Anderson. Paak - Malibu

California R&B artist Anderson .Paak is back with his second full studio effort, Malibu, the album meant to serve as his breakthrough commercial success, and while it does achieve that feat, it still falls a bit short musically. Chocked full of hip-hop vibes and soul twangs, Malibu gives you a Californian feel but over saturates it by including a bit too much.

This album does have its ups. Opener track ‘The Bird’ is a chill track featuring clean guitar chords, jazz backgrounds, a laidback hip-hop beat, and a gospel backing it. The song is pretty minimalistic, never becoming too layered at any point. But, it does make use of many elements that make it a very diverse track. It’s a great song to walk through the streets with on a rainy day, with it’s piano licks and trumpet punches. ‘Put Me Thru’ is another standout on the album, a bigger track than ‘The Bird’, inspiring a scene of riding through Los Angeles. Backed again by a gospel, it has a punchier vibe with pianos and grander guitar licks. The album’s basslines throughout are all very funky, and a highlight of every song.

Unfortunately for .Paak, the praise has to end there. Throughout a good majority of the album, most songs sound like carbon copies of songs from other artists. ‘The Waters’ featuring BJ The Chicago Kid sounds straight off a Kendrick Lamar album. The album also has issues using certain elements effectively - the random background noise in ‘Heart Don’t Stand A Chance’ make it no more than annoying to listen to, which is a shame, since the song is fairly solid without the added noise. By the end of the album, everything begins to sound repetitive, too. The songs have good messages, though unlike ‘Your Prime’ which covers the story of a woman who gets around and can’t stay loyal, the real meanings get lost. The album becomes boring and uninteresting by the end, and with an album that contains sixteen tracks that clocks in over an hour, that can’t be something that happens.

.Paak’s commercial success is good from a spectator’s point of view. If it’s not your thing, it’s a pretty big flop. The album does, in fairness, have some catchy licks and melodies, but isn’t able to keep these good moments consistently rolling, causing the album to fall short of what it could be. At least it has the basslines. Hopefully .Paak doesn’t lose those on his next effort.

Favorite Tracks: The Bird, Put Me Thru

Least Favorite Tracks: Heart Don’t Stand A Chance, Silicon Valley

Rating: 6/10

Top Albums Of 2016 (so far):

1. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
2. Daughter - Not To Disappear
3. David Bowie - ★
4. BANNERS - BANNERS
5. Savages - Adore Life
6. Grizfolk - Waking Up The Giants
7. Rihanna - ANTI
8. Megadeth - Dystopia
9. Krallice - Hyperion
10. Anderson. Paak - Malibu

Megadeth - Dystopia

Who said hair metal was dead? Trash metallers Megadeth have marched into 2016 loud with their fifteenth studio album, Dystopia, and it’s a doozy. Packed to the brim with giant riffs and electrifying solos, the album is a blast to the hair metal movement while still maintaining a modern (or futuristic, I should say) tone.

Kicking off immediately huge is intro track ‘The Threat Is Real’ that is tinged with Middle Eastern vibes and a massive riff accompanied by crushing drumming. The album continues to deliver powerful, headbanger riffs like in the title track ‘Dystopia’ and ‘Fatal Illusion’, but also takes some interesting turns. ‘Poisonous Shadows’ features an outro with spoken word, a piano piece performed by guitarist Kiko Loureiro, and subtle strings. The song, as well as ‘Post American World’ and ‘Conquer Or Die!’ feature acoustic guitars in them, the later of which is an instrumental take takes a break from Dave Mustaine’s raspy vocals. The closure track is a cover of ‘Foreign Policy’ by hardcore punk outfit Fear, giving the song the Megadeth vibe of hair raising riffs and Mustaine’s powerful voice. Much of the album also features a particularly particularly apocalyptic sound to compliment the theme of the album, that being of a future society overcome by science (seems to be a trend lately) and oppression. Lyrically, the album follows the formula of futuristic society full of anarchy and rebellion complimented by the oppressive instrumentals. Admittedly, the album does get a bit dull after the first few tracks if you listen through it consecutively, as the formula of big riffs and tremendous choruses does get old. Luckily, the second half of the album brings in some unexpected elements that add some color to the album.

Dystopia goes to show that you can never kill off music. Debuting at Number 3 on the Billboard 200, it’s Megadeth’s second highest charting album, and in 2016! It’s huge success compliments how huge of an album it is. Through the ages, the band has continued to develop its huge sound and make its mark on metal. Headbanging can’t be killed.

Favorite Songs: The Threat Is Real, Poisonous Shadows, Fatal Illusion

Least Favorite Tracks: Lying In State, Bullet In The Brain

Rating: 7/10

Top Albums Of 2016 (so far):

1. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
2. Daughter - Not To Disappear
3. David Bowie - ★
4. BANNERS - BANNERS
5. Savages - Adore Life
6. Grizfolk - Waking Up The Giants
7. Rihanna - ANTI
8. Megadeth - Dystopia

Grizfolk - Waking Up The Giants

Alternative rock and electronic Los Angeles outfit Grizfolk’s debut album, Waking Up The Giants is out, and it’s pretty big. Full of huge atmospheres complimented by pulsating synths and loud powerchords, Grizfolk’s premiere is triumphant and definitely will get the masses moving.

The band does a great job at mixing their rock and electronic sound together and balancing them in each track. Opener ‘Into The Barrens’ starts off loud and strong, flaunting its big guitar sound but then falls into a widely electronic-led soundscape. The title track, ‘Waking Up The Giants’ does this too, beginning with an acoustic guitar and a small synth line that builds up into subtle choruses backed by a deep beat and loud synths. In the new single ‘Troublemaker’, vocalist Adam Roth gets some rock n’ roll vibes on top of a standard rock song, backed by brooding synthesizer bass and bent guitar chords. ‘Bob Marley’, while not embodying its namesake, also see Roth using the raspier side of his voice. Pop rock appeal shines strong in songs like ‘Hymnals’ and ’Waiting For You’. Some songs take a simpler approach, such as ‘The Struggle’ which sounds like a quieter Imagine Dragons.

While the first half is chock full of feel-good poppier tracks, the second half is more of a roadtrip album, filled with fantastic folk rock ballads with some great lyrics and tells somewhat of a love story. ‘Waiting For You’ has some country influences (especially in the vocals of the chorus and acoustic guitar), though the synths still prevail as a main component of the song. ‘Vagabonds’ is a standout track on the album, featuring a wonderful bassline from Brendan James, which adds so much color to an already sweet track. It’s during this second half of the album that the band takes a bit of a different direction. ‘Cosmic Angel’ is an acoustic track that builds up into a driving ballad led by guitars and a soft vocal line. ‘Bohemian Bird’ is another poetic tack that begins soft and builds up into something more expansive. The album’s closure track, ‘Wide Awake’, it a representation of everything this album built up to its name: loud guitar choruses and synth walls backing the verses and choruses lead to a triumphant closing track.

Grizfolk’s debut record is a lovely mix of electronic rock combined with alternative rock, something that’s becoming increasingly hard to find a good balance of. Waking Up The Giants does it very well, though the synths do seem more prevalent. The second half of the album is a gold mine of beautiful written tracks, while the first is full of feel good rock songs. A great album to debut on - they definitely have room to grow, but if this album is any indication of their musical possibilities, the future is bright.

Favorite Tracks: Wide Awake, Into The Barrens, Vagabonds, Waiting For You

Least Favorite Tracks: Bob Marley, The Struggle

Rating: 7.5/10

Top Albums Of 2016 (so far):

1. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
2. Daughter - Not To Disappear
3. David Bowie - ★
4. BANNERS - BANNERS
5. Savages - Adore Life
6. Grizfolk - Waking Up The Giants
7. Rihanna - ANTI

Rihanna - ANTI

Pop’s true rebel queen is back. After a four year gap since Unapologetic, Rihanna has returned with her next studio album that embodies the sensualities of life. ANTI, while released under unfavorable circumstances, to say the least,  is here and is full of pop bangers that will definitely blow up the airwaves.

The album begins with the groovy ‘Consideration’, a nostalgia-inducing track with an accompanying lo-fi, almost 8-bit beat backing it and groovy bass line. This track really sets the stage for Rihanna’s attitude exhibited in most of this album, and introduced the central subject of many tracks: love. Rihanna has a very calm yet somewhat tired - or annoyed - demeanor behind it. Another highlight track is ‘Desparado’, the most badass track on the album. Instigating a cowboy vibe tinged with the soundscape of a rich man’s hotel, this song serves as the biggest track on the album, making the most of its relatively intimate sound. There’s not much going on it - background harmonies are subtle, the percussion isn’t anything flashy, the bass line following the deep piano chords. What makes this track so huge is its HUGE bass and Rihanna’s brooding lyrics (”If you want, we could be runaways / Running from any sight of love / Yeah, yeah, there ain't nothing / There ain't nothing here for me / There ain't nothing here for me anymore / But I don't wanna be alone”). The final quarter of the album features some stand out tracks. ‘Never Ending’ is the acoustic ballad that movie trailers will eat up, beautifully featuring a lovely vocal performance from Rihanna and a largely simple track that builds up ever so slightly to keep the track flowing by the end. The instrumental for ‘Love On The Brain’ feels like it was taken straight from a Beatles song and plastered with synths. Rihanna channels here inner Sia and delivers some of her best vocal work on the album. The accompanying orchestral punches and gospel influences add a lot of color to the track, too. The symphonic Sia sound is evident on ‘Higher’, as well. The closing track on this album, ‘Close To You’, is the most stripped back on the entire record, and features only Rihanna backed by piano, eventually resolving with an orchestra and acoustic guitar, and is one of the most beautiful tracks on the album - an excellent closure to an album centered around love.

This album, however, does have it’s weak points. The three track run form ‘James Joint’ to ‘Work’ is the lowest point of the album. ‘James Joint’ seems to rip off Flying Lotus, and the lyrics sound like a confused teenager wrote them. ‘Kiss It Better’ is horribly cliché, straight out of the 80s. While it is admittedly catchy, it has no real substance to it that would separate it as a song of its own. ‘Work’ also isn’t bad on its own, but the Drake feature feels wasted with an uninspired first and repetitive lyrics.

Rihanna’s ANTI definitely has a powerful message to deliver - girl power. Love isn’t just a man’s game. Rihanna makes this evident throughout the album, singing of desire and passion. The album starts strong but immediately falls off, only improving in the latter two thirds of the album, and in a big way. The rebel queen is set to make her mark on 2016. These songs will be all over the radio.

Favorite Tracks: Desperado, Never Ending, Closer To You, Consideration (ft. SZA)

Least Favorite Tracks: James Joint, Kiss It Better, Work (ft. Drake)

Rating: 7/10

Top Albums Of 2016 (so far):

1. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
2. Daughter - Not To Disappear
3. David Bowie - ★
4. BANNERS - BANNERS
5. Savages - Adore Life
6. Rihanna - ANTI

Savages - Adore Life

“Savage” is not an appropriate enough term to describe Savages’ new album. How can one put a single term on an album as brooding as this? Savages’ new record, Adore Life is a post-punk rage against love, filled to the brim with attacks on one of the finest human emotions. Every note is another punch to the face and another question to be asked about the heart. The band that brought the rebellious anthem “Strife” and the indie punk staple “Husbands” is now back with an industrial, hard hitting post-punk album that can’t be forgotten easily.

The album is headed with the gothic, Lightning Bolt-esque “The Answer” that immediately establishes that this record does not fool around. With guitars so distorted they merge the line between noisy guitars and a thick synth, almost a thrash rock song with how hard hitting it is. This extreme heaviness is found at other moments on the album, including the rocker that describes confusion, “Surrender” and the closing track that traps its listener in an industrial black hole, “Mechanics”. That’s not to say that the album has it’s moments of regression. The central track, “Adore”, is a slower paced ballad focused around a reverberating guitar and a light beat that ends abruptly before building up into a massive wall of noise. Vocalist Jehnny Beth has an urgency and demand in her voice throughout the album, especially in “The Answer” and “I Need Something New”. One of the most spine-tingling moments on the entire record is her tortured scream in the second half of “Slowing Down The World”. Songs such as “The Answer” and “Mechanics” have epic riffs delivered by Gemma Thompson, with equally as driven bass lines by Ayse Assan featured in “When In Love” and “Slowing Down The World”. Fay Milton delivers groovy and epic percussion throughout the album, especially on “The Answer” and “Evil”. This album does not have a single dull moment - every song shines with some form of excellence in one area or the other. The album ends on a very minimalist track, though for what it has, it makes due with. It’s still the most abyssal track on the album, dragging you into the deepest depths of space (or the supermassive black hole of your broken heart) and crushing you with industrial intensity.

“Adore”, had the album been more of a concept album that told a story, could’ve been the turning point of the album. Savages’ new record is a love story, almost a concept album, in a sense. But rather than being a tale of the enjoyment of love, it is, rather, quite the opposite: Adore Life is a tale told of the aftermath of love, in the most brutal form possible. This is most evidenced in hard hitter “T.I.W.Y.G.”, which laughs in the face of the cruel reality of love: “We gave you life to see if you'd disobey / Not interested in what we have to say,” or in “The Answer” in which Beth cries “If you don't love me / You don't love anybody / Ain't you glad it's you?” As fantastic of an arrangement this album is sonically, you’ll need two listens to fully appreciate it: once focussing in on the incredibly vast instrumentals, and another to fully take in the lyrics and interpret them.

Savages live up to their name with Adore Life, absolutely ravaging the principles of love. There’s no traces of positivity here, every word and note played with a vengeance. This all female-fronted post-punk revival group from London won’t be taking anyone’s shit - they’re coming with power and conviction to make their message known. Adore Life is an ode to happiness and not what makes you happy. And with that, in the most brutal way possible.

Favorite Tracks: The Answer, Mechanics, Adore, Slowing Down The World

Least Favorite Track: Sad Person

Rating: 8/10

Top Albums Of 2016 (so far):

1. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
2. Daughter - Not To Disappear
3. David Bowie - ★
4. Savages - Adore Life

Daughter - Not To Disappear

I went into this album completely unaware of what to expect. I had heard “Doing The Right Thing” the day before picking it up, and I was simply entranced. Daughter’s sophomore album, Not To Disappear is nothing short of entrancing. The album is beautifully atmospheric with a hint of urgency, constantly grabbing your attention at every lovely moment.

As soon as the album begins with the song “New Ways”, the slow and heavy feeling of floating in a purple space invades you. The song builds up from a atmospheric pop song into a slow driven, enchanting ballad filled with layered synths and wailing background noise. “Numbers” follows up, with a minimalist beginning featuring nothing a single, reverberating beat and vocals, before building into an huge, stadium filling indie rock monster. This album is full of eccentric buildups from nothing into a massive wall of noise that garners every sense into one huge sonic experience. Vocalist Elena Tonra commands the attention of the listener, even in the disarray of the entrancing and complex masterpieces this album has to offer, showing off her vocal and songwriting abilities especially in “Alone / With You” and “Mother”. The album isn’t all slow-paced buildups, though. Tracks like “How” and “No Care” are exciting and energetic right from the get-go and carry on as such, giving the album a burst of energy when it begins to drag. “No Care” has a particularly fun section, with guitarist Igor Haefeli bringing out an infectious riff accompanying the driving kick drum, sounding like a Now, Now track. The song also features a great performance by drummer Remi Aguilella, who also shined on the taiko drumming on “Numbers”. Tonra take bass duty on the album, and takes control on “To Belong”, on top of her enchanting vocals. The nearly seven minute epic, “Fossa” begins enchantingly with a Purity Ring reminiscent introduction and evolves into a true indie folk jam, complete with a classic kick-snare pattern and short and sweet guitar licks. “Made Of Stone” closes the album, on a final atmospheric note that sucks you deep into the space you began sinking into at the beginning of the album, as if to provide one last moment of clarity before drifting infinitely into the great unknown.

Daughter has provided an album that has set a precedent for all indie, folk, and pop artists to follow this year, barely two weeks into 2016. The album has a huge presence while maintaining a minimalist attitude in its approach. This group has a huge year ahead of them. This blend of Imagine Dragons’ apocalypse pop and Now, Now’s indie flair came together in the most brilliant of ways. Don’t miss out on this album!

Favorite Tracks: New Ways, Doing The Right Thing, Numbers, No Care

Least Favorite Tracks: How, Mothers

Rating: 9/10

Top Albums Of 2016 (so far):

1. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
2. Daughter - Not To Disappear
3. David Bowie - ★

Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor

Panic! At The Disco has had a long adventure. Now consisting solely of one main member (Brendon Urie), their musical direction is the product of a single individual’s intentions. Every album of theirs has had some sort of niche too it. Their debut, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, gave root to their classic emo/alternative rock fanbase. Pretty. Odd. brought in baroque elements with a pop and rock touch, while 2011′s Vices & Virtues came with a more polished, arena-rock alternative rock sound. 2013′s Too Weird To Live, To Rare To Die saw them edge closer into pop rock and electronic rock. Their latest effort, Death Of A Bachelor continues the pop rock evolution, edging even further away from the rock sound, Urie taking over this album and making it his own.

Admittedly, given the album’s singles, I wasn’t entirely sure to expect from the album. There was a good bit of variation. Brass-led anthem “Hallelujah” took some getting used to, and the Fall Out Boy-esque “Victorious” didn’t initially solidify with me (though, for some reason, the latter of the two sounds much grander and epic on the album - perhaps it’s just me, but it feels more in place in the context of the opening track of the album than a standalone single). The slow ballad “Death Of A Bachelor”, the title track, also took some getting used to - it feels like a rockier version of a Sam Smith song. “LA Devotee” - this album’s take on Thirty Seconds To Mars’ “City Of Angels” - is a tribute to the city of Los Angeles, a trend that has become ever more popular as of late. Another track that took some growing to appreciate. There’s nothing that dragged the track down, per se, just the number of city tributes in music as of late seems to be making the theme somewhat saturated. After a few listens, the song has definitely improved like the white wine Urie praises in the chorus. “Emperor’s New Clothes” was what I needed for the prospect of a new Panic! album built solely by the mind of Brendon Urie to catch my attention. The haunting track (complete with a very ominous music video) has the same spooky pop and rock appeal seen in Vices & Virtues track, “Let’s Kill Tonight”, but on a grander scale. The backing vocals, chanting “Finder’s keepers / loser’s weepers” is a bit cliché, to put it nicely, but the rest of the track makes up for it. The final pre-released track, “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time” was another solid track, though nothing about it stood out in particular. Just a standard, feel good, Panic! rock track.

Beyond the singles, the second half of the album is chock-packed with some surprises. “Crazy=Genius” brings a jungle beat into the mix, with the guitars finally being brought back up into the song. The use of brass sections in the background of the band’s music really shines in this track, bringing it back to the big band scene of the 30′s and 40′s. The percussion on this track is disjointed, yet not too the point where you have to stay confused about it for too long. “Golden Days” is the feel-good rock track this album needed in its second half. It almost sounds like Urie’s take on Muse’s “Revolt”, a song that served a similar function on their album, Drones. The song itself has a subtle lo-fi feeling to it, which keeps it from being just another rock song. The brass section adds a good bit of color to the song, too. “The Good, The Bad and The Dirty” begins with the vocal progression that almost sounds like Björk, but evolves into an arena-pop rock sound with a sweet atmosphere surrounding it, almost to a very refined U2 sound. “House Of Memories” has a sweet melody and great lyrics that evolve into a massive chorus with a arena-filling voice. The bridge to the end has Urie taking over the track, and, while not being as grand as some parts of the album, is perhaps one of his most defining moments on the album. The huge sing-a-long part will definitely be a huge live moment, too. The closing track is the Queen-esque “Impossible Year”, a soulful piano ballad that has Urie bring his takeover to an epic conclusion. The trumpets and accompanying brass add to the grandiose of the track. While still being gorgeously huge, the track is largely subtle, not going over the top and dramatic á la Muse’s The Resistance, but still captures the theatrical finality the album needed to close out.

Panic! At The Disco, (or at this point, should we just say Brendon Urie?) has not fallen any short of an epic new album to kick off the new year. With grand brass accompanying huge rock instrumentals with a pop twang, Panic! followed up their 2013 effort with flying colors. Soaring above what the expectations he faced, Urie showed that he can take over any project he so desires, and owned it to the extreme. 2016 might just be Panic! At The Disco’s year.

Favorite Tracks: Emperor’s New Clothes, Golden Days, House Of Memories, Victorious

Least Favorite Tracks: Crazy=Genius, Death Of A Bachelor

Rating: 9.5/10

David Bowie - ★

Heroes are always remembered, but legends never die. Right up until his end, David Bowie worked on his art and love. After decades of setting standards and defying boundaries, the world lost a true legend just days ago. His final legacy is written from his soul onto his twenty-sixth and final album, Blackstar. From beginning to end, Bowie punches out one massive tune after another, each of these final pieces making a memorable last impression.

The album begins with the 10-minute art rock, avant-garde title track, “Blackstar”, which sounds like Björk took a trip to the Eighties. The song begins the album with a haunting atmosphere, ominous harmonies building into a pop banger before returning to its haunting core. The beginning half of the song features saxophone dissonance and Björk-esque synths and strings, modulating into a more upbeat, funky track with syncopated guitar chords with brass and woodwinds brooding in the background. The song evolves back into its creepy krautrock rooting, ending with a harmonious conjoining of a scattering flute and synthesizer. Bowie doesn’t hold back on being subtle with this album - he chants, “I’m not a gangstar... I’m not a pornstar” in “Blackstar” and “Black struck the kiss, she kept my cock / Smote the mistress, drifting on / 'Tis a pity she was a whore” in the following track, “’Tis A Pity She Was A Whore”. “Lazarus” is a more Bowie-typical song, the big ballad of the album, featuring a soaring saxophone solo and arena-filling synthesizers, with some doodly guitars in the background doing their own thing, as well. “Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)” begins to border a progressive rock sound, the krautrock influences heard prominently in “Blackstar” returning to the foreground. The song has the dark atmosphere of “Blackstar”, but with a more apparent urgency to it. “Girl Loves Me” is a throwback to earlier Bowie works, while incorporating the Björk influence once again. The song continues the darker components of the album, revolving around the idea of how one can get lost in their own emotions (”Where the fuck did Monday gooOO!?”). “Dollar Days” is another throwback to classic Bowie, and the closure track “I Can’t Give Everything Away” was fished straight out of Eighties synthpop.

After decades of work, inspiring countless artists to follow their musical dreams and breaking down countless walls, the great David Bowie has finally been laid to rest. He has left one final legacy with his last album, Blackstar, that has not fallen short of any expectations. We may have lost his future, but we will always have his influence with us. Thank you for the years of unfathomable inspiration and creation, David Bowie. Rest in peace.

Favorite Tracks:  Blackstar, Lazarus, Girl Loves Me

Least Favorite Track: Dollar Days

Rating: 8.5/10

Loma Prieta - Self-Portrait

Have you ever been hit by a freight train? If you have, congratulations on surviving. If you haven’t, Loma Prieta can give you a taste of what exactly that feels like. This San Francisco band has returned, following up their massive 2012 album, I.V. with Self Portrait. Between the massive walls of noise, Loma Prieta is back with a more refined sound and a thicker soundscape to rock your mind.

Going into this album is like being thrown into a pit, full of angry, hungry wolves, ready to tear your flesh apart. Some freight train collision, huh? The opening track, “Love” begins this monster album on a mild note, beginning with arpeggiated (albeit, distorted) guitar before screaming vocals kick in, barreling drums soon following. This is about as soft as it gets on this album. “Black Square” follows up “Love”, beginning with thundering drums a feedback buildup to more angry screams. The chorus brings us to the point of no return on the album - the distorted powerchords under extreme vocals are upon us. The album continues to march forward, each track being another punch in the face. The album, in fact, gets even crazier as it continues. “Merciless” is probably one of the most mind-bogglingly epic tracks on the album, beginning with what could be passed as a punk version of the intro to Deftones’ “Change (In The House Of Flies)”, this song embodies what hardcore punk mixed with noise rock is: confusion and sonic brutality. “Rings” continues the insanity, with pounding kick drums and giant distorted guitars knocking you out with every hit.

The concluding track of the album, in contrast, ends it on a lighter note. “Satellite” begins as the cleanest track on the album. It does eventually kick into another heavy-hitting punk rock banger as the choruses pick up, but it still shows a progression in the band’s sound, exhibited elsewhere in the album, too: a “happier” vibe. The band attempts to stray away from a purely negative sound at several moments on the album. This includes “Never Remember” (which could be passed for a really heavy The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die song) and “More Perfect”, two tracks that are uncharacteristically happy for Loma Prieta.

And so, as lightly it began, a crescendo of noise lifts you out of the sonic experience of Self Portrait. Barreling towards a happier sound, Loma Prieta has developed a fuller sound, maintaining the heaviness of previous efforts all the while mixing in lighter moments to lead the listener to a false sense of security, before bombarded by a massive wall of noise. They have mastered the art of noise (that is, feedback) and built it into powerful, hard-hitting tracks, keeping every track fresh and new. Congratulations, you have survived a direct collision from a freight train.

Favorite Tracks: Merciless, Love, Satellite

Least Favorite Track: Never Remember

Rating: 8.5/10

Disclosure - Caracal

Being among the leaders of house and a new album packed with all star guests (The Weeknd, Lorde, Sam Smith, and more), it’s easy to see where electronic and pop music fans alike are being drawn in. Perhaps the only way to try and match the success of Disclosure’s previous effort Settle was to get this pop appeal. But can their new album match the quality fans so adored in its successor?

Caracal stays very true to itself. It embodies everything house is, and should be. While this has both its ups and downs, for the most part, it does everything it attempts to do in a complete fashion. The beginning of the album is an onslaught of soul - The Weeknd and Sam Smith’s guest spots appearing consecutively after one another. The album opens on a big note: the seven minute house monster that is “Nocturnal” featuring The Weeknd. The Weeknd’s R&B voice shines bright and provocatively on top of the typical deep bass notes and pretty little synths that compose the instrumental. The song centers around the atmospheric chorus (which is really just Weeknd singing, “Nocturnal, yeah!” over and over) and progressive build ups. On the surface the track seems a bit tacky and long, though the length is justified by the catchiness of the track. Even if you hate it, the track is extremely infectious. Unfortunately, the album peaks just as soon as it begins.

As I mentioned before, this album takes a firm hold of everything it attempts to do. The negative side of that is that it holds on to these principles throughout the entirety of the album, making it an enjoyable yet forgettable experience. The tracks following “Nocturnal”, “Omen” featuring Sam Smith and “Holding On” featuring Gregory Porter, while great as standalone songs, ruin the flow established with the debut track. Not only that, but they feel like secondhand knockoffs of it! “Hourglass” featuring LION BABE rebuilds the charm of “Nocturnal”, with LION delivering great harmonies, with a fun backing track. The album quickly shoots low again, nothing separating “Willing & Able” from being a KWABS feature and a KWABS track. “Magnets” with Lorde and the first track on the album without a feature, “Jaded” are the last high points on the album. Lorde delivers a great performance with her signature ominously charming harmonies, even while the instrumental may not fit the mood the vocals seem to want to set up. “Jaded” has a driving charm with a very catchy chorus yet again. Your suspicions are built up and broken down throughout the first half of the album, ultimately leveling off into a very average expectation for the second half. While there are memorable moments scattered few and far between the second half of the album (songs like “Moving Mountains” and “Molecules” are quite well written and groovy), nothing truly stands out like the better tracks of the beginning. Not to mention the absolute disasters that are “Bang That” and “Good Intentions” featuring Miguel.

Caracal isn’t the follow up you’d expect from Disclosure, but it definitely holds its ground. It has its ups and downs (well, mainly downs), but it’s a solid house record. Great to put on in the background to get work done, or to put on at a chill party. Dropping big names definitely helped the album get some fresh ideas and pop exposure, so hopefully the trend continues in Disclosure’s future endeavors.

Favorite Tracks: Nocturnal (ft. The Weeknd), Magnets (ft. Lorde), Jaded

Least Favorite Tracks: Bang That, Good Intentions (ft. Miguel)

Overall Rating: 6.5/10