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Fever Ray - Radical Romantics (Album Review)

Genres: Art Pop, Electropop, Synthpop

With a fairly limited catalogue overall, it seems somewhat surprising that Karin Dreijer and the Fever Ray name are as beloved as they are. However, Dreijer's work is perhaps one of the ultimately examples of quality over quantity. Their time as half of electronic pop duo The Knife redefined many music critic's views on the artistic capabilities of contemporary electropop music. Meanwhile, Dreijer's 2009 solo debut under the Fever Ray name established them as a force to be reckoned with that refused to be defined by genre. Radical Romantics, their latest studio album, sees Dreijer once again deliver a more than solid slice of unpredictable pop for listeners to consume.

Radical Romantics is perhaps the most pop-oriented thing that has come from Fever Ray to date. While their roots in pop music have dated back to their origins with releases from The Knife, Karin Dreijer has always been on the more left-field side of pop as a whole. Their brand has consistently been structured around being art pop for people willing to ignore the notion of rigid genre descriptions. Radical Romantics leans even deeper into the more straightforward electropop and synthpop influences of their 2017 sophomore solo album Plunge while simultaneously doing away with the vast majority of experimental influences. In this regard, Radical Romantics is undoubtedly the single most accessible thing that Fever Ray has put out to date. However, this is not a bad thing whatsoever. Dreijer's vocals suit the style quite well overall and they prove to be at their most charismatic and believably energetic in this element. Fever Ray's latest studio album will likely turn away those praying for another record like their 2009 debut. For those who prefer to remain open-minded with a healthy love of dashing synthpop, Radical Romantics is essential to hear. Those who have grown accustomed to Dreijer's more experimental moments have nothing to fear even despite Radical Romantics being their most pop-forward moment as a solo act thus far. Although there is little to be found on their latest record that could appropriately be described as abrasive or outright strange, Radical Romantics features excellent production that leaves the instrumentals of tracks like "North" with an atmospheric feeling that doesn't feel distant from classic cuts from the Fever Ray catalogue such as "If I Had a Heart." Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross provide strong contributions to the production of the record as well, while hearing Olof Dreijer (the brother of Karin Dreijer and the other half of The Knife) is a pleasant reunion to be certain. Radical Romantics pulls from a variety of sources in the history of Fever Ray's influences. This includes electropop, post-industrial, and dance music. The final product, although certainly pop-oriented, feels like an amalgamation of the majority of the sounds that we've heard from Karin Dreijer's solo work up to this point. Radical Romantics' freshness goes beyond the music itself, as the concepts behind many of the tracks here feel surprisingly romantic and lust-infused overall. While Plunge did feature a number of cuts such as "To the Moon and Back" that were overtly sexual in nature, these songs often came with a sort of political bite or general attitude that ensured they didn't necessarily fall in line with your typical love song. Radical Romantics maintains that same degree of attitude, but with songwriting being significant more focused on passion and romantic intensity more than anything else. Of course, sexuality and carnal desire still play major roles in the album as a whole. For the most part, however, Karin Dreijer presence on Radical Romantics is one of an emotionally altered individual who is now more focused on themselves at a more comfortable point in their life. It really is nice to see Dreijer's musical persona continue to develop alongside her actual sound, as most artists tend to fail in evolving both personally and musically; their music becoming weaker in turn. Dreijer does not once fall victim to lacking personal growth and Radical Romantics shows it in full. Radical Romantics was never going to be the old Fever Ray; even despite what many diehard fans wanted. Leaning further into their synthpop influences was perhaps even slightly predictable for those aware of the chameleon-esc nature of Karen Dreijer's back-catalogue. With that being said, Radical Romantics is a piece of extreme growth on Dreijer's behalf. Fever Ray is a project that has felt continuous growth and development over the years even with a limited output as a whole. Karin Dreijer's latest studio album may be their most accessible up to this point, but it also acts as a successfully fresh breath of air within both their discography and the modern synthpop landscape.

Final Rating: 4/5 (Great)

Essential Tracks: Carbon Dioxide, Even It Out, North, Tapping Fingers, What They Call Us

#2023 reviews #2023 albums #fever ray #4/5 Stars

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Xiu Xiu - Ignore Grief (Album Review)

Genres: Dark Ambient, Death Industrial, Experimental

Coming by an act quite as boundary pushing and distinctive as Xiu Xiu would be quite the challenge. Jamie Stewart and his constantly revolving door of collaborators (including the newly recruited David Kendrick) have covered nearly every inch of ground that any alternative music geek nerd could hope for. Whether they've toyed with artsy electronic pop fusions or demonstrated inaccessible walls of harsh noise, the Xiu Xiu project has constantly been an interesting name to look out for if not more inconsistent than anything else. Although they undoubtedly have their moments of greatness as well as downright ingenious, Ignore Grief is unfortunately not one of them.

Everything about Ignore Grief should work in theory. Xiu Xiu have done post-industrial and ambient-based industrial fairly well in the past; something records like 2019's Girl With Basket of Fruit have shown quite clearly. The spoken word qualities have promise to add an extra haunting spice to what is clearly meant to be a darkly moving listening experience. Shockingly, Ignore Grief fails in just about every way that it attempts to succeed. Xiu Xiu don't feel particularly menacing or even slightly spooky in a skeleton-decoration-on-Halloween sort of way. Ignore Grief was depicted by Jamie Stewart himself as an abstract album structured around suffering both lyrically and musically. While the compositional qualities of Ignore Grief are certainly as left field as one might expect from an outing such as this from Xiu Xiu, none of these emotions are conveyed in a manner that has any impact on the listener. The worst offenders of the record are the ambient-based works. Although Xiu Xiu have pulled off ambient music with great success in the past, this simply does not translate to their work on Ignore Grief. Considering the thematic concepts behind Ignore Grief, ambient soundscapes should play a key role in the overall quality and atmosphere of Ignore Grief. Rather than gripping minimalist passages that build up to something greater, listeners are provided with a record drowned in self-indulgent ambient sounds that drag on for too long without creating a necessary sense of tension. There is a degree of pressure behind the ambient pieces here that seems to imply a touch of promise. Unfortunately, the potential fruits of Xiu Xiu's ambient labor go mostly unseen. It is arguable that ambient cuts like  "Pahrump" and "666 Photos of Nothing" could have been great tracks had they amounted to something more than they ultimately do. After all, they lay the groundwork for something beautifully uncomfortable in their opening moments. However, they merely drag on without providing any sort of reason for the listener to feel anything in particular about them. In fact, making the listener uncomfortable seems to be the only goal of Xiu Xiu throughout Ignore Grief. The entire record is composed of droning ambient music with slight darkwave influences this is meant to instill paranoia within the listener before exploding into harsh industrial numbers. None of this goes to according to plan, however. The ambient moments are unremarkable at best and leave little impact as a whole. While these moments are intentionally stripped-back in terms of instrumentation, it still feels as though Jamie Stewart, Angela Seo, and David Kendrick are under-utilizing themselves as artists in an attempt to make something more bare bones. Ignore Grief does admittedly make an admirable attempt at being evocatively ominous album. Absolutely no one can take away the credit that should be give to Xiu Xiu for providing a legitimate stab at forming a frightening atmosphere once again. It just so happens that Ignore Grief falls flat tonally; particularly in comparison to their better works. Xiu Xiu similarly attempts to use Ignore Grief as a means to capture to corrupt intimacy of Jamie Stewart's songwriting. Stewart's contributions to the world of songwriting, although often overlooked, have been fairly essential in the development of visceral yet cryptic lyricism in experimental music (even if he is far from the first to do so). Albums such as A Promise and even some of Xiu Xiu's less hugely beloved releases like Dear God, I Hate Myself have better written songs that feel more subtle in terms of their own emotional delivery as well as more effective in connecting with the listener. A number of tracks from Ignore Grief nearly feels like an edgy Xiu Xiu fan's subpar attempt at recreating Stewart's brand of lyricism. Stewart himself confirmed that Ignore Grief was meant to be a musically morbid take on classic teenage tragedy songs a la "Leader of the Pack" by The Shangri-Las or "Dead Man's Curve" by Jan & Dean. What is meant to be a twisted spin on teenage horror is ultimately nothing more than an album that fails to spark any true terror despite genuinely trying to do so. Even basing Ignore Grief around some of the darkest corners of humanity (child abuse, forced prostitution, murder) can't bring it to even come across as slightly spine-tingling; let alone gripping in any way. Xiu Xiu are a band more than capable of bringing the heat when it comes to oddball music. Their plethora of styles and their willingness to experiment has consistently labeled them one of the must-hear bands of alternative music in the 21st century. Although their career spanning over twenty years at this point certainly means they don't have much to prove, Ignore Grief still feels disappointing in the context of what the now-three-piece are capable of.

Final Rating: 2.5/5 (Meh)

Essential Tracks: N/A

#2023 reviews #2023 albums #xiu xiu #2.5/5 stars

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Kali Uchis - Red Moon in Venus (Quick Album Review)

Genres: Contemporary R&B, Neo-Soul, Psychedelic Soul

Ever since her excellent 2018 debut album Isolation, Kali Uchis has been one of the premier names in contemporary R&B. With as much hype as one could hope for behind her, Kali Uchis manages to deliver with Red Moon in Venus. As a vocalist, Uchis is as striking as ever. What she lacks in power and traditional range she absolutely makes up for in sheer vulnerability. Few songs on Red Moon in Venus would be even half as successful as they ultimately are with a less tender yet smooth vocalist behind them. Kali Uchis' calm and often sensual vocal style compliments the lyrical themes of her latest record nicely, as the topics of break-ups, moving on, emotionally struggling, and self-empowerment all play fitting roles on the record adjacent to the aforementioned vocal work of the woman backing it all up. Red Moon in Venus is not exclusively the work of Kali Uchis, however. A number of talented producers and behind-the-scenes individuals play roles nearly as essential in the success of the listening experience as Uchis herself. Producers like Darkchild, Sir Dylan, and WondaGurl are people who have worked with some of the most major artists in the music industry over the course of the last fifteen years. When you work with musicians ranging from Beyonce and Drake to Anderson .Paak and SZA, there is bound to be a degree of expertise that bleeds into anything you work on. This rings true for the aforementioned producers, writers, and plethora of other people that combine strong lyrical content with immaculate semi-psychedelic production. The entirety of Red Moon in Venus flows perfectly and has flaws that are so minor that they really aren't even worth pointing out beyond a couple of less sweep-you-off-your-feet level tracks like "Not Too Late." Kali Uchis had a lot to live up to from the start being one of the definitive examples of a mastermind R&B artist in the current day. Red Moon in Venus proves that she is more than capable of exceeding expectations even when all eyes are on her.

Final Rating: 4/5 (Great)

Essential Tracks: Blue, Endlessly, Fantasy, I Wish you Roses, Love Between..., Worth the Wait

#2023 albums #2023 quick reviews #kali uchis #4/5 Stars

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Periphery - Periphery V: Djent Is Not a Genre (Quick Album Review)

Genres: Djent, Metalcore

Excluding subgenre pioneers Meshuggah, you'd be hard-pressed to find a band quite as relevant to the djent movement as Periphery. Despite what the band's latest studio album's title may imply, the syncopated start-and-stop playing style of djent has created a brand of metal entirely its own. Periphery fail to do it justice even despite being one of the more renowned djent acts active today. Periphery V starts off strong enough with a few genuinely solid tracks like "Wildfire" and "Wax Wings." These aforementioned songs undoubtedly rank among Periphery's best in quite some time. Around the half way point, the listener comes face-to-face with the odd synthwave influences of "Silhouette." The track in question completely disrupts the flow of the record and marks the beginning of the end for what is otherwise a decent djent record up to that point. What follows is a disastrous series of songs that is every bit as self-indulgent as they are directionless. The reliance on melody makes Periphery's work feel melodramatic and unimportant at best, while the synthesizers and strong sections come across as wildly out of place. It's nearly impressive how Periphery managed to fail at a record with a reasonably balanced start of melodic structure and heaviness. However, the back half of Periphery V feels like the wings coming off a plane mid-air rather than a smooth landing. Although it could've been worse, the weakest moments of Periphery V: Djent is Not a Genre drag its highlights down with them.

Final Rating: 2/5 (Bad)

Essential Tracks: N/A

#2023 quick reviews #2023 albums #periphery #2/5 stars

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Model/Actriz - Dogsbody (Album Review)

Genres: Dance-Punk, Noise Rock

Like any other form of art surrounded by pretentious hipsters that want to be a part of a dying subculture, experimental music has been accused of being "over" or "dead" time and time again. It's almost as if James Chance and the Contortions throwing in the towel or the Butthole Surfers not having released anything in decades has caused people to forget about the present moment of music. Thankfully, the UK has more than delivered with experimental excellency over the course of the past few years. Names like Black Midi, Black Country New Road, Dry Cleaning, Shame, Horsey, and others have already been ingrained into the textbooks of music history with unique brands of experimental rock that feel distinctly modern and fresh. For the past couple of years, America hasn't seen a debut studio album that has really blown open experimental music in the same way as those that have come from across the pond. Model/Actriz, roughly seven years into their career, finally bring a thrilling debut in the realm of American experimental via Dogsbody.

Dogsbody manages to succeed with a certain quality that often hinders a number of other experimental rock albums. Model/Actriz as a group sound incredibly clean and smoothed out; something that has prevented some groups such as Gilla Band from achieving greatness on some of their more recent efforts. Alongside the band members themselves, producer Seth Manchester adds a certain sheen to Dogsbody that allows it to thrive as a fresh but powerful piece of music. Manchester, also acting as the primary engineer and mixer of the record, ensures that some of the more industrial aspects of the album are appropriately highlighted as well. Tracks like "Pure Mode" utilize mechanical noise to add an extra degree of atmosphere to the listening experience that feels every bit as anxious as it does genuinely exhilarating. There is no denying that Model/Actriz as a band have sturdy influences rooted in classic industrial sounds (particularly those that influenced groups like Swans, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, and other classic no wave outfits). Seth Manchester brings out the best of those influences via his production on Dogsbody, which manages to succeed as a shiny yet raw listen. The atmosphere and general vibe of the album as a whole could best be described as "psychological horror chic." There isn't a single moment throughout the entire runtime of Dogsbody in which it stops sounding like it is about to fall apart at the seams. Whether you're referring to the more aggressive nature of tracks like "Crossing Guard" or the melancholy of songs like "Sun In," Model/Actriz are capable of demonstrating a variety of emotions that feel equally tense. The relative brief runtime of the entire album (a sharp 38-ish minutes) only adds to the compact intensity of Dogsbody and the world that the band behind it proceed to build. Once again, the production-related and general behind-the-scenes choices are what largely factor into this anxious equation. After all, the paranoid yet open feeling Dogsbody and similar records is something that can only be achieved with competent individuals involved from a non-performance standpoint. With that in mind, the entirety of Model/Actriz as a group are fantastic as well. Cole Haden stands out among the crowd of frontmen in experimental at the moment. His energetic style of performance ranges from uncomfortably direct (in a way that suits the record) to downright delirious. Not only is he capable of terms of vocal work, but he is an electric frontman through and through that really helps push his band over the edge of greatness and glory. However, he does not totally outshine his bandmates either. Aaron Shapiro's rumbling bass tones had a great deal of weight to Dogsbody; something that it needs to successfully execute its more excessive and restrained songs alike. Jack Wetmore's guitar work is nothing short of very strong, with much of his performance work relying on strong melodies fusing with semi-abstract expressionism. Even Ruben Radlauer's drumming is quite remarkable, with Radlauer acting as a excellent support system to his bandmates while still delivering a wild and impassioned performance all the same. For any noise-adjacent rock band to work out, every single member of the collective needs to be on point in both their passion and creative direction. Every member of Model/Actriz is on board with each other musically across every second of Dogsbody. Model/Actriz have been around a while for this point. With their earliest releases dating back to the mid-2010s before a period of radio silence, many understandably believed them to have broken up. However, with the rise of experimental music in somewhat mainstream spaces on the rise, now is the best time for the group to step into the spotlight once again. Dogsbody is an excellent and often genuinely flawless record that manages to document everything great about dense, noisy music in under forty minutes.

Final Rating: 4.5/5 (Absolutely Amazing)

Essential Tracks: Amaranth, Crossing Guard, Donkey Show, Maria, Mosquito

#2023 reviews #2023 albums #model/actriz #4.5/5 stars

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Logic - College Park (Album Review)

Genres: Boom Bap, East Coast Rap/Hip-Hop

Waiting for a new Logic album is equivalent to playing Russian Roulette at this point. Few artists are capable of putting out albums as consistent as Under Pressure followed by records as genuinely horrendous as Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. His last studio album, 2022's Vinyl Days, was a turning point for Logic as an artist as it marked his final album under the Def Jam label name. More importantly, Vinyl Days was a strong demonstration of everything that Logic and his associates could do right. Vinyl Days had strong lyricism, flows, features, and instrumentals. College Park is a true successor to the aforementioned record in terms of both aesthetic and purpose; albeit with better execution.

As an actual emcee, Logic is the poster boy of inconsistency. At every second, Logic is walking the line between solid delivery and cringeworthy semi-nerdcore. College Park is almost entirely based around the former rather than the latter. Although he may not seem like it upon first glance considering some of his weakest works, Logic has the ability to do some great things in regards to delivery and flow when he gets behind the mic. That being said, lyricism is his forte more than anything else. Throughout his explorations of the concept behind College Park, Logic demonstrates songwriting chops that feel matured and nuanced while still never lacking the trademark sense of light humor and self-awareness that has come to define many of his most beloved records. The lyricism here, similar to Vinyl Days, is mostly reflective of the earlier years of Logic's career as he discusses his own personal views on this point of his career. Paired with old school boom bap-influenced beats, the choice of songwriting here suits the vibe of the record as a whole. Perhaps most intriguing about the album as a whole is the last few minutes of the album closing track "Lightyear" in which Logic transitions into a more singer/songwriter based sound. Whether that was meant to be a hint towards a future record's sound or just a one-off stylistic choice, it is a moment that makes the ending of the album feel refreshing all the same. College Park was destined to be an interesting venture for Logic from the very start. The album has a direct narrative throughout its tracklist about Logic and some of his friends and fellow musicians driving to Washington DC for a show during his come-up era years ago in 2011. This story is primarily told through skits that often appear at the end of songs. As always, skits are a tricky thing here. Although they do manage to convey the story and concept behind College Park in a lighthearted but nonetheless engaging way, several skits feel unneeded and only add extra degrees of bloat to an album that arguably doesn't need to be nearly seventy minutes long. For example, the gas station robbery skit at the end of the Norah Jones collaboration "Paradise II" is neither funny nor intense and plays no important role in the actual narrative of the record, leaving it feeling unwanted at best. I digress, many of the skits are good fun even if they do get tiring upon multiple listens. The features on College Park are arguably the most consistent part of the record, as they feel more appropriate and spread out than most other lists of features found on Logic albums. It may as well be a guarantee at this point that a Logic song is going to be good if it sees him collaborating with the Wu-Tang Clan in any way. His love for the collective is obvious lyrically, and his joint with RZA on the album opening "Cruisin' Through the Universe" proves his passion through his performance. His work with Joey Bada$$, Lucy Rose, and Norah Jones (among others) throughout College Park is equally strong. Every featured artist on College Park manages to have their own identity without overshadowing anything that Logic does. College Park is the unmistakably the brainchild of Logic through and through; an impressive feat when musicians as talented as those I just mentioned make appearances on it. College Park is remarkably similar to Vinyl Days; all the way down to the color scheme of the album cover. However, Logic's latest studio album has its own distinct identity that feels equally comedic and nostalgic. While it never feels drop dead hilarious during its skits or mindblowing-ly clever in its lyrical content, College Park feels like Logic at his most honest and transparent: flaws and all.

Final Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Essential Tracks: Clone Wars III, Lightyear

#2023 reviews #2023 albums #logic #3.5/5 stars

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Gorillaz - Cracker Island (Album Review)

Genres: Alternative Dance, Electropop, Synth Funk

If there was an award ceremony for inconsistency in music, Damon Albarn would most likely have swept every genre category by now. Whether he's deciding whether he wants to cement Blur as the best or worst band of the Big 4 of britpop or he's contemplating putting out a genuinely great Gorillaz album since 2010's Plastic Beach, Albarn is notorious for being hit-or-miss in his eclectic but often scatterbrained style. His virtual band brainchild, Gorillaz, has been the exact definition of his best and worst qualities as an artist. One moment, classic songs like "Kids With Guns" and "On Melancholy Hill" are being released under the Gorillaz name. In the next moment, an utter disaster like 2017's Humanz is mindlessly tossed into the world. 2020's Song Machine, Season One saw a handful of collaborations with talented artists that were largely based around good vibes and a lack of substance or direction. Cracker Island acts as a more concrete and successful execution of the ideas presented in its predecessor.

You may as well call Cracker Island something along the lines of Song Machine, Season One-and-a-Half. Gorillaz's latest studio album is once again based around synth-based art pop that feels just as emotional as it does infectious. This is something that Song Machine, Season One managed to pull off successfully. However, the aforementioned record had no clue how to pull everything together into a neat and tidy package. Cracker Island, on the other hand, comes across as a much more solid and fluid listening experience overall that has, at the very least, some sense of musical narrative. Cracker Island manages to explore its own spectrum of possibilities sufficiently. From the entrancing psychedelia of "Oil" to the heartstring-tugging closer "Possession Island," the latest studio album from Gorillaz feels complete in terms of recognizes what it is capable of doing with this era of the project's existence and the influences that have ultimately been packaged with it. Similar to Song Machine, Season One, Cracker Island makes heavy use of features from artists with origins in a number of different genres. Thundercat unsurprisingly makes a fantastic appearance on the title track as he adds an extra groove to that track in particular. Tame Impala and The Pharcyde's Bootie Brown collaborating together is not something that anybody on the known face of the Earth asked for, but they nonetheless work together extremely well with Albarn on "New Gold." Meanwhile, Beck returns from prior collaborations with the Gorillaz on the previously mentioned "Possession Island." Even Stevie Nicks and Bad Bunny show up and bring to the table solid guest slots that highlight their own particular talents. Although Cracker Island is not entirely based around collaborations or anything of that sort, some of the best collaborations that Gorillaz have done in recent memory are found here. Nothing on Cracker Island is capable of topping some of the project's more iconic fusions with people like MF DOOM, Yasiin Bey, or De La Soul. That being said, Cracker Island features some major highlights for Gorillaz in the current synthpop-based era of their career. Ironically enough, the only below average songs on Cracker Island are the songs that don't feature any collaborators. These songs feel incomplete in comparison, even if they do admittedly attach some interesting moments to the listening experience as a whole. Excluding the excellent Gorillaz-only track "Tarantula," songs like "Baby Queen" and "Skinny Ape" feel like they need an extra voice to actually work in full. It isn't that these songs are weak in any way. In fact, it is refreshing to hear songs that feature nothing more than the straightforward Gorillaz sound without any additional input from another artist. It is genuinely nicely to hear some featureless songs in a time where Damon Albarn's mindset as largely been set on collaborations. Plus, the songs in question are genuinely good as well even if they do lack a certain punch most of the time. The main takeaway from the non-collaborative songs here is that the Gorillaz name is still capable of putting out strong work under the singular direction of Damon Albarn; but maybe they're better off collaborating with others after all. I won't pretend like Cracker Island is some amazing comeback or artistic leap forward for Gorillaz. With that being said, there was a point where it seemed all over for anyone hoping for anything remotely consistent from Damon Albarn so long as he was operating under the Gorillaz name with his revolving door of collaborators. Cracker Island may not be amazing, but it is a genuinely great record with consistently strong tracks and a sense of direction that feels like a cool drink of water after half a decade of Gorillaz releasing just about everything except what I just described.

Final Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Essential Tracks: Cracker Island, New Gold, Oil, Possession Island

#2023 reviews #2023 albums #gorillaz #3.5/5 stars

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U.S. Girls - Bless This Mess (Quick Album Review)

Genres: Electro-Disco, Pop Soul, Synthpop

Meg Remy's solo experimental pop project U.S. Girls put out an excellent album in 2018 with the neo-psychedelic modern cult classic In a Poem United after years of mostly middling releases. The aforementioned record seemed to mark the turning over of a new leaf for Remy. Unfortunately, the follow-up to her 2018 fan-favorite was the pop soul misstep that was 2020's Heavy Light. Rather than correcting her mistake by taking her toes back out of waters that obviously do not suit her, Meg Remy dives even further into the sounds of Heavy Light on Bless This Mess. It is on Bless This Mess that Meg Remy genuinely makes an attempt to deliver her best impression of the 1980's decade-unique brand of synthpop-soul fusion. While she may admirably attempt to channel her inner Sign O' the Times-era Prince, what comes out on Bless This Mess is more directly related to disappointingly sober karaoke than it does an enjoyable recreation of the Minneapolis Sound. The instrumentals here feel preset and cheap more often than not; only adding to the lackluster cheesiness of the entire listening experience. Remy's presence is obviously meant to carry some degree of attitude and sensuality, but she has all impact of a light breeze on both fronts. Bless This Mess feels like a budget, store-brand version of modern 80s-influenced pop soul music. One would reasonably hope that Meg Remy would have taken a few steps backwards after the failure of Heavy Light in 2020. Instead, the latest U.S. Girls album feels like a headfirst dive into a cheaply produced rehash of outdated schlock that manages to disappoint even with roughly zero hype behind it.

Final Rating: 1/5 (Horrendous)

Essential Tracks: N/A

#2023 albums #2023 quick reviews #u.s. girls #1/5 Stars

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Shame - Food for Worms (Quick Album Review)

Genres: Art Punk, Post-Punk, Indie Rock

When Shame released their sophomore studio album Drunk Tank Pink in 2021, they immediately became favorites of those looking for more a straight forward adaptation of the British post-punk revival. For those who couldn't quite get behind the abrasive qualities of Black Midi's Cavalcade or the cryptic cynicism of Black Country, New Road's For the First Time could select something a bit more traditional with Drunk Tank Pink. However, it remained a solid collection of songs that had a uniquely cold bite that accurately represented the post-Brexit era of British rock music. The group's follow-up is mostly an improvement upon their previous effort, though it has its own flaws to be sure. Shame leave behind most of their anxious nature on Food for Worms in exchange for a significantly more melodic sound; a decision that ultimately works out well for them. Some of the most throat-grabbing songs from Shame to date are found on Food for Worms, with "Alibis" and the album opening "Fingers of Steel" acting as major highlights for the band in general. There are a couple of tracks such as "Orchid" that lack the punch one might expect from Shame, but they remain solid and acceptable tracks. The primary flaw is the record's mixing, which was mostly orchestrated by engineer Tom Herbert. The band sound great, but none of the members stand out in the way that they should. Food for Worms is a good album that could have been great if only it sounded a little more atmospherically open with less reliance on wall-of-sound techniques. Nonetheless, Food for Worms remains a very strong release that, during its better moments, may very well surpass anything Shame have done before.

Final Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Essential Tracks: Alibis, Fingers of Steel

#shame #2023 albums #2023 quick reviews #3.5/5 stars

[the-infinite-jukebox]

Don Toliver - Love Sick (Quick Album Review)

Genres: Alternative R&B, Cloud Rap, Trap

As far as trap goes, Don Toliver has never been among the upper echelons of his kind. The towering presence of people like Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, and even Lil Uzi Vert constantly holding Don Toliver back from being a total powerhouse in his niche makes it all the more of a shame that people will likely not recognize the artistic improvement the rapper demonstrates on Love Sick. Although Toliver has fell to some southern trap stereotypes in the past on albums like Life of a DON by making music that bleeds together without any sense of real direction, Love Sick feels especially focused by his standards. He hones in on a specific, heartbroken sound and manages to work wonders in this field while outshining most of his backcatalog. The entire record is produced nicely, and Love Sick even sees Don Toliver branch out into the realm of successful vocalizations that haven't been seen very often in his discography up this point. There are admittedly a few bars and lyrics here or there that miss the mark and feel a touch mindless. However, these bits of weak songwriting feel unimportant when paired with strong performance work and even great production. Solid features from equally talented acts like GloRilla, James Blake, and the legendary Charlie Wilson only add to the diversity of the listening experience. It really is a genuine shame that people may very well overlook Love Sick, as it is arguably Don Toliver's greatest achievement up to this point.

Final Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Essential Tracks: Bus Stop

#don toliver #2023 albums #2023 quick reviews #3.5/5 stars

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Inhaler - Cuts & Bruises (Quick Album Review)

Genres: Indie Rock, Pop Rock

In 2021, Inhaler released their debut studio album It Won't Always Be Like This. Although it admittedly presented some interesting ideas relating to the post-punk revival, it often felt too light and aesthetically scattered to make much of an impression. One would reasonably hope that a follow up would see the band grow. Somehow, their sophomore record, Cuts and Bruises, sees Inhaler grow duller than ever before. Everything about this record feels phoned in to an incredible extent. Tracks like "So Far So Good" and "You Got Me" sound dead enough to be cremated, and even some of the better moments like the semi-ambitious "Dublin in Ecstasy" still lack any sort of punch. Although some indie rock and power pop adjacent influences do shine a small light of hope on the back-to-back decent tracks "When I Have Her on My Mind" and "Valentine," the sensation doesn't last long before things wrap up with the whimper that Cuts and Bruises kicked off with. I imagine that totally uninspired music like Cuts and Bruises is what they use to brainwash people for cults, except those cults are made up of upper-class sixteen year old teenagers who post pictures of the members of Inhaler shirtless on Tumblr. I can't hate Cuts and Bruises or Inhaler, as the album is well-performed and the band succeed in what they set out to do. The conquest in question, however, was obviously to make music to fall asleep to (with the exception of waking back up to turn it off).

Final Rating: 2/5 (Bad)

Essential Tracks: N/A

#inhaler #2/5 stars #2023 albums #2023 quick reviews

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Hellripper - Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags (Quick Album Review)

Genres: Speed Metal, Black Metal

One-man bands can be a tricky thing for any artist. The concept of creating a full band's sound with the same individual behind each instrument obviously cannot be brought to fruition without a great amount of musical ability and creative vision from the person in question. James McBain proves to be more than competent with his solo black metal project Hellripper, as Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags, his latest studio album, undeniably stands out in the current landscape of underground metal. With a combination of speed metal and black metal, Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags is a volatile release in the best way as it proves to become progressively heavier and faster as the tracklist progresses before reaching a climax with the ferocious eight and a half minute long cut "Mester Stoor Worm." McBain's instrumentation is consistently competent with just enough fire behind it to leave his latest effort feeling colorful and lively, while his ability to hone in on a specific modernized version of a classic claustrophobic black metal atmosphere is equally remarkable. Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags is a fine achievement in extreme metal from James McBain, a one-man band who manages to really stand out from the crowd in the metal underground. 

Final Rating: 4/5 (Great)

Essential Tracks: “Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags”

#2023 reviews #2023 quick reviews #hellripper #4/5 Stars

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Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn Into You (Album Review)

Genres: Alt-Pop, Art Pop, Dance-Pop

When she released her album Pang in 2019, Caroline Polachek became an immediate beacon of hope for anyone fascinated by slightly off-kilter pop. Polachek rose to the top of her class with the aforementioned release by debuting a sound that appealed equally to mainstream music consumers that crave polished production and alternative music nerds that desire a more artsy aspect weaved into their average pop record. After multiple years of anticipation, the critical darling herself makes a comeback with Desire, I Want to Turn Into You.

The most directly striking quality about Desire, I Want to Turn Into You is the diversification of Polachek's sonic palette. While she has become somewhat known for her willingness to dip her toes into a variety of genres, the manner in which her latest studio album balances a variety of sounds evenly is impressive all the same. The synthpop and alt-pop influences found throughout Desire, I Want to Turn Into You mesh nicely with each other. The usage of UK Garage-esque electronic instrumentals is an equally welcome endeavor for the album's more upbeat moments aesthetically. Ambient influences on cuts like "Hopedrunk Everasking" break up the more relentless qualities of some of the more energetic tracks here as well. It could certainly be said that certain tracks like "Sunset," which makes use of a flamenco-influenced style of pop music, feel a bit out of place in comparison to their sister songs. However, any lack of cohesion is rare as Desire, I Want to Turn Into You acts as a reasonably successful undertaking for Polachek's adventurous side. In fact, fluidity plays a key role in the overall success of Desire, I Want to Turn Into You as a listening experience. Despite artistic differences from track-to-track, each song on the record bleeds into the next with overall ease. There is certainly an argument to be made that natural progression throughout the album is one of the more efficient aspects of the listen as a whole. Caroline Polachek is often an artist who's respect and acclaim is based around individual songs rather than full-album listening experiences (something that is obviously affected by her relatively young and small discography). As such, it feels legitimatley soothing to hear a record come from her that comes across as so well-structured. Once again, there are a couple of songs here such as the aforementioned "Sunset" that lean too hard into a certain sound that doesn't necessarily fit the overarching style of Desire, I Want to Turn Into You. Thankfully, these tracks are of a high enough caliber that their disturbing of the consistent atmosphere goes mostly unnoticed. The primary flaw of Desire, I Want to Be You is an inconsistent one and has to do with Caroline Polachek as a performer. Despite the fact that Polachek provides a constantly interesting creative mindset throughout her latest effort, she lacks a degree of engagement in her own material at times. This rings most true for some of the more atmospheric tracks, such as the slightly underwhelming Grimes and Dido collaboration "Fly to You." Strangely enough, Polachek's presence is massive and filled with both attitude and confidence on songs such as the album-opener and major highlight "Welcome to My Island." Overall, however, she lacks a degree of presence in her performance that would easily elevate Desire, I Want to Turn Into You from a very good pop record to an early highlight for music in 2023. Desire, I Want to Turn Into You is a very nice follow up to Pang, the record that set Caroline Polachek on a course for success in commercial and critical circles alike. The addition of a multitude of influences previously unheard in Polachek's music alongside a constant sense of fluidity throughout the album itself adds up to a listening experience that feels well-thought out and structured despite never being particularly groundbreaking. Although it is a shame that Desire, I Want to Turn Into You doesn't demonstrate much growth from Caroline as a voice and performer, it remains an above average release all the same.

Final Rating: 3.5/5

Essential Tracks: “Welcome to My Island”

#2023 reviews #2023 albums #caroline polachek #3.5/5 stars

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Rebecca Black - Let Her Burn (Album Review)

Genres: Alt-Pop, Dance-Pop, Electropop

With the past few years being the epitome of hectic to say the least, many people have forgotten about the impact that many major events had during the 2010s. 2011 was especially a year in which many shifts occurred both on national and international levels. However, the Arab Spring protests, Russia joining the World Trade Organization, and the death of Osama Bin Laden could never dream of holding a candle to the cultural impression that was created upon the release of "Friday" by Rebecca Black. It was with this song that a thirteen year old girl went viral singing about her favorite day of the week; ensuring internet culture was never the same. Whether the song is so-bad-it's-good or awful enough to warrant trying a child as an adult in a court of law remains a contentious area of discussion to this very day. Determined to break away from the meme-based image that "Friday" had forced upon her, Black continued to create original music. 2021's Rebecca Black Was Here EP saw some begin to take her more seriously as a pop artist. It is with her full-length debut, Let Her Burn, that Rebecca Black has truly established herself as a highly respectable voice in the pop landscape of the moment.

Let Her Burn acts as an amalgamation of different styles of pop music; both those relevant to the mainstream and those that appeal to the indie crowd. At the forefront of the crowd of pop subgenres here in electropop. As with any style of energy-based music (in this case electropop), Black's performance would totally flop if she didn't put every ounce of passion that she could into every second of the record. It is obvious that the fire that often comes with an artist's debut album was within her, however, as she is constantly engaged and present with material that is obviously very important to her on a personal level. Whether she's performing heartbroken melancholy set to a danceable beat or celebrating the concept of individuality, Rebecca Black's performance on Let Her Burn is likely to impress even the biggest of naysayers. The more niche influences that she takes up primarily come from the world of alternative pop music. These styles are smoothly weaved into let her Burn to make for a satisfactory listening experience that does not sway too much towards either traditional mainstream poptimism or extreme experimentalism. The hyperpop influences found on a handful of tracks here is a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. If Black were to focus on this side of her sound a touch more, it wouldn't be too shocking if she managed to carve her name out next to the likes of 100 gecs and A.G. Cook. I digress, Let Her Burn strikes a nice balance between the two aforementioned brands of pop music while stirring up an excellent performance from Rebecca Black herself. If anything, Let Her Burn is too short to truly demonstrate the breadth of Black's talents. A debut album from an artist like Rebecca Black is the kind of record meant to promote her abilities as a legitimate performer rather than a name meant to be stapled in the halls of internet culture lore. While that does happen to ring true for what is presented on Let Her Burn, thirty minutes simply doesn't do her talents justice. It is incredibly apparent throughout the entire runtime of Black's efforts that she is a forward-thinking and focused artist who can successful craft songs that bleed into each other nicely while maintaining their own identities stylistically. It is for this reason that I wish Let Her Burn had a longer tracklist. An album of Biblical proportions was never what Rebecca Black needed to prove herself as an artist, but a forty or forty-five minute long album may have whet the appetite for her debut a bit more efficiently. With the legacy of "Friday" constantly casting a shadow over any serious artistic statements that she was trying to make for years, it wouldn't have been unreasonable a few years ago to say that Rebecca Black would be nothing more than a viral Youtube punchline for years to come. If the past few months have shown the world anything, it's that Rebecca Black has all of the talents and determination to break free of her laugh-worthy shackles to producer something great. Let Her Burn sees Black take her shot at a serious full-length album; and she just so happens to nail it.

Final Rating: 4/5 (Great)

Essential Tracks: “Destroy Me,” “Look At You,” “Misery Loves Company”

#2023 reviews #2023 albums #rebecca black #4/5 Stars

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Kelela - Raven (Quick Album Review)

Genres: Alternative R&B

In 2013, an alternative R&B mixtape called Cut 4 Me by an artist named Kelela would subtly spark the career of one of the most exciting acts in R&B be music today. It would take her until 2017 to finally release a full-length album, which came in the form of the highly praised Take Me Apart. Nearly six full years later, Kelela has finally released the much anticipated follow-up to that album in the form of Raven. Raven is similar to Kelela's previous works as it ultimately relies on a style that borders on avant-garde. That being said, the R&B singer has truly gone all out on her latest studio album. Raven is the perfect culmination of the best traits that Kelela has demonstrated in her previous work. The vocal work found here is chilling, the tracklist feels diverse yet with an overarching sense of fluidity, and the choice to increase the ambient influences for the majority of the songs here in comparison to previous Kelela projects was a wise one. Even the more aggressive moments on the record, which are rare but appropriately placed, do not disturb the atmosphere in any way. Rather, the breakbeat sounds that Raven occasionally picks up merely add to to the soundscape being built by Kelela. Even despite an hour long runtime promising a hefty serving of new music from Kelela, there was no promising that Raven would be a worthy follow up to the unique excellency of Take Me Apart. Kelela rejects any notions of potential disappointment and instead puts together a listening experiences that is every bit as bewitching as it is expertly produced. 

Final Rating: 4/5 (Great)

Essential Tracks: “Bruises,” “Happy Ending,” “Raven”

#2023 albums #2023 quick reviews #kelela #4/5 Stars

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Paramore - This Is Why (Album Review)

Genres: New Wave, Dance-Punk, Post-Punk

Few bands from the 2000s can claim to have the same career arc as Paramore. After staking a temporary place in the mainstream with their first three albums and hit singles like "Misery Business," it seemed likely that Paramore would follow the path walked by their peers such as All Time Low and Simple Plan by falling into unimportance while being well-remembered by the aging scene kids that once represented Paramore's affiliated brand of youth culture. Rather than falling by the wayside of pop culture, Paramore began a new and more power pop based era of their career with their 2013 self-titled album as fan-favorite tracks like "Ain't It Fun," "Still Into You," and "Fast in My Car" ensured that their dedicated fanbase remained larger than ever. After delving into new wave with the heavily beloved After Laughter in 2017, Paramore return five and a half years later with a surprisingly feisty effort in This Is Why.

It seemed unlikely that Paramore would put out anything with a particular degree of angst after their multiple ventures into the more chill and laidback side of their influences. However, the general style of This Is Why proves to the listener otherwise. Similar to the single "The News," a solid chunk of This Is Why is based around a very melodic sense of post-punk mixed with casual indie rock. Songs like "You First" have a bite to them that hasn't been majorly featured in Paramore's body of work for quite a while at this point. This isn't to say that their last two records weren't great. The band's self-titled album and After Laughter are undoubtedly their two most focused and consistently successful works overall. With that in mind, it is nice to hear this new era of Paramore mesh so seamlessly with some sonic aesthetics and textures that lean more towards records like Riot!. Those who find themselves more heavily grabbed by the polished production and pop-esque song structures of Paramore's more recent releases have nothing to fear, however, as This Is Why is unashamedly the modern version of the band in question. While the post-punk influence is something rooted in Paramore's original influences, the aforementioned sound is executed in a very smoothed-out manner. The final result of this is a record that sounds equally sharp in terms of production and performance. Meanwhile, cuts like "Thick Skull" and "Big Man, Little Dignity" allow the group to show off their subdued and indie pop sides respectively. This Is Why covers virtually every inch of ground that Paramore have covered in the past. As such, there is something to be found here that is relevant to the taste of anyone who has experience with any of the group's previous efforts. Despite the fact that This Is Why has an attitude that has been missing from Paramore's music (despite being inessential for their success) for quite some time now, there are undeniably issues related to production that do what they can to work against it. Producer Carlos de la Garza's presence marks a shift away from the behind-the-scenes masterminding of band member Taylor York. Carlos de la Garza's body of work ranges from Jimmy Eat World to Best Coast, and his production credits on the Hayley Williams solo outing Petals for Armor would initially make him seem like the perfect choice to coordinate the production of This Is Why. Unfortunately, this does not turn out to be the case. While the instrumentals themselves are excellent, the guitar work of Taylor York and percussionist Zac Farro don't have enough pop in the mix to truly stand out. Hayley Williams' vocal work is fantastic as always, but she ends up being the only musician that stands out on a record that has come out in a time where Paramore feel the most like a proper band since their self-titled album in 2013. Although it doesn't ruin the listening experience by any means, This Is Why would be a much more successful record if it held more weight behind it sonically. This Is Why may not be the explosive comeback that diehard Paramore fans have been hoping for. Whether this record was worth the five and a half year long wait is debatable, but what isn't is how pleasant of a surprise the band's willingness to evolve while sounding as enthusiastic as ever. This Is Why has some unquestionable issues in relation to its production. It is arguable that This Is Why could have been the most gripping and engaging Paramore record to date had it felt a bit more explosive in regards to its behind-the-scenes work, but it seemingly was not meant to be. Nonetheless, it remains a well-performed album that further solidifies the consistent rate at which Paramore continue to outpace virtually all of their peers from the 2000s in the current musical landscape.

Final Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Essential Tracks: “The News,” “This Is Why”

#2023 reviews #2023 albums #paramore #3.5/5 stars

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Yo La Tengo - This Stupid World (Quick Album Review)

Genres: Indie Rock, Post-Rock

Despite their critical acclaim and "indie legends" status, Yo La Tengo are one of those bands with a discography that never quite lived up to their own footprint on alternative music. Records like I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One are surely classics, but middling outings such as Fakebook and There's a Riot Going On make up the majority of the group's catalogue. With that in mind, This Stupid World acts as one of the more consistent and respectable 21st century efforts from Yo La Tengo. Much of the band's notorious self-indulgence is left behind here. Rather than the bloated and unnecessary epics that the band have become known for, This Stupid World is a pleasant and relatively compact forty-eight minute venture that never once wanders off into the realm of excessive post-rock adjacent influences. Yo La Tengo can be too musically and aesthetically dreamy for their own good at times, but This Stupid World manages to avoid most of the flaws that plague even some of their finest releases. Yo La Tengo's latest record is based around strong performances, solid lyrical efforts, and a general sense of sturdiness that makes for a standout for them in recent memory after several forgettable records. While I may not be totally blown away by the ambitions of Yo La Tengo here, I still believe This Stupid World is an above-average listen that will surely please fans of the band and newcomers alike. 

Final Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Essential Tracks: N/A

#2023 quick reviews #2023 albums #yo la tengo #3.5/5 stars