Disclosure: Caracal ALBUM REVIEW

Disclosure are two brothers who made a name for themselves a couple of years ago with their debut album Settle, and album that had some fantastic singles, launched not only their careers, but also the illustrious career of chart-topper Sam Smith with his feature on that album's biggest single "Latch". In short, it has been quite a wild ride for this duo.

And they have finally graced us with another LP, but unlike their last album which was entrenched in the sounds of late 90's drum and bass, with constant rhythms that forced one's booty to shake, the follow-up, Caracal, is a far more subdued release.  Don't get me wrong, there are still moments that force those familiar twitches in the hips, but they are a lot more subtle and require more attention than the vast majority of what was on Settle.

While this has certainly led to a lot of people not really caring for this album, I actually find it to be a refreshing change of pace. Because lets face it; if the brothers simply released another Settle, everyone would simply call them a one trick pony. And while I do understand the sentiment behind criticism  that label this album as not being "as fun" as the last LP, I have to point out the fact that while this album certainly isn't as bright and driving as Settle, it makes up for it with deeper, more involved beats and some really fantastic guest performances and the band's knack for sharp, concise production.

For example, the track "Omen" another Sam Smith feature, sees just how far both artists have come, with Disclosure dishing up a more seductive beat than "Latch" and Sam Smith's singing adding another intoxicating layer on top of it. Sure, the subject matter is nothing new, but I can't help but get caught up in just how immaculate it all sounds. The tack "Holding On" is another fantastic example of the duos production and penchant for using vocal guests to their full potential; also the contribution from singer Gregory Porter is probably the best on the entire album.

Other strong tracks include the Miguel featured "Good Intentions", which is far more impressive than anything from his latest album, and while the lyrics are sort of basic, I really liked the track "Jaded"; a track that is one of only two that don't feature an outside vocal contribution.

And therein lies my only complaint, Caracal doesn't have as many moments where it's just the duo, instead the album is absolutely overflowing with features, which isn't bad if the features are good, but some of my favorite moments from the last album were the ones where you got to see the brothers do what they do best.

However, I still found myself enjoying this LP a great deal. Is it better than Settle? Maybe. But honestly, if I want to listen to an album like Settle... I'll listen to Settle. Caracal is worth listening to, regardless of how you felt about the last album.

8.8/10

Travi$ Scott: Rodeo ALBUM REVIEW

Rapper/ Producer Travi$ Scott has been gaining a lot of hype in the past couple of years. It all started  with him  having a couple producer credits on Kanye West's last LP, Yeezus, an album I didn't love, but did enjoy the beats that Travi$ brought to the table. He then followed this up with a couple of mixtapes and guest appearances... all of which I was thoroughly unimpressed with. Still, I was eager to see what Travi$ would bring to the table on his major label debut, and I've gotta say, I'm really digging it.

This has a lot to do with how well this album flows, Travi$ has a really good handle on how to pace an album, going from more energetic tracks like "Piss On Your Grave" to "Antidote", for example. Also, his production, and just the production in general is fantastic on Rodeo. To the point that this is probably my second favorite production on any hip hop album this year, second only to Kendrick's latest album. It is also worth noting how some of these tracks have complete beat changes; such as the excellent one on "Oh My Dis Side" a track that I absolutely adored both sides of.

On top of that, Travi$ has even given us a bit of a concept to untangle. Periodically, T.I. provides narration, which seems to paint the picture of a youth, who by some need to escape dives into a life of hedonism, which the songs do wonderful job of describing and bringing to life. A track like "Nightcrawler" for example, with it's refrain of "We want money, we want hoes, we want alcohol/ All these hundreds all these thousands Imma spend it all" shows how deep this character is in the midst of his mindless desire. Or, even the slightly goofy "Piss On Your Grave" shows how this lifestyle can make a person a lot more violent and irreverent.

I may be looking to far into this album, after all, a lot of people will look at this album an just see yet another trap/ southern flavored rap album with autotuned vocals and a rapper who sounds a lot like Kanye. But I couldn't help but get swept up in this album's intoxicating beats and well written hooks.

I know a lot of people won't (and aren't) enjoying this album, and that is understandable, it is a pretty big shift from the last two projects, and some of the songs run pretty long; however, I think the people saying this album lacks ambition are really not giving it the time it deserves. Because if this album is anything, it's ambitious, and to me at least, well worth listening to.

8.5/10

Beirut: No No No ALBUM REVIEW

Ahh, the heady days of 2012, back when I first started this very blog! And in fact, I started by writing a review for one of my favorite albums from the year prior to that one, Beirut's The Rip Tide. That album was a bit conflicting for Beirut fans, however, who thought that it strayed too far from the groups earlier, more heady work, in favor of a more direct pop sound; a move I though really complimented the songwriting.

Now it's been about four years and we're finally getting a new album from these guys! And from the very first moments that the track "Gibraltar" kicks in, it is evident that Beirut is playing with a very familiar deck of cards, and that anyone who did not enjoy The Rip Tide need not apply here.

But, the real question is, is this album even worth listening to for the simple fact that it sounds a lot like their last album? In my opinion, yes, this album is well worth a listen, and that's simply because the songs here are really good. Sure, there aren't any major shifts in direction here, but pretty much every track on here is enjoyable, and even lovable at times, a quality that I've found most Beirut songs to possess.

Again, I want to mention the track "Gibraltar" which opens up the album. This track is simply beautiful, and has a really nice bouncy sound to it, and the title track features the kind of woozy romanticism that these guys always do so well.

Other highlights are the contemplative "At Once" and the jangly "Perth". In fact, I found myself enjoying every single track here, though some more than others. For example, I wasn't 100% into the instrumental track here; not that the band can't pull an instrumental track off, but the one on display here isn't one of their most impressive, for sure.

Really, the only things I can really criticize this album for is that it doesn't do anything that sticks out in my mind. It is pleasant and dreamy, but also deals with things like heartbreak and the struggles therein. However, since it is all so light and laid back, I don't feel the need to dig very deep into the lyrics. I understand that this album is coming after some heavy life drama for lead-singer and band mastermind, Zach Condon, but he seems to be using this album as a way to put the past behind him, instead of putting it all on display.

Luckily, we the listeners got a pretty enjoyable album out of it.

7.8/10

Incubus Discography Review: Part 1: S.C.I.E.N.C.E

At one point, I mentioned some of the bands that influenced my interest in music; bands like Animal Collective, Neutral Milk Hotel, Grizzly Bear, and The Decemberists were chief among them. However, during my transition between strictly listening to metal and diversifying into a variety of other genres, I absolutely adored the music of Incubus. Seriously, I remember thinking this band was the pinnacle of modern rock music. They had everything, aggressive songs, soft ballads, and the lead singer Brandon Boyd was just, so cool. And I still to this day appreciate the talent this band showcased in their music. For example, the lead guitar player is very unique and has a lot of jazzy parts and compositions, and Brandon Boyd's singing ability is noteworthy, even if his lyrics are downright dreadful at some points.

So, why would I pick this band that I've obviously grown past for a full discography review? Well, there are two reasons; one, I just so happen to own all of their albums, and two, I wanted to see how well their music has held up in my eyes. So without further adieu, let's get started!

And yes, I am aware that S.C.I.E.N.C.E  is not the first album released by Incubus, but in my opinion, Fungus Amongus was a demo and Enjoy Incubus! was an EP that consisted of the best material from the previous album with some decent additions on top. So that is why I've decided to start here, with the band's major label debut.

Much like the debuts of bands such as Radiohead, this album is certainly the black sheep of the band's discography. It has a really heavy rap/funk metal vibe and has a lot of weird lyrical concepts that are just a bit off color in comparison to their later work.

However, I actually think, despite some outdated sounds, that this album is actually pretty great. The songs are both concise, but still take interesting detours that would be pretty much stripped completely on the album that followed it, Make Yourself. Also, tracks like "Redefine" and "Idiot Box" showcase subject matters about not letting TV or other people tell you what to be; concepts that would later be honed on albums like, A Crow Left Of The Murder.

So, in a lot of ways, this album is the perfect start to the band's career because it shows them at their purest form, before they produced things to death or just got better at writing conceptual songs. That makes this album both better and worse than the band's later material, which only lends to its black sheep status.

Personally, this album holds up because it is so fun and has some legitimately awesome, spaced out funky jams, like "Glass" or the legendary "Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song)" a track that actually made me grin with nostalgia upon revisiting, and I would be lying if I said it wasn't currently in heavy rotation. Overall, this album is good. There are certainly some cringe-worthy lyrics, and the rap-metal side can be a bit overbearing, but I'd say it's still worth a visit, or a revisit.

Next time, I'll be looking at the band's big breakout LP, Make Yourself which was easily my least favorite back in the day, so stay tuned!

8.2/10

Mick Jenkins: Wave[s] ALBUM REVIEW

Last year was a pretty great year for Chicago rapper, Mick Jenkins. His tape The Water[s] got a lot of positive feedback, and he was quickly placed alongside contemporaries such as Chance the Rapper when it came to promising new talent in the rap game. As you may know, I was also a pretty big fan of that tape. In short, Mick really brought himself to the front, displaying a knack for great flows, beat choices, and messages.

Going into this new EP, I had heard that he changed his style up, which can either mean that a rapper has decided to try on some more mainstream clothes, or that they are going even farther into the left-field. However, it isn't that simple for Mick on Wave[s]. While there are certainly moments here that lean a bit more to the mainstream, "Piano", "Your Love", "Alchemy"; there are also plenty of moments that could only be identified as a Mick Jenkins track, such as the closer and the track "Get Up Get Down" which has such a great banger beat and some immaculate flows to boot.

Mick also tries his hand at singing on this album, though it's more like recent Drake in the way he presents it; just a way to spice up an otherwise flow heavy rap song. To me, Mick is sounding better than ever rap wise on this EP, but some of the choruses don't work out quite so well. The main culprits here are "The Giver" which is just kind of limp, and the track "Piano" is a bit to simple and short as well.

Honestly, I found a lot to like on this EP and it has me even more excited for whatever full length projects Mick has planned for the future. Some people may think he strayed to far from what his last tape did, with it's subterranean beats and flows, but I think this is a nice contrast to what  that tape had to offer, so now we'll just have to see how those two worlds mix.

8.0/10 

Royal Headache: High ALBUM REVIEW

If you look back at my Top Albums of 2012 post, you'll see that I thought very highly of this band's last LP. Their self-titled debut was rough around the edges, but featured the infectious energy of old school punk, and vocals that were so soulful, they simply couldn't be denied. 

It's been a couple years, and I was honestly starting to think that maybe Royal Headache were out of the game, because aside from a single released a few months after their debut broke through to an American audience, the band went almost completely silent. However, Royal Headache return with High, an album of similarly catchy and energetic songs that, while not anything new or revolutionary, still manage to be a lot of fun, and certainly worth checking out. 

The album kicks off with " My Own Fantasy" which shows off how much the production quality has improved since their last album, and reassures you that the band hasn't lost their knack for catchy melodies. The title track is also a standout track, with a super memorable melody and decent punk instrumentation backing it all up. 

There are also slower moments here, my personal favorite being the album centerpiece "Wouldn't You Know" which has a sweet sentiment and and even sweeter vocal performance. This track is also followed by probably my favorite track on the album, the track "Garbage". A track that is the antithesis of the preceding track; it's about a person that 'belongs in the trash', it's pretty hilarious and has a fantastic grooving bassline as well. 

Like I said before, High isn't reinventing the wheel, but it does still feature some of the finest vocals of any punk band out there right now, and the improved production does help these songs pop more than they did on the debut. Unfortunately, it also exposes just how bland the instrumentation can be, which didn't bother as much on the last album, but just seems like it should have improved over the last couple of years. 

Also, this album doesn't have any of the more vast instrumental tracks that were on the debut, and just overall feels like more of the same from a band that I wanted more of the same from about 2 years ago. All that aside, I did have a whole lot of fun with this LP, and will certainly be revisiting it throughout the year. 

7.0/10

Mac Demarco: Another One ALBUM REVIEW

I've said it before, but I'll say it again: Mac Demarco is a pretty cool guy. He comes off so carefree and lovable in his interviews, and so far, his music has been a mirror of that. However, on his last full length, Mac put some more serious topics on display, such as the thought of growing up and becoming older, maybe a sign that his music needed to grow too? At least that's what I took away from Salad Days, an album that I thought was an overall stronger album than 2.

Now we have this new mini album called Another One, and truth be told; it's his best collection of songs yet. From the noodly and infectious opening guitar licks of "The Way You'd Love Her" to the ambient invitation of "My House On The Water", a track that literally has Mac giving out his address and welcoming everyone to "have a cup of coffee" with him. In between these bookends, we get six tracks that alternate between fast, peppy numbers like "Just To Put Me Down" to slow crooners such as "A Heart Like Her's".

Regardless of the mood of the tracks here, they all share one thing in common, they are almost all uniformly excellent and show that Mac can put together a holistic project when he wants to, since this is easily his most cohesive effort yet, with subject matter mostly revolving around love of all shades. For instance, a track like the amazing "No Other Heart" is the perfect balance of unrequited love mixed in with the kind of humor and soul that Mac has put in his previous music, making a likeable underdog character that we can all relate to.

For an album that only lasts about 25 minutes, Another One is surprisingly fulfilling, and while I wouldn't have minded another track or two, since the closer is really more of an ambient piece, I was still plenty satisfied with what this album had to offer.

8.8/10