2008 standards). Following the death of his mother and his separation from his fiance, Kanye was not happy. This is reflected right from the get go with ‘Say You Will,’ which sees Ye reflecting on fragile past relations over a minimal, almost hallow instrumental that mostly consists of simple back and forth synth beeps and low toms. But the most striking feature is West’s use of autotune, which he reinvented throughout 

at a time when it was still mainly associated with silly T-Pain shit. Kanye is no singer, and he leans heavily onto autotune and filters for this reason, which provides most of the fodder for the critiques of 

. Yet the style proved to have commercial legs with hit singles like ‘Heartless’ and ‘Love Lockdown.’ Though the tracks stand in contrast regarding their moods, they share sticky choruses perfect for the radio, and many younger Kanye fans were introduced to his music through these cuts.

But Kanye doesn’t just stick to the new tone he develops for himself on the album. There are traces of the grand arrangements and instrumentation yet to come on his next project, 

, with songs like ‘Amazing’ and ‘Robocop.’ There’s also remnants of 

’s more upbeat, dancey vibe on ‘Paranoid,’ demonstrating that 

isn’t a one trick pony of emotional ballads. Even still, the emotional ballads are some of the strongest points of the album, my personal favorites being ‘Coldest Winter’ and ‘Street Lights.’ While ‘Street Lights’ is a bleak look into how lonely and monotonous life can be, ‘Coldest Winter’ returns to West’s struggle with losing both his mother and his fiance (in different ways of course). Not only does Kanye see the death of his mother as one of the causes of his separation from Alexis Phifer, but he also blames himself in part for his mother’s death, making the loss cut even deeper.

In 2004, people clowned Kanye just for wearing pink polos and backpacks. If that alone was enough to cut against the norm of hyper-masculinity that dominated hip hop at the time, then four years later the raw, intimate, and vulnerable tone of 

undermined those norms entirely. In fact, it created the foundation for a new norm in the genre that artists still try to replicate today, sometimes without even knowing that they’re invoking 

. It’s the perfect album for aimlessly walking around and reflecting on one’s own life. Perhaps one day we’ll return to a point where the most controversial choices Kanye makes are his musical ones.

Kanye West’s ‘808s & Heartbreak’ turns 10

Tyler Joseph’s songwriting is as strong as ever, and Trench is backed with infectious hooks, varied production, and meaningful lyricism.

The genre-bending duo Twenty One Pilots is back for their 5th studio album, 

 was a concept album centered around the fictional character of the same name, 

 is loosely based around a fictional world of the same name. With concocted characters like the protagonist “Clancy” inhabiting the constructed city of “DEMA” located in Trench. While 

 was a more straightforward and cohesive concept album where the titular character represented frontman/songwriter Tyler Joseph’s insecurities, 

 is a bold attempt at building an entire metaphoric world. The album also tells the story of the protagonist Clancy trying to escape DEMA, likely a metaphor for combating mental illness. Unfortunately, much of the narrative isn’t actually told on the album. Instead, ToP has released 

various snippets of scanned images and short videos

 in conjunction with the cryptic lyrical bits throughout the album. One way to interpret this is as ToP giving their fans the chance to pick apart a complex mystery for themselves. Another way to interpret this is as a somewhat underdeveloped and incohesive concept album. Either way though, Tyler Joseph’s songwriting is as strong as ever, and 

 is backed with infectious hooks, varied production, and meaningful lyricism.

The opening track ‘Jumpsuit’ is about as genre focused as you’ll find the group getting. The song is distinctly rock oriented with a gritty bassline accompanying moody vocals, topped with a classic ToP scream at the end. The transition into the next track ‘Levitate’ is one of the smoothest I’ve heard all year, and it’s the perfect way to switch gears entirely without disrupting the tone of the album. ‘Levitate’ also contains some of Tyler’s best rapping yet. Where in the past his flow has been choppy and overly robotic, here Tyler’s delivery is as smooth as butter. Coupled with tight drum loops from percussionist Josh Dun, it’s easily of my favorite cuts off the album.

Other highlights include ‘Chlorine’ with its addictive hook and corresponding themes of chemical dependency. As well as ‘Neon Gravestones,’ which gives a much needed commentary on the glorification of depressed and suicidal artists with reflective lyrics like “My opinion, our culture can treat a loss like it’s a win / And right before we turn on them / We give ’em the highest of praise / And hang their banner from the ceiling.” It’s a careful introspection on how a lot of our media (ToP’s music included) might be having adverse side effects.

 has its low points as well, however. Tracks like ‘The Hype’ and ‘Cut My Lip’ are straightforward and similar in their themes of not losing hope and moving forward. Both contain somewhat tedious and repetitive bridges, and at almost an hour long it seems to me that 

 could have done without some of these songs. ‘Bandito’ just about hits the listener over the head with its “loner” themes, though it also serves a world building purpose for the larger concept. ‘Smithereens’ is a cute tribute to Joseph’s wife, as he describes how he’d be willing to get into a fight for her (and most likely lose), but it’s pretty cheesy even by ToP’s standards. But the album finishes strong with ‘Leave the City’ which features a medley of light piano and drums coupled with arpeggiating synths, most of which cuts out for a beautiful stripped back bridge, only to be slowly reintroduced as Tyler’s vocals grow in emotion while adding in layered and distorted harmonies.

 is about what you would expect from the latest ToP outing. At times uplifting, at times depressing, always well constructed and heartfelt. Yet I don’t think the overall themes and fictional world are explored deep enough for this to truly be considered a “concept album” the same way 

 was. Songs that discuss Tyler’s personal life like ‘Legend’ (a heartfelt ballad dedicated to Joseph’s late grandpa) and the aforementioned ‘Smithereens’ feel out of place alongside world building tracks like ‘Nico and the Niners.’ And some cuts such as ‘Bandito’ feel like they use the implied lore of a fictional world as crutch to make up for a surface level song. But these flaws are all either minimal or speculative, and overall 

 is still an excellent addition to ToP’s discography.

Twenty One Pilots release full-length ‘Trench’

If Noname continues to improve incrementally at this pace with every record, she’ll be the best rapper in the game in no time at all.

“Maybe this the album you listen to in your car

Really questioning every god, religion, Kanye, bitches

Maybe this is the entrance before you get to the river”

The opening lines of Chicago native Noname’s sophomore LP perfectly encapsulate the artist’s presence: introspective yet humorous, conscious yet relaxed. The 27 year-old rapper, songwriter, and poet has done it again. Coming off of her break-out debut 

, Noname is back for her second full-length. Though it uses mostly the same sonic palette as her first, Noname perfects the blueprints for her lyrical style on 

The above quoted lyrics from the album’s opener ‘Self’ demonstrate Noname’s ability to be mysterious, funny, and reflective at the same time, all the while enveloping you in warm and comforting instrumentals. Noname’s poetic prowess continues on ‘Blaxploitation,’ a track titled for the ’70s film genre of the same name, as she raps, “Write a think piece in the rap song, the new age covenant.” Not only does this line reflect Noname’s style of songwriting (many of the verses on 

 are twice as intelligent as your average think piece these days), but it also comments on the rarity of rap with real meaning in 2018, comparing thoughtful rap music to rare artifacts like the arc of the covenant. On top of all this, Noname delivers her think piece on American politics with a clean flow over a funky bassline to show she can do more silky soft backing tracks.

Noname gets even more overtly political on the following track, ‘Prayer Song,’ exploring themes like police brutality, underfunded public services, consumerism, and obesity. Fellow Chicagoan Adam Ness joins her to deliver the hook: “America the great, this grateful dead and life for me / Apple pie on Sunday morning, obesity and heart disease.” In fact, one of the strongest elements of 

 are the well placed features from other Chicago based artists. There are the bigger names that you might recognize with soulful vocals from Smino and a sharp verse from 

 (one of the few rappers who can keep up with Noname lyrically in this day and age) on ‘Ace.’ Then there’s frequent Noname collaborator Phoelix who jumps in twice on the album to deliver some of the best buttery smooth vocals you’ll hear this year. And Noname also highlights up and coming Chi-town talent such as the aforementioned Ness and the surprise highlight of the features, Benjamin Earl Turner. Though he might at first come off as a budget Kendrick Lamar, Turner displays a vulnerability all his own with lines like, “The fat boy anorexic ain’t admit ’cause my complexion / Wrist like an Etch-a-Sketch, I’m sculptin’ the pain in ’em like Edmonia Lewis.” Clearly Noname not only writes poetic lyrics, but she can also spot them from a mile away.

Even though the strongest element of Noname’s music is clearly her profound and witty lyricism, the instrumentals don’t get left behind. Cuts like ‘Window’ take a break from the usual jazzy sound to provide us with lush and lavish string arrangements that sound like they could have been taken straight from a 1940s broadway score. And ‘Regal’ washes the listener in magical synth waves that perfectly match Noname’s vibe.

By the time you arrive at the album’s closer, ‘No Name,’ your biggest critique of this album will be that there isn’t more of it. At times poignantly self-aware, and otherwise sharply optimistic, the track sees Noname reflect on the past two years with the wisdom of decades. It’s the perfect way to end Noname’s sophomore project as it both explores her personal motivations for the moniker she’s so widely known as but also gives the listener intimate insight into how her life has changed since the release of her debut. If Noname continues to improve incrementally at this pace with every record, she’ll be the best rapper in the game in no time at all.

Noname perfects the blueprints for her lyrical style on Room 25

 sees Mothers experiment further with vocal distortion, poly-rhythmic instrumentation, and more cryptic subject matter.

The worst fear of any artist coming off of a successful debut is a sophomore slump. In the case of Mothers, though, not only does the Athens, GA outfit dodge this all too common sin, they also show considerable growth on their second LP. Their 2016 debut 

When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired

 displayed beautifully haunting vocals and lyricism from frontwoman/songwriter Kristine Leschper, but did little to distinguish the group from equally melancholy contemporary indie-folk. However, 

 sees Mothers experiment further with vocal distortion, polyrhythmic instrumentation, and more cryptic subject matter.

The opening track ‘BEAUTY ROUTINE’ already sets the release apart from the group’s debut, as it’s clear the band is going for a more polished, yet still intimate, sound. The track is slow going at first, but it gradually burns up into an anxious climax, and displays Leschper’s knack for poetic songwriting along the way. Kristine reflects on the way we often use personal habits to distract ourselves from our problems, singing “I’ve been practicing / Extreme forms of distraction / Brush my teeth / As an act of desperation / Show me a beauty routine / To erase me completely.”

The first half of the album handles the pacing with care and consideration, balancing out low energy cuts like ‘“IT’S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE”’ with more bouncy, energetic cuts such as ‘PINK’ and the lead single ‘BLAME KIT.’ However many tracks, including ‘BLAME KIT,’ also switch abruptly between what could almost be different songs. The driving guitars on ‘BLAME KIT’ are suddenly switched out for an eerie waltz, yet it somehow works. Even when Mothers stay on a single musical motif in a song, you can often find them interlocking multiple rhythms across guitars and percussion in a way that makes them feel like a cross between DEVO and American Football. This, plus their dabbling in ambience and shoegaze, shows that Mothers are determined to set themselves apart from the many Franke Cosmos clones vying for attention on the indie scene.

The record is not without its flaws though. At 57 minutes spanning 11 tracks, this album is a bit of a marathon, and the pacing takes a turn for the worst around the halfway point. Tracks like ‘MUTUAL AGREEMENT’ are much better suited for an out of context listen, since by the time you get it in the album you’re probably starting to slouch in your seat and struggle to keep your eyes open. And if you’re feeling sleepy on this cut, you’ll be in R.E.M. by the end of this record. By the time Leschper opens up the final song ‘FAT CHANCE’ with the lyrics “more slowly,” you’ll probably find yourself screaming internally “no, LESS slowly please!” Even still, the length of these songs are typically a virtue when viewed in a vacuum, and really only drag the album down on a front-to-back listen.

Athens, Georgia has a history of producing great musical acts, and Mothers is no exception. Though the group has since relocated to Philly, they maintain an eclecticness that is distinctly Athens. While the worst sophomore albums disappoint in the face of exciting debuts, the best ones maintain excitement for future projects to come. And that’s exactly what 

Mothers show considerable growth on their second LP

If Eminem wants to convince people he’s not homophobic, the best thing he can do is leave the homophobic language in the past.

Warning: This article quotes homophobic language.

As both a member of the LGBT community and a long time fan of Eminem, I’ve often felt as if two parts of me are somewhat at odds with another. I grew up listening to songs where slurs like ‘fag’ and ‘faggot’ were tossed around as commonly as any profanity. The problem with these homophobic lyrics, ironically, is not homophobia. Eminem is not homophobic in the sense that he doesn’t have any problem with homosexuality the way that say, Mike Pence does. This is something that he has clarified in numerous interviews over the years, and is often posed as something that makes Em’s usage of homophobic slurs ‘ok.’ And I have to admit, I bought into this for a while. I believed that one could use homophobic language without actually 

 homophobic, just as one could be homophobic without actually using explicitly homophobic words.

Eminem at the 2018 iHeart Radio Music Awards. Kevin Winter/Getty

, he doesn’t take these words to mean “homosexual,” but rather just generic insults like “punk” or “asshole.” But this is where the real problem comes to light. The word “faggot” is 

 from “punk” or “asshole.” It’s what you would call a 

, because it combines both evaluative and non-evaluative ideas into one word. For example, someone who is “courageous” lacks fear in a good way, while someone who is “reckless” lacks fear in a bad way. These words are thick concepts because they contain both a non-evaluative trait (to lack fear) as well as an evaluative trait (positive for courageous, and negative for reckless).

For years and years, “faggot” has been used to oppress, bully, and otherwise antagonize LGBT+ people, and as such it has become a thick concept. It means “homosexual,” but in a decisively negative way. Eminem, no matter his personal views, cannot magically remove “homosexual” from the meaning of the word. The stones which he throws might not be aimed at homosexuals specifically, but they will hurt homosexuals disparately regardless. The thing is, Eminem seems to understand this, since he chooses to censor this on 

, yet you won’t find any censorship of words like bitch, punk, or asshole. Eminem knows it’s different, and that it should be censored, so why include it in the first place?

There’s an even greater problem to be acknowledged, however, and it’s that Eminem specifically targets a bisexual man, Tyler, the Creator, with homophobic language. Eminem’s defense crumbles completely because of this. There’s no logical way to claim that you’ve divorced this word from it’s meaning of sexuality when you’re using it to insult a bisexual man, this is utter nonsense. And why, you ask, is Eminem dissing Tyler? Are they in one of those ‘beefs’ that your parents keep hearing about but don’t actually understand? Was Tyler disrespectful to Eminem? Did he make comments about Em’s daughter or significant other? No, in fact on the other hand, Tyler has called Em one of his favorite rappers of all time, and has cited him as a significant influence on his own work. No, Eminem has decided that he’s angry enough at Tyler, the Creator, to call him out with homophobic language, 

because he didn’t like Eminem’s last album

. That’s it. Tyler had a negative opinion of Eminem’s music, probably the first negative opinion he ever had about any of Eminem’s music, and this was Eminem’s response:

Eminem performs at the MTV EMAs in 2017. Kevin Mazur/WiredImage

“Tyler create nothin’, I see why you called yourself a (faggot), bitch / It’s not just ’cause you lack attention / It’s because you worship D12’s balls, you’re sack-religious / If you’re gonna critique me / You better at least be as good or better.”

Even if you’re going to continue to defend Eminem’s use of homophobic language, you have to admit that this is childish. Any critic in their right mind knows that Tyler’s 2017 

. I think most would agree that it’s better. And Eminem was perfectly fine with speaking positively about Tyler when he only had positive things to say about Em’s music. Eminem even compared himself to the rapper on 2013’s ‘Wicked,’ saying: “I’m a combination of Skylar Grey, Tyler the Creator, and Violent J.” How did Tyler go from worthy of a direct comparison to Eminem to all of sudden not having made any music as good as 

? Eminem is flip flopping as hard as the politicians he’s so fond of criticizing.

In short, the backlash Eminem has gotten for these lyrics is well deserved. Maybe I’m just a triggered millennial snowflake whose asking for far too much and the next stop on this slippery slope is the death of all free speech and a descent into totalitarian dictatorship. But I’m not saying Eminem should stop cursing, stop playing outrageous characters, or tone down his music to be less controversial in general. All I’m saying is that if Eminem wants to convince people he’s not homophobic, the best thing he can do is leave the homophobic language in the past.

The Real Problem With Eminem’s Tyler, the Creator Diss

On his latest LP, Eminem spends most of his time making sorry excuses for his last album and his past actions.

Eminem has never been an artist that takes criticism lightly. Since the beginning of his career, he has never shied away from responding to, and lashing out at, his critics and contemporaries. In fact, after his 2017 flop 

 was critically panned for its cringy punchlines and out-of-place pop features, Eminem devoted a lengthy verse to responding to criticism on his ‘Chloraseptic’ remix. But apparently this was not enough catharsis. Less than a year after 

, Em is back with a surprise LP that is largely focused on aggressively targeting his detractors, 

In some respects, the album addresses many of the problems that fans had with 

. The bubblegum pop production is replaced with slick hip-hop instrumentals from veteran producers like Mike WiLL Made-It and Tay Keith. Features are few and far between, and Eminem has swapped out singers with rappers for the most part featuring the likes of Joyner Lucas and longtime collaborator Royce Da 5’9”. More importantly, however, Eminem bares far more resemblance to his angry alter ego Slim Shady on this release than he did on 

 falls short of the Slim Shady glory days entirely, as Eminem spends most of the LP making sorry excuses for his last album and his past actions.

 is perhaps best encompassed on the opening track, ‘The Ringer.’ Eminem delivers some of the sharpest bars we’ve seen in recent years over a tight beat, yet the message he delivers with his clever and catchy wordplay is outright ridiculous and just plain sad. Right after likening his trash heap of an album 

 to a porterhouse steak, he claims that the project underperformed because his audience is “mentally retarded” and not smart enough to understand what he’s saying. If Eminem has any legitimate objections to his criticisms, he doesn’t display them here. Instead, he opts to simply insult the intelligence of his critics and deny that journalists have any right to give their opinion on his music despite the fact that this is 

. It’s funny how Eminem never seems to mind journalists’ opinions when they’re positive.

Things improve a bit on the tracks ‘Greatest’ and ‘Lucky You,’ though not by much. Both feature a fair amount of lyrical flexing, and the latter sees Joyner Lucas join in on the impressive display of lightning fast flows and carefully constructed wordplay. But neither track brings much to the table in terms of narrative or substance, rather Eminem continues to brag about how great he is (the best, even!) while simultaneously complaining about how poorly received he’s been in the rap game lately. If you’re the greatest rapper in the world, why has all your most recent work been received so poorly? I suppose it must be everyone else’s fault…

The songs ‘Normal’ and ‘Not Alike’ are cute interpolations, almost parodies, of Eminem’s contemporaries, Drake and Migos respectively. Though the Migos mask is fairly overt and relates directly the topic of song (Eminem isn’t like all these mumble rappers!) the Drake cut is less so, and might come off more as trend riding than humor to some listeners. Though Em sets aside the silly stuff for a moment to apologize to his former D12 group members on ‘Stepping Stone,’ the track feels like far too little far too late. Saying you’re sorry for using your friends to achieve commercial success would feel a lot more sincere if you weren’t doing it on a song to help yourself achieve commercial success. Plus, the song feels like it would fit right into the 

 tracklist, despite Em’s promise on ‘The Ringer’ to not sound like a 

 is its overall sonic feel. If you enjoy fast rapping over strong contemporary hip hop beats, then this project will nestle nicely into your rotation alongside some Logic or Run the Jewels. But when Eminem manages to stay on a single topic long enough to build a cohesive theme in a song, it’s usually to complain about well-deserved criticism or rehash tired themes of relationship troubles. I guess in the end, the title 

 is well fitting. Eminem has had some bad releases, but two in a row shows that he really is crashing and burning on purpose this time.

P.S. – There are more than a few troubling and problematic lyrics on this project. Readers should stay tuned for separate piece that dives into these topics and their implications, which require more nuance and focus than one can give them in an album review.

Eminem lashes out once again with ‘Kamikaze’

Aminé’s “EPLPMIXTAPEALBUM” is one step forward and two steps back.

The Republic Records signee known as Aminé hit it big with ‘Caroline’ in 2016 and received mostly positive reviews on his gold certified debut album 

 in 2017. He’s also demonstrated a quirky creativity, evident in the 

 for his single ‘REDMERCEDES,’ and a knack for political consciousness on his 

 of ‘Caroline.’ Unfortunately, most of what lead to the above mentioned achievements – sticky ear-worm hits, out of the box artistic edge, and a finger on the pulse of modern issues ­– is nowhere to be found on 

 for what he dubs an “EPLPMIXTAPEALBUM,” Aminé pokes fun at the perplexing and often meaningless distinctions that rappers make between albums, mixtapes, and EPs (often to cover up a flop in their discography). But the self-awareness of this trend doesn’t change the fact that Aminé is essentially guilty of the same thing.

Aminé starts off fairly strong with the melancholy ‘DR. WHOEVER,’ where he laments about suicide, depression, and getting older. Aminé attempts to balance opening up and heartfelt lyrics with maintaining his braggadocios nature throughout 

, and the opening track is a good example of how it doesn’t always work. Lines about how long Aminé’s paper is simply feel out of place on an otherwise downtrodden track. In fact, the amount of times that you can find Aminé flexing his wealth on this project is disappointing when you consider his commentary on consumerism ‘Money’ from his 2017 debut. Aminé must have forgotten about this song, since cuts like ‘REEL IT IN’ and ‘BLACKJACK’ serve essentially no purpose but to remind the audience that Aminé is rich. ‘CHINGY’ is not much more than a generic trap banger, as is ‘HICCUP,’ which is hardly elevated by the Gunna feature, who sounds like a discount 21 Savage. After a while, Aminé’s formula starts to show. Step one: talk about your money. Step two: insert a pop culture reference. Step three: do it all with a decent flow over tight production. Make more money, the cycle continues.

This isn’t to say the project is all bad, and that the things which made Aminé stand out from his contemporaries on 

 aren’t completely absent. ‘WHY?’ takes us back to the more sensitive Aminé, and unlike ‘DR. WHOEVER,’ it manages to flex without sacrificing this sensitivity on lines like “I just bought my momma a new whip, straight cash / I pay my taxes, so it hurts my racks / I hate when n***as say, “chill out”, and they ain’t got no chill / They let me skip the DMV line, that’s when I knew it was real.” Then we go straight into another standout track with ‘SHINE’ which opens with what’s probably my favorite lyric: “I fuck up like everyday, I fuck up in every way / I fuck up like when I pull up on Sunday at Chick-Fil-A.” The track shows off Aminé’s decent vocal chops, and demonstrates his ability to flip from sympathetic to charismatic in a heartbeat.

Other enjoyable highlights come towards the end of the project like ‘SUGARPARENTS,’ where Rico Nasty takes the trophy for best feature, and Aminé puts a slight spin on his flexing by clarifying that although he does have a considerable amount of money, he will NOT be spending it on women. ‘STFU2’ is an update to ‘STFU’ from his first album, and whoever he was addressing there must not have shut up since the sequel is far more chaotic and energetic. Then we get the clever ‘RATCHET SATURN GIRL’ which has two halves, one “ratchet” and one “saturn” where Aminé shows he can dance around contemporary styles, switching from Tyler to Frank in a single track. But these highlights are guilty of a common sin on this project: they’re just too short, and rather than feeling like fun, bite sized song nuggets, they just come off as underwritten.

Overall, Aminé’s EPLPMIXTAPEALBUM is one step forward and two steps back. But as the title suggests, this is hopefully just a stepping stone from his freshman to sophomore project. I’ll be crossing my fingers that whatever he releases next will be more developed and showcase all of what Aminé has to offer.

Aminé’s ‘ONEPOINTFIVE’ is a sophomore slump

Angel Olsen has not been known to stick to one genre. She began as a lo-fi folk singer, her voice drowned in filters on the 2011 EP 

. And over the course of her three following LPs, she slowly transformed into a breakout indie-rock hit, culminating on her most recent LP, the critically acclaimed 

. That record saw Olsen reimagining her sound, almost cutting her folk roots entirely to burst onto the indie scene as an innovative singer-songwriter. She’s resurfaced again, this time not with a full album, but with 

a collection of demos, B-sides, and covers.

If you were hoping for punchy, high-energy tracks from the cutting room floor of 

 is much more akin to Olsen’s earlier work, mostly providing us with sleepy, minimal folk rock cuts. Longtime fans will recognize many of the tracks on this project either from Olsen’s live shows or from the bonus tracks on 

. That, coupled with the fact the first two tracks on the compilation (‘Fly on Your Wall’ and ‘Special’) were released as singles, doesn’t leave us with a whole lot of new material on here. ‘Fly On Your Wall’ might be my favorite cut off this compilation, as it feels like a slow yet powerful march and builds tension to a considerable sonic pay off. But as the project continues, there’s little variation in production, mood, and tone. Olsen is working with a minimalistic toolbox of sounds, which is great if you enjoy the tools she chose. However in my opinion, 40 minutes of low-key indie folk might be nice for a lazy Sunday morning, but not much else.

‘Sans’ and ‘Sweet Dreams’ provide a bit of variation and reinvigorate the project to some degree. But by the time we get to cuts like ‘California’ and ‘Tougher Than The Rest,’ Olsen’s calm, powerful, and gorgeous voice isn’t enough to keep my attention for long, since we’ve had almost no contrasting tones throughout the project. Don’t get me wrong, Olsen’s vocal performances are always top notch, and she gives off some serious Joni Mitchell vibes, especially on ‘California.’ But bare bones tracks like ‘For You’ just don’t feel special when juxtaposed to eleven other strikingly similar cuts, and Angel’s voice can only carry a project so far.

But after all, this is a compilation, not an album. A hastier artist with a more aggressive label might have tried to pass this kind of project off as full LP, but I think Angel Olsen just genuinely wanted to purge her back catalogue for the enjoyment of her fans. Longtime Angel Olsen fans will enjoy this project, and for those who hopped on when 

 broke out, this is a great chance to see if Olsen’s older albums are worth giving a listen, since

 obviously harkens back those projects. Overall, this is a decent b-sides collection and a nice edition to Angel Olsen’s discography.

Angel Olsen releases full-length ‘Phases’

The Front Bottoms deliver 37 minutes of mediocre indie rock.

[three_fourth]Brian Sella and Mat Uychich, the New Jersey natives and childhood friends behind The Front Bottoms, have been writing songs for about a decade now. In the beginning, Sella’s raw emotional performances coupled with unpolished DIY production gathered a cult fanbase. Much of the band’s early work was recorded in various basements at stops along the band’s first tours. This rough and tumble sound continued to inspire their music on their first full length albums, 

. But everything changed when the band left Bar None Records in favor of Fueled By Ramen, the indie-pop label known for acts such as Panic! At The Disco and Twenty One Pilots. A clear shift occurred at this point, evident in the band’s first album under FBR, 

. Sella and Uychich left behind the acoustic instrumentation and vocal imperfections, opting for a glossy, well-produced reinvention of their sound.

Which brings us to the latest project from The Front Bottoms, 

. Although the title implies themes of getting older and feeling the effects of aging, The Front Bottoms haven’t matured a bit on this album. 

, with some rough acoustic strumming or a staged voice crack occasionally thrown in as an attempt to appeal to fans who miss the band’s old sound. As a result, this record ends up feeling like an attempt to return to the band’s old style while trying to maintain their relatively newfound production quality. And those two things are hard to reconcile on one record.

The album starts off strong enough with ‘You Used to Say,’ one of the more inspired tracks. The opener actually got my hopes up, it does a good job of combining the band’s early songwriting with the new direction they clearly want to continue towards. But then we quickly degrade as the record continues. ‘Peace Sign’ provides a catchy hook, but is nothing special, and ‘Bae’ feels like a parody of a Front Bottoms song despite being performed unironically.

‘Vacation Town,’ one of the lead singles, sums up how I feel about the band in the chorus as Sella sings “I miss the way things used to be” over and over again. However this song does feel like one of Brian’s more earnest vocal performances, and long-time fans will be happy to hear the word “comfortable” come out of his mouth once again. Then we get a slew of forgettable filler tracks like ‘Don’t Fill Up On Chips,’ whose instrumental sounds like it would play behind a TV spot for Target’s latest back-to-school marketing campaign. And ‘Grand Finale,’ which sounds less like a grand finale, and more like a Cage The Elephant B-Side with some unnecessary vocal filters thrown on top.

‘Raining,’ another single, is probably my favorite song off this project. It’s a good demonstration that the band’s writing style works better with simple production, relying on just some well-balanced drums and tasteful electric guitars to supplement Brian’s vocals. But this satisfaction doesn’t last long since it’s followed by one of the worst cuts off the record, ‘Far Drive.’ Perhaps the title is fitting, seeing as the instrumental here sounds like stock music for a car commercial. And finally, the album ends with ‘Ocean,’ which provides us with nothing more than a tacky chorus and some beach sound effects to close the record. After 37 minutes of mediocre indie rock, I couldn’t help but wonder: is that really it? That’s the whole album?

No longer do The Front Bottoms deliver interesting stories and imagery in their songs as they have in the past with tracks like ‘Lone Star’ or ‘Swimming Pool.’ And in place of those days, all we get are cliche guitar tones and sugary synth lines. Perhaps one day The Front Bottoms will find the right balance between the excellent songwriting of their early work and the desired sonic direction of 

. But until then, all we’re left with is a meager shell of what the band used to be.

The Front Bottoms release ‘Going Grey’

The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die


Isaac Shur