Another month has passed, with a new assortment of songs to comment on. For those who don't know, this is the series where I highlight my top and bottom 3 songs of a given month. Right now, I'm talking about February. This is the month where the good songs are really good... and the bad songs are really bad. We've got a nice mix here. Click here to look at the previous month. Anyways, here we go.
THE TOP 3
Genre: Blues Rock
If you like your rock music with emphasis on soulful, emotive guitar playing, then this song is for you. The guitars sound fantastic, with not one, but two tasty solos at the tail end of the track. There's a great serene atmosphere here, and it's amplified by the expressive guitar playing. And while I wasn't a huge fan of Gary Clark Jr's falsetto vocals on "I Walk Alone," the single released before this one, his vocals here are gorgeous. This is just a great, beautiful, soulful rock song. It has a lot of power behind it. My one nitpick is that the production is rough around the edges, but I don't mind it here. Check this out. I think you'll really like it.
Genre: Pop Rock
Weezer's entire discography is one big mixed bag. There are some great, classic songs mixed with tunes that we all would like to forget. While their recently released The Black Album looks like it's going into the latter category, we can all take solace in the fact that it birthed this gem. "High as a Kite" is a beautiful song, mixing elements of old and new Weezer. The instrumentation is simple yet relaxing, the strings and piano add a great atmosphere, and Cuomo's vocals are some of the best I've heard in a while. Plus, the lyrics are some of the best I've heard from a Weezer song. This is easily one of their most mature songs yet. Like many other people, I too have mixed feelings about this band. However, when they nail it, they freaking nail it, and "High as a Kite" certainly nails it.
Genre: Experimental Garage Rock
I am fully aware that I am cheating for a number of reasons here; one, this is two songs instead of one; two,they were both released on January 31st; and three, "Acarine" is a B-side to "Cyboogie." I respond by saying my personal rule is that if a song is released on the last day of the month, it will qualify for next month because it would have absolutely no time to get noticed. And both of these songs are so good, that I have to put them together. "Cyboogie" is this delightfully weird song that's like a mix between Daft Punk and ZZ Top, with a large heaping of 80s sci-fi movie camp. The groove is fantastic, the instrumental is dense and infectious, and the robot vocals are a nice touch. This song is incredibly catchy and a lot of fun to listen to. And the B-side, "Acarine," is arguably even better. The instrumentation is phenomenal, giving an airy vibe throughout. It straight up sounds like a spaghetti western tune set in space. And the techno breakdown at the end is absolutely incredible. If you like weird music that's also very catchy, enjoyable, and groovy, then I highly recommend these two tracks. And while you're at it, listen to more King Gizzard, because they're very good and highly underrated.
Honorable Mentions: "Wanna Come Down" by Ibibio Sound Machine, "Guns" by Quelle Chris, "Cuz I Love You" by Lizzo
THE BOTTOM 3
Genre: Trap
I'm not lying when I say I understand the appeal of Lil Pump. There's something so awkward and stupid about his music that I kind of like. Sure, his music is incredibly dumb, and not even really good, but I have no shame in saying that I have enjoyed songs like "Boss," "D Rose," and "Gucci Gang." So what happens when you take his amateurish charm and throw it out the window? You get tracks like "Be Like Me," where he talks about how everyone in the industry wants to be like him. While his cockiness certainly shows in other songs, here it comes off as obnoxious. His flow is annoying, his delivery is grating, and the hook is awful. The beat is ugly with these obnoxious synth chords pounding away at your ears. And Lil Wayne's guest verse is bad as well. This is the epitome of why a lot of modern rap turns me off: annoying music, a self absorbed image, and absolutely no self awareness. This song belongs in the trash.
Genre: Emo Trap
I don't get it. I really don't get why Juice WRLD is so sought after right now. It's emo music with a trap beat. That's it. Emo music can be good, but when your music's bad and you resort to incoherent whining, you have lost me. That is exactly what Juice WRLD does with "Robbery," and my goodness, this song is tedious. The beat is absolutely boring, and Juice WRLD's delivery hurts to listen to. What they are saying is completely incoherent, and what he is saying tries to have emotion and meaning, but it does nothing for me. There's nothing remotely interesting here. It's all just obnoxious whining with a trap beat.
Genre: Pop that's trying way too hard to be clever
Political messages in music have been around for a long, long time. A lot of times, the artist will have something insightful and thought provoking to say through their music. This is not one of those times. "On Social Media" by Pet Shop Boys is trying to commentate on the over-reliance of social media, but there's nothing clever or smart about it. It's all completely surface level nonsense. They way the lyrics read sound like one of those articles talking about how "millennials have killed or ruined such and such because millennials are stupid and dumb, unlike us smart and intellectual baby boomers." I get that this song is trying to be satirical, but it's not funny or smart. The lyrics are terrible. But that's not all. The music is obnoxious. It beats you over the head with these gaudy synths and booming drums. It's headache inducing. And that chorus is horrendous. There's nothing good about this song. I don't normally like to comment about political messages in music because one, I know nothing about politics, and two, I don't care what they believe as long as they convey their message in a way that interests me. What "On Social Media" tried to do, however, just irked me. This song was a mistake.
Dishonorable Mentions: "One Call" by Gunna, "Who Do You Love?" by The Chainsmokers & Ten Seconds of Summer, "Melancholic Paradise" by Tokio Hotel, "Big" by Fontaines D.C., "Jumping" by Lud Foe
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