the rare jacra - transparent ep

make sure you're happy with you when the day is through - transparent intro

transparency is the best way to attack making music. letting listeners truly know what you're about is always welcomed and that authenticity can usually strengthen the music. it does so in full force with this ep. the intentions are pure and evident. the simplicity is easy to discern and identify with and the atmosphere created by the instrumentals only accentuates that it's okay to feel. however, if you're not in the same mindset as where the ep is going or what it's talking about, it's just going to be opaque.

score: 46

please check out the rare jacra's (@jakethedog) new song with @__beamin:
livefromthemoon

death grips - jenny death

my shit's been retarded since beginning of time - pss pss

death grips create an intensity not known in most hip hop because it's not just hip hop. gritty guitars, hyperactive bleep bloops and all things loud rupture any concept of convention one might have. there's some sort of order in the chaos; the pacing of each song is rather normal (especially compared to niggas on the moon) and the pacing of the entire album is sensible.

mc ride is still very unnerving for a number of reasons: his intensity is always on high, his vulgarity is as outrageous as it is intriguing and his lyrical honesty on certain tracks (specifically On GP) is much more obvious than previous albums. flatliner's grasp of sound texture is near top notch and zach hill's drumming skills have never been more exhilarating. it's the right amount of energy, the right amount of catchy and the right length. each listen there's something new to attach yourself to and that replayability factor is what keeps death grips relevant.

score: 90

sleeping with sirens - madness

sell us the world but we ain't selling out - we like it loud

madness is in fact the emotion that is evoked when coming into this album. are you crazy for expecting a post-hardcore album and receiving a mainstream pop rock album? that's not really what's maddening. the most ridiculous thing is that this album claims to be something different (see the track we like it loud) but it's really much of the same old shit that it claims to be better than.

lyrically, this album is a mess. there's nothing here to truly pick at because it's all more shallow than a puddle. instrumentally, it's about as sound as a paper bag; i've heard these chord progressions done better and i'm convinced that these are 5 seconds of summer b-sides. do yourself a favor and experience the madness once so that you know how to stay far away from it in the future.

top 1 + bottom 3: parasites (special edition cut), better off dead, november, the strays

score: 18

action bronson - mr. wonderful

have a fuckin' sleepover with my weapons / my rambo knife is eatin' nuggets with my smith & wesson - a light in the addict

[should've saved my food review for bronson instead of kendrick, huh]

bronsoliño has to be one of the more interesting figures in hip hop right now in a non-musical sense. it's hard to separate his persona from his music because of the way he integrates them. he takes the recipe for an album and chooses to omit certain ingredients for the stylings that he favors. armed with a breadth of knowledge of both kinds of bread, he delivers some freshness.

however, it's really easy to fill up on the breadsticks before the full meal. most of the songs here have a thickness to them, primarily due to the stream of words that bronson spits with a slurred inflection. the production is crisp yet hazy, all psychedelic. in that, it blurs together and can be quite entrancing. this is its biggest strength and ultimately its biggest weakness.

top 3 + bottom one: actin' crazy, easy rider, a light in the addict, city boy blues

score: 55

earl sweatshirt - i don't like shit, i don't go outside: an album by earl sweatshirt

i just want my time and my mind intact / when they both gone, you can't buy 'em back - grief

earl should go outside. there's a lot out there to grasp for someone like him, a lot of experiences that he could collect and use to fuel his lyricism. but then again, earl should stay inside. he's got the twisted closed off shtick down and his darkness does captivate. schrodinger's sweatshirt: if earl branched out more and engaged in some of the trends being set by his peers (not his odd future peers) would he emerge as a stronger rapper or would he completely lose what got him there in the first place?

what we do know is that a stripped down aesthetic is what earl does like; no beat sounds like it was given more than 30 minutes of attention. no verse really sounds like it was given more than 30 minutes of attention, but for earl that results in the occasional bar or idea that's pretty striking. since each listen of the album only demands 30 minutes of attention, it gives you what you'd expect. schrodinger's sweatshirt.

top 3 + bottom one: grief, dna, wool, am (not radio)

score: 52

kendrick lamar - to pimp a butterfly

i've been A1 since day one, you niggas boo boo - hood politics

to pimp a butterfly is a hearty selection of cold cuts slapped with a generous helping of a groovy marinade cooked medium well, served on a black platter with a side of black eyed peas (for the soul). it's a dish best served, no modifier needed. from the appetizing beginning to the dessert prepared by 2pac himself, there's no way you could leave feeling like you were under fed. you might even feel bloated, almost sick to your stomach due to how rich it was and how quickly you devoured it. every punchline and bassline alike more delectable than the last. the garnish at the end of each track only prepared you for the next dish, fork and knife at attention ready to consume. it's effortless. 

conventionally speaking, there's a lot to take in with this album, and it's up to you how you want to experience it. it is lyrically intriguing; there are times where you will laugh, wince, and feel inspired. it is musically rewarding; there's just something about the compositions that feel right at home but conversely from some far away planet, only accessible via mothership. certain things may click from the jump, others might kick in at halftime. it's all about who you are and what you've experienced combined with how you choose to experience the butterfly.

top 3 + bottom none: hood politics, alright, king kunta

score: 93

fall out boy - american beauty / american psycho

you take the full, full truth, then you pour some out - american beauty / american psycho

growing up with fall out boy has been quite the wild ride as a listener, so for them everything must be amplified intensely. throughout their entire career they've been under the spotlight for doing things differently regardless of the scene they resided in. this phase of fall out boy-hood is one of their most boyish even though they're at their most mature in their personal lives.

the record is simple and easy to digest. most of the songs don't deviate too far from each other sonically. this makes for a bland run through of the album, but strong individual songs. nothing here is bad music - centuries is a powerhouse with an immense chorus, uma thurman and the title track are the obvious boogie down numbers and twin skeleton's has a sense of raw grit that is unmatched elsewhere. this is not an attack on pop rock, because the boys are some of the best doing it right now. it is more of a point made to note the movement away from more of the drama filled lyricism of the past in favor of lighter themes, movement towards blending dance/hip hop textures with the sharpness of their pop punk.

there is a certain level of skill in balancing so many feelings and styles. there's a great deal of beauty, but the psycho has fallen out a bit.

top 3 + bottom one: centuries, jet pack blues, twin skeletons (hotel in nyc), the kids aren't alright

score: 64

broadway - contexture: gods, men, and the infinite cosmos

i mean after all, i am an abomination - doppelganger

evolution is a concept that when applied to music is something that most every artist strives for. it's the need to explore spaces that are outside the box of the past, the desire to break free of what holds you down. even though the cosmos may be infinite, it's not so bad staying home on earth. with a new lineup, broadway returns to the scene with a whole new outlook.

there's some of everything here: driving rock and roll rhythms complete with melodic soloing, gruff guitars to accentuate the chunky drum sections, and smooth, buttery vocals that sound a tad bit more mature. this spacious atmosphere is also its biggest annoyance. the technicality is few and far between, the soaring choruses are rarely found and the catchy lyrics are traded in for a loose concept of space and tech talk. broadway have definitely evolved, and they've created somewhat of a monster.

top 3 + bottom one: doppelganger, interstellar avalanche, volcano jack, found you

score: 55

purity ring - another eternity

watching me is like watching a fire take your eyes from you - repetition

figuring out what purity ring sounds like isn't difficult, you need not look any further than their name and album cover. these ten tracks ring pure and give the feeling of floating in an open space. even though this emptiness may be the overarching emotion evoked, these tracks are not entirely sterile; the trap influence is present thus creating contrast with the sweet vocals. it may seem counterproductive, but the blend makes for a nice ride.

there's sort of an ebb and flow to each song, with one part soaring and one part focusing on laying foundation, with the choruses taking the former route most often. these foundation moments are usually built upon a short repeated phrase that really gets you stuck in the mood. instrumental breaks are frequent and very refreshing as they allow the vibe to fully wash over you before the next verse comes in. every sound made has a purpose, each sound has it's own layer in the cake. 

bonus notes:
- the opening tone on push pull reminds me of the opening tone of drake - take care
- stranger than earth's "i wasn't thinking' 'bout you" really reminds me of frank ocean's thinkin' 'bout you
- this album sounds like what i wanted lights' follow up to siberia to be

top 3 + bottom one: repetition, push pull, begin again, sea castle

chart.jpg

score: 88

big sean - dark sky paradise

niggas can't control me, ain't no handles on me - paradise

if you would've told me in 2012 that i'd be interested and eager to listen to a big sean album, i would've laughed in your face. thankfully, sean has grown quite a bit since the a$$ days. with kanye at the executive production helm, big sean delivers some of his most hard hitting and emotional material yet. as the album's title suggests, a looming sense of unrest pervades every song in some way. 

most of these beats feel dark; even the most uplifting track one man can change the world feels heavier. it creates a serious tone that sean really takes advantage of on the more intense instrumentals but conversely hurts him on the slower ones. it's not even about what he has to say, it's explicitly how he sounds when he says it. further expanding that, he uses many different pacing styles successfully all over the album, so it may be that he simply hasn't picked the right one to use on the more introspective tracks.

in closing and more direct: the album is almost two sided. the front half is the more aggressive boastful big sean, and the latter is the more introspective medium sean. (if you have the special edition, it's more like thirds, with the second part being medium sean who returns to being big with the last two + all three bonus tracks) he's not all the way live just yet, but this is a solid step in the right direction.

top 3 + bottom one: all your fault, i don't fuck with you, paradise, i know 

score: 63