album reviews.

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

SZA S.O.S. Top Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records · December 9, 2022 S.O.S. 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” […]

Stormzy pours his heart out on This Is What I Mean

Stormzy This Is What I Mean 0207 Def Jam / Interscope · November 25, 2022 Stormzy isn’t the only rapper who’s at the forefront of UK grime, but he sure is claiming his space within the genre in more ways than one. Following his surprise single “Mel Made Me Do It,” he made a well […]

Brakence perfects his sound on Hypochondriac

Brakence Hypochondriac Columbia Records · December 2, 2022 Brakence has been teasing his new album Hypochondriac for over a year now, and fans have been frothing at the mouth with anticipation. Ever since the first single “Argyle” released in October 2021, Brakence has been dropping little hints and teasers as to what the album would […]

half•alive writes the love album of the decade

half·alive Conditions Of A Punk RCA Records · December 2, 2022 After releasing what was supposed to be the first part of a two part album earlier this year, alternative band half•alive decided to scrap the second half of Give Me Your Shoulders. It was a bold move that many artists wouldn’t dare make. With […]

Throwback: 25 years on, Either/Or is still perfect beautiful misery

Elliott Smith Either/Or Kill Rock Stars · February 25, 1997 It’s been 25 years since the untimely passing of singer songwriter legend Elliott Smith, and while not necessarily a household name, Smith’s stamp upon the music scene has endured long beyond his years. Whether it be heard within the playlist of a coffee shop, or […]

Back 2 Life is the weak link in this year’s chain of Drain Gang releases

Thaiboy Digital Back 2 Life YEAR0001 · November 18, 2022 It’s been a busy year for Swedish rap collective Drain Gang, having previously produced and released two albums to general critical acclaim. Thaiboy Digital was the last to have released a major project thus far in 2022, and now that it’s released, it’s obvious that […]

Weyes Blood creates a musical kaleidoscope of emotions in her latest

Weyes Blood And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow Sub Pop · November 18, 2022 Natalie Mering’s fifth studio album And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow is an ethereal musical piece of work that sits right in the eye of the hurricane. The album represents the second panel in what singer/songwriter Natalie Mering, better known as […]

Lord forgive me, for I have re-listened to Okay Kaya’s SAP

Okay Kaya SAP Jagjaguwar · November 4, 2022 Kaya Wilkins, known as Okay Kaya, has just released her third album SAP. In simple terms, Wilkins covers a lot in the span of just fifteen songs. Playing protagonist in each track, Wilkins morphs from a sentient dumpling on “Dep. Chamber,” to a lively fitness instructor on […]

Drake overshadows 21 Savage on Her Loss

Drake & 21 Savage Her Loss OVO Sound, Republic Records, & Slaughter Gang · November 4, 2022 Before I listened to the album for the first time, I saw a tweet that read: “This album feels like 79% Drake, 21% Savage.” Although it was a bit exaggerated (the ratio is more like 65%-35%) Her Loss […]

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