Future - Used To This (ft. Drake)

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I've had a decent break from Future lately, which I really needed. I was getting really sick of him - he was on everything. You listen to any hip-hop record, Future's there. You go for a trip to mall, Future's playing. You look right - you guessed it. Future's probably standing right there.

Desiigner has been building off the sound and he's someone I can finally get behind since he's added some melody to his music. Taking a break from Future has allowed me to take a refreshing new look into his new single, 'Used To This.'

Too my surprise, it's actually a good song. There's a sort of love-or-hate relationship I have with his music, but this track was a clear winner. The song's instrumental isn't empty and solely consisting of the same spidery and bass synths, but instead features a pretty catchy and pretty piano line that isn't too simple such that it keeps your attention. The beat is standard and the bass accompaniment is still there, but it's behind the piano and it's a really refreshing palette to come into. Perhaps producer Zaytoven is to thank, but regardless, it's a new sound.

The verses themselves are expected, but they're not annoyingly spit and have flow. The song's about Future and Drake being at the top of their genre, the hook of the track revolving around partying and the products of their successes: "Get the llama, I party with the real Madonna (yeah)... Drop-top Porsches, I'm so used to this... Mansion in the hills, I got used to this." Future's verses are expected of him, all about the party life and riches. Drake's verse is also expected, but that means it's pretty humbling. Putting aside the Drake has a lot more variation in his flow (and a lot less noticeable, presumably "aesthetic" autotune), he also covers his family and friends and how he keeps them in his mind and will always be able to thank them for where he is.

'Used To This' tackles two sides to fame: what's on the surface and what one should keep in mind. Future and Drake both take their respective sides, which isn't something special, but the song itself is a nice mix. It's a step in the right direction for Future - interesting and edging away from the sound he's had for his last three releases. EVOL didn't hit hard, but maybe this next record will. Future's been taking his time with this one, so that means something's coming. Beast Mode 16 is coming soon, and this track can only mean good things are to come.

Rating: 81 / 100

The Chainsmokers - Collage

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The newest threat on the block is without a doubt The Chainsmokers. With a few past hits in their repertoire, they showed up out of the blue this past summer and have taken the radio by storm, pumping out some of the decade's biggest hits in a matter of months. They've compiled some of these tracks into a new EP entitled Collage.

The electronic pop duo really have a knack for making some infectious tracks. Nearly every song on the five minute EP rings with lots of fun and appeal. Opener and new single 'Setting Fires' has bouncy, infectious synths that keep the song light as XYLØ adds some dimension and melody to the track above the instrumental, even though the synths do enough of all of that on their own already. Phoebe Ryan takes over the vocals in the more upbeat 'All We Know,' this time Andrew Taggart joining on on vocals, harmonizing with Ryan's somber vocals above the punchy instrumental.

'Closer' was one of the biggest songs of the summer, and its performance showed it. It was played ad nauseam on the radio and remained as Spotify's #1 most streamed track for weeks. Riding of the group's hype instrumentals and the other threat in pop, Halsey, 'Closer' was destined for greatness. The song starts gently and builds slowly as it progresses, ultimately becoming an awesomely energetic song with jumpy synths and a big beat. Halsey's sweet and punk flair adds a lot of color to the already fun and sweet track.

The other hit from the summer was 'Don't Let Me Down.' The guitar in the intro sings innocently as Daya sings sweetly before the chorus kicks in with the drama. Daya's lyrics start building up with the beat, as the breakdown comes in the form of saxophone synths and bassy accompaniment. The song feels like something Rihanna would sing and come up with. It's a fun, very poppy track that also has the party side too it - a clear banger.

The Chainsmokers are pop's most hopeful duo. Their electronic flair sees a mix of party and fun that lots of artists don't seem to understand well. Their debut LP will be absolutely massive - this group is here to stay for years to come. 

Favorite Tracks: Don't Let Me Down, Closer, Setting Fires

Least Favorite Track: Inside Out

Rating: 89 / 100

Alicia Keys - HERE

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Alicia Keys has built a strong presence around herself throughout her career. With that power, her sixth album HERE has a strong message it tries to convey.

Alicia's the queen of R&B as it stands. Her voice has a perfect balance of smoothness and grit that she uses to cover a lot of ground vocally. The album begins in a way such that her diversity and message is made clear. She takes things back down to the south with 'This Gospel,' setting a regional tone for the record. The song starts softly before quickly building up confidently with the same flow you'd find from Hamilton. The gospel moments on the track don't feel like enough to suggest the title be dedicated to them, but they're there in the bridge. New Orleans jazz is channeled in 'Pawn It All,' the groovy instrumental carrying it through.

'Illusion Of Bliss' is the bridge between pop and culture on the record. Right at the core of the record, the song is sandwiched between the bayou-inspired section and the poppier side, and contains elements of both. The song features a bluesy vibe that you'd hear at a late night club somewhere in New Orleans. The organs funkily vibe underneath Keys' almost tortured vocals and the male background vocals. It's a slowburner, the slow and spacious drum beat carrying the song through its torture. The beat dies out by the end of the song as a clean and pretty bassline and pounding pianos carry the track under Keys' cries of "Don't say I'm gone / I don't want to be a fallen angel."

The acoustic moments provide some rawness on the record. One of these tracks is 'Kill Your Mama' which is solely acoustic. Keys sings powerfully atop a lo-fi acoustic guitar which rings out with raw, folky vibes. 'Blended Family (What You Do For Love)' beings acoustically, but eventually progresses into a poppier track, the likes of A$AP Rocky contributing a verse to the track. The acoustic guitar leads into Keys cleaner voice, bass and a pop beat kicking in to drive the track sweetly as she sings about love having no boundaries.

The album's highs are great, but unfortunately they are overshadowed by lows. The worst part of the record are that more than a quarter of its tracks are short, boring, and just plain cringey interludes. The first track, 'The Beginning,' sounds incredibly pretentious and when 'Elaine Brown,' the second interlude to appear, kicks in, you've already had enough. Much of the second half of the record is just plain boring and unmemorable. The first half feels much more inspired and like it has something to say. The other half is just regularly performed pop songs with no merit to them to maintain interest. There are some questionable moments on plenty of tracks, too: the xylophone solo in 'She Don't Really Care_1 Luv' is cool, but the male vocals are pretty weird, dragging the song down a bit.

Alicia Keys made a pretty big statement... for half of a record. HERE is grounded in her roots to start but eventually devolves into a mess of uninspired pop tracks that try to imitate what the start of the album had. It felt like a big risk but ultimately took the safe route. Keys is at the point of her career where she really can do whatever she wants - the pop side of the album was fully unnecessary and brought the quality far, far down. Without risk, there isn't any reward - HERE hit the sad 50/50.

Favorite Tracks: Illusion Of Bliss, Kill Your Mama, Blended Family (What You Do For Love)

Least Favorite Tracks: Interludes, Work On It, Girl Can't Be Herself

Rating: 50 / 100 

Gem Club - Breakers

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It's sometimes the emptiest music that has the most heart. It's easiest to relate to emptiness - there's nothing really to interpret; it's just empty. It's up to you to add emotion into it.

The debut record from Gem Club, entitled Breakers, is the perfect example of that phenomenon. The 2011 record's sound consists of the dreamiest pianos and sweet strings that back Christopher Barnes' sweet indie voice. It's a very gentle record, introspective all the while laying down some heavy meanings.

The first impression you get of the record is the brilliant 'Twins,' a tragic admittance of Barnes' twin who died at childbirth. The lyrics wistfully croon "The wind shook the kiss from your mouth / Before I could learn whose twin I was" in a pretty and gentle voice. Beautiful piano chords simply but powerfully ring out as the gentle violin sings quietly above the track. This song, like many others, is written with brevity but with much thought. It's full of amazing metaphors for death that resonate with meaning beyond the purpose of the song itself.

The best part of the record is undoubtedly its lyrics. The track 'Lands' faces utter hopelessness, Barnes and Kristen Drymala singing together in a tragic duet as the slow drumbeat emulates a heartbeat. The pianos ring gently and darkly as pretty synths and atmosphere build up. The lyrics tell the haunting tale of someone who has lost the most important part of their life: their lover. The narrator faces severe depression, and the song seems to be about the choice to end it all. Barnes quietly cries "I feel you are the one whose moving beneath me  / Are there riders coming through the dark," as the everlasting presence of the narrator's lover continues to haunt them. After clinging to it for so long, the presence leaves, the lines "There is no more communication / I'm building lovers in our bed," revealing their reluctance to let go. The song ends quietly and as darkly as it persisted, the piano growing with the slightest intensity before fading out with the hauntingly memorialization of the narrator's final moments: "I feel no real danger / I'm filled with desire / The back of my head split wide open / And I saw the look of lands changing / Are there riders coming through the dark."

'Red Arrow' follows it through is just as powerfully, a slightly more convicted track detailing the release from life. Love was everything to the narrator of this track, and it was tragically taken away from them. The standout of this track is moreso the incredibly simple and powerful instrumental and the backing vocals that hauntingly resonate at the back of the track. The album slowly evolves into one that seeks hope to fill it's empty void. 'I Heard The Party' is the narrator's attempt at finding purpose, but the burden of his emptiness is too great; he cannot find happiness even when in the face of it. There's reminiscing in 'Tanagers' as Barnes sings in a very introspective manner. There's something about the symbolism of horses that Barnes can't seem to escape, yet it provides strong emotions to the tracks it is mentioned in. 'Lands' speaks of "riders" as they come to take him away to the next life, the metaphor providing a strong image of deliverance. In 'Tanagers,' the horses act as a message for hope; the memory of them gave the narrator something to want to return to. The horses gave them emotion.

The album ends on powerful notes. '252' is a song that has too strong interpretations: the narrator is in deep love, or the narrator's lover is diagnosed with cancer. In the cancer timeline, the two involved struggle with how the gravity of the situation effects their lives. The constant hospital visits paired with the heartbreaking thought that every meeting could be the last, Barnes blaming "the cells of this body [that] have all lost their memory... This terrible anatomy / Will surely get the best of me" for his sorrows. This meaning coincides with the story of love (how being deeply in love can effectively damage your own life through obsession), both meanings brought together by the lines "Confused by each other / To work out of order / And I hate that they require / The need to be together... Maybe they'd grow in someone else / Watch as they grow in someone else." The album ends beautifully and calmly in 'In Wavelengths' as if to submit to all of the pain and suffering that the narrator has been the victim of. It's one final defeat, and it feels like it. In the end, they come to terms with reality and let it take them, whether for better or for worse.

Breakers is like what Sufjan Stevens would sound like if his music was based solely around ethereal pianos and tragic orchestras. Every track on this record is it's own 'Fourth Of July,' the strength of each song expressed through its meaning. It's a depressive, challenging, and empty record, but in its emptiness it finds power. It draws emotion from the rawest places. Gem Club's debut is one of the strongest out there, but it's incredible how it makes so much out of nothing. Tragedy can be channeled into the most beautiful art.

Favorite Tracks: Lands, Red Arrow, Black Ships, 252

Least Favorite Tracks: Breakers, Tanagers

Rating: 94 / 100

Tkay Maidza - Tkay

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Hip-hop loves to draw from its influences. Australian hip-hop artist Tkay Maidza draws from her African background in her debut record Tkay.

The Zimbabwean born Maidza has a lot of appeal in her debut. It's not dull hip-hop we've become used to. Instead, colorful instrumentals and melodies accompany her young and refreshing voice. The album begins with the high energy, intense 'Always Been,' a big of a misleading track to open the record yet does hype it up. It's dark and dramatic, the beat strong and the delivery packed with grime influence. The bars are pretty quick fire, but there's a recognizable reference to Kanye West's 'Black Skinhead' in there that'll pique you're ear in case you can't pick up on anything else.

There are several other songs that go hard. 'Carry On,' with Run The Jewels' Killer Mike on the track, throwing down above the synthy bass between the upbeat but still urgent chorus. A darker presence envelops 'State Of Mind,' bouncy synths radiating ominous vibes on top of Maidza's gun of a mouth paired paranoid harmonies.

The majority of the record finds itself being poppier. The instrumental of 'Simulation' channels Sia almost blatantly, yet the vocals' light melodies soar high above the 'Cheap Thrills' reminiscent synth. There are thicker, dancier songs like 'Monochrome' that robotically have some groove to them. The muddy instrumental helps elevate the poppier lyrics. 'Drumsticks No Guns' is a fun-loving track, infectiously cute synths bouncing happily throughout the track. 'Castle In The Sky' is the pinnacle of the album's pop tracks, the sweet melodies pairing with the strongest and punchiest instrumental on the record, dynamic brass synths pairing with various acoustic instrumentation and electronics.

Sometimes it goes a little too far. With the pop influence, there are a few annoying tracks, like 'Tennies.' The song starts okay, but there has to be a limit as to how many times you can sing "tennies" before it gets old. The beat features some cool instrumentation, some bongos sounding with a punchy string instrumental, but even those can't save the song from its muddy tendencies. The big vibes of 'Supasonic' are interrupted by pretty annoying lyrics.

Tkay has all of the the uncertainties of a debut record, but it definitely holds its ground. It's an indicator of a new threat on the block with Tkay Maidza - she's bound to be something big in the hip-hop and pop world. It's a refreshing new sound and certainly one that won't be getting old anytime soon. Now we sit back and watch a career unfold.

Favorite Tracks: Castle In The Sky, Always Been

Least Favorite Tracks: Tennies, Supasonic, House Of Cards

Rating: 73 / 100

Helmet - Dead To The World

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Some bands have trouble modernizing their sound. Such is the problem of Helmet, who's eighth record Dead To The World has exactly that problem.

Helmet were the biggest force in noise rock and punk rock in the 1990s, and that influence even carried forward into the 2000s. Something happened since then, though. Perhaps it was a conscious awakening or a unanimous vote for change, but Helmet isn't the same band they once were. They've become a distorted shadow of the threat they once were, their original power replaced by something strange.

There are still traces of what they once were, though. Songs like 'Expect The World' have gritty vocals and big riffs reminiscent of their old track. The vocals do fall to a disgustingly slobbery level by the end of the song, though. The start of the album is much better, 'Life Or Death' having an old fashioned sound with some soft moments mixed in. 'I Heart My Guru' is pure rock n' roll, the electrifying guitar wails sounding confidently in the intro. If the ending wasn't so grossly throaty, it would be on of only tracks worth revisiting on the record. 'Red Scare' has a giant riff and dramatic chorus that feels a bit like Metallica, giving the song some atmosphere and some space.

It's all downhill from there. It feels like the band had only heard the poppiest tracks on the radio in the last five years and tried to emulate that while attempting to mix it with their own. Really, what is this Weezer shit going on in 'Green Shirt'? How is this a Helmet song? 'Bad News' has a big riff, but the melodies are far too poppy and weird in context of the instrumental for it to make sense. Let alone the terrible lines "All news is bad news" that is the subject of every chorus.

The album gets progressively more boring as it goes on, and the band makes some pretty bad mixing decisions. Who on Earth edited the fade in part at the end of 'Drunk In The Afternoon'? It feels like a legitimate mistake. They decided the end the record with a slow version of the intro track, which really isn't that much slower or different from the original - it's basically the same song at a slower tempo. Was it that hard to write another song that they just slowed down the first one assuming we had already forgotten about it? Fair play.

Helmet may have lost their punch. Their eighth album Dead To The World is in shambles. It's full of cringey attempts at modernizing their sound and genuinely bad production choices. Where did it go wrong? The band used to have so much power, and now they feel like an old horse. It's a shame, really. Maybe they'll find something new to hone in on by the next album, if that ever comes around. If it's following the sound of this record, though, perhaps it's best for them to hang up the coat.

Favorite Track: Red Scare

Least Favorite Tracks: Green Shirt, Drunk In The Afternoon, Life and Death (Slow), Look Alive, Die Alone

Rating: 45 / 100

Papa Roach - 'Crooked Teeth'

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It's been an interesting few records for Papa Roach. 2012's The Connection ushered the band into a newer, more modern sound that combined their alternative rock and nu metal past with poppier tones and electronic. 2015 followed up with F.E.A.R., a dynamic album that saw electronics and rock blend with more sense of melody and energy.

They're on the brink of another record, due out in 2017, and it's continuing the trend. The band has shared 'Crooked Teeth,' the first track from the as-of-now unnamed album. The song builds off the band's alternative rock midlife and progresses into some new elements.

The dynamic of the song is what really stands out strongly above the rest. The song is introduced by a big powerchord and powerful drumming, leading into a high energy, angry verse on the brink of screaming from Jacoby Shaddix. The chorus sounds melodically and powerfully like something you'd hear from the alternative rock scene in the mid-2000s. The powerful drums drive the song throughout the track as Shaddix yells powerfully.

Electronica is still very much present; in fact, it's further developed on this track than the band has yet dabbled in. There's elements of trap music in the song, right at the beginning of the second verse: powerful drums and big guitars take a break so that a deep, bassy beat can instead fill in under Shaddix's paranoid delivery of "Caved in, hyperventilating... I feel my devil trying to creep back in." The song kicks back in with full force instrumentally to take the song out to the end.

'Crooked Teeth' is a pretty big track. It's somehow maturer than past efforts have been while still maintaining the band's core sounds. Their next record is shaping up to be a big one for the band. Papa Roach may finally be settling the score with their 'Last Resort' past and make it big with a whole new sound.

Rating: 80 / 100

Honeyblood - Babes Never Die

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Everyone loves some female-fronted indie rock. Scottish duo Honeyblood is a solid contender in the running for the crown of the genre, but their new album Babes Never Die feels like it could use something more.

Babes Never Die is the duo's sophomore record, riding off the success of their critically acclaimed debut, their self-titled Honeyblood. This record continues on with the sort of lo-fi atmosphere that the girls have come to inhabit. There's still some grit in the songs - see the confident riff that introduces 'Ready For The Magic.' The album has a lot of drive to it early on that stays pretty consistent throughout the record, beginning with the eponymous 'Babes Never Die,' giving the album its emotional thrill.

The best tracks on the album, however, find themselves being more mellow and melodic. 'Walking At Midnight' is found at the core of the record, the refreshing intro sounding pretty and dark. The melodies flow smoothly above an underlying instrumental that doesn't try to steal attention from the beautiful vocals. The track's instrumentation does, still, provide more aesthetic to the track, the groovy, almost Spanish feel carries the track through a free midnight stroll, peace and playfulness becoming one.

'Justine, Misery Queen' is another standout track, abandoning the darkness of the former track and honing in on the funner side of band's sound. It's pretty upbeat, which is ironic, since the song is about feeling defeated by life. 'Sea Hearts' is another track with some fun vibes to it, the driven beat carrying heavily distorted guitars to provide a light atmosphere.

The rest of the tracks on the record find themselves being okay. There's no distinctly bad track, but there's just plenty of subpar ones that are there to fill space. 'Gangs,' the album's closer, has a good drive and melodic sense, but it ends the record in an expected way. It's a good track, but not quite enough; it's too standard. The same is true for 'Sister Wolf' - it starts following a formula of chunky riff into indie vocalizations, which end up being boring in the end.

Babes Never Die isn't a bad album, but it definitely could've gone with more. Honeyblood has a very good grasp on their sound, but they need to find a way to progress it in an interesting and mature way, or else their doomed to produce some average indie rock for the rest of their career. They have the potential; let's see if they can channel it.

Favorite Tracks: Walking At Midnight; Justine, Misery Queen

Least Favorite Tracks: Intro, Outro

Rating: 70 / 100

Frank Iero and The Patience - Parachutes

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It's been a rough few weeks for Frank Iero and The Patience. The term "parachutes" means a lot more to them now than ever. Imagine plummeting down to the Earth with nothing but gravity bringing you down at deathly speed. All you have to depend on is a parachute; a piece of cloth that is the line between life and death. The small things are sometime the biggest factors - that's what the band's second album Parachutes is all about.

If you missed the news, the band was recently involved in a automobile crash while on tour in Australia, causing them to cancel the rest of their tour dates of the year to recover from injuries and shock. In response, they released 'Oceans' ahead of the album, as a sort of thank you to their fans. In our review of the song, we highlighted the defeated vocals and the ironically relevant lyrics to their situation. It's a love song as much as it is a song about hope; whether he's talking about a love or an experience, the second chorus exclaims, "You’re still a part of me, the only part I enjoy, and I wish I still had a hold on you like you do, until you’re blue, around my throat." Something's a thrill to him, but can he let go of the high it gives him before it takes him over is the question.

The album's like one big release. It's punk rock textures serve as a means of exhibiting its angry cries. There are big and confident songs that bring out an almost violent atmosphere, like 'Veins! Veins!! Veins!!!' and 'The Ressurectionist, Or An Existential Crisis In C#.' Other's have a reckless abandon to them, fitting the lines of insanity with 'I'm A Mess' as well as just simple fun and lightheartedness in 'Remedy.' You have to love an album that can blend the lines of serious and fun in a seamless manner, and often times is the case with punk; it's a very malleable medium.

The slow burners on the record provide more introspection than the heavier songs. The folky, lo-fi recording of 'Miss Me' is a sweet and raw track, its country vibe making Frank Iero sound like he's singing in a Tennessee field. It's a lighthearted track, but it does have a sweet meaning to it. Closing track '9-6-15' builds up from a very calm, introspective recollection to an angry fire that burns until the album cuts it off. It's a song for Iero's grandfather - his namesake who died on the day the song's title lists. The song is full of beautiful, honest lyrics. It has a larger context of someone you loved or who changed your life leaving your life for good: lyrics such as "The days to come, and if i could ever put the past in it’s place / I think about it all the time / You made me feel like, I was more than enough" and "I curse the heavens that took you away / I think about it all the time / I couldn’t miss you any more than I do right now" really set the tone of the track. The song's more directly set to his grandfather, though, as the album ends in a sort of memorialization: "The greatest man that ever lived, he died September 6th / But the love in my heart and the fire in my soul are a testament that he never truly left."

Parachutes is an album about loss, but it's also an album about finding hope. Songs find themselves living in both pain and in love, the two extremes sometimes meeting in the middle. Frank Iero and The Patience have been through a lot, but their album has made their struggle all worth it. We wish them a speedy recovery, and hopefully they'll soon be delivering these songs to you live and full of the same emotions they have on the record; maybe even more.

Favorite Tracks: 9-6-15, Veins! Veins!! Veins!!!, World Destroyer

Least Favorite Track: I'll Let You Down

Rating: 80 / 100

3rd Quarter Of 2016 In Music - Wrap-Up

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Perhaps a bit overdue, but better late than never. Here's a summary of what we listened to in the third quarter of 2016 (July - September) and links to albums we've reviewed.

5-Star Albums (85 - 100)

4-Star Albums (65 - 84)

3-Star Albums (45 - 64)

2-Star Albums (25 - 44)

1-Star Albums (0 - 24)

  • None!

Throwback Reviews

 

Top Albums Of 2016 (so far)

  1. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
  2. AURORA - All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend
  3. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
  4. Deftones - Gore
  5. Dream Theater - The Astonishing
  6. Foxes - All I Need
  7. Sin Fang - Spaceland
  8. Daughter - Not To Disappear
  9. Gojira - Magma
  10. Thrice - To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere

Top Songs Of 2016 (so far)

  1. AURORA - 'Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) (Acoustic)'
  2. Radiohead - 'True Love Waits'
  3. Deftones - 'Hearts/Wires'
  4. Radiohead - 'Daydreaming' *
  5. Panic! At The Disco - 'Emperor's New Clothes'
  6. Foxes - 'Better Love'
  7. Lacey Sturm - 'Rot'
  8. AURORA - 'Through The Eyes Of A Child'
  9. Deftones - 'Phantom Bride'
  10. Thrice - 'Black Honey'

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