With haunting melodies and dark themes of death and sacrifice,  Hozier’s 

 promises an outstanding album and fall tour to come. Similar to early albums, the EP is filled with folk and soul-reminiscent melodies. In an interview with the 

, Hozier revealed the inspiration for his upcoming album: the 14th century epic 

. The songs included on the EP represent gluttony and heresy, only 2 of the 9 circles from the ancient epic.

The three songs, “Eat Your Young,” “All Things End,” and “Through Me (The Flood),” are packed with powerful lyrics that grow into ear worms. In the preliminary track, Hozier sings about gluttony and war. The name of the song, “Eat Your Young,” can also be interpreted as a euphemism since the term ‘swallowing kids’ refers to oral sex. Under a different interpretation, Hozier references the horrors of war and sacrifice. It can be assumed that he wrote the song reflecting upon everlasting wartime in countries around the world. As long as people can gain something from war, they’ll sacrifice innocent people. This thought is expressed in the line “skinnin the child for a wardrum. Putting food on the table selling bombs and guns.” This first song of the EP is the most intriguing.

The entire EP is sinister yet hopeful, recalling the loss of a partner or loved one in the second track, “All Things End.” Despite its melancholy name, Hozier makes an effort to point out that despite his morbid predictions, it is still necessary to begin again. In the final track “Through Me (The Flood),” Hozier compares his relationship with his partner to his relationship with the earth. He does not oppose his partner when they collide, they simply become one. He compares this to swimming in the ocean at the beginning of the song: once a wave hits him, he doesn’t drown, but instead moves with the wave. He finishes the song singing, “the world flows through me.” This song is a spectacular finish to the short tracklist because it offers resolution to the short story told in the three songs. He does not simply fall down and get back up, he falls down and becomes the earth.

 is an excellent showcase of Hozier’s talent and what’s to come from his new music. It is clear that Hozier’s loyal fanbase is also excited for the upcoming album – the tour was sold out within days of tickets going on sale. Although the release date for the full album has yet to be announced, fans can expect it to come out later this year (hopefully before the tour).

Hozier reflects on the perils of Dante’s Inferno in his hauntingly beautiful EP, Eat Your Young

Winkler is a local folk rock band composed of five members, Maddy Simpson, Justin Schaefers, Christian Schmidt, Ava Connaughton, and Alex Massey. The band uses a 4-track cassette player to record their music. They made their most recent album in their basement, prioritizing a lo fi sound over hi fi production equipment. The band released their debut eight-track long album on February 17th. WRBB’s Rachel Crowell met up with Justin Schaefers and Maddy Simpson from the band to discuss their influences, new album, and writing process.

This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.

Rachel Crowell: I’ve noticed that people group you into a myriad of genres. What genre do you identify with the most?

Justin: We often get called different genres such as surf rock, psychedelic rock, indie pop, indie rock, and bedroom rock. We had to nip the name “psychedelic rock” in the bud because it is not something we identify with. But if we had to define the genre, it would be folk rock.

Maddy: I work at an American folk music club and often contribute the folk sound to the group.

Justin: I am a bigger fan of, so I often bring it into the music. I am a low-key Beatles fan which is where some of my sound and influences come from. They are influenced by a myriad of music genres that are often hard to label.

Some people have said that you sound like the Electric Light Orchestra. What would you say to that opinion?

Justin: I agree that they influence our music.

by Neil Young when we recorded our album. We also liked Beach Fossils and Devendra Banhart.

Our bandmate Christian introduced us to Devendra Banhart. I’ve never been a big Vampire Weekend fan, but Maddy knows a lot of their music.

Maddy: Early music from Vampire Weekend is incredible, but their new music cannot compare. They are the epitome of surf rock. After they broke up, the writer left the band and the album that followed was bad. Two-part albums are not good. There was too much content that didn’t need to be released. Eight tracks is a good length for an album, that’s why I think that length of our album is perfect.

What’s your favorite song from the album?

Maddy: The song “Jellyfish” is my favorite. Christian and Justin worked on the song covertly, hiding it from us until the last minute.

Was the song inspired by actual jellyfish when you wrote and composed it?

Maddy: The song was not written with jellyfish in mind, but it does have an “underwater feel” that relates it to jellyfish. If I had to relate it to something I would say that it matches the Mario Kart course “Koopa Cape.” It starts above ground, goes underwater, and has an exciting ending.

Justin: My favorite song is “Wonderful Photography.” I struggled making every song sound the way I envisioned, but I wrote this song with a clear vision. It sounded the closest to what I wanted it to sound like. Our other songs often migrate away from our original vision for them.

Why do you choose to use lo-fi over hi-fi equipment?

Justin: We recorded the 2020 single, “Twin Snakes,” in a studio. We hated the way it sounded and we spent more time making it sound imperfect than we did recording it. We like a more stripped down sound, we don’t want it to sound perfect. We like the way that we can make lo-fi sound, especially because we don’t have the funds for expensive equipment that can create the same sound they want to produce. It would be amazing if we did. We often get our equipment secondhand and it’s surprising if it works. We record every song on a 4-track cassette player which is old technology that produces the sound we like.

I read a review from Atwood Magazine that Justin wrote “Call it Good Times” while throwing up from a burrito. Tell me more about the story behind that.

Justin: I ate questionable pork from a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. While I was hunched over the toilet, the song came to me. Instead of scrolling through social media, I decided to write. The main melody and bass lines went through my head as I wrote.

Call it everything I wish I said but never would

The main lesson I learned was ‘don’t eat questionable pork from a small restaurant.”

Who wrote the song “ I Can’t Skate?” I related to that song on another level – loved the idea and the dreaminess of it.

Justin: I wrote this song because I thought of a poem while I watched my girlfriend roller skate. I like to add lyrics to songs, and this one was purely instrumental at first. I decided to make the poem subtle and short in the song.

you see, I’m so tired of standing behind

Maddy: We like to color-coordinate together so we’ve been wearing blue for every performance following the album’s release. Ava, Justin, and Maddy often are on board but Christian doesn’t like to coordinate with the group. He owns a lot of blue but he still changes into green when he sees us wearing blue.

Justin: I chose the album art. We had a few ideas for the cover, one image displayed a toy cat next to a glass of water. The image we chose is actually a video game rendition image of our old house. We recorded 99% of the album in that house. It was sound proof and really perfect for making the music. We made a small portion of the finished album in our new house because it took Christian and I a while to finish the song, “Jellyfish.” We were just vibing with the theme, so incorporating blue in the album fits with ocean-themed songs like “Drunk Surfers” and “Jellyfish.”

Maddy + Justin: Devendra Banhart, Alice Phoebe Lou, and Cate Le Bon are very inspirational to our music and we would love to collaborate with them. They also have the equipment and sound that we need to make our music sound the way we like.

Tell me more about Devendra Banhart — what kind of music does he make?

Maddy: This is actually something that we disagree on a lot. I think that his music is probably more like psychedelic folk.

Maddy + Justin: We’ll probably lean into more rock music in the future. We often edit our music in live performances and test out different versions of our unreleased songs. With every live performance we’ll develop more music. We don’t even know what it will end up like but it is often inspired by our recent listening as you can tell from 

Winkler is excited to perform on April 15th on Tufts campus for Palestine Solidarity and on April 20th in Somerville with Nellie, Fetch Tiger, and Vern Matz! You can find more details on their 

 or by following their instagram @winkler.mp4. Go stream their new album, 

Q&A: Winkler talk their debut, current inspirations and future projects

 is an ambitious album packed with sinister lyrics and beautifully sung melodies. SZA wrote her sophomore album following a broken engagement and spoke about it in an interview with Hot 97. In the interview, she revealed that the song, “Nobody Gets Me” is about feelings of loneliness post-breakup. The artist shows an adventurous side of her music taste contrasting debut album, 

 The St. Louis artist ventures away from her typical R&B sound towards rock, hip hop, and neo soul in several tracks throughout the album. “F2F” stands starkly against the soulful melodies on the rest of the album. Written with the help of pop artist Lizzo, SZA decided to break away from her typical lofi beats with chords from an angry electric guitar

Although fans compare the song to Hannah Montana content, it shows just how fearless SZA is as a solo artist. The album is her longest release yet following her 2017 project, 

 feels more like a deluxe version, composed of 23 songs. In an interview with 

, SZA talked about her thoughts surrounding the arrangement of the album saying, “OK, this is who I’ve been for the last five years. And I don’t know if it makes any sense or if it goes together, but this is what’s hot.” The album is truly ‘hot,’ sitting at the top of the charts one month after its release.

 builds on themes from her first release, 

 Feelings of insecurity and low self-esteem are prominent in songs such as “Love Language,” “Special,” “Blind,” and “Snooze.” She cleverly masks songs about toxicity and deception with crooning melodies, tricking the listener into thinking that SZA’s lyrics are about love. She desires external validation so much that she craves toxic relationships, talking about “mobbin’, schemin’, lottin’, and hidin’” bodies for her partner in “Snooze.” She neglects healthy love and instead desires a toxic relationship. Interestingly, a lot of the tracks on 

 are masked with self-empowerment when they are truly about how SZA doesn’t know how to feel self-worth without a partner’s validation. As the album progresses, she struggles to find internal validation in songs like “Ghost in the Machine,” “Conceited,” and “Far.” 

 rarely boasts self-improvement, instead serving as a cry for help in line with the album’s title. She flits and flutters between feelings of revenge and hopeless insecurity. Although the trigger of SZA’s anger is unknown, “Kill Bill,” “Seek and Destroy,” and “Shirt” are the most ruthless songs on the album. Thematically, they fit together and show SZA’s out for blood. The hit “Kill Bill” mimics the plot of Tarantino film, 

, which is based on martial arts films and includes anime sequences. SZA has paid homage to these movie genres before in previous music videos like “Doves in the Wind.” Action-packed visuals fill the songs “Kill Bill” and “Seek and Destroy,” and “Low.”As the album progresses, she shifts from feelings of aggression and reveals that she feels broken and lonely without her partner in songs like “Far,” “Special,” and “Nobody Gets Me.”

Although every song on the album is well-crafted and sung angelically, the end of the album feels like an afterthought. While 

s narrative was led by the voice of SZA’s mother, 

 lacks the same narrative focus. After the eighteenth track “Far,” the album narrative is lost. “Shirt,” a song about revenge and violence would fit perfectly with songs like “Kill Bill,” and “Seek and Destroy.” Unfortunately, instead of placing the song higher in the tracklist, SZA placed it between “Far” and “Open Arms,” two songs where she sings about distancing herself from toxic relationships. 

 still manages to showcase SZA’s talent and growth as a performer. The artist’s sophomore album is sure to leave a lasting impact on the music from 2022 and satisfy fans’ craving for new music after almost 6 years of waiting. I look forward to what SZA releases in the future. Surprisingly, she revealed to the 

 that she has a few more unreleased rock songs that might come out of the vaults in the future. 

 is an extraordinary exploration of SZA’s twisted psyche and displays her profound talent for creating truly unique music. 

SZA knocks it out of the park with S.O.S.

After a four-year hiatus, Smino is back with his third studio album, 

 Released on October 28th, Smino describes the record as a concept album.It is a triumph of trippy flows and high quality production. Throughout the tracks, Smino covers themes of romantic, self and familial love. This conceptual theme creates a depth in his work that, when combined with his comedic rhymes, captivates the listener. His delivery makes it even better: Smino is constantly dropping funny lines and referencing pop culture. Some of the most notable references he makes are in the songs “Blu Billy” and “Ole Ass Kendrick.” The St. Louis rapper even bridges genres on his album, moving away from hip hop toward R&B. Songs like “Modennaminute ” with Lucky Daye and Phoelix and “Lee and Lovie” with Reggie dive deep into slowed down rhythm and blues. The intricate production on every track puts listeners in a trance – it is hard to stop listening to this album.

Produced by Groove, DJ Dahi, Childish Major, and Monte Booker, the album is full of complex beats that take the listeners into another dimension. 

is the first album where Smino incorporates sampling. “No L’s” opens with a soundbite from the song “Knock Knock” by 90’s R&B icon, Monica. Additionally, in “Pro Freak,” Childish Major sampled a clip from a viral video where a lady says “Adjust your crown.” This expert use of sampling lends to the theme of self-love that Smino delivers throughout his music. In an interview with 

, Smino revealed that his friends started to make fun of him for his album covers because there’s always someone doing his hair on the cover. With this in mind, he decided to show himself fixing his hair with other people doing the same behind him. He claims that he wanted to show that he is taking care of himself and influencing others to do the same. This hair motif is carried throughout the album, where Smino talks about adjusting his crown and greasing his scalp. His profound self-love is remarkable throughout the album – although he occasionally mentions familial and romantic love, self-love stands out the most.

Smino gets more help from an eclectic group of artists in his third studio album. J.Cole, Doechii, Phoelix, Lucky Daye, Ravyn Lenae, and Fatman Scoop fit perfectly with Smino’s modulated voice throughout the album. In “Pro Freak,” for example, Doechii delivers deadly couplet rhymes over a beat created by Childish Major, Phoelix, Monte Booker, and DJ Dahi. On his own, Smino lends clever, comedic one-liners into his flows. “Blu Billy” makes a lot of references to popular culture. Lines like “We F’in to Lloyd Mayweather,” “Hate it when it rain, Missy E” and “Eat her with a spoon, call her Reese.” The name of the song is based on a historic man known as 

 a former convict in Australia famous for his wit and charisma. Smino seems to compare himself to Blu Billy in the song, claiming to be a hustler who knows everyone and gets everything that he wants.

Smino uses the same recipe to create his rhymes and themes in all the tracks, which gets repetitive at times. Most of the songs are about smoking weed and being successful in his career. It would’ve been interesting to hear about something other than fucking bitches and smoking weed, but to be fair, he is very good at rapping about those. If he had alluded to weed as a segway to reveal emotions or deeper themes, it could add some more depth to the album. He attempts to do this at the end of the album in “Defibrillator” and “Lee and Lovie.” The former song touches on how his family, which he loves and prioritizes, is proud of him for making it big in the music industry. “Lee Lovie” is about how Smino found love with a woman, finally finding a place where he wants to settle and stop paying rent. He raps that he wants to “stay a tenant if you’ve got room / (for the rest of my life).” Overall, Smino displays all of his strengths in 

. It’s a captivating album that will hold listeners’ attention all the way through.

Smino’s in his groove on "Luv 4 Rent"

MSFTS Music and Roc Nation · October 7, 2022

Willow releases her inhibitions and her screams. With help from co-producers Chris Riati and Yves Tumor, Willow perfects her new sound on the punk-rock project. Filled with shoegaze-y guitar and angry vocals, this album is great for people who need to SCREAM. If you expect to hear Willow’s dreamy, psychedelic alternative R&B-era, this album was not made for you. Although it’s different from her other projects, this album helps fans understand that Willow is an unpredictable force. She fills every track on the album with anger and resentment towards herself and past partners. was released two weeks after its promised date, leaving a lot of fans impatient to hear her new project. She’s been hinting at a punk album since the release of 

, and it looks like she’s not going back to her dreamy melodies anytime soon. Willow has described her new album as a way for her to “express dark emotions to get towards the light.” Although she typically stays in the realm of pop, she has claimed in an 

 that she wanted the album to be rock at its core and surface.

Willow bounces between crooning melodies and deafening screams throughout , mostly singing about internal and external feelings of blame. Kicking off the project with “ it’s my fault,” she introduces the listener to her inner dialogue — she needs to self-reflect when she reminisces about her ex-partners, because it might be her fault. Willow carries this narrative throughout the project, switching between singing about hating herself and hating her partner for leaving her. Raging pain is expressed through screeching vocals in the song “Perfectly Not Close to Me” with co-producer Yves Tumor. She stumbles through songs, often hating both her partner and herself for letting them hurt her. In heartbreak, she feels lost. She sings, “I’m stuck to the ceiling, barely feeling – all my control is gone.” With loss comes loneliness. In “curious/furious,” she sings about “Walking through a darkened forest, goin’ home / I feel alone.” Willow’s range and chameleonic artistry is revealed throughout , while still managing to sound mature in her angsty vocals and lyrics. The album might not be for everyone, but Willow executed the album in a tragically beautiful manner. tells a story of catharsis: Willow is not afraid to show people she’s growing and changing. This album can help people who struggle with the same rage and loneliness find comfort that Willow is just like them, dealing with the same emotions. Hopefully, fans that follow her career can experience the darkness in this new album and find light in her future projects.

Willow pivots towards angry punk rock in her latest release

 is an excellent representation of the melting pot that is their discography. For this release, they teamed up with Malian artist Vieux Farka Touré. According to an article published by the 

, the Malian artist recruited Khruangbin for his new album without any prior knowledge of their work, but the band is a huge fan of Touré and his late father, Ali Farka Touré, who is considered a legend in Mali. Touré also gained recognition in the United States for earning three Grammy awards between 1995 and 2011. With the help of Khruangbin, Vieux Farka Touré re-recorded his late father’s music. To enhance the authenticity of Khruangbin’s sound, the Malian artist did not reveal what song the band was playing until they were cutting the tracks and adding vocals — so they improvised all eight tracks in one week, during back-to-back sessions.

The band Khruangbin formed because of their love for international music. Although the members are from Texas, they do not rely on country or folk music to define their sound. The name 

 translates to “airplane” in Thai, and they would describe their sound as Thai funk — though most critics often throw on other labels like soul, surf rock, psychedelic, rock, dub and funk, or even electronic. Yet the trio always honor their namesake, blending music from international roots to create immaculately interwoven soundscapes. For example, past projects like 

saw the band combine completely different genres like Iranian rock and Thai funk into cohesive, aesthetic records.

It’s no surprise, then, that Vieux Farka Touré’s and Khruangbin’s sounds meld together beautifully in every track on the album. Touré’s typically slow and melodic rhythm is sped up with the help of Khruangbin’s groovy psychedelic sounds. It’s clear that the band is following Touré’s lead, because he provides the majority of the vocals on the album. Most of the lyrics are also sung in French, the national language of Mali. Listeners can research the meaning of the songs, but 

’s production quality and echoing vocals transcend the need for translations to appreciate the music. The opening song “Savane” is a mellow track, gently guiding the listener into the album’s Saharan soundscape. This song pays homage to Ali Farka Touré’s patriotism, protesting Western intervention on Mali’s domestic affairs. Khruangbin lays down a crisp beat to pair with Vieux’s smooth, melodic vocals.

The rest of the album dives deeper into Touré’s Malian roots. “Tongo Barra” is sung in the 

 dialect. The song begins with Texan riffs that guitarist Mark Speer plucks on strings, leading into Farka Touré’s arpeggio vocals, which sound like a chant. The song encourages the listener to join the artists on their mission to commemorate Ali Farka Touré. Despite its length, the track flies by with the rich combination of chants and funky guitar, and flows seamlessly into the next song. In fact, all the transitions in the album are skillful: a twangy Texan guitar embedded into every song greets the listener at the premier note, and then wishes them farewell on the last strum of the guitar.

The album’s pacing and length are masterfully executed; Touré clearly put a lot of thought into the songs that he chose to add to the album. Although Khruangbin expressed their desire to focus on commemorating Ali Farka Touré, it would be refreshing to hear more of their vocals in the tracks. The band has proven that they are capable of recording in various languages, as they have shown in songs like “Pelota” and “Connaissais de Face” from their third studio album, 

The Texan trio’s vocals could’ve breathed life into stale air in songs like “Mahine Me” or “Ali Hala Abada.” The record is rich and melodic, but some of the songs could benefit from a wider range of vocals. Despite language differences, listeners from both Africa and the U.S. can feel the history and grit that 

 holds in every note. This tribute project beautifully depicts Vieux Farka Touré’s dedication to respecting his father’s legacy, but no one could have predicted the product of Malian and Texan music would be so sonorous and groovy. 

leaves listeners to wonder which part of the world Khruangbin will bring to their ears in their next project, and although no one can predict where its roots will lie, they can be sure that it will be crafted beautifully.

Khruangbin teams up with Vieux Farka Touré on the groovy "Ali"

The song “En Olvido” references his upbringing as a first-generation Mexican American. He sings the ballad beautifully with an acoustic guitar, tracing back to his roots in Mexican folk ballet. “Tamagotchi” is “En Olvido”’s edgy opposite. Apollo slips between rapping in English and Spanish like a bilingual god throughout the song. The song’s production and construction were built to ring in people’s ears, after they listened to it for the hundredth time on their best speakers. “Tamagotchi” represents Apollo’s unapologetically bold, extroverted and bougie side. There is no question that the song is irresistibly sexy, making the listener feel prepared to approach the next handsome stranger they see in the club. He sings about being a person to desire, singing “I want your body, you want me, too / I see you coming, I come for you.”

Another fast-tempo song, “No Good Reason,” has a poppy soundscape similar to hits from the early 2000s. It is short but sweet, and shows Apollo’s ability to expertly maneuver through offbeat melodies. Similar to one of his musical influences, Prince, Apollo remains in a high register throughout the chorus of the song, singing over a bubbly, uptempo beat. Lastly, the final song in the album,“Mr. Neighbor,” is the most experimental. Starting with a loud cry, Apollo refrains from making the song too melodic. Like other indie artists like Dijon and Bon Iver, Apollo exhibits pure emotions throughout the entire song, rather than just focusing on the melody.

Apollo expresses his identity throughout the entire project, describing his experiences with love and heartbreak while switching between native tongues. He sensually describes his relationships with other men in every song on the album. He further represents the B in LGBTQ by adding to the complex story of his lover leaving him for a woman in “Evergreen.” He expresses his feelings of rejection by saying, “Was there something wrong with my body?” This presentation of situations invites the listener into Apollo’s flexible understanding of love and relationships. The album’s ebb and flow from bubbly and upbeat to slow and dreamy is well constructed and deliberate. Apollo worked late nights and long weeks on the album, creating an excellent piece of experimental art. 

leaves people wondering what else Apollo will come up with as he grows and matures.

Omar Apollo is eclectic and thrilling on "Ivory"

 by up-and-coming artist Dreamer Isioma is a beautiful depiction of confidence and vulnerability from the queer perspective. Despite being an amateur artist, Dreamer expertly modulates their voice to sound completely melodic and androgynous. Their ariose voice takes the album through a daydream full of fantasies. Songs like “StayUp!” and “Time is Temporary” guide listeners through Dreamer’s unconscious mind. They also expertly construct every song to feel homogeneous throughout the album. Dreamer sings like a scratched record, stuttering “S-s-s-s-sunset drive” in the song “Sunset Drive,” and “C-c-c-cold” in “Really, Really,” making the album play like a vinyl seamlessly spinning circles between songs. Dreamer further changes the tone of their voice throughout the album’s narrative songs like “Crying in the Club” and “Time is Temporary.”

Dreamer shows great pride in their gender expression, both in life and throughout the album. They consistently document their journey with gender expression on their Instagram and thank their fans for their endless support. In one post from January 31, Dreamer thanked their fans, writing, “whether you just discovered me now or been rockin with me since I had long twists, THANK YOU.” This appreciation does not go unnoticed, because it shows that they know that their fans have also seen them toy with their gender identity since their first single released in 2019. In their album, they modulate the tone of their voice to beautifully slip between being melodic and feminine and at other times, rough and masculine. In a post on November 26th, they documented that they felt extreme “gender euphoria” after having a masculinizing chest surgery. After this moment, Dreamer transcended binary gender norms to become a confident nonbinary human free from the shackles of gender roles.

Dreamer does not dwell on those struggles throughout 

Instead, they focus on bragging about getting money and bitches on songs like “Really, Really,” “I’m So Done With You,” “Sunset Drive,” and “HUH?” They boast that people are jealous of them for being “young, black, and famous” and they “will not stop with this gay sh-t,” rather than dwelling on hateful judgement from onlookers. Dreamer dives deeper into their insecurities and past relationships as the album carries on into more melodious soundscapes. Instead of being the picture of power that they paint in “Sunset Drive,” they reveal that they can let their guard down and get hurt as the album’s narrative develops through “Bad Ting,” “Voulez–Vous Me To…,” and “Crying in the Club.” Dreamer rolls into more personal parts of their conscious mind and reveals that they know they were “a really bad guy” in the past, but it was because they were going through “a really bad time.” The album progressively meditates on love and discovering true feelings beyond the initial taste of lust that is felt at the beginning of a relationship in the song, “StayUp!” Each partner feels as though the person they just met will disappear like a handful of sand in the wind. “Goodnight Dreamer” beautifully illustrates how as a relationship evolves, they begin to see their partner as a rock in their life that could hurt them if they left. This evolution is beautifully executed, and it pulls the listeners into a new dimension of Dreamer’s artistic vision. In this piece, Dreamer’s energy and confidence tones down, like they’re getting ready to rest their head on a pillow with their lover.

This debut album by Dreamer Isioma is an intriguingly beautiful commentary on love and sexuality. Dreamer could dive deeper into their construction of the album by adding interludes to add new textures to their flowing soundscape. Despite this detail, Dreamer’s fresh androgynous musical style is sure to impress current and future fans.

On "Goodnight Dreamer", Dreamer Isioma is chameleonic

is an honest reflection on the topics of fame and family values. The sonic landscape that Saba creates with 

is very smooth, peaceful, and nostalgic. Saba released a 

 shot in his hometown Chicago five days after the album’s release, which was a beautiful ode to his roots and showcased his close family and friends. The entire album flows smoothly from beginning to end, without ever boring the listener.

Although Saba does an excellent job of modulating his voice in different ways throughout the album, his smooth melodic songs definitely play into his strengths as an artist. Some songs, like “Survivor’s Guilt” and “If I Had a Dollar,” are delivered in a more harsh, Kendrick Lamar-style, but are delivered with the same emotion that Lamar brings to his music. Saba’s emotion is better heard through his smoother songs like “Fearmonger” or “Come My Way” with rapper Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. His flow blended perfectly with Bone in the fifth song on the album, leaving listeners wanting more. Saba’s lyrics throughout the album are packed with beautiful imagery and carefully chosen allusions. The allusions to other artists like Kendrick Lamar, Erykah Badu, Hall & Oates, and Kid Cudi help listeners relate to Saba as a consumer rather than a creator, giving them some common ground.

Part of the nostalgic feel of the album is the use of strings in every song. Oftentimes in movies and TV shows, plucked violin strings are played whenever a character is falling back into a flashback. The strings in the album are calming and reaffirm the nostalgia of the album. Like Kendrick Lamar and SZA, he takes voice memos from family members and disperses them at the end of songs like “Still,” “Few Good Things,” and at the beginning of “Make Believe.” These voice memos help the album feel more personal, like Saba is showing fans a voicemail that he received from his mom the other day. The album’s short film further cemented this familial feeling; during the video, the camera often pans over scrapbook photos of family reunions filled with cousins, aunts, and uncles.

Saba often uses music to meditate on life. In his previous album, 

he mourned the death of his cousin and family members that were locked up in jail. 

 reminisces on the good times that he had in his grandma’s house, before he earned millions making music. It seems like nothing is easy, whether he’s rich or poor. In the beginning of the album, he raps about growing from rags in Chicago to living in riches in California. He continues in “Survivor’s Guilt,” describing how the fear of imminent poverty and death wears on his psyche. As he progresses through the album, he combats imposter syndrome in “Stop That.” Despite coming from poor beginnings, he is grateful for his family’s hard work, getting him where he is today.

The album is an excellent, honest reflection of Saba’s feelings towards his fame and family. His melodic sound sets him apart from peers like Smino and idols like Kendrick Lamar. Although Saba still lacks notoriety, it seems like he is content with the fame that he has gained and wants to focus on making music that is personal to him. He still has some work to do to make his music more universal for alternative hip-hop fans, but it is sure to touch listeners that struggle with the same hurdles he has to jump over. This authenticity makes Saba an artist that listeners should look out for in the future.

Saba meditates on family and hometown roots on "Few Good Things"

Aftermath / Atlantic · November 12, 2021


After much anticipation, Silk Sonic’s debut album 

 is a funny and sexy blast into the past, bound to make any listener want to go out and dance underneath a glimmering disco ball. Performed by Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, and Bootsy Collins, this album is a future classic sure to be featured on fans’ baby-maker, ‘70s nostalgia, or mood booster playlists. It successfully uses retro bass and synthesizers to create vintage music that still feels fresh and exciting. Every song fits perfectly into the album’s style and Silk Sonic’s themes of luxury and infatuation.

Pop star Mars, R&B singer .Paak, and funk icon Collins blend together beautifully on this project. The groupcame out with their first single “Leave the Door Open” about seven months ago, leaving millions of fans to wonder when the album will be released. It took over radio and social media, hitting number one on the charts the week of April 17 and once again in May. Unlike Anderson .Paak’s previous works 

the album isn’t politically driven or introspective

Instead, the collaboration with Mars’ household name served as an excellent vessel for .Paak to gain more recognition in the music industry and on social media platforms like TikTok, giving him the opportunity to share his more meaningful work with a larger audience. .Paak’s verse on “Smokin out the Window” was catchy enough to become a viral soundbite: Influencers on TikTok dance to .Paak singing “not to be dramatic but I want to die / this bitch got me paying her rent…” in their outfits as fly as Silk Sonic.

Although the album gave .Paak a platform to stand on, Mars has gotten the most credit as the frontman of the project. The record fits well with the theme of Mars’ most recent project 

released in 2016. Songs like “Straight Up & Down” and “Calling All My Lovelies” are extremely similar to “Leave the Door Open” and “After Last Night” in their smooth, sexy, seventies-esque melodies. Although Mars appears as the main frontman of the trio and his style is best reflected in the album, the three artists share the spotlight well.

Despite his seniority in the industry, Bootsy Collins fits in seamlessly alongside .Paak and Mars, with funky ad libs and instrumentation on the bass. Although it might seem strange for a seasoned veteran known for his funky bass to be part of a trio with two 30-year-olds, Collins has experience working with other young artists less established than Bruno Mars. In 2018 he created a song with long-time musical partners, Kali Uchis and Tyler, the Creator called “After the Storm.” He had a similar role, playing bass and performing ad libs to add groove alongside Uchis’ dreamy vocals. On

, fellow bassist Thundercat joins Collins on “After Last Night” to produce arguably the project’s best track. The two bassists nail the melodies while Collins adds creative commentary at the beginning. Serving as the incredible host that he is, he introduces the track with the catchy line, “normally I don’t stutter, but you d-d-d-d-d-do it to me,” becoming a main character supported by his trusty back up singers, .Paak and Mars. Since the song dramatically stands out from the rest of the album, hearing more tracks where Collins takes control of the vocals would have been intriguing, but alas. On Spotify, Collins’ name is left out of most of the songs on the tracklist except for his featured song, “After Last Night.”

Although the album is extremely cohesive and masterfully constructed, it is not conceptually complex. The trio focuses on the glamour of casinos, roller rinks, discos, and water beds of the seventies rather than the more troubling topics that plagued society fifty years ago, like racism, sexism, and homophobia. Despite the lack of the depth, the album delivers what was expected: An infatuating and nostalgic piece of the art. Bruno Mars proved that he can still deliver addictive melodies to the masses after a five-year hiatus. He also built a platform for .Paak to show off his rap, funk, and R&B skills and let loose on more casual material. Collins also made his impact on a huge project like this by creating the name and serving as host. The album is bound to leave an impression on all of its listeners, letting jaded Baby Boomers feel young again and inspiring Gen Z-ers to thrift silk shirts and oversized studded sunglasses.


Silk Sonic’s debut album is a sexy blast from the past

, gestures as an extension of a hug to the general public, filled with hope and comfort in the midst of a painful pandemic. Acting as an ode to retro blues, gospel music, R&B, rock, and psychedelic music, the album contains beautiful imagery and powerful verses. Its shortcoming, however, lies in its lack of songs that especially stick out or capture a listener’s attention. One exception is the song “Hopeful,” which exemplifies Harding’s passion for poetry and hip-hop. Harding’s use of gospel choirs in songs like “Hopeful” and “The One” can be traced to his childhood attending religious services with his mother in Atlanta. The album, however, does not appear to follow a specific storyline around a single relationship to God or a partner as one would expect. Instead, it is a bouquet of songs filled with feelings of excitement, perseverance, and loneliness collected in the two years that it took to produce the album.

The carefully crafted soundscape is what first comes to the listener’s attention when they experience 

. Harding incorporates live instruments like trumpets, percussion, bass, and electric guitar into almost every song produced on the album. Like with a jazz ensemble, he takes the time to break for guitar, trumpet, and drum solos in “If Words Were Flowers,” “Can’t Hide It,” “Where’s the Love,” and “Forever More.” The careful composition of each song makes the entire album accessible to a wide variety of audiences. Similar to artists like Durand/Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, and Leon Bridges, Harding presents his listener with ‘60s/’70s-style music produced in the 21st century. Almost any generation of listener could listen and relate to the content of Harding’s songs.

Harding could push his career in music even further by breaking more boundaries in music rather than collecting styles from different musical influences and creating beautiful sounds and poetry with it. Harding has the potential to challenge the sound of old-school soul and contemporary R&B by breaking the expectation for the way that they should sound. He attempts to do this in “So Low,” where he utilizes a voice modulator, galactic soundbites, and an airy flute to form the song’s composition, but he could go even further by incorporating new sounds into more of his music. Overall, while his use of poetic imagery and repetition in 

 is beautifully executed, Harding needs to surprise listeners with his music if he wants to attract a larger audience.


Curtis Harding’s latest release is beautifully executed, but plays it safe

produced and performed by Helado Negro, is a beautiful tribute to loved ones and nature. Each song paints vivid imagery with descriptions of colors, textures, and cosmic symbols. The 41-year old artist, born Roberto Carlos Lange, wrote most of the album’s songs in Marfa, Texas, during the pandemic. He took heavy inspiration from the flourishing art scene in the town and the beautiful nature, according to a 

. If the listener closes their eyes while listening to songs like “There Must Be a Song Like You,” “Aureole,” “Agosto,” “Wind Conversations,” “Thank You Forever,” and “Mirror Talk,” they are transported into Marfa, Texas, where they can see and feel the warm glow of light coming from the sky and the breeze blowing through their hair. Beyond setting up amazing imagery for listeners to imagine and view in his music videos, he also produces a groovy, trance-like soundscape that is composed to be at the forefront of his songs, unlike in previous albums. In the interview with Pitchfork

Lange discusses focusing more on a clear beat that grabs the attention of the audience rather than having his vocals stand out in the songs. This choice truly asserts Lange’s proficiency in creating soundscapes and sticking to his own unique style as an artist.

Lange creates a new world in his album, pulling the listener into the workings of his mind. It seems like he is coming in and out of a dream-like trance throughout the album by using chimes and a soft gong to create a subconscious soundscape. Described as meditative sonic art installations, Lange refers to nature and art in his music from a different perspective with groovy bass and drums. These soundwaves bring images of soft light shining through purple and brown, just like the cover art of 

. His artistic genius shines through in every song, conjuring images of shapes, colors, and textures solely by his use of sound. He seamlessly eases the listener into his beautiful imagination from the start of the album with “Wake Up Tomorrow,” and gets the listener addicted, not wanting to leave the paradise that Lange creates with his words and instrumentation. A perfect example of Lange’s use of sounds and poetry in the album is in the track titled “Wind Conversations.” This song has a dream-like quality depicting the end of a relationship that is full of “blissed out” kisses. Though beautiful, this song has a melancholy feeling. Lange elicits the image of “old dust [that] forms our shape through time.” It seems that his memories of the relationship will never fade away – even though their bond dissipated into dust, his memory will keep its shape like the wind.

This is an amazing album to listen to and reflect on the soft beauty of art and nature. Helado Negro created an extremely strong and sophisticated piece of artwork, and he deserves high praise for it.


Helado Negro’s genius shines through on "Far In"

has the energy of a carnival and the narrative of a villain origin story. Despite at first appearing as a chaotic mix of crazy drum beats like most of her other songs, the album dives deep into addiction and toxic relationships. Along with a handful of Wolf’s previous hit singles like “Disco Man,” “Photo ID,” and “Liz,” the newly released songs are refreshing and emotional. Her new songs are still colorful and quirky like the entirety of Wolf’s discography. Unlike her other hits, she takes a lot of risks by revealing darker sides of her life and personality through electrically vibrant music.

In interviews prior to the album’s release, Wolf confessed to going to rehab for her alcohol addiction. Wolf mentions drinking alcohol consistently throughout the whole album, likely hinting at the fact that she was using it as a crutch to get through the struggles of adulthood. She begins the story of her poisonous relationship that makes her feel insane in the song “Quiet on Set.” She starts the narrative of 

 speaking about struggling while “everything’s shut down” during the pandemic and later starts to sing about a partner. Her analogies are unorthodox but genius. “Buttermilk ” is a perfect example, describing the highs and lows of her relationship like buttermilk, which is good for a short period of time and then quickly turns sour. Taking the narrative even further, she paints herself as the “sexy villain” that her partner turned her into, singing “I can move to Pasadena just to be your serial killer.” It seems like she fully acknowledges that the relationship she is in brings out the worst in her, but she is dependent on her partner. This introspection makes the album an interesting study of Wolf’s inner psyche where she explores her strengths and weaknesses but admits that she does not have the strength to change and help herself.

The tone of the album was set by Wolf and Solomonophonic, who co-produced almost every song of the album. It has a homogeneous sound packed with catchy phrases in every chorus, but despite it’s juvenile appearance and sound, the lyrics are extremely introspective. This style reflects Wolf’s personality that she displayed in an interview with The New York Times where she described her struggle to change and grow into an adult. The way she manipulates sound to fit her personality and bends genres is surprisingly professional. Her style doesn’t fit into the usual mind-numbing electric pop that people hear on the radio and although her voice carries the grit of rock, it’s still too synthesized to qualify. 

 is more of a rock-funk-pop mix, revealing her complexities as a producer and a singer.

Although every song sounds alike, each one is complex and reflects Wolf’s personality. In future albums she has the potential to diversify her sound and create more highs and lows instead of hiding her struggles behind electric beats and melodies. 

leaves more room for Wolf to grow as both a person and a figure in the music industry. Don’t be fooled by her colorfully eclectic appearance – Remi Wolf has a lot to bring to the table.


Remi Wolf isn’t afraid to take risks on vibrant debut "Juno"

RCA / Question Everything · April 9, 2021

, is an exciting release from the Southern “boy band.” While the group typically releases disjointed albums that feel unfinished, this album comes as an exception thanks to its cohesiveness and powerful storyline. The album’s narrative is centered around criticism of the justice system and the loss of family members. Vocalist Joba lost his father in September, while his bandmate Kevin Abstract struggles with the absence of his mom since coming out to her; other group members reflect on their incarcerated family members and dead cousins. Despite this major melancholic theme, the producers still managed to create a diverse soundscape in every song and maintain the inclusion of upbeat tracks. 

As usual, BROCKHAMPTON address systemic injustices in America, particularly in regards to police brutality and the corrupt justice system. Lyrics like “a platinum record not gonna keep my black ass out of jail,” “all of these bars bought chains, prison industries,” and “history stuck on repeat in the loop of sirens,” come from frustration with the years of discrimination and incarceration that Black people face at traffic stops and in trials for petty drug crimes. This content is extremely relevant since the album was written and produced throughout the 2020 pandemic, as Black Lives Matter protestors made their voices heard on the subject. The contribution that each band member offers in verses on “BUZZCUT,” “CHAIN ON,” “WINDOWS,” “WHEN I BALL,” and “DON’T SHOOT UP THE PARTY” make the message against police brutality in the album cohesive and impactful. Each verse goes beyond just saying “fuck the police.” In “WHEN I BALL,” group member Dom McLellan talks about not understanding why his uncles were continually sent to jail, making him answer phone calls from correctional facilities to talk to his family. Joba reflects on the depressing cycle of arrests in “WINDOWS,” rapping that “history stuck on repeat in the loop of sirens.” Since the group is composed of mostly Black members, BROCKHAMPTON brilliantly and effectively tell a broad story of racial inequality in every song on the album, adding to their astounding cohesion as a group.

Another main theme of the album is the loss of family members. This theme specifically raises the question of whether or not God is active in everyday life, especially when people are struggling. Although this is a consistent theme in the album, it does not become important until “THE LIGHT” and the last two songs, “DEAR LORD” and “THE LIGHT PT. II.” Each member brings their own perspective on what the “light” or God means to them, but Joba pointedly describes the pain of losing his father, and finishes the album speaking about how he felt like he lost his own happiness with the burden of his father’s death. Kevin Abstract compares his experience with religion in the last song with his struggle to convince his religious mother that he is gay and he cannot change that. Religion and death are two themes that every listener can relate to, since they are a part of the human condition and nature. Even if BROCKHAMPTON’s listeners are not religious themselves, they could relate with struggling to find God when they are grieving the loss of a family member, or, if they are gay, with Abstract’s broken relationship with his conservative mother. Although the topics of death and religion are highly relatable, Abstract and Joba do an excellent job of making the topics intimate and relevant to their own lives, which should be the goal of every artist who wants to build a strong fan base and make meaningful music.

The task of making a cohesive collection work with 13 contributing group members along with additional features seems daunting, but BROCKHAMPTON managed to top all of their past, incoherent albums with a beautifully inspired storyline in their sixth studio album. They successfully incorporate a complex yet organized storyline, and each member tears apart flaws in the justice system and opens up about their own insecurities in every track. It seems like the group matured in their ability to create unique art with a purpose in 

BROCKHAMPTON deliver a cohesive commentary on ‘ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE’

, the first studio album featuring UK grime rappers Frisco, Jme, Shorty, and Capo Lee, is a strong representation of North London. The entire album packs a punch, bragging about the featured rappers’ fame and commenting on the British justice system. This piece of work is very similar to other rap groups’ collaborations, except every artist gets equal time throughout the short album. The group’s strength lies in their equal distribution of verses and socially conscious lyrics. Although there was no one leader who received more verses, Frisco’s style really shines through with clever rhymes and catchy hooks. He talks about tampons and Kinder eggs in his opening verses on the album and it flows smoothly. The weakest performance on the album is from Capo Lee – although grime rap is known for electronic soundscapes, he takes it too far, mostly rapping in choppy verses about video games and being on his phone.

The album alternates between individual rappers’ verses and group projects. The strongest songs include “Freezing,” “Baitest Sound,” “Frisco’s Pattern,” and “More.” In every song, the UK rappers brag about how successful they are in the grime scene, and how if you don’t know what grime is then you’re not on their level. They fully represent North London, but it is obvious that they plan to rule the grime scene. In the past, South London grime rappers have dominated the genre, but Frisco, Jme, Shorty, and Capo Lee are claiming the crown. Although the four artists want to gain recognition in the grime scene, it’s also important to recognize the nuances between American hip-hop and UK grime. Both can be braggadocious and describe the not-so-glamorous urban culture, but grime often displays different rhyme patterns and an electric beat since it stems from the garage and jungle music that was used at parties. Hip-hop producers normally mix samples and revamp to fit the current soundscape in popular music, such as 808 drum beats. An especially unique and remarkable feature that the Norf Face group adds to their lyrics is that they do not talk about their sexual “conquests” like some other American and UK rappers do. Frisco condemns men stalking women that are not interested in them and takes pride in getting girls that are interested in him, calling other guys’ actions perverted. Although this is a minor detail that they include in the song “Frisco’s Pattern,” it is just one example of how Frisco’s lyricism shines through the most in this collaboration, despite Norf Face demonstrating that the four rappers are equally able to hold the crown.

Frisco’s voice mixes well with the electronic beats that the producers lay down in every track. On his track, he modulates his voice to match up to the pattern in the beat of the song. This makes his rhyme flow better than other rappers’ “patterns,” like Capo Lee’s. Capo lacks the variation in his voice and instead emphasizes words in his flow, making it feel choppy. Frisco also raps in a socially conscious way and uses lyrics that relate better with his fans on streaming services. While Capo mostly raps about video games like Resident Evil, Frisco cleverly brags that he’s “got a lot of vibes on [his] Spotify” and that no one can ride on his “wave, that’s tidal.” These smooth verses make him seem more relatable, since almost everyone that listens to his content likely uses a streaming service to do so.

Every rapper brings his own personality to each song, but they also comment on bigger issues, such as the prejudice and police brutality present in the justice system. “Freezing” especially highlights how dangerous it is to be Black in the UK. Although some may assume that everything is getting better with the new spotlight shown on issues of police brutality from the Black Lives Matter protests this past year, cities are still “freezing” for Black men. The rappers recount how their moms would not let them out of their backyards, not because they would get themselves into trouble, but rather because trouble would find them. The streets are not safe for Black men and the system does not cater to them either, since many men are imprisoned on the basis of false charges. This song elevates the album because the group did not only choose to selfishly look for the title of the best in grime, but they also chose to use their platform to criticize disparities in society. This humbles the group and shows that they really are there to make art that people can listen to, learn from, and enjoy.

‘Norf Face’ is a claim to the throne for North London’s UK grime scene

Kota the Friend’s new album is short but deeply personal, like a fifteen minute rags-to-riches poem. As always, he brings his unique voice and perspective into each of the tracks, and the album acts as an ode to Brooklyn, where Kota was born and raised. He reps his Brownsville, Clinton Hill, and Gowanas education and puts that first over material things in the song “Luke Cage.” 

 is full of allusions and lyrically clever pop culture references, and offers listeners a peek into Kota’s life.

Like a lot of other successful rappers, Kota reflects about how much he used to want fame growing up. Similar to the narrative in 

, where Kendrick Lamar transitions from a lustful, power-hungry king to a man trying to find his humanity and religion, Kota also reflects on what fame means to him. The album lacks the catchy melodies of past hits “Long Beach,” “Colorado,” and “B.Q.E.,” but this is most likely because Kota wants to focus on the lyrics, which are more personal than in his former albums.

This album is so lyrically detailed that just listening to it is not enough – it almost begs to be read. A lot of Kota’s messages are lost if the song is just listened to, since he includes a lot of clever allusions in every verse. “Luke Cage” references the Marvel superhero that saves Harlem, and like the hero, Kota wants to protect his people from Brooklyn. He is presumably inspired in another verse by artists like Kendrick Lamar, Ice Cube, Bryson Tiller, and Kanye West, who have all referenced the Adam Sandler movie 

 in their verses, when Kota raps, “my flow is like the water, call me Bobby like Boucher.” Next, he cleverly combines a rhyme while bragging that he takes “Ls but [he’s] still a legend like LL Cool J.”

This album might not have the same appealing bubbly intros and smooth melodies that Kota’s other songs have, but there is a lot more substance. Kota openly reflects about how his fame has led him to a greedy life, and how he not only possesses “generational money” but also new money that he has never possessed before and he wants more. His reference to these topics really strengthens the content of the album since it gives fans a deeper insight into his life. Although this album might not make the top of the charts, he does an excellent job at reflection in every song. He discusses how much he struggles with mental health and confidence. Even though he really confesses his feelings in this album, he still thinks of himself as “Emotionally Dumb.” More content and emotional baggage is covered in this short album than ever before, making it more lyrically powerful than anything else he has made in the past. This album is a great addition to Kota the Friend’s discography, since it works as a little poetry book for his fans to listen to and learn from.

‘Lyrics to GO, Vol. 2’ is Kota the Friend’s latest reflective poetry

, is provocative, but not cohesive. He spits expertly crafted bars, but his songs don’t always attract attention like anthems from other conscious rappers like Kendrick Lamar, Mos Def, and 2Pac. Chris Crack has been making music for over a decade, but he’s still not recognizable among big-name artists in his genre. He has a talent for satire and self-aware lyrics, but needs to work on his delivery to make his albums more cohesive.

The soundscape of the album fails to engage the listener, and a lot of the mixing makes the choruses of his songs sound like whispers rather than earworms. Some songs like “False Evidence Appearing Real,” “Raw Sex as Friends,” and “Keisha Cole Slaw” are attention-grabbing either through catchy hooks, bouncy beats, or eye-catching titles. Marvin Gaye’s song “Mandota” is sampled on “False Evidence Appearing Real,” in which Chris Crack lays down strong bars about society’s addiction to material things. His mature view of the world is clearly painted when he says “There ain’t no Santa.” He also reflects on the lack of role models in his life that instead spent all their money on “the golden bottle.” “Keisha Cole Slaw” feels like a flipped sample used by Dr. Dre in songs like “Let Me Ride” from his album 

. Dre’s tracks often start with sound bites from women talking about either sex or money, and Chris Crack uses a similar style on “Keisha Cole Slaw.” The track’s introductory voice is a woman talking with a lot of sass on the phone and saying that she is READY. This blunt beginning is a good precursor to the braggadocious song about getting money. This song has a good swing to it, and it feels retro in the best way. The only unfortunate stylistic choice that Chris Crack makes is adding a muted chorus that fails to grab the listener’s attention.

Another example of a song with potential that was not well-executed is “Gut Feelings Just Guardian Angels.” It lacks a good hook and does not effectively close the album. A song like “Keisha Cole Slaw” or “Raw Sex as Friends” would have provided a better ending since they both include satirical verses along with memorable song names. The lyrics of “Gut Feelings Just Guardian Angels” do not seem to relate to its title – it is mostly about a girl who acts wealthy, but in reality what she described to be a mansion was just a two-bedroom house. The song feels disconnected from the other songs on the album and lacks strong bars.

It is apparent that Chris Crack has a creative and unique perspective on music. 

, “You can dissect the music however you want,” much like a painting. The best part of 

is the song titles. They make the album provocative, displaying his intentional use of satire throughout the tracks. With relentless bars and intriguing hooks in some of his songs, Chris Crack shows that he is talented and has potential to become a bigger presence on the alternative hip-hop scene. He also uses his music to deliver important messages – on “Ghetto Until Proven Fashionable,” for example, Chris Crack criticizes the appropriation of Black culture. Every song on the album has a very well-thought-out name, and they are obviously titled with the purpose of being either funny or thought-provoking. With more editing, 

could be a great album that grabs the attention of more listeners and makes them think about the confusing world around them.

Chris Crack’s ‘Might Delete Later’ is provocative, but not cohesive

With a synchronicity reminiscent of Brandy and Monica on their 1998 track “The Boy is Mine,” VanJess bring the feeling of ‘90s nostalgia on their new album 

. Although the album’s name might sound like it’s about pickup trucks driving down backroads, it oozes the sexuality and ease that is essential in every great R&B album. It flows like waves, and the end of each track is pulled into the beginning of the next seamlessly.

The sultry saxophone notes and seductive vocals on Songs like “Come Over,” “Slow Down,” and “Come Over Again” are just a few of the highlights from the album. KAYTRANADA adds his own neo-soul flair to the song “DYSFUNCTIONAL.” Too many features on an album can make it sound disjointed like a mixtape, but the production of the album and the collaborations with other artists like Phony Ppl and Devin Morrison accentuate VanJess’ individual style. They create a unique yet familiar sound in each of the nine tracks on the album – each track could accompany TLC and Janet Jackson on Spotify’s “‘90s Babymakers” playlist. 

Compositionally, the album is really interesting, since the duo uses a central theme of late night hookups and the story ends in a full circle. This method of storytelling is very effective for an album. Thinking about it being played on a record is the best way to see the effect this style creates. The album starts with the song “Come Over,” which talks about wanting a late night hookup, and ends with the same song but in a different style. “Come Over Again” is all about how good that first time was and how much they want it to happen again. The remix of the song is slower and even more longing than the first version of the song. It’s implied that the lust and desperation for continued late-night hookups is really the point of the use of the two songs. The story that VanJess tell in 

 is not about love but instead about continued lust, and this album would be more dimensional if the duo did talk more about emotional vulnerabilities instead of just meaningless sex.

Although their sound is extremely familiar, it still feels refreshing. The late-night sexual energy is something that was left out of a lot of albums that came out since the beginning of the pandemic. VanJess avoid bringing COVID or quarantine into their lyrics, which is an admirable choice, since it makes the album more universal and timeless. It can be hard to find such ease in recent pieces, but VanJess masterfully create tracks that would fit anywhere from the early ‘80s to the present day. They also cleverly add the ‘70s aesthetic to their music videos: in “Come Over,” the duo sport afros and bell bottom jeans, and disco balls swirl behind them during their performance. 

is unmatched by any other recent R&B album, and VanJess need to get the credit they deserve for such a timeless creation.

VanJess bring the ’90s nostalgia on ‘Homegrown’

The album “BEFORE LOVE CAME TO KILL US” by Canadian singer Jessie Reyez is a brutally honest depiction of love that develops into a sentimental tribute to her past relationship. Reyez shows her strength as a songwriter and storyteller throughout the album. Already having name recognition from her successful collaboration with 6lack in “IMPORTED,” she shows that she is a strong songwriter and vocalist who can stand on her own. She fills the songs with her Colombian roots and she uses a multi-dimensional timeline to describe her relationship. Jessie Reyez’s new storytelling has earned well-deserved praise from artists like Billie Eilish, serving up poisonous heartbreak on a platter for the public to eagerly consume.

The intro of the album is very direct, starting off abruptly with the lyrics, “I should’ve fucked your friends.” At first, Reyez sings of fighting fire with fire and hurting her ex like he hurt her, giving the album an emo tone, but eventually she learns that the right way to deal with heartbreak isn’t with destruction. As the album continues, her lyrics become enlightening. This emotional blossoming gives the album its dynamic and encapsulating essence.

In an interview with Trevor Noah, Reyez states that people can’t love without dying. In the album, she relates death with the end of a relationship, saying that she’ll love her man to death, and if their relationship dies, it will be their funeral. There is beauty in Reyez’s depiction of love even though it ends in death. She finds that even after being in a toxic relationship, she’d give anything to have another fight with her ex. She experiences extreme emotions and powerfully executes them in her lyrics.

The diversity of her music extends into the use of dynamic combinations of instruments depicting her emotions. Pairing blaring synthesizers from “DOPE” back-to-back with songs filled with swelling symphonies exemplify Reyez’s skillful use of soundscaping. “DOPE,” for instance, is a loud and distracting song that paints the scene of a crazy club that Reyez is in. She is getting drunk at the club but by the end of the song, the intense track quiets and she says, “Put that drink down.” After this, the music is mainly soft and mournful as Reyez laments her ex.

Reyez’s depiction of love is mature and heartbreaking. It is not music meant to feel sad; instead, it leads to a revelation. Each song is a progression from the other, and by the end of the album, the entire relationship is painted in a complete three dimensional portrait. Lots of other artists sing about heartbreak, yet none of them have successfully depicted one like Reyez, who shows all sides of the story. In songs like “INTRUDERS,” “IMPORTED,” “SAME SIDE,” and “FIGURES,” Reyez depicts her relationship pre, post, and present break-up from both her perspective as well as her ex’s. “BEFORE LOVE CAME TO KILL US” is Reyez’s big move into the music industry, indicating that her potential to tell more powerful stories is endless.

‘BEFORE LOVE CAME TO KILL US’ is Reyez’s big move into the music industry

by Jhené Aiko is sexy and authentic. The album’s outro feels like the end of a chapter of her life that she battled though in 

and in introduction into a new and exciting expedition. Her narrative in 

, she successfully battles her demons and finds beauty in the journey of life by the final song, “Party for Me.” At times, the album feels monotonous, like soothing background music. Aiko’s message and the way she dives deeper and deeper into her inner psyche is an incredible demonstration of the vulnerability of her lyrics. She brings her fans into her own mind throughout 

Aiko paints a psychedelic world of healing throughout the album. Every song feels like it could be played at the beach, it’s easy to get distracted by how single toned each song is. Because the beat lacks strength, each song feels like it is lost in the wind.

Aiko’s commitment to similar themes in her work is commendable, but if she continues releasing similar music her sound might be dismissed as single toned, lacking diversity. The beginning of 

 shows that she can come up with new and exciting music like her freestyle, “Triggered” and her collaboration with Future and Miguel, “H.O.E.” These songs differ from her past melodic work and bring more passion into her music. But, as the album continues and she goes deeper into her personal narrative, the music starts to sound repetitive. Aiko’s repetitive lyrics are broken up by meaningful sections in the album itself.

The album is broken up into three sections based on theme. There are two interludes in the album that mark each time she changes the narrative. Songs like “Triggered” and “H.O.E.” are about her getting over exes and becoming an independent, single woman. In the second section of the album, she breaks down the facade that she feels happy, sexy, and confident. She goes deeper into her message of healing becoming more authentic in songs like “Born Tired” and “Tryna Smoke.” These songs are more about her own losses in life. She admits that she’s fronting in the first part of the album: although she’s angry and frustrated, she is also tired and in pain. This section leads into the final songs of the album like “Mourning Doves,” and “Magic Hour.” “Mourning Doves” brings an aura of forgiveness and love. These songs marking the end hint that Aiko healed from the heartbreak of her brother’s death and her past relationships. The final song, “Party for Me,” is a celebration of life and loss. It ends the mourning that she expresses at the end of the album and celebrates the cycle of life. She tells people to cry and laugh when she’s gone, not to grieve and mourn like she did after her brother’s death.

 is rich with emotions, joyful, seductive and sad all at the same time. Although a lot of the songs feel like light beach vibes, it should not be overlooked. The way that the album is made is well thought out and beautiful, finished with Aiko’s unique style and viewpoints. Jhené Aiko has the potential to continue to make more meaningful and authentic music that will diversify the impersonal stream of music released weekly.