Injury Reserve: Floss ALBUM REVIEW

Injury Reserve were the lone group featured on my end of the year list last year that I can guarantee you had no idea who they were. That's because up until last year with their debut full length Live From The Dentist Office, Injury Reserve were simply a trio from Arizona grinding out videos and an EP. However, I and many others saw listened to that LP and came away feeling really excited about the future of Injury Reserve and luckily the group didn't wait too long to follow that project up. And once again, T, Steppa and Parker don't disappoint on this new project.

However, Floss is a different kind of album for Injury Reserve, whereas the previous album brought to mind groups like Tribe or De La Soul, Floss is way more hype and has a much more prominent hardcore rap influence, but it also showcases even more uniqueness, especially on tracks like "Bad Boys 3" or "Oh Shit!" which kicks the album off perfectly. We also get to see the groups newfound relevance take fruition with features such as Vic Mensa and Cakes Da Killa, both of which bring some incredibly strong verses. But just like the first project, the two core MC's Ritchie and Steppa really steal the show, and both of them bring some truly awesome bars to the table such as T referring the group as "the rap game Weezer" or referring to himself as the "black Ben Carson" a line that makes me laugh every time I hear it.

And the production of Floss is better too; Parker tries out some new styles, like an oddly industrial style on tracks like "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" or just improving the Tribe esque production most prominently on the track "S On Ya Chest" which really gives me Midnight Marauders vibes. Also, tracks like "Girl With The Gold Wrist" are just so odd and off the wall in terms of their samples and rhythm.  And while not every track here is amazing ("Eeny Meeny" being a repetitive and sort of aimless cut), I can't help but appreciate the love and talent that was so obviously poured into this project. I can really tell that these guys want to be a prominent voice in modern hip-hop, and as long as people haven't completely lost their tastes, I don't see why these guys wouldn't be able to do just that, especially with projects as great as Floss.

8.7/10

Top 15 Albums of 2016

Well, it's about that time again. Time for me to catalog my favorite LP's of the year! Over the years, this segment has been a blessing and a curse. On one hand, I get to reflect on what I view to be the years best, but it also means I have to exclude a lot of great albums. So this year, I've expanded the list to 15, and I'll kick things off with a couple albums that I still think deserve a nod; just keep in mind, just because they're only getting an honorable mention, doesn't mean they should be ignored!
So, without further ado, let's get into it.

Honorable Mentions:

Ty Dollar $ign: Campaign
While I did (and do) love this album, it just missed the cut simply because the albums that made it, I loved even more. For a lot of people, this album wasn't anything special, simply just another batch of sex songs from Ty, and yeah, it is, but it is one of the most laid back and enjoyable albums that 2016 had to offer, and I plan on revisiting this album for years to come.

Beyonce: Lemonade
Yes. I did like this album quite a bit, but again, this LP just wasn't as enjoyable as the albums that made the top 15. Though in the case of Lemonade, it was a really close cut, because while my feelings on the album overall are still the same as when I reviewed it, I still think this is one of the years finest pop albums for sure.

YG: Still Brazy
I think this LP was just as strong as his debut, so while it isn't one of the years absolute best, it is still a great album. YG is really holding down that old-school west coast gangsta rap style made famous by guys like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and DJ Quik, and Still Brazy is another great example of that.

Anderson Paak.: Malibu
Ahhh, another really close cut. To be honest, this album was one of the few truly outstanding releases that 2016 had to offer early on, and if the year hadn't been as fantastic musically as it was, this LP would have been in the Top 15, no question. Paak. is truly a rising talent in the hip hop/ R&B scene, and I hope to see more from him next year.



Top 15 of 2016:

#15. Sturgil Simpson: A Sailor's Guide to Earth

My Expectations weren't exactly high going into this modern country album, but when I actually listened to it, I found an album with an old soul. This is the kind of album that truly shows reverence for the old without simply copy and pasting styles aimlessly, and is in fact a really heartfelt release in its own right. Simpson's stories about family and navigating life are all relate-able and accompanied by amazingly lush instrumentation. Glad to see this getting a Grammy nod, because it truly deserves it.

#14. Swans: The Glowing Man

Swans is a group that have been blowing me away consistently for the past 4 years or so, starting with The Seer, an album that still leaves me completely drained of hope and energy all these years later. I also gave their 2014 album To Be Kind a spot on my year end list for that year, and once again Swans rank among the most impressive bands of the year. This time, the band is playing a far less aggressive form of rock music, relying more on ambient builds and soundscapes to carry these monolithic tracks. However, don't let the volume fool you, this LP is just as oppressive and draining as any of the band's last couple of outings. I also got a chance to see them play in Charlotte this year, front row; never have I ever felt so consumed by sound in my life.

#13. David Bowie: Blackstar

This album almost didn't make the cut. Not because it isn't amazing (because it is), but because I honestly hadn't had a chance to give it a full listen until about 2 weeks ago. I chalk this up to a hectic life schedule and the fact that I'm not the world's biggest David Bowie fan, not because I don't like his music, but again, because his material has never compelled me to obsess over his back catalog. All that aside, Blackstar is a stunning record, one that sees Bowie facing death not defiant, but ready and it is also perhaps one of his most experimental in terms of sound. Chameleon til the end, David Bowie went out on perhaps his best record in years.

#12. Metallica: Hardwired... To Self-Destruct

I won't blame you if you scoff at this albums placement on this list: I'm a big Metallica fan. But, like I said in my full review, Metallica have been struggling to release a great record for decades, and in my opinion, they finally did it with this record. It may be a bit long, but I can't express how happy it makes me to have another Metallica album that I don't mind letting play all the way through. Call this my biased pick of the year; although I've seen a lot of positive reviews for this LP, so maybe I'm not alone after all.

#11. Touche Amore: Stage Four

All these months later, I'm still hard pressed to find the words to describe how harrowing a listen Stage Four is. And that fact has nothing to do with the sound of this album, because this is actually a very well produced and performed rock album, the band's best in fact. But the lyrics here will leave even the most hardened metal fans feeling a little exposed; the story on this album is deeply personal, but turns out to be relate-able on a very human level. Don't go into this album expecting a fun album, but do expect perhaps the best piece of Emo music to come around since Brand New stopped releasing albums.

#10. Bruno Mars: 24k Magic

For all the surprises (and upsets) that 2016 had to offer, none may be more so than the fact that Bruno "chillin' in my snuggy" Mars released the years best pop album, hands down. On 24k Magic, Bruno fully embraces his influence, but never (in my opinion) succumbs to simple parody; instead, Mars does these styles justice with track after track of pure audio sugar. This album is everything great about 80's and 90's R&B wrapped up in a neat 30 minute package that I just can't say no to. 

#9. Kanye West: The Life of Pablo

It's been a weird year for Kanye, and that's saying a lot. However, I chose to ignore the drama and focus on the music (as I so often do), and what I got from Kanye this year was an album that, while flawed, was superior in every way to his lackluster LP Yeezus. Plus, if you kept up with the album over the year, you'd know that this album got some pretty nice production lifts and a far superior closer as well. Sure, Kanye should of waited to "finish" the album, but I have to admire the experimental nature of this release in all of its various facets; as a product, but most importantly, as a piece of music, because this is Kanye's best work since MBDTF.

#8. Chance the Rapper: Coloring Book

Another year end list alumni, Chance the Rapper really hit it out of the park this year, giving us an album that is both colorful (no pun intended) and full of memorable moments, both energetic and soulful. In my opinion, Chance has already found a place in hip-hop history with this LP; the fact that he has become this successful without the aid of a label is impressive enough, but the amount of maturation that has occurred between this LP and Acid Rap is truly noteworthy. Here's to sending some praises up, hoping for more musical blessings from Chano.

#7. Conor Oberst: Ruminations

Every year, I seem to have an album of moody, introspective folk. Seeing as how folk is quite possibly my favorite genre, the fact that I do find folk albums that I love is sort of shocking, because my love has caused me to become quite picky and often cynical. That latter trait is why I think this album was a shoe-in for this list; Connor Oberst knows a thing or two about cynicism, and this album is no exception, but this album is also an undeniably beautiful one, crafted lovingly by one of modern folks most important figures, who has been sort of lost for the past few years in my opinion. All I can say is: glad to have you back Mr. Oberst.

#6. Radiohead: A Moon Shaped Pool

You may notice a trend on this years list: there are a lot of "comeback" albums. Or rather, albums from bands that have been away for a while. Radiohead are notorious these days for their extended periods between albums, but this wait was especially painful, because the groups last effort, King of Limbs was anything but satisfying. However, I think they've come back in a really big way with this album, one that I honestly hold up to such masterpieces like Kid A and In Rainbows as Radiohead's finest work. It is a slower LP and demands some patience to fully enjoy, but I believe that if there's one quality that Radiohead fans have, it's patience.

#5. Weezer: The White Album

Everything Will Be Alright in the End was a great album, one that grew on me quite a bit the year after it came out, but nothing could of prepared me for just how amazing this new Weezer is. This LP sounds like the Weezer we heard back in 1996 took a couple years off to record and picked up right where Pinkerton left off, instead now, they're pulling back the reigns on the overarching sadness of that record and replacing it with the more sunny outlook of their debut. The White Album is the Weezer album I've been waiting for since the band went off the rails back in 2005, and boy does it feel gooooood.

#4. Danny Brown: Atrocity Exhibition

I've always had a major appreciation for Danny Brown; he is a really great rapper sure, but what really draws me to his music and persona is his willingness to be outlandish and weird. I thought Old was great enough to be on my end of the year list that year, and while I still stand by that decision, it would be a lie if I said that that album was everything I'd hoped it would be. I really missed the darker, more overtly insane moments that were on XXX, which Old was clearly lacking. Luckily, the latest release from Danny Brown brings on the weirdness in droves, leading to one of the most whacked out rap albums I've ever heard (and you see Death Grips right below this). But Danny never loses track of making a great album here, and instead melds the weirdness with his most daring and rewarding tracks yet. 

#3. Death Grips: Bottomless Pit

I could of guessed after last years shenanigans that Death Grips weren't really breaking up, it was just another chapter in the never ending book of ways that this group can subvert expectations. And while Bottomless Pit is not really a huge push in a new direction for the group, the quality and immediacy of the music here is stunning. This is the groups most concentrated and depraved release to date. In a way this feels like a sort of sequel to the group's breakout project The Money Store, and that is a fitting comparison in every single way. The future is always muddy with these guys, but as long as they keep making music as amazing as this, I'll be there to see what other schemes they have "Up Their Sleeves".

#2. Carseat Headrest: Teens of Denial

Pretty much from the first time I listened to this LP, I considered it my album of the year, and if a certain other album hadn't been released this year, there's not a doubt in my mind that it would have been. Still, Teens of Denial is a superb album that perfectly encapsulates the feelings of apathy and longing that a person my age feels, and it also shows just how talented this once one-man project truly is. This album feels like a single-handed revival of great indie rock music and one that isn't steeped in affectation and pretense, just honest intentions. I could go on and on about how much I love this record, but suffice it to say, this is one of the records that got me through a year that was pretty rough in a lot of ways, and I highly recommend you give it a listen.

#1. A Tribe Called Quest: We Got It From Here... 

Tribe were my gateway into hip-hop. Their first three albums were such an eye-opening experience for me, I'll never forget the first time I heard the bass-line of "Excursions" coming through my headphones, and the feeling of my soul warming every fiber of my being. Hyperbolic, I know, but what I'm trying to say is Tribe is incredibly important to me, and while I'm too young to have been a fan from the start, I still felt the same disappointment that most people did when the group's fourth and fifth projects came out; those albums were just not up to snuff, and the news that the group was trying to get back together after a decade and a half of infighting did not bode well for this project. Add to that the death of Phife Dawg: the cards were stacked against this LP from the start. But. that old feeling that came over me the first time I heard "Excursions" came rushing back, and I can honestly say that Tribe have put out their best record since Midnight Marauders. Not only that, but they've also managed to put out the best album of 2016. They managed to be both timely and timeless all at the same time. I missed you Tribe, and I'm so happy I got to witness this last hurrah, with Phife in tow. 

J. Cole: 4 Your Eyez Only ALBUM REVIEW

J. Cole is truly an artist that in my opinion is just okay. I've heard his songs on the radio and even caught some music videos over the last few years, but honestly, he's never been a very compelling artist to me. Sure, the stuff I'd heard was solid, but I never got the impression that Cole had a sound or vision that was uniquely his. Some of that rubbed off with his last full length 2014 Forest Hills Drive, an album that is equal parts excellent and mediocre; amazing highs like "Fire Squad" are put up against filler like "St Tropez", leading to an album that is worthwhile, but not the classic that a lot of his fans claim it to be. But, going into this new album, I was honestly pretty excited; Cole has been holding down solid features over the last couple of years, and the two tracks he released ahead of the album release, "everyone dies" and "False Prophets" were both great. However, neither of these tracks appear on this new LP, 4 Your Eyez Only.

And honestly, I was a little bummed to find that out, but after giving this album a full listen, I do understand why they were excluded. And while I won't go in too much depth with the concept of this record, I will say that it reminds me especially of Kendrick's good kid, M.A.A.D City, not just for its lyrics about gang life mixed with the struggle of raising a family in it, but also for the way Cole manages to rap effectively from the viewpoint of someone else. It also helps this album avoid a lot of the trite, "started from nothing" tropes that always cloud up J. Cole records. I get it, you weren't always rich and successful, but I'd like to know more about you as a person! All that aside, lyrically, Cole holds things down for the most part (though don't ask him to rhyme anything with Almond Milk), and I'd say this is his finest work in terms of concept thus far.

Instrumentally, the album keeps things classy with a lot of strings ("She's Mine Pt. 1 & 2") with a few more energetic tracks peppered in here and there, most notably "Immortal" and my personal favorite "Change". But for the most part, this album is a somber one, filled with a lot of sad imagery, which is justified through the overall concept. This is especially true of the self-titled closer, the longest track on the album and the point where the album reveals its hand in terms of what Cole is trying to do with this entire LP. It is a very sobering tune which rose my estimation of the project a whole lot on my first listen.

Because honestly, without the context of the rest of the album and the concept surrounding it, I don't think these songs, save for "Change" and "Immortal", would stand on their own. But this isn't too surprising, Cole has expressed his desire to forgo the traditional album cycle, with this being his second album in a row with zero promotional singles. But for me, it means that in order to fully enjoy any of these tracks, one must listen to the entire LP, which does limit the replay-ability a bit. Not a deal-breaker, but when most of the album is stuck in such a somber mood, with lots of "okay" singing from Cole, I feel like I'd have to be in a very specific mood to throw this thing on.

So, aside from some samey-ness overall and a few questionable lines and singing, I still think this is a great LP, and recommend it to any fan of rap, even those who maybe had no interest in Cole at first. I feel like he's really moving towards something truly amazing.

8.0/10

Childish Gambino: Awaken, My Love ALBUM REVIEW

Childish Gambino is the moniker of successful actor, writer, comedian and musician Donald Glover. And while I think Glover is a funny guy and as an actor he has certainly proven himself to be above his multifaceted peers; his music has never appealed to me. On Camp, his major label debut, he was putting out by the numbers pop-rap that was completely self-obsessed without an ounce of self-reflection and the follow-up full length, Because the Internet was all ambition with no cohesion, though the style of the LP was way more enjoyable. However, these albums, despite what I may think, did have one commonality: they were both rap albums. Sure, Gambino would sing on occasion, but overall, Gambino has been a rapper first and foremost. All of that has changed on his latest LP,  Awaken, My Love.

Fans of funk music (or heck, even 90's west-coast hip-hop) will note the blatant Funkadelic nod via the album cover, and for the most part, it looks like a Funkadelic and quacks like a Funkadelic. Especially on tracks like "Me and Your Mama" and "Zombies". But I've got to reiterate; this album is completely devoid of rap songs entirely. In fact, I can see this as being the "haters favorite" and the "fans most hated" Gambino album. I mean, I wouldn't say I hated Gambino up until this point, but I can certainly say he wasn't making great music to me. And while my feelings aren't doing a complete 180, even on this record, I have to say it is easily his finest work to date, based solely on quality of craft.

Awaken, My Love has great structure, vibrant instrumentation, and is a big step up in the consistency department for Gambino. Sure, there are still some under-cooked  moments like "Riot", and there are still downright awful moments, like "California" which sounds like Young Thug meets that Pina Colada song. But when this album hits, it really hits; for example, we have the track "Redbone", a sexy and undeniably smooth track that brings to mind the best years of Prince and guys like D'Angelo.

So overall, I think this album is strong, but I can't deny that the sole thing that really drags it down from time to time is the vocal performance, which for the most part ranges from decent to great, but when it's neither of those things Gambino comes off as overly goofy ("Zombies") or downright unbearable ("California"). Which is a shame, because like I said, Gambino is actually a pretty talented singer.

Still, despite not loving it, I've gotta say I recommend this one, purely based on the number of great moments here that, while unable to completely outshine the low moments are more than worth a listen.

7.5/10