YG: My Krazy Life ALBUM REVIEW

YG is one of the new faces in West Coast hip-hop, along with acts like Schoolboy Q, or Jay Rock. There are other acts I could mention, a couple of which actually appear on this LP, but they simply don't make music I enjoy. To be honest I'm actually surprised I enjoyed this release at all because while the single "My Hitta" was a pretty big guilty pleasure last year, I wasn't expecting anything substantial from YG in a full length capacity. And to some extent, he doesn't, however the reverence for classics like Doggystyle and The Chronic is so strong, I can't help but bop my head and have a good time.

This albums best moments come when YG embraces the jokey, g-funk esque raps that Snoop Dogg made so well back in the day. The tracks "I Just Wanna Party", "Do It To Ya" and "Me And My B****" are great examples of West coast hip-hop at it's most carefree and laid back, even though YG is rapping about never leaving the house without his tool, or a cheating girlfriend. 

The Black Hippie collective is also pretty prominent on this LP providing verses on two of the best tracks on the whole album, especially "Really Be (Smokin N Drinkin)" where Kendrick Lamar stops by for a pretty decent verse. 

While I do enjoy listening to this LP, I can't say that it is anything revolutionary. It has plenty of potholes, like the Drake featuring track "Who Do You Love?" which just doesn't click with me at all, or the closing track here that tries to bring some semblance of remorse to YG's character, but comes off as hokey since he spent the last forty minutes talking about all manner of debauchery with little sympathy. 

But that is kind of the point, this LP isn't trying to hard to be anything serious, and that's okay. I think this album will be pretty great for some Summer time listening when I'm in the mood for it. 

7.2/10

Future Islands: Singles ALBUM REVIEW

Future Islands is a synth-pop outfit from North Carolina, and they have been making music since around 2006. Earlier in there discography they played much more lo-fi, spastic music that re lied less on instrumentation and more on their lead singer, Sam Herring, to do the heavy lifting. However, before I go on, I must say that over the last couple of years, ever since I heard their sophomore LP In Evening Air, I have been captivated by this band. This comes from the simple, yet dance-able beats, bouncy and often distorted bass lines, and the undeniable lead vocals. These vocals have been discussed time and time again, but they are just so singular that it is impossible not to make them the band's most notable feature. 

That is how it was on the band's last LP On The Water since the instrumentation was more toned down and spacious, but with Singles, the band strives for a perfect balance of these two elements, and to me, they achieve it. 

From the first track, the lead single "Seasons (Waiting On You)" it is evident that the move from KillJockey to 4AD has lead to a lot of refinement in the band's sound, with smooth instrumentation and Sam's voice resting in a perfect spot in the mix. Another gorgeous moment on this LP comes in the form of the lovelorn track "Sun In The Morning", which is a beautiful ode to being in love, something that Mr. Herring is entirely too good at doing. 

The track "Doves" is a smooth and lighthearted little tune, with glistening synth keys playing away in the background, and the track "Lighthouse" features chiming guitar chords that perfectly compliment Sam Herring's more toned down performance. 

If you are a fan of Future Islands, you may think that this LP is the start of Sam Herring toning down his voice and bringing a more mild-mannered attitude to the table... that is, until you listen to "Fall From Grace" which starts off pretty silky, until Sam brings the vocal barbwire to the table with screams that would put the best death-metal screamers to shame.

If I had to pick out a weaker moment the track "Like The Moon" would be it. It's not a bad song by any means, but it just doesn't resonate like some of the other tracks surrounding it. Also, maybe the LP could have use an other song or two, but this is just me wanting more from one of my favorite bands than an actual complaint 

I have to say I'm very happy with what Future Islands did with their latest LP. They managed to progress their sound without removing any of the intensity, and they even managed to capture the attention of a larger audience through 4AD and their fantastic performance on Letterman. Simply wonderful.

9.4/10

Schoolboy Q: Oxymoron ALBUM REVIEW

In the world of modern west coast hip-hop, it is impossible to deny the impact of the Black Hippie/ TDE collective. With acts like Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock and Schoolboy Q they have been redefining not only what west coast rap sounds like, but also reinstating competition among their peers. Even though Kendrick is the most popular and it's easy to see that Schoolboy Q easily has the most appeal when it comes to mainstream hip-hop. His subject matter and aesthetic fit perfectly with the current trend of cloudy weed raps that dominate the charts right now. However, even though there are moment on Oxymoron that would say otherwise, Schoolboy Q has a lot more to offer than your run-of-the-mill rapper.

Case and point, the tracks "Prescription/ Oxymoron" and "Hoover Street", the former starts of with a pretty heart-wrenching sample of Q's daughter telling him to "Wake up daddy" followed by Q rapping about his addiction to prescription drugs and how it makes him ignore family and friends. While the latter half of the song, aptly named "Oxymoron" sees Q rapping about he "Just stopped selling crack today." The track "Hoover Street" sounds like a classic mid-nineties gangsta rap track, but with  a slightly more experimental beat. "Hoover" also shows off Q's ability to sound a whole lot like he's some long lost Wu Tang member, with his gruff voice and gritty subject matter. 

The lead single "Collard Greens" is a song that grew on me, and may just be my favorite on the entire LP, while the track "Man of The Year" is ok, but could have used more variation between the verses and chorus. Unfortunately the third single is the track featuring the all too relevant 2 Chainz ironically called "What They Want", and let me just say I laughed a lot during 2 Chainz's verse, but it wasn't do to his "clever wordplay." 

Other snags in the albums flow come in the form of "Hell of a Night" and the Tyler the Creator produced "Purge" which wasn't bad, but felt too bland in comparison to other tracks on this LP and from Tyler's last album Wolf. 

So far, from what I've read on the ol' interwebs, this LP is either love it, or hate it; I fall in the "It's good, but not great" category and think it's worth listening to. 

7.9/10

A Tribe Called Quest: The Low End Theory CLASSIC REVIEW

In the early 90s, hip hop was beginning to split into two prominent movements, the West coast and East coast. There are a lot of fantastic artists that came out of both of those coasts, and everywhere in between, but I'm here to talk about a group that never really picked sides. A Tribe Called Quest at the time of the The Low End Theory, was comprised of MC's Q-Tip, Phife Dawg and DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad. The group was one of the core founders and members of the Native Tongue Posses, and believed in creating hip hop that was more mental and thought provoking. Sure, a song like "Left My Wallet In El Sugundo" wasn't afraid to be humorous, but you'd never hear them promoting violence or drugs. 

Instead, it was all about clever wordplay and a lot of smooth, jazzy beats. TLET also signified a change in Tribe's sound, with more... well, low end frequencies, and more socially conscience lyrics. It was also the first time Phife had a prominent spot on the mic, which may be sole reason why this is my favorite LP of Tribe's. 

The track "Buggin Out" is pure lyrical aggression, but not in the same contemporaries like Wu Tang were. While the opener "Excursions" has a bass line that is immediately lovable and is a true highlight of an album that is full of them. Another classic from this LP is the single "Check the Rhyme" which has Q and Phife trading verses about growing up on the east side, and how they got into the rap game. 



This LP may be my favorite from this group, and that's saying a lot since Tribe are the band that got me into Hip-Hop in the first place, and I hold their first three albums to be some of the best the genre has to offer. TLET just has the perfect mixture of smooth, jazzy beats and lyrical acuteness that makes Tribe one of the greats.  

Finally, I would like to end this review with what I think is the single most obvious reasons this LP is a true classic.... The track "Scenario". If you haven't heard this track then allow me to introduce you...

Busta Rhymes' verse/ 10

Sun Kil Moon: Benji ALBUM REVIEW

Sun Kil Moon is the solo moniker of Mark Kozelek who you might recognize as the lead singer from the 90's band, Red House Painters. A band that prided itself on writing very slow, but also emotionally complex songs. That tradition isn't lost on Mark's solo stuff, as Mark himself says on the track "I Watched the Song Remains the Same", that he has always been a melancholy person. Thus, Benji is not an album with a lot "happy" moments, however, it would be wrong to say there isn't a light at the end of the tunnel.

The album starts mournfully and beautifully with the track "Carissa" which details the unfortunate death of Mark's second cousin who burned to death after accidentally putting an aerosol can in the trash. An event that is later recalled on the track "Truck Driver" where Mark tells an eerily similar story, but this time about his uncle.

Loss of friends and family plays a bug role on Benji, whether it be a physical death or a separation of emotions. For instance, the track "I Love My Dad" is a tribute to Mark's father, but he only describes things he did when mark was young, not the man he is currently which he hints at toward the end of the song by saying he's not a perfect man.

Another truly standout moment on this LP, and perhaps my favorite is the song "Jim Wise." It tells the story of a man who "Mercy killed his wife at the hospital, by her bedside", but now faces life in prison, and is currently under house arrest. The way Mark paints the picture of Jim and the situation he's in is so vivid and heartbreaking, I can't help but get a little choked up every time I listen to it.

In fact, that emotion is one I feel throughout the album, it's one of sadness, but mixed with an odd sense of assurance that even though there is a lot of death and pain in life, there are moments of happiness that make it all worthwhile. The track "Ben's My Friend" is the closer, and goes through a "Pretty dull and uneventful" day in Mark's life, ending in him going to see The Postal Service in concert. I love Mark's wry lyrics on this track, and just try to get the refrain about crab cakes out of your head.

I loved this album, and see it as an early contender for album of the year... it's that good.

10/10

The Maccabees: Colour It In CLASSIC REVIEW

Note: when I put an album in the "Classic Review" category, I mean a classic in my eyes. So, in case anyone wonders why certain LPs are under this title, it simply means albums that are a few years old that I think are worth talking about!

In the mid 00's a lot of bands came out playing a style of rock music that wasn't around at that point since bands like Gang of Four stopped playing it back in the 90's. Bands like Bloc Party, Foals and The Maccabees all played a catchy, somewhat angular style of rock that focused on jagged guitars and nimble rhythm sections.

One of the sadly overlooked bands in this revival however, was the previously mentioned Maccabees. They may not have continued to release stellar albums after Colour It In, but what they did do with this LP is worth mentioning. Out of all of the bands playing this kind of music in the mid 00's, none of them released a project as catchy and thoroughly exhilarating as CIN. 

The LP starts with the song "X-Ray" which may actually be the most familiar style-wise if you're into any of the aforementioned bands, it is also perhaps the most self-serious song on the entire LP. "All in Your Rows" and "Latchmere" are far more light-hearted and fun, making them some of the most memorable on CIN. The track "Precious Time" is a sweet song about relationships and is anchored by a really strong refrain.

Though there are some sources that will tell you to look over this LP because it is too familiar, I argue that The Maccabees were familiar in a good way. Unlike other bands in this style, whenever I hear a track from this LP, I am struck by just how stand out they are, for their catchy hooks and prominent bass, a quality I think any good rock song should have.

I could go on and on about how every single track on this album explodes and bounces around, but I'll restrain myself by saying that if you are looking for an LP that will lift your spirits and make you want to dance around your room for a solid half-hour; I recommend Colour It In.

9.5/10