Schoolboy Q: Blank Face LP ALBUM REVIEW

It's been nearly three full years since I reviews Schoolboy Q's last full length LP, Oxymoron: an album that I have grown to love even more since its release. That album was just so grimy and hard edged; basically the opposite of what mainstream rap is in this day and age that I couldn't help but admire it. And upon hearing the first single from this new LP, "Groovy Tony" I was ready for another album full of tracks about the gangsta lifestyle, but maybe with a concept wrapping it all together. And for the most part, that's exactly what Blank Face LP delivers; though the album does also dabble in the kind of jazzed out productions that made Kendrick's last project so refreshing, and to be fair, Q doesn't do a half bad job at getting the same results, though here, it seems like more of a play at bringing in the 'conscious rap' fans that usually scoff at Q's straight up, no frills gangster posturing and subject matter.

However, without a doubt, this album is a truly great followup to Oxymoron, and easily features some of Q's best tracks to date. To mention "Groovy Tony" again, in the context of the album, it has been expanded and paired with another track "Eddie Kane", and seems to describe a character that is a stone cold killer; there's even one line here about this character hugging someones mother, looking over her shoulder with the titular 'blank face', that is truly chilling. Then there's the track "John Muir" which could possibly be a bit more autobiographical, but still hits just as hard. Then there are the more, I don't know, laid back thug songs? You know the kind of stuff that made an album like Doggystyle equally appealing as a journal of the Crip lifestyle, and a great album to put on at parties. Tracks like "Big Body" which actually features members from Tha Dogg House, and "WHateva U Want" which has another bumping beat similar to "Big Body".

And the albums diversity doesn't stop there, because the aforementioned Jazz heavy tracks find there way here, such as the short "Lord Have Mercy" or the Anderson Paak. slathered "Blank Face" which barely even has Q on it, making it maybe my second least favorite track on the entire album, next to the sort of sleazy "Overtime" which does have Miguel... but also has some of the worst lyrics on the entire album. But luckily the album ends on an extremely high note with "Tookie Knows II" which seems to state that all of the character portrayed on the album, despite some of them finding solace in lifestyles outside of gangs, are destined to return to it, because of peer or even societal pressure.

Unlike say an album like To Pimp A Butterfly, there really isn't a light at the end of the tunnel for this album, but I think that's what makes it so important; I think listeners need to see that not all rags to riches stories are glamorous, and the person underneath all the success is the same person who was selling dope before they got rich. Whereas Kedrick's album found self-love to be the key to escaping ones demons, Blank Face seems to be about embracing ones demons, and making the best of life, despite how messed up it is.

In the end though, this is another great LP from Q, and may in fact be his best work yet.

8.5/10

Neil Young Double Feature: Harvest / Harvest Moon CLASSIC REVIEW

For the last few months, having already gone through a couple of discography review series; I thought that I might do a series for my favorite folk artist, Mr. Neil Young, but the more and more I looked over how much work it would take to produce a comprehensive and well-researched discography review, the more I realized that maybe a full time worker/college student, didn't have the time to review almost 40 albums in a reasonable amount of time... plus, I try and review new stuff as much as possible! So, I have instead decided to compare and contrast two LP's from Young's discography that are essentially sister albums. His big commercial breakthrough, Harvest, and its 1993 'sequel' Harvest Moon. 

Harvest, released in 1972, was a really big moment for Neil Young; having already released three prior solo albums, the third of which is regarded by many Young fans as his best work, even trumping Harvest itself, and Young had been a big part of the creative output of the folk group Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, who, even without Young, are an essential part of 60's/ 70's folk music. In my opinion, while Harvest isn't my favorite early Neil Young album (On The Beach takes that honor), it is hard to deny just how excellent the majority of this album is.

And yes, I mean majority, because not every moment on this album is fantastic; and this fact is made evident my what are perhaps the only two weak tracks on  the entire LP, "A Man Needs A Maid" and "There's A World". These two tracks add a lot of additional instrumentation, but instead of enhancing the tracks, this new instrumentation simply drowns what could have been two solid, if slightly less stellar tracks. These two songs sound incredibly dated, and present a roadblock in what is otherwise a amazingly rootsy and ofttimes beautiful record about coming to terms with mortality, loosing friends to drugs, and even confronting racism. Tracks like the opener, title track and ever endearing "Heart Of Gold" are the kind of music that Neil is best known for, and the kind of music that people who want to sound like him, imitate, but never replicate.

Released 20 years after Harvest, and after a less than stellar run of albums in the 80's, Harvest Moon saw Neil trying to regain a little bit of the magic that he had on Harvest, going back to the stripped-down and soulful sound of that album, but making sure to not repeat himself. I'll admit, if I had gone through with the discography series, it would be right about now that I'd tell you that I can finally breathe easy, because I personally feel that Harvest Moon is not only a fine follow-up to its 1972 counterpart, but in  some key ways, it even surpasses it.

For example, this album has far less moments where the instrumentation clouds things up, save for regrettably boring "Such A Woman". And Neil sounds better than ever on cuts such as "From Hank To Hendricks" and the effervescent title track which upon first hearing a few years ago when I was first getting into Young's music, made tears swell up in my eyes from just how nostalgic the track feels. This is Neil Young at his finest, and it is no wonder that he named the album Harvest Moon, because a lot of the themes and even some of the chord progressions, such as the one towards the end of "You And Me" are direct callbacks to Harvest. This album surpasses Harvest because it features all the things that made that album shine, but it adds to it making for an even more holistic listening experience.

The only other complaint I can muster about this album is the somewhat overlong closing track; though I really have to dig deep inside to complain about it, because it is still a very beautiful track and its length really only becomes apparent if you aren't devoting your full attention to the music and lyrics. Speaking of which, this album also features some of Young's most poignant statements on the environment (the aforementioned closer, "Natural Beauty") and on other living creatures on the earth ("War Of Man"); Young manages to express his opinion on these issues (something he does a bit more blatantly these days) in a poetic and effective way; through the power of great music.

So, in the end, you really can't go wrong with either of these albums; they both have their flaws, but are great nonetheless and are essential listening if you're looking to get into Neil Young. I'd also recommend, On The Beach, After The Gold Rush, Rust Never Sleeps, and Zuma, for some more great Young albums.

Harvest: 9.3/10
Harvest Moon: 9.6/10

YG: Still Brazy ALBUM REVIEW

YG's debut My Krazy Life was a really pleasant surprise for me when it came out back in 2013. It was just really refreshing to hear a rapper throwing things back to the G-funk era that guys like Dre and Snoop made so popular back in the early 90's: a style of music that I absolutely adore. Plus, YG tried to make things a little more cohesive and thematic by incorporating skits and tracks that seemed to reference one another in some way. Sure, it wasn't perfect, or especially deep in any way, but it was insanely catchy, and showed off YG's great amount of potential.

Now we have the followup, Still Brazy, an album title (and cover) that make direct reference to YG's blood affiliation. There were definitely lyrics and song titles ("Bicken Back Being Bool") that made this fact obvious, but on this LP, he really embraces his gangster lifestyle through his music. And he really sets a tone with the first track "Don't Come To L.A.", a track that addresses people who think that just by listening to gangster rap means you can live the lifestyle; this track is followed by the hard as nails and autobiographical "Who Shot Me?" which details the aftermath of YG's shooting that occured a few month before the release of the album and even led to the recording of the track "Twist My Fingaz", another track that calls out fake gangsters and even sees YG placing himself on a bit of a pedestal, claiming he's "The only one to make it out the West without Dre"; which is a pretty bold claim (and one that could be easily disputed), but the passion and conviction that YG brings to this track and nearly every other track on Still Brazy really helps sell it.

Overall, I'd say that Still Brazy is a very similar album to My Krazy Life, but it just feels more complete and well executed. Save for a few choice moments, like the shallow politics of "FDT" or the sort of questionable lines on "She Wish She Was", YG manages to put together another great project, and this time around, he even makes good on the conceptual promise of his debut LP.

Still Brazy is a snapshot of the Compton gang scene from the point of view of someone who has achieved great success outside of the hood, but still lives the life that he raps about. My only other complaint would be that this album doesn't feature any of the slower moments that the last album had to break up the pacing, but at least YG manages to still deliver some fantastic hooks, just like the debut.

8.2/10

Car Seat Headrest: Teens Of Denial ALBUM REVIEW

Car Seat Headrest is the moniker of Bandcamp veteran Will Toledo, who has in the past 5 years or so, released over ten albums in total, all recorded with very modest means. The album he put out last year, Teens Of Style, was the band's first outing on a major label, and while that album did in fact have label backing, it still sounded like a bedroom project. However, on this new release, Toledo really shows of his chops as not only a songwriter, but also shows an almost day and night improvement in terms of production quality. In short, Teens Of Denial is not only Car Seat Headrest's best work to date, it may just be my favorite album released thus far in 2016.

Sure, it isn't a perfect LP, but the things that detract from it being a flawless ride just add character to the album, which is already full of character to begin with. The album spans an ambitious 70 minutes or so, but never feels like it is going on too long, and it mixes things up throughout, so not a single moment drags. In fact, the pacing here is superb, often going from an energetic track, like the opener "Fill In The Blank" to a longer, more complex tune like "Vincent". Or take the shift from "Unforgiving Girl (She's Not An)" to the sprawling and beautiful "Cosmic Hero". The album just flows so effortlessly, and provides some stellar tunes along the way.

For example, I absolutely adore the track "(Joe Gets Kicked Out Of School...)", a hilarious, yet contemplative song about getting high and the effects of the drugs themselves, which leads to some pretty interesting imagery. Or the amazing "Killed By Hippie Powers", which is so insanely catchy, I just can't stop myself from humming it to myself at random intervals throughout the day. In fact, darn near every song here is liable to get stuck in your head, even the longer form songs, such as the aforementioned "Cosmic Hero" which opens with a wonderfully 'Neutral Milk Hotel' esque horn part at the beginning.

And I can't talk about how great the songs are without mentioning the lyrics, which range from the ludicrous and hilarious, such as Will musing about trying to "Find the really good porn" to him wanting to hide his insecurities on "1937 State Park", the gambit of emotions that this album goes through really makes it feel like an experience when you sit down and go through the LP in its entirety; something that I think is required to full appreciate every track here. Because while there are some amazing stand alone moments, you can really feel the love of the album that Will has, and Teens Of Denial is a fantastic ALBUM.

My only complaints lie in some slightly iffy production moments; a murky guitar here, a slightly buried vocal part there, but all in all, I can't find much to complain about here. Though I can see some people getting hung up on Will's voice, which goes from a Strokes esque low croon, to a wild and frenzied shriek at the drop of a hat. But to me, I love both sides of is vocal range, and it really helps sell the humor and sincerity that these tunes present.

I've had this album on repeat for the past couple of days, and I have a feeling it will remain in rotation for the rest of the year. The way I can get lost in this album's flow is something that has been sadly missing from a lot of music released thus far in 2016, and I'm glad to say that I've finally found it.

9.5/10

Modern Baseball: Holy Ghost ALBUM REVIEW

Modern Baseball are an emo band that formed in 2012, this is there third LP titled Holy Ghost. Now as it always seems to happen year after year, I seem to find a modern emo album (a genre I usually despise) that I actually enjoy a lot, this is this year's model, I suppose. Because what I hear on his new album is the sound of a band releasing their feelings and experiences in short, controlled bursts, but by the end of this album, you can really feel the relief that goes along with the cathartic release.

However, this isn't a drawn-out release, with the album clocking in a around 27 minutes; in fact, you'd almost expect this album to have more punk influence, but instead the tracks here, for the most part, stick around just long enough to say something poignant (poignant to the band at the very least) and work in a catchy hook before ending and moving on. This formula works in the album's favor, because the band never gets stuck in a particular subject or story too long, and all of the tracks here feel like a cohesive whole.

There a few downsides here, mostly with the fact that the tracks that don't run all that long, such as "Coding These To Lukens" fail to leave much of an impression, and the album moves along so fast, moments like these are very easy to miss, despite having given this album a solid dozen listens at the time of this review. But when the songs stick, they really stay with you. "Wedding Singer" is a fantastic kick off to this LP and the following track "Note To Self" is some of the most bonafide, grade A emo I've heard in a long time. Other great moments include the more aggressive "Breathing In Stereo" and the closer "Just Another Face" which really leaves the album off on an emotional note.

Overall, I think this is a very strong album; though I don't think it is necessarily a great one, I do think it is worth checking out if you're into the softer, more emotional side of rock music, but want something that doesn't rely on melodrama to make you feel something.

7.4/10

The Misfits Discography: Part 6 : The Devil's Rain

Just like I did with the Ramones discography, I am skipping the covers album that the Misfits did in the mid 2000's, despite actually having Marky Ramone on it!

So after the second dissolution of the Misfits in the late 90's, Jerry Only decided about 5 years after, to reassemble the group, but this time he recruited a "supergroup" of punk rock musicians; they released a single album in 2004, and the band promptly went on yet another hiatus, until the release of The Devil's Rain in 2011. But instead of going for the same line-up, Only decided to instead make the group a trio, with himself taking the reigns of lead vocalist on top of his bass playing. The result is sadly a lifeless affair that shows that maybe Jerry should of just let the band remain dead after all.

Unlike the last two Misfits releases, I have nary a single track on The Devil's Rain that I enjoy from start to finish. The album opens with the title track, which features a pretty unenthusiastic performance by the band, and some incredibly cheesy rain sound effects hanging in the background. And the lyrics themselves are just laughable. And this is kind of the way most of the tracks here go; we get a so-so instrumental with some weak vocals singing a song about a mummy ("Curse Of The Mummy's Hand") or zombies ("Land Of The Dead").

The only moment I could feel my blood sort of rising in excitement was on the track "Father", but that's because it is one of the few tracks here that doesn't rely on a simplistic chord progression for the entire run time and actually features a pretty decent lead guitar riff. There's also the slightly spooky violin intro to "Ghost Of Frankenstein" which was a nice change of sound, despite that track also featuring more cornball sound effects, this time grunts from the eponymous monster himself.

One thing that I just couldn't find any enjoyment from however were Jerry Only's vocals; he's fine as a backing vocalist, but he just doesn't have the chops to lead. I had my fair share of complaints about Graves, but it's like Only tries to combine both Danzig and Graves into one overly theatrical, whiny mess that doesn't work: not once. He also sounds so unenthusiastic, and like he just isn't having any fun with any of the material here. I mean, I would of loved to get a more menacing album from the band after their less than stellar 90's work, but if I'm going to get a campy romp instead, at least sound like you're enjoying it!

We haven't seen any news of a new Misfits album in 5 years, and like I said at the beginning of the review, I sort of hope it remains that way. I love this band's overall concept and early material a whole lot, but the second half of their career is just a slog to get through, and has very little in the way of redeeming qualities. Though, with news of Danzig and what is left of the 'original' line-up set to do some shows this year, maybe we can at least relive some of the glory days in a live setting, though again, please don't record another album unless it is some stellar stuff.

3.0/10

The Misfits Discography: Part 5 : Famous Monsters

After making their big comeback in 1997 with American Psycho, the Misfits seemed to be back on their usual roll as far as album releases go, seeing how they followed up the less than stellar American Psycho two years later with Famous Monsters, an album that is markedly more enjoyable, but in my opinion, still suffers from being an album that feels out of character for the once menacing Misfits. This feeling also translates to the image the band is putting out on this album, which is far less actual 'horror' and far more 'monster mash', I mean, just look at the cover; while it looks pretty great in a campy sci-fi/ horror camp kind of way, I would never think that the group were called Misfits by the title alone.

I will say without any reservations whatsoever that the album opens incredibly strong with what may be one of my Top 5 all time favorite Misfits tunes, "Forbidden Zone"; this track is insanely well constructed and has a massively enjoyable hook. This is an example of how well this line-up could work together, it is a shame that we never got to see this group go forward though, seeing as how shortly after the release of this LP, the band would once again disband for nearly 5 years, before bassist Jerry Only would reform, and later front the group.

And while no other moment on this entire LP trumps "Forbidden Zone", I have to say that the first quarter of the LP certainly holds up against it. Especially on the wonderfully cult-ish "Dust To Dust", which features yet another great hook. And another thing to note with the better tracks here; the band just sounds a lot more enthusiastic and in sync. A lot of moments on American Psycho (and even this album, admittedly) feel like the band is still shaking off the rust of over a decade of inactivity. But here, we see them return to form in a pretty big way.

This makes the rest of the album a pretty big disappointment.  While there are some decent moments here and there in the form of "Die Monster Die" and "Living Hell", there are some downright laughable ones too. The biggest offender being the saccharine sweet "Saturday Night" which is the sound of the band shooting for a 50's crooner, but ending up with a mopey punk song with no guts whatsoever. And we get a couple 'songs' here as well that just feel like a riff or hook but never come together, such as "Witch Hunt" or "Pumpkinhead".

But the biggest problem I have with this album is actually Grave's vocals, not because I think they're overall terrible, in fact I think he really makes the tracks that I enjoy here all the better. It's when he forgets to clear his nasal passages before singing on cuts like "Scream!" or "Crawling Eye" that I start cringing. The sound of his voice on these tracks is just so grating and annoying, it makes me wonder where the vocalist on "Forbidden Zone" was that day, because he ain't here now!

Did I enjoy this more than American Psycho? Certainly. But I'm not going to lie to you and say that I think this is a great album or anything. Sure, it has worthwhile cuts here and there, and one downright fantastic one. But it also features some of the worst tracks I've yet heard from the Misfits. So approach with caution.

5.6/10