Olaf Stuut - Run

Electronic music comes in many flavors, minimalistic often being one of the last subdivisions to come to mind. Minimalistic electronica, when taken under the hands of experimental masterminds, can be a beautiful thing. Olaf Stuut presents this notion with his new release, 'Run', which bends genre with a subtle flair of funk and hip-hop over dark and brooding synths.

While on the surface the music in the album may seem simplistic, there's a lot going on at the core of it. The album doesn't feature too many vocals, primarily focussing in on the glitchy and blocky electronics, but where vocals do exist, they're spine-tingling. Brilliant harmonies are found throughout the record, right off of the get go with 'Maze' featuring Marlon Penn with puzzling synths and crescendoing harmonies akin to those of Radiohead, straight through to the end with the eleven-minute experience of closing track 'Billow', a track that experiments with the use of acoustic instrumentation not found elsewhere on the record, building up to climaxes and trenches with every turn. Deep, robotic harmonies are one highlight of 'Lush', the other being the brilliantly groovy synth solo found within it. Not all of the harmonies play a positive role on the record though: the ones found on the title track 'Run' are weird and off putting, unless strange harmonies that don't quite fit are your thing.

Instrumentally, this album has a surprising bit of variation among it. Some tracks like 'Pareidolia' feature glitchy percussion (and percussion of many calibers, to go with that) as the main element of the track, electronics serving more of a supportive role. Other songs, namely 'Thank You', focus in on the punchiness of synths with interesting basslines to compliment them. There also some weirder ones, the blocky synths of 'A Scape Reality' and the deep bassy percussion play testament to the experimentation and genius of Olaf Stuut. The experience overtakes the means in 'Extended Travels', the title perfectly capturing all this song is: an exploration. Listening to this song takes you through an adventure, one with no particular beginning or ending, nor does it have many sights to see, but you float through an empty and soft place as this song ebbs and flows like a gentle river.

Electronic music has seen a lot in its development, and within its evolution came a lot of experimentation. Some failed, but others excelled, such as Olaf Stuut. 'Run' is a solid sophomore release that isn't afraid of being different. It creates beauty out of simplicity and makes the most out of what little it does have to make up its minimalistic body. Not quite a masterpiece, but by no means a failed experiment. If anything, it has carved a new path for a masterpiece to finds its way through.

Favorite Tracks: Billow, Lush, Maze

Least Favorite Track: Run

Rating: 7/10

letlive. - If I'm The Devil...

Los Angeles post-hardcore outfit letlive. has evolved their sound in their new record, 'If I'm The Devil'. The new album abandons some of the harshness found in previous album and fills the gap with filling harmonies and arena--filling guitars.

Balancing energy and quieter moments can prove a challenge, but letlive. does well with this on the new record. Songs including the bombastic 'Good Mourning, America' and the Death From Above 1979-esque, positive sounding 'Nu Romantics' ooze loads of energy and big rock power. The songs on this record tend to have giant bridges and/or endings, definitely aimed for big live moments. The album doesn't miss out on softer moments, however. Closer track 'Copper Colored Quiet' is an anthemic and theatrical song backed by a substantial orchestra that slowly builds up over time, while starting quietly and reaches a climax, which is not as massive as other songs found on the record, but definitely brings the record to a suitable end. 'Foreign Cab Rides' also takes a more somber road, but builds up into a panicy ending with a massive presence,

'If I'm The Devil' may be a more approachable inlet in letlive.'s discography, but it doesn't let that stop some experimentation and risks. Introduction 'I've Learned To Love Myself' doesn't sound quiet like anything the band has done thus far, starting the album on a powerful and dark note. The song feels like it was taken straight out of Chelsea Wolfe's playbook with some guitars slapped on and lyrics taken from Trent Reznor's journal. The song is crushingly emotional, with a broken disposition in the brilliant vocal performance from vocalist Jason Butler. The melody itself tells a story, Butler showing off his signature theatrics with his voice. The disposition of the track is even haunting, Butler laughing at the situation the song describes: the rejection and acceptance of a broken soul. The guitars burst in with grand acclaim, complimenting the darkness of the record, and the crushing nature of the track gets no easier as it progresses. A bold move to start the album with one of the best songs the band has ever written, but it doesn't make the rest of the album any worse.

Other newly treaded areas of the record include the radio-pleaser 'Who You Are Not', seemingly intended to bring in fans from a poppier angle. The song itself is a banger; the fact that it has less of a letlive. vibe to it does not make it any less of a great jam. It's almost a central point of the record; the call to arms gang vocals a recurring theme across the record bringing the determination to an all time high in the song. Lead single 'Reluctantly Dead' is just as good, the determined and grand choruses spewing energy into the record at it's midpoint. 'A Weak Ago' shows signs of flamenco and western influences, the subtle rage in the vocals hidden under the almost ridiculous overtones show the brilliance of the band's creativity. Title track 'If I'm The Devil' begins creepily with a spidery muted guitar track and a choir singing staccatos until Butler's vocals kick in. It builds up in a huge way, the end of the song climaxing then ending quietly as if to provide a reprisal of the emotions experienced within the track. The only flop on the record is the upfront 'Another Offensive Song', which is titled as ridiculously as it sounds. The band seemed to take the "let's be as edgy and punk as we can sound" approach with this one, to negative results.

letlive. does not disappoint. Whether it be the revealing and tortured lyrics found on their debut 'Fake History' or the sharp and rugged riffs of 'The Blackest Beautiful', this band finds way to blend their grandiose with heaviness. While 'If I'm The Devil' may not be their heaviest, or even most true-to-self record, it's undoubtedly a signature album in the band's building discography. The music shows progression and a new mentality towards their sound, which is really all anyone can ask for of any band. They understood that while they had their niche, overdoing it would kill off others, as well as their own interest. Progression is key for musicians, and letlive. did not let that brooding task stop them.

Favorite Tracks: I've Learned To Love Myself, If I'm The Devil, Copper Colored Quiet

Least Favorite Track: Another Offensive Song

Rating: 8.5/10

PUP - The Dream Is Over

Punk rock outfit PUP is back with their follow up to 2013's eponymous debut, The Dream Is Over. The band abandons some of their gritty pure punk rage from their prior release and come to a new, more accessible sound while still maintaining their core punk rooting.

Reckless abandon is a signature in our current definition of a punk band. PUP seems to sacrifice some of this in order to blend angry rock with structures that have some sense of order. Some songs don't stay entirely true to this; songs like 'Sleep In The Heat' has a loose sense to it. This doesn't really play to it's favor, though. The song is one of the weakest on the record, given that the rest of it has steadier structures that make up the tracklist. It stands out in the way a punk song should, but in this album it's a bit of a black sheep. 'My Life Is Over & I Couldn't Be Happier' feels similarly unpolished, but tighter than the former track does, giving it that extra edge.

Something this album does stay true with its genre is the riffage. Especially towards the middle section of the record, giant riffs explode with inner angst and rage. 'The Coast' has perhaps the most confident riff: it's huge and in your face as it kicks in without warning. The juxtaposition of the wailing tremolos over the thick distorted powerchords create a distinct urgency that really carries the riff to a different level. The strength of the chorus takes the riff a step further, Stefan Babcock's angry voice complimenting the enraged riff. Another giant track, 'Old Wounds', follows suit, this song immediately starting off with energy and channelling it throughout the entire song. Disjointed guitar lines and harsh screams fill the choruses while Nestor Chumak's chunky basslines provide a strong low-end to the trashing track. While not full on angry like the prior tracks, 'Familiar Patterns' has a driven beat and strong riffs. This song is more relatable than jam-worthy, but it certainly falls in both categories.

There isn't too much memorable emotion besides rage on the record, but it does exist. Right off the get go, 'If This Tour Doesn't Kill You, I Will' starts with a signature of punk rock: a melody that doesn't seem to care. While it usually throws me off, this specific melody seems to have a sense of conviction to it, and while it throws off the call-to-arms vibe the rest of this track his, it certainly isn't as much of a detraction as it would be coming from any other band. The track segues without pause into 'DVP' that, unless you were watching the track change, you might not even notice. The song just... happens. It doesn't leave much of a mark, perhaps as a result of its immediate and unaccented transition. The album closes on the considerate 'Pine Point', a recollection of past experiences. It builds up from a somber ballad to a powerful rock 'n' roll anthem. Big powerchords and electrifying guitar back the chorus before the final reprisal kicks in in a big group sing-a-long that brings the album to a satisfying and full circle conclusion.

PUP may be Canada's current punk sensation, and they've certainly lived up to their hype from their debut, but there's still a lot of room to grow. They polished up their sound with The Dream Is Over, allowing for a more accessible sound but abandoning some of the pure punk feel. This album isn't free of bumps and bruises, but it certainly makes up for its flaws with its best moments. Don't miss out on this one.

Favorite Tracks: The Coast, Old Wounds, Pine Point

Least Favorite Track: Sleep In The Heat

Rating: 7/10

Architects - All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us

There are two ways good metal can go: with heaviness comes brutality and jams, or with heaviness comes beauty and connectivity. In their seventh record, All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, post-hardcore/metal outfit Architects seamlessly find the compromise of those two types of metal.

After a decade of evolution, Architects have settled on a sound that's hard to wrap your head around. It's definitely metal, but somewhere along the lines, they formed something new. The music on All Our Gods is giant, atmospheric, and crushing while still being melodic and technical. It's as hard as it is to explain as it is to comprehend. All that's clear is that it's brilliant.

There is no break on this record. It's 46 minutes of unadulterated intensity and raw emotion. This album begs for multiple listens; once through for the epic instrumentals, and a second to appreciate the lyrical work on it. Vocally, this may be Architects' best material yet. Sam Carter brings out amazing melodies in his violent screams (giving the music tastes of melodic death metal) while still finding moments in between to bring in softer moments. 'Deathwish' is perhaps the most impressive vocal and lyrical moment on the album, the chorus admitting "I know you know we’ve been living a lie… We’ve passed the point of no return… We just want to watch the world burn." Looking beyond the lyrics, you can find huge melodic screams and a sung bridge, a moment of reprieve from the blistering intensity of this unforgiving album. 'Gone With The Wind' brings in more killer vocals - the chorus melodies soar to different heights and the bridge provides a moment of consideration of the lyrics, before the powerful instrumental and giant vocals return.

More noticeably epic and groundbreaking than the vocals are the incredible instrumentals found on each song. There is not a dull moment on any track whatsoever - every note is another punch to the face and every word is taken to heart. Straight from the beginning, this becomes apparent, with opener 'Nihilist' begrudgingly opening with some of the most intense screaming found on the record, with a reprimanding and brutal instrumental to back it. Epic guitars found on 'Phantom Fear' back up the absolutely crushing outro to the song - a start-stop djent breakdown that'll send you into an abyss. The eight-minute epic conclusion to the record, 'Memento Mori' is as dark as the title and length may suggest. There's something brilliantly dark found within the guitar synth that begins the song, a seemingly unimportant moment, yet so unforgettable and demanding at the same time. What separates this song from the rest (besides the qualities that can be gathered before the song even begins) is that it highlights the electronic aspect of the album. The album's electronic backgrounds are arguably just as important as the massive guitars and double bass kicks that make up the foreground - it's like the Hybrid Theory of 2016; the album loses an entire level of power without the electronics. The entire song builds up and progresses until it reaches its gentle climax, but each section of the song has a new offering that needs careful listening for a full appreciation. It's a perfect ending to an album of this caliber.

I found the center of the album to be a level down from the beginning and end, there's a song at the core of the album that really ties it all together: 'A Match Made In Heaven'. The album seems to refuse the idea of hooks and memorable choruses in order to give it its appeal, but this song seems to tread towards the playability aspect a little more closely. The chorus is anthemic and just powerful enough to not be forgotten. The song itself sums up the album, and what makes Architects so great, in a perfect way. Raw intensity of the vocals paired with a slew of technical riffs make the song a whole different force. In an album full of unforgiving and unorthodox songs, this song ties in a more modern structure with the different elements found dispersed in songs that accompany it.

Architects set a new precedent for modern metal bands with All Our Gods. It sounds familiar, yet it's not quite like anything you've ever heard before. For those who don't like the reprimanding lyrics or technicality of the instrumentals, this may not be the album for you. But even if that's not something you can get down with, this is an album that cannot be skipped - it's an instant classic for metal. In the beauty of its crushing atmosphere and rampant riffage, part of you that begs for rebellion and desire comes out. This album, while brutal, is capturing and comes from a disposition we've all shared. Architects is like fine wine - they get better with age. They've changed the game with this record, we may not be ready for what's to come next.

Favorite Tracks: Memento Mori, A Match Made In Heaven, Deathwish, Phantom Fear

Least Favorite Track: The Empty Hourglass

Rating: 8.5/10

Top 10 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. Daughter - Not To Disappear
8. Thrice - To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere
9. Architects - All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us
10. Lacey Sturm - Life Screams

Thrice - To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere

Just when you thought they were done, they come right back, bigger than ever. Alternative rock giants Thrice is back from their hiatus with their ninth record, To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere. The album doesn’t see them going back to their heavy, complex roots, but eases into a comfortable alternative rock/heavy rock compromise that compliments every aspect of their sound.

To Be Everywhere is a sort of slow burning wildfire. It has brilliant sparks of energy and blazing infernos at its core, but also has plenty of moments which are just flying ashes in the aftermath. The album is caked in a sort of mysterious darkness that envelops every track, morphing it into a silent watcher. It’s relatable at the same time it’s crushingly true. That very darkness is captured in the central instrumental divider track, ‘Seneca’, that provides that dark spaciousness that a lot of the album features. Slow burners in this wildfire include songs like ‘The Long Defeat’ (which sounds like it was taken straight from the Pianos Become The Teeth play book) and a lot of the verse melodies found on the album. Other songs, however, are less slow and more massive.

Intro track ‘Hurricane’ begins on a folky acoustic guitar note, an interesting juxtaposition to the massive rock track that immediately follows the light beginning. The ending of this song is so crushingly powerful, you can feel the enormity of it grabbing hold of you. There’s plenty of huge moments on the album like this, many of the choruses being big and loud. Lead single ‘Blood In The Sand’ pairs its massive choruses with verses filled with chunky basses and loud background chants. ‘Whistleblower’ also bears a giant outro paired with a solid body showing that Thrice is at the top of their game. Lead singer Dustin Kensrue channels his inner Halestorm in ‘Wake Up’, the hard rock influences of the album coming out loud and clear.

Paired with the darkness of the album is it’s rawness. This album is chocked to the brim with pure and unbridled emotion, and that’s evident within every aspect. Urgency and panic is channeled through the instrumental and melody of ‘The Window’, while pure anger comes through in ‘Death From Above’, which honestly feels like it’s more of a rant by the end of it. At the center of the album, following the instrumental interlude, is the duo of single ‘Black Honey’ and ‘Stay With Me’. While the two tracks are not necessarily a pair, they share a similar progression as far as lyrics go. ‘Honey’ is dark and demanding, but in the same respect feels like a surrender. It resolves itself by the end, which has a touch of hope to it, as if another chance is available, the bridge somberly promising, “this time, I’ll get it right.” ‘Stay’ feels like a continuation of the promise made at the end of the former track, or, in better terms, an elaboration. The promise made at the end of ‘Honey’ becomes a plead in ‘Stay’, as if the final chance has come, and the narrator must beg for it to thrive. It’s an interesting combination - it feels intentional, but there’s no way to tell for sure. The progression in itself is sweet enough as it is. The album as a whole concludes on the slow burner, ‘Salt and Shadow’. It’s the longest song on the record and definitely not the most exciting, but it does have a sense of finality that ends the record on a fulfilling note.

Thrice never fails to impress with their releases. They’ve been in the game for a little under two decades now, and every release is stronger and stronger. They’ve carved their niche out in the alternative rock sphere and continue to make it their own. To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere is a confident and powerful return to music for the band, and shows that the band isn’t ready to hand up the towel just yet. There’s a lot more ground to cover yet.

Favorite Tracks: Black Honey, Hurricane, Blood On The Sand, The Window

Least Favorite Tracks: Death From Above

Rating: 8.5/10

Top 10 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. Daughter - Not To Disappear
8. Thrice - To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere
9. Lacey Sturm - Life Screams
10. HÆLOS - Full Circle

Against The Current - In Our Bones

Against The Current’s long awaited debut record In Our Bones is finally here! The band’s five-year growth has finally led up to their first record from Fueled By Ramen, and brings up the electronic influences to create a slightly poppier sound than previous releases while still maintaining the core pop-rock vibe.

The first thing to note about the record is the appeal. It’s definitely an Against The Current release, it has the core elements of the band written all over it, but, perhaps by the hands of Fueled By Ramen, has a lighter approach to it. No giant guitar bridges are present and the electronics and Chrissy Constanza (up there for cutest frontwoman out there) seem to take a more important place on the record. The music seems to be more of a backing to Chrissy instead of all of them being equally important, as past efforts seemed to do. The electronic influence is definitely something much more prevalent in the album, most evident in songs like ‘Forget Me Now’ with its synth intro.

While electronics are now a major component of the tracks, there are a lot of raw moments on it. Title track ‘In Our Bones’ is an acoustic track backed by strings, piano, and guitar, lacking any overarching presence of electronica. That being said, the song is pretty cheesy, while still being sweet. Stronger songs like ‘Wasteland’ blend the elements of both ends of the spectrum together into a massive track, filled with atmosphere and giant guitar punches. The vocals also remind me of Bea Miller, for some reason. Intro track ‘Running With The Wild Things’ also has a similar punchiness that perfectly hypes up the record. Some songs take a more safe path, ‘Runaway’ working off the classic formula of U2 with powerchords in the verses and sweet riffs splashed in delay. 

Chrissy crushes it with her stellar vocals on this record. Her vocals demand attention with their confident belting and fullness. Her melodies are fantastic, ‘Blood Like Gasoline’ being a prime example of a great melody that compliments the instrumental wonderfully. ‘Chasing Ghosts’ highlights the strength of her voice, really showing off her great range. The verses take it slow and mellow, while the choruses explode with soaring notes. 

As much praise as it deserves, this album paves the way for the band’s follow up to it. There’s a lot of room for improvement. One problem with it is that it almost feels like the album is having an identity crisis, as if it can’t tell whether it wants to be a pop rock anthemic record or one fit more to a comfortable radio-friendly sound. It doesn’t take many risks, which is, perhaps, to be expected of a debut, but after being in the game for half a decade, the band should be ready to try some different tactics. Some songs on the record just find themselves contradicting themselves in ways and defeating their purpose. ‘Roses’ has a sad but sweet meaning to it, but that meaning is lost with how happy the instrumental is. It’s not even that there’s a strong optimism to the subject, it’s just a misplaced mood of the instrumental to the lyrics. ‘Demons’ is a pretty standard song, but as a record closer, lacks a sense of finality that would end the album on a high note. It feels like another song you’d find in the middle of the record and skip on a casual listen. 

Debut records always make or break a band. Luckily, In Our Bones is a pretty solid starter for Against The Current’s career. It struggles within itself to find its own purpose as well as compromising some of its songs’ own meanings, but part of evolving is learning from mistakes. The band’s follow up will show whether or not they harbor these faults or correct them. There’s a good amount of time before that LP comes around, and luckily, this record has plenty of jams to keep that time gap filled.

Favorite Tracks: Wasteland, Blood Like Gasoline, Running With The Wild Things

Least Favorite Track: In Our Bones

Rating: 7/10

Ariana Grande - Dangerous Woman

“Badass” is probably not the first word that comes to your mind when discussing Ariana Grande, but her new album may change that. Dangerous Woman is a confident, huge pop record that brings good-girl Ariana Grande to a whole new level.

The album begins almost deceptively. ‘Moonlight’ opens the record on a sweet key introduction followed by gooey vocals and light orchestration. This song is almost lullaby-esque, a quiet and sweet introduction to the album. ‘Moonlight’ doesn’t exactly embody the whole “danger” factor of the album’s title. It has some great vocal work and is by no means a bad song, but it doesn’t go with the record. After ending on a plethora of harmonies, the badass kicks in with ‘Dangerous Woman’. It starts similar quiet as the song preceding it, but explodes into a confident and threatening track. Ariana has some amazing belts throughout the track, especially at the end of the track, which is just fantastically huge. Ariana has lots of amazing vocal moments on the record: ‘Leave Me Lonely’ in particular, as a whole, is a stellar vocal performance. ‘Greedy’ is another stellar song on the record, which is driven by huge amounts of groove and soul (complimented by the giant harmonies on the track). Not to mention, the song is pretty much how my girlfriend and I act about our time together (I love you, Halli!). Ariana isn’t afraid to get a bit dirty on this record, either; ‘Touch It’ brings a personal and sensual touch to the end of the record, while ‘Everyday’ explores love as a drug (or just drugs in general, it’s pretty hard to tell with this one). The guest spots - which, honestly, I expected to be awful - weren't half bad, either. Nikki Minaj and Future both held their weight on their tracks, and in style. Future was actually interesting, for once! It's a miracle!

The downfall of this record is that amidst all of the great moments on it, more than half the tracks just have nothing going for them. Every track is different and infectious in their own right, but there’s just no big punch to them that, as a record that is to exude confidence and strength, just don’t help the album progress. The latter half of the album has a bunch of bland songs, including the closing ‘Knew Better / Forever Boy’ and ‘Thinking Bout You’, which was perhaps the worst decision for the album. Those songs are just so bland and average, it ends an album that started so strong on a disappointing note.

Dangerous Woman is definitely a big jam of a record, despite its shortcomings. There are lots of huge pop bangers on it that will dominate the airwaves soon enough. If only the album was more cohesive in its theming, could it be a real statement. Every track has it’s own charm (whether it be the cheesy guitar licks in ‘I Don’t Care’ or punchy chords of ‘Bad Decisions’) that gives this album personality, though. It can’t be faulted. It’s a good record, but no masterpiece.

Favorite Tracks: Dangerous Woman, Greedy, Touch It, Into You

Least Favorite Tracks: Knew Better / Forever Boy, Thinking Bout You

Rating: 7/10

Issues - Headspace

There isn’t anyone that sounds quite like Issues does. Their self-titled debut record from 2013 set them on the course of success, landing them on big tours and a developing cult fanbase. Their follow up record Headspace shows their growth from their first album, and while is overall more creative and diverse, has a small lack of cohesiveness that, at times, makes the album more left-field than it needs to be.

Right off the bat, you’re dropped into ‘The Realest’, a groovy, jazzy, djent-influenced banger. You might have to question whether or not this is the same band from their first record. ‘The Realest’ has so much color and groove, and it just overall so definitively different from their other material, it’s a real refresher for those going in expecting their scene trends to skyrocket with their sophomore release. The trend of originality doesn’t last long, though, with ‘Home Soon’ feeling a bit safer. It feels like they tried to capture the sound they had trademarked and flip it up with more soul and the progressive vibes of ‘The Realest’, the transitions between verse and chorus feeling like to lack cohesion and sound almost detached. ‘Lost-N-Found (On A Roll)’ has a similar problem, though it isn’t detached, it still sounds too safe.

Remember the mention of the scene sound not skyrocketing? Well, that wasn’t entirely true. There are some very cringey songs on this album that try way too hard to sound edgy and relatable to the stereotypical scene teenager. Even the title of ‘Yung & Dum’ is so cringey (which speaks for the rest of the song) that you can tell that the band tried way to hard to be rebellious. ‘Flojo’ has so much nu-metal angst in it, though the chorus is pretty groovy. Interestingly enough, the band’s DJ Scout Acord even contributed vocals here, though it really doesn’t add much. In other spots, they seem to have sacrificed quality for the “wow” factor, such as in ‘Blue Walls’, which is, admittedly, a huge heavy jam, but the guitar riff is as far as the song goes. The heavy factor took place of the quality of the track.

Negatives aside, this album does have its fair share of great moments. ‘Coma’ is basically the quintessential Issues song. Fantastic and driven instrumentally, with samples thrown in there to cover the nu-metal side of their sound. Tyler Carter and his fantastically soothing and pure voice create epic verses and choruses, and Michael Bohn even takes a stab at clean vocals in the pre-chorus before delivering his brutal screams in the absolutely massive bridge. ‘Someone Who Does’ continues with the wonderful melodies found scattered throughout the album, before the album concludes with the combo of the out-of-place instrumental ‘I Always Knew’ (that just doesn’t transition well into the final track) and ‘Slow Me Down’, which closes the album on a huge note, the instrumental being massive and the bridge having a particularly great melody.

Issues have definitely come a long way from their self-titled album. There were some pitfalls in this album, but nothing that can’t be grown from. This album would’ve been near perfect had the bad tracks (theme-wise, such as ‘Yung & Dum’) been replaced by meanings with more substance. Issues need to hone their ability to write stronger songs, since they have their sign down pat. The only growth from here is maturity, and they’re already on the steady road there. This band has big things in their future.

Favorite Tracks: Coma, Slow Me Down, The Realest, Someone Who Does

Least Favorite Tracks: Yung & Dum, Flojo

Rating: 7.5/10

Skepta - Konnichiwa

Skepta’s fourth full length LP, Konnichiwa is the first grime album I’ve seen that has taken notice outside of the U.K. Grime has been on a roll lately, the term becoming known throughout hip-hop worldwide now. Skepta’s newest album is a fine piece of it, though it also shows that it has room to grow.

Kicking off with the album title track ’Konnichiwa’, the album begins with an almost stereotypical Japanese scene that actually makes sense in the context of the song - the readying of swords is akin to the sharp verses of the record. The song itself actually bashes stereotypes, even further accentuating the theme of the song. The album itself seems to be a big metaphor for the prejudice of the genre and the struggles within an artist, the pressures of which are seen in the skit at the end of ‘Corn On The Curb’. The instrumentals and moods of the record demand your attention, especially in tracks with grand instrumentals and strong assertions like ‘Shutdown’ and ‘Man (Gang)’. There are little colors splashed in the instrumentals too, like the demanding brasses in the background and the rough orchestras found in ‘It Ain’t Safe’.

Unfortunately, there are not many praises left for the record. The problem with this record, and grime in general, is that at some point, everything starts sounding the same. The beats becoming predictable and uninteresting by the time the second half of the album rolls around, the end of the album being good but bland. The guest spots on this album don’t really add anything, except for JME on ‘That’s Not Me’, which is actually pretty refreshing, since the rest of the either sound awkward (Pharrell on ‘Numbers’, for example) or the guests sound the same as everyone else on the track. And I just have to call this out: ‘Lyrics’ uses that obnoxious goddamn airhorn sample that successfully ruins the entire song. That is no longer a hype thing. It’s just dead.

Skepta’s newest album is a good representation of grime, which is good considering the album’s popularity. This may just be one of the world’s first big exposures to grime, and honestly, it’ll be hit or miss from this starting point. We’ll have to wait and see who follows suit to ride the rising wave of grime popularity this year. For what it’s worth, Skepta got it off to a good start.

Favorite Tracks: Man (Gang), Konnichiwa

Least Favorite Tracks: Detox, Ladies Hit Squad, Lyrics

Rating: 6/10

Melt Yourself Down - Last Evenings On Earth

2016 hasn't had enough weird yet. Melt Yourself Down is here to take care of that, with their newest album Last Evenings On Earth full of crushing bass combined with North African beats and jazzy spirals.

Right off the bat, we get some Lightning Bolt vibes with heavily distorted bass in 'Dot To Dot'. The song features frantic and tribal saxophones over a threatening beat paired with subtle electronics and huge demanding vocals. The wild saxophones run amok all over this record; 'Listen Out' and 'Body Parts' featuring prominent use of the instrument. Pete Wareham really outdid himself - the brass section on this album is killer. Vocalist Kushal Gaya lends his voice in a strong way. A lot of the vocal performances on the record sound bewildered and entranced, as if the music was backing some sort of ritual. Some of the lyrics are near nonsensical, at that, too. I'm not quite sure what language 'Yazzan Dayra' is written in (if it isn't gibberish). 'Big Children (Gran Zanfran)' sounds like French to me, but don't quote me. The vocals are as diverse as being sung in different languages! The percussion features a lot of tribal beats and even steel drums and bongos to add color and authenticity; 'Bharat Mata' and 'The God Of You' make good use of the North African vibes in the percussion. There are subtle electronics hidden throughout the track, except for standout track 'Jump The Fire', where electronics are brought to the forefront of the track. The electronic sound actually lends itself really well to the brooding and bouncy instrumentation of the song. It's probably the most normal sounding song on the record, which is saying something as it's still a pretty weird song!

Melt Yourself Down is pretty crazy. Their avant-garde jazz/tribal fusion is something that no one has ever quite heard before. Grand instrumentation fused with thick tribal beats and fat brasses give the album an interesting and unique sound that has much space for growth and forming a niche. The album does go a tad overboard with how fanatic it is, but that's part of doing something like this. There's no art without a little insanity.

Favorite Tracks: Jump The Fire, Dot To Dot

Least Favorite Track: Listen Out

Rating: 7/10