Earl Sweatshirt: I Don't Like S***, I Don't Go Outside ALBUM REVIEW

Earl Sweatshirt is kind of becoming a paradox. To me, he always had the most talent and ambition out of all the Odd Future crew, but consistently since he got out of boarding school, Earl has been putting out projects that are just okay. This is infuriating to me. Doris came out a couple years ago, and that album ended up being one of the most disappointing of that year to me because, again, Earl has so much potential and talent, his albums should be a lot better. 

His latest, I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside is a step in the right direction, but it's just too insubstantial to really be great. Also, while the first half is consistently on point, the second half is cluttered with instrumentals, or tracks that just don't stick with me, like "DNA" or "Inside". However, those tracks on the first half are some of Earl's best, and are worth listening to. Especially tracks like "Faucet" which has a smooth and moody beat; Earl goes over some personal details and talks about his family. It's nice to hear Earl being open on this album; it even leads to this LP being one of the dreariest and depressing you're bound to hear this year, with tracks like "Grief" possessing a haunting quality. 

Still, with all the good qualities that the first half possesses, the project as a whole just isn't as memorable as it should be. Earl himself, in the chaos of the album's leak, even said this is his "first album" or at least the first album that he's proud to have produced. That sentiment is understandable since this is leagues above Doris in terms of cohesion and quality control, but I just can't bring myself to love this album. It's good, but not great. 

I'm still a fan of Earl, and look forward to what he's got planned for the future. Since he's finally making music that is 'Him', maybe we'll get an album that is worthy of being called a classic. 

7.0/10

Sufjan Stevens: Carrie & Lowell ALBUM REVIEW

Sufjan Stevens is one of indie music's biggest and most respected figure heads. For years he's been putting out albums that make big statements, either with illustrious instrumentation on albums like Illinoise, or with ideological contemplations on an album like Seven Swans. Everything Sufjan does seems to drip with ambition and care. The latest album from Sufjan is a similarly labored over affair, but this time around, Mr. Stevens has decided to scale things back and strip away all pretense; this is an album about Sufjan's life. Or at least his life as it pertains to his late mother one half of the titular Carrie & Lowell.

The relationship in question seems to have been a troubled one, with tracks like "Should Have Known Better" recalling memories of Sufjan being left at a video store when he was four years old. Or the opener, where Sufjan says he forgives his mother, though at the same time, doesn't tell us exactly what has transpired between then, and the forgiveness isn't followed by an understanding of why she did what she did in the first place.

 Aside from the central theme of Sufjan's relationship with his mother, we also get some very dark musings about the nature of life and death. For example, the refrain on the track "Fourth Of July" is essentially Sufjan coming to terms with how everyone, at some point, will die. And a little later on the track "The Only Thing" Stevens asks if he should tear his heart, and eyes out now, as to avoid feeling hurt, or seeing something bad or disappointing.

Overall, this album is the darkest project Sufjan has ever put out, but it is also one of his most human and beautiful. Most of the time on a Sufjan Stevens album, the listener is taken on a ride through gorgeous instrumentals, and glorious harmonies, but the personal connection with the frontman is that of a crowd of people witnessing a magician, and marveling at how he continually pulls the rabbit out of the hat; however, on Carrie & Lowell, there's nothing up his sleeves. Instead, we get an album that sees, for the first time in a while (albums like Michigan and Seven Swans also had very personal moments) we get to peak into the mind of one of the most talented and inventive singer-songwriters of the past decade.

My only slight complaint with this album, and it is rather minor, is that it has a similar feel throughout, which at some points felt a little samey samey, at least on my first few listens. But, other than that, this is easily one of the most beautiful albums I've heard all year, and I can guarantee that this album will make it on my best of list at the end of the year. It really is something special.

9.3/10

Action Bronson: Mr. Wonderful ALBUM REVIEW

Action Bronson is a pretty funny guy. With his YouTube show, his penchant for rapping about food, and all of the interviews he's done where he comes off as a genuinely hilarious guy, I honestly wasn't expecting his debut album to be full of mind-bending or especially challenging music. And honestly, the music here is exactly what I thought it would be, for the most part.

I know Bronson is hailed for his mix tapes, but to me, they had a lot of good ideas and some good tracks, but ultimately felt undercooked in a lot of ways. While Mr. Wonderful doesn't shake that fact entirely, to me, this album easily has Bronson's best material. However, it also has some of his most baffling. For instance, the interlude track "TRUE LOVE STORY 2017" is a truly awful moment featuring an older man singing about a girl (or drugs). If this track had been sung by a better vocalist, or maybe set up a more compelling song, I'd be okay with it, but instead we get "City Boy Blues" which is not even a rap song, but has Bronson going all bluesmen on us. Again, this isn't a terrible IDEA, but Bronson is not a good singer... at all.

I can accept his vocals on a track like "Brand New Car" because it comes off as more of a joke than something I'm supposed to take seriously, and that track only features this off key singing for short bit before going into some solid rapping from Bronson, who is infinitely better at rapping than singing. Finally, to cap off the issues I have with this album, some tracks here, like the penultimate "The Passage" or most of "A Light In The Addict" hardly feature Bronson at all.

However, aside from these few tracks, I actually loved a lot of what I was hearing on Mr. Wonderful. The singles on this album are all great; "Terry" is a smooth track that has Bronson rapping about heartbreak, and the track "Baby Blue" has an excellent hook and a hilarious guest verse from Chance The Rapper. "Easy Rider" finally finds a home on this album, and the track "Actin' Crazy" is my favorite Action Bronson track by far, it just has all the elements that make his tracks enjoyable, and has a killer beat to boot. There are also a couple other nice deep cuts with "Falconry" and "Galactic Love" which both could have been longer, but they are great nonetheless.

So, while I wasn't head over heels for this album as a whole, I still found an overall enjoyable album in Mr. Wonderful. I only hope that Bronson practices a little more quality control on his next studio effort, because I know he can be a lot more consistent than this. Still, I can see myself bumping tracks like "Baby Blue" and "Actin' Crazy" for the rest of the year.

8.0/10

Death: Symbolic METAL MARCH ALBUM REVIEW

Death are easily one one the most revered and respected acts in all of metal. They, or more specifically lead guitarist and front man Chuck Schuldiner, contributed to the birth of Death Metal in a really big way. Though bands like Possessed had already released albums that would go on to define the sound of Death Metal, Death really took things further, especially in the latter part of their career. Enter Symbolic, an album that sees Death in a truly mastered form. Though the line up for this band changed almost completely with every album, Chuck being the anchor, Symbolic has, in my opinion, the band's strongest line-up ever. While I really love albums like Leprosy, and Individual Though Patterns, the playing and actual production on Symbolic is second to none. Everything sounds great, and the musicianship on display here is truly awe-inspiring. 

The album kicks off with the title track, which starts slow, but suddenly kicks into speedy blast beats and dual guitar shredding, a sound that defined not only Death, but the entire genre of Death Metal as well. While the album is incredible all the way through, my favorite tracks all come together right in the middle. In fact, the run of tracks from "Sacred Serenity" to "Crystal Mountain" rank among the strongest I've ever heard on any metal album. What all of these tracks have in common are relentless, chugging riffs, immaculate drumming, and Schuldiner's retching growl. 

That growl is one of the best that the genre has to offer, and in truth it only got more brutal and frightening as the band went on. And the vocals weren't all technicality and showmanship, because Schulinder, at least on later Death releases fancied himself to be a bit of a poet. Though this is far from being dainty, with a lot of images of death, mental imprisonment, paranoia, and the concept of memory and time. It can seem a bit nihilistic at times, but that seems to be more of an artistic choice than a personal one. 

Death are a more recent discovery for me, as I usually associated Death Metal with the likes of Mayhem and Cannibal Corpse, both of which interested me not at all. However, I've found myself really loving everything from Death that I've put my ears on, and this has lead me to work on slowly owning all of their LPs, birthing another love story in my musical life. 

If you haven't heard of Death, or want an easy in for Death Metal, you really can't get any better than Symbolic, it's really something special. 

9.5/10

Death Grips: The Powers That B ALBUM REVIEW

Well, it's finally here. Last year, Death Grips released the first half of what is now known as their swan song album, The Powers That B. I didn't review that first half, because I wanted to wait until the album was complete, to avoid over, or under- estimating it. So, while it took them nearly a full year, we finally have the complete album, at least in digital form. 

Now I won't go into the nature of this release much farther, because chances are, you've heard about it, or you know how to google things. However, there is one question that I'm here to at least give my personal answer to, is this a good album? 

Luckily, at least in my eyes, this is the culmination of everything Death Grips has done in the past four years, from the line blurring Ex Military, to the spacey Government Plates. The Powers That B takes elements from all of the groups past releases, smashes them together, and comes through with a double album's worth he tracks, that are simply pure listening bliss if you've been a fan of these guys up to this point, or if you love when a group messes with the rules and boundaries of a genre.

Starting with the first half, we get what actually feels like one continuous track, with every track flowing seamlessly into the next. I love the chaotic start with the track "Up My Sleeves" with the way the instrumental seems to drag and scrape along, all while MC Ride talks about suicide and "quenching his herst". Other highlights include the braggadocios "Black Quarterback" and  the trippy "Say Hey Kid". This side is so cohesive and has a lot of little instrumental back alleys to explore. This side reminds me of projects like No Love Deep Web and Government Plates, for how odd and out there the instrumentals are, and Ride just lays one cryptic verse after another, all while changing his flow and even the sound of his voice which usually stays at a constant yell. 

While the first half shows the more subtle and cryptic side of Death Grips, the second half feels like a sledgehammer to the face... or a mirror as would be suggesting by the first track "I Break Mirrors With My Face In The United States." A track that, even in the wonderful world of Death Grips track names, is utterly hilarious and brilliant all at the same time. This side of the album just hits you with one kick to the face after another, especially with tracks like "Inanimate Sensation" and "The Powers That B" which both have hooks that rival anything on The Money Store. But this side's biggest surprises come with tracks like "Beyond Alive", "Turned Off", and "On GP", all of which have clear live guitar and drums on them, whether they are live or sampled, they all sound fantastic and lend a lot of punch to these tracks. 

In a way this album mirrors the one two punch of the band's two 2012 albums, The Money Store and No Love Deep Web, but this time around, with things seemingly coming to an end for the group, they put every ounce of aggression and introspection into this double album, which leads to this simply being their most cohesive and instantaneous album to date. 

I wasn't expecting to do this... but I think this album is another example, like Kendrick's album earlier this week, of music at its best. Music was meant to be pushed forward, and while I do enjoy artists who commit to simply making their music solid and rooted in tradition, I have to give credit when a band can be as wonderfully off the cuff and awesome as Death Grips. This may be the band's last project, but their legacy will last a very long time.

10/10

Tobias Jesso Jr.: Goon ALBUM REVIEW

Tobias Jesso Jr. sounds like a lot of people. When I say that, I don't necessarily mean it in a negative way, because the people he does sound like happen to be some of of favorite singer-songwriters of all time. When I hear the songs from his first album under his own name, I hear shreds of Paul McCartney, Billy Joel and maybe even a little Bob Dylan. The thing is, Tobias writes songs that sound timeless, but also of a very specific time and place in music; most notably, the late 70s and early 80s, where the piano bound crooner was a mainstay on the charts and, in our hearts.

While some people may find endless songs about heartbreak and love a bit boring, or even cheesy as is the case with some of the artists I mentioned above, I personally have a soft spot for a good melody with strong vocals singing wistfully about a love long past, or long over due; and Goon really delivers on that.

You can tell just by the titles the kind of music you're in for on Goon, as is the case with the opener "Can't Stop Thinking About You" which has such a beautiful melody, and of course, Tobias' croon is in perfect harmony, lending the song a lounge singer quality to it. The following track "How Could You Babe" ramps up the drama, and sees Tobias pushing his voice until it cracks, giving the track a sense of urgency that is really refreshing in a world where singer-songwriters are over produced and sound like really good Mac imitations of humans singing songs than actual thinking, feeling human beings singing about love.

Aside from the great vocal delivery, Goon also comes equipped with some great instrumentation. While it is mostly incredibly simple; piano, light drumming, and maybe a guitar strumming softly, it all still feels really big due to the way Tobias embellishes his vocals and piano playing. 

The only complaint I have with the album is that while I really do love the subject matter and style, I still feel a bit worn out after twelve tracks about roughly the same emotion, which in this case is longing, or heartbreak. But, that complaint is only a minor one, in the end I still found a great new face in the world of the piano bound singer songwriter! 

8.4/10

Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp A Butterfly ALBUM REVIEW

So, for a few years now, I've been listening to underground hip-hop pretty seriously, and without a doubt Kendrick Lamar has been the most exciting to witness. From Section .80 in 2011 to the Grammy snubbed, genre re-vitalizing Good Kid M.A.A.D City, Kendrick has been challenging not only his fellow rappers via guest verses, but has also been challenging societie's views on urban youths and gangs. He's never come off as preachy, instead opting to make his listeners think while providing a lot of energy, and some fantastic music.  

In fact, I thought things couldn't get much better than what we heard on GKMC, but I'm shocked and happy to say... this album is even better. First, when analyzing a Kendrick album, it has become custom to try and decipher the message, which this time around points to oppression and how people who are oppressed will resort to harming their own people to gain some kind of ground. 

The album kicks off with the fantastic "Wesley's Theory" which starts things off with a positive message, one that will be continued again prominently on the track "i", which was the first single to drop from this album; however, Kendrick chose to put a live version on the album. And actually, this move was a brilliant one, not only because I like the change made to the chorus, but the live energy goes over better than the pristine recording of the single, also Kendrick does a little freestyle at the end that helps send the message of self love that the song shoots for, home. 

Next, we get the upbeat and kind of zany "For Free? (interlude)" which has Kendrick saying in a pretty hilariously high-pitched voice "This dick ain't freeeeeeeee". This track is followed by the energetic, G-Funk inspired "King Kunta" which reminds me of "Backseat Freestyle", but has even more gusto and purpose behind it. 

I would go over every single track, one by one, but this isn't an essay, so I'll just rattle off some of my favorites. The track "u" is the flip side to "i" and is incredibly striking for how raw the emotions are on this track. "For Sale? (interlude)", "Complexion", and "You Ain't Gotta Lie" are all smooth, beautifully layered songs that all offer respite from the harsher, more aggressive moments on the album. I also loved tracks like "Blacker The Berry" which takes the subject of police violence and flips it on its head, and the track "Alright" is another catchy, track that segways into the following track perfectly.

Another things that I'm going to sum up in one piece rather than track by track is the actual instrumentation that To Pimp A Butterfly contains. Most of which, is live. With contributions from Flying Lotus, George Clinton, and Thundercat, this album features a lot of funk, soul, and jazz influences, which create a one of a kind listening experience when they're all blended together. Also, Kendrick's flow and lyrics are flawless on this album. Not one moment, musically, or lyrically fails to live up to the potential and hype that this album had leading up to its surprise release. 

Alright, I think I'm going to wrap things up by saying, go listen to this album, it's incredible. Kendrick Lamar is one of the best artists, in any genre to come out in the last ten years, and this  album only proves that. I'm so happy that this album is poised to get as much exposure and ears on it as possible, because Kendrick is speaking a message that I think people all over the world, especially Americans, need to hear.  Also... Kedrick has a simulated conversation with Tu-Pac at the end... it's effin crazy, but genius all at the same time. 

10/10

Metallica:...And Justice For All METAL MARCH ALBUM REVIEW

Metallica are easily the most well known of the Big Four (others include Anthrax, Megadeth, and Slayer), and they are also the band I spent the most time with when I was a young child. Before I discovered bands like Incubus (a band I really need to talk more about on this blog), The Decemberists, and Daft Punk, I was primarily listening to albums like Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, and my absolute favorite of the bunch,... And Justice For All. 

Sure, there are plenty of people who will say it's crazy to put this album above such classics as the above mentioned, but there is one reason that I put this album above the rest in the band's discography; it's pure, unfettered aggression filtered through one of Thrash metal's finest outfits. Having suffered the loss of their former bassist and childhood friend, Cliff Burton, the boys in Metallica were sad, angry, and ready to pen their darkest, most raw album yet. And boy do they ever do just that, from the first moment the drums and guitar kick in on the opener "Blackened" you know this is a different breed of Thrash album. Even for a band that had penned dark tunes before, like "Disposable Heroes" and "Master Of Puppets", the songs on AJFA are noticeably more brooding and aggressive. 

That feeling also comes through with the vocal performance that front man James Hetfield puts forth, displaying his signature growl, and backing it up with even more snarl; he sounds like a hungry beast, ready to attack the nearest thing in sight. Also, the lyrics on this album are more doom and gloom than before, with the opener focusing on death and how the world will be blackened in the end. The title track is a political number that Megadeth would proud of, and songs like "Shortest Straw" and "Eye Of The Beholder" are just pure Thrash perfection. 

The most popular track here is obviously "One", a track that paints the picture of a soldier returning from war without any of his limbs, and how is essentially in perpetual torture after being used like a frag doll by the military. Sure, the aggression and growling may not be for everyone, but I find it irresistible, and this is one album that I can put on and simply thrash about for the entire run time. 

If you haven't checked out this Metallica album, or are maybe thinking about getting in to Thrash as a genre, you can't go wrong with any of Metallica's early material. 

10/10 

Black Sabbath: Master Of Reality METAL MARCH ALBUM REVIEW

Welcome back to another addition of METAL MARCH! Today I have my favorite LP from the grandaddies of metal, Black freakin' Sabbath!

Black Sabbath are, as I stated above, the grandaddies of metal, in short, they penned the tunes, and the tuning, that made metal music a genre is the first place. On their first two albums, the band showcased a knack for bluesy darkness and riffs that went from steadfast gallops, to much more measured and doomy affairs, such as the title track from the band's self-titled debut. In my opinion, those first two albums are simply classic, and to deny that they are great is to deny the impact that they had on music. However, I do think that their third full length, the ominously titled, Master Of Reality, is their finest achievement in their early discography.

I've always been a big fan of the more gloomy and doom ridden side of metal, and Master Of Reality in a lot of ways is the genesis to what doom metal would become in the following decades, as well as stoner metal, seeing as bands like Sleep would go on to essentially copy the Master Of Reality blueprint on albums like Holy Mountain. But, with all of that influence and prestige, is the album still great? Abso-freakin-lutely.

The album kicks off with one of the bands most well known tracks, "Sweet Leaf" which yes, is a song about pot, but the riff and Ozzy's vocal delivery are anything but faded. Other classic tracks from this album are the ever so amazing and rifftastic "Children Of The Grave" which still has one of the meanest riffs in all of metal, and the doom and gloom closer, "Into The Void" which matches it's bleak title with an equally downtrodden groove and lyrics.

There are also a couple of short instrumentals that break things up a bit, but the only truly notable one to me is "Embryo" just for how beautiful it sounds. And the track "Solitude" is a standout track for just how quite it is compared to the other tracks on this album.

So yeah, this album is effin' amazing, and I could easily say the same thing about any early sabbath record, even Heaven & Hell, one of the albums they did with Dio, another metal icon. So, if you haven't experienced some Sabbath in your life, then get on it, you won't regret it.

Sabbath/10

Iron Maiden: Peace Of Mind METAL MARCH ALBUM REVIEW

Welcome back to another addition of METAL MARCH, an entire month dedicated to one of my favorite genres of music!

Today I bring you my personal favorite Iron Maiden album. Now if you don't know who Iron Maiden is, than let me spell it out for you in the simplest way possible: Iron Maiden are one of the finest metal acts of the 80s and beyond, they put out a long stream of genre defining albums (including this one) and helped pioneer a bigger, more epic sound in metal that took the genre from the basements and cramped venues of the 70s and into the big, ambitious stadiums that would go on to define the decade. Fellow British metal acts like Judas Priest would contribute to this as well, but none were finer (at least in my opinion) than Iron Maiden.

Peace Of Mind is the second album in a trilogy of albums that most Iron Maiden fans would say are the band's best, Number Of The Beast, Peace Of Mind, and another favorite of mine, Powerslave. Now, I love Powerslave to death, but I pick this album for one reason, "The Trooper". This track is simply my all-time favorite Iron Maiden track and is still a track that makes me want to through up the horns and headbang the whole way through.

Other tracks on here justify it being featured, such as the opener, "Where Eagles Dare" which is the superior song in Iron Maiden's discography about aerial combat, by the way, and is just such a great way to start this album, with a galloping riff (a signature of Iron Maiden) and solos that take you on a journey. Other fantastic moments are the military themed "Die With Your Boots On" and the fantastic closer "To Tame A Land".

Really, you can't go wrong with any Iron Maiden album that came out in the 80s, they were simply an unstoppable metal machine during that decade, and while their output since then has been hit-or-miss, I still think Iron Maiden is worth checking out if haven't already listened to them before.

9.5/10 

Megadeth: Rust In Peace METAL MARCH ALBUM REVIEW

Metal music has a very special place in my heart. It was the music of my childhood and continues to get my blood pumping to this very day, though I don't cover a lot of metal music on this blog (something I hope to fix) I really wanted to dedicate this month to some of my favorites in the metal genre. So, without further ado, let METAL MARCH begin!

Megadeth are a Thrash metal band who were born when lead singer and guitarist Dave Mustaine found himself kicked out of fellow Big Four contemporaries, Metallica. Instead of just copying what Metallica were doing, Mustaine took the Thrash style of Megadeth and used them to talk about military and government conspiracy, religious hypocrisy, and D&D fantasy novels.

What I love most about Megadeth (aside from their knack for writing some of the catchiest and headbang-worthy riffs in all of Thrash) is how goofy they can be. This album culminates that goofiness on the track "Five Magics" with a call and response section featuring what I can only describe as being some hideous orge. However, they pair these more laughable moments with some really awesome lines, like the one in "Hanger 18" where Mustaine pens the excellent "military Intelligence/ two words combined that can't make sense".

Now let's talk about the thing that we all come to Thrash metal for; the riffs. And let me tell you, if you haven't listened to this album yet, then the first two tracks will simply devastate you if you're not prepared. The opening track "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due" features one of the most iconic and awesome riffs in all of metal music, and the following track, the aforementioned "Hanger 18" is probably one of the finest songs about government paranoia ever put to tape.

But the rest of this album is, in my opinion, just as good as these two landmark moments. For instance, the track "Five Magics" while goofy, does have an excellent riff and face-melting solos that can't be denied. I also really love the track "Poison Was The Cure" with that heavy, hypnotic bass line, it gets me pumped every time I listen to it. We also get a fantastic closer in the form of the title track, or "My Creation" depending on which version you listen to... hint, pass on "My Creation".

So yeah, I get pretty excited about metal music, and this is an album that I've actually only recently listened to all the way through, though I've listened to the more well known cuts for about ten years at this point. Overall, this album is obviously a classic and deserves all of the praise it has gotten, which makes my rating kind of pointless, but hey, it's what I do!

10/10